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Because there are many big names participating in this play, Wu Mingxuan usually shoots the shots of these big names first, and then slowly shoots the literary and emotional scenes after their shots are finished.
Their schedules aren't really that tight, but until you're able to make a difference, you have to have a presence. Once you're at the top of the world, they'll really be wary of you.
It's like the Gong Shou Dao show in Hangzhou: "I told you to come, and you dared not come?
I can hit you any way I want, but if it hurts, you have to endure it. You absolutely can't hit me. Money is what it means to do whatever you want." So, Wu Mingxuan didn't complain much and continued to diligently cultivate his strength.
The battle between Huayi and Orange Sky was only just beginning. With the establishment of Huayi Cinema Line, the first Cinema Line Alliance Conference was officially held under the leadership of China Film Group and Sanye. This marked the official debut of the five major players in the Chinese entertainment industry. For a considerable period of time thereafter, these five companies would rule the big screen.
China Film Star Media, ranked first and most powerful, practically controlled the lifeline of all physical cinema chains. The mere right to import films sealed China Film's unrivaled dominance, regardless of who came up with it.
In second place was the Southern New Line, a cinema alliance centered around Bona Film Group and encompassing parts of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and three major cinema chains in Guangzhou. This alliance would later consistently rank among the top three cinema alliances, trailing only Wanda and Star Media.
In third place was the Beijing New Film Alliance, centered around several established Beijing giants like Huayi. This represented the Beijing cinema alliance and was now the de facto third-largest player. If you factor in production capacity, it was even stronger than the top-ranked China Film Star Media.
In fourth place was Shanghai United, representing the Shanghai cinema, with its roots in the Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai regions of East China. This was also a cinema alliance. After all, operating a cinema chain wasn't very profitable back then, with much of the box office and profits being split among the various underlying forces. Therefore, there wasn't a single, dominant cinema chain.
Ranked fifth was the relatively low-profile Wanda. While Wanda wasn't a major player at the time, it had a strong backing. Its small number of theaters, all of them new-style multiplexes, gave it considerable leverage in negotiations.
The emergence of the "Five Gangsters" was Wu Kebo's first realization that his plans couldn't keep up with the pace of change. The complexity of the domestic big-screen landscape far exceeded his initial expectations. Just because you have a good film doesn't guarantee that others will import it or schedule it for you. Furthermore, actual box office revenue and actual box office receipts are two different things. The most outrageous aspect, of course, is the box office share.
In Hollywood, the producer typically takes around 60%. For overseas distribution, ignoring promotional efforts, the box office share alone is probably around 40%.
But now the domestic film industry isn't going to let it go. They're raising prices. The average film can only take 35%. Big productions with big directors can get a slight increase, but it won't exceed 45%. Who's to blame for their financial difficulties?
Wu Kebo was completely dumbfounded. Facing such a bunch of hooligans, the several big productions he'd frantically launched were all facing red flags. If he couldn't negotiate the distribution and screening schedule ahead of time, and only negotiate after filming was complete, he'd be in big trouble.
Take the recently released "The Warlords," for example. With a 300 million yuan investment, at the highest 45% rate, it would have to gross 670 million yuan before taxes to recoup its investment.
What's the concept?
"Wushuang," hailed as the highest-grossing Chinese-language film of all time, has only just broken 500 million yuan in mainland China, still some way off 600 million yuan, which is practically the current ceiling.
And that's with the highest possible share. If calculated at the minimum, it would require 860 million yuan in box office revenue to break even. In an era where revenue primarily relies on the mainland market, such restrictions are practically killing Orange Sky. While
Orange Sky has indeed recruited many superstars, these individuals weren't without conditions: investment, production, and the ability to star in major productions were paramount.
Now that his hands are tied, Wu Kebo, even if he's not mentally ill, can't make a large investment. Therefore, he and Orange Sky Golden Harvest are severely restricted, completely unable to launch the grand initiative he initially envisioned.
Wu Mingxuan understands this and knows that establishing his own company is pointless these days, so he's not considering it for now. He'll wait until ten years from now, when cinemas officially open up and many regulations become transparent. Then he can make a real move. Until then, it's best to keep a low profile. Wu Kebo is a lesson learned.
Liu Yifei's previous filming experience was brief: four TV series and one film, so her acting was quite immature. Once she was pushed outside her familiar personas and roles, her flaws became immediately apparent.
Wu Mingxuan had already taken these factors into account when developing the character of Feng Baobao. Unexpectedly, even playing a paralyzed character, she still struggled, especially with the emotional scenes, which were too stiff.
"Yifei, stop filming your romantic scenes for a moment. Let's film the others first. Come over and sit down and watch how they do it."
Liu Yifei walked towards Wu Mingxuan with a look of disappointment. She had already failed countless times. She had indeed put her heart and soul into her performance, but she just couldn't quite capture the feeling. It seemed she had no choice but to ask Wu Mingxuan, her cheap godfather , for help.
Louis Koo, who played Sun Ming, was also frustrated. The previous major scenes had gone smoothly, but it was the final, seemingly the easiest and most filmable, soft scenes that stumbled.
Frankly, he was getting a little irritated while filming. She was simply a hopeless blockhead. She was beautiful, but her acting was... the worst of any female lead he'd ever worked with.
Without Liu Yifei, the teammate who seriously held them back, filming went much more smoothly. Fan Bingbing's performance as the vixen, in particular, was particularly impressive. Whether it was because she was playing herself or because her acting skills were severely underestimated, her performance was spot-on. Her every frown and smile truly exuded that allure.
"When we're done, come back with me, your godfather. Take a look at what you've been filming. I'm giving you this opportunity. You know how many NGs you've had in the past three days. From now on, you have to do what I say. Who told you not to be so stubborn?"
Although Liu Yifei didn't know how Wu Mingxuan would deal with her, it certainly wouldn't be good. This was her own problem, and what else could she do but resign herself to her fate?