Chapter 118 Big deal, bad idea
If you push back twenty-five years, Spielberg would never have asked such a question.
Regardless of how noisy the reunion is, the value of Spider-Man has always stabilized the opponent.
But people in this era don’t know!
If you have to list it, Spielberg is a living example. In 1973, when he learned that Warner was going to make "Superman", he was very interested in superheroes and wanted to try it, but because of salary negotiations Not agreeing, coupled with the confident belief that "Jaws" will definitely succeed, so he missed the whole project because of this.
George Lucas also wanted to try it at the time, but it was also because the asking price was too low, which made Lucas feel that it would be better to make "Star Wars" by himself with that little money, so he voluntarily withdrew at the time of the stalemate.
Marlon Brando, who finally starred in it, was even more amazing. Not to mention the 3.7 million film salary, he also asked for a box office bonus of 11.75, and asked himself not to shoot scenes for more than two weeks, and said that he would not To recite a line...
Although "Jaws" and "Star Wars" both won "Superman" in the end, but when they were poor and white, they would rather fiddle with their own movies than bother with Warner, so that they can get a glimpse of their attitude towards superheroes And Brando's lion opened its mouth wide, which also reflects the contempt of the whole circle for the subject of superheroes.
Not only that, Tim Burton's first "Batman" only had a budget of 35 million. To put it bluntly, most of the money was given to Jack Nicholson...
They love the superhero genre itself.
But they also feel that the influence of superheroes on the box office is not as strong as their own inspiration.
Or, regardless of whether "Batman" is a big hit or not, they all think it is a person who sells a movie, not a character.
And when these big names have reservations about this kind of movie, the value of IP cannot be reflected at all.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that there was no CGI back then. In the era when handmade models and special effects had to be made by Lucas himself, those studios did not have the technology of Niubi to transfer the pictures on the comics to the screen. .
So, there is no problem with Spielberg's words now.
After "HA", "T2", and "HA2", Roland's personal cumulative box office was at least 1.4 billion, and the combined production costs of the three films did not exceed 150 million!
Nearly ten times the rate of return at the box office has been able to crush all the IPs on the market!
Spider-Man, who can’t reflect his own value at all when Sony wants someone, is rubbish...
In this way, Cameron's eyes lit up when he heard the suggestion, but after a while, this guy reacted!
Hey! They're still messing with me!
"Look! Look! Look! You still want to occupy my project!"
"How can this be called occupation? I'm just offering a solution." Even though Cameron yelled hard, Spielberg still had a smile on his cheek, "If you are worried that you won't be able to direct, then let Roland and you Sign an agreement, when the film project is established, as long as you are willing and have time to shoot, you will be the producer and director, I don’t care, it’s okay, right?”
"If you are still not at ease, I can also ask George to sign an agreement with you. During the film production stage, Industrial Light and Magic under Lucasfilm must allocate at least 40% of the manpower to do visual effects... so It’s not going to be a situation where you’re going to do Spider-Man and ILM is going to do my Jurassic Park…”
"Huh..." Cameron rolled his eyes arrogantly, how could he not know what the other party was planning?
Now only he can grab the copyright from Carolco first, but he doesn't have so much money to waste. The Jewish gang can buy it at a low price, but they can't pry Karolco's mouth away, and in the cooperation between the two parties In this case, the project really belongs to them.
The priority shooting agreement is actually a guarantee, no matter what the situation is, Cameron is his first choice.
As for the visual effects?
He hehe.
The reason why he wanted to set up a visual effects company by himself was because Industrial Light & Magic was such a disgusting person!
Other people's projects tend to be ignored, and their own projects are blocked.
Don’t think 40% is very high, but when the time comes to really do it, it must be that the whole company is milking this film!
"Then the matter is settled. I will contact Carolco and tell them that Roland will buy it. After the matter is negotiated, I will tell you when the contract will be signed." Although he looked unhappy, Cameron was still quite happy. Lively, because he understands that when the food is eaten by the Jewish gang, at least invest in capital and technical support, so he doesn't have to worry, "Roland, do you have money? I'll try to talk to you about four million yuan, oh no... You guys are richer than me!"
While the other party patted his **** and turned around to leave, Roland came back to his senses and felt that everything in the world was a little unreal.
‘Am I really dreaming? '
‘If future generations can get 5 billion, you can get 4 million? Or was it gnawed off from Sony? '
Squeezing his thigh hard, Roland grinned his teeth and took a deep breath of pain. Spielberg, who had sent Cameron away, saw his bewildered expression. The smile disappeared, replaced by a look of anger, "Those two guys are really disgusting."
"No matter which company the two of them go to, they can go up and down, and the mess is a mess!"
Don't look at him smiling happily just now, but in fact, compared with Cameron copying the coffee table, he has seen the power of those stupid guys, and he has long wanted to stab someone with a knife, "Those two guys deliberately wanted to Destroy our partnership with Sony!"
"If we really make it! The two of them must go!"
In the case of mutual contact information, half an hour can actually understand a lot of things.
And Spielberg, it is impossible to make only one phone call.
Cameron was here just now, he wouldn't say, now that he's gone, he couldn't bear it.
After rambling on for a while, Roland finally understood what these guys were thinking.
According to the content discussed last year, it is naturally a simple transaction, but when Sony wants to bind, things are not so simple-compared with game copyrights and movie copyrights, people are the most important, and In the case that neither Spielberg nor Roland has a movie plan, the whole deal is actually infinitely close to bankruptcy.
“But no one wants to break the deal…”
"So I just called and asked..."
"Do you think the copyright of Spider-Man is so easy to buy?"
"Sony only allows you to act, starting at the age of fifteen, and in the next five years, at least three films, each with at least 30% and a maximum investment of 50%, and their logo will be hung in front of the film , only then will they be willing to let go.”
Sony does have money, but they are not stupid.
Before I was cheated by Warner, it was because I was new here and I didn't know the situation.
Now, of course they want to make as much money as they want.
What's more, the overseas distribution left by Columbia Pictures is a huge treasure. If they let Spielberg get involved easily, then don't do this business.
I want to get Panasonic to do it together because Panasonic has money and can help them, and Raspielberg does it because they can make money.
But you want to eat Dushi and our channels?
roll!
They have been taken advantage of once, it is impossible to be taken advantage of a second time!
"So I will promise them for you first."
"Because Spider-Man is indeed a good image fit for you."
"You won't blame me for arbitrarily arguing to give up the investment amount?"
Facing the serious question of the old man, Roland laughed directly.
If half of the investment in the "permanent" can be exchanged for the right to speak of the overseas issuing company, this business will definitely be a net profit.
Compared with distribution channels, the value of the movie itself is almost negligible.
Because if they want to do it, it is impossible to just do this movie!
Besides—
"Isn't it a very normal thing for movies to attract investment?"
"Share the risks, that's what you taught me."
“Lucas’ Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, your Jurassic Park, Back to the Future…”
"As long as there is copyright, we have the right to decide whether to shoot or not. If we first find a guy with money to invest, the whole project will be approved more easily, because the rest of the investors will be easy to find..."
Such words made the old man nod happily.
Unless it is a project like "Reunion" and "Star Wars" that is sure to explode and make a profit, otherwise, no company will foolishly swallow all the investment in a movie, let alone Spielberg's The meaning of Amblin's existence is not to invest money to make movies by himself, but the company holds the copyright, and then finds others to invest in his own projects.
To put it bluntly, when he only has publishing rights and a small amount of investment, the producer's share + director's share + copyright share can be divided up to 28 points. Since I can take it away without investing a penny So much, so why should I spend money?
Seems to earn more?
Don’t be kidding, the production cycle of a movie is very long. It’s not that if it’s shot today, it will be released tomorrow, and theaters in all countries and regions will give you money the day after tomorrow. The normal operation cycle takes two to three years. In two to three years, the cash in their hands can be used to do more things and collect more copyrights instead of waiting for dividends.
Besides, with more investors, the risk is lower.
This kind of risk does not refer to the risk of film creation failure, but the troubles in a series of links such as production, post-production, review, and publicity, which will be reduced a lot. Take "Titanic" as an example, Fox and Paramount is done by two people, and in this case, when the movie is released, it is equivalent to one less opponent, because no one wants their project to lose money!
In the case of one less opponent, it is actually equivalent to earning more!
In his previous life, when Spielberg founded DreamWorks, he also used money from Microsoft, Samsung, and Chase Bank.
Even if the people behind withdraw their capital, they still use the money of the group of wealthy Indians...
As for the winners of those film companies?
They are actually not fools.
Take "Gemini Man" as an example, Paramount will bear 35% of the 114 million investment, and the remaining 35% will be borne by Skydance invested by Penguin, which is the son of Oracle. , and twenty-five percent are our Momo's revival film industry, and the last five percent are the forty thieves... and "Dark Fate", Paramount, Fox and Sky Dance each voted for thirty, and the remaining The top ten is still a penguin...
Don’t look at those film companies who claim to be losing money every day. The real profitable projects calculated by the Green Light Committee will not let others invest, but there will always be guys who want to squeeze in...
So, Roland didn't think about voting by himself at the beginning, and the copyright was in his hands, nothing more than getting the right to speak.
When everyone is in a group, if they can be empty-handed, then there will be absolutely no backlog of funds.
Is it not good to invest in other projects with higher returns? There is no need to be tough with those investors.
Moreover, many of those investors are aiming at derivatives. What kind of discs, what radio broadcasts, what online on-demand, these things can bring them a steady stream of value... Otherwise, companies like MGM would also sell No high price.
This is the charm of copyright, which allows you to earn money lying down.
Therefore, after knowing that he was definitely going to get Spider-Man, Roland didn't care who invested, and even leaned on the sofa with a much more relaxed posture, "What about the others? How much are they going to sell us for the shares of the issuing company? "
"I want fifty, but they can't give it."
"Of course it is impossible to give it. Paramount, Universal, and MGM did not share the shares equally in the United International Pictures."
"That's right, so let's take a step back each, and we have to ask for forty, right?"
"Forty? How much will it cost?"
"How much? It's actually quite cheap. There are three guaranteed copies of "Spider-Man", and then I'm going to release "Men in Black", as well as the investment rights for my next independent film. Of course, there is also a game copyright."
"I asked them to spin off Columbia International and re-establish an overseas distribution company with us. Of course, I also emphasized to them that they must open those two guys before we can officially settle in. Otherwise, there is no need to talk... "
"And we're not going to pay for the distribution company's losses until any of your and I's first movies come out."
Grass hold...
This is really a big deal!
The old man's game copyright can be worth 20 million yuan, and the "Men in Black" series is also a blockbuster, plus the investment rights of an independent film. Although he didn't say how much the share is, Sony can at least make money in the whole deal. 200 million, and if "Spiderman" is included, even if the price is lowered, the 40% stake will be 400 million.
Although Columbia International cannot be worth 1 billion, because Sony only spent 5 billion to acquire Columbia, but this is also a gamble. Roland has memories of his previous life, so he feels that Sony is not losing money, but what about Sony?
In fact, they only got one game copyright, three "Spider-Man" movies, and one of Spielberg's promised movies ("Men in Black" is only a producer, with a small halo). To put it bluntly, they think that The four films of Roland and Spielberg can make a net profit of 400 million. They have confidence in people, not gambling on projects!
Of course, this kind of result is also what Roland is happy to see.
It is equivalent to not spending a penny, and taking an overseas distribution channel for nothing. If it is not because Sony has been losing money for years, it will become a laughing stock in the industry, and it is urgent to revive the company.
Only dying people are extremely hungry for big names in the industry. If it is Fox, Universal, Paramount, Warner, Disney, it is really cool to stay there! They can only accept a wage earner, not a partner!
"Then it has nothing to do with me, right? I'm just waiting for James' call?"
"Yes, it has nothing to do with you. "Jurassic" is profitable, so let's keep 10 million for now. If you contributed to Spider-Man, the publishing company will have your share. I will re-register a company to eat new money." 40% of the distribution company’s shares, we will calculate it according to the film project, you have three films and I have four films, three-sevenths, counting your 43% equity, the 10 million is equivalent to "Jurassic Park" Half, in this way, there is no need for others to intervene...
The reason why Spielberg was able to make his business so big, even if he was besieged by the six major forces, was that he was not greedy. But the calculation is clear, Harrison Ford has been filming for so many years, and has never received a high price for the "Raiders of the Lost Ark" series, so he will help the other party get it! I misunderstood Tom Hanks before, and when the other party is interested in "Band of Brothers", then we will find an investor!
You can’t do such things as pitting your teammates. After doing it once, you will have no friends.
"The deal can't be concluded immediately, right? At least we have to wait for "Schindler's List" to be released?"
"Yes, sign the contract first, trade after the Oscars next year (94), don't let other companies know that we are doing this, and I will tell James that we have a quarrel, so that the outside world thinks that I want to control "Spider-Man", anyway, he scolded you first, even if those guys go to check the call records, it's okay..."
Acting...
Well, thanks to these guys for coming up with such a bad idea...
But, safety first...
Of course, Roland wouldn't ask stupid news about what to do if Sony leaked the secret.
It's not some motherfucker's pigeon rally! Sony is not those pigeons! There won’t be any chain loops where everyone is cooing, and it’s even more hateful to use an ellipsis to ask for leave the next day. Sony also wants to do a good job, so...
After thinking about it, Roland, who realized that he had made a net profit, immediately put the matter behind him, "Oh, by the way, what happened to "The Story of the Emergency Room" that James said before? I didn't hear that you are planning to make a TV series?"
Holding the idea that I am not losing money, Roland's mind suddenly became active.
He has read "The Story of the Emergency Room". Of course, he has forgotten all the plot, but there are two people in it that impressed him deeply. One is George Clooney and the other is Julianna Margulies.
Clooney needless to say, although this guy's profitability is wobbly, but he is very popular!
Moreover, they learned from Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they followed the official career.
As for Juliana, the most impressive one is of course the American drama "The Good Wife"...
Of course, they are also Jewish.
"You mean that TV series? I don't even bother to name it, as long as Amblin participates in the production..."
"Why, don't tell me, you want to make a TV series?"
"There is a big difference between TV dramas and movies. The lighting, scenery, and narrative structure are different. When making movies, just shoot well. Don't think about TV dramas. Learn both at the same time. It's easy to get confused..."
Of course Roland wasn't thinking about TV dramas, he was actually thinking about "Friends"!
In 1994, when a hundred flowers were blooming, "Friends" was also born. Regardless of whether it was a fake literary youth or a real film critic, there seemed to be no one who hadn't watched this drama. The point is, this drama also contributed to "Love Turned Apartment" provides a lot of material.
Of course, what Roland is interested in is not the play itself, but...
Well, after getting along with these guys for a long time, he admitted that he is also a bit addicted to collecting copyrights.
Before it was unaffordable and there were no channels, but now it is affordable, and we can do it anytime when we meet.
However, before he could expose his wolfish ambitions, Spielberg went to the water dispenser and poured a glass of water, shrugged directly: "You mean that? I know..."
"The project of GM's NBC TV station, I know their president Bob Wright, why do you want to make a cameo?"
have to…
This special code is really a dimensionality reduction blow.
Roland found a very serious problem. If he wanted something, he really couldn't ask them.
Because there are only two results for asking them. One is that they don’t know, so Roland has to find out by himself;
No way, the news that can reach their ears is already the most preferred kind that has been filtered countless times.
Since this is the case, Roland has nothing to mention.
Note: ① Lucas and Spielberg went to talk about "Superman" as soon as the project was established, but the price Warner offered was too low, and they didn't want to waste time. ②Brando is so awesome, the scene was filmed in 12 days, and all the lines were teleprompters, which is equivalent to earning 19 million by just brushing his face. ③Although "Batman" has made money, the industry still believes that it is the star effect that has increased the value of Batman, not that Batman itself is worth money, so that in the next few films, there are still crazy piles of stars, like Kim Kay Ray, Tommy Jones, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, the governor, Clooney, whoever gets the most out of it. ④DreamWorks took Microsoft Paul Allen and Samsung’s Li family for a total of 800 million, and Chase gave them a 1 billion quota. The three of them had a total of 100 million in music, animation, and live-action movies. Hollywood made movies. Copyright, there are a lot of old and second-hand goods in the script library, and the film company’s own investment is also raised by the film fund. The Jewish gang’s routine is to put it bluntly, to engage in projects by themselves. Everyone was happy, and Leek jumped off the building after losing money. ⑤ The information of "Gemini Man" and "Dark Fate" comes from Penguin.com, which is the news sent by their editors after review.
(end of this chapter)
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