Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 110 The Collaboration Between Integrity Cinemas and Warner Bros.

Chapter 109 The Collaboration Between Integrity Cinemas and Warner Bros.

Sony Pictures Entertainment's explanation was simple: the release schedule needs to be arranged.

The North American rights to "Reign of Assassins" were signed in September, which coincided with Hollywood's fall season lineup.

Thanksgiving slots are already booked, and Christmas slots, needless to say, have long been snapped up by various giants.

Zhang Ziyi's international fame has some use in North America, but that's about it.

She starred in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Memoirs of a Geisha," but her appeal in the North American market is not as strong as that of Hollywood A-list stars.

Therefore, "Reign of Assassins" was scheduled for the end of March next year, a rather in-between release window. The summer movie season hasn't even started yet, and the winter movie season has already ended. The market is warming up, but there aren't many big-budget films crowding the market.

"Curse of the Golden Flower" received excellent treatment in North America, as it was directly released during the Christmas season, going head-to-head with Hollywood blockbusters.

However, the compensation also means competitive pressure. It's great if you can stand out, but if you can't, people will doubt your abilities.

As for why the release date was scheduled for Christmas, the reason is simple: the director's name is Zhang Yimou.

These days, Zhang Yimou is synonymous with Chinese-language cinema in the eyes of foreigners. "Hero" grossed over 50 million US dollars in North America, and "House of Flying Daggers" also surpassed 10 million.

At this point, the foreigner recognized him, but not anyone else.

No matter how popular Zhang Ziyi becomes, it's because he made her famous.

Zhang Jun didn't feel it was unfair.

Zhang Yimou has been making films for many years and won many awards; that's the kind of status he's earned through hard work. He's only been making films for a few years, and it's already quite impressive that he's reached this level.

Moreover, the overseas rights to "Reign of Assassins" sold quite well, with shipments to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia, which alone recouped the costs.

The rest was all profit; he wasn't greedy.

Filming for "Bad Genius" continues. After completing the scenes in Guangzhou, the crew moved to Hong Kong Island.

The scenes on Hong Kong Island were scouted by Jiang Tao in advance.

Office buildings in Central, tea restaurants in Mong Kok, and streets in Causeway Bay were all included in the location shooting. Zhang Jun led his team around and finally decided on a private secondary school as the main filming location.

This school is even more impressive than the one in Shanghai. The teaching building is newly built, the classrooms have central air conditioning, and the corridors are paved with marble.

When Jiang Tao contacted the school, they readily agreed, asking him to simply include a thank you note in the end credits.

Standing in an office building in Central, Zhang Jun looked down and took in the entire night view of Hong Kong Island.

Li Dahui, who was setting up the equipment nearby, turned around and asked, "Are we shooting a night scene tonight?"

"shoot."

Zhang Jun laughed and said, "That rooftop scene was the one where Lin Wei and Chen Qi confronted each other."

Li Dahui looked at the sky: "It's foggy tonight, visibility is so-so."

"Perfect."

Zhang Jun said, "That's exactly the feeling I wanted. Two people standing in the fog, neither of them can see the other clearly."

After dark, the crew began setting up the lighting. Yang Mi and Wen Zhang, their makeup done, stood to one side, rehearsing their lines. Jiang Yan and Wang Kai stayed behind, crouching behind the monitor to watch.

This scene is one of the climaxes of the second half of "Bad Genius". Lin Wei discovers that Chen Qi is going further and further astray, and has begun to use the cheating system to make huge profits.

The two confronted each other on the rooftop. Lin Wei tried to persuade him to stop, but Chen Qi wouldn't listen.

Wen Zhang is under a lot of pressure. He needs to be explosive in this scene, but he can't overdo it.

Zhang Jun had told him before: Chen Qi isn't a bad person, he just took the wrong path. You need to make him look like a good person who took the wrong path, not a born bad one.

Wen Zhang kept those words in mind and has been pondering them for the past few days.

After filming began, the first take failed. Zhang Jun called a stop and summoned Wen Zhang to the monitor.

"Look at the way you looked just now."

Zhang Jun pointed to the replay: "That was too ruthless. Chen Qi hadn't completely turned evil yet; he was just greedy, not evil."

Your eyes should be bright, not gloomy.

Wen Zhang nodded and went back to try again, but the results were not good after several takes.

Zhang Jun didn't get angry. He told the script supervisor to call a halt, and then walked up to Wen Zhang.

"What's your hurry?"

Wen Zhang lowered his head and said, "I'm afraid of taking up everyone's time."

"Even if it takes time, we have to get it right."

Zhang Jun patted him on the shoulder: "One more, I'll stay up with you."

Wen Zhang calmed down and regained his composure, allowing him to perform at his best, resulting in a pretty good take.

Wen Zhang stood behind the monitor watching the playback. He saw his face appearing and disappearing in the mist, his eyes bright, but the corners of his mouth were already turning down.

That was the moment when greed and conscience were torn apart, and he acted it out.

Zhang Jun didn't praise him, he just said, "Remember this, keep it this way."

Wen Zhang nodded vigorously.

The filming took half a month in Hong Kong, and then another three days in Macau.

The casino scenes were filmed on location. Jiang Tao used his connections to get the casino to lend the location, on the condition that the casino could not be shown in the film.

Zhang Jun agreed.

In any case, the casino is just a backdrop in the script. Lin Wei and Chen Qi meet in Macau, and the neon lights of the casino are enough in the background.

In late January, filming for "Bad Genius" in Hong Kong wrapped up, and Zhang Jun returned to Beijing with the footage to begin post-production.

Just then, Ye Bingcheng called, saying he had something to discuss in person.

When Zhang Jun arrived at the Beijing Chengxin Building, Ye Bingcheng was having a meeting with a group of people in the conference room.

Zhang Jun sat on the sofa in his office waiting, flipping through a magazine in the meantime, but put it down after a couple of pages.

The magazine featured a still from the movie "Curse of the Golden Flower," in which Jay Chou is wearing golden armor and standing on a city wall. The caption read, "Zhang Yimou creates another visual miracle."

After waiting for more than ten minutes, Ye Bingcheng pushed the door open and came in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

He sat down on the sofa, and his secretary served tea again. Ye Bingcheng waved for the secretary to leave, then looked at Zhang Jun.

"The deal has been reached with Warner."

Zhang Jun put down his teacup: "What are the conditions?"

Ye Bingcheng recounted the events.

Last year, he traveled to North America three times and visited more than a dozen cinemas. His biggest impression can be summed up in two words: the mainland is too backward.

Their cinema, with its equipment, decor, and service, is comparable to two or three cinemas in the most luxurious locations in the country.

Not to mention projection technology, while China is still using film prints, other countries have already started promoting digital projection and IMAX.

Ye Bingcheng wanted to buy their equipment, but they wouldn't sell it to him.

Projection technology is considered sensitive in North America, and export controls are very strict. Not to mention the entire system, even the core components are unavailable for purchase.

After conducting their research, Ye Bingcheng's team changed their approach. Since they couldn't buy the technology, they decided to bring in funding.

They contacted Warner Bros. Pictures through an intermediary and expressed their interest in collaborating. Warner Bros. responded quickly and soon sent people to Beijing to investigate.

Warner was drawn to the promising market prospects in China.

After WTO, the door to the Chinese market has been opened, and Hollywood giants are scrambling to establish a foothold.

Sony and Columbia are co-producing films, Disney is discussing theme parks, and Paramount is looking for distribution partners.

Warner also wanted to get involved, but hadn't found a suitable entry point.

The emergence of Chengxin Group gave them an opportunity.

Chinese law does not prohibit film companies from investing in cinema chains, which is unthinkable in North America. Warner executives' eyes lit up when they heard the news.

In North America, the Paramount Decree has been a deadlock for decades, requiring studios and theaters to separate. But China doesn't have this rule; from production to distribution to release, everything can be controlled by the studio.

Warner Music's internal assessment of the Chinese market has been in place for some time.

They predict that within twenty years at most, China will surpass Japan to become the world's second-largest single film market.

Entering the market now is the perfect time.

The negotiations lasted for more than half a year, with Chengxin Group sticking to several conditions: the technology must be in place, the personnel must be trained, and the equipment must be advanced.

Warner also had its own agenda, wanting to take the lead in the collaboration.

In the end, both sides compromised and reached an agreement.

Chengxin Group agreed to build an IMAX theater in each Chengxin Plaza, with IMAX providing the latest projection system and Warner sending professionals to participate in the construction and operation.

Warner also used its connections in Washington to help Integrity Group remove some of the technology restrictions.

In exchange, Integrity Group agreed that Warner would have priority in future collaborations.

The most crucial point is what Zhang Jun mentioned before.

IMAX must supply IMAX equipment to the Chinese film and television industry and establish a branch in Beijing to provide learning opportunities for Chinese film and television professionals.

Ye Bingcheng himself was surprised that this proposal was approved.

After listening, Zhang Jun asked, "Can IMAX cameras come in too?"

"able."

Ye Bingcheng said, "Warner has contacted us, and the technology blockade has been temporarily lifted. But they also said that this is only temporary, and it's hard to say what will happen in the future."

Zhang Jun nodded; he understood what Ye Bingcheng meant.

Technological blockades are ultimately a political issue. They can be lifted today and reinstated tomorrow.

People are willing to give you things because they think you can help them make money. But the day they feel threatened by you, they can turn on you in no time.

But it's fine as long as it works for now.

"I've already checked out that IMAX theater."

Ye Bingcheng said, "It's right here in Chengxin Plaza, and it's just been renovated."

Zhang Jun became interested: "How was the result?"

"It's better than I expected."

Ye Bingcheng rarely showed a satisfied expression: "The screen is very high, and the sound comes from all directions. Sitting in it is like standing in a movie."

Zhang Jun was certainly aware of the effects of IMAX. In his previous life, he had experienced an even more stunning projection mode, and the immersive feeling was something that ordinary screens could not provide.

However, those technologies are currently not feasible in this environment, making IMAX the best option at this time.

When will it officially open?

"Soon."

Ye Bingcheng said, "After the New Year, around March, Warner Bros. said they would send someone over to cut the ribbon and hold a premiere."

Zhang Jun thought for a moment: "What film will be shown at the premiere?"

"It's not decided yet."

Ye Bingcheng looked at him: "Do you have a recommendation?"

Zhang Jun shook his head: "I don't have any films, but you can contact China Film Group; they have film reels. What you show isn't important; what's important is letting people know what IMAX is."

Ye Bingcheng nodded: "That makes sense."

The two chatted for a while longer when Ye Bingcheng received a phone call, saying he had urgent business to attend to. Zhang Jun said goodbye and left. It was quite cold, and the wind was biting.

Now that IMAX has entered the market, the technological blockade has been lifted to some extent, and Warner Bros. has also entered the market. This market is undergoing some subtle changes.

He deserves some credit for these changes.

At least, Ye Bingcheng did as he was advised.