Chapter 347

An Explanation

An Explanation

Why is *My Own Swordsman* seen by everyone as having a production budget starting at 200 million? Because in this world, it is being made as an S-level production from the start. For an S-level production, I don't think this budget figure is exaggerated.

Everyone thinks it's exaggerated and absurd because they are projecting the actual production cost of *My Own Swordsman* from twenty years ago, hence feeling 200 million is absurd. But what if that weren't the case? If you look at a thirty-episode period drama from a conventional perspective, and the platform classifies it as an S-level production, is 200 million high?

Secondly, the era in which *My Own Swordsman* was produced and the current film and television production environment are no longer the same thing. At that time, the director's salary, the actors' salaries, and the screenwriter's salary were all kept very low because they weren't well-known big names. Is *My Own Swordsman* in the current context still in that situation?

Sharing a few data points I found during my research:

Before entering the era of burning money, there was a period comedy I think should be used as a benchmark, which is Ning Caishen's other period comedy, *Longmen Express*. News reports said it was 40-60 million. Among the leads, except for Anita Yuen, there were no big stars at the time; Guo Jingfei only became popular later. The airing time was 2013, and the production time was even earlier. As I recall, when it aired, video platforms weren't as popular as they are now. In my understanding, without video platforms bringing in the "capital burning" era, and with actors' salaries not having risen to the current exaggerated level, it still cost that much. So in the current context, *My Own Swordsman* couldn't possibly still be a low-to-medium budget show, right?

In 2021, iQIYI CEO Gong Yu said in a conference call: "We invest a lot of costs. Back then, a TV series episode cost about a few thousand yuan. Now, even if we don't rely on copyright procurement, copyright procurement starts at two million per episode. Basically, any show that people can take a liking to must start at two million. If it's an exclusive broadcast, it might reach six or eight million. Therefore, costs have increased, and based on profit requirements, prices must also rise."

For a thirty-episode S-level period drama, from an industry perspective, making a 200 million budget is, I believe, reasonable.

Of course, if everyone still cannot accept this, I accept that too. I am just explaining to everyone why I wrote such a figure; it wasn't something I just made up off the top of my head.

So, are there still low-budget period comedies in this era?

Yes, one is a low-budget show after web series entered the traffic era, *Legend of the Magpie Sword Gate*, with a production cost of about 15 million. In the end, Tencent rated it as a B-level film, with a promotion budget of 2 million. Of course, it later became a hit, far exceeding expectations.

This also shows that it's not that the higher the investment, the better the show.

However, in the current environment, many shows are not *Legend of the Magpie Sword Gate*, but *My Heroic Husband*.

Just as written in the novel, Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yan He: "Yan He, you don't understand what an S-level blockbuster means to a platform. Unless you find big stars for the roles of Bai Zhantang and Tong Xiangyu, the platform will definitely be a major hurdle regarding the actors. Your screenwriting is indeed a big attraction, but it can't carry the show."

The platform rated *My Own Swordsman* as S, aiming for big-name screenwriters, big productions, and big-name actors.

Chen Ziyan even said that if Lu Yan He doesn't find stars, the platform won't pay—in other words, they won't give a 200 million production budget. Of course, this is another matter.

Regarding the 200 million production cost and Lu Yan He's actor selection for *My Own Swordsman*, the contradictions and conflicts that arise between him and the platform later are the hooks I buried in this chapter.

Simply put, basic market conditions are basic market conditions, and Little Lu has things Little Lu needs to do.

I cannot assume it can be replicated exactly as it was just because of the original production cost of *My Own Swordsman*.

For a show, there are cheap ways to film and expensive ways to film.

In many people's eyes, *My Own Swordsman* must be filmed the expensive way because many people have high hopes for it.

For Lu Yan He, *My Own Swordsman* doesn't need to be filmed the expensive way because he knows it can be a hit without being that expensive.

This is another thing that needs to be explained.

There is one more thing. I also thought about whether to let Little Lu make such a low-to-medium budget show, but after thinking about it, I felt it didn't fit Little Lu's current setting. Because after *Friends* aired, major platforms were competing for Little Lu. In this situation, Little Lu has almost no reasonable drive to do such a show. Of course, after seeing everyone's feedback, Little Lu's salary of 1.5 million per episode is indeed a bit high. I will study more data and make revisions later.

That is all.