Chapter 750: Li Zhibai's Project

When Jiang Lan proposed producing two English OSTs for the overseas streaming version of *Seventeen Layers* Season 3, many people at Jing Tai couldn't understand.

Jiang Lan directly said that this was a suggestion from Lu Yan He, and she agreed because the *Seventeen Layers* series wouldn't stop at the third season; it was planned as a series, and a spin-off was about to start filming, which would also be aimed at the global market.

In this situation, the production should be more sincere.

However, turning the Chinese OSTs into English ones—and two of them at that—from re-arranging and recording to finding singers, would easily cost seven figures.

Jiang Lan, however, said: "Seven figures? Are you talking about RMB? I'm talking about a seven-figure USD production budget."

Everyone was shocked.

Jiang Lan said: "I want to invite a popular European or American singer to sing one of the English versions. Otherwise, what's the point of making an English version?"

The people at Jing Tai looked at each other.

"Is it necessary to spend this extra money?"

"Can inviting a popular European or American singer bring more viewers to the third season?"

"Why not play it steady like the first two seasons?"

Facing so much questioning, Jiang Lan had actually anticipated it long ago.

Most of the people at Jing Tai have this kind of attitude.

Anyway, whenever a new idea is proposed, there are always more voices of opposition.

If the idea doesn't get good results later, OK, they had expressed their opposition.

If the idea succeeds—

Who the hell would pursue who opposed it at the time when it succeeds?

(Survival rules within the system)

Jiang Lan remained unmoved.

"The *Seventeen Layers* series is currently the only pillar of our Jing Tai. If it can gain more viewers and greater influence overseas, it will also be an outstanding contribution to our country's cultural dissemination."

Putting on the hat.

Jiang Lan: "It might not achieve the effect we want, but without making any attempts, we can only wait for it to miraculously be liked by more people."

Jiang Lan is, after all, a Vice Station Chief, and a Vice Station Chief with real power.

With the *Seventeen Layers* series in hand and the precedent of *Friends* fresh in memory, Jiang Lan's idea was finally passed. Jing Tai would add a production budget to produce two English OSTs.

"Who will sing the second song?" someone asked immediately.

"Liu Zhiyin. She debuted in a South Korean girl group, and her popularity, influence, and fan count in Asia are all very eye-catching," Jiang Lan said, "And most importantly, her price is relatively cheap. In the situation where we need to find a popular European or American singer to sing one song, we still need to find a singer with representative significance and who can be brought out to sing the other. Liu Zhiyin is the best choice. Of course, if you are willing to take out more production budget to invite another singer with global influence to sing, that's not impossible."

Thus, there was soon no controversy over the choice of Liu Zhiyin.

"For these OSTs, your remuneration for the first few songs will be a little less," Lu Yan He said, "This is to secure the singing opportunity first. After your fame in the overseas market slowly rises, we will talk about the price."

Liu Zhiyin nodded and said: "I understand."

She smiled again, "I didn't expect that one day I would be so honored to have you become my agent."

Lu Yan He was stunned for a moment, then reacted.

"It really is."

At this moment, Lu Yan He suddenly felt where the passion and sense of value of Chen Ziyan's job as an agent came from.

Seeing someone who can go further, and through one's own ability and operation, truly pushing this person to that further place.

Lu Yan He said: "Sister Zhiyin, Superstar!"

Throughout April, Lu Yan He was basically in a state of "not attending to proper duties."

Being an agent for Liu Zhiyin.

Meeting with Wang Zhong, Liu Bige, and others, chatting about movies and scripts.

Going to watch Qin Zhibai's performance at a music festival.

Participating in a public welfare activity for environmental protection and free cycling.

His serious work as an artist was just recording one episode of *City Travelogue*.

He didn't even film an extra commercial—they were all filmed in March.

This April, Lu Yan He had a great time.

This kind of "great" was a relaxed and comfortable feeling without any work pressure.

However, just as May began, Lu Yan He had to start recovering his work state.

First, following *Dragon Inn* to the Hexi Film Festival.

The Hexi Film Festival very much hoped that Lu Yan He could attend the opening ceremony.

However, because the screening and promotional activities for *Dragon Inn* were all five days after the opening ceremony, Lu Yan He didn't want to run to the opening ceremony just to walk the red carpet.

He is now a bit... how should I put it, enjoying himself so much he forgot home.

He doesn't want to work.

Keeping the current state is especially good.

Even for Li Zhibai's project *Grasshopper*, Lu Yan He followed along to read the script, offered his own suggestions, shared with Li Zhibai what certain parts would look like if he were to do it, and so on.

These were just shares as a friend; what Lu Yan He really suggested was the development of this project.

"I think since this project is currently in preparation, why not make it a project aimed at both domestic and international markets from the beginning?" Lu Yan He said, "Especially since *Buried* is currently showing and you are in the spotlight. Whether streaming lists like Maxine and HP will buy a series produced by you as a producer is unknown, but they will definitely be very interested. If you can talk to them from the development stage and see their thoughts, *Grasshopper* might be able to face a larger market."

Li Zhibai nodded upon hearing this.

"Has the domestic broadcast platform been decided?" Lu Yan He asked.

Li Zhibai said: "Still in contact and communication. Dengta Video is willing to continue cooperation, but it requires twenty years of exclusive copyright for this show, and the copyright will not return to Liu Manbo's hands within ten years. This makes Liu Manbo a bit concerned, and I am a bit concerned too."

Dengta Video's requirement is indeed a bit exaggerated.

"Although the reputation of *Nineteen Years of Crime Records* was average, the playback data should still be quite eye-catching, right?"

"The playback data is indeed okay, but not that okay. After all, the production cost was so high. It didn't lose money, but didn't make much either," Li Zhibai said, "This time, *Grasshopper* is facing the same problem. The production cost is very high. Dengta Video is still willing to pay 250 million to buy our show and is willing to pay 50 million in advance as early-stage preparation funds. After filming starts, they will pay another 60 million. After delivering the show, the remaining 140 million will be paid within half a year. It is indeed very straightforward and didn't lower the price because of the last failure."

Lu Yan He: "They couldn't possibly lower it. The reputation of *Nineteen Years* was so controversial, yet the playback data still didn't make them lose money. This is enough to prove your market appeal. Now you have even deeper qualifications than before, and the two movies you starred in have box office results of several hundred million. For Dengta Video, the *Grasshopper* project is a sharp weapon for attracting investment and raising their own stock price compared to other projects."

Lu Yan He asked again: "However, Dengta Video offered 250 million for *Grasshopper* to buy twenty years of exclusive copyright. Isn't that enough? What is Liu Manbo worried about?"

"Because the production cost of this show alone, according to the current shooting plan, cannot stop at 200 million," Li Zhibai said, "And in the current shooting plan, Liu Manbo only took a salary of 1 million, and nothing else. Once any problems arise during filming, whether it's a delay or needing to add budget in other aspects, he won't have anything to earn." Lu Yan He understood what Li Zhibai meant.

Exclusive copyright.

It means that for the next twenty years, no matter what kind of revenue *Grasshopper* generates, it has nothing to do with Liu Manbo and the others.

Including overseas sales.

Lu Yan He thought for a while and said: "This is indeed a bit... how to put it, for Liu Manbo, either he lowers the production cost, so that in the 250 million, if he spends less, Liu Manbo can earn more."

In fact, many domestic film and television dramas look like they spent 200 million or 300 million on production, but in reality, no one knows how much trickery was operated into the pockets of producers and directors.

Li Zhibai: "Why is the production cost of *Grasshopper* so high?"

"He wants to create a high-quality big drama. Because it's a Wu Xia theme, you also know that now when filming ancient costume dramas, as long as there is a little requirement for quality, clothing, makeup, props, real scenes or green screens, post-production special effects, etc., the cost cannot be low."

This is true.

For ancient costume dramas, 100 million is considered low cost.

This is determined by the cost.

Lu Yan He asked: "What about other platforms? Or is there any big film and television company willing to take over this project?"

Li Zhibai: "Not for the time being. Although the script received quite high evaluations on various platforms, they all think this show is difficult to explode."

"Because the literary quality is relatively strong?" Lu Yan He asked.

He had read the script for *Grasshopper*.

Li Zhibai nodded.

"Especially after that show *Nineteen Years*, everyone is not optimistic about the style of Director Liu Manbo's show. They feel that even if the show has a good reputation later, it will face the problem of being too high-brow to be popular."

Lu Yan He nodded.

That's how domestic TV dramas are.

If you are doing realism, doing big dramas like family ethics or era epics, the market is still there.

But if your script has a little more literary intent, a little more complexity in characters, or even a non-linear narrative structure, the questioning from various platforms will come up immediately.

First, this type of drama is rarely successful in China, and many people don't think the current production team has the ability to film this type of drama well.

Second, they also believe that this type of drama has a very high threshold for viewing. In other words, the commercial value will not be very large.

The market stage has not developed to that point yet.

For such a show, Dengta Video is willing to continue cooperation basically just to continue cooperating with Li Zhibai.

Lu Yan He was suddenly a bit curious.

"Did Dengta Video not ask you to cooperate on other projects?"

Li Zhibai: "There are some, but I don't really look up to them. It's not that they are all bad, it's just... nothing interesting, nothing that makes me feel it's fun."

Lu Yan He understood what Li Zhibai meant.

He has known Li Zhibai for so many years. Lu Yan He knows clearly in his heart what kind of script Li Zhibai will find interesting and what kind of script he will find very average.

How to put it, when Yan Liang reads a script, he might think about the production team of the show, think about how the character setting is, and whether the story is good.

However, Li Zhibai often takes his own feelings as the first standard.

For example, when he didn't act in the movie version of *Nineteen Years of Crime Records* back then, he made a drama version himself, just because of the villain role in it, which he hadn't acted before and felt fresh.

Lu Yan He feels that if we are talking about talent, Li Zhibai is the one who is truly talented.

He has a natural intuition for "good things."

This is very rare and precious.

Especially, this intuition is different from Zhou Ping'an's "vision."

Li Zhibai's intuition is almost like a natural instinct.

Lu Yan He said: "If it's not a project that particularly moves you, it's okay not to take it. However, I feel that in this situation, Dengta Video is still willing to spend 250 million to pre-order your show. How to put it, it's a bit contrary to common sense. I think they should make some conditions to you later, for example, you have to help Dengta Video film another show later, the kind of show that very much fits the market mainstream."

Li Zhibai: "They haven't told me these things yet."

"Not saying it now is because it's still in the early stages of communication," Lu Yan He said, "When you have talked to them almost enough, and they tell you this, your abandonment cost will be much greater than it is now."

Li Zhibai hissed.

"Can it be like this?"

"Yes," Lu Yan He nodded, "You don't have your own production company now, and Liu Manbo also relies on you to produce this show. To be honest, you don't have the ability to develop such a big show yourself yet. If you want to make this show a copyright drama, I feel it's very easy to pit yourself in. From the perspective of production risk, I would suggest you find a powerful production company, share part of the copyright interests, and ask them to be responsible for production, while you only participate in creation. Or it's fine if this company is under Dengta Video. Give up part of the copyright interests and let them be responsible for the risk. After all, think about it, this so-called 250 million is paid in three installments. If you don't successfully film this show in the end, you still have to pay liquidated damages, right? They directly offered such a high price of 250 million."

Li Zhibai nodded solemnly.

"You are very right, I have to think about it carefully," Li Zhibai asked, "Can your Linghe do it?"

"Linghe can't do such a big project yet," Lu Yan He said, "Funds are limited. The several projects we are opening at the same time are all small-cost projects, you know."

Li Zhibai nodded.

"That's true."

"Go contact different companies more. The more you contact, the more you will know what cards everyone has in their hands, and it will be better for you and Liu Manbo, knowing what kind of valuation everyone has for the project you have in your hands from the market perspective," Lu Yan He said, "You also let Liu Manbo face these directly. Since the script was written by him and the director is also him, if the so-called high-brow is an indisputable fact under the market evaluation system, then he should be clear about this point. Facing this point, whether to change or persist, that is a matter for later. Don't carry it all by yourself while he still thinks it's good to enjoy the shade under a big tree."

Li Zhibai: "Got it."

He supported his chin, looking like he was thinking seriously.

"Otherwise, should I ask Luo Dao?"

After filming *Chinese Paladin*, Li Zhibai is no longer just Lu Yan He's friend in front of Luo Dao Yuzhong; he is at least the male lead.

Lu Yan He nodded.

"The teacher is knowledgeable, it's fine to ask for his advice."

"Ah, I originally wanted to say, why not let Luo Dao help me supervise this show," Li Zhibai said, "With him suppressing it, those people who want to pit me should weigh it carefully, right?"

Lu Yan He: "That also makes sense." ===== CHAPTER 751 =====