Chapter 22: Dinner and Ideas

To be convenient for the production crew, the dinner location was right near the film studio, and Assistant Li Na had booked three tables in advance.

The group arrived at the hotel's private room, and Wei Jin did not stand on ceremony, inviting everyone to take their seats.

The crew members were also very self-aware, spontaneously sitting at the other two tables and leaving the main table for the big shots.

Miss Cai, as the host, naturally sat by Wei Jin's side; additionally, there were Director Li Guoli, Assistant Director Wu Jinyuan, and several lead actors, with Liu Yifei and her mother also at this table.

Wei Jin chatted with a smile with the several key creators about interesting anecdotes during the filming process, took the opportunity to care about whether the two friends from Taiwan were accustomed to life in Mainland China, and also chatted with the two directors about the domestic television drama market.

"President Wei, do you think our drama can be a hit?"

The one asking was Director Li Guoli; "Chinese Paladin" could be considered the first television drama in the country adapted from a game, so it was normal to feel uncertain.

In fact, the entire first production team of Tangren Media was basically from Hong Kong.

At the end of the 90s, Miss Cai and several directors and producers from Hong Kong founded Tangren Media, subsequently taking root in Mainland China and digging deep into the television drama field, once becoming a leader in the domestic television drama sector.

Especially with costume dramas; at its peak, Tangren Media could be called the "Costume Overlord."

Alas, they succeeded because of costume dramas and failed because of them; the narrow path limited Tangren Media's development, and they missed many opportunities to take off.

Coupled with the fact that the several founders always held onto that Hong Kong style, were unwilling to accept capital, and liked to keep all the profits to themselves, the major circles in the country did not really welcome Tangren Media, their transition to film was exceptionally bumpy, and they eventually declined.

"Director Li, you should ask President Cai about this."

Wei Jin found this somewhat amusing upon hearing it:

"We at Tangren are the main controllers and lead investors, so we must hold a positive attitude, but that isn't objective. President Wei, as an investor, you will be more rational, and I also want to hear your opinion."

Once these words were spoken, Miss Cai and the crowd of key creators also looked at Wei Jin with some anticipation, which showed that the entire team was not confident.

"Hmm, then let me briefly state my opinion."

"Our drama is positioned as a costume Xianxia drama. First, let's talk about costume films: is there a market for them in the country? There certainly is. So what type of costume film is the most popular? I estimate everyone has many answers, but if you ask what type of costume film is guaranteed to be a hit?

I want to say, it is Jin Yong adaptations."

Has everyone thought about why Jin Yong-adapted costume films, as long as the production team is diligent enough, can basically be huge hits? The answer is that Jin Yong's original works themselves have a massive reader base.

Currently, most of the remote controls in the country are in the hands of people from the 60s to 80s, and the vast majority of these people have read Jin Yong's novels. So when the novels are adapted for the screen and they can see the heroes and the martial arts world from the novels presented on screen with their own eyes, I think most people, as long as they have the time, will definitely watch."

Wei Jin took a sip of tea, paused, and continued:

"Then, analyzing it according to this logic, 'Chinese Paladin' is adapted from a game. This game has been out for over 8 years now; most of the people who played the game back then have grown up by now. Tell me, what a massive potential viewing audience this is? Are you still worried about the ratings?"

Wei Jin's analysis was well-reasoned and convincing, and the faces of the several lead actors even showed joy.

Liu Yifei's mother also had a look of surprise, as if she had not expected this young man to have such insights into the television drama market, and her gaze toward Wei Jin became thoughtful.

"Then, does that mean as long as one adapts a hit novel or game, it will definitely be a hit?" Miss Cai continued to ask, as if exploring the secret code to ratings.

"You can't say it like that; you can only say that the foundation for a big hit is there. In fact, an excellent script, reliable actors, a professional director, and exquisite production—these are all indispensable."

Actually, this set of Wei Jin's was the big IP theory, the foundational theory after internet capital entered the film and television field in his past life, but for the current year of 2004, it was nothing short of a panacea.

Seeing that Miss Cai wanted to continue asking, Wei Jin hurriedly invited everyone to eat, and for a while, the atmosphere was harmonious.

Miss Cai also thought that there would be plenty of time in the future, so she should build a good relationship first, and signaled the several key creators to come over and toast. Wei Jin did not shy away from any of them; his body had been strengthened to such a degree that he didn't even know how much he could drink.

"Director Wei, I'm sorry about this afternoon; it was mainly because Yifei recently encountered some rumors, please forgive me."

Liu Yifei's mother brought Liu Yifei over to toast and also gave an explanation for her intense reaction in the afternoon.

"Ms. Liu, you are overthinking it. Yifei and I are classmates; although we hadn't met before, I have seen 'The Noble Family' and 'Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils' that she starred in, so I'm half a fan. Seeing her in person for the first time, I was a bit reckless."

Wei Jin's attitude was also quite proper; he did not hold a grudge against a mother who loved her daughter dearly.

Although in his past life Liu Yifei's mother had all sorts of chaotic operations, taking a great hand of cards and smashing them to pieces, it could not be denied that as a mother, she loved her daughter.

"Come, Xixi, toast Director Wei."

Liu Yifei's mother pulled her daughter and said. At this time, Liu Yifei was not even 17 years old, completely a little loli. Holding a cup of tea, her small face slightly red, she said: "Director Wei, I don't drink alcohol, so I'll use tea instead of wine to toast you; please feel free."

It was the first time Wei Jin heard Liu Yifei's voice; it was a bit soft and sweet, like a little kitten.

"Hmm, Yifei, I can call you that, right? And don't call me Director Wei; we are classmates, you can just call me Wei Jin."

Wei Jin didn't have any thoughts about the young girl; it was purely the surprise of a passerby seeing a celebrity.

"Yes, okay, Wei Jin." Her voice was as thin as a thread, barely audible.

"Director Wei, in your opinion, can our Yifei develop in the direction of film?"

Liu Yifei's mother wanted to hear the opinion of a professional.

"Of course she can, but I suggest she first hone her acting skills more in television dramas. Yifei is currently still a bit immature, and it's hard to find roles suitable for her in film."

Wei Jin did not tell a lie. In fact, Liu Yifei was too young now and basically had no acting skills; she couldn't handle roles at all unless she encountered a script tailored for her, where she could play herself.

"Hmm, then if there are suitable roles for Yifei in the future, please give her a chance, Director Wei."

Liu Yifei's mother didn't have high expectations, but it was just to build a good connection.

"Certainly, if there's a chance, definitely."

Two hours later, Wei Jin politely declined the arrangements from Tangren Media and returned to the hotel with his assistant.

Alone in his room, Wei Jin's thoughts began to stir. Since winning the award in Berlin, he had actually been thinking about what his first commercial film should be.

It was just that the film environment in 2004 was not friendly; domestic infrastructure was still somewhat lagging. As of the end of 2003, there were 2,296 total screens in the country, an increase of more than 700 compared to 2002, and this was only caused by the introduction of private capital into cinema chains starting in 2003.

One must know that in 2012, the domestic screen count was 8,000, which created the myth of "Lost in Thailand" exceeding 1.2 billion; now it was not even 30 percent of that.

That is to say, at this current stage, no matter what the film is, the total number of screens is just there, and the box office ceiling is consistently not high.

However, Liu Yifei during dinner did give Wei Jin inspiration; a low-budget youth romance film was not a bad choice.

A newbie author writing a book for the first time, kneeling and begging for collections, follows, reading, and recommendations, thank you everyone. A newbie author writing a book for the first time, kneeling and begging for collections, follows, reading, and recommendations, thank you everyone.

(End of chapter)