Chapter 686: Put wings on

The busy May Day holiday passed in the blink of an eye, and Jin Li returned to campus to resume her normal study life.

During the May Day period, there were also various dramatic revelations in the entertainment industry.

But this time, it wasn't an emotional dispute between stars, but stars publicly posting to demand unpaid wages.

On the day Jin Li returned to school, she browsed the hot search highlights during the May Day period.

She originally thought that the stars posting to demand unpaid wages were short-drama actors, but she didn't expect this fire to burn to long-drama actors as well.

To be honest, short dramas have become very popular in recent years, and some have become phenomenal hits, indirectly changing the salary system for short-drama actors.

Actors changed from only receiving a base salary regardless of playback performance to receiving a portion of the base salary and participating in the profit sharing after the film is released.

Some stars, under the latter model, can get a share of up to millions as long as there is one hit.

But some stars are also suffering under this model.

Originally, the buyout salary for stars rose with the popularity of the short-drama market. Some top short-drama actors' quotes could change from 20,000 a day to as high as 100,000 or 200,000 a day.

But the profit-sharing system came out, which instead disguisedly curbed the high salaries of short-drama actors.

Many short-drama actors' salaries returned to the normal quotes of the short-drama market before, and everyone is betting on the film becoming a hit after it is released.

Of course, for top actors, there is no change.

They can still get high guaranteed shooting salaries and high-proportion profit sharing later, after all, they have already made a name for themselves and have many netizens paying attention.

For lower-tier actors, this system instead returned their salaries to the level of a few years ago.

After working hard to finish filming, the film is released, but because the crew didn't have money to hire expensive actors, it's not certain that they will make money after release, so they can only take a guaranteed salary.

Even, some crews will owe actors' wages.

So, it's not strange for short-drama actors to publicly demand wages on the internet.

It's just that even netizens didn't expect that even long-drama actors have to demand wages now, and the one who publicly posted to demand wages is a first-tier young actress.

She stated that the subsequent salary for a small hit costume drama released last year had not been received, and she tagged a film and television company, hoping they would settle the salary as soon as possible.

This news has been hanging on the hot search list for two days.

As the May Day holiday dissipated, the hot search was still hanging high in the top 10.

As an insider, Jin Li directly asked Fang Jie if she knew what was going on.

She has only filmed movies in the past year and rarely films TV series.

But when she filmed TV series in the past, due to the release process of TV series and the crew's settlement cycle, it often took two or three years to settle all the salaries.

There was still some salary income later, but those were already the peripheral dividends obtained after the film and television drama finished airing.

Don't say, Sui Lingfang happened to know about this.

She said with a headache: "This actor's contract with her original company expired this year. Originally, Chenxi Entertainment wanted to poach her, and the actor was also very interested."

"After all, the three of you, former members of Pink Girls, have very good data under the operation of Chenxi Entertainment."

"Many small-name actors, after terminating their contracts with their original companies, have our company as their first choice for jumping ship."

Fang Jie changed the subject, "But the bad thing is that the company this actor signed with before is a company specializing in idol training. This actor finally became the company's leading actress, and was coaxed by the company to sign many additional contracts."

"Originally, the actor was going to sign with our company, but the original company suddenly said that they still had a three-year agency contract."

Jin Li was stunned for a moment, "Then what should be done about this?"

Sui Lingfang: "We can only stop signing for the time being. We don't accept artists with risks."

Jin Li asked again: "Then what about this salary issue?"

Sui Lingfang thought for a while: "It should be that the actor specifically exposed it under the arrangement of a lawyer."

"Originally, we all thought she would first publicly expose the contract problem with the original company on the internet, but she is very smart and first talked about the salary not being received."

"And the salary for the film she shot before was indeed not deposited into her personal account, but that doesn't mean the salary wasn't received."

Jin Li was stunned again, "What do you mean?"

Fang Jie pondered: "That idol training company is quite complicated. The salary is first deposited into the company's account, and then the company divides it with the actor."

"And obviously, her company did not divide this money, so recently the investment company behind that film and television drama is also looking for trouble with the idol company."

"Urging them to solve this matter quickly, otherwise the investor's reputation will stink in the circle, and many actors will refuse to take plays they participate in investing."

Sui Lingfang said her guess: "I guess she is forcing the company to come forward, either to explain the salary problem, or the company will pay her the money."

"The next step must be to tear up the contract problem with the original company."

Jin Li asked: "After she solves the contract with the original company, will Chenxi Entertainment still sign her?"

Sui Lingfang was very sure this time: "No."

"We wanted to sign this artist because she is very popular, and brand parties also like her. We think she brings her own traffic and resources."

"But after discovering her contract problem with the original company, we specifically checked and found that in the process of her rise, the idol company actually exchanged many resources for her."

"That is to say, the idol company has always used its artists to participate in other errands to exchange for her better errands and activities."

"So it's equivalent to the company always supporting this artist. If she comes to Chenxi Entertainment, we definitely won't be able to do that."

Sui Lingfang was a bit helpless: "The boss is very lazy, doesn't participate in human relations, doesn't participate in drinking parties, and won't invest in film and television companies that are obviously cheating money."

"So in terms of resource exchange, Chenxi Entertainment is very weak, all relying on your personal fame, being actively approached by errand merchants."

Other veteran artists don't have as much fame as each member of Pink Girls, so they can't be actively approached by errand merchants.

As for new artists, that goes without saying, they can only hope for a hit.

It can be said that the only stars on the whole network who can let errand merchants actively approach them are each member of Pink Girls and March Days.

Of course, there are some more veteran artists, such as former kings and queens.

But those artists are basically not active, and they may not appear in public once a year.

Sui Lingfang paused, "Let's put it this way, unless she really wants to retire, then our company is the first choice."

"But as long as she still has some career heart, she probably won't come over, our company can't roll."

Jin Li laughed, "It's rare that Chenxi Entertainment has such a clear positioning of itself."

Sui Lingfang shrugged, "Can I say that these evaluations are not the company's own evaluations? But the outside world's evaluation of the company, no way, it's just lying flat."

"By the way, do you remember the variety show 'Let's Farm, Teenagers'?"

Jin Li nodded, and suddenly her eyes flickered, "Calculated the time, they should be released soon, right?"

Sui Lingfang smiled: "Yes, it will be released on June 1st, Children's Day. Do you want to do some promotion for them?"

Jin Li said without thinking: "No problem, I even participated in the investment of this variety show. Who would have thought that the variety show hasn't been released yet, and it has already shared a wave of dividends for us."

Sui Lingfang: "Because you are still in school, it's not convenient for you to participate in filming, otherwise, the company actually wants you to go over as a flying guest to encourage the young guys."

Jin Li said heartily: "When I have summer vacation, I can arrange an episode, you help me record it on the schedule."

She is very optimistic about those trainees, and also very optimistic about this unusual variety show.

There are many slow variety shows on the market, but there is really no variety show specifically for farming.

Even if there is, it is not used as a selling point.

But Jin Li believes that if the audience can watch it all the way, seeing the harvested grain with their own eyes, it will bring people a great impact.

Therefore, she absolutely supports "Let's Farm, Teenagers" to be produced as a long variety show, launching the first season, second season, third season...

Besides, the investment in this variety show is indeed not large.

If the revenue is not good after it is released, it actually won't lose much.

Jin Li feels that her money can at least smash this variety show for ten seasons.

Chenxi Entertainment is fortunate not to know Jin Li's thoughts, otherwise they probably wouldn't have dared to follow from the beginning.

The two have very different concepts and thinking about investment.

Jin Li values long-term value, and the company hopes to obtain short-term value.

Sui Lingfang: "There is one more thing to mention to you. The co-branded person in charge of Yajun Watch has found me, and the attitude is a bit fearful, and very respectful to me."

She asked suspiciously: "Did you say anything to them when you participated in the event before?"

Jin Li recalled, shook her head: "No, Gu Cheng just took me to say hello to some executives, and then they asked me a few questions."

"By the way, knowing that I am also studying at Tsinghua and Peking University, the expressions of those executives were very surprised, looking at me as if looking at a high-value commodity."

"They asked me if I had any cooperation with Yajun, and I said yes. Gu Cheng added a little bit at that time, saying that the co-branded product had been delayed for almost a year and hadn't been released."

Sui Lingfang was stunned and asked hesitantly: "The executive who chatted with you, his identity is not simple, right?"

Jin Li shook her head: "I don't know, Gu Cheng knows better, shall I ask?"

Sui Lingfang thought for a while, "No need, it doesn't matter if you know or not. The person in charge found me this time and has clearly given a date. The co-branded model will be released in the summer."

Jin Li was happy.

Judging from Yajun's style, how could it be arranged for the summer?

"I thought they would pick an off-season, after all, my contract can only get the sales commission for the first three months."

Sui Lingfang analyzed: "That person in charge clearly told us that they designed a Chinese Zodiac series."

"You are a Tiger, so you endorse the Tiger series watch. If it is placed in an off-season, do the other eleven zodiac watches not need to be sold?"

"I guess it's because of this that they decided to give you a popular season."

Jin Li didn't expect them to set such a big theme.

She thought for a while and said with some solemnity: "The zodiac series contains very strong Chinese culture. If they intend to promote this watch internationally, they must do it well."

"By the way, for the ladies' watch, don't they divide it according to the Six Arts of a Gentleman?"

Sui Lingfang: "No, they don't have such a big market for ladies' watches, so they don't plan six levels, but push it by series, divided into one category."

"The value of the series is higher than the value of a single product."

Jin Li exhorted: "You tell them to check it well. If the design is not good, I won't endorse it. Don't use garbage to fool me, there is no rush in time."

Sui Lingfang smiled: "We are not in a hurry, otherwise I would have urged them last year. Now it seems that they are more anxious than us."

Returning from the May Day holiday, the students were not defeated by the comfortable life of the holiday, but worked even harder.

People often say to be prepared for danger in times of peace, but Jin Li feels that in the environment of Tsinghua and Peking University, it is probably impossible to be "peaceful".

Thinking about danger every day.

However, she enjoys it, but she can feel that the classmates are a bit anxious.

In the past, roommates only asked about her schedule once a week, but now it has almost become asking every day.

Jin Li didn't want them to follow her schedule, so she deleted and changed it, and the rest time increased by three hours.

This is not secretly hiding it, not letting them have a chance to surpass themselves, but her ability can support her high-intensity learning.

If an ordinary person were to learn according to her method, it would be really scary.

Wake up and learn, learn until tired and sleep, wake up and continue to learn.

Learn until you die, learn to death.

And during the period of settling in school, Jin Li's personal affairs were still proceeding in an orderly manner.

Director Xu of "Counterattack" finally talked to Chu Chenliang through Fang Jie's bridge.

It was mainly because Director Chu finally modified the script of "Dawn 2" and had time to leave the customs.

If the script hadn't been modified, he still wouldn't be reachable.

I don't know how the two talked, but under Director Xu's efforts, "Counterattack" also opened up the Hong Kong film market, achieving simultaneous release in the mainland and Hong Kong.

As for overseas, there is really no way.

Overseas movies tend to introduce special effects blockbusters. Youth inspirational films can only go abroad if they can reach the level of national promotion and national emotion.

But Director Chu said that if he really wanted to go to sea, he could negotiate a DVD disc sale for him.

Director Xu agreed without hesitation, even if it was highly likely to be a buyout and he couldn't get the subsequent sales commission.

Sui Lingfang didn't understand why he was determined to go to sea, and talked to Jin Li about this problem many times when calling.

Jin Li thought of his experience in filming movies and pondered: "Maybe he doesn't want to be controlled by others every time he films."

"If he can open up the overseas market and have a certain influence globally, maybe in the next play, he can occupy a dominant position."

"I found that he had a big problem when I was filming, that is, he was too accommodating to the actors."

"This is also related to the fact that the actors he collaborated with before were all top-tier, who couldn't be scolded, and would be complained about by investors if scolded a few times."

"Director Xu knows the human relations in China very well. Although this allows him not to encounter many problems during the filming process, it also affects his expression of the work."

"At the same time," Jin Li paused, her eyes curved and smiled.

"'Counterattack' fully implements his expression, he should be very confident in this play. Chenxi Entertainment cannot intervene in the distribution, but I still want to help him."

Jin Li changed the tone, "Fang Jie, in my private name, send a private message to the brand parties and directors I have collaborated with who have overseas channels to help 'Counterattack' go to sea."

Sui Lingfang hesitated: "Are you sure? Director Xu spent so much time, and could only pull a simultaneous release in Hong Kong, and Director Chu could only help him to DVD release."

"Asking for help in your name doesn't necessarily change anything, and we don't know the quality of this film, why don't we wait and see after it's released?"

Jin Li: "It's too late to talk after it's released."

She said seriously and solemnly: "Since Director Xu is so optimistic about 'Counterattack', sparing no effort to use all resources, betting everything, and signing an unreasonable sales method."

"He dares to be so optimistic, why shouldn't I, as the most important actor in this play, believe in him?"

"I want to put wings on 'Counterattack' and let it fly further."

"May every girl of different countries, different skin colors, and different ages feel the power through this play and turn it into the driving force for moving forward."