I ordered a few main dishes, asked a few people for their opinions and added two more, and then Yang Dongxu asked for a bottle of Maotai. There is no party these days that doesn’t involve drinking, especially for business people. Even friends and private parties always feel like something is missing if you don’t drink.
"I wonder if Manager Liu told the waiter why he invited you to dinner today when you were talking first?" Yang Dongxu asked with a smile, signaling the waiter to ask the chef to serve the dishes as soon as possible.
Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou were a little surprised by Yang Dongxu's straightforwardness, but Liu Zongsheng was not surprised. He knew the temper of his big boss very well. When talking about things, he never talked about things in a high-spirited manner. In short, being capable, simple and straightforward has always been his working style as a big boss.
"I told you, but I won't go into details. According to Manager Liu, you are not only going to invest in this movie, but you are also preparing to make a large additional investment." Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou looked at each other, and then Zhang Weiping spoke.
After all, he is the director of the new picture, so it would be more appropriate for him to come forward to talk to Yang Dongxu, the investor who suddenly appeared.
"That's what I mean." Yang Dongxu nodded.
That's right, he not only wants to take over the investment part of the film that has not yet been found, but he is also preparing to continue to make additional investments.
"I wonder how much Mr. Yang is planning to add?" Zhang Weiping asked.
"Except for the part where this drama has not yet found investors, I will add another 20 million." Yang Dongxu stretched out two fingers, "US dollars!"
"This..." Zhang Weiping looked stunned, and Zhang Yimou next to him also looked at Yang Dongxu in disbelief.
Only Liu Zongsheng, who knew the amount in advance, was calm, but when he heard Yang Dongxu say the number, the corners of his eyes couldn't help but twitch.
You must know that this is only 2,000 US dollars. According to the current exchange rate, it is more than 160 million yuan. Let alone additional investment, even if Hainer makes a movie independently, it is considered a big production.
And this does not include filling up the originally vacant investment portion of this film. Adding this, Heiner's investment in this film has reached an astonishing US$35 million. This is 5 million more than the originally planned filming cost of the movie Hero of 30 million US dollars.
When I first heard that Yang Dongxu wanted to make additional investment in addition to his original investment. The expression on his face is richer than that of Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou at the moment.
"Um...that, isn't it a bit too much?" Zhang Yimou said. After speaking, he felt his throat was a little dry and couldn't help but pick up the teacup in front of him and take a sip of water.
Zhang Yimou can be regarded as someone who has seen big scenes. After all, he has won numerous awards internationally, and it is not like he has never seen high-cost movies.
But if Yang Dongxu's additional investment is included, the investment cost of the entire drama directly came to 50 million US dollars, which is equivalent to more than 400 million yuan. This investment is really not ordinary and scary.
"Even if there are cost overruns during the filming process, it won't cost so much." Zhang Weiping added that he felt his throat was a little dry.
To be honest, when it comes to capital, he has a broader vision than Zhang Yimou. After all, Zhang Yimou is just a director. He is the one who spends millions and tens of millions on filming, and what he gives out is real money. Moreover, he himself is engaged in real estate and aviation food, and the capital he has seen is hundreds of millions.
But this was the first time he had seen someone drop more than 200 million yuan into a movie without blinking an eye. That was more than 200 million yuan, not just over 2 yuan.
"Since I have invested, I must use the best. This number sounds like a lot. The total filming cost is unique even in Hollywood, but if you calculate it carefully, it may still cost more." Yang Dongxu said.
Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou couldn't help but change their eyes when they looked at him. You must know that they are both a film investor and a major film director. They are both insiders, and they have some understanding of the miraculous rise of Haina and the legendary boss Yang Dongxu.
But when I saw it today, I felt like a super nouveau riche who only wanted to be expensive rather than right. I don’t know whether it is good or bad for such people to get involved in film shooting.
Seeing the looks in their eyes, Yang Dongxu wiped his nose and glanced at them as if he guessed what they were thinking. Zhang Weiping and Zhang Yimou couldn't help but put away the weird expressions on their faces in embarrassment.
"Let me explain. You wanted Haina to invest before, so the information you sent was very detailed, and I have read it myself. It is precisely because I have read it that I feel the need for additional investment.
For example, in terms of costume design, you hired well-known Japanese film costume designers and teams. They have even won international awards for costume dramas. This choice is actually correct, but it is still not enough.
Although Japan is deeply influenced by Chinese culture, they are not Chinese after all. Even if it captures some of the charm of the film's background, the late Warring States Period, it fails to grasp the underlying content.
So at this point, I will ask several domestic experts who have studied the history of the Warring States and Qin Dynasties to take action. Both parties will confirm each other and try to restore the vision. In addition to the costumes, there are also etiquette and customs of that time that the actors need to learn. .....”
To be honest, Hero is a big-budget production that was really well done. Otherwise, it would not have won international awards and sold well at the box office. But this drama is not without its faults. As far as the costumes are concerned, although it has achieved a certain degree of historical restoration, it is far from enough.
Especially in some fighting scenes, women's long sleeves are flying, and men's long sleeves are flying around. At first glance, they look very ancient. But in fact, not all warriors in ancient times wore long-sleeved robes.
In ancient times, the long-sleeved robe was more like a dress worn during the New Year or important occasions. This can be seen from the terracotta warriors and horses unearthed in Xi'an.
At that time, there was definitely the concept of outfits suitable for fighting. Warriors would definitely wear clean and neat clothes suitable for fighting. You could always wear long sleeves flying in the wind. At first glance, it seemed to be ancient, but I always felt a little awkward in my heart. Thinking about it more broadly, are you afraid that your clothes will fly around you, or affect your vision during a fight?
Therefore, this point must be changed. The clothes when receiving guests, what to wear when meeting, and how a swordsman should dress normally. This should not be done exactly, but at least the portrayal must be consistent with reality. Don't let foreigners think of kung fu and fighting scenes, and think of all kinds of clothes and hair that violate physics.
In addition to costumes and props, all were made of bronze in the late Warring States period. Qin swords included short swords and heavy two-handed swords suitable for chopping. A cold weapon should have the sharp edge of a cold weapon, and it must not be done just by looking elegant.
Why do Japanese samurai swords always seem to be much more famous abroad than various Chinese swords, which are clearly the pinnacle of cold weapons?
Isn’t it because foreigners who like to look at problems from the perspective of physical science feel that katana swords look more suitable for combat?
Can you fight with a soft sword and a thing that bounces around? Can you split the opponent's apparently stronger-looking weapon in half while chopping?
Look at the prototypes of weapons such as Qin sword, Han sword, Tang sword, and even Ma Shu. Which one is not a hard weapon from a combat perspective? Those fancy soft swords were accessories in ancient times, right? Just like the jade pendant hanging around the waist, the watches worn on people's wrists today are not for combat at all.
The box fell into silence, and everyone had a thoughtful look on their faces, as if they were deeply touched by what Yang Dongxu said.
At this time, the waiter knocked on the door and started serving food, breaking the silence in the box.
"I'm just talking about it in general. Some of it may be right, and some may be wrong. But that's roughly the idea. When the time comes, let's talk in detail and listen to those authoritative experts.
Try to keep the essence of those realistic parts as much as possible, of course, because some parts of the film effect must be modified. This is why I agree to bring a clothing group into the discussion now, instead of saying everything should be done according to expert teachers.
Come on, come on, don't even think about it, eat the food as soon as it's here, these dishes won't taste good when they're cold. "Looking at Zhang Yimou who was still thinking about something, Yang Dongxu asked everyone to use their chopsticks.
The waiter next to him opened the ordered wine and poured it for everyone.
"I didn't expect Mr. Yang to be so insistent on the culture of our ancestors. It's really admirable. I'd like to toast you." Zhang Weiping picked up the wine glass and said.
"It's not about perseverance, but it's our bright culture, and we should let the bright parts shine. Don't just follow the crowd and do this if you think you won an award, or think it's wonderful.
This kind of thing is actually very empty. It may seem exciting at the time, but it seems very boring when you think about it afterwards. "Yang Dongxu couldn't help but smile when he said this.
"Of course, this may be a bit hypocritical, or you may think that I am a bit too idealistic. After all, movies do not require any aftertaste. As long as they are exciting at the time and attract the audience and box office, it is enough for the judges to see that they are good and win awards. This is It's a success.
But then again, who said our realistic shots wouldn’t be amazing? Aren’t they as good-looking as those bells and whistles? I'm not that rigid, and I do have to process what needs to be processed. But the place that should be real must be real.
If nothing else, take a look at those epic foreign masterpieces, those movies that are still praised by people after so many years. Which one is not a real-life presentation? Are any of those bells and whistles on the list?
Since we have invested so much money and want to take a picture, let’s take the best one. Maybe none of us have any experience with epic masterpieces, but our ancestors were able to dominate and become the best in the world in ancient times.
Then what they thought and did at that time was the best. As long as we present these, it will be absolutely epic. At that time, who will dare to say that we can’t photograph our own culture? "Yang Dongxu raised what he had in his hand and drank it down in one gulp.
It seems that Haina Entertainment has made a lot of money over the years, and is now the absolute leader in the entertainment industry. Yang Dongxu has advanced memory and is very happy with all the smooth sailings.
But he has always had a dream in his heart to make a domestic blockbuster, but he is not the material in this regard. At least compared to a great director like Zhang Yimou, his previous seemingly amazing achievements, aside from the cheating parts, the rest can only be considered above average and will never reach the top.
So this time when he encountered the big production of Hero and the great director Zhang Yimou, he felt that this was an opportunity, so he was willing to spend money on it and demand the best in everything.
