Paving The Way To Hollywood (1)

"Establish a movie company in the US?!" Lin Qi widened his eyes at Jiang Cheng, his tone strange, "You mean you want me to collaborate with you to set up a film production company in America? Am I understanding this correctly?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean," Jiang Cheng nodded.

Lin Qi took a long breath and looked at Jiang Cheng, "May I ask how old you are this year?"

"I'm seventeen by actual age, nineteen by traditional Chinese New Year count. I'll be eighteen next month, you should know this, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware. But that's precisely why I can't believe it," Lin Qi said, "You're only seventeen now, turning eighteen next month. In other words, you're not yet an adult, but you already own a film company. And now you're considering establishing another one in the US!"

He looked at Jiang Cheng and asked with a tilted head, "Should I say you're ambitious, or should I say you're being unrealistic?"

Jiang Cheng looked at him calmly, "Do you think I'm joking?"

"I think you're daydreaming!" Lin Qi raised his voice, "You've only achieved a little so far, why so ambitious? And you must know that's Hollywood, the waters there are much deeper than you think, it's not as simple as you think!"

Jiang Cheng's eyes held firm as he replied, "I always believe in the saying, 'The size of your heart is the size of your stage.' Sometimes, you need to act early rather than wait until everything is ready, which is entirely passive. Sometimes, taking a risk can give you the upper hand!"

After a long stare, Jiang Cheng continued, "I don't believe you haven't thought about starting your own company, otherwise you wouldn't have come here trying to buy Apex Studios from me. Since you also want to be a boss, why not take a gamble with me?"

Lin Qi's expression changed, and he fell into deep thought.

"Actually, I think you're overestimating Hollywood, or maybe because you've grown up in the US, you've also adopted the American habit of looking down on others. In my view, aside from the specific rules that come from different countries, cultures, and regions, the fundamental nature of every industry is the same. It's not that something applicable in China is completely inapplicable in the US. Besides, you'll be there!"

"Me?"

"Yes! Although you said Chinese Americans face discrimination, you're still a US citizen and protected by law. If you establish the company, you'll be less likely to face too many difficulties."

"What? You mean I should start the company?" Lin Qi was surprised, "Aren't you starting it?"

"Yes, you. Although I'm ambitious, I'm not delusional. Hollywood is definitely in my plans, but not right now. As you said, I've only achieved a little, and my foundation is still too weak; I need to accumulate more strength. But I don't want to be subject to Americans when I go there, I want to be in control of everything! So, I need someone to pave the way for me in America as a foundation for my eventual move to Hollywood!"

"So, you've been looking for someone to pave the way in Hollywood for you?"

"Right. If you hadn't come, I'd still find someone to develop in Hollywood this year, just with more hassle. I must say, luck's on my side, sending me such a great helper!"

Lin Qi took a deep breath, marveling at the young man's ambition and clear-headedness.

He composed himself and asked, "You're that sure I'll help you?"

"I'll give you twenty percent of Apex Films Studios' shares."

"What?"

"I mean, we'll jointly set up a film production company in Hollywood. As a gesture of our partnership, I'll also give you twenty percent of Apex's shares. Although Apex's strength isn't strong yet, you've seen what I'm capable of. I'm confident that within a few years, I can develop it into a significant entertainment company in the Chinese-speaking world. So, while twenty percent might not seem much now, it's definitely a potential stock. What do you think?"

Lin Qi fell silent again, clearly tempted, especially since Jiang Cheng was offering him a share of Apex Studios, which piqued his interest. After a while, he said seriously, "I need to know your detailed plan."

"That's only fair," Jiang Cheng smiled, "Firstly, to save time, we can start by acquiring a small film company, one with a complete production system and distribution channels, without any debt crisis. Preferably an independent production company that doesn't want to continue operating for some reason. I believe there are many such companies in Hollywood, with many being established or closed every year. With your capability, you should be able to find one."

Lin Qi nodded, "I happen to know one that doesn't want to continue because their last movie flopped. However, the company is financially healthy, with no external debts, a complete production system, but not many distribution channels."

"That's fine, having a production system is enough. Distribution channels can be built gradually," Jiang Cheng nodded satisfactorily, "Such small companies can probably be acquired for a few million dollars. With your 4 million, and a few million from me, that should be about right. Next, quickly produce a movie for release this summer to establish the company's reputation, then continue to produce another for the Christmas season, earning both box office and fame. With these two movies as a foundation, the company's name will be established, and you can start to gain a foothold. With a reputation, I believe distributors will treat us differently, and people will come seeking co-production deals. Step by step, the company can grow."

"How will the company operate normally? Let me say upfront, I'm not a finance guy, I don't know much about that area," Lin Qi said gravely.

"We can hire a professional as CEO, and we can afford international calls," Jiang Cheng said nonchalantly.

"What about the regular expenses? Relying solely on movie returns isn't stable."

"That's the third part I wanted to talk about," Jiang Cheng said earnestly, "What do those Hollywood production companies do?"

"Big companies have other industries to support the film company's operations; independent small and medium production companies usually engage in DVD rental work to maintain regular operations. Are we going to do the same?"

"Definitely not. DVDs will be released, but only as a part of the movie's merchandise, not a stable source of funds. We can do something else."

"Like what?"

"Online cinema!"

"Oh, I'm all ears."

"Society is evolving rapidly, everything needs to be fast. Traditional DVD home cinemas are still in use but are no longer fashionable. Now, computers and the internet are the center of everything. In the future, online cinemas will gradually replace DVD home cinemas because they offer advantages DVDs can't match:

First, they're fast and convenient. You don't need to go to a movie theater or buy DVDs; all you need is a computer and an internet connection.

Second, they offer vast storage. How many DVDs can a physical store provide? A few thousand at most. But an online cinema can store tens of thousands of movies at once, requiring only a large online hard drive.

Third, they don't need quality, just quantity. We're no longer in the era of 'we give the audience what we think they should watch.' It's now 'the audience needs us to provide what they want.' The audience isn't made up of professional film critics; they're not picky. They watch movies purely for entertainment, so not all have to be good. Many will watch even bad movies, and the demand is greater. So our film library doesn't need to focus on acquiring good films, although more is better. We can package bad movies for the audience, clearly stating what they are. They can choose what they want to watch. And this approach has low costs; no need to copy movies in advance. We just send them when orders are placed. As long as the film library is well-managed, I believe it can sustain the company's operations."

"Your plans are all well and good, but there's a precondition!" Lin Qi said, "At least two good movies! The company must produce and release at least two good movies, or it's all talk. And these two movies must be the kind that require low investment but yield high returns, because the company can't support big productions initially."

Jiang Cheng smiled slightly, "That's exactly what I was going to say next."

He pulled out a bound script from the drawer and handed it to Lin Qi, "This is a movie script I adapted from the science fiction short story 'It's a Good Life' I mentioned earlier. You can consider it the American version of '[Immortal].' Take a look!"

Lin Qi curiously took it and saw the cover title was '[The Man from Earth].'