1990: Starting from Baojia Street

The decoration was mainly left to Jiang Xia to contact and arrange, but Zhou Yan himself was more concerned about it. After all, the decoration he needed had relatively high vocal requirements.

Especially the renovation and design of the recording studio, he must always pay attention to it.

The main reason is that there are very few such professional teams in the mainland now, and it is easy for them to overturn.

Now that Zhou Yan's business is gradually increasing, Jiang Xia is a little too busy alone, and Zhou Yan is also considering whether to recruit a few more people.

Recruiting people will happen sooner or later. When the studio is established later, there will definitely be people.

In the next two days, Zhou Yan was busy decorating and staring at the editing of The Sixth Sense. In the meantime, Huo Siqi called again and told him to meet at the Mingqiao Hotel at 5:30 pm on Sunday.

On Sunday afternoon, Zhou Yan arrived at the Mingqiao Hotel.

There were two people in the box, Huo Siqi and a young man about forty years old. Apart from his relatively high hairline, this young man looked very energetic.

Looking at this man's appearance, Zhou Yan felt like he had seen him somewhere before, but he just couldn't remember.

As soon as he saw Zhou Yan, Huo Siqi waved to Zhou Yan, You came just in time, we just talked about you.

When Zhou Yan walked over, Huo Siqi smiled and said to Zhou Yan, Come, let me introduce to you, this is the third brother.

Then he pointed at Zhou Yan and introduced to the young man, This is the third brother.

This strange introduction made Zhou Yan a little confused. Talking about third brother and third brother was hard to pronounce.

The third brother smiled and stretched out his hand to Zhou Yan, Third brother, I am the third brother.

When he was sitting, he gave people the impression of a scholar, but now when he stood up and spoke, he had an air of a scholar.

Zhou Yan shook hands with him and said, Hello, third brother.

Huo Siqi said, Actually, third brother is also the one we call nonsense. Logically speaking, it's not too much for us to call him third uncle. Third brother's father, Mr. Han, and our old man were comrades in arms before.

The man nodded, Mr. Huo is my father's old leader.

Third brother is now the director of Emei Film Studio, so you can be considered colleagues. Huo Siqi added.

Hearing the key words Mr. Han and Emei Factory, Zhou Yan raised his eyebrows unconsciously. He finally remembered who the man in front of him was.

Han Sanqi, the future CEO of China Film Group and a pioneer in the reform of the Chinese film market.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but sigh, the circle is really small, he can meet all these people.

sit down.

After the three of them sat down, Han Sanping said, Zhou Yan, I have heard of you for a long time. The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly has sold very well in the Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Neon. Especially Neon, I The news I received is that the box office of this movie at Neon has exceeded 1.4 billion.

Zhou Yan nodded and confirmed the authenticity of the news, Well, the rationed income is 1.45 billion neon coins.

Huo Siqi asked, What does this rationed income mean? Does it have anything to do with the box office, or is it the same as our copy income?

Han Sanping explained, Ration revenue is neither box office nor copy revenue, but money that distributors can get. Under normal circumstances, ration revenue accounts for 50 to 60 percent of a movie's box office.

After all this calculation, the Neon box office revenue of The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly can reach more than 2 billion Neon coins?

That's pretty much what it means.

That's really good.

Han Sanping chuckled, It's not just good, it's much better than you think. Let's put it this way, the number of Chinese-language movies that have exceeded this number at the Neon box office over the years can be counted on one hand. So far, The rationed income of Plan A, which has the highest box office, is only 1.7 billion neon coins, which is only more than 200 million neon coins more than The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly.

Such a stake? Huo Siqi looked surprised, I only knew that Zhou Yan's movies were selling well, but I didn't expect them to be as good as this.

After hearing Han Sanping explain this to Huo Siqi, Zhou Yan also nodded secretly. Han Sanping was indeed capable, and most people didn't know much about the neon market.

Not to mention ordinary people, even if you go to Yanjing Studio and pull someone out at random, probably not many of them will be able to figure out what the rationed income there means, let alone know the box office data there over the years.

Zhou Yan himself said modestly, We were actually quite surprised that the movie performed so well in Neon, but it was much worse in other places.

After hearing Zhou Yan mention other places, Han Sanping asked, How is the performance of the movie in Europe?

It's average, but it's within our expectations.

Han Sanping nodded, This is normal. There are no particularly successful cases of domestic films in the European and American markets. Let's take it step by step. It will be great if we can go abroad. There is still a market for the films produced by Yanjing Studio in the past two years. Farewell My Concubine, which is currently in theaters, is also performing very well. I am also looking forward to the success of this movie abroad.

Farewell My Concubine was released in the mainland at the end of last month. Zhou Yan and the others even went to the cinema to watch it. As Han Sanping said, the movie was very popular. If nothing else, the box office of 30 to 40 million yuan in the mainland was stable. Take it.

Because of the blessing of awards, his performance abroad should not be too bad in the future.

Zhou Yan can't remember how much the box office of Farewell My Concubine was, but now it seems that Tomson is making a lot of money this time.

Han Sanping said that the films produced by Yanjing Film Studio in the past two years have performed well, but the real winner is Tomson, who also made most of the money.

The three of them chatted for a while, and Zhou Yan asked, What does Third Brother want to do when he comes to Yanjing this time?

Two things. First, there is a meeting here in Yanjing, and I will come to attend. Second, there is a cooperation between Emei Factory and Jiahe, and I will stop by to talk about it.

Jiahe? Zhou Yan said unexpectedly.

Seeing the surprise on Zhou Yan's face, Han Sanping was also surprised, What's wrong with Jiahe? I think you're quite surprised.

Zhou Yan shook his head, It's nothing, I met someone from Jiahe a few days ago.

Hou Xin?

Well, it's Hou Xin.

That's right, he is here to connect with me this time.

Is Emei Factory going to co-produce a movie with Jiahe?

Han Sanping nodded, Well, they have some ideas about the China-Russia train robbery.

The Sino-Russian train robbery happened in the first half of this year, only a few months ago. It seems that Jiahe wants to take advantage of this current event.

This situation is normal in Xiangjiang. There are some directors there who specialize in making news about the latest social hot spots.

Zhou Yan has seen this movie, and the first half was okay, but the plot was a bit off-kilter in the second half, and the overall impression was average. He watched the uncut version, which contained a lot of meaty scenes, which were a bit excessive.

Maybe the director wanted to show the real side of the case through repeated QJ shots to stimulate the audience's senses, but Zhou Yan felt that a movie is a movie and it needs to have a focus.

There are many ways to show the reality of the case. It is not necessary to keep filming women being raped. Although it is eye-catching, it will have an impact on the presentation of the entire work.

Is the matter settled?

About halfway through, they found Ai Anjun, who wrote The Great Sino-Russian Train Robbery, and prepared to adapt it based on Ai Anjun's article.

Zhou Yan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. This matter had nothing to do with him.

Then they talked about movies. Han Sanping was not only a studio leader, but also working on the front line. He had also written and directed some works in the past few years.

The movie Mao Zd's Story released last year was written and directed by Han Sanping himself. This movie also won the Five One Project Award from the Propaganda Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

Therefore, in terms of film majors, Zhou Yan and Han Sanping have many common topics.

The key is that Han Sanping is a daring person with very bold ideas, and some of the ideas Zhou Yan occasionally puts forward are just right for Han Sanping.

Huo Siqi didn't know much about film majors, so he didn't interrupt. He just watched Zhou Yan and the others chatting with a smile. Occasionally, he would ask a few questions when he met someone who was interested.

The host and guest enjoyed the meal. Han Sanping had official business in Yanjing these two days, so he didn't drink much.

Through subsequent chats, Zhou Yan also found out what exactly Han Sanping was doing here this time.

The meeting he came to attend this time was organized by the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television, and was attended by all major film studios. The content of the meeting was to discuss the development prospects of the film and television industry under the market economy.

Such a meeting was originally supposed to be attended by the director of the studio, but the director of Emei Studio fell ill before the meeting, so Han Sanping, as the deputy director, stepped in temporarily.

After hearing some of the meeting contents disclosed by Han Sanping, Zhou Yan knew that the pace of China's film reform was getting faster and faster.

After dinner, Han Sanping took his leave.

After seeing Han Sanping off, Huo Siqi took Zhou Yan back to the box and said, Third brother, what do you think?

Zhou Yan was puzzled, What are you looking at?

Look at the meeting Han Sanping came to attend this time.

Zhou Yan thought for a while and said, China's TV market is in trouble, and the higher-ups are trying to find a way out.

Huo Siqi lit a cigarette for himself, From your professional point of view, what is the way out they are looking for?

Zhou Yan carefully considered his words and said, If you want to find a way out, you must learn from other people's experiences. The rights to make movies in China are currently in the hands of major studios. If private companies want to participate, they can only participate in co-productions.

So you also think that the higher-ups will delegate power to private enterprises in the future?

This is just a conjecture. We don't know whether it will take this path or when it will take it.

Huo Siqi nodded, There are two schools of thought at the top. One school believes that it should not be too radical. If it wants reform, it is not advisable to move the knife too fast. Fundamental things should be done slowly. For example, in order to ensure the interests of the studio, improve the quality first. The income of cinemas and the price of copies should be optimized in management. The other group believes that the original model has long been unsuitable for the current environment. With the deepening of reforms and the development of the market economy, more rights must be handed over. Only by entering the market and handing it over to private enterprises can we stimulate the development of the industry. Some people advocate learning from foreign account sharing models to allow more private capital to enter the industry.

Although Huo Siqi didn't know much about movies, he knew a lot of inside information.

As someone who has experienced it, Zhou Yan knows that the second faction won in the end. Later, the development of China's film market also followed this path. First, accounts were divided, and then power was gradually delegated. Finally, private capital poured into the market in large quantities.

Brother Siqi, what do you think? Zhou Yan asked.

He knew that Huo Siqi was so concerned about the film and television industry, so he was certainly not bored. Huo Siqi must have wanted something.

His brother Zhou Hong said last time that Huo Siqi wanted to enter the game, but as for Huo Siqi's specific plans, Zhou Yan didn't know.

The main reason is that Zhou Yan feels that now may not be a good time to enter the industry. The reform of Chinese films is still brewing and has not officially begun. If he wants to make movies, he can only follow the path of Tomson and the times.

Huo Siqi spread his hands, Actually, I don't have a very specific goal. I just think that there will definitely be opportunities and opportunities for the reform of Chinese films.

I don't know much about the film industry, so I have to communicate more with you professionals.

Huo Siqi's meaning is obvious. He doesn't know much about the film and television industry, but he has connections and inside information, which will be a unique advantage for the Chinese film market in the future.

Zhou Yan thought for a while and said, I think you can set up a company first and do other businesses, such as advertising and publicity. The cost is not high, and you can always maintain contact with the film industry. Look for opportunities later. Let’s make a strong entrance. And don’t just focus on movies, you can also consider TV series.”

How to say?

Now the domestic economy is developing rapidly, and more and more people have purchased TV sets in their homes. With more and more TV sets, the market for TV dramas will also become bigger and bigger.

That's the truth. So what about the advertising, publicity and other businesses you just mentioned?

Zhou Yan took a sip from the teacup and said, Brother Siqi, have you noticed that many domestic companies do not have unified logos?

Worried that Huo Siqi wouldn't understand, Zhou Yan gave another example, Look at foreign brands such as KFC and McDonald's. They all have their own logos. If you look at them from a distance, you can tell it's them.

Huo Siqi thought for a while, That's true. You can tell the difference between them and ordinary merchants at a glance, and they are all unified. I have seen several McDonald's stores, and they all have the same logo on the door.

Yes, that's what it means. If you look at those companies in China, let's take banks. They all have only one name. There is nothing special about them. Many of them don't know it is a bank until they get close to it, and they don't know where it is until they get close. Bank.

Huo Siqi understood, So, we can open a company to provide logo design services to these companies. Not only banks, but also many other large and small companies have such needs.

The key is that no one in the country is doing these things now.

It’s not that no one has thought of it, but it’s just that doing these businesses requires conditions, and it’s not fashionable in China right now. Those big companies may not be willing to spend money to do this, so they need to create demand for those companies.

Huo Siqi was a little moved by Zhou Yan's words, but he frowned again, I don't know much about this either. Do you have any ideas? Or can we go abroad to recruit a team to help us?

No need. Designing this thing is difficult or easy. There is no shortage of such talents in our country.

Do you know anyone?

Zhou Yan nodded. When talking about design, he thought of two people. One was Dong Wenmiao. As an expert in visual communication, Dong Wenmiao was not only unique in clothing design, but also in other aspects, such as symbol design and color. The design level is very high.

In fact, he didn't even know the other one.

When he went out to eat with Wang Xiaoshuai and others, he happened to meet several members of the Zhou Yanyan Normal University Support Club. The badges worn by these members at that time impressed Zhou Yan deeply.

The design idea of ​​that badge is very suitable for the company’s logo.

If Huo Siqi really wanted to start an advertising design company, he was going to find the author of this badge.

Hearing that Zhou Yan had a way out, Huo Siqi said happily, Lao San, I'll leave this matter to you. If you can set up a team, I will come to the company to promote business... In this way, when the time comes, me, Lao Er, and you will , the three of us will start a company together, the second brother will provide the money, you will be responsible for the technology, and I will bring in the business.”

Huo Siqi's thinking is very clear. He just wants to monetize his connections. The Zhou brothers are his ideal partners. Zhou Hong is rich, and Zhou Yan is capable and famous, so they can maximize the advantages of his connections.

Zhou Yan actually doesn't have much interest in advertising companies, mainly because of Huo Siqi's relationship.

In addition, it is also for their Zhou family's business.

He nodded, You can talk to my brother later.

I definitely want to talk to him.

…

The next day, Zhou Yan found Jiang Xia and asked her, Do you have regular contact with the Yan Normal University Support Club?

Jiang Xia nodded, Yes, they sometimes ask me about your current situation, such as concerts, movies, etc. They even called me last week to ask how your new movie is going.

Go and invite their president to meet with me.

time and location?

These two days, no matter which afternoon is fine, go to the school concert hall to meet.

Okay, I'll contact him later.

It's quite troublesome for Jiang Xia to find Zuo Li, because Zuo Li doesn't have a phone, so Jiang Xia may have to go to school to find him.

At noon, Jiang Xia came back and wrote back to Zhou Yan, saying that Zuo Li was free this afternoon, and she made an appointment with Zuo Li to meet at the concert hall at three o'clock in the afternoon.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, Zhou Yan met Zuo Li in the concert hall.

They had met before, and Zhou Yan still had an impression of Zuo Li.

Zhou Yan shook hands with Zuo Li, and then pointed to the stage, indicating that the band was rehearsing at the moment and that he should sit down and listen for a while.

After the rehearsal of a song on the stage was over, Zhou Yan said to Zuo Li, Thank you for your hard work, I asked you to make a special trip.

It's not hard, it's not hard. I don't know why you came to see me, Teacher Zhou?

Zhou Yan didn't beat around the bush with Zuo Li and said directly, I want to ask you about someone.

Zuo Li was stunned for a moment, Who do you want to ask about?

I want to ask about the designer who designed your badge.

Zuo Li suddenly said, You are talking about Sister Miao Miao.

Zhou Yan frowned, Sister Miao Miao?

What's the name of this sister Miaomiao?

Sister Miao Miao's name is...you suddenly asked me, but I don't really remember it. I'm used to being called Sister Miao Miao. What is her name? Oh, by the way, her surname is Dong. She seems to be called Dong Miaomiao. .”

Is it Dong Miaomiao or Dong Wenmiao?

It seems to be called Dong Wenmiao... Teacher Zhou, how do you know?

Zhou Yan twitched the corner of his mouth and thought to himself, are Zuo Li and the others really members of his support club? Didn't you pay attention to the fact that the costume designer of The Piano Boy Who Wants to Fly is Dong Wenmiao?

Of course, a position like costume design is not important in the eyes of ordinary movie fans, and they may not pay attention to it.

But this teacher Dong is really interesting. He actually participated in his support club without saying a word and even designed a badge for the support club.

Zhou Yan did not answer Zuo Li's question, but instead said, I heard that your support club has been developing well recently?

Isn't it because you have developed well that our support club will also develop accordingly? Zuo Li complimented with a smile.

Zhou Yan nodded, Don't affect your studies. If you need anything, you can contact Jiang Xia.

We have always had trouble with Sister Jiang Xia.

…

The two chatted for a while, and Zuo Li took out two albums of Mysterious Kingdom from his bag, Teacher Zhou, I wonder if I can trouble you...

Zhou Yan looked at the two albums in his hand and said with a smile, Just two?

ah?

After all your hard work, you just brought two albums for me to sign. Let's do this. I'll ask Jiang Xia to bring you back a few more signed albums later.

Zhou Yan took the album from Zuo Li's hand and signed it, I will tell Jiang Xia later that from now on, I will arrange ten signed albums for you every month for internal activities of the support club.

Zuo Li said in surprise, Really?

It can be considered as giving you some support and feedback.

Thank you so much.

…

Dong Wenmiao was preparing a lesson plan in the office. A female teacher in the same office came in and said to her with a smile, Teacher Dong, someone is looking for you outside.

Who is looking for me? Dong Wenmiao raised his head and asked.

Tell me what kind of support club you are from.

Dong Wenmiao was a little surprised, why did the support club come to the school to look for her? Moreover, the people who usually contacted her were Li Yuanyuan and Shang Wenya, and she had no interaction with the boys from the support club.

With doubts, Dong Wenmiao walked out of the office, and the girl said with a gossipy face, A very good-looking man, with a very unusual temperament.

When the female teacher said this, Dong Wenmiao became even more confused. Are there any particularly good-looking boys in the support club? She was not impressed at all.

Dong Wenmiao walked out of the office with a puzzled look on her face, and then saw a tall man standing in the corridor, facing her side and looking at the scenery downstairs.

Although he didn't see his face, Dong Wenmiao recognized him at a glance. This person was Zhou Yan.

Dong Wenmiao's heart skipped a beat when she thought that Zhou Yan claimed to be from the support club. She knew that Zhou Yan should know about her being in the Yan Normal University support club.

Taking a deep breath, Dong Wenmiao walked up to Zhou Yan and asked, Are you looking for me?

Zhou Yan turned around and looked at Dong Wenmiao, Teacher Dong, do you have time tonight to have a meal together?

Although Zhou Yan didn't mention the support club, Dong Wenmiao couldn't help it, Are you looking for me because of the support club? I just happened to meet Li Yuanyuan from the support club last time, and I went over to take a look out of curiosity. It means something else.

Zhou Yan shrugged, I came here because I have other things to tell you, which have nothing to do with the support club.

Dong Wenmiao blinked a few times, What's going on?

Zhou Yan looked at the people walking back and forth in the corridor, How about we talk about it during dinner.

Dong Wenmiao pondered for a moment, nodded and said, Then I'll go clean it up first.

Okay, I'll wait for you outside.

Dong Wenmiao turned around and went back to the office, and came out after a while.

On the way out of school, Zhou Yan asked Dong Wenmiao, Is there anything delicious near your school?

Dong Wenmiao shook his head, I don't know. I rarely eat outside school.

How about going to your cafeteria to eat?

Dong Wenmiao glanced at Zhou Yan, Aren't you going to treat me to dinner? Do you have a meal ticket for our school cafeteria?

Then, you can treat me as well. I haven't eaten in your Yanguang canteen yet.

Dong Wenmiao ignored him and walked straight outside the school.

They found an ordinary small restaurant outside the school and ordered a few dishes. Then Dong Wenmiao said, What do you want from me? Can you tell me now?

Zhou Yan poured her water and said, I have a friend who wants to open an advertising company, but there is a shortage of designers. I think you are very suitable.

“I mainly design clothes and very little else.”

Zhou Yan picked up the cup and pretended to drink water, while muttering, The badge of the support club would be nice.

Dong Wenmiao rolled her eyes. She held the water glass but did not drink it. What does this advertising company have to do with you?

Zhou Yan said truthfully, I may participate in the stock.

What is your main business?

Maybe I will accept logo designs from some companies. Seeing that Dong Wenmiao was not very interested, Zhou Yan tried to persuade her, In fact, taking this job up will be good for your teaching, and it will also provide students with practical cases. Didn't you say before that you would use the film's costume design as a case study to teach students? And it will be easier for your students to find employment in the future. Now you have a two-way choice, and you will not be assigned in the future. The same is true for private enterprises. Even if they don’t go to work after graduation, let them participate in larger projects. With project experience, it will be easier to find their favorite units in the future.”

Zhou Yan knew that Dong Wenmiao was not short of money. This girl's family was not ordinary. Among other things, the clothes she changed every day were not something ordinary people could afford.

Since Dong Wenmiao was not short of money, it was not easy to impress her with salary, so Zhou Yan found another way and started with students.

Having been a teacher for so many years, he naturally knows what the weaknesses of teachers like Dong Wenmiao are.

For example, he himself set up a band in Yangyin because, although it was convenient for him, it was mainly for the better development of his students.

Sure enough, Dong Wenmiao was a little moved when he heard Zhou Yan say this.

Zhou Yan strikes while the iron is hot again, The company can set up a studio next to your school, and you can form a team yourself. The company will not only pay the wages of the studio members, but also provide you with a more convenient working and learning environment. In fact, students study design , it consumes quite a lot, and the support provided by the school may not be enough to satisfy you.

Dong Wenmiao held the water glass and kept staring at Zhou Yan without saying anything. When Zhou Yan finished speaking, she suddenly asked, Do you really want me to come over?

Of course, otherwise why would I make this trip myself? Your design level is outstanding among the designers I have seen.

Dong Wenmiao chuckled, How many designers have you met?

A lot, a lot.

Bragging. Dong Wenmiao finally took a sip of water, and then said, It's okay if I promise you, but we have to make sure it doesn't affect my other work.

Zhou Yan nodded immediately, Of course, no problem.

One more request.

Well, you say.

Dong Wenmiao stared into Zhou Yan's eyes, From now on, forget about the support club.

Zhou Yan looked confused and said, What support group? Teacher Dong, what are you talking about?

Dong Wenmiao nodded with satisfaction, Very good, continue to maintain this state of amnesia.

…

After making an agreement with Dong Wenmiao, Zhou Yan replied to Huo Siqi.

Soon, they agreed that Huo Siqi, Zhou Yan and Zhou Hong would form a joint venture company.

Huo Siqi invested 20,000 yuan, accounting for 35% of the shares, Zhou Hong invested 1 million, accounting for 35% of the shares, and Zhou Yan invested 100,000, accounting for 30% of the shares.

At the same time, Dong Wenmiao was hired as design director.

After the matter was settled, Zhou Yan did not interfere. He would just wait until the company received the job and leave it to Dong Wenmiao to lead someone to do it.

…

On the morning of September 24, at seven o'clock, while Zhou Yan was still asleep, the phone at home rang.

He got up in a daze and went to pick it up. Sun Qin's heavy voice came from the other side, Old Zhou, we failed.

Zhou Yan's brain hadn't fully woken up yet, and he was stunned for a moment. Then he suddenly understood that Sun Qin should be talking about Yanjing's Olympic bid.

This year's Olympic Organizing Committee meeting was held in Monte Carlo. When the meeting was held there, it was midnight here in Yanjing, so Zhou Yan didn't pay attention and waited for the news the next day.

Hearing such a result, Zhou Yan had mixed emotions.

After all, I have experienced it once and know that there is a high probability that it will still fail, but I can't help but feel disappointed.

On the other hand, Zhou Yan feels that the current Yanjing is actually not ready to welcome the Olympic Games. On the contrary, it would be more beneficial for China to hold it again in 2008.

But after all, Sun Qin had never experienced this. He didn't know the situation in 2008, so he was particularly disappointed when he heard that the Olympic bid failed.

Zhou Yan could only comfort Sun Qin, Let's fight again later. We still have a chance.

The we in his mouth at this moment refers not only to him and Sun Qin, but also to their country.

There is only a difference of two votes. Sun Qin sighed, his tone full of regret.

If there is a difference of more than ten votes, then you may be convinced even if you fail, but it is really a pity that it is only two votes short.

Moreover, I heard that they were in the lead before and things were going great, but this happened in the end.

I heard that the ticket might have been delayed on Taiwan, Sun Qin said.

Don't make blind guesses about this kind of thing.

After hearing what Zhou Yan said, Sun Qin stopped talking about the topic. After a few words, he answered the phone. (End of chapter)