In the booth, Jiang Zhiqiang talked to Lu Xiaoran about the Hong Kong theater system back then.

Because of the recent Wanda and Huayi, it makes people feel a little worried...

Jiang Zhiqiang was worried that he would fall into Huayi's situation?

In the 1980s, the theater system became the economic pillar of Hong Kong's film industry: Shaw Brothers, Jiahe and Princess Jin!

Shaw Brothers and Jiahe can produce and sell it themselves, while other independent production companies can only be recruited by theaters and rely on them to provide funds to shoot movies.

Princess Jin was an independent theater chain at the beginning. She wanted to obtain a stable source of films. She could only support Xinyi City, Yongjia, and even later Tsui Hark Film Studio, Lee Xiuxian's Universal Pictures, so that she could be qualified to challenge the two major theater chains of Shaw Brothers and Jiahe.

Later, Run Run Shaw judged the situation and resolutely stopped making movies, subleases its theater chains to Debao Company, successfully avoiding the low point of Hong Kong films that broke out ten years later.

Previously, the movies produced by Debao have been released in Jiahe Theater, but after many golden schedules and episodes were squeezed out by authentic Jiahe Theater, the boss Pan Disheng finally decided to establish his own theater business.

Soon, Shaw Brothers Cinema was changed to Debao Cinema, and the Hong Kong Chinese film market was still dominated by these three major theaters. Until 1988, a new Bao Cinema appeared, which not only disrupted the overall pattern of Hong Kong films, but also became an important foreshadowing of Hong Kong films' "from prosperity to decline".

Chen Rongmei, the founder of Xinbao Cinema, and Feng Bingzhong were originally partners of Princess Lei Jue Kunjin Cinema. They saw that the Hong Kong film market was booming - the box office in other places far exceeded the local income of Hong Kong. Southeast Asia, Taiwan, South Korea and other places were willing to invest in Hong Kong films to make greater profits. However, because the three major theaters dominated the Hong Kong film industry at that time, foreign capital could occasionally invest in Hong Kong films, but it was unable to obtain the golden period of theaters and starred in popular movies.

In view of this, Chen and Feng, the two "Princes" decided to form another Xinbao, which is independent of the three major theaters, and specialize in serving as "intermediaries" of foreign capital and independent production companies in Hong Kong. Everyone started the show together. The films made can not only be released on Xinbao theaters, but foreign investment can also bring back the local market to continue to make profits.

After the establishment of Xinbao Cinema, the number of Hong Kong-made films released soared to more than 110 in 1988 alone, 30 more than in 1987.

Since then, the golden age of Hong Kong filmmakers making money has begun, and jokingly rumored by Liu Shisan, Zheng Jiu Group, Wang Qi Group, Zhang Yida and others have also been rumored one after another.

In fact, let alone movie stars such as Liu Dehua, Cheng Yuling, Wang Shuxian, and Maggie Cheung, even behind-the-scenes photography, martial arts guides, lighting, and props, they all played three or four groups of dramas, making money crazy...

Objectively speaking, with a new theater chain, the demand for film sources will naturally rise, and the total box office will also increase significantly. Although all these seem to be happy, they are actually serious hidden dangers!

As low-cost small productions have the opportunity to be released in theaters, the phenomenon of excessive shooting has become increasingly serious.

Secondly, the consumption power of local audiences could not keep up with the pace of soaring production of Hong Kong films. By 1992, the annual production of Hong Kong films had exceeded 200, but the number of viewers entering the theaters decreased by 19 million compared with 1988.

Furthermore, due to the increase in theaters and the abundant foreign investment, Hong Kong's independent production companies announced their independence and no longer had to be satellite companies that depend on the three major theaters: for example, Sammo Hung and Xu Guanwen, a subsidiary of Jiahe, have successively switched to Xinbao; Huang Baiming, the owner of Xinyi City supported by Princess Jin, and Mai Jia, have successively come out to cooperate with Xinbao theaters "Family Happy" and "Slim Tiger and Fat Dragon"...

As time goes by, the three major theaters gradually become disintegrating!

Debao gave up operating the theaters in 1991 - Yonggao took over and stopped making movies two years later;

Princess Jin Cinema also stopped operating theater distribution and production business in 1993. Its cinema was taken over by Chen Rongmei and reorganized into Jinsheng, and formed a sister theater with Xinbao;

In 1993, Jiale, a cinema chain under Jiahe, Jinsheng, Xinbao, Yonggao, and Oriental, appeared in the Hong Kong Film Market. It seems lively, but it is actually weak, and it is no longer the leading position of Hong Kong Film's economic pillar.

Because the investors of the movie have transformed from the previous studio to the eight major film manufacturers from Taiwan!

...

"I learned what happened later. The eight major film producers discussed with the Hong Kong Film and Film Association, but failed to negotiate. So, Taiwanese film producers reduced their investment and introduced a large number of Hollywood movies. After 1997, it is difficult for Hong Kong films to occupy the Taiwan market again!"

"…Yes, do you think this situation is very similar to the current mainland?"

Lu Xiaoran shook his head: "No..."

Jiang Zhiqiang: "How to say it?"

"The times are different. What our audiences are seeing the world's fine productions, and gradually develop their own aesthetics. Shrunk-made things may be deceived for a while, but they will definitely not become popular."

“…So you don’t have fresh meat movies or IP movies?”

Lu Xiaoran smiled: "…IP is a good thing, but it depends on who will make it, so forget about fresh meat..."

For a movie, too much emphasis on fresh meat can easily ignore elements outside the fan economy in the movie, such as the professionalism of directors and actors, and the logic of the movie itself!

"The so-called young and handsome movies are actually the most common way to monetize idols. The movies created in this way have no technical threshold and can be copied quickly. They are a tendency to de-technicalize and are of no benefit to the film industry. Even if you put the title of a big IP, it is meaningless!"

"This kind of movie is popular for a year at most, and only the first people who invest in it can make some profits. Projects that have only started to be produced this year will definitely be a loss!"

Jiang Zhiqiang nodded: "...I can see it too!"

He then asked, "I'm very curious."

"What are you curious about?"

"Where did you choose the director?"

Lu Xiaoran did not answer this question positively, but sighed: "...We are also short of directors now. If we drive at full speed, Orange can make at least fifty movies a year..."

The scarcity of directors is something that Chinese movies often talk about today. There are about 700 films in theaters a year. Excluding some movies with three-day tours in theaters and imported films, it basically requires 300 relatively mature directors...

The market gap is huge!

This is also the reason why so many cross-border "directors" can make a fortune.

"Every time Orange releases a movie, it can promote a new director..."

"Not newcomers, they are all directors with mature director experience. You see, he is a new director. In fact, he has filmed several online dramas or worked on several movies with the director!"

“…Internet drama?”

"It's a TV series..."

Jiang Zhiqiang shut up...

His talent pool is basically related to Hong Kong, after all, his foundation is in Hong Kong. Now, Hong Kong's largest theater chain, Broadway Cinema, has three sub-brands, Broadway, Pace and Amc. The management convenience behind it is Anle Film Co., Ltd.

He is in the mainland...

Not very familiar with it!

Otherwise, I would not have wasted so many years. "Su Qi'er", "The Great Chase" and "Golden Age" were all invested by Anle Film and Television. It was not until the outbreak of "The Monster Hunt" that I had lost all the losses for so many years!

He...has never filmed a TV series!

...

Lu Xiaoran still respects Jiang Zhiqiang very much. He is one of the two great constituents of the film market in the new millennium resurrected the mainland. He has made great contributions and has given him many filmmakers to eat!

Without Jiang Zhiqiang, can "Hero" be sold overseas?

If Zhang Weipin was so awesome, he would not have left A Mou, and the entire new painting crown would have come to a standstill!

"I still don't understand why "The Monster Hunt" sells so well..."

"On the one hand, the market is good, and on the other hand, the filming is really good. The audience likes it, and I have never seen such a movie."

"How do you do the distribution now?"

“…”
Chapter completed!