China's film industry has been developing at a breathtaking pace. By 2015, excluding the three Special Administrative Regions, the country had more than 5,000 cinemas nationwide, over 25,000 screens, and an annual total box office of 48 billion yuan, accounting for half of the Asia-Pacific market and ranking second only to the United States in scale.
Domestically, the three major cinema chains, Wanlong, New Generation, and Meichen, carved up most of the film market. Wanlong alone owned more than 400 cinemas, making it the undisputed industry leader.
The profits generated by operating cinema chains are staggering. Based on the domestic box office revenue-sharing model, out of every 100 yuan at the box office, 5 yuan goes to the film development fund, 3.5 yuan to taxes, leaving 91.5 yuan. Of that, cinemas take 45 yuan, the chain takes 15 yuan, and only 31.5 yuan remains for producers and distributors combined.
This means that cinema chains with vast theater resources reap the richest rewards.
Not only that, along with the expansion of the film market, cash-rich cinema chains have extended their reach upstream, forming vertically integrated models that cover production, distribution, and exhibition, effectively consuming every layer of profit from top to bottom.
Under such circumstances, film and television production companies of all sizes are inevitably constrained by the cinema chains, while competition among them is extremely fierce. For an independent artist like Lu Chen to break into this market, the difficulty is self-evident.
Lu Chen would have to rely on a powerful production company, establish good cooperative relationships with the three major cinema chains, and give up a large share of the profits just to secure a foothold.
And throughout that process, he would have to read other people's moods and play by their rules.
Of course, he didn't have to do it that way. With the popularity he currently enjoyed, landing a male lead role in a film would not be a problem at all.
But acting in a film and participating in production and distribution were two entirely different matters.
And Lu Chen's ambition clearly went far beyond being just the male lead in a movie, he wanted more.
Wan Xiaoquan's friend had seen this clearly, which was why he had made that suggestion: go to Hong Kong.
By leveraging ****'s new regulations and the Hong Kong government's support plan, Lu Chen could secure an excellent starting point with no historical baggage. And with access to a green approval channel, domestic distribution would become much easier.
After all, no matter how powerful the three major cinema chains were, they still had to bow to ****.
Moreover, Hong Kong has a strong foundation in film and television production, with a wealth of professionals, directors, actors, cinematographers, makeup artists, prop masters, and other specialists, forming a highly mature operational system.
In addition, the fees paid to local Hong Kong actors are generally lower than those in the mainland, which is one of the main reasons many Hong Kong actors prefer to come north to act in dramas and variety shows.
Of course, developing in Hong Kong also has its drawbacks. The culture and social environment there differ significantly from those of the mainland. If one fails to adapt, the move could end up doing more harm than good.
Finally, something Wan Xiaoquan's friend didn't spell out was that starting anew in Hong Kong would be the best option for Wan Xiaoquan himself. Over there, no one would care about his past, allowing him to live with greater ease and freedom.
All these factors truly tempted Lu Chen.
The advantages of going to Hong Kong were obvious. As for integrating into the local environment, Lu Chen didn't see it as a major problem.
He spoke fluent Cantonese.
After all, Xu Bo was a native of Guangdong Province and sang Cantonese songs very well. Communicating with Hong Kong locals, who primarily use Cantonese, posed no obstacle at all.
Lu Chen thought for a moment, then said to Wan Xiaoquan, "Teacher Wan, how about this, I'll first register and set up a film workshop in Hong Kong, and you go over there ahead of time to help me hold things together and prepare this film?"
It was impossible for Lu Chen to suddenly rush off to Hong Kong to start a company and make a movie. In fact, filming a movie hadn't been part of his original plan for this year. In the second half of the year, he intended to release a new album and hold his own solo concert.
It had already been nearly a year since Lu Chen released his first personal album, My Old Classmate, and many fans had long been eagerly awaiting his second album.
Over the past year, Lu Chen had also accumulated more than enough material, releasing a new album posed no problem at all.
Most importantly, he now had a high-end recording studio and a professional music production team.
If not now, then when?
After releasing his second album, holding a solo concert toward the end of the year, pushing his singing career as a singer-songwriter to a new peak, was also part of Lu Chen's plan.
There was a saying in the pop music world: a singer who hasn't held a solo concert can't be considered a true top-tier act.
Chen Fei'er had debuted more than a decade ago and had held countless concerts. If she hadn't been filming dramas with Lu Chen, she would have already held one last year, it had been delayed until this year with no movement yet.
Holding a concert was inevitable, and one alone wouldn't be enough. A multi-city tour was a must.
With all this on his plate, how could Lu Chen possibly find the time to go to Hong Kong to prepare a film workshop? Lu Xi was busy as well.
But missing this opportunity would be a real loss. If policies changed in the future, trying again might be too late. Opportunities don't come twice.
So first letting Wan Xiaoquan step out again was undoubtedly a great choice, having him go to Hong Kong as an advance force, familiarize himself with local conditions, recruit useful talent, and secure a foothold. When Lu Chen eventually went over, things would be much easier.
Treating people with sincerity, Lu Chen laid out his thoughts clearly for Wan Xiaoquan.
As for how Wan Xiaoquan chose, Lu Chen would respect it.
Wan Xiaoquan didn't hesitate. Only after losing something does one truly learn to cherish it. This chance to start anew in Hong Kong was both an opportunity and a challenge for him. He might face many difficulties, but that was precisely where the meaning of life lay.
The most frightening thing wasn't hardship, it was slowly rotting away in silence.
As long as there were films to make, Wan Xiaoquan didn't mind working under Lu Chen at all. And Lu Chen's attitude toward creation was nothing like that of people who just wanted to make a quick buck.
In his heart, Wan Xiaoquan felt deeply grateful to Lu Chen. How could adding flowers to brocade ever compare to providing fuel in the snow?
Still, Wan Xiaoquan was a reserved man. He wouldn't constantly wear his gratitude on his face. Instead, he would repay Lu Chen's trust and investment with real work and results.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Of course, Wan Xiaoquan couldn't pack up and leave immediately. Lu Chen would still need to assign one or two reliable assistants to him, and funds would have to be prepared to establish the Hong Kong workshop. All of this required discussion and resolution with Lu Xi.
For now, however, the most important thing for Lu Chen was still the currently airing 'Full House'.
On July 29th, 'Full House' aired episodes seven and eight.
(End of chapter)
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