Hollywood Starts with Animation

That night.

The Presidential Suite at the Hilton New York.

Zhu Ke, who became rich overnight, was ruthlessly extravagant, not only enjoying fine wine and food, but also enjoying a king-like service.

"The presidential suite is good, great, and croak!"

"Think of me, someone, Zhu, who was in the entertainment industry after all in his last life. He always watched those celebrities live in the presidential suite. This time it was really the first time for me, blah blah..."

In his last life, Zhu Ke was a middle-level manager of a small entertainment company, but his mother was in logistics and had little contact with the stars.

The income is even more different, and even the unspoken rules are not his turn.

"Speaking of the beauty stars in Hollywood, everyone says that the rich tastes the salty, the poor looks at the beauty. In this life, someone like me, Zhu, will also taste the salty!"

The boulevards you thought were already full of traffic.

- Shakespeare.

Even though that place has been left traces by countless people, we still yearn for it.

- Guo Moruo.

When you can easily enter, you should understand that it is not that you are powerful, but that the other party can tolerate your insignificance.

--Pavel Korchagin.

"Heh... Anyway, I'm rich now!"

Thinking of the jokes in his previous life, Zu Ke couldn't help shivering. Forget it, forget those buses, we'd better be more prudent.

For the next time, all Zhu Ke thought about was how to use the first pot of gold. As a traveler, if you don’t think about how to make money, why don’t you just enjoy it now? That’s too unchasing, you have to continue to make money and make big money!

"Keep investing in the stock market?"

For the first time, this idea popped into Zu Ke's mind.

After all, the more than two million US dollars that he has now come from the stock market and the listing of Netscape.

"It's not impossible, but I only know about it."

"Although I know that investing in the stocks of Microsoft, Apple, Amazon and other companies will definitely not lose money, the future will be giants, with a market value of 1.3 trillion US dollars, but now it is too..."

Not much else to say, Amazon in 1995 is not a giant now, but a small Mengxin that has just been established for less than a month (established in July), and has not yet been listed! As for buying its original stock, that's a hell of a lot.

Jeff Bezos, what a shrewd man!

He is smarter than a hairy monkey, and now if he wants to get the original stock from him, not to mention Zucker, even Goldman Sachs and Morgan.

The stock market can make money, and it can make a lot of money, the traveler Zhu Ke knows.

I understand!

But not now. Anyway, in the next few years, especially after 1998, the stock market of Internet technology stocks will grow wildly. By then, there will be enough capital to enter the market, and it will not be too late.

"Then what should I do?"

"Forget it, let's go back and forth, let's do what we do!"

Film and television entertainment!

In the last life, Zucker did this, and even if it was logistics, he was somewhat familiar with it.

"My home for the rest of my life is in Hollywood, then go to Hollywood!"

"Find a Hollywood company and become a staff member? It's possible, but it's too low for me, a traveler."

"Open a film company directly?"

"It's even worse, the water here is too deep, and it's easy to be pitted."

"Movie peripheral stores, especially how many more stores will be opened to form a chain store?"

"Looks like it's a good idea!"

It's not that Zucker doesn't want to go straight to Hollywood and open a film company, but as a half-industry insider, he is too aware of the depth and exclusion of the entertainment industry.

Think of the six Hollywood helmers Barry Mayer, Robert Iger, Shirley Lansing, etc., which one did not start from the grassroots; think of Hollywood stars such as Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie,

Which one didn't start out as a character actor.

There are so many things like that.

Even Forbes regulars, the sons and daughters of Oracle boss Larry Ellison, swooped into Hollywood with $200 million and raging ambitions, but what happened?

Made a lot of bad movies!

The bad film "Air Combat Heroes" alone has paid nearly 100 million US dollars in tuition.

Isn't it still a waste of years!

In the end, did you succeed in integrating into the financial crisis in 2008, the U.S. economic downturn, and the lack of money for major Hollywood companies?

"Be careful... No, be more prudent!"

Zucker squeezed his forehead.

Hollywood's xenophobia is one aspect, and the most critical is Hollywood's accounting issues!

That's really walking on the edge of the law. Under the premise of the law, it makes a big fuss about the book issue, to the extreme, and to exploit foreign investors cleanly!

Don't, don't trust the integrity of big companies!

For example, Spielberg's DreamWorks has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars from regions such as India and Arabia.

Not to mention pitting outsiders, but even pitting insiders, it is not at all soft-hearted.

Very black hands!

The Harry Potter series is so famous.

It has earned a lot of fame for Time Warner Group. In terms of box office alone, it has harvested nearly 10 billion US dollars worldwide, not to mention the sales of peripheral licensing, DVD, videotape, clothing licensing, beverage licensing, etc., that is thousands of dollars. billion dollar market.

But do you dare to believe that it turned out to be a loss on the company's books!

That's right, it's a loss!

And what a fucking huge loss!

The film's production company and distribution company belong to the Time Warner Group, but the two subsidiaries' finances are separated and calculated independently. Except for the theater revenue, the profits that should belong to the production company originally belonged to the distribution company.

As a result, the production company's book is naturally a loss.

chi chi ......

"Big companies are black. Since the book is a loss, it can pay less corporate tax and don't have to pay the main actor's box office profit share. What a joy!"

Several stars of the "Harry Potter" series have taken Warner to court over box office splits.

But the result?

Warner's team of lawyers, the traps set in the contract, are you joking?

Play to kill you!

Even if the big company loses the case under special circumstances, it will drag you out for a few years, waste your energy, and never let you live!

Anyway, the arm can't twist the thigh.

In this industry, you have to abide by the rules they set, otherwise you will be an outlier, provoke the collective interests of major Hollywood companies, and finally drive you out of Hollywood.

Michael Jackson is one of them!

He holds the copyright of countless songs, does not know how to compromise, and violates too many hidden rules and interests of the entertainment industry, otherwise he will be stigmatized. (violation of boys, skin color issues) Even after his death, there are still many people talking about it.

Peter Jackson, the director of "The Lord of the Rings", took New Line to court because of the salary issue, and the lawsuit lasted for 6 years.

"Hollywood likes daring people who are stupid and rich, I have to take it easy."

Zucker couldn't help but sigh.

"Otherwise, there will be no bones left in the end!"

"There are too many bad guys and villains in this world."

As a half-industry person, Zucker really understands the book problem too well.

The movie is obviously profitable, but it can also make you lose money on the books. Not much else to say, the first is the price of the camera equipment, which is obviously 200,000 US dollars, but it can also make you 1 million US dollars on the book, and other unrelated film personnel expenses, etc., all go to the investor's book, anyway. The water is deep, let alone laymen, even insiders, have to be on guard.

"Just open a movie peripheral chain store!"

"safe!"

"Let's not say anything else, "Toy Story" is about to be released, and it was the 1995 North American box office champion!"

"As long as you win the copyright, even in Los Angeles, you can make a lot of money by selling Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear's toys. Not only can you make money, but it's also an excellent stepping stone to Hollywood."

......

Just do it.

Zucker made a phone call overnight and booked a ticket.

The next morning, I took a flight to Los Angeles.

After returning to my home in Los Angeles and putting down my luggage, I immediately contacted several intermediary companies, and finally selected one of them with good conditions and good reputation.

"I don't ask much. Beverly Mall, South Coast Mall, Hollywood and Highland Mall, Montana Street, these places must have!"

Zucker constantly gestured on the map to the middle-aged black man in front of him.

The selected places are all well-known and crowded areas in the Los Angeles area.

"Okay, please rest assured, our profession will definitely satisfy you." The middle-aged black man said solemnly.

Zuke nodded, "Okay, this is what I want. How long can you take me to see it?"

"Three days!"

The black man made a gesture with great confidence.

After sending off the agency, Zucker sat alone in the room thinking, "When I get a few stores, I'll go to Pixar Animation as soon as possible and stop by to see Jobs."