Although the box office sharing is troublesome, the benefits are obvious for the mainland - it is easy to tie the fence-makers who change their minds to the mainland. This is much more tempting for the government that promotes first and makes money second than buying a trailer.

Therefore, Chen Chong felt that if Hong Kong movies could enter the mainland screening and box office sharing mode, it would be quite competitive. However, the final result of this matter is not something he can control. What he can do is just write a report carefully, try his best to promote box office sharing, do his best to do his best, and leave his will.

Anyway, at the beginning of reform and opening up, anything, as long as you work hard, could happen.

For example, in 1985, a newspaper called "Modern People" was established in Guangdong. Hong Kong-owned capital holdings exceeded 70%, and it was distributed nationwide with sales of more than 700,000 yuan. It even surpassed the largest newspaper in the south, "Yangcheng Evening News", and became the most popular newspaper in many institutions. This is unimaginable in later generations.

However, this newspaper was not lucky. In 1994, it was first dragged down by a pig-like Hong Kong teammate, and then was implicated by fellow Taoists in the same city "Southern Weekend". After nine years of support, it finally died. Since then, there has been no foreign-controlled newspaper media in the mainland. (Note 1)

...

Chen Chong stayed in the guesthouse for one day, and the next afternoon, he was called by the Film Bureau again.

The content of his speech at the Beijing Film Academy was circulated in the Beijing film circle at an unimaginable speed, causing the popularity of "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" to soar sharply. The copy came out of Zhongnanhai and was sent to the Beijing Film Academy. Before he had time to release it, it was borrowed by the Beijing Film Studio in the name of "learning from Hong Kong's advanced shooting technology". After being released for a day, the Film Bureau took it away on the grounds of "referring to the mature overseas cooperative production model"...

To be honest, this is far beyond the expectation of Chen Chong. He brought "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" to Beijing. His original purpose was just like a nouveau riche bought world-famous paintings and showed them everywhere, and used them to decorate his taste.

Hu Jinquan is recognized as the master of inheriting the past and the future in the history of martial arts films. Before him, martial arts films were a street trick of random fighting. After him, martial arts films entered the hall and became a unique film genre in the world film industry.

He, together with Li Hanxiang, Chu Yuan and Zhang Che, were also called the "Four Famous Directors" in Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s. The rest of them had tens of works and the cumulative box office was tens of millions. While Hu Jinquan had a few works, the highest single box office was no more than 3 million, but he was able to go along with them, which was quite a bit of "a lonely story and became a big shot". It can be seen that the quality of the films he directed was extraordinary.

Not only that, some film critics have also said that Hu Jinquan's status in martial arts movies is just like Jin Yong's status in martial arts novels. Since then, there has been no more martial arts.

Although it is suspected of being too famous, martial arts movies with good reputation in later generations are all shrouded in the shadow of Hu Jinquan.

Tsui Hark regarded Hu Jinquan as his idol, first invited him to film "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer". After the fall, he slapped himself in the face and remake his classic "Longmen Inn" in 1967, which shows how much influence Hu Jinquan had on him.

"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" is known for its so-called implicit and restrained mood in the East, but regardless of the camera or rhythm style, it is in line with "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain". Ang Lee highly praised Hu Jinquan in his interview.

There is also the "Ten-sided Ambush" in which the heroine can't die. In many places, it is almost completely imitated by "The Legend of the Goddess". Zhang Yimou also confessed to paying tribute to Hu Jinquan.

From this we can see that Hu Jinquan's status as a master is unquestionable. Every martial arts movie he has is a fine product and is the treasure of the film library, so Chen Chong spared no expense to buy "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain". Not only that, he also planned to take the same box office "Legend of the Mountain", which was defeated by the same box office, but he was in a hurry to come to Beijing and didn't have time to start.

However, this little thought can be said to be a glamorous look in Beijing for the blind man. Those who like the artistic value of "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" cannot see it for the time being, but the audience who have watched it is more concerned about other things.

For example, during this screening, most of the audiences were staff members of the Film Bureau. What they were more concerned about was the cooperation process of "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" filming in South Korea.

After the screening, Wei Baoguo walked onto the stage with a blushing voice: "Let us welcome experts from Hong Kong, Comrade Chen, to explain the shooting process of "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" to you with warm applause, everyone!"

After all, it was an administrative agency, and the applause was warm and very restrained. Shen Chong went to the stage and bowed, and the lower part was immediately silent.

"The leaders and experts who are here are busy people who are busy with a lot of things. I don't say much polite words here and waste everyone's time." Chen Chong still gave an impromptu speech without manuscript paper: "I will first introduce Hu Jinquan, the director of "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain", who is a martial arts film master with world reputation. He was born in Beijing in 1932. He was a young man at the Peking Art College founded by Xu Beihong. After arriving in Hong Kong in 1949, he joined the Great Wall Film Company as an artist. He received guidance from two seniors, Wan Guchan and Wan Laiming, and laid the artistic foundation for his future directorial career... "The Heroes" he directed won the "Supreme Technical Committee Award" of the Cannes International Film Festival, one of the three major film festivals in the world, and became the first Chinese filmmaker to be recognized internationally..."

Chen Chong was so eloquent that he briefly introduced Hu Jinquan's life, and added another sentence: "Director Hu is a very patriotic artist. He once said that in film creation, anyone who is not conducive to the descendants of Yan and Huang and is not conducive to serious artists will be able to make a profit even if he takes on the filming.

When the audience heard this, they immediately applauded, and some people broke the silence and shouted loudly.

Hu Jinquan owed a favor to Chen Chong and had a close relationship with Zhang Aijia. When filming "Legend of the Mountain", the two of them were called father and son, which shows how deep the relationship was.

Therefore, Hu Jinquan is half his own person, and Chen Chong said good things at this time to lay the foundation for the future.

You should know that after the establishment of the Chinese cooperative production company in August 1979, it had no business to do for three years. It was not until 1982 that it cooperated with Japan and made its first movie. If during this gap, he made a big investment and asked Hu Jinquan to return to the mainland to shoot and eat his first bite of crab, there would be too many things to tinker with...

The mainland is deeply influenced by Soviet film ideas and pursues the director-centered system. The most popular movie is the director. Starring Xu Feng, Shi Jun, Sun Yue and others are all Taiwanese, so Chen Chong mentioned it and did not introduce it much, and started to talk about the theme of this movie-watching party.

"This movie was taken by Director Hu Jinquan on Jeju Island in South Korea for more than a year... Ah, sorry, everyone, I was wrong. It was filmed in Jeju Island in South Korea, where it was filmed."

Chen Bo waved his hand off the stage and signaled that it wouldn't matter and asked him to continue talking.

"This movie takes place in a temple. Director Hu originally planned to return to the mainland to shoot the scene. After all, in terms of the beauty of mountains and rivers and the grand architecture, no place can compare to the mainland. However, because of the obstruction of Taiwan, investors hesitated, so they finally went to South Korea to shoot."

"South Korea is deeply influenced by Chinese traditional culture. There are many ancient temples left over from the Tang and Song dynasties. In this movie, everyone sees real temples, and there is no set of tents. However, the temples in North Korea are not as magnificent as China, so Director Hu filmed several temples and then edited them together to form one." (Note 2)

"Next, let me talk about the process of filming in Hong Kong and South Korea..."

From the 1980s and until the 21st century, co-production filming was the main channel for exchanges and integration between the Hong Kong and the mainland film industry. It is impossible for Chen Chong to do his homework. Therefore, he has studied the rules and regulations of co-production between countries in the world for filming, which is very clear.

"... In short, there are currently two ways to cooperate in shooting story movies between countries in the world. One is to shoot together, and both parties shoot directors, screenwriters, actors and other creators to create together. The second is to assist in shooting. One party invests, and the other party provides auxiliary work such as personnel, venues, equipment, etc., and charges a certain fee. "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" is used to shoot in South Korea, which is the second method."

"The ways of cooperation are different, and the final benefits are also different. If the filming is co-production, both parties have the copyright of the film and enjoy the income after the release of the film according to the specific agreement. If the filming is jointly performed, the cooperation relationship will basically end."

"Xiao Shen, we all understand what you said." After he finished speaking, Chen Bo said, "Don't hide it, say something we don't know."

"Director Chen, how dare I hide it in front of you? I am really absent-minded and knowledgeable," Chen Chong complained, looked around the screening hall, and then said, "I don't know what you guys here want to know about. If you have any questions, just ask me directly. As long as I know, I will explain it clearly."

"It's good." Chen Bo stood up, turned to the audience in the back row, and said, "Everyone asks if you have something to do. Xiao Shen is a good friend. It's rare to have an opportunity. Take a good grasp of it."

A middle-aged man immediately raised his hand, saw Chen Chong nodding, stood up and asked, "Comrade Xiao Shen, do you say that the two parties in the joint film can share the copyright of the film. So is the joint film a domestic film or an imported film?"

Good question!

Chen Chong almost applauded him.

At this time, the mainland basically has no copyright concept and lacks understanding of the foreign film market. In the articles of association of China's cooperative production companies, it is stipulated that the mainland enjoys domestic screening rights and foreign capital has copyright... (Note 3)

This can be said to have lost watermelon and picked up sesame seeds. In the current economic environment in the mainland, how much money can you make for domestic screenings?

When the movies were won abroad, the box office was collected, the video tape was collected, the TV station was collected, and there were DVD revenues, online streaming revenues, etc. in the future, which was a big deal. The mainland only drank some soup, and the flesh and skin were all consumed by foreign investors.

"This issue is very complicated, we have to start with the copyright system abroad..."

The screening hall also set up a small blackboard, explaining the current overseas copyright system and screening channels one by one, and finally said: "So I think that if conditions permit, we should try to sign a copyright sharing agreement if the conditions allow, rather than just the screening rights in the mainland. After all, this is a long-term business that can bring foreign exchange income to the country for a long time."

"As for the co-production of movies that are domestic or imported films, many countries in the world have set a bottom line based on national conditions, such as the proportion of their own investment in total investment, the proportion of their staff in the crew, etc. If this line exceeds this line, even if domestic films do not reach this line, they are imported films." Chen Chong put down the chalk and said, "I have collected many countries' policies on this aspect in Hong Kong. If necessary, I can mail them there, or bring them here next time I arrive in Beijing."

"Xiao Shen is intent. We really need information on this aspect in urgent need. I'm not polite. Please send it here. We are in a mess now and we must hurry up."

"Okay, I'll go back to Hong Kong, I'll do it right away."

At this time, a slightly fat woman wearing black-framed glasses and about 40 years old stood up and asked with a serious expression. "Comrade Chen, how should she review the cooperative production? Is it based on foreign regulations or our Chinese regulations?"

This is a big problem, and Chen Chong naturally cannot be vague and said: "When you come to China to make movies, you must naturally abide by China's rules and regulations in China's territory."

"What if the corruption and depravity of the bourgeoisie appeared in the co-production film and caused an extremely bad influence?" The woman said very harshly. "For example, in this "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain", the naked scenes of the woman appearing in "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain" is a great insult to working women, and it will make the audience have vulgar and vulgar associations. Director Chen, I strongly recommend that the film be banned from continuing to be screened."

I'll go!

In "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain", only Xu Feng exposed his back when he changed his clothes. How could he insult working women? Where would he have vulgar associations?

"Who is this elder sister?"

"I'm from the Film Review Team of the Beijing Municipal Cultural Bureau."

For a moment, Chen Chong felt that he was too optimistic about the film censorship system in the mainland - no matter how relaxed the policies were, they could not withstand the troubles of the censors... (Note 4)

———————

Note 1: If you are interested, please give the name of the Baidu newspaper.

Note 2: Hu Jinquan and Chang Aijia are in harmony, as well as the shooting details of "Empty Mountain Spirit Rain", all come from the diary of Hu Jinquan's wife Zhong Ling.

Note 3: See "1982 Chinese Film Yearbook".
Chapter completed!