novelweb Chapter 1577 Giving it to you for free
Chapter 1577 Giving it to you for free
"what?"
Bai Wei thought he had misheard. After realizing what had happened, he was so shocked that he became somewhat incoherent.
"You...you're serious?"
Bai Wei didn't have any thoughts of "the troupe is my own hard work and I'm reluctant to sell it," since he figured it would disband sooner or later anyway.
But he really couldn't understand why Ye Zhi Qiu wanted to take on this hot potato.
Ye Zhi Qiu thought about it more and more and felt that this method was feasible. He explained, "I want to shoot a new movie, similar in style to 'Goodbye Mr. Loser.' It's about a boxer who swaps bodies with a female reporter due to an accident."
"You, Zhou Mei, and He Chunlin, the three of you are the main actors."
“I just looked around, and besides you, there are a few other actors who also fit the role requirements. This film can be shot with the ‘Happy Popcorn’ cast as the main team.”
Ignoring the two people's surprised expressions, Ye Zhi Qiu looked at Bai Wei and said, "Besides being the lead actor, I have another important task for you, Brother Wei."
"What?" Bai Wei replied blankly.
"You'll be the assistant director," Ye Zhi Qiu said with a smile.
"I have another movie to shoot next, so I won't have much time for this one."
"I'll be in charge of the core creative control, and you'll assist with the specific shooting. Most of the actors are from 'Happy Popcorn,' and you've worked together for so many years, so you have a good understanding of each other. Is that alright?"
Hearing this, Bai Wei was dumbfounded.
Not only could he keep the "Happy Popcorn" troupe, but he could also lead everyone to make movies... He never expected that such a great thing would fall into his lap.
Although he was called the assistant director, he actually acted as the "acting director" when Ye Zhi Qiu was not around.
Don't underestimate the simple phrase "acting director." In a film crew, it represents the very top of the social hierarchy.
Zhou Mei, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and poked the dazed Bai Wei with her hand.
"Ah...oh! No...no problem!" Bai Wei realized what was happening and quickly replied.
Ye Zhi Qiu made this decision after careful consideration.
Firstly, I do have limited time and it's impossible to film all the good scripts; I need someone to assist me.
Bai Wei is indeed a talented person.
Bai Wei may not be suited for business, but he is a graduate of an art academy and has more than 10 years of stage experience, so he is definitely not a problem in terms of acting.
As for the "guidance" part, Ye Zhi Qiu wasn't too worried.
His next film is "Never Say Die," which in his previous life was an adaptation of an original stage play by the "Happy Twist" team.
Although presented in the form of a film, it is essentially an "enlarged, cinematic" stage comedy.
Conventional movie comedies rely on situations, characters, fate, and details to be funny, such as "Crazy Stone".
Stage comedy films, on the other hand, rely on jokes, plot twists, and exaggerated performances to be funny; "Goodbye Mr. Loser" is also of this type.
Therefore, for Bai Wei, who has been immersed in stage comedy for more than ten years, the learning curve is not actually very steep.
As for acquiring the "Happy Popcorn" theater troupe, it's a sure-fire way to make money.
The current "Happy Popcorn" theater troupe has a mature team that has been working together for many years and has talented actors. The hardware is sufficient, but what it lacks is the "software" of a script.
This happens to be Ye Zhi Qiu's forte.
Since "Goodbye Mr. Loser" and "Never Say Die" were adapted from stage plays, they can naturally be adapted back into stage plays.
There is a consensus in the industry that a good comedy IP is a natural "touring machine".
Unlike cultural IPs like "Only Green," which are beautiful and elegant, comedy IPs are characterized by their low barrier to entry, wide audience, and rapid word-of-mouth spread.
How low is the barrier to entry? Audiences don't need to understand art or use their brains; they just need to laugh.
How many people are there in all of China? This market is as big as the ocean!
"That's roughly the situation," Ye Zhi Qiu explained simply.
“If I acquire ‘Happy Popcorn’, you will still serve as the general manager and be fully responsible for daily affairs.”
"The other existing members can remain the same. In the future, they will mainly perform stage plays adapted from my comedy IPs, such as 'Goodbye Mr. Loser' and 'Never Say Die.' Of course, we will also support your excellent original plays."
"Brother Wei, how about this?"
Bai Wei's expression grew increasingly excited as he listened, and he blurted it out.
"Of course! Absolutely fantastic!"
As the lead actor in "Goodbye Mr. Loser," he is well aware of just how popular the movie was back then, and many memes about it are still circulating online today.
Some may wonder, if audiences have already seen a movie, will they still go see a stage play of the same name?
The answer is yes, and a significant portion of the audience will be interested.
Due to time constraints and censorship requirements, much of the content in film productions cannot actually be presented.
If adapted into a stage comedy, it can have exclusive segments, be more daring, have more jokes, and even include audience interaction... the tickets would sell like hotcakes!
Putting everything else aside, Bai Wei estimates that adapting the "Goodbye Mr. Loser" IP into a stage comedy and organizing a national tour would be no problem at all...
Not to mention, Ye Zhi Qiu continues to produce a steady stream of works...
"OK." Ye Zhi Qiu didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "Let's do it...90% of the shares, you keep 10%, name your price."
Upon hearing this, Bai Wei smiled wryly and said, "The troupe is on the verge of disbanding, what price are you asking for?"
"This theater troupe doesn't have any assets to begin with. They rent their performance venues, have a few shows that don't sell many tickets, and a bunch of shabby props that they wouldn't even consider. The most valuable thing they have are two secondhand delivery trucks..."
"Honestly, Zhi Qiu, I want to thank you on behalf of everyone in the troupe for taking on this task and giving everyone the opportunity to continue in this industry."
"I'm too embarrassed to ask for a price, so I'll just transfer it to you directly."
Ye Zhi Qiu thought about it and didn't refuse.
What Bai Wei said was true; the actors in the "Happy Popcorn" troupe were all very good and had excellent professional skills, but that was all.
The comedy industry has never lacked actors; what it lacks most is good scripts that can stand the test of time and make money.
An hour later, Ye Zhi Qiu left.
Bai Wei and Zhou Mei opened the door to the dressing room and were surprised to find that the other actors who had finished their performances had not only not left, but had instead gathered in front of the door.
"you..."
Before Bai Wei could speak, the most senior actor in the group spoke up.
"Old Bai, wasn't that Ye Zhi Qiu just now? The big star, we recognized him."
"Did he contact you and Zhou Mei to invite you to act in a movie?"
Bai Wei nodded, not denying it.
Even though they were mentally prepared, a hint of sadness still flashed in the eyes of the "Happy Popcorn" troupe members.
They knew very well that with Bai Wei and Zhou Mei gone, the troupe should probably disband soon.
Despite their mixed feelings, everyone forced themselves to cheer up and congratulated the two with smiles.
"Congratulations! This is a great opportunity!"
"Make another movie that grosses billions at the box office!"
"Remember not to make bad movies, don't embarrass our Popcorn Theater Troupe!"
"Keep it up! If you ever become successful, remember to give your brothers a hand. Even just being an extra would be great!"
"You have such ambition! You can just go to the film studio to be an extra, why do you need Brother Bai to help you? Brother Bai, I have distinctive features and my requirements are a bit high, how about a minor special role?"
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, but every single person who complained about Bai Wei and Zhou Mei's choice was genuinely offering their blessings.
Bai Wei, a man approaching forty, also felt his eyes were dry and his nose was a little sore.
"you..."
"Don't block the doorway, I need to pee..."