After the opening ceremony ended, everyone returned to the lounge. They first chatted for a while about the new production, then, seeing that it was nearly noon, moved on to a restaurant.
Although there were Tencent executives, vice presidents, renowned directors, and big-name stars present, they were all extremely respectful and polite toward Jiang Hao. Everyone had a cheerful meal, and Jiang Hao added several more phone numbers to his contacts.
Sitting beside Jiang Hao was Vice President Yu Hai. Yu Hai oversaw the performance and production departments. Script reviews, approvals, project filings, pre-production preparations, filming and production, recruiting and vetting artists, training and promoting the company's artists, arranging their appearances, and providing artists for approved projects all fell under his responsibilities.
After the two clinked glasses, Yu Hai said, "Director Jiang, the domestic market may look like it's booming, but there are undercurrents everywhere. Every film and television company is fighting hard. China Film Group and Shanghai Film Group are established players with major main-theme productions. Huayi, Bona, and Enlight have deep foundations as major companies. As for Tencent Pictures, Alibaba, and Wanda, we're all about capital. Distribution channels rule."
"But at the end of the day, it still comes down to good work. The market is there—it's the world's second-largest market. Even Hollywood is paying more and more attention to it. But looking at ourselves, to be honest, there's still quite a gap. Shoddy productions are everywhere."
"Take Hengdian alone. There are more than a dozen, even dozens, of films and TV dramas shooting at the same time. There are supposedly ten major film and television production bases nationwide. Just imagine how many productions that adds up to."
As Yu Hai spoke, he took out his phone, pulled up a list, and handed it to Jiang Hao. "Take