Later, when Mulvis arrives at Mystery, and Levy talks to Alexander, the production and playback of CSI is settled. CBS bought the premiere rights to this TV series, and the first TV series of the Mystery Company was finally sold.

After sending Muvis away, the friends immediately entered the office and asked them to explain the details of the contract, and Alexander immediately began to talk about it, while Levy was still thinking about it.

For a long time, Levy has not considered his future development in the TV circle very much, and he shoots TV series for the purpose of movies. There are benefits of large investment in filming TV series in the United States, but there is also the problem that TV series are filmed one episode at a time. In order to catch up with current affairs, keep up with the audience, and cater to the needs of actors, in order to achieve the goal of high ratings, it is difficult for American dramas to pursue artistry.

This has caused the TV circle to be artistic, profitable, and famous, not as good as the film circle, so Levy has always been very sure that his future must develop into movies, TV series, earn a start-up capital, pay a little attention in the future, to maintain the daily expenses of the film company, by the way, to experiment with his own creativity, even if it is the end. The role of TV drama companies is more to maintain various relationships, which is more important to film directors than to make money.

In the past, Levy had always wanted to get closer to ABC. After all, behind ABC is Disney, and it is also one of the best in the film company. Now, the appearance of CBS has made him frown a little.

Perhaps, CBS is also an option?

CBS is not the same thing as Columbia Films, the film company has been acquired by the Japanese Sony, and CBS was not acquired by Viacom until 99, and before that, it only had a cooperative relationship with other film companies. After all, the cooperation is not my own home, I don't know, when I want to make a movie, can I get the support of CBS company power in order to make my own film?

Levi thought about it for a while, but there were more things to do, and he didn't think about it anymore. Anyway, that's a matter for the future, and if CBS really doesn't support him at that time, won't he be able to let them help? CSI is just a tool for throwing stones to ask for directions, and it is not without tricks.

"Orders for the whole season." At this time, Alexander was talking to his companions about the conditions that CBS gave them, "It's not a pilot, it's not a half-season, it's a whole season of orders." This is a good condition that no other TV station has given us. It's been a whole season! 24 episodes of TV series, 4 million per episode, we can get up to 100 million production fees! ”

The order for the next season in one breath is still rare in the production of TV dramas. Most TV series are booked for half a season first, and then expanded to a whole season according to the ratings. CBS's move is still full of sincerity.

CBS is a really good company...... Levi also moved in his heart, he had heard of Leslie Muvis's name before, but he hadn't paid much attention to it. He only knows that this person is relatively young, a newcomer promoted after CBS changed its president last year, compared to CBS's sports president and news president, they are both old men, he is more courageous and enterprising, but he didn't expect that he would directly book a whole season in one breath.

It's no wonder that these guys will leave NBC behind in the next few years, and compared with ABC's crooked egg-sore policy, these people's courage and vision are much stronger.

Maybe it's a better option to work with them. Although CBS's approach is a little worse, fortunately, the people at the top are still quite brainy. It may be more troublesome to cooperate with them, but it is much better than Eisner's tyrant temper who cares nothing for the sake of face.

"A season's orders are good, but how many can we get? Isn't it a co-production? So CBS must also share a part of the gains, right? Michael was the first to ask the question.

The model of large companies investing in co-production has always existed in the production of TV dramas, which is different from the previous loans they took out to shoot TV dramas. If it is a loan, then the loan is repaid, and if it is a co-production, then there is no need to repay the debt, but the final profit is shared.

TV stations like to do this: when it comes to funding, they don't necessarily have it, but they have a lot of things that can be used to offset the production costs, CBS has its own studio, and Levy can move there immediately, and the money is counted in the account, but CBS doesn't have much investment. CBS has its own equipment, which can also be offset against funds for companies that do not have enough special equipment such as Mystery Company, and CBS also has some commonly used sets, props, and costumes, which are idle anyway, and can be used to offset production costs, so they can pay less, such a thing, for large companies, why not?

Generally speaking, if someone else invests in the production of a Hollywood TV program, then the profit sharing ratio between the investor and the producer is about four or six cents. CBS said that they only take 20% of the investment fee, which is also in line with the law of the market. And the other half of the investment costs, for daily expenses, still have to find someone to provide.

"As soon as I got the CBS order, I immediately contacted Arts. When the entertainment company heard about it, it decided that it wanted to turn the loan into an investment. They can't afford to offend CBS, and they don't dare to grab a share with CBS, but they are also willing to provide half of the funds and ask for a 20% share. However, I didn't promise them for the time being. Now that we have the order in hand, we are not afraid that we will not be able to find a loan, and I have heard that some bankers in Canada are trying to invest in Hollywood, so we might as well give it a try. ”

Some time ago, when Enigma's TV series was denied by Eisner, the entertainment company did not immediately support them, but took a wait-and-see attitude. Although this is normal, Alexander is still a little resentful. Since it is normal for art to play with people, then Alexander can naturally too: after having an order, it is also normal for people to go to find investors who offer better conditions, right?

While he was talking, the phone had already rang, and Alexander picked up the phone and listened to the person opposite, lip-syncing to everyone, indicating that it was an entertainment company.

Several people exited the office, still thinking about it.

"Share 40% of the profits...... In the end, we might lose it. Bob ignored him, just counting on himself.

If this is done, then the mystery company will get 60% of the revenue, and the other two will get 40%. For example, for CBS's order of 100 million yuan, Mystery Company can get 60 million, and although the other two companies paid a total of 100 million production fees, they shared 40 million together.

Looks like earned? Otherwise. Because of the follow-up replay rights, broadcast rights, peripheral products, adapted novels, games, and movies, all of which have to be divided into forty percent. If these incomes are high, then CBS and entertainment companies will be profitable.

Of course, if the surrounding income is relatively small, CBS loses money, a word of non-renewal, you can stop losing money - large companies compared with small enterprises, will always have an advantage, they earn, then continue to engage, if they lose, the unlucky is still small business.

"I also know that we can lose money." Levi opened his mouth, "However, if we produce independently, there are also problems, not to mention the problem of smoothing out the relationship in all aspects, but there is one thing: within a year, I am afraid that it will be difficult for us to have income, and there will be no salary for the premiere right, and other income, but it will take a long time to slowly recover." And if it is divided like this, it is they who invest anyway, and as soon as the funds for the premiere rights are in hand, we don't have to repay the loan, and we can immediately divide the money - 50 million, in addition to the company's investment that needs to be expanded, we still have a lot, and we can improve our lives within a year, and we don't have to wait for five years. ”

Levy said his considerations, and his considerations are also correct: now several people are short of money to spend, if there is no follow-up income, just with the salary of producing TV series, the most they will earn in a year, and the least will still live with a little money. The meager income is still much worse than the identity of a TV series producer.

The method of large companies to tempt small companies to cooperate is so simple, but it is so straightforward: become a multimillionaire directly within a year, and if you lose money five years later, such a deal, knowing that it is gambling, how many people can refuse?

"I'd rather wait a few years and get more money." Bob disgruntled.

"I don't think so." Levy shook his head, "If you can't get it back until five years later, the money won't be of much use." Now get the money in your hands, and in five years, it won't be a lot of money. ”

Levy doesn't want to improve his life: if CBS and the entertainment company are involved in the co-production, then Levy can get tens of millions of funds in the short term, of course, after five years, it is estimated that the loss will not be small, but the 10 million in '96 and the 10 million in '01 are completely different.

Now I have 10 million in my hand, even if it is a pig, as long as I know that if I throw this money where it should be thrown, the income in exchange for five years will definitely be more than 20 million. It is very rare to give up that little income in the future in exchange for having money in hand now.

"You don't have to wait a year." At this point, Alexander had already walked out of the office, "The entertainment company still wants to do it with us, and they have offered to give us an additional loan of 30 million - and after agreeing to the deal, we have the money right away." ”

30 million ...... The entertainment company invested 50 million, and the income was only 20 million, but it was willing to provide a loan of 30 million. CBS's orders for a whole season seem to have given the entertainment company a lot of confidence.

Hearing the news, everyone had nothing to say. The amount of money that can be received immediately is very different from the money that will be available in the next ten years.

"In this way, our fate is in the hands of CSI. If the shooting is good, this TV series can take us to a blockbuster, but if the shooting is not good, our efforts this time will fail again. ”

Bob whispered the situation faced by several people, this sentence made several people look at each other for a moment, and then, Levy laughed, "Okay, Bob, stop kidding!" Fail? We used to fail because we were playing all the time, but this time we got really working! If we work so seriously, how can we be easily defeated? Don't you have enough faith in yourselves? We, for sure, are going to be a blockbuster. ”