Zhang Shaoping has engaged in paper media, and after a period of time, he is no longer a junior brother, he does not know the current Hong Kong film and television magazines well, but at least he also knows what the audience positioning of each publication is.

In addition to the five popular movie magazines, there are also the "Ming Pao Weekly" entertainment magazine with the super gossip under "Ming Pao", the "Oriental Weekly" under the guise of fashion and the "Oriental Weekly" that actually follows the "Ming Pao Weekly", and the "Film Biweekly" with the surname of niche enthusiasts.

Oh, and there is also a very good magazine - "Chinese and Foreign Pictures and Paintings". It has taken a different path and walked out of a very different path from all Hong Kong film magazines - facing the "big and medium. country".

Zhang Shaoping always thought that he was the first Hong Kong publication company to eat crabs, but after staying in the mainland for a long time, he found that "Chinese and Foreign Films and Paintings" had already entered the north. The National Book Import and Export Company has to sell it. It's just because of financial problems, and because this magazine is also more professional, although it is widely popular with mainland filmmakers, it is only about 70,000 or 80,000 copies per issue.

This magazine was founded in July 79, and it has been more than three years now, but it has been a complete failure when it comes to several marketing methods of Zhang Shaoping.

"This ......" Facing Zhang Shaoping's puzzled eyes, Chen Bai explained stiffly, "Now that the writers have submitted to your company's "Film Times", our "Film Fortnightly" has a lot of less manuscript sources. ”

"Wouldn't it? I remember your magazine, the writers, the authors, and the editors, aren't they all their own families? The source of the manuscript is stable, and "Film Times" should not be able to dig into the corner, right? ”

"I've had ......trouble eating recently," Chen Baisheng said helplessly.

When it comes to "Film Fortnightly", it is inevitable to avoid Tang Shuxuan, a strange woman in the film industry, and her magazine "Big Close-up".

Tang Shuxuan is the granddaughter of the famous warlord Tang Jiyao of the Republic of China, settled in Hong Kong in her early years, and was later admitted to the film department of the University of Southern California in the United States, and returned to Hong Kong in 1966 to shoot the film "Mrs. Dong", which was well received and won several Golden Horse Awards. She is a pioneer of academic directors in the Hong Kong film industry, and has deeply influenced the surging Hong Kong ** trendy films.

In 1975, Tang Shuxuan funded the establishment of the biweekly "Big Close-up".

This weekly is completely different from other magazines on the market, with eight folio specifications, printed on ordinary paper, not with nude photos of celebrities but stills or black-and-white photos of people as the cover, but dominated by text content, making it the most readable film publication, making Hong Kong film magazines no longer just pictorials to read, but books to read.

As soon as the book was born, it was immediately popular with the new generation of filmmakers and film lovers, who served as volunteer editors and free contributors.

However, after all, "Big Close-up" is only a niche reading book of the same people, and there are no advertisements to be found, and the management and operation have been in an amateur state, and they have repeatedly lost money, even if they do not need to pay remuneration and salary, but the cost of printing is also a huge expense. So when Tang Shuxuan married in the United States, the magazine finally ceased publication in the first half of 1978.

After the publication of "Big Close-up" was suspended, many young film lovers regretted it, so a group of former backbone editors and authors of "Big Close-up" initiated the establishment of "Film Fortnightly". The magazine is published by a multi-person cooperative fundraiser, and everyone is a shareholder, and there is no major shareholder.

"Film Fortnightly" adheres to the line and style of "Big Close-up", does not follow the road of popular film magazines, and continues to focus on young and new film and television authors, focusing on promoting and introducing local films and filmmakers.

Originally, such an alternative magazine that did not fit the "commercial" would soon follow in the footsteps of "Big Close-up", but it was precisely "born at the right time" that traditional Hong Kong films began to enter a trough, and a large number of new filmmakers appeared, bringing new phenomena and repeatedly emerging to the fore, which is catering to the direction of localization of Hong Kong films advocated by "Film Fortnightly".

It's just that success is also **.tide, and defeat is also **.tide.

Movie Fortnight has always been a doujinshi model, with many editors working part-time, and almost no contributors being paid. When the tide was rising, Xu Ke, Xu Anhua, Fang Yuping, Yan Hao, Zhang Yuming, Tan Jiaming, etc., who was not a screenwriter and a director, pulled investment everywhere, one pulled one accurate. After this enthusiasm, these people suddenly found that they couldn't find investors for filming, and they couldn't help but be dumbfounded.

No filming, it means no income, but no income always have to eat, these people see that "Film Times" is good, not to mention professional, and they pay the manuscript fee, so they all submitted to "Film Times". Now it's the turn of the editor of "Film Fortnightly" to be dumbfounded, these are all freelance contributors, and if they leave, there will be no source of manuscripts.

Chen Baisheng explained in a rambling manner, Zhang Shaoping finally understood the dilemma of "Film Fortnightly", and he asked directly: "Didn't you have a Hong Kong Film Award and are cooperating with Radio Television Hong Kong?" With such a big weapon in hand, can't you get a little advertising money? ”

Chan Pak-sang said: "RTHK's style is too bureaucratic, and movies are very artistic things, but their political officials have to be award guests, which is mixed with too many political considerations, and when we resist, we broke up." ”

Hearing this kind of Wenqing's statement, Zhang Shaoping almost scolded his mother, Nima's, no wonder this magazine has been tinkering for so long, and it has never been on the stage, the reason is here. How can it be big without the influence of politicians? If you don't become bigger, you won't have influence, and if you don't have influence, you can't get rid of the influence of politics. It's almost an unsolvable loop.

Shu Qi heard Zhang Shaoping's off-string sound, and hurriedly interjected: "Listening to Zhang Sheng's tone, is he interested in the Academy Awards?" ”

"Hehehe, the creation of the Hong Kong Film Awards is very necessary, I think if it is bigger, it should become another important award for our Chinese films after the Golden Horse Awards."

"That's great! Mr. Zhang is interesting, why not join us in organizing the Hong Kong Film Awards? Shu Qi took the opportunity to say what she meant.

Zhang Shaoping said with a smile: "If the hosting rights are given to me, I would be very willing." ”

"The Hong Kong Film Awards was created by "Film Fortnightly", how can the hosting rights be handed over. We would never agree to that. Chen Baisheng flatly refused.

"Then I can't talk about it. Can't I spend manpower, material resources, and money to make it bigger, and in the end, the bamboo basket will be empty, and all the benefits will be given to you, right? ”

For this kind of unjust thing, Zhang Shaoping will never do it even if he has more money to burn it. And the most important thing is that the later Hong Kong Film Awards became more and more niche and localized, and in the end, they couldn't even find sponsorship for the money they organized, which is inseparable from the plot of Chen Baisheng's Hong Kong film movie. It may be said that many Hong Kong filmmakers want to retain the special surname of Hong Kong films, resist foreign infiltration and absorb the essence.

didn't get the right to host, for Zhang Shaoping, the Hong Kong Film Awards is a chicken rib, no matter how good he is, he will eventually return to the original point and be ruined. Rather than this, it is better to create film and television awards by yourself, not to mention that Zhang Shaoping has already made a plan in his heart, and the plan is almost done.

was rejected by Zhang Shaoping, Chen Baisheng was not annoyed, and Shu Qi smiled even more: "Of course, the hosting rights cannot be handed over, but Zhang Sheng, you can buy "Film Fortnightly". In this way, wouldn't the Hong Kong Film Awards be equivalent to Zhang Sheng's own child? ”

It turned out to be this idea, and Zhang Shaoping completely understood the calculations of these two. Hearing this proposal, Zhang Shaoping was a little moved, he could not only take the Academy Awards into his pocket, but also accept the talents of "Film Fortnightly" in his entirety.

Zhang Shaoping thought for a while and said: "This is a good proposal, but I already have the magazine "Film Times" under my umbrella, and if I handle it, I must revise it to avoid the homogenization of the two magazines." ”

"How?" Chen Baisheng asked the questions that everyone was concerned about.

Facing the attention of the three people, Zhang Shaoping said slowly: "How to change it, this can be discussed, but it is certain that it is necessary to ensure that the direction, style, and content of the two magazines must be very different and face different audiences." When you two go back, you can ask the others first, and then give me an answer, it's not too late. ”

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"I said two brothers, Zhang Sheng has a good relationship with Beibian, and if "Film Fortnightly" is acquired, it can go straight to China. Isn't it a good thing for you to be able to get rid of your baggage and continue to do what you love? Chen Guanzhong patted the shoulders of the two and said happily.

"You don't have a backache when you stand and talk, can we call the shots in "Movie Fortnightly"? It doesn't matter if it's a merger, but it's a big deal, and we have to discuss it before we can make a decision. Chen Baisheng glared at Chen Guanzhong angrily.

"You're just brainless, since you're willing to sell, what do you care about others?"

Chen Guanzhong was speechless, shook his head and walked away.

"Do you really want to sell?" Chen Baisheng is still reluctant, "No matter what he says, he is also a businessman, I am afraid that the magazine will be changed beyond recognition!" ”

Shu Qi glanced at Zhang Shaoping, who was chatting and laughing with Huo Zhenting, Liu Luanxiong and others, and sighed: "Is it okay not to sell?" I can also rely on filming and writing scripts to eat, what about you, you even quit your job in the City Hall, and you have no money, how can you live? ”

Chen Baisheng wanted to speak again and again, Shu Qi continued: "Besides, even if you find a part-time job, write scripts, write film reviews and other nonsense, but "Film Fortnightly" has no one to contribute, and it will soon end up on the street. It's better to take advantage of its influence to find a good buyer who knows the goods, not only to find a way out for you, but also to provide funds for the weekly magazine to continue. ”

Whenever "Film Fortnightly" encounters something difficult to solve, Chen Baisheng will make a phone call to Tang Shuxuan, and this time is no exception.

"Sister Tang."

"Is it Paisheng? What's up? A hearty female voice came from the other end of the phone.

"There's something I'm hesitant about and want you to give me some advice."

Listening to Chen Baisheng explain the matter in detail, Tang Shuxuan on the other end of the phone asked: "Baisheng, what was the original intention of our previous magazine?" ”

"Don't use kitsch as a means, but give the artistic surname of cinema to people who really love cinema."

"This is only superficial, the real purpose of the magazine is to cultivate and influence more local films and filmmakers. When filmmakers grow up, Hong Kong's films will naturally be appreciated by both the elegant and the vulgar, and a hundred flowers will bloom and compete with each other.

It doesn't matter what the magazine does, the key is that the platform is still there, and the spirit has not changed, so that's fine. ”

Hanging up the phone, Chen Baisheng kept smoking cigarettes, one after another.

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On February 22, Chen Baisheng, Shu Qi, Luo Weiming and other stalwarts of "Film Fortnightly" jointly approached Dingsheng Culture Company, and finally packaged and sold the magazine and the Hong Kong Film Awards to Zhang Shaoping.