Chapter 179： Core Business

? With an uneasy heart, Robert once again set foot on the land of the UAE, but this time it is not Abu Dhabi, but another city with rich people-Dubai!

The Middle East is an area not covered by the former Polaroid Films distribution department. The Embassy Pictures wants to establish distribution channels here, and Arab countries cannot avoid it in any case.

The film industry is a small industry in Arabia, but it has a cumulative annual output value of more than one billion US dollars. No distribution company can easily give up.

After the staff recruited by Embassy Pictures arrived, they immediately rushed to the Middle East to establish the Embassy Pictures Middle East branch.

However, it is not easy to open up a market with no possessions. For example, the branch office cannot cover every country in the Middle East, and there must be a most suitable fixed location.

This matter eventually passed to Robert Lee and Danny Donald.

Robert Lee chose the UAE.

He did a lot of preliminary work with Danny Donald and found that one of the biggest audiences of Hollywood movies in Arab countries is Saudis. But sadly, Saudi Arabia bans public screening of movies. Saudis want to watch movies. They can only choose Enter the UAE to watch.

For the overall wealthy Saudi Arabia, this expenditure can only be regarded as a drizzle.

The UAE is the country with the most relaxed policy on the film industry in the entire Arab world, and there are also a large number of movie fans who like to watch movies in theaters.

Coupled with the Saudis, the UAE is truly the number one film market in the Arab world.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi are not an emirate, and there is a very large distribution company that can distribute movies throughout the UAE, even to Bahrain and Qatar.

Through the window, looking at the Burj Al Arab Hotel not far away, which has just opened, Danny Donald said: "This is an unfamiliar market. The Embassy Pictures come here and belong to the pioneers. We should avoid radical approaches and adopt a steady and steady approach. Strategy."

Anthony is the director of the Middle East Region of Embassy Pictures. Not only is he proficient in Arabic, he also has a quarter of Arab ancestry. The Arabs feel offended and we will have a lot of trouble."

Robert leaned back in his chair and said, "I agree with you."

Danny Donald added: "Film Company is currently the largest film distributor in the Arab world, and it also has the largest cinema company in the UAE. As long as we can sign an agency distribution contract with them, Embassy Pictures can initially establish itself in the Arab world. The world’s cinema distribution business."

He added: “At present, among the six major Hollywood companies, except for Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros., other companies also use agency distribution methods. It is temporarily impossible for us to extract a large number of manpower and funds for the Arab market. It’s a very good choice."

Robert asked, "How much is their agency commission?"

Anthony replied: "Film company integrates cinema and distribution. For example, in the UAE market, we can probably take about 30% of the box office amount."

"Sure." Robert nodded.

Danny Donald said: "This is pretty good. In some markets, we can only get a quarter or even a tenth. Even if it is the Western European market that can be directly issued by theater companies, we can get the box office share. Only one-third of the total box office."

Robert said: "Let's talk about cinema distribution first, and then talk about offline distribution."

"You and Anthony go to the film company to discuss cooperation." Danny Donald made a suggestion: "I will investigate offline business and try to find potential partners as soon as possible."

Robert glanced at Anthony, saw that he had no objection, and said, "Okay, it's so decided."

After two days of preparation, Robert and Anthony made an appointment with Zahad, the head of the film company.

"Embassy Pictures is a subsidiary of Relativity Entertainment, and we have a good cooperative relationship with the UAE."

This time it was not the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, but a company affiliated to the Dubai Consortium. Robert did his best: "Since 1998, we have cooperated with your country’s Abu Dhabi for three consecutive films. Is our best friend..."

Compared with ordinary Western film companies, Zahad has a more favorable opinion of Relativity Entertainment. Although they belong to two emirates, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are ultimately one country, and the relationship between the two parties is also considered close. Abu Dhabi consortium and Hollywood cooperation.

That Shahai Entertainment is a subsidiary of Relativity Entertainment.

"Have you been to Abu Dhabi?" Zahad asked.

Robert smiled and said: "I have been there. I have also interviewed His Excellency Mansour from the Investment Bureau."

He believed that he was not wrong. Although the interviewer was Ronan, he was also a member of the team.

"Do you know Mansour?" Zahad said, "My company has also cooperated with him. The "Human Removal Project" was issued by Abu Dhabi Investment Authority to Film Company."

Robert smiled more brilliantly: "The Mankind Elimination Project is the first film we have collaborated with in Abu Dhabi."

The two sides had an indirect cooperation, and there were people they knew in common. Robert was also not limited to one pattern. He was influenced by Ronan, and he had no prejudice against the Arabs. The cooperation was considered smooth.

Later, Anthony, an American with Arab descent, also joined in.

After five negotiations for a week, the two sides finally finalized the cooperation. The film company is responsible for the online distribution of films launched by Embassy Pictures in the Arab world. Embassy Pictures can take 32% of the total box office revenue.

The signing of this agreement has made Embassy Pictures very satisfied.

The overseas distribution department of Embassy Pictures has also opened up in the previously blank Arab market.

Robert signed a theater distribution agreement, Danny Donald also contacted the UAE's largest television station and video tape production distributor, and disc technology has also flowed into this country.

In the next half month, Robert, Anthony and Danny Donald not only signed multiple offline distribution agreements, but even established a relationship with Al Jazeera, the most influential in the Middle East. In the future, as long as the film is suitable, enter The broadcast of Al Jazeera’s channels is not a problem at all.

The work in the Arab region of the Middle East market finally opened up. The rest of the work can be handed over to Anthony and his subordinates. Robert and Danny Donald rushed to Israel to prepare for the battle again.

A good friend of the Arabs instantly became a close friend of the Jews. Robert and Danny Donald didn’t mention the cooperation with Abu Dhabi, and talked about the excellence of the Jewish descendants for the development of Hollywood and the world of film art. contribution.

In order to establish overseas distribution channels, these are nothing at all.

Robert knows very well that they are engaged in the core business of Hollywood movies.

The core of Hollywood movies has long been transformed into distribution and promotion, which is expressed in English.

The term is not limited to media products, it is also called channels in other industries.

The overseas market is becoming more and more important to Hollywood, and even some high-investment films can no longer pay back by relying solely on the North American market.

There are also some movies that have hit the North American box office, but can be sold overseas, thereby achieving profitability.

Ronan has been staying in Los Angeles to dominate the overall situation, and at this stage when the entire Relativity Entertainment is still very fragile, he also needs to make major decisions himself.

The news that Robert and Danny Donald have settled the Middle East market is a major incentive for Ronan.

Although many difficulties have been encountered, overseas channels are improving day by day.

Embassy Pictures will soon have the ability to independently distribute films overseas.

As far as Ronan knows, Lionsgate has just put the establishment of overseas distribution channels on its agenda and set up a ten-year overseas distribution establishment and expansion plan.

Among them, the manpower and material resources were far more than the embassy film won the distribution department of Polaroid Film.

Embassy Pictures is also recruiting, and more suitable candidates will be dispatched to all over the world to be familiar with the film distribution business.

In addition, Embassy Pictures, which does not need to directly distribute films in theaters, has launched three small productions bought from overseas, all of which directly enter the offline market with discs and video tapes.

The three films cost a total of 260,000 U.S. dollars, and they paid back just over a month after they went public.

During this period, Ronan also hired professional companies to conduct detailed market surveys. From the data obtained, it is not difficult to analyze that the majority of people in the United States with more than 35 people go to theaters to watch movies in a small proportion, accounting for less than 100 Twenty points.

These people don't like watching movies? of course not.

Compared with theaters full of teenagers, these older groups prefer to watch video tapes or DVDs at home.

Limited by equipment and movie types, they seldom choose visual effects movies. Drama movies are often the first choice. Even some of them like niche movies.

For example, B-level movies such as the mill movie or horror plasma movies.

This has also led to some movies that are not even available at the box office of $10,000 in theaters ~ www.novelhall.com ~ can earn millions of dollars in the offline rental market.

For example, some Hong Kong-produced action movies have a group of hard-core audiences across the United States, and the main communication channel is the offline rental market. Quentin Tarantino can be regarded as a representative figure in this group.

There are also Hollywood films that cannot be shown in theaters, but they can make a lot of money in the rental market.

Ronan had a film "This Man Comes From Earth" in his previous life, which had never been screened in North America. However, it was rumored on the Internet that it had a box office of more than 100 million US dollars. The people who were so good at the North American box office finally made jokes.

But one thing is that this film is a winner in the offline market in terms of cost.

Embassy Pictures’ strategy of buying and distributing films will not change, and it earns millions of dollars a year.

After the Oscars in 2000, Ronan ushered in a team of local tycoons from Abu Dhabi, and these collaborators came to Los Angeles in person.