Chapter 315： Long-term credit bank

The plane arrived in the island country smoothly. Ronan and his team got off the plane and walked out of the Tokyo International Airport.

This middle-aged man in his forties comes from Washington, DC. He was affiliated with Polygram Pictures before 1999. He has been in charge of its film business to Japan. He joined Embassy Pictures in Allen Albert and Danny Donald. Later, he also transferred to the Embassy Pictures and continued to serve as the head of the island branch.

Harmon has been in the island country for nearly ten years, and he can be regarded as a figure of the island country pass level. He also provided a list of the island country’s intended investment customers, and then made preliminary contacts.

But he can only play the role of an intermediary, and specific matters need to be discussed by the Cinéfondation.

When the group came to the Peninsula Hotel in Tokyo, Ronan did not make any adjustments and immediately asked Harmont to report on the island country's situation face to face. Although the two have been in close contact by phone, some things are more clear and convenient to talk about face to face.

In addition, Scott and other staff also need to understand first-hand information.

Everyone gathered in the conference room of the presidential suite where Ronan was staying. Harmont had two large piles of materials moved in, and Ronan asked Connie to help Harmont distribute it to everyone involved in the meeting.

This information about potential partners was collected in large quantities by the Embassy Pictures in the island country office and carefully compiled by Harmont.

As Ronan looked through the information, he said, "Harmont, you can introduce the specific situation first."

Harmon stood at the long conference table and said: “At the beginning, we had a list of five prospective clients. They were not only interested in investing in the United States, but also in the past ten years. It has been more than three times. But after more than three months of contact and screening, four of them want to invest in the financial or securities market, and only one really wants to invest in Hollywood."

Ronan nodded slightly. The island nation’s investment in North America is huge, even involving all civilian industries. Even the Chrysler Building was bought by the island nation. You can imagine the island nation’s interest in US investment.

But there are many industries in the United States, and Hollywood is just one option.

Harmon's introduction continues: "The island country's long-term credit bank is really interested in Hollywood film funds."

Having said that, he came to the back of the projector, turned on the projector, pointed at a company's picture and text introduction on the white screen with a laser pointer, and said: "This credit bank was established in 1952, and it inherited Quanye Bank and Hokkaido Takushoku Bank’s long-term credit business was established. The main sources of funds are deposits and interest-bearing financial bonds. In the early stage of its business, it mainly provided long-term loans to industries such as electric power, machinery, steel, and chemical. Since the decade of the decade, the investment business has entered a stage of rapid development. The scope of investment involves more than ten countries and regions around the world, including finance, securities, insurance, funds and many other aspects."

After reading the projected text, Scott asked, "How strong is this organization?"

If you can only invest a few million dollars, it would be too disappointing.

Harmont replied: "With hundreds of millions of dollars in investment, they have more than ten loans each year, and even more interest-bearing loans.

Sco was distinguished. Potential partners have quite good financial strength. He then asked: "Have they worked with American foundations?"

"Not only did we cooperate with American foundations, but also had direct contact with Hollywood." Harmont explained in detail: "The Long-term Credit Bank invested in the Yinping Film and Television Special Investment Fund launched in 1983 and provided 82 million yuan for the second phase of the fund. U.S. dollar investment, the second phase of the Silver Screen Foundation was mainly to raise funds for Disney Pictures."

He added: "In 1987, the Silver Screen Foundation launched the third phase of the special film investment fund. The investment object is still Disney. The Long-term Credit Bank raised US$93 million to participate in the third phase of fund investment."

Scott then said: "Since we have invested in Hollywood, we have a certain basis for cooperation, and we will talk a little easier."

Harmont looked serious and explained: "In these two investments, the Long-term Credit Bank did not achieve the expected return. In the past, Yinping invested in Disney, and Disney adopted the method that the investors directly shared the income from the movie profits. These two investments just made a profit."

Scott looked at Ronan. Ronan understood what he meant, and simply said: "Hollywood has independent and systematic financial calculation rules. Within the scope of the rules, even if it is a big movie, the net profit is sometimes not high."

"This is a disadvantage." Scott made a key note in his notebook.

Harmon said at this time: "According to my observation, the long-term credit bank's investment intention is quite strong, but the previous cooperation with Hollywood was where they worried the most."

Ronan responded to this early, saying: "We will provide a more secure way to benefit."

While in Los Angeles, Ronan specifically studied the cooperation between the Long-term Credit Bank of the island country and the Yinping Special Film and Television Investment Fund that year.

Yinping's film and television special investment fund has launched four phases, and the Yinping Management Company is responsible for the management and operation. Bush Jr. was a member of the board of directors of the fund management company for ten years from 1983 to 1993.

This fund was originally prepared in 1982 by New York film investor Roland Bates to finance the HBO film project.

Started in 1983, the first phase was about 75 million U.S. dollars, mainly for movies broadcast on TV platforms.

Beginning in the second phase of 1985, under the fight of the then Disney chief Michael Eisner, Yinping began to raise funds for Disney. The second phase of the Yinping fund of US$195 million was invested in Disney's film projects. In 1987 The third phase of investment is still Disney, with an amount of up to 300 million US dollars.

These funds were mainly used to support Disney's film production at that time, especially investment in live-action films.

In the 1980s, the island country’s economy developed rapidly and seemed to be unprecedentedly prosperous. The land price of a place in Tokyo was known to be able to buy the entire United States. Hot money from the island countries raged all over the world.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hollywood was a treasure for island investors to fulfill their dreams, which is highly similar to the nature of the rapid influx of capital from indescribable countries into the United States.

Many fund providers and managers are like pilgrimages, hoping to learn from the Hollywood market experience through investment relationships.

Therefore, the low interest rates in the island country and the aura of Hollywood have made the hot money of the island country quickly penetrate into Hollywood, and the islanders have almost no requirement for return on investment in Disney movies, as long as they are allowed to invest.

However, the early operation of the Silver Screen Foundation was very "failed."

The first phase of Yinping was a not-so-good beginning. It lost 30%. In the fund’s management plan, the first phase of the fund’s investment in a batch of low- and medium-cost movies earned 50% of its income. The exclusive TV broadcast royalties will come from HBO, and another 40% of the return will be provided by a British company from overseas distribution, overseas TV and overseas home theater markets.

The rest comes from the domestic home theater market in the United States, which seems to be particularly "guaranteed" from the perspective of revenue channels.

But the failure of this period of fund is not because of the relationship of the recycling channel, but because the time required for release far exceeds the plan, and the rate of return has been severely affected.

Investors paid money in 1983, and the film covered was not released until the spring of 1986 until the last one was released. It took 1991 to recover all the proceeds, a total of eight years, which made the cost of using funds far exceed the return. .

The situation was better in the next three phases, but the return on investment was actually not high. This also caused the Yinping Foundation to switch to other industries after raising the four phases of film and television special funds.

Because the returns were not as good as expected, and the economic bubble burst in the late 1980s, the long-term credit bank of the island country did not reinvest in American movies or special funds related to Hollywood.

If you want people to spend money to invest, they will inevitably show the prospects for profit.

The islanders are not the local tyrants in the UAE where even movies cannot be produced. There is an extremely developed entertainment and cultural industry, as well as savvy businessmen and professional managers. The set that fools Abu Dhabi’s local tyrants can be used in the island country. Really make a joke.

Therefore, since Ronan had the idea of ​​this Oriental financing plan, he has never thought about playing tricks that are not on the table.

The plan he made depends on hard power and real capital to speak for everything, so that investors can see the possibility of stable returns.

Yinping’s method of sharing income based on movie profits is just a plan. Ronan felt that it might not be useful for islanders, especially long-term credit banks, so he prepared another set of stable income plans.

Like in the 1980s, for many island investors Many industries in the United States only need to invest, and money is not a problem.

But now is different from that time, the island people who were fanatical are more pragmatic.

After discussing the meeting for a while, Ronan asked at this time: "Harmont, you have been in contact with the island countries for a long time. Have they ever asked for it?"

"Not in this respect." Harmon thought carefully for a moment, and then said: "By the way, I heard one of their vice presidents in charge of investment business privately said that the success rate of Hollywood Class A movies is now higher. The influence is also greater."

Ronan smiled and said, "Category A movies, which are first-line productions." He tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair lightly. Many thoughts went through his mind and said, "Other Hollywood companies may not make it easy for future capital investment. First-line production, but we don’t have this problem."

Harmon looked at Ronan, Ronan said unhurriedly: "You go to the island country to arrange a meeting between the two sides."

When Harmont responded, the meeting proceeded and started discussing possible situations and response strategies based on the information.