After the recording of "Dialogue", Zhang Junsheng went directly to North America...

For him, this recording was a farewell.

...

Los Angeles, sunny.

In the cafe of Four Seasons Hotel, Zhang Junsheng and Jeffrey Carsonberg were sitting opposite each other and talking.

Jeffrey Carsonberg is looking for a buyer.

DreamWorks Animation is almost unable to hold on!

But in order to survive in the past 20 years, what DreamWorks Animation has done is to keep making movies and selling movies.

DreamWorks Animation has been fighting alone, it is a content maker, and its revenue comes mostly from the movie box office itself.

This is also its biggest weakness.

No big group is providing blood behind the scenes.

The animation production cycle itself is long and the cost is high, and DreamWorks animation will rely too much on the success or failure of a movie.

Last year's two works, "The Guardian League" and "The Super Bad Guys" have both become burdens that have dragged down DreamWorks animation's performance.

Even "The Speed ​​Snail" and "The Penguin in Madagascar" including "The Crazy Primitive Man" which was sold in China, failed to make a direct profit at the global box office!

Unlike the lighting entertainment that owns "Minius", each work in DreamWorks Animation is very expensive, and even "Guardian League" costs as much as 140 million...

It’s not that Katzenberg doesn’t want to follow the example of Lighting Entertainment—the most surprising thing about Lighting Entertainment is their strict control over the cost of production…

However, Lighting Entertainment is a low-cost achieved through overseas OEM. The entire Lighting Entertainment has less than 800 employees. These people are responsible for providing creativity, writing scripts and reviewing the daily work of overseas companies...

DreamWorks Animation is not good. In Katzenberg's view, DreamWorks' greatest wealth is 2,500 employees!

Overseas OEM, what should these people do?

Exited?

Although Hollywood judges success or failure by box office, the box office power is minimal in the comparison of strength between companies. The businesses that really make money are theme parks, household audio and video products and movie derivatives.

Of course, now add the streaming service!

The appearance of burning after reading this not only made a lot of TV stations feel bad, but it often cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce a TV series, and it was released at once. The most important thing is that it changed the traditional window system!

In the past, many film and television dramas could get more income through the window period, but after the viewing appeared, this rule was changed directly.

A bunch of movies have just ended the theater screening, and they were directly viewed and immediately burned to the Internet...

Hollywood window revenue: From the initial theater release to the subsequent release of home entertainment products (6 months later) (including DVDs, Blu-ray discs, etc.) to paid on-demand broadcasts on various platforms (6-8 months), to pay TV (1 year later) and cable TV stations (1-2 years later), and finally to long-term online monthly video on-demand service, Hollywood has formed a strict window mechanism.

This mechanism can encourage viewers who are unwilling to wait for a long time to enter the cinema during the screening period, and at the same time, it also ensures long-term income outside the box office of the movie, that is, window period income.

However, after the appearance of the movie and TV series appeared, many film and television dramas had a "zero window period" of online and offline simultaneous broadcast...

The younger generation of consumers grew up in the Internet era of instant consumption. They have become accustomed to watching video content on streaming media platforms anytime and anywhere through various terminals.

More importantly, they are no longer used to waiting for a movie for months, but rather want to see it immediately through payment.

The shortening of the window period also makes DreamWorks animated...

Because streaming media buys copyright, the basis is the box office results. If the box office is high, it will definitely be sold at a high price and a low box office. I'm sorry...

Of course, the method of burning after reading touched many people's cheese, and was publicly protested by 32 influential Hollywood filmmakers and managers including James Cameron, Peter Jackson!

They said, ‘Shortening the window period can lead to revenue growth for a while, but in the long run it will damage the entire theater projection industry.’

They believe that the large-scale publicity, magazine covers, TV interviews and celebrity worship industry culture that accompanies cinema screening platforms are still the basis of this industry and the prerequisite for the prosperity of the global film market...

It is obvious that the shortening of the window period has made these big men who can participate in offline income sharing dissatisfied...

This thing is more acceptable to the mainland than North America - because we have no window period at all, and we will directly enter the video website after the theater screening...

...

"Jeffrey, I have two choices. First, Pinfeng M&A DreamWorks, Lighting Entertainment settled in DreamWorks animation; Second, DreamWorks cooperated with Yuehua to establish a new label, with the location in China..."

"China? What should I do with the employees of DreamWorks?"

"If you are willing to go to China to develop, you will stay. If you are unwilling, you will continue to stay in the United States. However, North American business has been temporarily suspended..."

“Abort?”

“Yes, I can provide them with new work, like the theme park being built…”

Jeffrey Carsonberg: "They are all very experienced animation workers!"

“…or I can open a new area after reading, which will specifically play animation videos and high-end short videos…”

Jeffrey Carsonberg was curious: "A new section?"

Zhang Junsheng nodded: "Yes, unlike burning after reading, this time we only do animation videos and high-end short videos. Mobile video consumption is undoubtedly the current growth point... Short videos will become a new consumption trend. There are so many short stories in the world that have not been adapted into movies yet..."

“…How much are you willing to offer?”

"A premium of 20%..."

Jeffrey Carsonberg shook his head: "Comcast Group is willing to give a premium of 50%..."

Zhang Junsheng smiled: "...I am the major shareholder of DreamWorks Animation. As long as I don't agree, Comcast's premium of 200% is useless!"

Jeffrey Carsonberg frowned: "You...what do you mean?"

"Jeffrey, you have to understand that not everyone is like you, treating anime as a dream, and most people just want to make money..."

Before communicating with Jeffrey Carsonberg, Zhang Junsheng had privately purchased 25% of DreamWorks shares, plus 30% of the previous ones, and he was already the largest shareholder!

However, the hero is still a hero. Jeffrey has been rooted in Hollywood for more than 30 years, and his connections are top-notch. He is also a friend of many Democratic bosses. Ao Guanhai has a good personal relationship with him, and Zhang Junsheng doesn't want to beat him to death directly. If possible, I still hope he can stay...

You don’t need to take a real position, you can also be a named consultant!

"So, you've completed the acquisition?"

"…You don't agree, it's useless even if I complete the acquisition!"

As early as five years ago, Zhang Junsheng thought about investing in DreamWorks Animation and then binding Kasenberg. Unfortunately, there was not enough money at that time...

Now that the money is enough, I am a little disliked by Katsonberg...

The peak and the development after reading are all very good. As it turns out, as long as you stand in the forefront, any professional manager can complete the task beautifully!

Jeffrey Carsonberg thought for a while and replied: "…Give me a week!"

...

After three months of pulling battle, Tingfeng Entertainment officially completed the acquisition of DreamWorks Animation for US$3.8 billion.

From then on, DreamWorks will be on par with the three major brands of Tingfeng Film, Lionsgate Film and Lighting Entertainment.

After Monday, DreamWorks will officially delist from Nasdaq, ending its eight-year history of being an independent company.
Chapter completed!