01、
In 1980, three young people came to a fortune-telling stall called "Authority Kwong" with a nervous mood and asked about the future.
After receiving the money, "Authority Kwong" swept the three young people in front of him who were dressed in rags and somewhat different kinds, and then looked at the palms of his hands, and he wanted to have a birthday eight characters, and tossed the old half a day.
Suddenly his face darkened, he shot up, pointed at them and said, "You three have a partnership to open a company, I promise that within five years, you will..."
The three of them saw his serious expression and thought to themselves, "There is no doubt that they must have pounced on the street."
Unexpectedly, "Authoritative Kwong" cleared his throat and said, "I promise that within five years, I will definitely make ten million!" The three of them were startled, and touched their pockets, a thousand pieces were poured, and ten million people did not think about it. At that time, the mansions in Hong Kong were only 400,000 and 500,000 feet.
"Authority Kwong" saw that the three people looked sluggish, slapped the desk hard, and said loudly: "It's US dollars, I am talking about ten million US dollars!" ”
Unexpectedly, in just a few years, the words of this charlatan who opened his mouth to the river had become true.
These three stunned young men are the big bosses who will play a major role in the Hong Kong film industry in the future: Mak Ka, Shi Tian and Huang Baiming.
The three bosses of New Art City, Huang Baiming, Shi Tian, and Mai Jia
The small company that the three of them originally founded with only two employees was the new art city that Shaw and Jiahe could not "beat" in the future.
New Art City
02、
In the early 1980s, there were two giants in the Hong Kong film market, Shaw and Jiahe. The two companies not only have independent production factories, but also have their own film screening theaters.
From filming to release, the film is self-sufficient and never relies on others. Of course, it is absolutely impossible for others to want to get a piece of it.
Jiahe
So at that time, many theaters could only show Western films, and Western films did not make money at all.
At this time, Lei Juekun, the big boss who owns a number of theaters, decided to pull out the Golden Princess Theater Line to mainly sell medium films, and since he could not get the copyright, he would shoot it himself.
Filming at the expense of individuals is a seminal form of filmmaking in the history of Hong Kong cinema in the future: independent production.
Golden Princess
It was at this time that New Art City broke into the film industry.
At that time, there were many small companies for independent production, and after Boss Lei carefully selected, he selected a small company called "Struggle". It is not how good this company is, but after a few movies, it is not easy to do without losing money.
One of the leaders of the "Struggle" company was Mai Jia, who was not bald at that time, with long hair and shawls, and was very unrefined. Makga studied in the United States, majoring in electrical engineering.
However, during his stay in the United States, he hardly stayed in school, and ran to Chinatown all day to watch Hong Kong people shoot movies, scolding the "scum" while watching. After saving enough for a thousand dollars, he dropped out of school and returned to Hong Kong to enter the film industry.
Mai Jia, who returned from the United States, is third from the right, and Hong Jinbao is in the second from the right
The second boss is Shi Tian, who came from Shaw's Southern Training Class. After Shi Tian graduated from the training class, he has been groping in the film circle, but he has never been popular.
He looks weird and behaves funny, so there is no director to let him play the leading role, and he will always be a supporting role. In Jackie Chan's famous work "Snake-shaped Executioner", it is Shi Tian who plays Master Li.
First, right, Shi Tian
Another boss, named Huang Baiming, was originally the manager of a foreign firm, living a wealthy life, but he wanted to enter the film circle, but after coming in, he got an empty house.
Because the script he wrote for people, none of it was played. In one breath, Huang Baiming was changed to Huang Baiming, which means that although it cannot be a blockbuster, but out of a hundred times, it is enough to be able to sing once.
Huang Baiming
These three people are the three bosses of the "struggle" company, known as the boss, but in fact there are only three people in the company.
After being selected by Lei Juekun, the "Struggle" Company decided to join the Golden Princess, after all, with the support of this big gold lord, the film dreams of several people will not be buried.
In this way, the company officially changed its name to "New Art City Film Co., Ltd." In the company, Lei bosses own 51% of the shares, Mai Jia accounts for 21%, Shi Tian accounts for 19%, and Huang Baiming has 9%.
03、
New Art City's debut film is called "Funny Times".
Chaplin, a master of comedy at that time, had just died, and it was a gimmick to chase. More importantly, the cost of this kind of film is very low, and the main actor is no more than Shi Tian.
The Funny Times
The director used human affection to invite Wu Yusen, a good friend of several people at the time. Because Wu Yusen had already signed a contract with Jiahe, he came out to shoot the film without his real name, so he assumed the pseudonym Wu Shangfei to direct for them.
Released at Christmas, The Funny Age, a film that cost less than a million, grossed five million at the box office at the time. It gives everyone confidence, especially Boss Ray behind the scenes.
"Funny Times" soaked in the water of the stone sky
The success or failure of a debut film is undoubtedly decisive for independent production companies.
The risk of independent production is already high, and if the first film hits the street, everyone will be depressed. Millions of dollars are gone in an instant, and even rich bosses will hesitate.
But the movie is a business that spends money like flowing water, and makes money like a frenzy, one success and one failure, the effect is very different.
After the victory of the first battle, New Art City decided to increase production and recruit talents in the film circle, at which time Wu Yusen introduced Xu Ke to New Art City.
Xu Ke, Wu Yusen
When everyone heard Xu Ke's name, they were all shocked. At that time, Xu Ke was indeed "sensational" in the film circle, and the three works he shot were all applauded, and each movie was hugely overspended. Xu Ke is also known as the "box office poison".
Sure enough, Xu Ke's first film in New Art City was overspended, and everyone invited Wu Yusen to discuss whether to let him continue filming.
After watching the wool film, Wu Yusen assured everyone that this movie would definitely sell for money. If he doesn't sell it, he will personally shoot a film that sells for money.
In this way, Xu Ke's fame and fortune double harvest was released, and this film is "Evening Fragrance", which has ten Golden Horse Award nominations. In Hong Kong, it has an even louder name called "Ghost Horse Zhi Duo Xing".
"Ghost Horse Zhi Duo Star"
"Ghost Horse Wisdom Star" finally ended with a box office of more than 7 million, ranking fourth in the annual box office list.
In the same year, New Art City launched the movie "Chasing Girls" directed by Mai Jia and written by Huang Baiming.
At that time, Mai Jia was recognized as a master of chasing girls, and put the usual tricks and love words into the movie, which made the audience deeply resonate, and received nearly 10 million at the box office, becoming the runner-up of the annual box office. The film was renamed "Bubble Girl" in Taiwan and is still a big seller.
"Chasing Girls"
The next year, McGalia brought together his friend Zeng Zhiwei and Teddy Robin, who had just returned from the United States, plus Xu Ke and Shi Nansheng, and the seven of them were full of ambition and decided to start a bigger cost masterpiece: "Skinhead Detective".
"Skinhead Detective" was originally planned to be starred by Zhou Runfa, but because of the problem of schedule, Fa Ge actually quit acting and chose to make another movie.
Zhou Runfa was bent on developing in the film circle at that time, but the response to filming was mediocre, and it was not comparable to the fame of TV dramas.
I have to say that this has a lot to do with luck, and the "Skinhead Detective" that Fa Ge missed is Zeng Zhiwei's debut work "Best Partner" later.
"Best Partner"
Fa Ge's resignation did not make everyone retreat to choose other actors, but more high-profile use of Xu Guanjie, who was the most popular at the time.
This made the new art city at that time a bloody capital, because Xu Guanjie's film remuneration alone was as high as 2 million, and a mansion was only 400,000 or 500,000.
The hottest stars have come, other things do not dare to use times, there are many, the cost of "Best Partner" is as high as more than 7 million, making everyone sweat.
"Best Partner" Xu Guanjie, Mai Jia
However, it is also this "Best Partner" that makes New Art City overwhelm the crowd, selling more than 26 million at the box office, breaking the highest box office record in Hong Kong's history and winning the annual box office championship.
The box office runner-up in the same year was "Young Master Dragon" produced by Jiahe, although it sold more than 17 million, it was still thrown out of the box office by "Best Partner" by nearly 10 million.
Stills from "Young Master Dragon"
It is worth mentioning that the third runner-up of that year was still the "Difficult Brother" produced by New Art City and led by Mai Jia.
The top three of the year, two of which are from New Art City. Let the old enemies Shaw and Jiahe have to reconcile, just to fight against the new art city in the film.
04、
However, the glory of 82 years was only the beginning, and the films that won the box office in the following years came from this "struggle room" of only seven people.
The "Struggle Room" is the place where the members of the New Art City meet, and it was originally Mai Jia's study, a small room of less than a hundred feet.
Every day at twelve o'clock, seven people meet on time to discuss the script. Twelve o'clock here refers to twelve o'clock in the evening, open until seven o'clock in the morning, and then go home to sleep. The next day at 7 p.m., I came to the company on time.
It is in this case of inverting the biological clock that masterpieces gush out from the "Struggle Room", beating Shaw and Jiahe without any temper, and these seven people are also called "The Seven Monsters of New Art City" in the film industry.
"Seven Monsters of New Art City"
At its peak, New Art City was extremely harsh on the selection of employees, and there were also many times when they looked away and walked treasures.
When Xingye first entered the new art city, he didn't even have the opportunity to interview. At that time, Xingye was still a star boy of the four-three-zero shuttle, and he found the female production manager of the new art city and bluntly said that he wanted to act.
The female producer threw him a form, coldly said "fill in the form first", after filling out, the producer asked him to go back and wait for the news, naturally did not wait for any news.
Zhou Xingchi in the four-three-zero shuttle
At that time, the actors who came to new art city to fill out the form could line up half a street, and who would be willing to pay attention to a children's program host.
In 1992, after Xingye and Huang Baiming cooperated in "Happy Things at Home", Xingye suddenly took a whim and told Huang Baiming about this experience, which made Huang Baiming embarrassed and bluntly said "take the treasure, take the treasure".
"Happy Things at Home" Huang Baiming and Zhou Xingchi
Another person who made New Art City look away was Wong Kar Wai.
Wong Kar-wai was originally a screenwriter at New Art City, introduced by Tsang Chi Wai, and paid a monthly salary, that is, a monthly salary as a screenwriter.
At that time, the salary checks of each employee of New Art City were personally signed by Huang Baiming, and for several months Huang Baiming found that there was a person named Wong Kar-wai on the check, but he did not know who he was.
I called the assistant to ask and learned that he was a screenwriter with a monthly salary, but he had not written a word so far.
Huang Baiming exclaimed, "After a few months of salary, I haven't written a script, and I haven't seen him come to work, so what is he doing!" Call this Wong Kar-wai to see me right away! ”
Wong Kar Wai at the time of New Art City
Wong Kar-wai came to Wong's office and said a lot, presumably meaning that he had to carefully analyze each bridge section and then write a great script.
Huang Baiming, who was so angry that he exploded, interrupted him halfway and said, "Brother, it is not the owner of the garment factory who is sitting in front of you and listening to you, I am also a screenwriter!" I've only been writing "Best Partner" for a week."
A passage of Huang Baiming's words made Wong Kar-wai stunned.
"Stop bragging, you'll have to hand in the script for two weeks!"
A month later, Wong Kar-wai finally handed in the script, as a director, Zheng Zeshi shouted "waste paper", and Wong Kar-wai was also fired by New Art City.
Unexpectedly, just a few years later, Wong Kar-wai's self-written and self-directed "Carmen of Mong Kok" turned out to be a success, which made Huang Baiming sigh with emotion.
Today, the loss of Wong Kar-wai is even more of a treasure. It is precisely because of the existence of Wong Kar-wai that Hong Kong films are not said to be "alive".
Ang Lee, Wong Kar Wai
Mai Jia, the big boss of New Art City, likes to compare making movies to fighting in the country, and since there are seven stars of juyi, naturally there will also be land cutting and sealing.
The first person to leave the "struggle room" was Zeng Zhiwei, but there are different theories, and some people say that it is Mai Jia. No matter who is the initiator, they have fully fulfilled the truth that the general trend of the world will be divided for a long time, and the principle that it will be united for a long time.
It is said that it was because Mai Jia made a play for Jiahe, the opponent of the new art city, which made everyone panic. The bosses all went out to take private work, and people's hearts suddenly dispersed.
Huang Baiming, Mai Jia, Shi Tian
So Zeng Zhiwei chose to quit, Xu Ke and Shi Nansheng founded their own film studio, the investor behind it is still Boss Lei, but it does not belong to new art city.
Soon Teddy Robin defected to Zeng Zhiwei. A few years later, Huang Baiming, who had been struggling for several years in New Art City, also quit the establishment of "Yonggao".
The vigorous new art city has finally come to an end.