NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Kariya: Why is it me again?
Selling his own uncle to a wealthy woman was just a thought for Shinji.
Regardless of success or failure, even if it did succeed, it wasn't certain that it would harm the company's interests.
"Director Matou."
After the long wait, Nao finally spoke.
"My colleagues and I are very interested in your FSN. We have the intention to bring this movie to the market."
She opened her notebook, held a pen in her right hand, and propped her chin with the other hand, her face wearing a formulaic smile.
Hearing her words, even Shinji couldn't help but feel a twinge of joy.
After years of preparation and months of hard work filming, he finally saw a glimmer of victory.
With a smile on his face, Shinji nodded at Nao.
"Thank you, Udagawa-san! It's my honor."
Nao was satisfied with Shinji's attitude, and she continued, "I value this collaboration with Type-Moon Film Company, but we still need to discuss the specifics."
"No problem, we have plenty of time to discuss."
Eager to finalize the collaboration successfully, Kariya interjected.
Seeing his uncle speaking out of turn, Shinji discreetly kicked him.
Confused, Kariya turned his head, only to meet his nephew's disapproving gaze.
After admonishing his not-so-subtle uncle, Shinji re-engaged in the negotiation.
"Specifics?" Shinji crossed his arms over his chest. "Isn't your company becoming the distributor for FSN?"
"Bandai will indeed distribute Fate," Nao replied, lightly tapping the pen in her right hand. Her slightly emphasized tone indicated that she held the upper hand in this negotiation.
"However, the way we will distribute FSN is by owning all the copyrights to this movie."
"You want to buy the movie outright?"
Shinji furrowed his brow slightly, his expression showing a hint of displeasure.
Seeing Shinji's displeased look, Kariya fell into confusion. Isn't it common for an independent film to be bought by a distribution company? However, recalling the earlier kick, Kariya could only keep his mouth shut.
The elderly gentleman from the family had called beforehand to notify Kariya that this negotiation would be led by Shinji. Kariya could only act as Shinji's assistant, even if the negotiation failed in the end; he couldn't overstep his authority.
Unlike Kariya's visible frustration, Nao's expression remained unchanged. She made a welcoming gesture and said, "Director Matou, if you have any ideas, feel free to propose them. As long as they are reasonable and beneficial to both sides, we can consider them."
Nao's words sounded noble, as if she was genuinely concerned for Shinji's interests.
It was as if a leader was telling their subordinate, "Feel free to make any requests," a statement that was often met with skepticism.
But who was Shinji?
As someone who could hold his own against the ancient mages of the Clock Tower, Shinji wasn't one to mince words.
"I hope that Type-Moon Film Company can sign a distribution contract with Bandai..."
"Director Matou, are you hoping for a revenue-sharing collaboration model?"
As Shinji was still considering his words, Nao took over his sentence.
"Shin–"
This time, Shinji was quick to react and stomped on Kariya's foot, preventing him from speaking. After giving his somewhat talkative uncle a physical reminder, Shinji smiled and nodded slightly.
"Of course, a revenue-sharing model."
"That's impossible," Nao immediately shook her head without hesitation. "Buying the rights outright is the premise of our collaboration."
She spoke resolutely, showing no intention of compromise.
"400 million yen, that's Bandai's offer."
Nao raised four fingers, making a direct announcement.
The offer wasn't exactly generous, but it wasn't unreasonable either. After all, tokusatsu film box office revenue usually ranged from 1 to 2 billion yen.
However, Nao was leaving room for negotiation. If Shinji insisted, she wouldn't mind raising the price.
But Shinji looked puzzled and asked, "Udagawa-san, if I understand correctly, are you planning to buy all the rights to FSN in one go?"
"Of course, that's the premise for all independent films distributed by Bandai. Is there a problem?"
Nao leaned forward, adopting an imposing posture.
Shinji didn't even raise an eyebrow. Compared to the time he had held the Clock Tower Director with a mercury-filled Mystic Code at his throat, this was nothing.
"Cough, cough. There's something you might not be aware of, Udagawa-san."
Shinji cleared his throat twice, pretending to be innocent. "First of all, I need to clarify. The film rights for FSN are not entirely in my hands. The overseas rights are held by another company."
"Overseas?"
Nao asked in confusion.
Shinji spread his hands naturally. "Yes, today we're discussing only the distribution rights for Japan. The distribution rights for Europe and America are handled by our company's staff in those regions."
"Is there even a market for tokusatsu films in Europe and America?"
Nao seemed startled by Shinji's words.
Tokusatsu was a niche within a niche in Europe and America, not even qualifying for theatrical release and being confined to the home video market.
"How could there be?! Udagawa-san, this isn't a tokusatsu film, it's a special effects film!"
Shinji shook his head repeatedly, explaining with exaggerated enthusiasm.
To be honest, the definition and boundary between tokusatsu and special effects were quite blurry, especially with the development of computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology in the future. The difference between tokusatsu works and special effects might eventually only come down to costume design.
Shinji's deliberate emphasis on distinguishing the two was mainly for expanding concepts and widening the audience, making it easier for him to persuade others.
Everyone understood that packaging something upscale would always sell much better than common items and be much pricier too.
"FSN uses cutting-edge film production technology, with significant support from my partners in Europe and America. They've invested a substantial amount of money for this film, which is also why the copyright ownership is divided among the companies."
Shinji's statement was half true and half fabricated. The magus from the Clock Tower indeed invested a fair amount of money, but apart from establishing a shell company for the film, most of the funds were used for acquiring relics.
"Udagawa-san," Shinji continued his persuasion, "special effects films are a completely new type of film category. Their main target audience is young people aged 13 to 25, precisely the demographic that makes up the bulk of moviegoers."
"This is a film category that has never appeared before, and your words have no basis," Nao said coldly. She didn't really believe Shinji's words.
Shinji innocently smiled, "Well, once we've signed the contract, Bandai can arrange specialized screenings, and the audience's reactions will give the most accurate feedback."
"Let's discuss that after we've signed the formal contract. If we're only dealing with the rights in Japan, a revenue-sharing agreement is even less possible. Given your storytelling skills, Mr. Matou, I'm willing to raise the purchase price to 500 million yen."
Nao brought the topic back to focus.
"That's not possible," Shinji frowned. "My collaborators wouldn't agree to that."
Nao looked at Shinji with some amusement, shaking her head inwardly. This young director's ideas were quite naive.
"Director Matou."
Nao decided to shatter Shinji's childish fantasies.
"The revenue-sharing scheme you're proposing is not something any distribution company in Japan would accept. We'll only agree to a buyout scheme, including all rights in Japan."
Nao didn't give Shinji time to negotiate; instead, she quickly added, "For Bandai to release the film in theaters, it requires pre-release marketing and copies for various cinemas. All of these are costs for Bandai!"
"Director Matou, what guarantee do you have that our company will definitely recover its investment? Do you have any successful cases in your past?"
Nao stared at Shinji, enunciating each word, "If all the marketing expenses are borne by Type-Moon Films, then we can agree to a revenue-sharing agreement."
"Are you kidding me?"
Shinji fought the urge to roll his eyes.
Let his production company cover the marketing expenses?
In the end, when the profits were settled, Type-Moon might not receive a single yen.
The marketing expenses for any major theatrical release film were substantial and complex. Distributors wouldn't hesitate to manipulate them for their own benefit.
But what Nao said wasn't unreasonable either. Shinji's lack of past successful experience was his biggest weakness. If the other party stubbornly held their position, Shinji wouldn't have many options, because that was the reality.
'Indeed, this woman who can become a company president isn't easy to deal with. In that case, I'll have to try a different approach.'
Fortunately, the negotiation was with Bandai, which gave Shinji a card to play.
"Udagawa-san, while I can't sell you the full film rights, I can make you the global merchandise agent for FSN."
"Global?"
"Yes, global."
A cunning smile played on Shinji's lips.
"Forgive my bluntness, even if you were to give us global merchandise rights, it wouldn't be very meaningful to Bandai. While Bandai is Asia's leading toy manufacturer, we don't have many sales channels in Europe and America. Isn't Director Matou just toying with me?"
"What if I could facilitate communication between you and agents in Europe and America?"
This time, Shinji leaned forward, exerting pressure.
"I've mentioned it before; I have strong partners in Europe and America. They are fully capable of selling your products. For instance, in North America, the company Type-Moon is projected to cooperate with is the Time Group."
Nao's stance visibly wavered. She looked at Shinji and then at Kariya, clearly not daring to believe.
The Time Group was a powerful media conglomerate in North America, several levels larger than Bandai.
"You can cooperate with the Time Group?"
"While it's not confirmed, it's highly likely," Shinji sincerely said, "The Matou family and the Time Group's major shareholder, the Flora family, have been close friends for generations."
At this point, Shinji let out a sigh.
The Time Group in this world was quite different from the Time Group of Shinji's past life. It was established by a group of magus families who had migrated to the New World, initially aiming to use media manipulation to conceal magecraft and mystery. However, as time went on, the Time Group expanded and became one of the most significant enterprises in North America.
Interestingly, due to Hollywood's diminishing influence, the Time Group didn't acquire Warner Bros. and the name didn't change to the WarnerMedia.
However, this didn't mean that the Time Group wasn't interested in the film industry.
Moreover, the Matou family indeed had a good relationship with the Flora family. When Shinji was in North America, he received a lot of help from them.
So, what Shinji said wasn't a lie.
But what he omitted was a critical piece of information – during his time in North America, he had a certain involvement with the daughter of the Flora family. This was one of the reasons Shinji had returned to the Clock Tower in the final year of his stay abroad. It was also why he avoided discussing the Time Group's partnership with Type-Moon.
Therefore, Shinji couldn't possibly secure the Time Group as a partner in North America; it was purely a bluff.
Anyway, very few people knew about that incident, and Shinji wasn't afraid of Bandai investigating.
Nao looked somewhat helplessly at the young director before her. It seemed like there was a fox tail swaying behind him.
'Why did I have the initial feeling that this kid was a good talker?'
A twitch appeared at the corner of Nao's mouth.
Throughout the negotiation, she had thought that Kariya, who she initially considered the main obstacle, hadn't spoken a word. Instead, it was Shinji, whom she thought would be easy to handle, who kept diverting the conversation.
It had to be said that Shinji's conditions were quite tempting and directly aimed at Bandai's weaknesses.
Bandai was eager to expand into Europe and America, but for various reasons, they hadn't succeeded yet. A reliable and powerful partner was crucial.
The conditions Shinji proposed were essential for Bandai; they were practically a godsend. Didn't she notice those people beside her practically salivating?
However, as tempting as Shinji's bait was, Nao couldn't make a decision. Shinji's conditions far exceeded her authority.
Seeing the negotiation stalling here, Shinji had no choice but to kick his uncle again.
"Ah– What's going on?"
Innocent Kariya looked at Shinji with innocent eyes.
'Why is it me again?!'
Kariya internally cried out in confusion.
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