Chapter 328: Key film library

In the reception room of the Burbank Business Club, Ronan met Robert Iger, who had just returned to Los Angeles.

"Welcome back, Bob." Ronan shook hands with Robert Iger and asked specifically, "I'll be back this time, won't you leave?"

Robert Iger has reached an agreement with the Legal Department of Relativity Entertainment and initialed the relevant agreement. At this time, he looked particularly calm, with a consistent smile, and said: "I don't want to return to the island country."

Ronan asked Robert Iger for two cups of black tea and said, "I have been looking forward to you staying in Los Angeles." He turned to the topic: "Bob, do you have any other requests?"

Robert Iger was not polite, and said: "I need a car. I am not good at driving. I also need a driver. In addition, I have explained to the legal department that I work with Walt Disney. In the contract, there is a non-competition agreement. If I leave Disney and engage in the same industry, I need to pay Disney a penalty of up to US$2 million."

"You don't need to worry about this." Ronan was already prepared for this: "Relativity Entertainment will pay you a penalty."

If Robert Iger is a senior executive of Walt Disney, this number may be in the tens of millions. Fortunately, Robert Iger has not yet made his mark.

This is also the key factor in Relativity Entertainment that can impress Robert Iger.

The CEO of a medium-sized company is more attractive than the middle-level management of a large company.

More importantly, the current trend of Walt Disney's civil unrest has become more and more obvious, so that Robert Iger, who has been affected, cannot see the future.

Ronan asked concerned: "Did you submit your resignation report to Disney?"

Robert Iger replied: "I have already called Michael Eisner to explain that the formal resignation report will be submitted when I go to Disney headquarters tomorrow. It may take a while to go through the formalities."

Ronan still has this patience, and said: "I am waiting for you to join the Relativity Entertainment."

Robert Iger was obviously in a very good mood and said: "I am looking forward to starting a new career in Relativity Entertainment."

Ronan couldn't help laughing. The addition of Robert Iger could undoubtedly make up for the relatively weak part of Relativity Entertainment's management and operation.

The negotiating team of the Legal Department had previously negotiated various conditions for joining with Robert Iger in Tokyo. Relativity Entertainment paid Robert Iger the US$2 million liquidated damages for the non-competition agreement as one of the conditions.

Treatment is also an important factor that impressed Robert Iger.

Previously, Robert Iger’s annual salary at Walt Disney was $400,000. With various related incentives, the annual income before taxes could reach $600,000.

After Robert Iger jumped to Relativity Entertainment, his annual salary rose to 800,000 US dollars, other things such as performance rewards and so on.

In short, it's easy to double revenue than Walt Disney's time.

This employment contract will not involve anything else for the time being. The relevant rewards are all done in the form of money. Ronan also leaves enough room for the inevitable increase in the salary of Robert Iger as the company develops in the future.

Smiling Mickey Mouse's previous life began with the acquisition of Pixar Studios. He is indeed a first-class professional manager in Hollywood and even the United States, but that is the future.

It is impossible for Ronan to pay a remuneration that does not match his current worth because of Robert Iger's possible future ability.

For conditions such as equity option awards, let alone Ronan will not agree to it for the time being, even Robert Iger knows himself and never mentioned it during the negotiation.

The topic of the two gradually turned to relativity entertainment.

Robert Iger obviously has something to say, but unlike Michael Eisner, who promoted him, he is a moderate at work, and he pays great attention to the way he speaks and does things.

"Relativity Entertainment has developed very fast in the past two years and has established a complete production and distribution channel." Robert Iger first gave Ronan a hand: "In just a few years, a new entertainment company can be established. The company has grown like this. Ronan, there can be no one in Hollywood doing better than you."

Ronan is not stupid. He can hear something in Robert Iger's words and said with a smile: "Bob, we are old friends, so just speak up if you have anything."

Robert Iger smiled and said, "Ronan, have you thought about the next step in relativity entertainment?"

Ronan pondered for a moment, and said: "Integrate company resources and optimize internally." He said unceremoniously: "Of course you have to lead this part of work.

Robert Iger nodded and said: "This aspect can only be done after I enter the company and have a comprehensive understanding and mastery of the company."

As soon as I entered a company, I didn't even know the specific situation, so I started to make big moves, and my position was definitely unstable.

"You have such an idea, I'm relieved." Ronan can see that a person like Robert Iger who has climbed up from the bottom and has more than 20 years of practical work experience is compared to the so-called young genius. , More suitable for company management. He asked again: "Bob, have you considered the next step you said?"

Robert Iger said directly: "I think that with the company's current development speed, in the next year or two, we should consider expanding the film library."

Ronan said earnestly: "We thought of being together. However, Hollywood film rights are often not available for money."

"Every film company regards the film library as the most valuable asset, and will not consider transferring the copyright of the film library as a last resort." Robert Iger has worked at Walt Disney for so long, and he naturally understands the actual situation: "The film library is Ronan, you know the importance of entertainment companies better than I do. The company can rely on film library copyrights to expand in the surrounding industry channels. For example, Relativity Entertainment, which just acquired Netflix, is extremely dependent on film library copyrights."

Ronan told the truth: "I have been paying attention to the copyright of the film library for the past two years, but as early as the early and mid-nineties, the film library of a small and medium-sized company was divided by large companies."

Previously, there was an opportunity to get the film company's film library, but he voluntarily gave up. First, there were not many films in the Embassy Pictures film library, and the value was limited. Secondly, the funds in hand were too small.

Given the situation at that time, the distribution channel must be preferred.

"Relativistic Entertainment wants to continue to develop and expand. It is not enough to rely solely on new films." Robert Iger said very seriously: "Nowadays, the film industry, the proportion of box office revenue is getting lower and lower, and the surrounding industries are booming. The total annual box office in North America. However, tens of billions of dollars, the total scale of the film industry market exceeds 200 billion dollars a year, and the income of peripheral industries will directly determine the fate of the film company."

Ronan knew that Robert Iger was telling the truth.

Robert Iger continued: "The copyright of the film library will bring stable and huge income in terms of rental, DVD, TV broadcasting and emerging Internet income. It can rely on a large enough film library, and the company can also diversify its operations to avoid The risks inevitably brought by a single new film business."

He added: "Disney has been in poor conditions in recent years, but it can guarantee stable income every year. The copyright of the film library plays an extremely critical role. Without the diversification of the huge film library, Walt Disney is acquiring After ABC TV, it will be in trouble."

Ronan nodded, but suddenly said, "The copyright of Disney's more than 20 animated feature films is so jealous."

"That is Disney's biggest and final capital." Robert Iger smiled and shook his head: "Ronan, we don't have to play with the idea of ​​those animated films, unless Disney goes bankrupt."

Ronan's voice changed: "I heard that the conflict between Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner is getting more and more acute?"

Robert Iger understands: "This is a problem caused by the income distribution between Pixar Studios and Disney Pictures. Disney Pictures is the publisher of Pixar Studios. More than 60% of Pixar's animated feature films The income has all fallen into the hands of Disney. Of course, Pixar Studios is dissatisfied. Steve Jobs has consulted with Michael Eisner several times, but Michael Eisner has rejected them all."

This is a contradiction caused by the distribution of interests. Ronan is not surprised. Pixar Studios signed a long-term distribution contract with Disney Pictures in the past to give the distribution company a strong position in Hollywood and the film industry. Even if Steve Jobs, There is no good way in the short term.

Robert Iger suddenly realized something and immediately looked at Ronan, muttering to himself, as if his appetite was bigger than he thought.

This is a good thing, isn't it? He also thinks that the company in the future can have a larger scale, so there will be a bigger development platform.

Ronan didn't talk about the Pixar studio anymore, instead chatted with Michael Eisner.

After a few words, Robert Iger suddenly felt that he would soon become the CEO of an entertainment group company It seems necessary to learn from Michael Eisner’s lessons in future development.

There is no doubt that this old boss played a vital and irreplaceable role in the development of Disney from a studio into a media and entertainment group.

Walt Disney can have today, Michael Eisner is the number one hero.

But the glory belongs to the past, and now from the perspective of the bystander, Michael Eisner seems to be betraying his family.

The conflicts with the Weinstein brothers of Miramax are irreconcilable, and the traditional power of Disney led by Roy Disney is either you die or I die, and Steve Jobs, the helm of Pixar Studios, the key to the Disney animation business, is also there. Become an enemy...

This gives people a kind of mistake, Michael Eisner seems to be against the world.

Thinking of this, Robert Iger's heart to leave Walt Disney is more determined. Michael Eisner is worried about the future. He is the person promoted by Michael Eisner. Leaving now is the best choice.