The Best Entertainment Era

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'm coming back this time, won't I leave again?

Robert Iger has reached an agreement with the legal department of Relativity Entertainment and initialed the relevant agreement. At this time, he looked very calm, with a consistent smile, and said: I don't want to go back to the island country.

Ronan asked Robert Iger, asked for two cups of black tea, and said, I've been looking forward to your stay 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 matching car. I am not good at driving, and I need a driver. In addition, I have already explained to the people in the legal department that my 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 liquidated damages of up to 2 million US dollars.

You don't have to worry about this. Ronan was already prepared for this: Relativity Entertainment will pay you liquidated damages.

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

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

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

More importantly, the trend of civil strife in Walt Disney is becoming more and more obvious, making Robert Iger, who has been affected, unable to see the future.

Ronan asked concerned: Have you submitted your resignation report to Disney?

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

Ronan still had this bit of patience, and said, I'm waiting for you to join Relativity Entertainment.

Robert Iger was clearly in a good mood, saying: I'm looking forward to starting my new career at Relativity Entertainment.

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

The negotiating team of the legal department had already negotiated various conditions for joining with Robert Iger in Tokyo.

Relativity Entertainment paid Robert Iger the $2 million liquidated damages of the non-compete agreement is only one of the conditions.

Treatment is also an important factor to impress Robert Iger.

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

After Robert Iger switched to Relativity Entertainment, his annual salary rose to 800,000 US dollars, and other things such as performance incentives were calculated separately.

All in all, doubling your income from Walt Disney is easy.

This employment contract will not involve other things for the time being, and the relevant rewards are all done in the form of money. Ronan also left enough room for Robert Iger's salary that will inevitably increase as the company develops in the future.

In his previous life, the smiling Mickey Mouse was indeed a first-class professional manager in Hollywood and even in the United States since he acquired the Pixar studio, but that was in the future.

It is impossible for Ronan to pay Robert Iger a salary that does not match his current worth because of his ability to explode in the future.

Conditions such as stock option rewards, not to mention that Ronan will not agree to it for the time being, even Robert Iger is self-aware, and he did not mention it during the negotiations.

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 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 praised Ronan: In just a few years, a newly established entertainment The company has developed into what it is now. Ronan, there is no one in Hollywood who can do better than you.

Ronan was not stupid, he could hear the meaning of Robert Iger's words, and said with a smile: Bob, we are old friends, if you have something to say, just say it.

Robert Iger smiled and said, Ronan, have you thought about the next step of Relativity Entertainment?

Ronan pondered for a while, and said, Integrate company resources and conduct internal optimization. He said bluntly, Of course, this part of the work must be led by you.

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

Just entered a company, do not even understand the specific situation, start to make big moves, the position is definitely not secure.

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

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

Ronan said seriously: We thought of getting together. However, Hollywood film copyrights can't be bought with money in many cases.

Every film company regards the film library as the most valuable asset, and will not consider transferring the copyright of the film library unless it is a last resort. Robert Iger has worked for Walt Disney for so long, so he naturally understands the actual situation: The film library is important to The importance of an entertainment company, Ronan, you know better than me, the company can rely on the copyright of the film library to carry out multi-directional expansion in the surrounding industry channels, such as Netflix, which Relativity Entertainment just acquired, is extremely dependent on the copyright of the film library.

Ronan said honestly: 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-1990s, the film libraries of small and medium-sized companies were divided up by large companies.

There was an opportunity to get the film company's film library, but he gave it up voluntarily. Firstly, the embassy film company's film library did not have many films and their value was limited, and secondly, they had too little funds at the time.

Based on the situation at that time, the distribution channel must be given priority.

Relativity Entertainment wants to continue to develop and expand, and it is not enough to rely solely on new films. Robert Iger said very seriously: Nowadays, in the film industry, the proportion of box office revenue is getting lower and lower, and peripheral industries are booming. The total annual box office in North America However, the total size of the film industry market is more than 10 billion US dollars per year, and the income of peripheral industries will directly determine the fate of film companies.”

Ronan knew 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 revenue. It can rely on a sufficiently large film library, and the company can also conduct diversified operations to avoid The risks that a single new film business will inevitably bring.”

He also said: Disney has been in a bad situation in the past few years, but it can guarantee stable income every year. The copyright of the film library plays an extremely critical role. If there is no diversification brought by the huge film library, Walt Disney will be in the process of mergers and acquisitions. After ABC, it's going to be in trouble.

Ronan nodded, but suddenly said: The copyright of Disney's more than 20 animated feature films makes people jealous.

That's Disney's biggest and final capital. Robert Iger smiled and shook his head: Ronan, we don't have to think about those animated movies, unless Disney goes bankrupt.

Ronan changed his voice: I heard that the conflict between Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner is becoming more and more acute?

Robert Iger understands: This is due to the problem of revenue distribution between Pixar Studios and Disney Pictures. Disney Pictures is the distributor of Pixar Studios. Pixar Studios has more than 60% of each animated feature film. All the income fell into the hands of Disney, of course Pixar Studios was dissatisfied, Steve Jobs approached Michael Eisner several times to negotiate, but Michael Eisner sternly rejected them all.

This is a contradiction brought about by the distribution of benefits. Ronan is not surprised. Pixar Studios signed a long-term distribution contract with Disney Pictures back then, relying on the distribution company’s strong position in Hollywood and the film industry. Even Steve Jobs, in the There is no good solution 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.

That's a good thing, isn't it? He also thinks that future companies can have a larger scale, which will also have a larger development platform.

Ronan didn't talk about the Pixar studio anymore, but chatted with Michael Eisner for a while.

After a few words, Robert Iger suddenly had a feeling: he will soon be the executive president of an entertainment group company, and it seems necessary to learn from Michael Eisner's experience and lessons for future development.

There is no doubt that this old boss has played a crucial and even irreplaceable role in the process of Disney's development from a studio to a media and entertainment group.

Walt Disney can have what it is today, Michael Eisner is the number one contributor.

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

Irreconcilable conflicts with the Weinstein brothers of Miramax, with the traditional forces of Disney headed by Roy Disney are either you or me, and Steve Jobs, the helm of Pixar Studios, the key to Disney’s animation business, is also become an enemy...

This gives people a false impression that Michael Eisner seems to be against the whole world.

Thinking of this, Robert Iger is more determined to leave Walt Disney. Michael Eisner's future is worrying. He was promoted by Michael Eisner. It is the best choice to leave now.