Wang Changtian, chairman of Beijing Enlight Media Co., Ltd. Visual China data map
The film and television giant Enlight Media tried to combine AI (artificial intelligence) technology with content creation, and was the first to apply ChatGPT and Wenxin Yiyan.
On March 19, Wang Changtian, chairman of Beijing Enlight Media Co., Ltd. (300251.SZ, hereinafter referred to as Enlight Media), issued an internal letter stating that Enlight Media’s overseas animation production team is already exploring the application of ChatGPT in business, and there will be more in the future as needed. It is possible to strengthen overseas teams to connect with overseas leading software. In China, Enlight Media also participated in Baidu’s “Wen Xin Yi Yan” test, and tried to participate in the development and application of AI in the field of film and television segmentation.
“The progress of ChatGPT this year has made me more convinced that the combination of AI technology and content creation is about to enter a substantive stage and will bring major changes to the film and television industry.” Wang Changtian said in the letter.
On March 20, the film and television sector fluctuated higher in early trading, and Enlight Media closed at 8.9 yuan, an increase of 18.04%, with a total market value of 26.109 billion yuan. The net inflow of main funds was 254 million yuan, and the net inflow reached a new high in more than seven years.
According to an internal letter, Caitiaowu, an animation film company under Enlight Media, will release “Tea No. 2 Middle School” and “Heavy Rain” this year. The sequel “Nezha 2” is expected to be released next year. . The “Chinese Mythology Universe” system, the first work “Xiaoqian” is expected to be released next year, and the initial development of the entire system will take about 20 to 30 years, and the resources and strength of the entire industry will be used.
Wang Changtian believes that compared with live-action movies, the production of animated films mainly uses digital and technical tools, so the advancement of new technologies represented by AI will help animation film production faster and more significantly. “Last year, we started to organize our own However, due to the large number of projects to be developed, the production force will still be difficult to meet the demand for a long period of time; and AI technology can not only improve production efficiency, but also improve the performance and visual effects of films. aspects of quality.”
He said that the current scenarios where AI can be practically applied include: efficient and intelligent retrieval and preliminary sorting of literary works, news events, and personal deeds according to given requirements, greatly expanding coverage and saving manpower; using keywords to generate story outlines , save the time to put an interesting brain hole on the ground; initially build the script framework, explore the possibility of the plot direction; explore the various possibilities of character design, enrich the biography of the characters; verify the coherence of the script under different narrative structures; the diagnosis has been formed Assist in script modification; provide writing materials at the levels of characters, plots, dialogues, and themes, diverge creative angles, and optimize writing structure; preview the script in the form of pictures or videos, and quickly review and judge the script in advance. There may be gaps and defects in the production effect, etc.
On March 20, Enlight Media said in response to investor questions that AI can indeed become an important tool for content creation in many aspects, such as animation film production, script creation, music creation, etc. Recently, the company has deployed an exploratory practice of AI technology internally, actively looking for a combination with content creation.
According to public information, Enlight Media was established in 2000 and listed on the domestic GEM in 2011. It is the largest private media and entertainment group in China. The company’s main business is the investment, production and distribution of film and television drama projects, covering film, TV drama (web drama), animation, music, literature, artist brokerage, live entertainment, industrial investment and other fields.
According to Enlight Media’s financial report, in the first three quarters of 2022, the company’s main operating income was 685 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 29.92%; the net profit attributable to shareholders of listed companies was 102 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 81.64%. Among them, the company’s main operating income in the third quarter was 102 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 54.12%; the single-quarter net profit attributable to the parent was -98.7587 million yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 244.57%.
Enlight Media’s latest 2022 performance forecast shows that the annual net profit attributable to the parent company is expected to lose 630 million to 730 million yuan, compared with a loss of 311 million yuan in the same period last year; The loss in the same period last year was 444 million yuan. After excluding the impairment provision, the net profit attributable to the parent is 20 million to 120 million yuan.
Enlight Media said that in 2022, the film industry will continue to be affected by the epidemic and other factors, and the overall situation will still face huge difficulties and challenges. The company will inevitably be seriously affected. The release plans of most films will be postponed, which will directly affect the company’s performance.
During the Spring Festival in 2023, Enlight Media participated in the investment and production of 4 films “Manjianghong”, “Deep Sea”, “Exchanging Life” and “Chinese Ping Pong: The Jedi Counterattack”. Among them, “Chinese Ping Pong” was postponed to February 17. According to Maoyan Professional Edition data, as of press time, the cumulative box office of “Manjianghong” is 4.539 billion yuan, the cumulative box office of “Deep Sea” is 914 million yuan, the cumulative box office of “Exchange Life” is 393 million yuan, and the cumulative box office of “China Ping Pong” is 100 million yuan. . Enlight Media stated on the investor relations platform that the box office revenue and cost of the film will be confirmed together after the film is released.
In addition, according to Enlight Media, the film “Sturdy as a Rock” directed by Zhang Yimou will be released within this year, and the specific schedule is to be determined. Currently, the company’s finalized films include “So Many Years” which will be released on May 20 and “Transparent Heroes” which will be released on June 30.
At present, the projects that Enlight Media has reserved and is promoting include “Sturdy as a Rock”, “Sweeping Darkness · Clearing the Clouds and Seeing the Sun”, “I Passed the Storm”, “New Order”, “Transparent Heroes”, “So Many Years”, “Heavy Rain”, “Tea No. 2 Middle School”, etc. Movies, as well as animated films such as “Nezha: The Devil Boy Troubling the Sea”, “Journey to the West: The Great Sage Troubling the Heavenly Palace”, “Jiang Ziya 2” and “Big Fish and Begonia 2”.
According to the analysis of the Western Securities Research Report, Enlight Media has a number of films scheduled for release at the beginning of the year, with ample reserve projects, and is optimistic about the restoration of film business income in 23 years. Regarding the animation film business, the box office of the main cast animation film “Deep Sea” fell short of expectations, but the sales performance of the derivative picture book “Deep Sea Hotel” was outstanding. As the films are released one after another, the brand power and appeal of the “Light Animation” brand will increase accordingly, and the multiple monetization models such as derivatives will become more mature, helping the company to maintain its leading edge in the industry.
Full text of Wang Changtian’s internal letter