Entertainment from Divorce

On a weekend afternoon, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting warm dappled patterns of light into Wang Letian's living room, like a thin layer of golden gauze spread across the light gray carpet.

He nestled in the soft beige sofa, holding his phone, idly scrolling through Douyin (TikTok).

Various short videos kept switching on the screen.

There are internet celebrities making funny jokes on the street, photographers capturing magnificent snow-capped mountain scenery, and celebrities sharing their everyday outfits.

But Wang Letian always felt that something was missing. His fingers mechanically slid across the screen, his eyes showing a hint of emptiness and weariness.

As a well-known film critic in China, his schedule has been filled with invitations to various films lately. He just finished watching rough cuts of two patriotic films and his mind is still in a state of tension.

He wanted to relax over the weekend, but found that ordinary short videos couldn't calm him down at all.

Just as he was about to turn off his phone and go to his study to read, a video tagged "#InterstellarFilmingHighlights#" caught his eye.

The video's cover features Tan Yue standing in front of a green screen, wearing a simple black hooded sweatshirt, holding a miniature "Eternal" spaceship model, talking to the staff around him with a focused and serious expression, even the stray hairs falling in front of his forehead exuding a seriousness.

Wang Letian's curiosity was immediately piqued, and his finger instinctively clicked play.

The video begins with a noisy yet energetic sound from the scene.

The sounds of staff discussing, camera adjustments, props crew carrying things, and the distant shout of "Ready!" from the production assistants.

The camera slowly zooms in, revealing Tan Yue holding a spaceship model and carefully demonstrating it in front of a green screen. The portholes on the model are adorned with tiny silver stickers, making it look exceptionally delicate: "Here, the spaceship needs to rush through at this 45-degree angle. The camera needs to follow the tail of the spaceship closely, using an upward angle to create a sense of urgency, as if being pulled by the gravity of a black hole."

As he spoke, he used his other hand to simulate the path of light refraction, his fingertips drawing an arc in the air. His eyes gleamed with excitement at the pursuit of the ultimate detail, and even his speaking speed was a few beats faster than usual.

The scene then switched to the filming location.

Deng Gaofei was wearing a heavy white spacesuit, and the visor on his helmet was not closed, revealing his forehead covered in sweat.

He repeatedly moved around in front of the green screen, striving for precision with every turn and every hand gesture. The joints of his spacesuit made a slight "clicking" sound due to the frequent movements.

Tan Yue stood in front of the monitor, arms crossed, staring intently at the screen, his brow furrowing from time to time, and occasionally shouting "Stop!"
The video also shows the process of the special effects team creating the black hole model.

In the dimly lit special effects studio, a dozen staff members sat in front of computers, their fingers flying across the keyboards, and the black hole model on the screen gradually became more and more detailed.

From the initial simple black circular outline to the later three-dimensional shape surrounding the orange-red accretion disk, and then to the details of light distortion after adding the gravitational lens effect, every step has undergone repeated modifications and adjustments.

A young special effects artist wearing black-rimmed glasses smiled at the camera and said, "For this black hole model, we held no fewer than ten meetings with astrophysicists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. We brought a stack of materials to each meeting, and our notes filled three large notebooks. We revised the design more than twenty times. Director Tan was too strict; even the color deviation of the accretion disk's light effect could not exceed 0.5%. Once, we thought it was almost done, but Director Tan immediately noticed that the brightness of the light effect was wrong and rejected the design on the spot, making us readjust it."

Wang Letian became more and more engrossed in watching, and before he knew it, he had been holding his phone for more than half an hour, and his arm was starting to ache.

He had to admit that Tan Yue's ideas were indeed novel and bold during filming, and that he was extremely meticulous in his control of details.

Take the filming of black holes as an example. Many directors might choose to use ready-made special effects templates or simplify the process to save time. However, Tan Yue insisted on cooperating with scientists, not only to restore the most realistic black hole shape, but also to give the black hole emotion on the basis of science.

Let it become a bond connecting family ties, rather than just a science fiction element.

This extreme pursuit of detail and innovative ideas that combine science and emotion are not something every director can achieve.

"If a different director were to direct 'Interstellar,' they definitely wouldn't be able to achieve this effect," Wang Letian couldn't help but exclaim, his voice full of admiration.

He recalled some science fiction movies he had seen before, which either had such crude special effects that they were jarring, or had such unrealistic plots that they were detached from reality.

Few films can combine hard-core scientific knowledge with delicate emotions as perfectly as Interstellar.

Tan Yue not only accomplished this, but did it exceptionally well; one can only imagine the effort he put in behind the scenes.

Near the end of the video, Tan Yue said something to the camera, with crew members packing up equipment visible in the background: "I made this film to show everyone that China can also produce excellent hard science fiction films. I hope this film will make more people fall in love with science fiction, and I also hope to contribute to the development of Chinese science fiction films."

These words stirred a surge of excitement in Wang Letian. He immediately opened the comments section and typed furiously on the screen: "Director Tan is amazing! His extreme pursuit of detail and perfect fusion of science and emotion make 'Interstellar' an absolute milestone for Chinese science fiction films! After watching the behind-the-scenes footage, I feel even more that this film was hard-won. I salute all the staff!"

Unbeknownst to Wang Letian, the behind-the-scenes footage he saw was actually a carefully crafted promotional piece by the marketing team of Brilliant Entertainment.

To further boost the popularity of "Interstellar" and extend the film's lifespan, the company's marketing team simultaneously released a series of the latest behind-the-scenes footage on multiple platforms, including Weibo, Douyin, and Bilibili.

Besides the black hole filming and spaceship model making that Wang Letian witnessed, there were also behind-the-scenes footage of the actors' training, the arduous exploration of filming locations, and the on-site sampling conducted by the recording team to recreate the sounds of the universe. Each piece of footage was carefully edited and captioned.

On the official Weibo account of Brilliant Entertainment, a five-minute video titled "Behind-the-Scenes Footage of Filming in the Dunhuang Desert" quickly sparked heated discussions among netizens, with the number of reposts exceeding 50 within two hours.

In the video, Tan Yue and his team filmed on location in the Dunhuang desert. During the day, they endured temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The sand was scorching hot; you could feel the heat rising through your shoes. The crew members were all tanned dark, but there was no complaint on their faces; instead, they were full of enthusiasm for filming. One netizen commented: "Behind every good film, there are so many people working tirelessly! Director Tan and his team filmed in the desert under such high temperatures; it was so hard. A salute to all the staff!"

On the Douyin platform, the hashtag #BehindTheScenesOfInterstellarTravel# quickly climbed into the top ten of the trending topics list, with over 5 million views and more than 300 million discussions in just one day.

Many netizens shared their thoughts after watching the video in the comments section.

Some people say, "After watching the behind-the-scenes footage, I feel even more that Interstellar is amazing! Every detail shows dedication, from the actors' performances to the production of special effects and the selection of filming locations. Not a single aspect is perfunctory. This kind of movie deserves to have a high box office!"

Some people said, "I had already watched it twice, but after watching the behind-the-scenes footage, I've decided to watch it a third time! This time, I want to pay close attention to the details that were overlooked, such as the light effects of the black hole and the design of the spaceship, and feel the team's dedication!"

Some netizens even shared their viewing notes, which detailed the scientific knowledge points and emotional storylines in the film, with the caption: "After watching the behind-the-scenes footage, I understand Director Tan's intentions even more. This is not just a science fiction film, but also a film about family and faith!"

Engineer Wu sat in his office, watching the data on the backend steadily climb, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

He picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and secretly rejoiced at the publicity plan he had devised.

She knew that these behind-the-scenes tidbits would not only boost the film's popularity, but also allow the audience to gain a deeper understanding of the film's production process, feel the team's dedication, and thus increase their positive feelings and identification with the film.

After all, audiences are always willing to pay for well-made works, and these real behind-the-scenes stories are more touching than any fancy promotional slogans.

These behind-the-scenes stories not only sparked heated discussions in the country, but also spread overseas through social media platforms.

The topic quickly attracted the attention of foreign netizens, and the number of views exceeded 8 million within three days.

A foreign netizen shared a behind-the-scenes video posted by the official account of Brilliant Entertainment, with the caption: "Incredible! The dedication of Chinese filmmakers is admirable! They collaborated with scientists so many times to recreate the realistic shape of a black hole. This pursuit of detail is something all filmmakers should learn from! The success of 'Interstellar' is not accidental; it is the result of the team's hard work!"

Many well-known international film critics have also taken an interest in these behind-the-scenes stories and have published their comments in their columns.

Mark Smith, a senior film critic for The Hollywood Reporter, wrote: "These behind-the-scenes glimpses clearly demonstrate director Tan Yue's exceptional overall control over the film. He not only focuses on the authenticity of every detail but also skillfully motivates the team, ensuring that everyone is fully engaged in the creative process. The success of Interstellar at the box office is inseparable from his professionalism and dedication, as well as the seamless teamwork. This film's success sets a new benchmark for non-English science fiction films."

International audiences have been full of praise for these behind-the-scenes clips, with the videos accumulating over 2 million views on social media platforms.

A viewer from California commented, "I've watched *Interstellar* three times, and each time I have new feelings. After watching these behind-the-scenes clips, I'm even more looking forward to director Tan Yue's next film! His passion for film and his attention to detail make me believe he can create more excellent works, and I hope he continues to surprise us!"

Another viewer from London, England, said: "I didn't have high expectations for Chinese science fiction films at first, thinking they were all works with crude special effects and clichéd plots. But after watching 'Interstellar' and these behind-the-scenes clips, I completely changed my mind! Chinese films are on the rise, and the speed of their rise has exceeded my imagination! I have already recommended this movie to my family and friends, and they all love it!"

With the widespread dissemination of these behind-the-scenes tidbits, the popularity of "Interstellar" has once again seen a significant boost.

Although the number of screenings in major cinemas around the world has decreased compared to the beginning of the release, the occupancy rate remains at a relatively high level of over 60%. Many cinemas have also added IMAX screenings and early morning screenings on weekends to meet the viewing needs of audiences.

Some cinemas have even launched combined screenings of "Interstellar behind-the-scenes footage + the main feature," allowing audiences to learn about the behind-the-scenes stories before watching the movie, thus further enhancing their viewing experience.

Ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

At 8:00 a.m. that morning, the International Cultural Center's official website updated global movie box office data on time.

Interstellar's cumulative box office revenue is a staggering $4.513 billion.

When the news reached China, netizens were instantly in an uproar.

On Weibo, the hashtag #InterstellarBoxOfficeExceeds45Billion# surged to the top of the trending list within half an hour, with over 10 billion views and more than 500 million discussions in a single day.

Netizens flooded the comments section with celebratory messages, their expressions filled with pride and excitement.

"Congratulations on Interstellar! Congratulations to Director Tan! Chinese science fiction films are amazing! Four and a half billion US dollars, this is simply an unimaginable achievement!"

"I was worried before that Chinese science fiction films would be overshadowed by foreign works, but now it seems that we can not only keep up, but also surpass them! Well done, Interstellar!"

"From now on, no one will ever say that China can't make good science fiction movies again! Director Tan has proven our capabilities with his talent and brought glory to Chinese cinema!"

Many netizens also posted their movie ticket stubs, with captions like, "I've already watched it four times, and each time I see it, I'm moved in a new way. This movie deserves all the box office success and accolades!"

Major media outlets also reported the news immediately.

"People's Daily: Interstellar's box office surpassing $4.5 billion not only set a new record for Chinese films but also injected new vitality into the world of science fiction films. The success of this film proves that Chinese filmmakers have the ability to tell Chinese stories well, the ability to perfectly combine hard science with human emotions, and the ability to step onto the world stage, allowing global audiences to feel the charm of Chinese culture and the strength of Chinese films."

"Guangming Daily: The success of *Interstellar* is not accidental. It is the inevitable result of the maturation of China's film industry system, the inevitable result of Chinese filmmakers' persistent pursuit of art, and a vivid manifestation of China's cultural confidence in the film field. It has shown the world China's imagination and creativity, and has opened up new paths for Chinese culture to 'go global.'" (End of Chapter)