It's reasonable for me, a stuntman, to live a crazy life, right?

Chapter 1432 In the blink of an eye, it went from "a battle of heroes" to "a race led by giants"!
After being taught a lesson by Chen Fei, the members of the Happy Twist team seemed to be carrying a treasure, and their steps became much lighter.

Before leaving, Peng Damo walked last, and even turned back to wave to Chen Fei, enthusiastically calling out, "Director Chen, once we finish revising the script, we'll definitely bring it to you for your feedback as soon as possible. Please don't think we're bothering you then!"

Chen Fei smiled and nodded: "Of course, you can come anytime."

He watched the group leave, chatting and laughing, their voices fading into the distance, before finally turning his gaze away.

As he walked towards the film set, he went over the plot of "Claw Machine" in his mind again.

To be fair, this book has a pretty good foundation.

The contrast between Ma Chenggang's family's "pretending to be poor to raise their child" is fresh enough. The misunderstandings between neighbors and the bickering between parents and children are full of laughs buried in daily life. Instead of deliberately piling up internet memes, it exudes a down-to-earth and vivid feeling.

If the "narrative gaps" and "logical loopholes" he pointed out can be filled in, and the reconciliation at the end can be made more solid, this will undoubtedly be a high-quality comedy script.

Thinking of this, Chen Fei's lips unconsciously curled up, and a hint of anticipation rose in his heart.

Previously, relying on his reborn memories, he could accurately predict which projects would succeed and which would fail.

But now, when faced with an "unknown" script like "Claw Machine," he gives advice based on his own experience and insight, which makes him feel more accomplished.

This is no longer about "taking shortcuts," but about genuinely relying on one's own understanding of content to help the industry refine good works.

There is indeed no "script" to follow in the future, but just as he believes that "Claw Machine" can be improved, he also believes in his own judgment.

As long as we adhere to the bottom line of "content is king," no matter how many unknowns we face, we will definitely be able to create works that audiences will approve of.

Suddenly, a crew member shouted from afar, "Get ready to film the next scene!" Chen Fei instinctively quickened his pace and headed towards the filming area.

The studio lights came on, illuminating the backdrop of the "Red Coast Base," making it appear magnificent and spectacular.

Chen Fei secretly made up his mind that he would focus on filming each scene of "The Three-Body Problem" well first.

As for those unknown surprises, let time reveal them.

……

November went by quickly, and it's already the latter half of the month.

Filming on the set of "The Three-Body Problem" proceeded smoothly and in an orderly manner.

The "Three-Body Problem" game scene in the green screen studio has just been completed, while the miniature model of the planetary engine on the other side has entered the debugging stage.

Chen Fei stared at the monitor every day, working non-stop but daring not to relax for a moment.

Meanwhile, promotional campaigns for the Lunar New Year film season have already begun.

Trailers and promotional information for various films are bombarding the market, creating an atmosphere as lively as if the Spring Festival had arrived early.

On the 25th, "Crossing the Angry Sea," directed by Cao Baoping, was officially released, instantly becoming the focus of the pre-New Year's film season.

This film is adapted from Lao Huang's novel of the same name, focusing on "family of origin and revenge".

After his daughter Jin Lina (played by Zhou Yiran) is murdered, fisherman Lao Jin (played by Huang Bo) is convinced that his daughter's boyfriend Li Miaomiao (played by Zhang Youhao) is the murderer, and he crosses the sea to hunt down the killer with a heart full of anger.

Li Miaomiao's mother, Jing Lan (played by Zhou Xun), is willing to confront Lao Jin in order to protect her son.

In the tug-of-war between revenge and protection, two broken families gradually expose the wounds buried in their original families.

On its opening day, the film secured a 28% screen share, second only to other top-tier films scheduled for release later, thanks to the positive word-of-mouth associated with "Cao Baoping's crime films".

The box office grossed 1.35 million yuan on its opening day!
This is a very impressive performance, especially considering it's not a holiday season.

However, netizens' opinions still show a polarized trend.

Some praised: "The camera work is very sharp, capturing the suffocating feeling of the dysfunctional family. The scenes between Huang Bo and Zhou Xun are full of tension, and the final confrontation scene on the beach is chilling."

Some people also complained: "The movie's pacing is too slow, the first half is too long, and the revenge plot is a bit too sentimental. It doesn't reach Cao Baoping's usual level."

Despite the controversy, it's barely passable for a low-budget crime drama.

There is definitely no problem in making money.

Meanwhile, with the release of "Crossing the Angry Sea," "Saving Suspects," directed by Zhang Yimou's daughter Zhang Mo, was also unfortunately pulled from theaters amidst controversy.

The box office finalized at 5.69 million.

This result is not considered a loss for a crime film with an investment of over 1 million yuan. After revenue sharing, it can not only cover the costs but also make a small profit.

However, it fell far short of Zhang Mo's initial target of "reaching 10 billion".

What upset her even more was that during the film's release, there was a constant stream of criticism, including accusations of "insufficient directing ability," "wasting Kara Hui's acting skills," and "numerous plot holes."

Some netizens even compared her work with her father Zhang Yimou's previous works, saying that "the difference is obvious"!
For a time, Zhang Mo seemed to be caught in a public opinion deadlock, accused of "relying on her father's fame but being unable to support her work."

Zhang Yimou watched his daughter spend all day cooped up in her studio, wanting to offer guidance but unsure where to begin.

After all, he knew all too well the cruel rules of this industry; the comfort of outsiders could never outweigh the proof of his achievements.

Just then, Wang Changtian from Enlight Media invited him to visit the set of "The Three-Body Problem" together, partly to check on the project's progress and partly to discuss the follow-up arrangements for "Article 20".

Zhang Yimou decided to bring Zhang Mo along as well, thinking that she could see the filming process of a big production and perhaps change her mindset, and also learn something from Chen Fei.

When the three appeared on the set of "The Three-Body Problem," Chen Fei was instructing Liu Yifei on the scene where "Ye Wenjie sends a signal to the universe."

Upon seeing the group, he temporarily stopped filming and greeted them with a smile: "Chairman Wang, Director Zhang, what brings you here so suddenly? You didn't even tell me beforehand so I could make arrangements."

"It's alright, there's no need to make any arrangements. We're just here to learn from your experience."

Zhang Yimou stepped forward and shook hands with Chen Fei, his gaze sweeping over the set, his eyes full of admiration.

Then, he stepped aside to make way for Zhang Mo behind him: "I happen to have some free time recently, so I brought her along to broaden her horizons as well."

Zhang Mo quickly stepped forward to greet him, her tone somewhat reserved: "Director Chen, hello. I'm so sorry to bother you today."

Chen Fei smiled and nodded: "It's alright, no problem. You can come anytime you want to see. We don't object to set visits."

He then added, "I watched your film. The subject matter was well-chosen, and the actors were well-cast. It's just that some details weren't polished enough. I believe it will be even better next time."

A casual affirmation made Zhang Mo's tense shoulders relax a little.

Amidst a chorus of criticism, Chen Fei's sudden, objective assessment reassured her more than any deliberate attempt at comfort.

Zhang Yimou sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness: "This girl has been too influenced by outside voices lately, and she's starting to lose her composure."

I was thinking of letting her take a break for a while, calm down and study hard, polish the script, and then start preparing for new projects when she's in a better state of mind.

This is a family matter for the Zhang family, so Chen Fei didn't want to comment too much. He just smiled and nodded, "Director Zhang has considered things carefully. Taking some time to calm down will actually help him understand what he wants more clearly, which is good."

Afterwards, he led the three of them around the film set.

Just like when the Happy Twist team visited the set last time, Zhang Yimou, Zhang Mo, and Wang Changtian were full of exclamations as they looked at the novel equipment on set.

The ten-meter-tall "Red Coast Base Radar" model, the real-life "Control Room" filled with intricate wiring, the "Cosmic Signal Transmitter" prop specially customized for filming, and the miniature "Three-Body Problem" game scene piled up in the corner—everything exudes the rigor and exquisiteness of a large-scale production.

Zhang Yimou reached out and touched the metal casing of the "radar" model, his tone full of admiration:

"The precision of this set construction is far superior to the props I used when I filmed 'The Great Wall.' Your investment in hardware alone is probably enough to make two medium-sized movies, right?"

Wang Changtian couldn't help but sigh, "It's normal to spend money on big productions, but many production companies simply can't make sure that every penny is spent wisely."

Zhang Mo followed behind the group, her eyes scanning the surroundings, almost dazzled by the sights.

She could clearly sense that the production logic of "The Three-Body Problem" was completely different from that of her when she was filming "Saving the Suspect".

It's not about "gathering enough scenes to film a story," but about "creating scenes tailored to the story." This extreme pursuit of detail earned her her secret admiration.

After circling around, they happened to arrive just as Chen Fei was about to film the scene of "Luo Ji's first encounter with the Trisolaran civilization's warning," so the group stood quietly by the monitor and observed. They watched how Chen Fei directed the group's acting, how he adjusted the camera angles, and how he communicated with the special effects team to leave room for post-production...

Zhang Mo watched with great attention, taking notes in her notebook from time to time.

After all, the details of on-site directing are more intuitive than any theoretical lesson.

After having lunch at the crew's canteen, the group found an unused meeting room to sit down.

Wang Changtian brought up the main topic first: "Chairman Chen, there's something else I'd like to discuss with you today. We need to finalize the release date for Article 20."

"Oh?" Chen Fei looked at Zhang Yimou, "Is the post-production all done?"

Zhang Yimou nodded: "Yes, it has been approved. Now we mainly need to see what the market will bring. You are more sensitive to release dates. When do you think would be the most appropriate time to set the release date?"

Chen Fei thought for a moment and analyzed, "There are many films vying for attention during the Lunar New Year season, such as 'All for the Winner,' 'Aquaman 2,' and 'If You Are the One 3,' making the competition too fierce, and there's not enough time."

I think it's suitable for the Spring Festival season, because audiences are actually more receptive to realistic themes during that time.

In a family movie-going setting, realistic themes concerning family and legal issues are more likely to resonate with the audience.

Wang Changtian nodded in agreement: "That's what I think too. The market size for the Spring Festival season is larger than that for the Lunar New Year season. Moreover, our film has the support of Director Zhang's reputation, plus the subject matter is down-to-earth. As long as the publicity and distribution keep up, the box office potential will definitely be greater."

"But there are also risks involved in the Spring Festival film season," Zhang Yimou added. "In previous years, the top films during the Spring Festival season were all comedies or science fiction. Can realistic films hold their own? And what if we encounter strong competitors? Will our screenings be squeezed out?"

"Don't worry about that," Chen Fei smiled. "Longxiang Cinemas will provide ample support. As long as the film is of high quality, basic screenings will definitely be guaranteed."

Moreover, after enjoying the festivities of the Spring Festival film season, audiences are more likely to seek out films with depth and food for discussion, and "Article 20" perfectly fills that gap.

He thought for a moment and continued, "In addition, the promotional period for the Spring Festival film season is longer, giving us enough time to build up word-of-mouth."

For example, you could organize some "legal education salons" or "real-life case sharing sessions" in advance to promote the film's social value beforehand, and then combine this with roadshow promotions; this would definitely attract the target audience.

Zhang Mo sat quietly to the side, listening to their discussion and silently taking notes.

It turns out that choosing a release date isn't just about which time slot has the most viewers; it also involves a comprehensive assessment of multiple factors, including the suitability of the subject matter, market competition, the pace of promotion and distribution, and channel support!

This accurate judgment of the market is exactly what she needs to learn now.

Zhang Yimou pondered for a moment and finally nodded: "Okay, then let's set it for the Spring Festival. Let's release the release date announcement as soon as possible and seize the initiative."

Wang Changtian immediately took out his phone and sent a message to his team to arrange publicity and distribution: "I'll have the publicity department prepare right away, and try to make an official announcement within this week."

With a major matter settled, the atmosphere in the meeting room instantly relaxed.

As Chen Fei watched the group finalize the details, he added with a smile, "When 'Article 20' is released, I'll have Longxiang Cinemas organize a 'legal-themed film festival,' and invite some lawyers and judges to share their thoughts after the screening. That'll definitely generate a lot of buzz."

"Thank you so much!" Wang Changtian smiled broadly. "With your words, I feel much more confident."

Zhang Yimou smiled too, and his eyes showed more gratitude as he looked at Chen Fei.

The appearance of "Man Jiang Hong" made him money, but it also made him very controversial.

Now that "Article 20" has been released, perhaps it can salvage some of its reputation.

……

Three days later, multiple announcements were released, once again topping the trending search list.

"The family drama film 'Article 2,' produced by Enlight Media, Feiyue Films, and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, directed by Zhang Yimou, and starring Lei Jiayin, Ma Li, Zhao Liying, and Gao Ye, has officially announced its release date of February 10th during the Spring Festival."

"Feiyue Films and Fantawild Holdings jointly announced that the latest film in the Boonie Bears universe, Boonie Bears: Reverse Time, will be officially released on February 10."

Tingdong Pictures officially announced: "Pegasus 2" is scheduled for release on February 10.

"..."

With the release of multiple release date announcements, the industry's attention and the audience's focus, which was originally on the Lunar New Year film season, instantly shifted to the Spring Festival film season.

This period, dubbed the "golden pool of box office revenue," has already exuded a strong sense of competition even before it has officially begun.

With Zhang Yimou at the helm and a cast of talented actors including Lei Jiayin and Ma Li, Enlight Pictures' "Article 20" also boasts the halo of being a "co-produced film by the Supreme People's Procuratorate" and a realistic subject matter.

"Boonie Bears: Reversing Time" benefits from the large family audience it has built up over the years, which is a guarantee of its box office success during the Spring Festival season.

Han Han's "Pegasus 2" carries the nostalgia filter of its predecessor, and the comedic cast, starring Shen Teng, naturally generates buzz.

Just looking at these three films is enough to predict how fierce the Spring Festival film market will be!
Many industry insiders exclaimed, "The intensity of this competition is no less than that of the Lunar New Year film season, and may even be more ruthless!"

Just when everyone thought the "top lineup" for the Spring Festival film season was already set and began analyzing each company's chances of winning, Feiyue Films' official website suddenly dropped a bombshell.

The accompanying image is a poster with a strong retro feel.

Against a yellowed old film background, the four large characters "Detective Chinatown 1990" are printed, with the following clearly marked below: "Release date: February 10th, see you during the Spring Festival."

There was no extra information about the actors, no plot synopsis, and not even the director's name was mentioned, but the mere mention of the two words "Detective Chinatown" was enough to ignite the entire internet!

In an instant, the hashtag #DetectiveChinatown1990ReleaseDuringSpringFestival# shot to the top of the trending topics list like a rocket.

The discussion instantly swept across major social media platforms:
"Haha! The Detective Chinatown universe is back? 'Detective Chinatown 1990'! Is this going to tell the story of Qin Feng's father? Finally, the plot holes are filled!"

"The Spring Festival film season is simply phenomenal! 'The Twentieth' is about reality, 'Pegasus 2' is about passion, and 'Detective Chinatown 1990' is about suspense. I'm having trouble choosing!"

"Is Feiyue Film & Television going to dominate the Spring Festival box office again? 'Boonie Bears' is targeting families, 'Detective Chinatown 1990' is targeting suspense fans, and with a potential dark horse in the mix, how can anyone else compete?"

"Who knows! I've been waiting for the sequel ever since 'Detective Chinatown 3,' but I never expected it to jump straight back to 1990. This timeline is just too clever."

"Putting everything else aside, the appeal of the Detective Chinatown universe is undeniable. As long as the script isn't bad, it's basically guaranteed to be in the top three at the Spring Festival box office!"

While the entire internet was abuzz with discussion, the film and television industry was in an uproar.

In the conference room of China Film Group, Fu Ruoqing looked at the official announcement page of Feiyue Film & Television with a solemn expression:

"I thought 'Hot Hot' would easily dominate half of the Spring Festival box office, but I didn't expect Chen Fei to have such a hidden move. Once the 'Detective Chinatown' card was played, the whole situation changed..."

It's worth noting that China Film Group is the distributor of this film.

They had high hopes for the film, but now they suddenly feel that they were laughing too soon.

Meanwhile, those low- and medium-budget films that originally planned to hit the Spring Festival box office held emergency meetings overnight.

The official announcement of "Detective Chinatown 1990" has directly raised the "entry threshold" for the Spring Festival film season.

With several top-tier works already scheduled for release, continuing to compete head-on would be tantamount to "throwing an egg against a rock"!
Several companies even decided on the spot: "Withdraw the release! Move to the Qingming Festival or May Day release dates. It's better than being crushed into cannon fodder."

Viewers' expectations were already at rock bottom, with the comments section filled with speculation about the plot and the actors:

What exactly did Qin Feng's father experience when he was young? Could it be related to the Q organization?

"Another new work from Bao Qiang, I'm really looking forward to it!"

"I predict that another movie will break 50 billion yuan at the box office!"

Within just one hour, hundreds of thousands of comments flooded Feiyue Films' official Weibo account, with everyone waiting for more information to be released.

Despite the uproar from the outside world, Feiyue Films has not released any further information, leaving only the ten words "Detective Chinatown 1990, see you during the Spring Festival", which has whetted everyone's appetite.

No one knows what kind of story "Detective Chinatown 1990" will tell.

But everyone knows that with the release date set for this film, the battle for the 2024 Spring Festival film season has been completely rewritten.

This box office battle has transformed from a "battle of many" into a "leading race of giants."

The final balance of power seems to have quietly tipped in favor of Feiyue Films, which holds multiple trump cards...

(End of this chapter)