Back to 80: My literary life.

Chapter 773: Big plot, small plot, counter plot

Zhang Yuan felt somewhat unconvinced after hearing this.

"Teacher Minghua, that's not necessarily true."

"Really? Zhang Yuan, I estimate that young directors including you will be released from the ban soon. Let's see how your box office performs when it is released to the public."

"Okay, if the ban is lifted, I will start making a movie right away! Teacher Minghua, do you dare to invest in my film like you did for Zhang Ke and Lou Ye?!" Zhang Yuan squinted at the other party.

"Why not?" Fang Minghua smiled cheerfully, "It's settled. Just come find me when the time comes."

"a man of his words!"

After the meal, everyone went home. Fang Minghua's hotel was not far from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, so he and Jia Zhangke took a taxi back together.

On the way back, Jia Zhangke talked about what happened at the dinner table and expressed his concerns.

"Teacher Minghua, do you think this movie "Xiao Wu" will lose money?"

"The investment is only over 30 yuan, how much can we lose?" Fang Minghua said with a smile: "Don't worry, we won't lose money. Even if the domestic box office is not good, there is still the overseas market, we will definitely make money."

"Now Zhang Yuan and his colleagues are living a happy life thanks to awards and overseas box office," said Jia Zhangke.

"That's right, so crying and shouting for the relaxation of censorship in the country and releasing the film domestically is actually useless," said Fang Minghua.

"Movies can generally be divided into three categories: big plot, small plot, and anti-plot. The audience numbers for the three plots decrease. Theatrical blockbusters must be big plots, family-friendly or superhero movies. For example, the American blockbuster "True Lies" introduced last year is a superhero movie and sold well at the box office."

"Plot films are relatively simple and usually do not involve complex story structures and multiple narrative threads. Xiao Wu is a typical plot film."

"Anti-plot films are a type of film that breaks the traditional story structure and logic, and instead tells stories through non-linear time, incoherent reality, and coincidence. Typical examples include Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time and Chungking Express. Were they well made? They won many awards, but they were box office failures."

Jia Zhangke nodded.

This is true.

"Not many people in the world can watch this kind of small plot and anti-plot movie. If you want to avoid losses, you have to operate it with a small budget. If you say that you want to invest 30 million instead of 300 in this "Xiao Wu", I will not invest." Fang Minghua said.

"The current investment is 38." Jia Zhangke also laughed.

"So, Zhang Ke, if you want to go the route of art films, don't think about making big productions or investing heavily, otherwise you'll lose everything. Also, don't count on the domestic box office, just manage the overseas copyrights well," Fang Minghua warned.

After hearing this, Jia Zhangke nodded silently.

After sending Jia Zhangke back to the Academy of Fine Arts and Fang Minghua back to the hotel, they returned to Xijing the next day.

As for filming and releasing the film in theaters, that was the business of Shengshi Film and Jia Zhangke themselves, and Fang Minghua no longer cared.

A month later, "Xiao Wu" was released in China. The rave reviews from film critics and scholars in newspapers and magazines formed a sharp contrast with the disastrous box office failure.

The national box office was 28 yuan, while in Jia Zhangke’s hometown of Fenyang, the box office revenue was 120 yuan.

Song Tangtang told him the news.

By this time it was mid-September and the fourth Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, had been completed. After Fang Minghua sent an email to Li Li, he prepared to adapt the second part into a script.

The location shooting of the first Harry Potter film has been completed and is now entering the intense post-production stage. However, with Wu Tianmin and Zhang Yimou watching over it in the United States, Song Tangtang didn't worry too much. She is now focusing on the second part of Kangxi's Secret Visits.

Of course, there is also "Party A and Party B" which Feng Xiaogang is currently filming and has now been completed.

"Xiao Wu" became the first film released by Shengshi Film and Television this year.

This afternoon, Song Tangtang came back from the company and sighed when he talked about this after dinner.

"Tangtang, I've expected this. What's there to sigh about?" Fang Minghua was fiddling with a pot of Epiphyllum in the yard. Seeing his wife like this, he comforted her and said, "Come, help me tie up the branches to prevent them from falling over. I think they'll bloom tonight!"

"I'm not in the mood," Song Tangtang muttered.

"Ah? Not in a mood? Are you like this in front of your employees at the company? No way?" Fang Minghua laughed.

"Of course not. But you are my husband, so it's okay for me to complain a few words in front of you, right?" Song Tangtang said angrily.

"Okay, okay, you can tell me anything you want to say if you're unhappy! If you're still unhappy, you can hit me a couple of times. I'll be your punching bag!"

"Pooh, pooh. I'm not a shrew." Song Tangtang was amused and squatted down to help.

"Tangtang, I told you that Jia Zhangke's box office success is all overseas. Don't worry about what's happening in China. Just firmly grasp the overseas distribution rights and manage them well, and you will definitely make money!" Fang Minghua comforted.

"I have contacted the French MK2 Film Company. They are optimistic about this movie and are willing to be responsible for its distribution in Europe and share the box office revenue," said Song Tangtang.

"Isn't that enough? Just wait to count the money." Fang Minghua said with a smile.

"Well, then why do you say the domestic box office is not good?" Song Tangtang sighed.

"Art films are not mainstream in Europe and the United States, and many theaters are unwilling to schedule them. But the UK has The Electric BFI Southbank, and France has the "Art and Experimental" theater. The government provides financial subsidies to specifically screen art films and niche movies. Which theater in our country is willing to do so?!" Fang Minghua asked in return.

"Minghua, as Shengshi Film and Television expands in scale and becomes financially abundant in the future, I also want to build some cinemas that specialize in showing art films, just like the French "Arts and Experiments" cinema!" Song Tangtang said.

"Ambition!" Fang Minghua gave a thumbs up.

"Hubby, do you support me?"

"Of course I support it! Otherwise, I will transfer some funds from the United States to China now?" Fang Minghua said as he loosened the soil in the flowerpot with a shovel.

"Well, let me focus on my main job first. I can't eat a fat man in one bite." Song Tangtang said.

Fang Minghua smiled and said nothing.

Sure enough, the movie "Xiao Wu" won the New Wave Award at the 2nd Busan International Film Festival, the Dragon and Tiger Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Best Director Award at the Nantes Three Continents Film Festival in France, and the first prize at the Berlin International Film Festival Youth Forum.

The box office revenue in Europe was 200 million US dollars, equivalent to 1600 million RMB, of which Shengshi Film and Television received a share of 500 million RMB, and Jia Zhangke personally received 50 RMB.

Jia Zhangke became famous overnight.

It was already December, and as 1997 was about to end, Fang Minghua received a notice.

The second meeting of the 4th Mao Dun Literature Prize Jury is about to be held, and the final winner of the Mao Dun Prize will be decided at this meeting.

(End of this chapter)