The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1313: Carnival Together
March 18, Thursday, New York, sunny.

Ripley took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was cloudless and the blue-gray sky could be clearly seen through the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

Although the sunlight was completely blocked in the upper part of the steel forest, and only sparse afterimages could weakly reach the ground, one could still feel the slight warmth of early spring, and it was no longer bitingly chilly.

This is good news, even the weather is nice.

The last huge rock that had been weighing heavily on my shoulders was finally lifted. A smile crept onto the corners of my mouth, and my mood became uncontrollably light-hearted.

Unexpectedly, things were actually done.

An unexpected person stepped in, Lucas Wood, who arrived in New York in person to meet and discuss with managers from Focus Features' distribution department.

Finally, come up with a feasible plan within 48 hours and go to the mayor's office in person to push for the passage of the proposal.

Because there was no news from the mayor's office, Ripley almost thought she had failed, but there was a sudden turn of events and they got the green light to pass.

And then, it all just…happened.

The Angelica Film Center held its first and possibly last open-air screening ever, with an estimated capacity of three thousand people.

Three thousand people, although still a drop in the bucket compared to the number of online applicants, there is no doubt that this event has been completely transformed.

In the first step, Angelica Film Center randomly selected 800 audience members through online applications, ensuring that these audience members could enter the venue with their real-name movie tickets sent by mail and sit in the middle of the step viewing area.

The second step is to open the on-site queuing on the 18th. The rules are very simple: first come, first served. Audiences are allowed to enter in the order of their arrival until the remaining 2,200 seats are filled.

The third step was that in order to ensure on-site order and screening quality, the Angelica Film Center transformed the steps, squares and roads into open-air screening venues, so they only allowed three thousand spectators to enter the site.

But the Angelica Film Center said that the preview is completely free, so watching the movie through the windows of buildings around the film center is not prohibited, but the premise is to ensure safety, otherwise the New York police may knock on the door.

that's all.

As soon as the announcement came out, there was an uproar and it became a hot topic for everyone overnight.

It was not a premiere, or even a simple preview, but a carnival for movie fans. Coincidentally, it was the day after St. Patrick's Day, so the Angelica Film Center kindly suggested that the audience wear a green object when going to the scene.

The festive atmosphere is overwhelming.

A movie is no longer just a movie, but has evolved into a carnival and party for movie fans. Who can refuse such an invitation?

But... 3,000 people? Really?

After the news was announced, doubts and concerns quietly emerged from all sides.

To be honest, although the number of online applicants for the Angelica Film Center has exceeded 300,000, no one can tell how much of it is just empty talk; the reality is that they need to hold an open-air screening in the streets of New York with 3,000 people gathered——

It is difficult to reach the sky.

Two years ago, the outdoor response to "Cat and Mouse" in Washington Square was indeed huge, but that was because of the strong recoil of Anson's flash mob event. The bustling crowd gathered. Before Anson showed up, there were probably less than a thousand spectators in Washington Square. It was already the top and largest movie-watching event, and the participants were composed of students who had not yet entered society.

But now, the Angelica Film Center is hosting a movie viewing event for 3,000 people.

Three thousand people may not seem like a lot, but does anyone know how outrageous this number is?

For reference, the Lumiere Hall at the Cannes Film Festival can accommodate a little less than 2,300 people. So, you can imagine how difficult it is.

The most important thing is that the Angelica Film Center did not mention that the crew members led by Anson and Kate would appear in the on-site interaction. According to the information obtained by reporters, the actors did not make any movement, and the probability of not appearing is very, very high.

In other words, this can only rely on the appeal of the film itself.

Will this work?

Do the crew of "The Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and Focus Features really know what they are doing?

For a while, there was constant discussion.

No one knows what happened behind the scenes, but what lies ahead is an adventure.

In Los Angeles on the West Coast, "Dawn of the Dead" held its grand premiere; in New York on the East Coast, "Eternal Love" held a grand preview.

Whether it is a premiere or a preview, although the settings, activity positioning, performance form, etc. are all different, the ultimate goal is the same.

Involuntarily, people began to wonder who would win and become the focus of the topic.

But this time, the media and the audience do not need to make a choice. Unlike the competition between "The Butterfly Effect" and "Master and Commander", people stationed in Los Angeles can just go to the premiere of "Dawn of the Dead", while people living in New York can go to the preview of "Eternal Love".

Who knows, maybe both movies can achieve a win-win situation?
In fact, Ripley herself was not sure, because such an open-air preview had never been held before.

If it is a classic masterpiece, such an event is still guaranteed. Italy, Switzerland, France and Germany often hold such film viewing events, leaving the space of the cinema and showing the light and shadow charm of the film in different ways. The number of people gathering 2,000 or 3,000 people is not large, but it does exist objectively.

However, a new movie? A preview?

The situation is completely different.

But Ripley still let out a long breath and regained her composure.

In fact, if you are worried about the attendance rate, Angelica Film Center can choose a safe way:

All three thousand audience members were selected by lottery from online and offline applicants, ensuring that all three thousand seats would be filled 100%.

After careful consideration, Ripley chose not to do so because she knew that there must be a bubble behind the number of 300,000 applicants, and those people might not be really interested in movies; she hoped that movie lovers who truly like and love independent films could use this opportunity to gather together.

On the one hand, it is for the "warmth within the light", and on the other hand, it is to make friends through such events.

Just like a music festival and a film festival.

For this reason, if you need to take risks, there is nothing you can do about it. No matter what the result is, the most important thing is to have no regrets, isn't it?
What's more, Ripley has a little confidence:

Forty-eight hours in advance, enthusiastic fans had lined up at the scene, camped in front of the Angelica Film Center, and arrived early with a tent to reserve a spot.

The number of people was not large, having increased gradually to more than thirty people in forty-eight hours; but looking at the scene before my eyes, my mood couldn't help but rise.

It is passion, it is youth, and at the same time you can feel the energy of burning life.

Ripley smiled and waved, "Hey, good morning. Today is the day. How are you, are you ready?"

(End of this chapter)