Actor: Thank you.

"Why did it fall so sharply?"

During his evening rest, Zhang Yuan spoke with Jiang Zhiqiang.

According to reports from the company, the box office performance of "Let the Bullets Fly" is declining, but the decline is very smooth.

However, "Ip Man 2" is different; it also begins to decline, but with a steep slope.

Is there a problem with the number of screenings?

"Quantity is not a problem," the other party replied.

"Yes, the company has signed contracts with all the cinemas, guaranteeing the volume."

"And our performance in this film was quite good."

"Zhang Yuan, just like you said, the quantity is not a problem."

"But there's a problem with the quality."

Jiang Zhiqiang was a seasoned veteran; he found out as soon as he inquired.

What exactly happened?
For example, when a boyfriend and girlfriend are dating, as long as there are no physical or psychological problems, they need to... communicate.

At first, things might be very passionate, with frequent communication.

As the initial novelty wore off, we started exchanging messages only occasionally.

The frame of reference for communication is nothing more than quantity and quality.

In fact, quality is more important.

Because if there's no quality and only quantity, and every time it's just a matter of "1, 2, 3, all-out attack," then not only will it not enhance relationships, but it will also make people look down on you.

"The showtimes are as scheduled, but my showtime is scheduled for midnight."

The number of services was sufficient according to the contract, but the quality was very poor.

The midnight showing is 12.88 seconds, which neither the audience nor the women want.

And it will lower the average attendance rate for the film.

Jiang Zhiqiang said that the major cinema chains in the south are fine.

The problem lies with the cinema chains in Shanghai and the two cinema chains in Beijing.

Zhang Yuan understood without even thinking.

Chen Shiren's film "The Orphan of Zhao" has this time received investment from Shanghai Film Studio.

These films have already been released for two weeks, and the guarantee for filming was already decreasing. With this latest incident, it's normal for the film's trajectory to show a downward trend.

"Actually, it's already quite good. It should eventually exceed 3 million."

"Come celebrate when you're done with your work."

"Okay." Zhang Yuan did not show any sign of dejection.

I just feel that some people can't beat me in a head-to-head or horse-to-horse duel, so I always resort to some little tricks.

This was his first time facing off against several top experts.

Previously, they were scheduled at different times, but now they're all mixed up.

This reveals their weakness: their cooperation with cinemas is not close enough.

Without a strong foundation and established connections, it's still not quite there yet.

Despite his usual carefree and easygoing demeanor, he handles contracts quite well.

But when something really happens, people will definitely side with those they have a good relationship with.

In addition, "If You Are the One 2" and "Sacrifice" are not necessarily great, but at least they are not low-budget bad movies and can make money, which squeezed out his space.

"President Jiang, I asked you to keep an eye on the foreign cinema chains before, how are they doing now?" Zhang Yuan suddenly asked.

"Since you've already sold everything in North America, it's none of my business."

"In Europe, France, Britain, Italy, Bulgaria and other places are all in talks, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"After all, it did well at the domestic box office."

"Australia, New Zealand, and also Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia are no problem."

"No problem at all..." Zhang Yuan asked slyly, "Then can there be a problem?"

"What do you want to do?" Boss Jiang felt a tickle down his spine; this kid was up to no good.

"For example, Britain. Our film has Irish elements, so can it still be broadcast?"

"Just delete it."

What if we don't delete it?

"Are you courting death?" Boss Jiang, who knew him well, said bluntly, "Those white people are the most concerned about their image."

“You can’t expose their shortcomings.”

“No, that would be even better.” Zhang Yuan laughed.

When he asked the company to submit the film for review in Britain, he specifically mentioned that the film contained Irish content.

This will inevitably be rejected.

But if you tell us in advance, there's a possibility of cuts or alterations, and even if they're cut later, the film can still be released.

What he needed was this gap in time, and the news that his film had been rejected by the British censorship authorities.

……

Director Feng has been quite worried ever since he took up part of Zhang Yuan's schedule.

After all, we don't know what tricks this kid will pull.

Especially don't let it involve me, right?

I somewhat regret saying in public that the other party was creating hype.

I'm just doing my job, and I also have some minor emotional issues.

He then kept a careful, secret observation.

Until this day, he saw this Weibo message online.

The overseas release of "Ip Man 2" has been blocked and rejected by British censors!

Ok?
Director Feng immediately became sensitive to the situation.

You could call Feng Xiaogang a scoundrel, but scoundrels often have a very keen sense of smell.

He is the one among the three directors who reacts most quickly to the market.

Therefore, they also reacted to this message.

He immediately thought of the "little trick" Zhang Yuan played when "Ip Man 1" was released.

Back then, Lu Chuan was tormented half to death by him, and even now he can't stand hearing the name Zhang Yuan; just hearing it makes him faint.

"Is it still the same old patriotic marketing tactic?"

People in the film industry have also figured out what Zhang Yuan was up to: patriotic marketing.

Scrolling down the comments, many people are asking why.

Director Feng searched online and soon found claims on forums and online communities that the film "did not pass censorship due to its plot."

It particularly highlights the main storyline of brutally defeating the British villains.

Director Feng thought about it and decided to stick to the same old approach.

Playing the patriotic card.

The box office was boosted by patriotic sentiment.

Don't worry about whether the recruits are old or not, as long as they work.

But after looking at it, Director Feng thought, "This time it might not work!"
Because the situations are different.

Last time, she took advantage of Lu Chuan and rose to fame by messing with his drama.

And nobody bothered this kid.

And the themes are also different.

Last time it was about fighting the Japanese invaders, and the people loved watching that. They would get excited whenever the Japanese were mentioned.

Although there are many "anime fans" in the general public, there are also those who have adopted Japanese culture because they like Japanese culture.

However, most young people have the right understanding and will not forget the war just because they like anime.

But this time it's Britain.

But the Chinese people have completely different feelings towards Britain and the Japanese.

Most people's knowledge of Britain is limited to knowing that there is a Queen with an exceptionally long reign, while football fans or women might know the Beckham family.

Then it was gone.

It's not that I dislike Britain, it's that I'm completely unfamiliar with it.

The price of the British Empire was that half the world became colonies.

When it comes to being unethical and causing chaos in the world, the British are far better than the Japanese.

"This kid messed up, didn't he?" Director Feng thought after watching it.

No matter how much publicity or hiring online trolls is done... he already knows about online trolls.

It probably won't achieve the same effect as last time.

So he felt at ease for the time being.

But before long, he realized something was wrong!
The box office performance of "Ip Man 2" has risen again.

This really startled him!
Quickly find someone to ask if there are any problems with the screening schedule of "If You Are the One 2".

The reply was no, the decline was slow and normal.

After thinking about it again, I remembered my "ally," Poet Chen. A quick check revealed that his screenings had only dropped slightly, not by much.

This is weird!

The number of screenings is fixed, and neither of us has had a reduction. So how did he increase the box office?
Just based on internet marketing?

Are the British being used as negative examples to promote patriotism?

Is patriotism really that powerful?
Not to mention Feng Xiaogang, even the management of Huayi were stunned.

Didn't we take his place?
Where does his box office revenue come from?

On the other side, Zhang Yuan was calling Lao Han.

"Mr. Han, thank you so much."

"Thanks to you this time."

"You little rascal, you always manage to come up with something new," Old Han replied, half-laughing and half-crying.

He already knew what those two established names in the entertainment industry had done.

But nothing major has happened.

Because you can't move; if you do, what will your old connections think of you?

We can't favor Zhang Yuan too much.

So when Zhang Yuan called him a few days ago to talk about this, he instinctively felt a headache when he answered the phone.

This kid is too good at "mourning".

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuan remained very calm this time and did not say anything such as "I was bullied," "you need to save me," or "I'm so pitiful."

Instead, she calmly started chatting with him.

They didn't mention Hua Yi and the poet Chen at all.

Instead, she asked him another question.

“I remember when Ip Man 1 was scheduled for screening last time, we got a slot during Patriotic Month, and it was you who helped arrange it.”

"It's good that you remember," Old Han replied immediately, thinking to himself that he had also helped him a lot.

It also benefits him, as China Film Group holds shares in film companies on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

"I heard that we not only have a Patriotic Month, but also Patriotic Fields on ordinary days, is that right?" Zhang Yuan asked, licking his lips.

One question is, with so many film studios in China, why have ordinary viewers not seen many of their productions, yet they have still lived for so many years?
This is just like a traditional performing arts troupe; it's supported by the state.

However, the methods of raising them are different.

Traditional performing arts troupes put on shows for special events, such as those for government agencies and state-owned enterprises.

Or they can earn some money by making donations through visits to various places.

Film studios, on the other hand, rely on selling films to China Film Group, 6th Princess Film Group, or other international entities.

These organizations have a certain number of positions and funds each year specifically for this purpose.

China Film Group has consistently suffered losses, but few people say that Lao Han is a poor manager.

Because it's only right to lose money.

Just like state-owned enterprises, especially monopolistic state-owned enterprises, it's not too easy for them to make a profit.

The difficult part is being "half-dead"—not making too much money, but not losing it all either.

Because it's so profitable, it actually leads to vicious competition, which affects the market economy and squeezes out the market share of private enterprises.

The same goes for film studios; privately-owned production companies all make films that make money.

Who will make patriotic movies?
Who makes films that depict revolutionary figures, revolutionary events, special units, and the deeds of individuals with special merits?

Only they can film it.

They don't care about box office revenue at all; they give away tickets.

The money came from subsidies received by higher authorities for film production.

Theaters are actually unwilling to show films that don't make money.

But there's no way around it; there are strict targets from above, so it has to be broadcast, even if nobody watches it.

This behavior goes against the laws of the market economy, but in the long run, you will find that it is the right thing to do.

We cannot allow the roots of certain themes to be severed; patriotic education must not stop.

Movies like "Crossing the Chishui River Four Times" and "The Birth of a Warrior" are actually very well made. You might not like watching them when you're young, but you'll appreciate them when you get older.

These are the very events that Zhang Yuan has his eye on!
The so-called "patriotic field".

Patriotic performances are not held late at night; they are usually held in the morning or at noon.

That's still better than a red-eye field!
Especially on weekends, business is quite good during the morning and midday sessions.

Therefore, Zhang Yuan had long known that the British devils were no match for the Japanese devils from the island nation.

Even if they aggressively promote themselves online, claiming they are being boycotted by foreigners, it may not resonate with many people.

There might even be "rational and objective" people who come to criticize you.

"Your movie can't be shown, why don't you reflect on your own problems?"

These days, it's not the post-pandemic era, so people don't yet know how hypocritical and incompetent white people can be.

Many people admire the West.

His target wasn't external publicity, but internal!

They had to label their plays as "patriotic" in order to secure those performance slots.

This publicity campaign wasn't for the general public, but for Lao Han.

Old Han wasn't stupid; he knew what he was up to.

But if Zhang Yuan has prepared an excuse, he can go along with it.

Otherwise, if he just forces it on without any real commitment, he won't be able to explain it to others when they ask.

That's what it means to be respectable; everything is acceptable, and even if you know there's a problem, no one will bother you.

Zhang Yuan asked the other party for three weeks of patriotic space, but it was eventually reduced to two weeks.

The theater chains were incredibly enthusiastic when they heard about this!

Patriotic stadiums are a waste of space; no one watches them and we still have to pay for electricity.

That's so great!
So Director Feng couldn't understand how he could conjure up a food stall "out of thin air".

“Some people are only thinking about forming cliques and eliminating dissidents,” Zhang Yuan said to Lao Han at the end of the call.

"I'm thinking about how to expand this market and attract more hot money."

"Because only when the plate is big enough can more people be fed."

"The size of the market determines the level of Chinese films."

"A third-rate market cannot cultivate a first-rate culture."

He was naturally dissatisfied.

But you have to tell "ghost stories" in front of Lao Han.

Not only do you need to demonstrate your vision, but you also need to say some "big talk" because that's what the other party loves to hear.

"Yes, that's right."

A large enough market allows for more investment in producing high-cost works, a statement Lao Han agrees with.

At the same time, I also felt that this kid's ambition was indeed growing year by year.

She used to cry and make a fuss, but now she's as steady as a dog and doesn't even bother with anyone.

Zhang Yuan remained calm because he understood that he had not offended the theater chains, so they wouldn't go to great lengths to destroy him.

In addition, the film is of high quality, giving me confidence.

This is why he was unwilling to join Zhang Weiping in the protests back then.

Unless I host the event, I'll either avoid offending the theaters or end up offending them.

Old Han was satisfied with his reaction, feeling that young people nowadays are more energetic.

"Speaking of which, I also happen to have something to ask you." Old Han put aside the previous matter.

"There's new news from the Qian Xuesen project; they want to interview you again. Be prepared."

“Okay, one trip after another, it’s a bit of a hassle, but I’m patient.”

"Just be patient!" Old Han clapped his hands. "They really think highly of you."

"There's more good news."

"Last time you recommended that actress, wasn't it rejected?"

"I'd forgotten who rejected it if you hadn't mentioned it," Zhang Yuan said through his snort.

"Alright, alright, it's all in the past." Old Han didn't want to bring it up; it was indeed unethical.

"This time, they're making it up to you by giving you special advice, saying you have other actresses you'd like to recommend."

"They will prioritize reviewing these applications."

Ok?
Zhang Yuan raised one eyebrow.

"When you say 'them,' are you referring to director Huang Jianxin, or...?"

"It's higher up," Old Han said bluntly.

Zhang Yuan felt increasingly uneasy.

Why are you suddenly being so nice to me...? (End of Chapter)