Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 118 Lu Chuan's Harsh Words
Zhang Chen didn’t know that film critics had been targeting him, and even if he knew he probably wouldn’t care.

Dong Jianqiang once asked him whether he wanted to invite some film critics to review some movies. This is a common practice and can be regarded as a form of protection fee.

For movies that have paid protection fees, film critics will either not review them, or if they do, they will show some leniency.

But Zhang Chen felt it was unnecessary.

"The Shallows" is a pure curiosity-seeking thriller without any depth. Even if you pay film critics, they probably won't praise it too much, so there's no need.

……

On the first day of the film's release, Zhang Chen was not idle either. He was arranged to have an exclusive interview with Sohu.com today.

Don’t think that everything will be fine once the movie is released. The first two days are just appetizers. The real busyness has just begun.

The interview started with four trailers of "The Shallows". Yes, four.

At this time, there is usually only one version of the trailer, but Zhang Chen provided four.

Each one has a different focus...

Bikini~
Good figure~
Attacked by a shark
Blood dyed the sea red~
Whale carcass
Shark hits whale
Run for your life
Suture the wound
Signal gun
Launch failed~
Shark fin breaks the water~
Each shot is just a flash, but when put together they express a lot of emotions.

There is eroticism, urgency, pain, and unwillingness~
"Wow, Fan Binbin is so beautiful in the movie~"

"Thank you." Fan Jiuyi thanked with a smile.

"It is said that you didn't know how to surf before filming this movie. Did you learn it on the spot?"

"Yes. Actually, I played a trick on the director at the beginning..."

"Oh, what exactly is it?"

"At first Director Zhang called me to ask if I could swim. I said yes and that I used to be a member of the swimming team. Then the director asked me if I could surf. Actually I couldn't, but I knew it had something to do with the role, so I lied and said I could."

The reporter acted as if he suddenly understood something: "Aren't you afraid of being exposed? What if the director finds out that you can't do it? Aren't you afraid of being kicked out of the crew?"

Before Fan Jiuyi could answer, Zhang Chen smiled and shook his head: "How could that be? I'm not that fierce, and Sister Binbin was the biggest star in the crew at that time, I wouldn't dare to do that."

After saying this, both of them smiled, and the host also laughed.

Today's resources were not contacted by Xingchen Entertainment, but by Fan Binbin herself, so unlike in the past, she is the focus of the interview today.

Zhang Chen was also happy to cooperate, after all it was to cooperate with the film promotion.

But reporters would still throw topics to Zhang Chen from time to time, so he didn't make people feel left out.

The host asked, "What difficulties did you have directing this kind of monster movie for the first time?"

"Of course there are difficulties, but this is my own choice, so I won't talk about it!"

The host was stunned for a moment: "Why don't you share it with us?"

Zhang Chen shrugged: "Actually, I really hate saying this. Filmmaking is definitely not easy, with exposure to the wind and sun, but any industry is actually not easy. In comparison, the film and television industry is considered good.

So let's just skip the sad part. When I used to watch TV shows, I hated watching this kind of sad part the most. The actors talked about how much they had suffered with great emotion, and how they gained or lost so much weight for the role, but isn't this what they should do?

This is the money you earn.

What the audience cares about is always the movie itself. If the quality of the movie is good, the audience will love to watch it. If the quality is not good, the audience will criticize it.

It's that simple.

As for the efforts of the director and actors, those are just self-touching, the audience is actually not interested in these things..."

The host changed the topic: "Let's talk about the movie. I heard it cost 1000 million!"

Zhang Chen nodded: "Yes, China Film invested 200 million to support new genres, and the rest was invested by Xingchen Entertainment."

“But some people say that The Shallows is just bragging, and a real special effects movie can’t even make less than 1000 million…”

Zhang Chen shook his head: "The person who said this must be an outsider. The special effects of this kind of fish monster movie are actually the easiest to make and the cheapest.

The initial budget for "The Shallows" was 600 million. I thought I could have made "The Shallows" with 600 million. Later, our company's manager Dong advised me that since I was going to do it, I should make the effect better. So I decided to expand the budget to 1000 million.

1000 million is actually not a small amount. For a movie, the bigger the investment, the better. The cost and benefit must be considered.

Of the 1000 million, more than half was spent on special effects, and not much was spent on other aspects.

Actually, strictly speaking, the cost of making The Shallows was more than 1000 million, and at least Mr. Fan only received a small symbolic salary..."

Zhang Chen was talking about Fan Jiuyi’s current pay.

After winning the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, Fan Jiuyi's pay increased several times.

But "The Shallows" was filmed before the emergency Hundred Flowers Awards, and Fan's salary was really low at that time.

"The movie is scheduled for November, aren't you worried about the box office?"

"Don't worry, I have confidence in my movie!"

Then it was discovered that Fan Jiuyi was covering his face and laughing, and the host immediately questioned him.

Fan Jiuyi revealed: "In fact, Director Zhang went to several landmark cinemas to check before coming. He was relieved to see that many people were buying tickets for The Shallows."

Fan Jiuyi's uncooperative revelation immediately caused laughter from the audience. A trace of embarrassment flashed across Zhang Chen's face, and he also laughed.

This was of course arranged in advance. As a piece of publicity, if anyone is serious about it, there has to be some weird things.

In later variety shows, the two mentors would often fight with each other, or the two sisters would compete openly or secretly.

It is not ruled out that some of them are true, but most of them are arranged in advance by the crew. As for the conflict points, they arrange what the audience likes to watch.

"Okay, okay, I was a little worried at first. It's like giving birth. Even if the doctor tells you in advance that the baby is healthy, parents are still very nervous before the baby is born. What if the results are inaccurate? What if the baby is deformed..."

"Then how come it's born?"

"The first weekend box office is basically determined. In fact, the first day box office can also roughly predict the final box office and whether the film is popular."

"So what do you think the first-day box office is going to be?"

"1000 million, maybe. My goal is to make over million. If the first-day box office exceeds million, I can basically achieve this goal."

“Wow, it pays for itself in one day?”

"It's not calculated that way. A lot of things are deducted from the domestic box office revenue, and the final share that can be left to the producers is about 35%. In other words, the box office of The Shallows must reach at least 3000 million for us to break even."

At this time, the host of Sohu.com took out a piece of paper and said, "Here are the top three questions we collected from netizens about The Shallows. Director Zhang, please answer them for us..."

"Of course." Zhang Chen waved his hand.

"First, I heard that you took special care of Fan Binbin on the crew..." said the host with a smile.

Zhang Chen also smiled and replied: "It can't be said that I am taking special care of her, but I am definitely treating her differently. I can't help it. Sister Binbin is the biggest star in the crew of The Shallows, and I am just a new director. Sister Binbin is the biggest star in our entire crew. She took the initiative to ask for cooperation and even reduced her salary. I must take good care of her."

"But there are reports that you fell in love during the filming?"

"Falling in love because of a play? Impossible. I'm a director, not an actor. How can I fall in love because of a play?"

This point definitely needs to be explained, scandal hype is only suitable between actors. Between directors and actors, it is not called scandal hype, that is called unspoken rules.

If this reputation is confirmed, he will be infamous in the circle.

Even if this is true, many things are like this, you can do it, but you can't say it. Fortunately, this kind of question was prepared before, Fan Jiuyi was too black.

She is not like Li Lianhua.

Li Lianhua has a typical insulating physique, the type that cannot become popular even if someone creates scandals.

Even when she was caught on surveillance camera entering the same room with F4's Zhou Yuming, it didn't cause any stir.

The evidence is solid, yet no one cares.

Zhang Chen only found out about this incident by accident when he was reading a novel later. It seemed that there was no report about it at all in his previous life.

……

Xin'an Shopping Center Cinema

After the movie started, Lu Chuan, wearing sunglasses and a mask, once again walked into the screening room of "The Shallows".

At this stage, before the pneumonia epidemic, few people wear masks on the streets.

After the pneumonia, masks have become trendy products in addition to their medical properties. Shopping malls have all kinds of good-looking masks, and no one will mind if you wear one on the street.

But it’s not like that now. In 04, if you went out on the street wearing a mask, people would really think you had an infectious disease.

Lu Chuan walked into the cinema under the strange looks of others. Fortunately, he chose to enter after the movie started so that no one noticed him.

Although she had already seen it once at the premiere, Lu Chuan decided to watch it again on the first day of its release.

Before you attack your enemy, you must first understand your enemy.

Lu Chuan understood this principle.

He reported the case under his real name two days ago, but the General Administration ignored it, which made him very angry.

But it doesn’t matter. Even if the General Administration ignores it, there is still social opinion.

If public opinion reaches a certain level, the General Administration will certainly not be able to pretend not to see it.

Lu Chuan came here today to collect materials.

……

In the afternoon, Dong Jianqiang was in charge of the company to receive feedback from various theaters.

Tickets are hard to come by at Wudaokou Cinema~
There is a long queue at Wukesong Cinema~
The movie tickets for The Shallows at Xizhimen Xingmei Cinema have been sold out for the day, and are currently pre-selling tickets for the next day...

Various good news came one after another, and the few employees of Star Entertainment all had smiles on their faces.

Dong Jianqiang was also very happy. "The Shallows" was his first project after joining Star Entertainment, and he certainly wanted to achieve results.

Although the first day box office figures have not come out yet, Dong Jianqiang estimates that they will definitely not be bad.

The screening schedule of "The Shallows" was really awesome from the cinema chain.

At the previous film screening, the heads of the top ten cinema chains all expressed their support for "The Shallows", and this statement came true today.

The four major cinema chains, China Film Group Star Cinema, Southern Shinkansen, BJ New Film Association, and Shanghai United Cinema Chain, all have screenings accounting for more than 80%. For other cinema chains, even if they have a smaller share, the share is around 50%.

I do support it, but it’s mainly because there are too few screens nowadays.

The price is less than 3500 yuan across the country. It’s so hard to get a good movie released, so of course the theaters will give it preferential treatment.

The more The Shallows makes, the more theaters make.

They knew that "The Shallows" was not a blockbuster, with a cost of only 1000 million. But director Zhang Chen had proven himself before, with "The Darkness" with a cost of 200 million earning 6000 million at the box office. He was determined that "The Shallows" with a cost of 1000 million would earn over million.

Therefore, "The Shallows" enjoys the treatment of a real blockbuster.

In the cinema, Lu Chuan was very angry when he saw the screening schedule.

Why was it that when my movie “Kekexili” was released, you all were pessimistic about it, but when it came to Zhang Chen’s “The Shallows”, you gave it such strong support?

It's pure discrimination.

The more Lu Chuan thought about it, the angrier he became.

What's in "The Shallows"? It's a thoroughly commercial film, a curiosity film, without any humanistic feelings, and does not reflect any social issues. In Lu Chuan's opinion, such a film is garbage, cultural garbage.

After the movie ended, Lu Chuan followed the crowd out of the theater. The long queue of people lining up to buy tickets in the ticket hall remained unabated.

People were still discussing the recent plot with great interest.

Lu Chuan pricked up her ears and eavesdropped for a while. People generally had three deep impressions of "The Shallows".

The first three minutes show Fan Binbin changing clothes on the beach, which is erotic and beautiful.

The scene in the middle where the heroine uses the necklace to sew up her wound is inexplicably shocking.

The way the heroine kills the shark at the end is refreshing.

Hearing that most of the voices were praises, Lu Chuan felt even more unhappy.

It happened that a reporter who didn't know the magazine was interviewing the audience and asked about their experience after watching the movie.

Lu Chuan had not originally planned to confront the enemy head-on. He had planned to write an article to secretly mock the enemy after returning home.

But perhaps he was provoked and suddenly decided to change his mind.

Zhang Chen could say in an interview that the box office of "Kekexili" would not be very good, so why can't he comment on "The Shallows"?

Lu Chuan did it as soon as he thought. He took off his sunglasses and mask, revealing his true face, and then walked towards the reporters.

What a coincidence, the reporter actually knew him.

"Director Lu? Are you coming to see The Shallows, too?"

The reporter's eyes lit up, and he subconsciously felt that he might be able to get some explosive news today.

"Yes, I just watched The Shallows."

"What does Director Lu think of this movie?"

For a moment, Lu Chuan seemed to have forgotten that Zhang Chen's comment about the poor box office was taken out of context by NetEase Entertainment.

He just wanted to fight back.

"The Shallows is a purely commercial film, a popcorn movie. From the perspective of film art, it has no artistic value at all."

“But The Shallows is indeed selling like hot cakes. Almost all the people queuing up to buy tickets in the ticket office are here for The Shallows.” The reporter added fuel to the fire.

"That's because he played some really cheap stuff in the movie."

"for example?"

"Erotic."

The reporter's hands were shaking with excitement. Then he seemed to remember something and asked, "I remember other media said that the cost of "The Shallows" and "Kekexili" was 1000 million yuan each, and China Film invested 200 million yuan each. "Kekexili" has been taken off the screen and the box office seems to be 680 million yuan. The director of "The Shallows", Zhang Chen, claimed that the box office of "The Shallows" will definitely exceed million yuan. What do you think about this?"

(End of this chapter)