I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

"Ten Red Army Soldiers Send Off" soon came to an end of its theatrical run.

The final box office figure was 15 billion RMB.

Upon seeing these box office figures, everyone fell silent.

Is this still a patriotic film?
In today's film and television industry, patriotic films are not the type of films that audiences like.

The reason is probably the dogmatism of the mainstream ideology, or rather, the stereotypes.

Audiences believe that mainstream films are all monotonous "preachy" works, lacking artistic innovation and individual expression.

It lacks plot twists, comedic style, and romance; in short, it leaves the audience with a stereotypical impression.

Many people believe that mainstream films often promote positive energy through grand narratives and noble themes, while ignoring the complexity of characters and the diversity of stories.

For example, patriotic films always revolve around the glorious deeds of heroic figures, with overly formulaic plots that lack surprises and unexpected twists.

This stereotype causes viewers to develop a negative attitude towards patriotic films even before they watch them.

Another issue is over-marketing.

Sometimes, excessive promotion of patriotic films can provoke resentment among some people.

On social media and various propaganda channels, promotional information for patriotic films is everywhere, giving people the feeling of being forcibly indoctrinated.

For example, before a film's release, various celebrity endorsements, expert reviews, and media hype can make some people feel that the film is too commercialized and profit-driven, leading to doubts and aversion towards the film itself.

Therefore, in the current entertainment industry, patriotic films generally mean losing money.

But Cheng Sheng's "Ten Red Army Soldiers Sent Off" tells everyone that mainstream films can make a lot of money.

Moreover, it earns more than comedy movies.

When "Ten Red Army Soldiers" was nearing its 1 billion yuan box office mark, many film and television companies had already launched patriotic film projects.

Now even those film and television companies that haven't made any moves are setting their sights on this lucrative opportunity.

Suddenly, the entire entertainment industry seemed to be locked in a battle with patriotic films.

It can be said that in just half a month, more than 100 patriotic films have been approved for production.

When the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television saw the hundreds of patriotic scripts that needed to be reviewed, their faces darkened.

Especially after seeing the content of those scripts, the people at the General Administration wanted to kill someone.

This script is a load of rubbish; calling it a script is an understatement—it's more like a historical anecdote.

These film and television companies have absolutely no sincerity.

You're just going to write a script and copy it directly from a history book, right?

Return it.

Return them all.

The box office success of "Ten Red Army Soldiers" has also led to the fact that Chongcun, a small village, has become a popular tourist destination.

Moreover, many film and television companies that want to shoot period dramas or patriotic films have chosen Chongcun as their filming location.

Chongcun Village has thus become popular again, transforming from a small village into a tourist destination.

This made the leaders of Lianhua County and other places extremely grateful to Cheng Sheng.

After all, Chongcun's fame has brought many conveniences to Lianhua County and boosted its economy.

The crew of the Hong Kong film "Twins Heist".

A 24-meter-tall building.

Director Xu Xiaoming said to Wu Jing, "Jing, how about we switch to a stunt double?"

A 24-meter-high building is far too dangerous; only a professional would dare to jump.

Because this part of the story involves jumping off a building and an explosion.

"Director Xu, I want to do it myself."

Wu Jing refused to be a stunt double.

"Okay, take care of yourself." Xu Xiaoming said, patting Wu Jing on the shoulder when he saw that Wu Jing insisted.

"Everyone to your positions. I hope everyone can cooperate well in this scene and get it right in one take," Xu Xiaoming shouted to the director.

five minutes later.

Wu Jing jumped down. An explosion rang out at the same time.

"Save people, put out the fire."

Xu Xiaoming, who was looking at the camera, immediately shouted when the scene ended.

A group of people rushed towards Wu Jing, while another group rushed towards the explosion site with fire extinguishers.

The fire was quickly extinguished, and Wu Jing recovered.

"Very good, you're really fearless."

As another main character in the movie, Hong Jinbao walked over with a bottle of homemade plaster and patted Wu Jing on the shoulder.

Despite wincing in pain, Wu Jing smiled and said, "To make it real, you have to go all out."

"Would you like me to rub it yourself, or should I help you?" Hong Jinbao asked, placing the plaster on the table.

"I'll have to ask you to help me with my back, big brother!" Wu Jing said.

Hong Jinbao applied ointment to his palm and then began to massage Wu Jing.

A few minutes later, it was over, and Wu Jing looked up and said, "Thanks, big brother."

“I have a new movie that’s missing a role. Would you like to give it a try?” Hong Jinbao said.

"What kind of role?" Wu Jing didn't immediately agree, because without knowing the role, he didn't know if he could do it.

“How about giving it a try? A villainous supporting role, a character who is a combination of ruthlessness, cunning, and madness.” Hong Jinbao said.

"Row."

Wu Jing readily agreed.

“The new movie is called ‘Taking the Commander’, and filming will start early next year. You can start filming when you have time,” Hong Jinbao said.

"Mm." Wu Jing nodded.

Hong Jinbao stood up to leave, but suddenly noticed the newspaper on Wu Jing's desk. The newspaper contained the news of "Ten Red Army Soldiers Sent Off".

"You like this type of movie too?" Hong Jinbao asked.

"Hmm." Wu Jing nodded. Actually, while watching "Ten Red Army Soldiers Sent Off," he secretly wondered if he should also make a patriotic film.

"Sigh, back in the day, if someone said a patriotic film could gross 1.5 billion yuan, I would have called them a fraud. The times have changed so much I hardly recognize them anymore," Hong Jinbao sighed.

"Hong Kong's market size is still too small; I'm afraid only the mainland market can generate this kind of box office revenue."

Xu Xiaoming also heard what Hong Jinbao said and shook his head.

Rough words are not rough.

Although Hong Kong cinema was once incredibly glorious.

But he still ruined his own life.

The scale is fixed, but the involution is extremely intense, with people only seeking profit and not efficiency.

Top-level monopoly, bottom-level hardship.

We can't do without veteran actors, but if we use new actors, there's no future for us.

dilemma.

In addition, there was extreme xenophobia.

What followed was rapid decline!
Besides veteran superstars like Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, and Andy Lau who actively embraced the market.

Who can shake up Hong Kong's entertainment industry right now?

Let alone 1.5 billion.

Even a box office of 100 million is an insurmountable chasm.

“Director Xu, you know a lot of people in mainland China. How about we collaborate on a patriotic film?” Hong Jinbao suggested.

Xu Xiaoming has very close ties with the mainland in Hong Kong's entertainment industry.

He was one of the pioneers of co-productions between Hong Kong and the mainland.

In the 80s, he took the initiative to promote cooperation between the two places and directed works such as "The Cotton Robe". These films were well received in the mainland market and became classics of martial arts films at that time.

In addition, Xu Xiaoming also planned the introduction of mainland TV dramas such as "Yongzheng Dynasty" and "Princess Pearl," breaking the monopoly of Hong Kong TV dramas and promoting film and television exchanges between mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. (End of Chapter)