Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 152, Section 150: Xiang Zhuang's Sword Dance

The November winds, already carrying a biting chill, swept across China from north to south.

However, even colder than this natural breeze was the chill that quietly permeated the hearts of the heads of film companies at the provincial and municipal levels.

The nationwide premiere tour of "30 Days," spearheaded by Wang Sheng, officially launched on November 10th with meticulous planning and the full support of the Beijing Film Studio alliance.

This was a meticulously planned "blitzkrieg" with a carefully calculated route and timeline. The route ran from south to north, relying on the initial contact points and cooperative television resources established by the Beijing Film Studio alliance. Like a precise scalpel, it cut into the heart of the traditional distribution system.

First stop, Hong Kong Island.

Choosing Hong Kong Island as the starting point has profound implications.

Firstly, leveraging Hong Kong's mature entertainment and media ecosystem will generate buzz for the film, creating a high-end image of "exporting to the domestic market." Secondly, Stephen Chow's unparalleled appeal in Hong Kong will ensure a grand premiere. Thirdly, it will send a clear signal to the mainland market: this film has been tested by Hong Kong, the "Hollywood of the East."

The premiere was held at the Lee Theatre in Causeway Bay.

This historic and prestigious cinema maintained its high-end status even in 97.

The promotional slogans were extremely catchy: "The nation's first cinema-quality Lunar New Year film, '30 Days,' is now showing!", "The King of Comedy, Stephen Chow, lends his heart to this film, his first deep collaboration with the mainland, interpreting a heartwarming urban comedy!", "Hong Kong industry insiders got a sneak peek and the reviews were rave! Witness Stephen Chow's different laughter and tears!"

Newspapers, radio, and billboards were covered with this information within just two or three days.

In addition, some "spontaneous" film critics were arranged to publish articles in newspapers praising the film for "retaining the essence of Stephen Chow's comedies while incorporating the everyday life of mainland China, with sincere emotions, laughter and tears, and can be called his transformative masterpiece."

On the night of the premiere, the Lee Theatre was filled with stars. Stephen Chow attended in person and interacted with the audience in his slightly awkward but sincere Mandarin, which elicited cheers.

Wang Sheng's appearance also gave many people in the Hong Kong entertainment circle a general impression of this mysterious "second-generation" figure, "King of the Beijing Circle," and "the strongest film and television person in mainland China."

The theater was packed, with laughter and applause throughout.

After the film ended, many viewers gave positive reviews in random interviews, such as "good", "funny", "touching", and "I never thought Xingxing could act like this".

These images and remarks were fully recorded by the accompanying film crew and became valuable material for subsequent publicity.

The second stop is Shenzhen.

As a window to China's reform and opening up, Shenzhen has attracted a large number of young immigrants with modern ideas.

The promotional focus was on "novelty" and "word-of-mouth": "A hit in Hong Kong, receiving rave reviews! '30 Days' lands in Shenzhen!" and "Stephen Chow brings you a different kind of romantic comedy!"

The premiere was held at the Nanguo Film Union, which was then equipped with the most advanced facilities in Shenzhen.

The same routine: advance publicity, free invoices, and invitations to ordinary citizens, white-collar workers, and young students.

The audience in Shenzhen reacted more directly and enthusiastically, resonating strongly with the film's exploration of marriage and life. The "real audience feedback" forms collected on-site showed almost unanimous praise.

The third stop: Guangzhou.

Riding the wave of entertainment fever sparked by "Super Girl" in the area, the promotion of "30 Days" was almost seamless. Slogans included: "Watch 'Super Girl,' but you should also watch '30 Days'! Let the stars warm your heart this winter!" and "Guangzhou audiences are incredibly excited! Stephen Chow's new film is generating buzz even before its release!"

The premiere was held at the South China Film City.

At this time, the first round of auditions in the Guangzhou region had just ended, and the buzz surrounding the qualifying rounds was still going strong, adding even more attention to the film.

The audience in Guangzhou is well-informed and familiar with Hong Kong films. They are highly receptive to films like "30 Days," which blends Hong Kong stars with mainland flair, resulting in a lively atmosphere at the screening.

Starting in Guangzhou, a subtle phenomenon has emerged.

The local provincial film company, Guangdong Film Company, began to feel extremely uneasy.

They already harbored reservations about the Beijing Film Studio Alliance's television and film business, and now Wang Sheng has directly extended his reach into their core territory—traditional cinema distribution.

Although "30 Days" has only held its premiere and hasn't been widely released yet, this behavior of bypassing them, directly contacting cinemas, and creating a huge buzz through free screenings is undoubtedly a show of defiance. Local media keenly sensed the tension and began reporting, "Wang Sheng, the young leader of Beijing Film Studio, brings '30 Days' to Guangzhou: Is it publicity or a 'challenge'?"

The fourth stop is Hangzhou.

The promotional gimmicks incorporated "culture" and "quality": "A heartwarming Lunar New Year film! '30 Days' invites you to enjoy it by West Lake!" and "Not just a comedy, but life! Stephen Chow's '30 Days' evokes emotional resonance!"

The premiere was held at the West Lake Cinema.

Audiences in Hangzhou were discerning and praised the film's handling of emotional details.

Li Xiuxiu, an intern reporter at Hangzhou TV, naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity and conducted a follow-up report.

Unfortunately, I was unable to have a close, one-on-one meeting with Wang Sheng.

The management of Zhejiang Film Company grew increasingly grim as they watched the enthusiastic media coverage and the eager demand for tickets from citizens.

Wang Sheng's move is tantamount to telling them: even without you, the film can still reach the audience directly and receive a warm response.

Fifth stop, Nanjing.

The promotional materials emphasized the "fusion of North and South": "Northern humor meets Southern warmth! The premiere of '30 Days' in Nanjing was a laugh-out-loud success!" and "Stephen Chow's subversive performance is universally acclaimed!"

The premiere held at the Grand Theatre was also a success.

Jiangsu Film Company felt the same pressure as its counterparts in Zhejiang Province.

Wang Sheng's tour route precisely covers major economic centers in East China, areas with huge box office potential.

Sixth stop, Shanghai.

Shanghai is a major film market center in China and the headquarters of Shanghai Film Studio.

Choosing this location intensifies the sense of challenge. The promotional slogans are even more impactful: "The dark horse of the Lunar New Year film season is here! '30 Days' will challenge your senses of laughter and tears!" and "Stephen Chow teams up with Beijing Film Studio to create a new benchmark for domestic Lunar New Year films!"

The premiere was held at the Shanghai Cinema.

Shanghai audiences are discerning yet tolerant, and they never hesitate to applaud high-quality works.

The film's success here is of great significance.

There was much discussion within the Shanghai Film Studio, with some admiring Wang Sheng's courage and others expressing deeper concerns about their own situation.

Local media used headlines like "The wolf is coming? Wang Sheng 'conquers' the beach with '30 Days'!"

The seventh stop: Jinan, the capital of Shandong province.

Entering the north, the promotional materials focused more on being "down-to-earth" and "family-friendly": "Bring your parents to laugh together! '30 Days' has a heartwarming preview screening in Jinan!" and "Audiences in Shandong Province gave it enthusiastic praise! This New Year's film is different!"

The event held at the China Cinema (Jing'er Road) attracted a large number of citizens.

The Shandong Film Company felt both angry and powerless in the face of this direct "parachute" arrival and the huge commotion it created on its own doorstep.

Because Wang Sheng's team was not conducting a commercial screening, but rather a "promotional screening" or "meet-and-greet with the audience," they were skirting the rules, making it difficult for traditional film companies to directly intervene through administrative means.

Eighth stop, Tianjin.

As the gateway to Beijing, Tianjin's market is closely linked to the capital, and Forbidden City Film Studio also has influence there. Therefore, it was relatively less affected and served more as a warm-up before entering Beijing.

Finally, the tour team, carrying a flood of positive reviews and media exposure gathered along the way, set off in a grand procession for their final stop – Beijing.

(End of this chapter)