Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 224, Section 222: The Great Market Rescue Plan
In the office, only the crisp sound of keyboard typing remained.

Wang Sheng's gaze was calm, as images of the future intertwined with the present reality in his mind, transforming into strings of words that fell into the document.

The projects he selected were the result of careful consideration.

"Flying Colors": The core themes are "college entrance examination" and "comeback", which are almost ingrained in the bones of Chinese families.

The cost is extremely low, the main settings are schools and homes, the demand for actors is small, and the production cycle can be compressed to a very short time.

In this era that emphasizes quality education and how knowledge can change one's destiny, its inspirational core is perfectly correct, and it will pass censorship without any difficulty.

It can accurately target students and parents who hope their children will succeed, filling the market gap in the youth inspirational genre.

"First Love": A pure love story, fresh and natural.

The lack of imported films will free up a large audience, especially young couples and female viewers, who seek a relaxed and romantic movie-watching experience.

This film does not address complex social issues, but focuses on pure and beautiful emotions, and its production costs are also manageable.

It offers an alternative to Hollywood romantic comedies, a more subtle and innocent aesthetic that resonates with Eastern tastes.

My Sassy Girl: This film can be called a "genre bomb". It subverts the traditional positioning of male and female roles in romantic films. The female lead is strong and savage, while the male lead is honest and submissive. This strong dramatic conflict and contrasting charm have a strong entertainment value and are highly topical.

If successful, it will not only boost box office revenue but also lead to a trend of imitation, greatly enlivening the market atmosphere.

Localization requires skillful handling, preserving its core comedic tension while making the female lead's "savagery" seem endearing rather than genuine violence within the context of the national context.

"Fake Marriage": A classic workplace contract romance, a marriage of convenience that blossoms into love, with plenty of comedic elements.

This is also a "satisfying" movie prepared for urban white-collar workers and young audiences.

It satisfies the audience's imagination of lighthearted romance and class transcendence (albeit feigned), with a brisk pace and frequent jokes, making it a decent piece of the commercial film puzzle.

"A Man Called Ove": This is a "surprise weapon" prepared by Wang Sheng.

It has a comedic exterior, but it is wrapped in profound social concerns and explorations of human nature—loneliness, aging, and community neighborly relations.

In the current period of social transformation, works that focus on the individual's spiritual world and the warmth of the community, if well-made, not only have great potential for critical acclaim but may also spark deeper social discussions.

Localization requires effort, transforming the austere and alienating feel of Scandinavia into a Chinese-style social and interpersonal context. The protagonist could be a retired, stubborn old technician or teacher.

As for the alternatives, "Happy Family" (a ghost-themed film) and a possible co-production with Hong Kong, the former has a higher censorship risk and is temporarily shelved; the latter could be a follow-up blockbuster but is not suitable as one of the first projects to be launched quickly.

Despite copying so many romance films, Wang Sheng isn't worried about market saturation.

The current mainland Chinese film market is already limited in genre, and with Hollywood's absence, the supply of entertainment content is severely insufficient.

These romance films each have their own focus, ranging from pure love to comedy to subversive relationships, and their target audiences actually have subtle differences.

Their common function is to quickly fill market gaps, leverage broad viewing demand with a lightweight budget, and especially activate audiences who have developed a preference for romance movies through "Titanic".

As long as the quality is excellent, they will not only not affect each other, but will also form a cluster effect, boosting the entire market for "domestic romance films".

After all, couples are always the main consumers at movie theaters.

……

the following few days.

Wang Sheng personally oversaw the writing of detailed story outlines, character biographies, and key scene descriptions for these projects, emphasizing their respective market positioning, emotional core, and localization direction. Simultaneously, the company's legal department swiftly registered the copyrights for these story outlines and tentative titles under the name of Shengying Media, building the first line of defense.

After completing the initial draft, Wang Sheng carried a thick stack of documents and walked into Han Sanping's office again.

Han Sanping carefully reviewed each proposal, his brows sometimes furrowing and sometimes relaxing.

"The Girl Who Leapt Through Time... This is good. It closely follows the themes of our time and is positive and uplifting."

"My Sassy Girl? Is that going to work? The girl is too fierce, will the audience accept that?" Han Sanping looked up, with doubt.

“Uncle Han, this is a dramatic contrast. Audiences are tired of the gentle, kind, and modest female leads; this kind with a touch of ‘spiciness’ is refreshing. The key is to strike the right balance, making her ‘wildness’ stem from cuteness and genuine nature, rather than being unreasonable,” Wang Sheng explained. Han Sanping pondered for a moment, nodded, and continued reading.

When he saw "Old Shen's List" (tentative title), his gaze lingered on it for a long time.

"Old Shen's List" is adapted from "A Man Named Old Shen Decides to Die".

"This...is interesting. If we shoot it well, we could win an award." He pointed to the document: "We need to focus on this."

In the end, Han Sanping made the decision: "Let's go with this approach! First, let's focus our efforts on tackling the scripts for 'Old Shen's List,' 'Flying Colors,' and 'A Little Thing Called First Love.' I'll give you the green light; if you need any factory resources, I'll coordinate!"

Having obtained the imperial edict, Wang Sheng returned to the company and immediately convened a meeting with the relevant screenwriting team.

He divided the project into three groups:
The team behind "Old Shen's List" was led by a veteran screenwriter who excels at portraying characters' inner thoughts with a delicate touch. The script was required to retain the warmth and humor of the original film while being deeply localized, setting the story in an old urban compound undergoing demolition or renovation, highlighting Chinese-style neighborly relations and intergenerational communication.

The team behind "Flying Colors" was led by a young screenwriter who understood the current campus environment. The goal was to realistically reflect the pressure and family expectations of high school seniors, making it inspiring without being sentimental and passionate without being exaggerated.

Wang Sheng personally oversaw the production of "A Little Thing Called First Love" for a period of time, establishing a fresh and beautiful tone, requiring the downplaying of melodramatic plots, and emphasizing the details of unrequited love and the resonance of growing up.

The entire creative machine of Shengying Media operates efficiently around these three core projects.

……

Time flies, and it's already the end of May.

The atmosphere in a meeting room of the General Administration was solemn and somewhat heavy.

A work briefing meeting on responding to the current special circumstances in the film market is being held.

Attendees included relevant leaders from the State Administration of Radio and Television, key officials from China Film Group, and representatives from regional distribution companies.

Han Sanping, as the vice president of China Film Group in charge of domestic film distribution, gave a key report.

He began by presenting detailed data on the overall situation of the national film market since the suspension of imported films: the box office has declined significantly, and the occupancy rate of some cinemas, especially first- and second-tier cinemas with better facilities and that previously relied on blockbusters to drive box office revenue, has been significantly impacted.

Then, he changed the subject, his tone becoming serious:

"Based on feedback from the hundreds of inspection teams we have dispatched, in the past month, we have discovered and collected evidence of 17 cases of illegal screening of unapproved imported films (mainly Hong Kong films and some smuggled copies and videotapes), involving 23 cinemas in 9 provinces."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room: "For these units that defied the rules, we have taken severe measures, including suspending their operations for rectification, in accordance with relevant regulations, and have dealt seriously with the responsible persons. Currently, this unhealthy trend has been initially curbed."

A low murmur arose in the meeting room.

“However,” Han Sanping raised his voice, suppressing the discussion, “simple blocking and fines cannot solve the fundamental problem! Why do audiences want to watch those illegally screened films? It’s because we don’t provide them with enough or good enough genuine, compliant domestic content!”

Cinemas need to survive, and their employees need to eat. Without film sources, or with subpar films, they will have no choice but to find other avenues. Ultimately, this will damage the very foundation of the Chinese film market—a continued and significant decline in annual box office revenue will be inevitable!

He cited recent market data and research reports, pointing out that if the supply of high-quality content cannot keep up, the viewing habits that audiences have worked so hard to develop may be destroyed, and the entire industry ecosystem will face the risk of shrinking.

"Therefore, we must take the initiative and not sit idly by!" Han Sanping said decisively. "To this end, our China Film Group, together with strategic partners who have strong film production capabilities, has jointly formulated a 'major market rescue plan'!"

He gestured to the staff to start distributing the prepared materials, which were condensed versions of the project plans provided by Wang Sheng.

"The core of this plan is to launch a batch of well-made, diverse, and market-oriented domestic films within the next three to six months to quickly fill market gaps, stabilize cinema operations, and restore audience confidence!"

Han Sanping emphasized the composition of the first batch of key projects:
"As you can see, the projects we have selected include 'Old Shen's List' (tentative title), which focuses on social realities and promotes positive energy; 'Flying Colors' (tentative title), which closely follows educational hot topics and inspires people; and several romantic comedies such as 'First Love' (tentative title), which meets the emotional needs of young audiences... These projects have controllable costs, clear timelines, and precise positioning. They will be fully promoted by excellent production companies such as Shengying Media to ensure that they meet the audience as soon as possible."

He concluded by emphasizing, "The 'Great Rescue Plan' is not just a matter for China Film Group and a few film studios; it requires the support of the entire industry. We hope that all distribution companies and cinemas at all levels can work together with us to provide these new domestic films with ample screening support and promotional resources. Only through our joint efforts, using truly high-quality content to bring audiences back to cinemas, can we overcome these difficult times, safeguard the Chinese film market, and even create a greater future!"

Han Sanping's report was based on solid data and had clear logic. It demonstrated both a clear understanding of the grim situation and proactive solutions.

The list of projects conceived by Wang Sheng became the most powerful testament to this plan, giving many people present a tangible sense of hope.

……

On the original timeline, the total box office revenue in mainland China in 1998 was 14.4 billion yuan, and in 1999 it was 8.1 million yuan, a decrease of about 44%.

(End of this chapter)