Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 277, Section 275: The First Year of the Revival of Chinese Cinema

Wednesday, December 15, 1999.

On a winter morning in Beijing, your breath turns into mist.

In front of the newsstand, people preparing to go to work or school wrapped themselves up in their coats and lined up to buy the day's morning paper, still smelling of ink.

The front pages or entertainment sections of newspapers such as China Film News, Beijing Youth Daily, and Huaxia Culture Daily were all occupied by the same name—Happy Family, and the name behind it that stirred up countless waves in 1999—Wang Sheng.

"Happy Family" grosses 1632 million yuan in its opening weekend! Wang Sheng sets a new record for his directorial debut! — The headline of the Beijing Youth Daily is direct and powerful.

"Dreams heal reality, warmth and laughter celebrate the New Year! 'Happy Family' ignites a movie-going frenzy on its opening weekend!" - Huaxia Culture Daily focuses more on the social impact of the film's content.

Attentive readers and industry insiders will take a closer look at an in-depth analysis published on page two of the *China Film News*, with a rather inspiring title:

"High-quality content drives the market, and the landscape of the 'Year One of the Revival of Chinese Films' is beginning to emerge!"

The report begins by citing the latest authoritative data:

According to preliminary statistics, the urban heartwarming comedy "Happy Family," directed and produced by young director and producer Wang Sheng and produced by Shengying Media, was released in theaters nationwide from December 10th to 12th (Friday to Sunday). It grossed approximately 1632 million yuan in its opening weekend, easily topping the weekly box office and breaking the opening weekend box office record for domestic comedy films previously held by Wang Sheng himself (the previous record was held by "A Little Thing Called First Love").

"At the same time, another phenomenal youth romance film, 'First Love,' directed by Wang Sheng and released this year, has also had its cumulative box office calculated to be as high as approximately 7129 million yuan after the first round of concentrated screenings lasting one month.

This film, along with *Happy Family*, *Flying Colors* (total box office of approximately 6800 million yuan), and *The Pursuit of Happyness* (total box office of approximately 4789 million yuan), which sparked widespread discussion at the beginning of the year, together constitute four profound marks left by Wang Sheng and his Shengying Media in the 1999 Chinese film market.

The report then shifted its focus, broadening its perspective to encompass the entire year:

"More noteworthy is that, if we broaden our perspective to the whole year, the patriotic blockbuster 'The Birth of a Warrior,' co-produced by Beijing Film Studio, Shengying Media, and others, which created a box office miracle of nearly 1.5 million yuan, has undoubtedly injected an unprecedented boost into this year's domestic film market."

"Based on the performance of several domestically produced films with market appeal that have been released this year, including the aforementioned films, preliminary calculations indicate that the total box office revenue of domestic films in 1999 will surpass the level of the same period in 1998 (Note: In 1998, imported blockbusters such as Titanic occupied a considerable share).

This is a highly symbolic signal—it clearly demonstrates that, given the temporary suspension of imported films due to special circumstances, domestically produced, high-quality, and diverse films are fully capable of filling the market gap and even unleashing greater market potential, driving overall market growth!

The report concluded by quoting a veteran film critic who wished to remain anonymous:

"If the Chinese film market before 1999 was likened to learning the rules and figuring out how to survive while 'dancing with wolves,' then 1999 was a year in which Wang Sheng, Han Sanping, and the innovative filmmakers behind them provided a resounding answer to the question of 'where is the way out for Chinese films' with tangible achievements."

The answer lies not elsewhere, but within ourselves: in resonating with the emotions of local audiences, in meticulous genre production, and in daring to break with convention in market-driven operations. Calling it the 'first year of the revival of Chinese cinema' may be premature, but it certainly deserves the description of 'the initial signs of a new era!'

……

At almost the same time, in a meeting room of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the atmosphere was solemn yet warm.

An internal working meeting is being held to summarize recent work in the film market and to look ahead to the future. Attendees include relevant leaders from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, key personnel from China Film Group, and representatives from major film studios and private film companies.

Han Sanping, Vice Chairman and Vice General Manager of China Film Group, and General Manager of Beijing Film Studio, sat near the podium.

The teacup in front of him was steaming, and although his face remained as composed as ever, the slight raise of his eyebrows and the occasional sharp glint in his eyes betrayed the unease in his heart.

When the meeting reached the market reporting session, and the host asked, "Could Mr. Han Sanping from China Film Group please talk about the recent performance of domestic films in the market?" all eyes in the meeting room immediately turned to him.

Han Sanping calmly picked up a data briefing that had just been delivered and was still warm from printing. He cleared his throat and spoke in a loud voice, getting straight to the point:

"Distinguished leaders and colleagues. According to the latest statistics we have just received, the Lunar New Year comedy 'Happy Family,' which was deeply involved in China Film Group and specifically produced and distributed by Shengying Media, achieved a box office of 1632 million yuan in its opening weekend."

He paused, looked around the room, and the number made many people in the room nod slightly and exchange admiring glances in hushed tones.

"This is just the beginning." Han Sanping's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable strength. "If we look at the whole year, the situation is even more encouraging."

He picked up the briefing and read out the weighty numbers word by word:

"The Pursuit of Happyness, 4789 million; Flying Colors, 6800 million; First Love, 7129 million; and the miracle we created together, The Birth of a Phoenix, nearly 1.5 million!"

With each figure announced, the atmosphere in the room grew more solemn, a silence born of awe at the undeniable achievement.

"These are just a few key films that Wang Sheng's Shengying Media has spearheaded or been deeply involved in."

Han Sanping put down the briefing, placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and scanned the room with his eyes: "In addition to the several high-quality films released by other production companies this year that have grossed over ten million yuan, after preliminary calculations, I can responsibly report to everyone: In 1999, the total box office of our domestic films, despite the temporary absence of imported films, not only did not shrink, but actually surpassed the same period last year!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed excitement and unwavering certainty:
"What does this show? It shows that Chinese moviegoers have never lacked enthusiasm for watching movies! It shows that China's film market has huge potential!"
This further illustrates that Chinese filmmakers, as long as their films are of high quality, fall into the right genre, and are effectively promoted and distributed, are fully capable of supporting the market, winning over audiences, and generating profits!

He softened his tone slightly, but the power in his words remained undiminished:

"Some time ago, there were some doubts and concerns in society, including among some colleagues in our industry, who felt that if imported films were suddenly stopped, would the market collapse? Would the audience be lost?"

Now, the data speaks for itself, and facts matter! The market hasn't collapsed, and audiences haven't left. On the contrary, because we've offered more diverse and higher-quality domestic content, we've expanded the market and brought audiences back to theaters!

"This is the result of market-oriented exploration! This is the victory of genre-based creation! This is the reward for our strategic determination to adhere to 'taking ourselves as the mainstay,' cultivate local cultural resources, and tell China's story well!"

Han Sanping's speech was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples throughout the meeting hall.

Those who agreed were elated, those who pondered had a flicker in their eyes, and even those who had doubts had to re-examine the reality before them and the weight of his words in the face of the irrefutable data.

(End of this chapter)