The entertainment industry: My 99 future timelines!

The promotional campaign for "Love Announcement" was launched silently.

In Li Xu's studio, the air conditioning was running at full blast, but there was an invisible tension in the air.

The whiteboard was covered with timelines, channel allocations, and keywords, with layers of red and blue marker marks.

Li Xu sat at the editing table, his eyes fixed on the images flashing on the screen.

He had been working for more than ten hours straight, with a cold cup of coffee and several empty water bottles beside him.

He's editing the trailer.

One is for the general public, and the other is for movie fans.

For the general public, things need to be fast, beautiful, and emotionally resonant.

Liu Yifei's profile in the rain, trembling fingers on the piano keys, silhouettes intertwined in the subway station...

The scene changes rapidly, accompanied by the intense string music from the movie, which abruptly stops at the emotional climax, the screen goes black, and white text appears: "This summer, embark on a healing journey."

It was crisp and clean, like a precise straight punch.

For film enthusiasts, the film should be slow, leave room for interpretation, and be thought-provoking.

The opening scene is a long period of darkness, with only the sound of rain.

Then, a beam of light shone on the old piano, and dust danced in the beam.

A close-up of Song Qingyu's (played by Liu Yifei) eyes, from blank to focused, took five seconds.

Du Minghao (played by Li Xu) stands by the window, his back to the viewer, with the city lights flowing like a river behind him.

There are very few lines, only ambient sounds and scattered, distorted dialogue: "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "...Silence."

Finally, the image freezes on the moment under the umbrella, just as the two hands are about to touch.

The music is a long, drawn-out piano note that gradually fades out.

The subtitles appeared: "See the light, meet yourself."

Calm, reserved, and full of hints.

When Li Xu exported the final file, the sky outside the window was already beginning to lighten.

Shen Ao was asleep on the table next to him, while Wang Jing, who had arrived at some point, was leaning against the sofa, snoring softly.

Li Xu let out a soft breath, leaned back in his chair, and closed his dry eyes.

These two trailers are two stepping stones he has thrown out for the film.

One is thrown into the bustling crowd, the other into the silent pool.

Next, we just have to wait for a response.

-

The response came quickly.

Three days after the film was released, the atmosphere in the studio was noticeably different.

Li Deyuan stared at the computer screen, his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Tudou.com has surpassed 800,000 clicks in a single day! Youku is almost 700,000! We've got three headlines on the entertainment sections of major portal websites!"

Shen Ao sat in front of another computer, scrolling rapidly through the forum page: "Douban has created eight new discussion threads, and the most popular one has already received over 500 replies."

"The popularity is rising on Tieba, Tianya, and Mop."

"Not only that, everyone, with Director Li's talent, these two trailers of ours are now being broadcast on Hunan TV."

"Several cinema managers in first-tier cities have reported that there are significantly more viewers inquiring about our film," Wang Jing said with a smile, his face beaming with joy.

"This is a good thing, but it's also to be expected."

"Visual impact, emotional resonance, plus Yifei's top-notch looks and popularity, these three things are a sure-fire way to make a hit in today's market."

Li Xu sat on the sofa, holding a can of iced cola in his hand, his eyes fixed on the scrolling public opinion summary on the projection screen, and said in a deep voice.

As he spoke, he stood up and walked to the whiteboard in the studio.

On the whiteboard, the left side reads "Popular Sentiment Version," the right side reads "Fan-like Version," and a dividing line is drawn in red in the middle.

Li Xu drew a checkmark under the "Public Sentiment Version" section and asked, "Deyuan, have the survey results on theater scheduling intentions been released yet?"

Li Deyuan quickly pulled up another set of data: "According to the survey on the intention of cinemas to schedule screenings, the average screening rate of core cinemas in first-tier cities is estimated to reach 28% on the first weekend, and 22% in second-tier cities. Manager Zhou said that this is the highest estimated screening rate for domestic romance films in the past three years."

"28%..."

As he repeated the number, a slight smile finally appeared on Li Xu's lips.

This means he made the right bet.

With high praise from industry veterans like Cheng Tung-tien of the Taipei Film Academy, the film lowers the viewing threshold with its exquisite visual aesthetics, accurately captures young audiences with universal emotional keywords such as "healing," "loneliness," and "encounter," and then delivers the final blow with Liu Yifei's impeccable face.

—This combination of tactics worked remarkably well in 2007, an era when social media had not yet fully taken off and traditional media still held a dominant influence.

"But controversy has also begun to arise."

Shen Ao, standing to the side, frowned and brought up several forum pages.

"The popular version is so 'good-looking' that some movie fans and critics think our movie is likely to be superficial and just a high-end music video."

"Some people even posted that our trailer is beautiful, but the core is empty, and it is definitely another fan movie that relies on the faces of celebrities to support it."

"Li Xu, should we contact the moderator to delete the post?"

"Delete what?"

Li Xu waved his hand, walked to the "Fan-Style Version" section, clicked on the playback data for the "Fan-Style Version," and said indifferently, "Controversy is good; what I fear is no one discussing it."

The "Fan-Friendly Version" was only circulated in a few film forums, university BBSs, and film professional communities. Its viewership was far less than the mainstream version, but its interaction data was astonishing—the average viewing time was three times that of the mainstream version, and the average number of words in the comments section exceeded two hundred.

Li Xu casually pointed to a few long reviews and glanced at Shen Ao, signaling him to pay attention.

"This post was written by a second-year graduate student in the photography department at Beijing Film Academy."

"Junior Li Xu's technique of using light and shadow to cut space is very sophisticated, especially the subway station scene. The contrast between the cool-toned fluorescent lights and the warm-toned GG sign light suggests the disconnect between the protagonist's inner world and the external environment. This kind of authorial expression is rarely seen in current domestic commercial films," Shen Ao thought to himself as he watched.

Then he looked at the other posts that Li Xu pointed to, all of which were full of praise.

After reading this, Shen Ao couldn't help but smile.

Li Xu smiled too; this was exactly the effect he wanted.

The general public version is responsible for attracting viewers, while the film buff version is responsible for setting the tone.

The former brings films into the public eye, while the latter allows them to gain a foothold in professional circles. Both are indispensable.

"The degree of public opinion polarization is better than we expected. The current situation is that people who like the general public version will go to the cinema, while people who like the film buff version will speak up for the film."

"These two groups might even start arguing—the fiercer the argument, the higher the buzz."

"Aside from not deviating from the core point, all publicity must firmly adhere to the two keywords 'healing' and 'high-quality film,' and let them debate as they please."

Li Xu began to explain.

"Understood!" Li Deyuan and Shen Ao nodded simultaneously.

-

My phone vibrated.

Li Xu picked up the phone; it was a text message from Liu Yifei. It was very brief: "Li Xu, is now a good time to talk?"

Li Xu raised an eyebrow.

Liu Yifei rarely makes phone calls first, especially during work hours.

He walked to the window and dialed back.

The call connected quickly, and Liu Yifei's voice came through, a little lower than usual: "Li Xu."

"Okay, go ahead."

There was a two-second silence before someone spoke: "My mom... just talked to me about the feedback online."

Li Xu probably guessed it.

As a seasoned agent, Liu Xiaoli will certainly be closely monitoring public opinion.

The public version of the trailer highlights Liu Yifei's "beauty," which will inevitably lead to her wonderful performance being briefly overlooked by the public.

"Is she saying that the audience is talking about your face and appearance, and no one is talking about your performance?" Li Xu asked.

"……Um."

Liu Yifei's voice was muffled, revealing little emotion, but Li Xu could sense that something was wrong with her.

"So what do you think?" Li Xu asked, bringing the phone slightly closer to his ear.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Liu Yifei's voice came through: "I feel... a little unwell."

"But it's not because I'm called a pretty face; it's because no matter how I act, the first thing people always see is my face."

She paused, then gave a self-deprecating laugh: "Sometimes I wonder, if I were less attractive, would it actually be easier for others to notice me?"

Li Xu looked out the window at the bustling streets and did not answer immediately.

He recalled something that happened during the filming.

In the emotional build-up scene before the rainy night kiss scene, Liu Yifei needed to express an extreme sense of loneliness and longing.

He was not satisfied with any of the seven or eight takes.

Finally, he became impatient and yelled at the monitor, "Liu Yifei, your expression is too 'beautiful'! I don't want fairy-like sadness, I want the vulnerability of an ordinary girl on a rainy night, on the verge of collapse. Can you finally let go of this burden?"

The scene was very quiet at the time.

Liu Yifei stood there, raindrops dripping down her hair.

She didn't argue, but simply wiped her face and said, "Director, let's do it again."

In the next scene, she completely abandoned any attempt to control her expression, crying without any regard for her image, her face covered in tears, and she even looked somewhat disheveled on camera.

But the realism and sense of fragmentation that scene ultimately presented deeply moved all the crew members, including Li Xu.

However, after filming that scene, Liu Yifei squatted alone in a corner and cried for a long time.

It wasn't acting; he was genuinely crying.

Li Xu didn't go over there; he just had his assistant bring towels and hot water.

He took a deep breath.

Seeing that Liu Yifei's mood was a bit off, Li Xu slightly adjusted his way of chatting, trying to make his tone as relaxed as possible.

Li Xu smiled and said, "Senior Yifei, it's normal that the first thing the audience sees is your face, because you are beautiful enough."

"But a movie is not a photograph; it's two hours of flowing light and shadow. Your face can attract people to the cinema, but whether you can keep the audience sitting there for two hours and make them want to think about something after watching it depends on the characters, the story, and the performances."

"The movie hasn't been released yet, so they can only see your face. Once it's released, if they leave the theater, they'll still be talking about your face—"

Li Xu paused, then added the last sentence: "That means I didn't film it well."

Li Xu's words finally made Liu Yifei chuckle softly.

Then, Liu Yifei's voice came through, sounding a bit more steady than before: "I understand, Director Li."

"I'll wait for the movie to be released and see how you present my performance..."

"It will happen."

Thinking of Liu Yifei's stubbornness and her almost demanding standards for herself, Li Xu smiled and replied.

The phone hangs up.

Li Xu put away his phone, turned around, and walked back to the work area.

Shen Ao and Wang Jing both looked at him, their eyes questioning.

"fine."

Li Xu waved his hand and sat back down at the computer. "Continue monitoring the data. Focus on observing the spread of the 'Fan Edition' on professional forums and university BBS."

"Li Deyuan, contact those film critics you arranged to meet before. You can send them the 'film buff version' and some in-depth materials to guide their interpretation."

"clear!"

Work continues.

The sounds of keyboard typing, mouse clicks, and hushed discussions mingled with the low hum of the air conditioner.

As Li Xu watched the scrolling data on the screen, Liu Yifei's last words flashed through his mind.

"Just wait and see how you present my performance."

He smiled, opened the project file, and pulled up the footage of the scene before the rainy night.

In the video, Liu Yifei is crying uncontrollably, but there is a burning, genuine light in her eyes.

He thought he would make sure everyone saw it.

It's not just that face.

And behind that face, there's the girl desperately trying to put on a good show.

-

At 11 p.m., Liu Yifei finished showering and sat cross-legged on the bed with her hair still wet.

The laptop is on.

After merging with fragments of future memories, she is no longer completely uninterested in the online world, and occasionally browses content related to movies and fashion.

At this moment, she unusually clicked into Tianya Forum, where a popular post was floating on the homepage of the film and television section:

[Rational Discussion] Was Liu Yifei's performance in "Love Announcement" considered by the director as just a pretty face?

The poster, nicknamed "Movie Elementary School Student," appears to be a seasoned film buff based on his posting history, and his reviews of films are consistently sharp and critical.

Liu Yifei clicked on it gently.

The main post was a lengthy piece of over a thousand words, analyzing everything from the trailer's editing to Liu Yifei's past performances. The conclusion was: "Liu Yifei's face is indeed a top-tier and rare resource in the Chinese film industry, but director Li Xu seems to be too obsessed with presenting this kind of 'beauty,' causing the actors' performances to be swallowed up by the visuals."

"Judging from the current trailer, the upcoming movie 'Love Announcement' is more like an extended music video, with the actors reduced to mere visual elements, which is a pity."

The comments below have already reached over 300 posts.

"The original poster is right! Liu Yifei had some charm in 'Chinese Paladin,' and although she was good as Xiaolongnu in 'The Return of the Condor Heroes,' she relied purely on her looks and temperament; I think her acting was just so-so."

"The person upstairs is an idiot. I think that being able to capture that kind of look in the trailer is a testament to acting skills. You should go watch Bai Xiuzhu in 'The Story of a Noble Family,' that's what you call a wooden beauty."

"It's just a trailer, let's wait for the finished product before making a judgment. But Li Xu, this new director, is quite something. His use of light and shadow is really high-level."

"..."

Liu Yifei scrolled through the comments one by one, her heart beating slightly faster.

When someone praises her, the corners of her mouth will unconsciously turn up slightly; when she sees criticism, her brows will furrow slightly.

When she saw a comment saying, "Liu Yifei only relies on her looks; her acting skills have remained unchanged for ten years," she finally couldn't help but mutter a comment under her breath.

"You've only been consistent for ten years, while I've only been in the industry for five years, ha."