Huayu: I rely on hit-movie tactics to interweave...

Chapter 76 Stone

Liu Yu only learned about "Crazy Stone" in Beijing.

That day, he had just finished a meeting about the preparation of "Lucy" and returned to his office when Zhong Lifang knocked on the door and put a film schedule on his desk.

"Boss, Ning Hao's film 'The Big Diamond' is releasing during the May Day holiday, and the promotional campaign has already begun. I invested in the entire film, and Qianlang is the exclusive distributor. You signed that contract last year when you were in Russia." After she finished speaking, she leaned against the door frame, waiting for him to process the news.

Liu Yu paused for a moment, then looked down and flipped through the film schedule.

The film was released simultaneously in theaters nationwide during the May Day holiday. The publicity budget was two million yuan, and all promotional activities, including on-the-ground promotion, Focus Media, and cinema materials, were fully implemented.

"Sister Chung, when did you sign the contract?" He looked up at her, the film schedule in his hand still flipped to the cover, not yet seeing the contents.

"Last July. During the few days you were having meetings with Lionsgate, Ning Hao came to see me. I read the script, thought it was good, and gave the approval." She shrugged. "Anyway, the company has some money in the account, not much, a cost of five million, we won't lose too much."

She spoke very softly when she said that she wouldn't lose much, as if she were talking about something not worth worrying about.

Liu Yu leaned back in his chair, turning his mind over in his head.

Five million in costs, two million for marketing and promotion, seven million in budget.

In the 2006 film market, this amount of money wouldn't even cover a single meal for some blockbuster films.

Chung Lai-fong dared to invest in a comedy film by a new director without informing him beforehand, not out of impulsiveness, but because of the judgment she had honed over many years in the industry; after watching enough bad movies, she could tell at a glance what was worth taking a gamble on.

"Do you still have the sample film? Let me see." He placed the schedule on the table, his fingers pressing on the edge of the paper without letting go.

Chung Lai-fang had her assistant deliver a sample disc.

Liu Yu put it into his computer, leaned back in his chair, and watched it for ninety minutes without fast-forwarding even once.

When he saw Dao Ge and his gang, who were pretending to be a moving company, being cornered by the police, he touched his chin and his lips moved slightly.

When he saw the bespectacled secretary using the character "排" (pái, meaning "arrange") on the wall to write the character "拆" (chāi, meaning "demolish"), he paused the video, rewound, and watched that scene again before continuing.

He laughed when he saw the bread truck crash into the BMW.

As the final scene ends, Blackie runs along the elevated highway, munching on bread, while the bakery owner chases after him on a motorcycle. The background music is Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker," a serious yet almost provocative choice of background music.

Liu Yu ejected the disc and put it back in the box.

"Sister Chung, you made the right choice in investing in this film." He said this in a flat tone. "The multi-narrative structure is well-controlled, and the dialogue is solid. The audience won't feel offended, nor will they feel underestimated. You can distinguish between jokes and slapstick. The jokes in this film grow from the relationships between the characters, not copied from internet memes."

The promotional campaign for "Crazy Stone" began in early April.

Liu Yu later learned that Zhong Lifang had devised a whole plan: first release the trailer, then the behind-the-scenes footage, and then have Ning Hao take several lead actors to several cities for preview screenings.

Two million in marketing expenses is nothing in 2010, but for a low-budget film in 2006, it was considered a mid-range amount.

The trailer was playing on Focus Media's GG screen, posters were plastered in the lobbies of major cinemas, and people started discussing "that supposedly very funny domestic comedy" on online forums.

Liu Yu sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, looking at a poster with the words "Crazy Stone" printed on it. He thought to himself, "Zhong Lifang always does things this way. She does things quietly, and only when things are in full swing do you realize that she has already laid the groundwork for a long time."

On April 29th, "Crazy Stone" premiered in Beijing.

The location was a newly opened cinema in Chaoyang District, Hall 6, with more than 200 seats, which was completely full.

The front row was occupied by invited guests and media, while the back row was occupied by ordinary audience members. Staff also temporarily added a row of folding chairs at the entrance of the hall.

Liu Yu arrived half an hour early and met Ning Hao in the backstage lounge.

He was wearing a black T-shirt, and his hair was a little messy. When he saw Liu Yu, he stood up somewhat awkwardly, as if he didn't know how to start a conversation.

"Director Liu, thank you for coming," he said, then, as if feeling that this wasn't enough, he added, "Thank you to Qianlang for investing in this film."

Liu Yu patted him on the shoulder, "Don't thank me. Thank Sister Zhong. She saw how good this film was before I did."

He paused for a moment, then said, "If you really want to thank me, then enjoy tonight. Premieres only happen once, and then they're gone."

Ning Hao smiled, a smile that contained both tension and a hint of relief.

He had probably been mentally on edge for a long time before entering the hall, unsure of what to expect.

The red carpet at the premiere was short, but the star power was dazzling.

Yu Dong walked ahead, wearing a dark jacket, chatting with Zhang Guoli beside him. Zhang Guoli was wearing a gray Zhongshan suit.

Liu Ye and Xia Yu entered the venue together. Liu Ye was dressed casually, while Xia Yu was dressed formally. The two couples, who looked like they came from different eras, collided head-on, which added an unexpected touch of fun to the red carpet.

Huang Xiaoming was wearing a black trench coat and strode in. Shu Chang, wearing a white dress, followed behind him and looked the youngest and most relaxed.

Han Sanping was the last to arrive.

He was wearing a dark blue suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he walked in side by side with Wang Zhonglei. He paused on the red carpet, waved to the media cameras, and didn't say much.

When Liu Yifei arrived, reporters on both sides of the red carpet visibly pressed the shutter button several more times.

She wore a black short jacket over a white T-shirt, jeans, and flat shoes, with her hair down, and didn't look like she was there to walk the red carpet.

She walked to the autograph wall, picked up a pen and signed her name. When she turned to face the camera, she didn't smile deliberately; she just stood quietly for two seconds before walking into the theater.

Liu Yu stood at the entrance of the theater. When he saw her walk in, their eyes met. He didn't say anything, and neither did she. They just smiled at each other slightly.

Han Sanping took the stage and said a few words: "Ning Hao is a regular at international film festivals. His films 'Incense' and 'Green Grassland' have received good responses abroad. 'Crazy Stone' is his first foray into the domestic market. We are very willing to help outstanding young directors like him."

When Liu Ye went on stage, the audience below the stage visibly perked up.

He was wearing a black T-shirt, took the microphone, and didn't say much formality. His tone was much more casual than Han Sanping's.

"We trust director Liu Yu's vision. He told me that although 'Crazy Stone' had a low budget, it was definitely the most interesting film Qianlang Pictures had made in recent years. I saw a sample film at Qianlang Pictures before, and it was very good. I believe the audience will definitely like it."

After he finished speaking, he handed the microphone to Ning Hao.

Ning Hao took the film and his first words were: "Crazy Stone is a film that portrays different behaviors and mindsets in the struggle and acquisition of things. The entire film was shot in Chongqing, and a large amount of dialogue is in the Chongqing dialect."

He spoke in a very flat tone, as if afraid that if he talked too much, people would think he was showing off. "Mountain City is a developing and emerging metropolis. It has a unique urban character that is both flamboyant and reserved."

During the movie screening, the laughter never completely stopped from the very first sound.

When Dao Ge and his group, disguised as a moving company, were caught by the police stealing furniture, some people laughed; when the bespectacled secretary used spray paint to write the word "demolish" on the wall, some people laughed; when the van crashed into the BMW, the whole audience laughed in unison for the first time.

During the post-screening Q&A session, a reporter asked Luo Jing if he could repeat that line.

Luo Jing stood up from his seat, cleared his throat, and reproduced the line "I'll fuck you!" from the movie in his Cantonese-accented Mandarin, which sparked another wave of laughter.

When Ning Hao took the microphone, he suddenly glanced at Liu Yu in the audience and said with a smile that he originally wanted Liu Yu to play the role of Mike.

The reporters immediately turned their attention to Liu Yu in the audience, and the lights in the hall followed suit.

Liu Yu sat in the first row, on the side, and felt the beam of light shining on him, like a stage spotlight that hadn't been arranged beforehand.

When the microphone was handed to him, he stood up, took the microphone, and faced the audience.

"I actually tried acting in a scene with Mike," he paused, as if searching for a suitable way to put it, "but how should I put it, I'm reminded of something my teacher once said: 'Even a dog could throw you a bone more easily than you.' Anyway, I'm hopeless at acting."

After he finished speaking, laughter and applause filled the hall.

As Liu Yu sat down, he caught a glimpse of Liu Yifei sitting a few rows away, also smiling, though the curve of her lips wasn't very pronounced.

It was almost 10 p.m. when the premiere ended.

The guests left one after another, and the theater gradually emptied.

Liu Yu stood in the backstage corridor, leaning against the wall, and chatted with Ning Hao for a few minutes.

Ning Hao's girlfriend, Xing Aina, stood beside him, holding his coat, as if waiting for him to walk together.

Just as Liu Yu was about to leave, a voice came from behind him: "Director Liu."

Liu Yu looked at her. "So what are your plans for the future? Besides training, is there anything else?"

"Training. Then filming." She mimicked his tone and added, "After filming, we have to record an album; the company said it will be released in the second half of the year."

"Then you're busier than me."

"I'm busier than you." She smiled, then, as if remembering something, added, "Oh, right, you asked me to call you 'brother,' and when I tried it, it didn't feel quite right."

"Then we won't call it that."

"No. You said I need to get used to it."

She didn't say anything more. The two of them stood there, half a step apart, and the corridor was quiet.

She broke the silence first: "Then I'll go now. I have to get up early for training tomorrow."

"Okay. Drive carefully."

"Okay." After she finished speaking, she turned around and took two steps, then turned back and said, "Good night, Brother Liu."

She spoke quickly as if rushing to finish before she could change her mind. Then she quickened her pace and walked out of the door at the end of the corridor.

Liu Yu stood there, watching the door slowly close behind her.

The next morning, the entertainment sections of major portal websites were already filled with news of the premiere of "Crazy Stone".

One media outlet used a headline that even made Liu Yu raise his eyebrows, accompanied by a picture of Ning Hao speaking on stage while he stood below, listening with his head tilted to the side, and Liu Yifei smiling broadly, showing eight teeth. The picture looked like it had been carefully chosen by the reporter.

One netizen commented in the comments section, "A film invested in by Director Liu shouldn't be bad."

Some people also shared the trailer link, saying, "I watched it three times and laughed until my stomach hurt."

However, what surprised Liu Yu the most was that people on several forums started spontaneously discussing the details of the movie.

In the afternoon, Liu Yu ran into Ning Hao downstairs at the company.

He was wearing a gray coat, his hair was still messy, and he seemed to be in better spirits than before the premiere; the tension on his face had been replaced by a relaxed expression.

"Director Liu, my girlfriend said that the media reports are all positive, which makes me a little uneasy." He sounded like he was talking to himself.

"You're the kind of person who doesn't feel at ease whether I praise you or criticize you." Liu Yu didn't look at him, his gaze fixed on the gray-white wall in the distance behind him. "So, what do you think?"

Ning Hao thought for a moment, "I think it's alright. But if the audience doesn't buy it, even the best 'alright' won't help."

"Then let's wait for the release. Whether it works or not, the audience will decide."

Ning Hao paused for a moment, as if weighing the question in his mind. "So, how much do you think this film will actually gross?"

"Fifty million, I guess."

"I want to hear the truth."

Liu Yu stopped, turned to look at him, and said, "I'm telling the truth. You think fifty million is too high?"

Ning Hao gave a wry smile. "A five million investment, and you say it'll gross fifty million at the box office? Do you even believe that yourself?"

Liu Yu didn't answer, turning his head to look into the distance. "Believe it or not, you'll know by the end of May."

Ning Hao didn't press the matter further. He lowered his head and thought for a while before changing the subject, saying, "Director Liu, next time I make a film, can I ask Qianlang to invest again?"

"I'll shoot if you shoot."

Ning Hao smiled, turned around and left.

He walked with a more steady gait than when he came. Liu Yu stood there for a while longer, watching him walk into the elevator and the doors close.

Then he turned around and walked back to his office, turned on his computer, and several new messages popped up on the screen.

One of the posts was by Liu Yifei. It contained no text, only a photo. She had just finished working out at the gym, covered in sweat, and was making a "V" sign at the camera. Her workout clothes were stained with dark sweat.

Liu Yu looked at the photo, typed a few words in the input box, then deleted them, and finally only replied with one sentence: "Finished practicing?"

""

She replied instantly: "I'm done practicing. Teacher Hong said I can go home early to rest today. We'll continue tomorrow."

He thought about it and didn't reply.

He sat in his chair, the evening sky outside the window slowly darkening in Beijing. In the office, only the light from the screen reflected on his face, flickering like a lighthouse that had not yet decided where to go.