Chapter 1591
Collaboration
If you ask when China's "great comedy" era began...
That can be stated very clearly as the 2012 China Fortune fiscal year.
The comedy films "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" and "Lost in Thailand," respectively led by Hong Kong and Taiwan and mainland China, completely opened up the domestic comedy market.
This also solved a problem.
This is a problem that the three major directors of the previous generation all faced.
They believe that only blockbuster films that are recognized by foreigners can achieve high box office returns.
Even though Feng Xiaogang also directed "The Banquet".
The movie "Lost in Thailand" effectively refutes this question.
Without needing foreign approval, relying solely on the approval and love of mainland audiences can yield unimaginable rewards.
To put it simply, there are only a few points.
What foreigners like is none of my business.
First, please cater to the domestic audience.
Meaning over substance is utter nonsense; being interesting is what truly matters.
And the way "Lost in Thailand" proved all of this was through its box office performance!
The film was released on a Wednesday.
Although theaters were optimistic about the film, Xu Zheng was not a renowned director, so he did not schedule the film's release on the best five or six days like "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" did to boost the opening week's box office.
Even on a Wednesday before the Lunar New Year, people were either rushing to finish their last work before the holiday or preparing to go home.
On such a lukewarm day, including the midnight screenings, "Lost in Thailand" grossed nearly 4000 million yuan at the box office.
It achieved the total box office of "Lost in Thailand" in just one day.
This is the power of publicity.
Of course, it is also related to the success of "Lost in Thailand".
Although "Lost in Thailand" did not have a particularly explosive box office performance, not many people went to the theaters to watch it.
But many people watch pirated versions!
Pirated downloads also have a large user base.
Just like Stephen Chow's popularity in mainland China, it was built up through various pirated resources on the internet.
The 4000 million on the first day seems alright, considering that "Painted Skin 2" and "Journey to the West" both grossed over 8000 million.
But as long as you add more qualifiers, anyone can be number one.
Congratulations to "Lost in Thailand" for breaking the record for the highest single-day box office on a Wednesday in China!
Such headlines appeared on Weibo and Baidu.
Tell me, isn't that right?
Laymen might find it funny, but experts would be absolutely shocked when they see this number!
For a typical movie, a daily box office of over ten million or twenty million is considered a big hit, typically from Monday to Thursday.
Most Hollywood blockbusters are only this good.
The last Hollywood blockbuster to achieve this level of weekday box office performance was...
Xiao Wang, reminded by Fei Lin, kept a close eye on information about "Lost in Thailand".
He retrieved the data from his computer for comparison and received an answer that he found unbelievable.
The last movie to have such a strong box office performance on a weekday was Avatar!
That top-tier blockbuster that opened the eyes of audiences and theaters across the country.
"how is this possible?"
Xiao Wang didn't believe it, or rather, he didn't want to believe it.
"Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons" was also very intense; he was angry, but it was acceptable.
Because this was a work that he had his eye on, but Zhang Yuan had taken it from him.
It could be said that the shareholders hindered us, causing us to miss a good opportunity, rather than it being a decision-making error.
The current "Lost in Thailand" is entirely Zhang Yuan's creation; no one can compete with him for it.
This is inexplicable.
Chun Chun's family has better taste.
Not only do they have better vision, but they also have better skills.
Someone in the company has already started analyzing the documents and sent them to his desk.
The series of promotional activities before the film's release were all very skillful.
From hyping up Siamese internet celebrities to criticizing "Life of Pi" for being too dark, everything was paving the way for this film.
The film "Lost in Thailand" is constantly being emphasized for its fashionable and joyful attributes.
Offline promotion is outdated; online promotion is the future trend!
This is something that many veteran filmmakers find hard to understand, just like how early internet users viewed AI.
So Xiao Wang read the report, but still didn't fully understand it.
This must be a technical adjustment.
Even if the box office was good at the beginning, it was still achieved through manipulation.
Even though he secretly watched "Lost in Thailand," he still thought it was inferior to Feng Xiaogang's earlier comedy films.
All I can say is, sir, times have changed.
Director Feng's satirical and cynical sales tactics aren't unpopular; they're just a bit outdated.
Looking at the banner that had been prepared in advance and hung high in the annual meeting venue, he still did not want to take it down.
But reality three days later shattered his last illusions.
Friday saw a single-day box office exceeding 9000 million!
"Lost in Thailand breaks the record for the highest single-day box office for a Chinese-language film!"
This time, there are no qualifiers!
They broke the record in a real way.
But it's not over yet.
Three more days passed.
"Lost in Thailand breaks the record for the highest-grossing opening week for a Chinese-language film!"
It grossed over 3.5 million yuan in its first week, giving the Chinese film industry a small but significant comedic surprise.
At this time, the year 2013 in the lunar calendar officially began.
On New Year's Eve, cinemas closed early, resulting in poor box office revenue for the day.
But the next day, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, people went out again to visit relatives and friends, and to have meals and dates.
The cinema was filled with audiences enjoying the holiday and New Year atmosphere.
A vibrant scene of life, where everything flourishes.
Sitting at home, Zhang Yuanzheng was exchanging feelings with teacher Li Xiaoran.
In the capital city, fireworks are not set off on the streets, but they can be set off at home.
He dribbled the ball with one hand while answering New Year's greetings and congratulations from various people.
Half of them mentioned the huge success of "Lost in Thailand".
"Congratulations, Mr. Zhang."
"Congratulations on your fortune! You've made a fortune again!"
"I watched the movie and laughed for two hours. It was great."
He thanked them one by one.
Many people asked him when he would hold a celebration banquet.
"No rush. There will be a celebration, but it won't be like other movies where we keep holding press conferences."
"That's too old-fashioned."
He found the whole "ice-breaking" ceremony annoying.
Jia Shikai also called him, and in addition to the usual congratulations, he mentioned something.
“I have a friend who went to Huayi’s annual party.”
"How about it?"
"There were a lot of people at the scene, and the atmosphere was very lively. We found a group of people from both inside and outside the industry, and even had some artists perform on stage."
"It's like the Spring Festival Gala."
"But my friend said that the atmosphere felt a bit tense."
Zhang Yuan chuckled after hearing this.
Being nervous is a good thing!
While you're having your annual party, your rival company's movie is all the rage outside.
It's already impressive that you can hold back your tears.
Jia Shikai also told him something.
"My friend heard it from someone inside Huayi."
"The night before the annual meeting, the higher-ups sent a few colleagues to sneak into the venue in the middle of the night and take down the banner that read 'The No. 1 Film Company in Annual Box Office'."
"We don't want people to know, but actually many people do."
This time he almost lost his composure, completely burying his head in the sand.
"and then?"
"That's it."
"You're so slow-witted," Zhang Yuan criticized.
"They took this banner down, hurry up and bring it back, we can still use it!"
Jia Shikai: ...
He once thought he had been immoral enough.
Putting down his phone, Zhang Yuan was in high spirits. "Then, we can move on to the next step."
He continued dribbling with one hand while simultaneously calling the chubby woman to get her to start a marketing campaign.
There has been a misconception in previous Chinese film tours.
That's what happens during the promotion of a work and before its release and broadcast.
Do not!
Big mistake!
In the internet age, promotion and marketing should be integrated throughout the entire lifecycle of a work!
The hype and pre-release promotion begin months or even a year in advance.
During the broadcast, activities should be continuously organized to maintain the show's popularity.
Even after the film's release, there will be a summary and celebration to thank the audience.
We need to use the internet to ensure that all viewers and casual observers feel fully engaged.
At the same time, it is also necessary to expand the boundaries of the audience.
At this point, there is an extraterrestrial spell called "Dream Link" that can be imitated.
The second day of the Lunar New Year, the top trending topic on Weibo.
"Congratulations to 'Lost in Thailand' for surpassing the 4.5 million yuan box office mark! Chinese films, like Chinese kung fu, have no limits!"
In conjunction with the poster for "Ip Man 1", Master Ip punches the embarrassed trio from "Lost in Thailand" in the face.
The photos have obvious signs of being photoshopped.
This cross-movie congratulation immediately attracted a lot of attention.
"Master Ye is so generous!"
"Isn't it said that competitors are enemies?"
"interesting!"
This format is quite novel in China.
A successful movie congratulates another movie for surpassing it.
But this style has been popular abroad for many years.
This is the so-called "championship handover ceremony".
It was originally created by Spielberg and George Lucas.
In 1977, George Lucas's Star Wars Episode I broke the box office record previously held by Jaws.
Spielberg and he are good friends, and they immediately released a collaborative poster.
The poster combines iconic scenes from both films.
An R2D2 was fishing at the beach and hooked a great white shark.
The accompanying text was handwritten.
"Your powerful imagination makes Star Wars worthy of this box office crown! — Your old friend Spielberg."
A few years later, after Spielberg's E.T. broke Star Wars' record, Lucas responded by releasing a poster in return.
They still managed to publish the official cover and interior pages of Variety magazine.
The poster shows the main Star Wars actors holding up E.T. in celebration.
But not long after, Star Wars was re-released, and Lucas surpassed E.T. again.
Spielberg created a poster to celebrate R2D2 being crowned with a crown by E.T.
These two guys are basically mutually trusting each other.
But this unwritten rule of colleagues congratulating each other has been passed down in Hollywood.
There are several key points.
Publicly congratulate them and post it on media platforms.
A poster should be attached, and the content of the poster should combine the characteristics of the surpasser and the surpassed, so that people can tell at a glance which two shows it is.
It also needs to be accompanied by text, and the content of the poster needs to be interesting.
These elements combined led to Zhang Yuan's promotional campaign.
This has become a common practice abroad, but it has never happened in China before.
He "introduced" it ahead of time.
"Interesting. This poster is more interesting than the entire Spring Festival Gala."
"I like action movies, but I don't like comedies. But I have to watch this one."
The public's resentment towards the Spring Festival Gala grows stronger every year.
On this day that needs pure joy, if the Spring Festival Gala can't provide that joy, then someone else will naturally fill the void.
The box office reached 4.5 million yuan in the second week, and the total box office in two weeks was close to 8 million yuan!
On the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, another film crew sent a congratulatory message on Weibo.
"The crew of 'Painted Skin 2' congratulates 'Lost in Thailand' on its box office success, wishing it continued success."
This is the original poster for "Painted Skin 2", except that the heads of the three people in the front have been photoshopped to resemble the three characters from "Lost in Thailand".
The photoshopping is still obvious.
Zhang Yuangan notified Pang Hong and 523 beforehand about this.
523 is alright. Pang Hong was originally not happy, thinking that my film's box office was surpassed and he should congratulate him.
And why should I listen to you?
I've already given you so much money, and I still feel uncomfortable about it.
The scope is indeed not very broad.
Audiences love watching dramatic arguments, but only those who like to speak out and shout online enjoy it.
In reality, most ordinary people still prefer harmonious and loving scenes.
"It's okay if you don't want to."
"It's fine if the production team doesn't release it," Zhang Yuan replied politely after hearing this.
"I'll just release a solo poster as the lead actor in 'Painted Skin 2' to congratulate him."
"I'll also call on Zhou Xun to post it together."
"And explain to the public why it was released by an individual rather than by the production crew."
Pang Hong was stunned after hearing this.
You're making me miserable during the Chinese New Year!
If that happens, I'll be cursed to death by the audience.
Even my peers will laugh at me.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and agreed.
Zhang Yuan also asked the "Lost in Thailand" crew to post on Weibo.
Because the film broke the record for the highest single-week box office for a Chinese-language film.
Another week later, it broke the three-week box office record for Chinese-language films.
The total box office has exceeded 10 billion.
At this time, Jia Shikai called him to ask if he wanted to do some publicity.
"The 12 Zodiacs also had a high box office, and it was produced by Huayi Brothers."
"Should we hire online trolls to use this as a starting point to accuse Hua Yi of being narrow-minded and not congratulating 'Lost in Thailand' on surpassing itself like everyone else?"
"Don't you dare cause me any trouble!" Zhang Yuan shouted angrily.
I was supposed to be having a good time during the Chinese New Year.
Is this Huayi's business?
The film also touches on the story of Chenlong and Kaiyun Group.
Don't do that.
Even when engaging in negative public relations, one must consider the people and the situation.
"We should press on with our remaining strength to eliminate the enemy, rather than seeking fame like Xiang Yu."
"Before you do anything, you have to figure out who is the defeated enemy and who is the overlord."
"We must not turn our friends into enemies."
"Otherwise, he would truly become a tyrant."
After hearing this, Jia Shikai was speechless.
Overlord?
Aren't you Lü Bu?
Anyway, they're both played by the same person, so what's the difference?
He doesn't understand that even if someone stabs you in the back, their stated purpose and motivation must be morally sound; otherwise, they'll truly become a villain.
Killing Dong Zhuo is a noble cause, but you cannot kill Dong Zhuo because of Diao Chan, otherwise it would be an act of reckless anger.
To truly portray oneself as Wu Sangui, who risked everything for a woman, is merely a cover for one's true traitorous actions.
"You're not allowed to mess around, and you're not allowed to notify anyone else either."
"The movie 'Lost in Thailand' is only allowed to have positive publicity."
For a comedy film, engaging in negative publicity would conflict with the core message of the work.
"Think bigger," he advised as a final reminder.
Of his three agents, the most petty of them all is a man.
However, he did not attack his opponent at this moment, not only because the play involved Chenlong and Kaiyun, but also for other reasons.
Because of the influence of "Lost in Thailand", it's not just in the country!
Before the Lunar New Year was over, he received a call from the Siamese Embassy in China, located on Guanghua Road in Chaoyang District.
Siamese Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has asked him and the cast and crew of the film "Lost in Thailand" to attend an awards ceremony to be held at the Prime Minister's Office in Siam a month later.
Because after the movie was released, the number of Chinese people traveling to Siam exploded... (End of this chapter)