Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 113: Not enough topic
The host pointed the finger at Fan Binbin again: "So, Mr. Fan, how did you think of working with Director Zhang Chen?"

Fan Binbin took the microphone, adjusted his bangs, and said with a smile: "I watched "The Dark Invasion" in the cinema at that time. It was very shocking. At that time, I thought, when will such a great horror movie be made in China? It would be great if I could work with such a director once.

But we didn’t know each other at that time. Later, I met Director Zhang at a dinner party organized by Sister Hua, and we talked about movies. At that time, I recommended myself, and Director Zhang agreed, and even wrote "The Shallows" for me. "

Of course, Fan Binbin never forgets to flatter himself.

Zhang Chen is also happy that Fan Binbin is creating topics and publicity. The more topics there are, the wider they can spread.

He was worried that the topic was not popular enough.

"It turns out there is such a story behind this." Jingwei exclaimed.

Zhang Chen continued to reveal: "I remember that I found Mr. Han from China Film and told him that I wanted to make a monster movie, a monster movie that had never been seen in the domestic market."

"What did President Han say?"

"President Han was very supportive, and China Film invested 200 million. He said to Zhang Chen, the reason for investing in you is not because of the good box office of "The Darkness", but because "The Shallows" fills the gap of this type of film in China. You are exploring the way for domestic films, and the cost of trial and error should not be borne by you alone.

So I am very grateful to Mr. Han for supporting me and understanding me. "

After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he bowed towards where Han Sanping was, and thunderous applause immediately broke out at the scene.

The camera also turned to Han Sanping at the right time.

The Third Master smiled and waved his hand, gladly accepting Zhang Chen's thanks. Although what Zhang Chen said just now was somewhat inconsistent, it was not wrong as a whole and was true.

It's a good thing that my good intentions can be known to the public.

People in politics all care about their reputation, otherwise he would not have been so furious when Zhang Weiping later called him a mountain eagle.

Han Sanping nodded slightly, feeling very pleased with Zhang Chen's behavior that made him proud. The young man was sensible and worth cultivating.

Jingwei took over the topic again: "Now let's turn the floor over to the media to see what they want to know?"

Soon the first reporter asked: "Hello, Director Zhang, I am a reporter from Sohu Entertainment. What is your box office forecast for The Shallows?"

Zhang Chen was waiting for this question and announced confidently, "One hundred million yuan."

Box office prediction is a regular part of the premiere, and the reporter needs a piece of data...

In the past, producers didn’t know how to create gimmicks. When faced with such questions, they would usually answer, “We don’t seek box office, but word of mouth,” or, “Of course, the more the better.”

Zhang Weiping was the first to shamelessly announce that he wanted to break 100 million, 200 million, 300 million...

Zhang Chen is the second one, so I have to say this.

As for promotion, first of all, you have to show that you are confident in your movie.

Only when the producers have confidence will the theaters have more confidence and schedule screenings for you.

Only when the audience sees these will they be willing to spend money to watch your movie.

If the producers themselves lack confidence and are unwilling to promote their films, how can the theaters schedule screenings for you?

The cinema chains also have to make a living, and they schedule screenings based on publicity.

Therefore, movie promotion and creating topics are more important than the movie itself!
At this stage, there are few screens and few moviegoers. If you want to get high box office, you must constantly create topics and attract people to the cinema.

How does the saying go? Word of mouth is responsible for the upper limit, and publicity and promotion are responsible for the lower limit.

Oh~
There was a cry of surprise from below.

100 million box office?
Although there have been two movies that grossed over 100 million yuan so far, it is still very rare for a movie to gross over 100 million yuan at the box office.

Neither filmmakers nor ordinary audiences have ever thought that there is anyone who can compare with Zhang Yimou.

"Then may I ask Director Zhang, what is the basis for your prediction?"

The reason why "Hero" was able to gross over 100 million yuan was because it had the participation of big-name stars and the director was still Zhang Yimou.

The only person who can be called the protagonist of "The Shallows" is Fan Binbin, who is not as famous as the main creators of "Hero". The director is Zhang Chen, who has only had a successful movie before. Why does he dare to claim that the box office will exceed 100 million?

These questions were all expected to be asked, and the answers were already thought of.

Zhang Chen listed them all: "First of all, everyone just watched the movie, and you should all be very clear about the quality of The Shallows. I'm not bragging, but even if it were taken to Hollywood, it would be considered upper-middle level, the special effects are realistic, and Mr. Fan Binbin also contributed impressive acting skills.

Secondly, we invited all 35 domestic cinema chains to the screening before the release. Everyone affirmed the quality of “The Shallows” and promised to support the filming.

In addition, we have increased our efforts in anti-piracy. Not only have we set up a "special fund to combat piracy", but we have also hired a large number of part-time staff, following the example of "Hero", to specifically guard the safety of film copies and prevent them from leaking out.

The last point is about the fans. I think I gave The Shallows a 120-point performance. It is more exciting than The Darkness, and because of the subject matter, The Shallows will have a wider audience than The Darkness, which also means that its box office will be higher. "It seems that Director Zhang Chen is very confident..."

Soon another reporter asked: "What do you think of Ms. Fan Binbin's performance?"

Hearing the question, Zhang Chen smiled and looked at Fan Binbin, who smiled back.

Zhang Chen looked at the reporter again: "I can answer you responsibly. I am very satisfied with Teacher Fan's performance."

He knew that this would not satisfy the reporters, so he paused and continued, "You may not know that in the crew of The Shallows at that time, I was just a nobody who had just finished a movie. In the whole crew, Mr. Fan Binbin was the most famous one.

It is no exaggeration to say that if Teacher Fan says to shoot at a certain time, then we have to shoot at that time. If Teacher Fan says that he is not in a good mood today and does not want to shoot, then we will not shoot.

But during the entire filming process, Mr. Fan Binbin behaved very professionally, did not act like a big shot at all, and was very respectful to me as a new director. For this, I am actually very grateful.

And there is one more thing I can reveal to you. Before filming began, Ms. Fan Binbin actually didn’t know how to surf. She learned the skill by herself after work every day. When you watch the movie again, can you tell that she is a beginner? "

Following Zhang Chen's praise, applause broke out from below.

Whether it's sincere or not, it's polite.

Fan Binbin on the stage accepted Zhang Chen's compliment with a smile, thinking to himself, that's not what you said in bed that night.

Zhang Chen still felt that there were not enough topics to talk about: "Doesn't anyone want to talk about those few minutes on Shark Beach?"

His words immediately caused a burst of laughter, especially from the ordinary audiences in the back. At this moment, they felt that Zhang Chen was one of their own.

Jingwei was also covering her mouth and laughing. Zhang Chen's sudden mischief made her not know how to respond next.

Zhang Chen said to himself: "Actually, that's a little selfish of mine. I've always believed that Ms. Fan Binbin's looks are at the top level in the domestic entertainment industry, and the second half of this movie is a bit too tense, so I wanted to give everyone some benefits in the beginning.

Today I would like to take this opportunity to ask everyone what you think of Fan Binbin in the movie. Do you think she is beautiful? "

"Beautiful~"

There was an immediate burst of booing from the audience.

Fan Binbin on the stage was laughing so hard that his body was shaking. The stars below the stage were also amused by this scene. This Zhang Chen is really good at making trouble.

"I think it's beautiful too, so I took a few minutes on the beach and turned it into a photo album of Fan Binbin. You're welcome~"

"Hahaha~" the crowd burst into laughter again.

Now Zhang Chen felt that there was enough topic.

A premiere is supposed to spark discussion, draw attention, and expand the influence of the film.

But the reporters' questions were too conservative and not explosive enough.

Then Zhang Chen will have to come by himself and teach you.

That’s enough of the gimmick!

Jingwei felt that he was losing control of the situation and quickly changed the subject: "Let's ask professional filmmakers what they think... Director Xiaogang, what do you think of The Shallows?"

After some searching, Jingwei finally identified Feng Xiaogang, who is also a director.

Feng Xiaogang has always been known for being a big mouth and not someone who is easy to mess with. Jingwei asked this question with the intention of finding some topics for the premiere.

Feng Xiaogang did not refuse and took the microphone handed to him by the staff: "After watching the movie "The Shallows", I think director Zhang Chen is quite amazing."

No one could tell whether Feng Xiaogang was telling the truth or something else, so they could only wait quietly for what to say next.

Jingwei: "Director Feng, can you tell me more about this?"

Feng Xiaogang held up the microphone and said, "Director Zhang, then I will tell you the truth."

Zhang Chen gestured for him to go ahead.

Feng Xiaogang continued: "First of all, this story is quite simple, but it can be played out in so many ways.

The performance is just OK, the use of camera and color are also okay, not outstanding, but the rhythm of the movie is really great, making people unable to stop watching.

To be honest, I'm still holding my pee and don't have time to go to the bathroom. The best part is the ending, which is really creative. I've learned a lot and I think it's worth it even if I don't go to the bathroom."

Hua Hua Hua~
Feng Xiaogang's rough remarks immediately won applause from the audience, and many people who knew him laughed out loud.

But everyone knows that Director Feng is just that kind of person, a rough guy.

(End of this chapter)