Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 591 "Ball Flash" Second Half, Crystal Palace's New Season

PS: Court hearing today, so I'll just post a quick update. It's almost the end of the year, and the FA court leadership is starting to focus on case closure rate KPIs, so court hearings will be very frequent from now on.
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Since her debut eight years ago, Liu Yifei has gone from playing the second female lead, who was relegated to the role of "pretending to be an adult" in "The Story of a Noble Family" and the high school girl who worked part-time as a coffee shop waitress in "Whiplash" to the pinnacle of actresses at the Berlin Film Festival and has firmly occupied the most glamorous position in the mainland entertainment industry.

Apart from the little trick of taking money to do a favor when Shen Hao, the editor-in-chief of Nanfang Weekend, selected the "Most Popular Couples in the Domestic Entertainment Industry" before the Lunar New Year, and forcibly promoted the coal boss and Yang Mi to the first place, whenever there is a list in the domestic entertainment industry that she has, they will never fall to second place.

As she gets older, if we measure Liu Yifei, who is still a month away from officially turning 23, from the perspective of an entertainment star, her commercial value is gradually increasing, even though it has not yet reached its peak.

The case now facing the eyes of people in the entertainment industry and media scholars is:

When this top female celebrity in the Chinese entertainment industry, with over 2000 million Weibo followers, raises her voice to support her husband's film "Ball Flash," to what extent can it contribute to box office growth?

This is almost identical to the way commercial endorsement prices and specifications are measured, and it's a way to determine her true commercial value.

After all, 2000 million seems like a lot, but just shouting and having fun is a different matter from actually paying for something.

It should be noted that even though Liu Yifei has a large number of fans from the blog era to the Weibo era and even into the mobile internet era, these fans do not fully reflect commercial value in the early stages of a female celebrity's career.

The biggest reason is the mismatch between the age structure and spending power of the fan base.

Her early portrayals of pure and ethereal characters such as Zhao Ling'er and Xiaolongnu attracted a large number of fans of similar or younger age. Although this fan base is highly loyal and influential, they are either still in school or just starting out in society and have limited independent spending power.

They might be able to support entertainment consumer goods with lower unit prices, such as records and posters, but it would be difficult for them to support core endorsement categories that require high-end consumption, such as fashion, beauty, and high-end digital products.

Secondly, for a 15 or 6-year-old girl at the time, even if she became incredibly famous, the commercial endorsements she could secure were mostly limited to fast-moving consumer goods, casual wear, and school supplies related to the student demographic. For luxury goods such as fashion, leather goods, jewelry, watches, and high-end cosmetics—which truly define a celebrity's commercial status and earning power—her age became a natural barrier.

These brands primarily target mature consumers aged 25 and above with stable financial resources.

Therefore, when choosing spokespeople, fashion brands tend to appreciate artists who can convey maturity, elegance, experience, and a sense of history, rather than a young girl who has not yet lost her naivety. Even if she has already achieved great success at the age of 18, this "distance" between her image positioning due to age and the preferences of the target customer group of luxury goods still exists.

But now it's different.

Although only 23 years old, Liu Yifei is already a mother of two, the wife of a billionaire, and a regular at major film festivals and international events.

This transformation has greatly broadened her acting range and sent a strong signal to the market, especially high-end brands:
She has successfully transitioned from girl to woman, possessing the ability to project a mature, elegant, and sophisticated image, which aligns perfectly with the quality and storytelling sought by luxury brands.

Meanwhile, nearly a decade has passed, and most of the core fans who watched "The Story of Jin Fen" and "Chinese Paladin" back then have entered the middle generation of society, aged 25-35. They have independent and stable sources of income, and their purchasing power has achieved a qualitative leap.

This emotion, which embodies the memories of youth, can now be transformed into powerful business support.

Of course, for Gucci, which Xiao Liu has only recently become a brand ambassador for, it can only rely on the support of a small number of fans with excellent economic conditions. However, it is not difficult for most fans to support a regular movie ticket with an average price of 40-70 yuan, or even a more expensive 4K or IMAX ticket.

With a fan base of up to 2000 million, and without buying "zombie fans" or inflating numbers, each number represents a genuine follower, making its interaction volume and conversion rate extremely valuable.

This means that when she raises her voice to promote her husband's new movie, the effective audience she can reach is huge, which can be directly and efficiently converted into the attention of moviegoers and box office potential.

The "Fairy Powder" and "Laundry Detergent" fans held a team-building event under Liu Yifei's Weibo post, and as always, the former hurled insults and the latter spewed out a string of vulgarities.

When there are no external conflicts, these two camps are the most vocal on the internet:

Fans of the "Fairy Sisters" (a nickname for a female celebrity) constantly clamor to "kill off stray dogs" (a derogatory term for online trolls), but eight out of ten of their idol's Weibo posts are about showing off their love or sharing touching moments of their baby's growth. The "laundry detergent fans" (another nickname for fans of the "Fairy Sisters") then use this to tease and ridicule her:
So what if you're a celestial being? So what if you're a top female star in the Chinese entertainment industry? In the end, you still end up being washed and completely devoted to the washing machine.

But to the dismay of the fans, their once dashing and debonair confidant has been rendered useless and relegated to oblivion because of Xiao Liu's existence, which has become the main material for the fans to criticize.

So what if you're the richest man? So what if you're a great artist? You still fall for a fairy in jeans.
But jokes aside, let's not joke about box office numbers. Now that there's an external competitor in terms of box office revenue, Avatar, these two sides have become unusually united, and together with several friendly online forums, they have become the largest grassroots fan force on the internet.

They launched a spontaneous online campaign called "Charging Lightning," conducting extensive advertising on mainstream forums such as Baidu Tieba, Tianya, and Mop, and ingeniously devising various methods inspired by the early promotional materials for "Ball Lightning."

The scientific settings of "Ball Flash" were compiled into a fun question bank and offered as a high reward on Baidu's Q&A platform to attract attention;

The "Lin Yun's Quantum Rose" emoticon pack spread virally in QQ groups;

Some people even edited together clips from Lu Kuan's roadshows in various countries to create a high-octane video titled "Global Conqueror," with the caption calling for "Chinese lightning to strike down the blue aliens," the latter naturally referring to "Avatar."

These novel and trendy online features created a cross-platform synergy, generating numerous viral memes online. A 10,000-word analysis post titled "The Scientific Fact-Checking Party of 'Ball Flash'" appeared on Douban Group, and derivative novels featuring Lin Yun emerged on the science fiction channel of Qidian.com. Without any official organization, they became incredibly popular for a time.

This appeal was initiated by fans of Lu and Liu, but the reason it received such a strong response is mainly due to their public image, reputation, and contributions to society since their debut. They are indeed positive role models for public figures.

The event also exhibited the unique,江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) atmosphere of the internet in 2010: a mix of humor and sincerity, disorder and hidden organization. But on a deeper level, when fans elevated their opposition to "Avatar" to a collective ritual of cultural identity, the Chinese film market, for the first time, demonstrated the immense power of audience-driven events, a power capable of reshaping the industry landscape.

The martial world is the martial world, and the imperial court will naturally have its own response.

Whether it's due to the background of the drafting of the Film Promotion Law, or the release of three cultural industry and film industry policies over three years; whether it's because of Mr. Lu's connections in the upper and middle levels of the system, or his stable, reliable, or absolutely test-resistant stance in the eyes of important leaders;
Or perhaps it occurred during the ongoing great national rejuvenation following the Beijing Olympics, coupled with the fact that Southeast University maintained strong and rapid growth despite the global financial crisis—

All of this confirms that the official support for this film is unquestionable.

This is also a wonderful compliment to the time traveler who "does good deeds and doesn't worry about the future."

As public enthusiasm for "charging up lightning" continues to rise, following the article published by The People's Daily last month on the "return of the animal heads," various parties have once again spoken out in unison and in quick succession.

The responses from relevant authorities also seemed natural and timely. These pronouncements were not rigid administrative orders, but rather focused on guidance, encouragement, and support, jointly creating an atmosphere conducive to the development of excellent domestic films.

The State Administration of Radio and Television published a commentator's article entitled "Creating a Favorable Market Environment for Excellent Domestic Films" in a prominent position on its official website.

The article emphasizes that film authorities and screening units at all levels should actively coordinate film scheduling, scientifically implement the key extension policy, provide ample market space for key domestic films that are excellent in terms of ideology, artistry, and technology, meet the viewing needs of the general public, and promote the prosperous and healthy development of the film market.

The Dongda Film Distribution and Exhibition Association issued a proposal to its member cinemas nationwide, calling on all cinemas to:
"Based on market demand and film reputation, we will rationally allocate theater resources, especially ensuring the screening share of special theaters such as IMAX and China Giant Screen for landmark domestic special effects blockbusters like 'Ball Lightning,' so that audiences have more opportunities to enjoy a top-notch audiovisual experience."

Even the most direct regulatory authorities and industry associations responded quickly at this juncture, continuing to support the box office performance of "Ball Flash," which had not yet entered a downward trend.

Subsequently, Han Shanping, Chairman of China Film Group, Deputy Director and member of the Bureau's Archives Group, delivered a keynote speech at a recent symposium on "Ball Lightning and the Future of Chinese Science Fiction Films".

He did not limit himself to the film itself, but pointed out from the perspective of national cultural strategy:

"The success of 'Ball Lightning' proves that China's film industry system has the capability to produce top-tier science fiction blockbusters. This is not only a technological breakthrough, but also a manifestation of cultural confidence. China Film Group will, as always, support filmmakers like Director Lu Kuan who possess an international vision and craftsmanship, and contribute to the goal of building a film powerhouse commensurate with China's comprehensive national strength."

This statement is not only an affirmation of Lu Kuan personally, but also a clear guide for the development direction of the entire industry, demonstrating a grand vision.

On August 2nd, the China Film Association held a summary meeting on the film market in the first half of the year, as well as a look ahead to the Lunar New Year film season and a work exchange in Beijing. The directors and leaders present spoke freely, but the topic always revolved around Vice Chairman Lu Kuan's film "Ball Flash".

After discussion, the representatives unanimously agreed that "Ball Lightning" is a phenomenal work in the domestic film market this year, and its significance far exceeds the commercial box office itself. In its summary report, the association characterized it as "an important milestone in the process of industrialization of Chinese film" and praised it for "successfully connecting local culture and the global market with the hard science fiction genre, providing a replicable success model for the industry".

The meeting made it clear that the film's successful experience would be included as a case study in film industry teaching materials.

In 2010, the China Film Association, as the most authoritative and official directors' association in China, had one president and seven vice presidents.

Among them, Li Qiankuan, chairman of the China Film Association, graduated from the Fine Arts Department of Beijing Film Academy. He was the director of "The Founding of a Republic" in 1989 and directed "The Chongqing Negotiations" in 1993 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the old man's birth. He has a long career in the industry.

When the netizens who were advocating for Lu's box office success went to the official website to learn more about the association, they found the list of seven vice presidents of the Film Association...

They're all acquaintances!
The event was attended by Hendrik Willem Van Loon, representing Hong Kong; Zhang Huijun, the president of the Beijing Film Academy; veteran actress Li Xuejian; Xi Meijuan, who played Liu Yifei's mother in "Under the Hawthorn Tree"; veteran actresses Pan Hong and Yin Li; and Lu Kuan himself, who has always been a figurehead and rarely participates in events.

Following this, domestic cinema chains such as China Film Stellar, Golden Harvest, and Beiping New Film Union jointly issued a statement, stating that given the strong box office performance of "Ball Lightning," they will continue to maintain high-level screening support, especially ensuring the supply of screenings in IMAX and other special effects theaters, and at the same time extend the authorization period of the digital key to ensure that the market potential of this phenomenal work is fully released.

These seemingly independent voices from different systems have collectively woven a gentle yet powerful support network.

Instead of imposing mandatory orders, they created an extremely favorable macro environment for the long run and box office success of "Ball Lightning" through a variety of flexible approaches, such as policy interpretation, industry initiatives, educational guidance, and consumer encouragement.

This positive interaction between the "court" and the "martial arts world" jointly propels the film toward higher historical benchmarks.

Market data shows that as August began, the screening share of "Ball Lightning" not only did not decline at the beginning of the second month, but actually rebounded slightly, especially in the special effects theaters where it maintained a very high occupancy rate.

Even the journalists who had been quietly observing Wanda and trying to stir up trouble were disappointed to find that Wanda's cinemas were keeping up with the market and had not taken any additional targeted measures due to previous competition.

For businesses, commercial interests are ultimately the highest principle.

Even though Wanda and Wenjie were fierce competitors in many dimensions, in August 2010, at the end of the traditional summer movie season, the market urgently needed top blockbusters to maintain its popularity.

It is obvious that "Ball Lightning" has far exceeded other films in the same period in terms of average revenue and attendance. Its contribution to the box office of IMAX theaters is even more amazing. Faced with such clear consumer demand, no rational theater operator would give up the readily available profits because of competition.

At this time, in the Chinese and foreign film markets, apart from Disney's long-established IP "Toy Story 3," which had been released for several weeks and was still strong, newly released films such as the Hollywood fantasy film "The Last Airbender" and the Hong Kong police thriller "The Informant," although each had its own characteristics, could not pose a substantial threat to "Ball Flash" in terms of popularity and scale.

The market presents a pattern of "two superpowers and many weak players." "Ball Lightning" has captured a significant portion of the market's incremental audience and high-quality screening resources. Wanda's decision precisely confirms from the side that "Ball Lightning" has become so powerful that it transcends personal grudges between companies and has become a "market necessity." No theater chain can ignore its strong cash flow generation ability.

Six years ago, during the final sprint of the film "A Home Too Far," it was Lu Kuan himself who spoke out, urging those who could afford it to go to the cinema to support the film.

Six years later, "Ball Flash" is far from reaching its final moment. It has just entered the second half of its extended screening period, but what is different is that it has received unanimous support from the general public to the government.

It can truly be described as "daring to brave the rapids and stop the boats in midstream!"
Just as the box office frenzy surrounding "Ball Flash" continued to surge in the domestic market, Mr. Lu, who was in Europe communicating about the promotion of the first season of "The Book of Peace" through Netflix in the European market, appeared at Crystal Palace's home stadium for the new season.

(End of this chapter)