This director is vindictive.

Chapter 235 Reality is too oppressive, movies must go crazy

"Looking forward to 'Making a Name for Yourself'. Chen Mo is the kind of person who can make even Bei Jingtian, one of the 'Nan Yihuan, Bei Jingtian, and Zhuang Xinyan who couldn't become famous,' famous. Making Liu Yifei, Hu Ge, and Yang Mi turn their careers around is just a piece of cake, SO EASY!"

"No, it's not about whether Hu Ge and the other two are famous or not. It's just that we hope 'Making a Name for Them' can become their new representative work!"

"Just because these three are working together again, I'm definitely going to watch this movie!"

"Can Liu Yifei, with her thick skin, showcase her acting skills? Can Hu Ge make a breakthrough on the big screen? Can Yang Mi shed her image as a pretty face with high popularity? Find out in 'Fame and Fortune'!"

"Hu Ge is really pitiful. I didn't know he had acted in quite a few movies!"

The publicity campaign was overwhelming.

It's fair to say that "Make a Name for Yourself" has truly maximized its promotional resources.

And the key point is that Chen Mo didn't need to spend any money; the publicity had already started spontaneously.

The situation is even more outrageous with the theater chains. The release date for "Rise to Fame" hasn't been set yet, but the most prominent screens in the theaters of major theater chains are still playing the promotional trailer for "Rise to Fame".

It's safe to say that once you step into a movie theater, it's hard not to know the movie "Fame and Fortune"!

In this respect, Chen Mo really has to thank Xu Guangtou.

If it weren't for Xu Guangtou's "Lost in Russia" giving theaters a backstab, plunging them into what could be called their "darkest hour"!
Because "Lost in Russia" set a bad precedent, in fact, not only "Lost in Russia", but also "Enter the Fat Dragon", starring Donnie Yen, followed suit and was directly released online.

Furthermore, Xu Guangtou later tried to persuade Chen Mo, a top director, to follow suit, which completely offended the theater chains.

The calls for boycotts and bans are not just empty talk.

Many people in the cinema industry must have been sweating bullets.

The main reason is that Chen Mo's identity, status, and influence are undeniable.

If Chen Mo were to turn around and start imitating Xu Guangtou, that would be the darkest moment ever!

If it weren't for Xu Guangtou's actions, cinemas might not have had to pay such a high price. But because of Xu Guangtou, they had to find a blockbuster film as soon as possible to boost the market.

And what could be more representative than the new film by Chen Mo, a director with billions in box office revenue?

Especially during this period, cinemas are also having a tough time!

Even though businesses have reopened, film distributors are still taking a wait-and-see approach because they don't know if audiences will be willing to go to the cinema during this special time.

In the first month, they were able to sit still, after all, it's always difficult to start something new after just reopening.

In the second month, they couldn't sit still anymore because there were still no decent new movies being released; they could only show some old films from the past.

But what good is that?
A single film only grossed tens of millions at the box office, which is a huge and obvious difference compared to the pre-pandemic film market, where a single film could easily gross billions.

Therefore, as soon as Chen Mo's "Making a Name for Oneself" wrapped up filming, they couldn't wait to spontaneously promote the movie.

The amount of publicity resources they provide is as much as they can.

Of course, this was also because there were really no other movies being released at the same time.

Even the guaranteed 35% screen time that was signed before now seems like a joke.

Are you kidding me? Thirty-five percent? Who do you think you are?!

While not 100%, one can imagine that when "Rise to Fame" becomes the first "blockbuster" to be released after cinemas reopen, with no other competitors at the same time, let alone 35%, doubling its box office would be a piece of cake.

Some cinemas have even prepared to screen "The Rise of Fame" for the entire theater.

In fact, the exceptional publicity and screening resources that "Fame and Fortune" received have had a very significant effect.

This move by the cinemas has made many film distributors eager to try their luck. Although they certainly won't get as many resources as Chen Mo's "Make a Name for Yourself", the support from the cinemas will definitely be more than before!

Some low-budget films have already begun preparing for release as a trial.

This is definitely great news for the cinema alliance.

After all, if theaters want to recover to their pre-pandemic levels, one movie is definitely not enough; they certainly want as many as possible.

Zhao Lei became a die-hard fan of Chen Mo after watching "I Am Yu Huanshui".

He was incredibly excited about the heavily promoted book, "Making a Name for Oneself," and he watched the entire live stream by the fat guy.

So, he paid attention to the trailer as soon as it premiered online.

However, the trailer completely exceeded his expectations.

The title is "Making a Name for Yourself" - a crazy trailer!
The title was eye-catching enough to grab his attention, and he immediately clicked on the page to start playing.

In the scene, at night, the lights of a Western-style building from the Republican era flicker on and off.

Suddenly, blood seeped out from under the door.

It also features eerie background music. The visuals, music, and lighting all give it the feel of a typical horror movie.

Zhao Lei was immediately captivated; the atmosphere was undeniably charming.

The Republican era, Western-style buildings and castles, blood seeping from door cracks—these are all common elements in horror films! Although common, the quality of a trailer by a renowned director is far superior to those poorly made domestic horror films.

However, the next moment, the camera shifts to Yang Mi's character, Su Mengdie, spilling tomato sauce. She even dips her finger in it and licks it.

But in this eerie environment, Yang Mi suddenly looked up and grinned, revealing a strange smile.

Even though he knew it was ketchup, Zhao Lei still felt something was off about it for some reason.

Next up is Li Jiahui, played by Hu Ge, who has a scruffy beard and is holding a metal wine bottle.

He took a big gulp of his drink, then suddenly gave the camera a wicked smile: "The murderer? Is he right among us?"

But the next second he choked on his own saliva and started coughing incessantly.

A subtitle appears: The content of this trailer is unrelated to the movie!
"Pfft! What the hell?" Zhao Lei immediately spat out his drink.

The trailer's content had nothing to do with the movie; this was the first time he'd ever seen anything like it, it was utterly outrageous.

No wonder the title calls it the crazy version of the trailer; it really is crazy.

What is this all about?

However, the trailer footage continued.

It's Yang Mi again, with bright red lips and a cheongsam in the style of the Republic of China era; she is indeed sexy and charming.

She shoved her red lips into the camera and said, "Calling me a pretty face? Tonight I'll blow your head off!"

After saying that, he swung a wine bottle and smashed it against the camera, causing the screen to go black!
The scene changes again, this time featuring Liu Yifei, who plays a singer standing on the stage.

The dry ice spray next to it created an ethereal, fairy-like atmosphere, as if a goddess were making her entrance.

But the next moment, she instantly changed her expression and cried, "I...I forgot my lines!"

As he spoke, his hand holding the cheat sheet trembled violently!

Chen Mo's voice-over rang out in exasperation: "Cut! You don't have any lines for this scene! What the hell did you memorize?!"

The next moment, Fan Ming appeared, looking like Constable Xing, and slammed his hand on the table: "In all my years in the Six Doors, I've never seen such a stupid murderer!"

Crack! The cool moment lasted less than three seconds before the table leg snapped!
"A sincere offer of three hundred silver dollars!"

"Ahem, as the saying goes, those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles!"

"Three hundred silver dollars, not a penny less!"

The screen switches again.

Chen Minghao, cigar in mouth and coffee in hand, looked every bit the Shanghai tycoon. Then, with a ferocious, manic expression, he shouted, "Art! It has to draw blood! Now, please welcome the three old corpses!" "Boom!" Thunderous background music filled the air, plunging the castle into darkness!
Yang Mi rolled her eyes and sighed, "Everyone in this crew except me is a lunatic!"

In the background of the shot, Hu Ge is making a peace sign!
The next moment was Chen Mo's furious three-part roar:

"Yang Mi! You're acting scared, not unable to poop!"

"Hu Ge! Stop fucking adding Shakespeare to your resume!"

"Liu Yifei! If you forget your lines again, I'll tattoo them all over my forehead!"

Subtitles appeared: The director has gone mad. Watch with caution!

What followed was a fast-paced montage of scenes: Yang Mi holding a knife, Hu Ge falling to the ground, Liu Yifei screaming, and Fan Ming laughing wildly.
The final image freezes on Chen Mo's face covered in blood (it looks plausible, but strangely, it doesn't feel scary at all; instead, it makes you want to laugh)!
He gave a sinister smile: "If the box office is bad, the audience will be the next to suffer."

Subtitles appear: July 31st, see the corpse (crossed out) and the truth in the cinema!
"Holy crap, what the hell? Is it really like Yang Mi said, the whole crew seems to be going crazy?"

"Haha, the subtitles are the real gem of this trailer, okay? What the hell is wrong with the movie content?!"

"No way, is this how you play it? This is supposed to be a suspense film? I feel like this is some kind of crazy, absurd comedy."

"Although, but, why does this trailer feel like a vlog filmed by the entire crew after they got drunk—outrageously crazy, but strangely makes you want to spend money!"

"The person upstairs is right. Chen Mo has really grasped the secret to attracting viewers. It proves that acting crazy is more appealing than acting pretentious. Anyway, I inexplicably want to pay to watch it."

This ridiculously bad trailer was truly eye-opening, but the truth is, as netizens have said, sometimes, acting like a lunatic is more appealing than acting seriously.

Of course, it's precisely because Yang Mi, Hu Ge, Liu Yifei, and others are all big stars with numerous works to their name that people have a deep-rooted impression of them. As a result, although this trailer is quite childish, it has already made many people feel a sense of "subversion"!

And there are even more fun things to do.

"Holy crap, who dares to say my fairy sister has no acting skills now? In the trailer, when she forgets her lines, she instantly becomes a complete novice. What else is that but acting skills?"

"Yang Mi too! In the first scene, she was clearly licking ketchup, but she somehow managed to portray the deranged feeling of a serial killer licking blood!"

"Chen Mo really did explode and berate the actors on set. It was even shown in the live stream. Even Lao Hu got a thorough dressing down. (Sarcasm intended)"

"BIG HUGE! Call 110? This actor is threatening to kill me if I don't go to the movie!"

"This is 110. Is what you're saying true or just talk?"

"Hahaha! Going to see a movie won't help, if the box office is bad, you're still doomed!"

Seeing the good results, Chen Mo naturally pressed on with his efforts.

The second trailer is fresh off the press. Actually, there's never a rule that trailers have to completely follow the movie's content!

There are just too many traditional trailers for suspense films; they're so outdated.

To be honest, the plot of "Fame and Fortune" isn't particularly ingenious, so if the trailer is edited like a normal movie trailer, it's hard to make it stand out.

So Chen Mo thought of taking a different approach and playing a crazy version.

There's another consideration: everyone's been cooped up for too long, especially those viewers who've been isolated at home during this period.

So, creating some crazy content can also help people de-stress.

The second trailer is titled "Revealing the Truth Behind the Massive Madness of the Actors in 'Fame and Fortune'!"

This trailer, like the others, is unrelated to the movie's content.

The first scene shows Chen Mo sitting upright, being interviewed by a reporter.

"Actually, at the beginning, I really wanted to make a serious suspense film. After all, our film has a luxurious cast, including national first-class actor Fan Ming, veteran actor Chen Minghao, and popular stars such as Hu Ge, Yang Mi, and Liu Yifei."

"Then what?"

"And then? After filming for a few days, I realized I was too naive."

The scene shifts to Yang Mi dozing off on set, prompting Chen Mo to erupt.

Hu Ge got quite drunk and fell asleep while being patted!
Liu Yifei forgot her lines and broke down!

The scene shifts to Yang Mi saying miserably, "From preparation to filming to receiving the script, the time was too short. I had to film during the day and memorize lines at night. I was memorizing lines until the middle of the night. How could I not be sleepy?"

Hu Ge also complained bitterly: "In the past, when we played roles, we needed to spend time figuring out the characters and observing similar prototypes. For example, what are alcoholics like? What are screenwriters and reporters like in their daily lives?"

However, there was too little time, and there was no time to prepare before filming began hastily.

I had no choice but to try it myself and experience firsthand what an alcoholic is like.

That drunkard, he definitely can't control when he gets drunk, right?

Fan Ming said with a wry smile, "It was too difficult. The atmosphere in the entire crew was really oppressive in the first few days. In fact, even we veteran actors couldn't stand it."

This film is a murder mystery movie, where the plot is driven entirely by dialogue, which means there are a lot of lines.

Although memorizing lines is a basic requirement for an actor, the problem is, there's just no time!
We don't have photographic memory, and Yang Mi memorized her lines until the wee hours of the morning; we're pretty much the same.

What's even more unbearable is that during filming, most of the scenes were ensemble pieces, meaning there was absolutely no way to sneak a nap!

Chen Minghao: "At the time, we felt that this would not work! The director had gone crazy, yelling several times in one scene. The actors had also gone crazy. Hu Ge simply drank until he passed out! Yang Mi fell asleep while acting, and Liu Yifei was completely listless."

Teacher Fan and I felt that this wouldn't work! If things continued like this, problems would inevitably arise sooner or later.

Then we found director Chen Mo, but to our surprise, perhaps because he had been suppressing his emotions for too long, he started to relax and only filmed when he could, and took a break when he couldn't. It was kind of like he was just giving up.

As a result, everyone started playing like crazy! But surprisingly, the results were much better than before!

This trailer is less of a trailer and more of a behind-the-scenes interview clip.

Interspersed throughout are some rather bizarre scenes from the film crew.

For example, Hu Ge burps when drinking and snores when he falls asleep drunk.

For example, when Yang Mi was filming, she would secretly doze off when the camera wasn't on her, but when the camera finally came on, she would act as if she had just woken up.

For example, Chen Mo's outburst of cursing, and so on.

Although not much of the movie's content has been revealed, netizens are still thoroughly enjoying it.

In fact, the filming process is still quite "mysterious" in the eyes of most people!

Even behind-the-scenes footage from movie promotions is often intentionally shown to you.

At the same time, no one else has really been like Chen Mo's drama, where the director criticized the actors' acting skills. The key point is that the actress was his confidante, who was directly sacrificed.

However, the discussion and attention surrounding this movie are only getting higher and higher.

"It feels so real, I'm really looking forward to it!"

"That's amazing. It takes me ages to memorize a single text. It's unimaginable that the actors were required to memorize such a thick stack of scripts so quickly, without even having much time to learn them."

"That's really interesting. It's the first time I've seen someone do something like this in a trailer!"

"Even a national first-class actor like Fan Ming said he couldn't handle it, let alone others."

And when these trailers were shown in theaters, a very strange scene occurred.

Many viewers simply don't watch the movie, since they're all "old films" anyway. They can sit there watching the trailers, making comments, and chatting for a long time.

What's astonishing is that during this period, the number of views generated by the topic of "Making a Name for Oneself" was simply outrageous.

A comment from a prominent Weibo user hit the nail on the head: "During the pandemic, what audiences need is not refined art, but a collective frenzy of revelry. The outrageous trailer for 'Fame and Fortune' became a convenient outlet for these emotions—reality is already bitter enough, if the movie is also pretentious, who will watch it?"
The promotional strategy for "Make a Name for Yourself" precisely targets this point. It just goes to show that Chen Mo truly deserves his reputation as a marketing genius; these seemingly absurd and nonsensical trailers are definitely more effective than the more serious ones!

(End of this chapter)