Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 605 A Group of Old Hands

Nearly 2400 million on the first day.
When the number reached Han Sanping's ears via telephone, he felt like he was kicking himself.

He shouldn't have asked that question in the first place.

Upon learning that Liu Yifei was in charge, my idea of ​​a "low-budget blockbuster" immediately faded by half.

And it turns out, a blockbuster product is on the way.

"Dad, will this film cost tens of millions to make?"

In the living room, Han Jianu, who had just come out of her room, was unaware of her father's complicated feelings. Seeing him still muttering about "twenty-four million," she casually asked him a question.

This question was like a small knife, precisely piercing the old father's heart.

It's his own daughter; he would have gotten angry at anyone else.

Han Sanping took a deep breath and patiently replied, "For such a small budget, ten million is already an overpayment. If we cut costs, eight million would be enough."

At this point, his heart ached even more.

It would have been better to have just stuffed in a little bit back then.

It was a huge hit at the start of the year, after all.

Meanwhile, inside Enlight Media's office building, the atmosphere was as lively as if another New Year had been celebrated.

As soon as the box office statistics were delivered to Wang Changtian's desk, he waved his hand and issued a general offensive order to the head of the propaganda department.

"Keep a close eye on it! Use every possible platform—Weibo, portals, print media, video websites—to spread the word across the entire internet! 2400 million views on the first day, that's what we need!"

Having worked in the publishing industry for so many years, Wang Changtian knows all too well what this means.

This astonishing achievement is itself the most effective promotional material. High box office revenue is not just a number, but a strong market signal that will encourage more potential viewers who are still on the sidelines to go to the cinema.

After all, most viewers have a herd mentality; if everyone says it's good, then it must be good.

Soon, media reports came out like snowflakes:
[A dark horse has emerged for Valentine's Day! "Love is Not Blind" leads the box office with 2400 million yuan on its opening day!]

[Payback in one day! Liu Yifei's low-budget romance film creates a domestic miracle!]

[Love is Not Blind: The Most Down-to-Earth Romance Film of the Year, Receives Strong Audience Support]

[Shu Chang, the chosen Huang Xiaoxian! Her acting skills are praised]

Everyone in the industry was shocked.

"No, the box office pays out in just one day?"

"Good heavens, are you going crazy? This movie cost ten million to make. Even if it did, hasn't it already broken even?"

"Is Xingchen about to release another blockbuster video?"

"."

It would be a lie to say I'm not envious.
After all, if it's a big-budget production that costs hundreds of millions, it's fine if it sells well at the box office. But in the industry, there are only a few top directors who can handle big-budget productions and make big profits.

But a small budget can generate huge box office returns, and that's a different story.

Anyone who can start a film production company can easily come up with several million or even ten million.
"It's a pity, Xingchen's films are difficult to get involved in."

On Huayi's side, Wang Zhonglei, while reading the report, couldn't help but feel a little envious.

Although Huayi Brothers Films performed well last year, they have never had a low-cost, high-return blockbuster project like "Love is Not Blind".

On the other hand, Zhang Lin of Wanda Film Media was much happier.

He was on the phone, reporting the good news to Wang Jianlin, who was far away in Dalian.

"Yes, Mr. Wang, don't worry. Judging from the current opening day box office and the rave reviews, I believe that breaking 200 million in the final box office will not be a problem."

Zhang Lin's report was relatively conservative.

The cultural industry strategy is a crucial part of Wanda Group's strategy, in addition to real estate.

Based on the current box office trend and word-of-mouth, 200 million should be a sure thing, but when reporting to the boss, it's always better to be cautious.

"Broaden your horizons!" Wang Jianlin on the other end of the phone was quite satisfied. "Have Ye Ning cooperate more, and increase the screening frequency in all Wanda Cinemas' theaters. Give them your full support!" Although the box office of 200 million yuan might not be enough to make him achieve his "small goal," it was an extremely impressive start for Wanda Film Media, which was just beginning.

Of course, most importantly, he personally negotiated these projects with Wu Chen.

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianlin leaned back in his large executive chair, let out a long sigh, a mixture of confidence and a touch of Versailles-esque smugness:

"Sigh, Wanda Group still can't function without me."

The box office performance over the next two days was even more unexpected.

On Sunday, fueled by strong word-of-mouth, the box office not only did not decline, but jumped directly from 2400 million to over 2700 million.

On Monday, Valentine's Day, the box office surged even further, breaking the 3000 million mark!
Nearly 100 million in three days!

The news sent shockwaves through many industry insiders.

This isn't just a dark horse, it's a Pegasus!
This phenomenal box office performance surprised not only Liu Yifei, but also director Xue Xiaolu herself.

She now finally understands what it means for "reality to be more magical than movies."

Her private phone hasn't stopped ringing for the past few days.

Major production companies extended olive branches, offering increasingly tempting terms, inviting her to direct new films with hefty sums of money, and sending her countless scripts through various connections.

Sorry, I didn't have that idea.

Shu Chang watched Xue Xiaolu hang up the phone and couldn't help but smile as she leaned closer: "Director Xue, you've had so many phone calls today. You'll be a director of films with hundreds of millions in box office revenue soon!"

"You, you, do you think I get so many calls? You're incredibly popular right now, haven't you heard your fans saying you're the chosen one, Huang Xiaoxian?"

Seeing this, Xue Xiaolu also laughed and joked.

She's getting more and more phone calls; she needs to consider switching to a different one, otherwise being bothered like this every day isn't a good solution.
"Director Xue, please consider collaborating with Xingchen more often in the future. We're all familiar with each other, which will make things easier."

Shu Chang is very good at "getting things done," she said with a wink.

She knew that Xue Xiaolu was different from Guo Fan and Lu Yang; she had not signed a contract with Xingchen.

I absolutely have to get this help from my best friend; I can't let someone else snatch it away.
"Yes, Director Xue, hello Xingchen."

Luo Jin, who was standing to the side, chimed in.

"How could I not know what you're thinking?" Xue Xiaolu smiled, tapping Shu Chang's head with her finger. "Don't worry, Yi Fei and I get along well, and if there's an opportunity in the future, Xingchen will definitely be our first choice."
Let's go, after today's promotion, we still need to head to Shenzhen and Guangzhou!

Another director with a box office of 100 million yuan is about to emerge in the industry, and judging from the current box office trend, it is very likely that she will be a director with a box office of 300 million yuan, and she is also a woman.

There's considerable outcry from industry insiders.

The most affected were the directing department of Beijing Film Academy.

This time, it's the literature department that's making a name for itself.
Fortunately, Starry Night Pictures announced that "The Golden Era," directed by Ning Hao, and "Painted Skin 2," directed by Lu Yang, have both entered the filming stage.
Lu Yang did manage to save face for the directing department.

Meanwhile, inside the largest screening room at StarCrystal Visual Effects Company.

Wu Chen crossed his arms and watched the final cut of "The Warring States" on the big screen with a blank expression.

On screen, there are swords and horses, dazzling special effects, and Sun Honglei's Sun Bin is sometimes crazy and sometimes wise, but all the focus seems to revolve around the woman named "Tian Xi".

Standing beside him, Ding Yanlai looked at Wu Chen's expressionless face, feeling a mixture of curiosity and admiration.

To be honest, he almost burst out laughing several times while watching the movie.

"It has to be Mr. Wu, he's seen it all, and he can still hold back his laughter!" Ding Yanlai muttered to herself, while quietly asking, "Mr. Wu, the special effects...we did a pretty good job, right?"

"Yes, Not Bad."

Wu Chen nodded affirmatively; he trusted his own company's technical skills.

He then turned to Ding Yanlai and suddenly asked, "Yanlai, what do you think of this movie?"

This question immediately silenced Ding Yan.

He scratched his head, carefully considered his words for a long time, and then cautiously replied:
"Mr. Wu, how should I put it? It feels like..."
A group of seasoned veterans with superb acting skills, along with a pretty young girl, earnestly performed a large-scale period drama.

(End of this chapter)