Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 321, page 319: The Tide

Saturday, December 12th.

The winter sun lazily shines on the land of China, yet it cannot dispel the burgeoning current originating from the cultural consumption sector.

From the Northeast Plain to the South China Sea coast, from the western hinterland to the East China Sea coast, across a vast territory, in accordance with the unified deployment of "China Film Shengshi United Cinema Co., Ltd.", on this day, forty-four "China Film Shengshi Cinemas" covering major provincial capitals and key cities across the country, excluding Beijing, almost unreservedly poured their resources into the Lunar New Year film "The Proposal" produced by Shengshi Media.

At 2 p.m., it seemed as if an invisible command was sounded simultaneously across the country.

In Shanghai, the Shanghai Film Studio is located at "China Film Grand Cinema - Jinling Road Store".

This cinema, located on the busiest commercial street in the Far East, is planned to have ten theaters with a total of more than two thousand seats.

As early as the morning, the electronic display screen at the ticket office already showed a glaring "Sold Out" sign next to the prime-time evening screenings of "The Proposal." Fashionable young men and women in Shanghai have demonstrated astonishing enthusiasm for this film, which tells a story of urban romance, resonates with real-life emotions, and has a happy ending.

The cinema manager beamed as he looked at the bustling lobby, almost entirely filled with young people, on the monitor.

Based on an average ticket price of 15 yuan, the box office revenue brought by "The Proposal" to a single cinema in just one afternoon and evening was extremely considerable.

Chang'an, Xi'an Film Studio belongs to "China Film Grand Cinema - Bell Tower Store".

Leveraging the rich heritage of Xi'an Film Studio and its prime location in the Bell Tower business district, this cinema, though situated in the Northwest, boasts impressive construction standards, featuring eight theaters and approximately 1,500 seats.

Young people in ancient capitals also yearn to be exposed to the latest cultural trends.

From the afternoon onwards, the queues at the entrances of each cinema showed no signs of shortening.

Many people are experiencing the comfort and awe of this modern multiplex cinema for the first time. The themes of Beijing residency, workplace pressure, and emotional choices in the film, although geographically distant, share a common yearning for a better life and genuine emotions.

In Guangzhou, the Pearl River Film Studio belongs to "China Film Grand Cinema - Tianhe Branch".

As a pioneer of reform and opening up, Guangzhou has always been a leader in consumption power and acceptance of new things.

Located in the Tianhe business district, this cinema has ten theaters and nearly 2,200 seats, making it a popular dating spot for young people on Saturday afternoons.

Audiences in Cantonese-speaking regions were equally engaged with this Mandarin film, with laughter and exclamations echoing throughout different theaters.

The air conditioning in the cinema kept the temperature comfortable, but it did nothing to dampen the audience's enthusiasm for watching the movie.

Xingcheng, Hunan Film Studio belongs to "China Film Prosperity Cinema - Wuyi Road Store".

The inherent enthusiasm of the people of Hunan Province seems to be reflected in their cultural consumption.

This cinema is of medium size, with six theaters and about a thousand seats, but the screenings of "The Proposal" from 2 pm to 7 pm are almost always sold out.

Thanks to the entertainment atmosphere fostered by Hunan TV's endless stream of entertainment programs, young viewers in Changsha are full of curiosity about Wang Sheng's brand and the fresh pairing of Wang Zhiwen and Li Bingbing.

Similar scenes were simultaneously staged at "China Film Grand Cinemas" in Tianjin, Guicheng, Urumqi, Hohhot, Kunming, Xiamen, Shijiazhuang, Zhengzhou, Wucheng, Feicheng, Hangzhou, Jinling (jointly operated by Suzhou Film Studio and Nanjing Film Studio), Shenyang, Harbin, Meicheng, Yuzhang, Lanzhou, Yincheng, Xiadu, Quanzhou, Shancheng, Binzhou, and Pengcheng (affiliated with Shenzhen Film Studio).

These cinemas are the result of another close collaboration among film studios of all sizes across the country, with their scale tailored to local conditions.
Cinemas in first-tier and strong second-tier cities (such as Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Hangzhou, Nanjing, etc.) typically have 8-12 screens with 1500-2500 seats.

Most cinemas in provincial capitals (such as Chang'an, Changsha, Chengdu, Shenyang, Harbin, and Quancheng) have 6-8 screens with 1000-1800 seats.

Cinemas in some provincial capitals with weaker economies or smaller populations (such as Urumqi, Hohhot, Lanzhou, Yincheng, and Xiadu) typically have 4-6 screens with 800-1200 seats.

But regardless of their size, on the afternoon and evening of Saturday, December 12th, they all pointed to the same phenomenon—tickets for "The Proposal" were extremely difficult to obtain.

Box office estimates:

Assuming there are 49 cinemas nationwide, with an average of 6 screens per cinema. (In reality, first-tier cities and major cinemas have far more screens than this). Assuming each screen has an average of 120 seats. (This takes into account both small and giant screen screens.)
The screening rate is 100%, from 2 pm to 7 pm, a total of 5 hours.

《假结婚》时长90分钟，加上场间短促的清理时间，按每2小时一场计算，这5小时内每个影厅可排映3场（即13:00， 15:00， 17:00各一场）。

Ticket prices are uniformly calculated at 10 yuan (ticket prices in first-tier cities and strong second-tier cities are 15 yuan and 20 yuan respectively).

The occupancy rate is 100%.

Box office revenue per screening in a single theater: 120 seats * 10 yuan/seat = 1200 yuan

Box office revenue per theater per day (peak hours): 1200 yuan/show * 3 shows = 3600 yuan

Single cinema's daily box office revenue (peak hours): 3600 yuan/screen * 6 screens = 21600 yuan

全国49家影城单日（核心时段）《假结婚》票房：21600元/影城* 49家影城= 1，058，400元

This means that during the five-hour core screening period from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on December 12, "The Proposal" raked in more than 105 million yuan at the box office, solely through the 49 cinemas of "China Film Grand" cinema chain!
This doesn't even take into account the prime time screenings after 7 PM in cinemas in Beijing and other cities, or the extra revenue (snacks, drinks, etc.) generated by larger flagship cinemas with more screens (such as those in Beijing and Shanghai, which generally have more than 8 screens and more seats).

If all possible screenings throughout the day are included, the daily box office figures will be even more astonishing.

The data is cold, but the market response is enthusiastic.

Cinema managers across the country kept reporting back to headquarters that screenings were sold out.

The back-end of the cinema network's ticketing system (although in many places it is still reported in near real-time or at the end of the day) shows that the box office revenue curve for "The Proposal" is soaring upwards in an almost vertical manner.

Outside of the "China Film Prosperity Joint Cinema Circuit," "The Proposal" is also a hit in theaters.

Since the release of the "Opinions" in June, under the wave of cinema construction initiated by China Film Group, in addition to the 49 newly added China Film Grand Cinemas, more than 10 modern multiplex cinemas jointly built by social capital, overseas capital and film companies from various provinces and cities have been added.

For example, Broadway Cinemas, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-funded Edko Films, has partnered with Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Company, Beijing Film Distribution and Exhibition Company, and Guangdong Film Distribution Company to build Broadway-branded cinemas in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, marking the entry of Hong Kong-funded film companies into the mainland market.

In the original timeline, Broadway was directly cooperating with China Film Group to enter the mainland market. However, Wang Shengyi disrupted the process, forcing Broadway to settle for a less ideal solution, but this unexpectedly opened up markets in three regions.

Edko Films acted as an intermediary in the investment of films such as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero," and has close ties with Hollywood capital.

In addition, there are strong social capital from various provinces joining forces with provincial film distribution and screening companies to build modern multiplex cinemas, just waiting for the provincial film companies to obtain the pilot qualifications for provincial cinema chains so they can seize the provincial market.

Cinemas don't actually make much money, but if they can establish a relationship with the publicity system, then it's worth investing in.

This situation should have occurred a year or two after the "Opinions" were released, but it was accelerated by China Film Group's large-scale construction and the hidden resources it acquired.

In the original timeline, China Film Group's initial reforms were slow, mainly due to two major difficulties: the lack of local support and insufficient funds. The Film Studio Alliance filled these two gaps.

of course……

More importantly, Han Sanping seized the opportunity presented by the suspension of imported films and, by joining forces with Wang Sheng, used domestic films to exceed expectations and save the market. This gave him real power to get involved in the reform of the Chinese film market, which was the cornerstone of the whole situation. Without this, there would have been no subsequent series of actions.

Returning to the issue of provincial film companies applying for provincial cinema pilot programs, in some provinces where provincial film companies wield significant influence, obtaining pilot status is relatively easy. However, in other provinces, municipal film distribution and screening companies are on the verge of a full-blown brawl with provincial film distribution and screening companies… Various relevant departments are actively mediating the situation.

To date, very few places have obtained pilot qualifications for cinema chains within provinces or municipalities. Only Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangdong have obtained them. Beijing's New Film Union Cinema Chain (a subsidiary of Beijing Film Distribution and Exhibition Company) and Shanghai's Yongle Cinema Chain (a subsidiary of Shanghai Film Distribution and Exhibition Company) have completed the integration of cinemas within their respective areas, becoming cinema chain giants second only to China Film Group Corporation in the domestic market.

Other provinces either applied but haven't been approved, or they don't want to apply and still want to use the status of a provincial film company to monopolize the provincial market, or they are arguing fiercely with the "rebels" within the province.

In short, the trend of cinema construction was brought forward by China Film Group, Shengyi Film Group, and the film studio alliance by more than a year.

(End of this chapter)