Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 551, Page 549: The Summer of 2004
Beijing time, Sunday, July 11, 2004.

Before the morning mist had completely dissipated, newspaper deliverymen rode their old bicycles, delivering copies of the still-freshly printed "China Film News" to various newsstands, office mailboxes, and a few veteran film enthusiasts who had subscribed to the industry newspaper.

At a "Guangming Newspaper Kiosk" on the street in Chaoyang District, a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses and looking like a student bought a copy as soon as the owner hung the newspaper on the shelf.

The young man stood impatiently by the roadside, flipped to the second page, and his eyes widened immediately.

[The National Film Market Data Released by the Special Fund Office on July 9]

[Twilight Shoots Out 2108 Million RMB on Opening Day!]

Below the bold black title are densely packed tables showing statistics on screening schedules, box office revenue, and attendance.

"Holy crap... more than 21 million?!" The young man couldn't help but swear, attracting the attention of a passing middle-aged woman.

He rushed to his workplace, turned on his computer, logged onto the "Maoyan Movies" platform, and started typing rapidly.

[Breaking News! Breaking News! Twilight's opening day box office figures are in! 2108 million! That's incredible!]

The post immediately attracted the attention of early risers.

"2108 million? Really? Yesterday was only Friday!"

"The data from the Special Fund Office has been officially released! These numbers are terrifying!"

"That's over 250 million US dollars, right? Is that a fair figure in North America?"

"Upstairs, it seems like it made over ten million dollars on the first day in North America! It's a global phenomenon!"

"Fan Xiaopang is awesome! Wang Sheng is awesome! Sheng Ying is awesome!"

Similar exclamations and discussions spread rapidly across various nascent online communities and QQ groups.

For the Chinese film market in 2004, a single-day box office exceeding 20 million yuan was an extremely impressive figure.

This means that Twilight has not only attracted a core young audience, but its influence has also broken out of its niche and reached a wider audience.

Cinema managers were overjoyed when they saw the data from the Special Fund Office and did not hesitate to continue to increase the number of screenings. On the weekend, the screening rate of "Twilight" in many cinemas even soared to an astonishing 80% or more.

……

Before the daytime hustle and bustle had subsided, evening newspapers in major cities added fuel to the fire of this fervor.

Major evening newspapers such as the Beijing Evening News, Xinmin Evening News, and Yangcheng Evening News unanimously published more detailed global box office news on their entertainment front pages.

[Twilight Shines Globally, Earning Nearly $30 Million on First Day!]

[The "Eastern Bella" conquers the world, Fan Xiaopang becomes a rising international star!]

The report listed the opening day box office figures for the main regions where the film was released:

North America: US$1185 million;
Mainland China: RMB 2108 million (approximately USD 255 million);

Hong Kong Island: HK$428 million;
Formosa: NT$1850 million;

South Korea: 21 viewers;
Japan: 2.8 million yen...

Preliminary estimates suggest that the global box office has already surpassed $2800 million on its opening day!
The newspapers were brought home, and at the dinner table and in the chats among neighbors, "Twilight," "vampire," and "Fan Xiaopang" became frequently used words.

Middle-aged and elderly people may not understand why young people are so enthusiastic about the story of "foreign devils falling in love with Chinese girls", but those astonishing numbers make them intuitively feel that this is an extraordinary film that has made an extraordinary Chinese star famous.

……

Echoing the movie-going frenzy sparked by "Twilight" in theaters, another nationwide entertainment extravaganza on television screens has also entered its climax this summer.

The second season of "Super Girl," co-produced by Enlight Media (controlled by Shengying Group) and Hunan TV, is nearing the end of its nationwide auditions, with finalists emerging from each region. Unlike the exploratory journey of the first "Super Girl" in 2004, this "Super Girl" has a completely different starting point.

Its first successful edition was held in 1997, cleverly taking advantage of the return of Hong Kong to China, which transformed Cecilia Cheung, who was still a newcomer at the time, into a national idol, and the program itself became an instant hit.

The competition has been restarted after seven years, thanks to Wang Sheng's forward-thinking vision and the deep involvement of Shengying Group's resources. The competition format, publicity, and audience participation have all undergone tremendous changes.

In Chengdu, Sichuan Province, the atmosphere at the recently concluded top ten competition of the Sichuan division of "Super Girl" was as lively as the sweltering summer night.

Fifteen-year-old Zhang Hanyun, dressed in a slightly childish white dress, stood on the stage and sang "Lost Beauty" a cappella into the microphone.

Her voice still carried the sweetness unique to young girls and a touch of unrefined roughness. She had a round face, bright eyes, and looked both well-behaved and a little naive.

This seemingly ordinary junior high school girl, with her fresh and natural energy and good pitch, fought her way through the sea of ​​people in the preliminary rounds and successfully squeezed into the top ten in the Sichuan Province competition, obtaining a valuable ticket to Changsha to participate in the national top 100 competition.

"Congratulations to Zhang Hanyun! She has become the tenth place winner in the Sichuan Province division of 'Super Girl'! Congratulations to her!" the host announced loudly.

Offstage, Zhang Hanyun's mother excitedly hugged the relatives who had come to cheer her on.

Many more viewers, however, remembered this sweet-smiling "good girl" who sang love songs through Hunan TV's live broadcast.

Under Wang Sheng's guidance, the competition format for the new season of "Super Girl" has undergone a major overhaul, almost completely replicating and slightly surpassing the core elements that sparked the nationwide frenzy of the original "Super Girl" season:

1. No-threshold auditions: "Karaoke for all" regardless of profession, singing style, or appearance greatly stimulated the enthusiasm of ordinary people to participate. Various "weird" contestants and potential stars coexisted at the audition site, creating a constant stream of topics.

2. SMS Voting Determines Fate: This is the most crucial step. Viewers can vote for their favorite contestants by sending text messages. In each competition, a contestant's fate is determined by a combination of judges' opinions and viewer SMS support; in some stages, SMS voting carries significant weight. This gives viewers unprecedented influence, greatly enhancing their participation and engagement.

3. Cruel PK and elimination: The process is tense and exciting, with contestants competing face-to-face, judges offering sharp comments (occasionally sarcastic), and the elimination rounds creating a somber atmosphere full of dramatic tension.

4. Regional Competition and National Rally: Competition was fierce across the various regions, fully mobilizing regional pride. Ultimately, the winners from each region gathered in Changsha for the national top 100 competition, much like a martial arts tournament, full of suspense.

These competition formats quickly gained popularity thanks to Hunan TV's strong entertainment program production capabilities and Enlight Media's on-the-ground promotion and media publicity. Especially among young people, campaigning for and voting for their favorite contestants became one of the most fashionable activities this summer.

In the streets and alleys, audio-visual stores repeatedly played audition clips of popular contestants; during breaks, students discussed which region had produced another "master"; in the entertainment sections of newspapers and on emerging online forums, debates about the contestants' abilities, the judges' judgments, and the fairness of the competition never ceased.

The publicity team for "Super Girl" is well-versed in the art of riding the wave of popularity.

In all press releases and program announcements, the following is always emphasized:

"Planned with the participation of Mr. Wang Sheng, an internationally renowned director and chairman of Shengying Media Group!"

"Seven years ago, Mr. Wang Sheng discovered Cecilia Cheung and created the first generation of the 'Super Girl' legend!"

"Seven years later, Mr. Wang Sheng once again provided guidance, and the competition system has been completely upgraded, aiming to find the 'Mainland Cecilia Cheung' and create the next legend!"

Moreover, the program team invited Cecilia Cheung, who is already an international movie star and whose presence was once again highlighted by the global hit "Twilight," back to the place where her dream began, to serve as one of the celebrity judges for the national top 100 competition.

"Searching for the next Cecilia Cheung," "Who can become the successor of the mainland music scene?"—such promotional slogans are full of allure and give this season of "Super Girl" a significance that transcends ordinary talent shows.

On the train to Xingcheng, Zhang Hanyun clutched the light yet heavy promotion notice, watching the fields rushing past the window, feeling both excited and apprehensive.

She overheard several girls of similar age sitting next to her enthusiastically discussing "Twilight," talking about Bai Xiaochai and Edward, and how beautiful Fan Xiaopang was.

She also secretly touched the poster of Fan Xiaopang in her bag, and then remembered seeing Cecilia Cheung's confident and elegant appearance as a judge on TV.

"Top 100 in the country... Xingcheng..." she murmured, feeling as if she had been drawn into a huge and magnificent dream.

This summer, because of "Twilight" and "Super Girl", has become exceptionally long and exceptionally dazzling.

And she, an ordinary girl from Sichuan, is about to become a part of this dreamy summer.

(End of this chapter)