Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 594, page 592: The Era of Five Hundred Million

Beijing, Movie Channel studio.

Soft lighting spilled onto the beige sofas in the interview area, with a huge poster of "Havoc in Heaven" in the background—Sun Wukong holding his golden cudgel standing on a cloud, with the radiant glow of the Heavenly Court behind him.

Below the poster, a line of eye-catching gold text reads: "As of December 30, the cumulative box office has exceeded 500 million yuan."

Today, Tu Jingwei wore a light pink business suit, her hair was neatly styled in an updo, and her makeup was elegant and appropriate.

She sat on a single sofa, facing Wang Sheng and Xu Ke sitting side by side. The script in her hands had been read many times, and the edges were slightly curled.

"Good evening, viewers. Welcome to the special program of 'China Film Report.' I am your host, Tu Jingwei." She smiled professionally at the camera and then turned to the guests, "Today, we are very honored to have two important figures in the Chinese film industry in our studio—Mr. Wang Sheng, Chairman of Shengying Media Group, and the general producer and director of 'Havoc in Heaven,' and Mr. Xu Ke, the film's director!"

Applause erupted in the studio.

More than 30 students from the Beijing Film Academy and industry professionals sat in the audience, their eyes focused on the two people on the sofa.

Today, Wang Sheng chose a dark blue casual suit with a light gray shirt underneath. He didn't wear a tie, which made him look casual yet composed.

Xu Ke continued his usual Zhongshan suit style, with faint cloud patterns embroidered on the dark gray fabric, looking energetic and vigorous.

"First of all, congratulations to you both!" Tu Jingwei's voice was filled with genuine joy. "Since its release on December 3, 'Havoc in Heaven' has seen its box office soar, surpassing 12 million yuan as of yesterday. This figure not only breaks the box office record for domestic films but also marks a new stage in the Chinese film market."

She looked at Wang Sheng with admiration in her eyes, but more so with the restraint of a professional host: "Mr. Wang Sheng, what does 500 million yuan in box office revenue mean in the Chinese film market in 2004? Eight years ago, in 1996, the total box office revenue of the whole country was less than 1 billion yuan."

Wang Sheng leaned slightly forward, placing his hands folded on his knees, his tone calm and composed: "Jingwei asked a very good question. The 500 million yuan box office first and foremost means that more than 15 million viewers went to the cinema and chose 'The Monkey King.' Behind this number is the return of Chinese audiences' confidence in domestic films and recognition of the capabilities of the Chinese film industry."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "Eight years ago, in 1996, I had just started out at the Beijing Film Studio. At that time, there were fewer than two thousand screens nationwide, many cinemas had outdated facilities, and there was a shortage of films. If audiences wanted to see blockbusters, they could only watch Hollywood films. But things are different now—there are more than four thousand screens nationwide, digital projection technology has been introduced, and the 'China Film Grand Cinema Circuit' covers major cities across the country. More importantly, we now have domestic films that can visually compete with Hollywood A-list productions."

Tu Jingwei then chimed in, "So you believe that the success of 'The Monkey King' is actually a concentrated reflection of the infrastructure development and content production capabilities of the Chinese film market over the past eight years?"

“That’s right.” Wang Sheng nodded. “Film is not a miracle that comes out of thin air. It requires the collaboration of hundreds of professions, including directors, actors, screenwriters, art directors, and special effects artists. It requires a complete industrial system from script development to post-production, and smooth channels from production to distribution and screening. All of this has been gradually built up over the past eight years through the joint efforts of industry colleagues.”

He looked at the camera and said sincerely, "So, sitting here today, what I want to say most is thank you."

Thank you to all the audience members who went to the cinema; you are the true 'bread and butter' of us. Thank you to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and China Film Group for their policy support and reform efforts over the years. Thank you to creators like Director Xu who are willing to explore the industrialization of Chinese cinema. And thank you to Shengying, Enlight Media, and all our colleagues at our partner companies.

Without this complete ecosystem, "Havoc in Heaven" could not have been created, much less achieved such success.

Applause erupted from the audience.

Tu Jingwei turned to Xu Ke: "Director Xu, as the director of 'Havoc in Heaven,' what was your first reaction when you heard that the box office had exceeded 500 million?"

Xu Ke laughed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes piling up, the marks left by his many years of creative career: "To be honest, I'm a little dazed. I've been making movies for over thirty years, experiencing the golden age of Hong Kong films as well as the low points. After coming to the mainland to develop my career, the box office failure of 'The Legend of Zu' made me wonder if my style was outdated."

He looked at Wang Sheng, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "It was President Wang who approached me, showed me the proposal for 'Havoc in Heaven,' and told me, 'We want to make an Eastern myth that the whole world can see.' At the time, I was apprehensive—such a huge investment, such high expectations, what if it fails?"

"But Mr. Wang said something that I still remember to this day," Xu Ke recalled. "He said, 'Director Xu, Chinese films can't always be making low-budget art films or comedies. We need our own *Lord of the Rings*, our own industry benchmark. It's okay if we fail; at least we tried.'"

The studio fell silent, with only the faint sound of the cameras working.

Xu Ke continued, "So when I heard the news of the 500 million yuan box office, my first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief—at least we didn't let that trust down. Then came the joy, the joy for Chinese films. Because it proves one thing: given enough resources, enough trust, and enough time, Chinese filmmakers are fully capable of creating world-class works."

Tu Jingwei's eyes welled up with tears. She quickly composed herself and asked, "How were those stunning special effects scenes in the film achieved, such as the panoramic view of the Heavenly Court and the massive battles between heavenly soldiers and generals? I heard that many of the technologies were independently developed by domestic teams?"

This time, Wang Sheng took over the conversation: "Yes. The CG group animation system used in the film is the result of three years of research and development by Shengying Media in conjunction with institutions such as the Institute of Computing Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It can control the movements of tens of thousands of digital characters simultaneously and ensure that each character has independent motion logic."

“In the past, such technology could only be purchased from Hollywood, which was not only expensive, but the core algorithms also belonged to others.” Wang Sheng’s tone was filled with pride. “But now we have our own system. Although it may not be perfect yet and needs to be iterated, the most important thing is that we have it.”

In reality, it was an imported product that was then converted to domestic production, but the authorities required it to be publicized this way, so Wang Sheng had no choice but to cooperate.

I'm here today to record "China Movie Report" to repay a favor from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

Xu Ke added, "During filming, we used a combination of physical miniature models and digital matte painting. For example, for the palace complex in Heaven, we built a 1:50 physical model for on-location filming, and then used digital technology to expand and add details. This ensured both the texture and the scale."

“Speaking of texture,” Tu Jingwei flipped through the script, “the film uses very bold colors, with high saturation of red, gold, blue, and purple, but it doesn’t feel gaudy. How was that considered?”

"This is all thanks to art director Huo Tingxiao," Xu Ke said earnestly. "We studied a large number of traditional Chinese Taoist murals and meticulous brushwork paintings, especially the Dunhuang murals. Eastern aesthetics has its own color system; it is not realistic, but rather impressionistic and symbolic. Red represents joy and power, gold represents holiness and splendor, and blue represents depth and mystery."

He became more and more excited as he spoke, gesturing in the air: "What we want to do is not to replicate the 'realistic' colors of Hollywood, but to create a dreamlike, surreal world of colors that belongs to the East. So that the audience can immediately tell—this is Chinese mythology, this is Eastern aesthetics."

Wang Sheng smiled and nodded: "This is also a point I want to emphasize. The internationalization of Chinese films is not about turning ourselves into Hollywood, but about telling China's own stories using a cinematic language that the world can understand. Technology is the means, culture is the core."

The interview lasted for forty minutes, and the topic expanded from "Havoc in Heaven" to the entire Chinese film industry.

Tu Jingwei asked a question many viewers were concerned about: "Mr. Wang Sheng, there's a saying that as long as a film has the marketing and distribution resources of Sheng Ying Group, it can easily make money. What do you think of this view?" Wang Sheng smiled, a knowing smile: "First of all, I want to say that nothing makes money easily. Audiences are smart; they vote with their hands and their wallets. If the quality of the film itself is not up to par, no matter how much marketing and distribution is done, it will only bring in box office revenue for the opening weekend, and it will definitely collapse later."

He leaned forward, his tone becoming serious: "But on the other hand, this statement also reflects a fact: after years of development, 'Shengying Productions' has indeed built a certain level of trust in the hearts of the audience. They know that choosing Shengying's films is unlikely to result in a 'flop.' This is the greatest praise for us, and also our greatest responsibility."

"Therefore, we must cherish this trust even more," Wang Sheng continued. "For example, our company's ongoing 'Star Trail Project' aims to improve content quality from the source. Directors, screenwriters, actors, and producers all have rating standards and must undergo professional assessments. What we want to build is a healthy and sustainable creative ecosystem, not a one-off business based on traffic and hype."

Xu Ke deeply agrees: "I've been in this industry for decades and have seen too many fleeting successes. A director might become famous because of one film, then be sought after by capital and receive hundreds of millions in investment, only to have their next film flop. This is harmful to the director, a loss to the investors, and a betrayal to the audience. A standardized evaluation system is a good thing for the industry in the long run."

The conversation naturally turned to the Chinese American International Film Festival.

Tu Jingwei said, "Many viewers watched the opening and awards ceremony of the China-US International Film Festival through the live broadcast on the movie channel. Mr. Wang Sheng, as the chairman of the organizing committee, could you share the original intention of creating this film festival?"

"The initial intention was simple: to build a bridge," Wang Sheng said. "For the past few decades, Chinese filmmakers could only go to Cannes, Berlin, and Venice to go global and adapt to the rules set by others. That's not wrong; it's a learning process. But once we've accumulated enough experience and resources, can't we build our own platform so that Eastern and Western films can have an equal dialogue?"

He paused for a moment: "SAIFF is not meant to replace traditional film festivals, but rather to offer a new option. Especially for Asian films, and Chinese films in particular, it provides a more direct and friendly showcase."

At the first film festival, *Havoc in Heaven* won Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction, demonstrating our technical prowess; while Best Film was awarded to *Million Dollar Baby*, proving the independence and impartiality of the jury.

“Building credibility for a film festival takes time, and more importantly, it requires adhering to principles,” Wang Sheng concluded. “We are willing to take five or ten years to gradually improve it.”

As the interview drew to a close, Tu Jingwei asked a personal question: "Mr. Wang Sheng, from being the child of an ordinary employee at the Beijing Film Studio in 1996 to becoming a leading figure in the Chinese film industry today, what is your biggest takeaway from these eight years?"

The studio fell silent, and all eyes were on Wang Sheng.

He remained silent for a few seconds, a complex light flickering in his eyes, which had seen too many ups and downs.

"My biggest realization is," Wang Sheng began slowly, "that film is not just entertainment; it is a reflection of a country's and a nation's imagination. Through film, we tell the world how Chinese people view the world, how they understand good and evil, and how they face fate."

Why does Sun Wukong from "Havoc in Heaven" resonate with so many people? Because he embodies resilience, resistance, and a yearning for freedom—emotions universal to humanity, simply expressed through Eastern mythology.

"So over the past eight years, my biggest realization is responsibility." Wang Sheng's voice was soft, but every word was clear and powerful. "As filmmakers, we have a responsibility to make good works and live up to the expectations of the audience; as industry practitioners, we have a responsibility to build this industry well and pave the way for those who come after us; as Chinese people, we have a responsibility to let the world see a real, three-dimensional, and vivid China through film."

He looked at the camera, as if speaking to millions of viewers: "The prosperity of the Chinese film market is the result of everyone's joint efforts. And its future requires us to continue to work together. Thank you to every audience member who went to the cinema; your choice is the greatest driving force for the progress of Chinese films."

The applause was thunderous and lasted for a full minute.

Tu Jingwei stood up, tears welling in his eyes: "Thank you, Mr. Wang Sheng, and thank you, Director Xu Ke. Today's interview has shown us the vision and responsibility of Chinese filmmakers."

The 500 million yuan box office of "Havoc in Heaven" is not the end, but a new beginning. We have every reason to believe that, with the joint efforts of Chinese filmmakers, the golden age of Chinese cinema has only just begun.

"..."

……

The recording of the program ended, and the lights gradually dimmed.

Wang Sheng and Xu Ke left the studio under the guidance of staff.

In the corridor, Tu Jingwei caught up with him.

"Mr. Wang, Director Xu, please wait a moment." She was a little out of breath. "Could I...could I take a photo with you both?"

Wang Sheng smiled: "Of course."

Tu Jingwei stood between the two, and the photographer pressed the shutter.

The moment the flash went off, a genuine smile spread across her face.

……

Night had already fallen when I left the TV station building.

The winter nights in Beijing were bitterly cold, but the sky was dotted with stars.

Xu Ke looked up at the sky and suddenly said, "Chairman Wang, do you think we can make a movie that will be remembered for a hundred years in our lifetime?"

Wang Sheng also raised his head, and the white breath he exhaled dissipated in the cold air.

"Whether we'll be remembered for a hundred years is not something we can decide," he said softly. "But what we can do is make films that are worthy of this era. As for what time will tell, let time do its work."

The two smiled at each other and got into the waiting car.

(End of this chapter)