Entertainment: Starting from joining Kugou Video

Chapter 168 Preview and Promotion

"But what if we're not as good as them?" Sister Li hesitated.

"There's no 'what if'," Tang Lou said firmly. "We're not just trying to avoid losing to them; we're going to surpass them. And not just a little bit, but a crushing victory."

He put down his marker: "Starting tomorrow, the publicity team will launch the first wave of pre-release promotion. Don't mention 'The Lost Tomb,' don't make any comparisons. We'll only do one thing: tell the audience what 'Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City' is."

"What is it?" the project manager asked.

"It's a web series of cinematic quality," Tang Lou said, emphasizing each word. "It's a 1.8 million yuan investment, with 4500 million yuan spent on building real sets, and every prop is based on historical research. Every special effects shot is a work that has been meticulously crafted. We want the audience to know that what they are about to see is not just another tomb raiding drama, but rather the pinnacle of this genre."

In the office, everyone's eyes slowly lit up.

"Do you understand?" Tang Lou asked.

"clear!"

In the following days, Tang Lou personally visited Coco Bean Animation.

After arriving at Tanglou, Director Dumpling came over with a smile.

With the investment from Tanglou, Dumpling is now thriving, able to make independent decisions without worrying about expenses.

In addition to the film project itself, Tanglou also invested over 100 million yuan in upgrading the company's hardware and software.

After a period of intensive work, and with the rigorous oversight of Jiaozi, Coco Animation has thoroughly developed a brand-new domestic animation system, the effects of which far surpass the most advanced foreign technologies.

This time, Tang Lou came not only to check on the progress of the "Nezha" project, but also to inquire about "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City".

The review of the special effects production status.

Dumplings were brought directly to the office, where they were inspected on the spot.

"Mr. Tang, look, this brand-new rendering system was developed independently by us, and it's already in production."

"The special effects production for this 'Candle in the Tomb' project can be said to be the second film, after 'Ne Zha,' to utilize this system."

"In order to pursue the ultimate realism and get as close as possible to the original work, these special effects shots were all handled by our studio, Team 01, which I personally led. They were the most capable experts in our team."

Jiaozi attaches great importance to this project. The premiere of "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" is a concentrated display of their latest technology from Cocoa Bean, and also Jiaozi's first complete answer to Tanglou, the investor.

After watching the animation effects personally supervised by director Jiaozi, Tang Lou was completely relieved.

"Dumpling, you really didn't disappoint me. These special effects are absolutely perfect."

"I believe that after the release of 'Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City,' your animation company will be fully brought into the industry's spotlight, and everyone will pay attention to your team."

"This is recognition for you, but also a test. Excessive attention isn't a good thing for a team like yours. So, I hope you can remain calm and collected going forward."

"We will take on some special effects and animation projects as appropriate, but our main focus will still be on the production of 'Nezha'."

Tang Lou was well aware of Cocoa Bean Animation's capabilities, but he was worried that too many orders coming in from afar would affect the progress of the main projects.

Dumplings highly agree with Tanglou's suggestion.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tang. Making money is not my ultimate goal. My wish is to create truly classic animated films that can leave a mark on the history of animated films in our country. Making money is secondary."

"Therefore, no matter what, the 'Nezha' project is our foundation, and I will control the other commercial deals as appropriate."

Tang Lou was quite reassured about the dumplings' attitude.

Even after the unprecedented box office success and critical acclaim of "Ne Zha," Jiaozi remained humble and immediately threw himself into the production of the third installment.

Tang Lou has complete trust in such a person's composure and vision.

With the support of Coco Animation, "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" now has a high level of quality assurance.

While "The Lost Tomb: The Wrath of the Sea & The Sacred Tree of Qinling" was airing, the "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" project was also coming to an end.

After the entire web series was completed, following KuMiao's usual practice, an internal preview was conducted.

However, with Shen Yan in charge, the Tanglou had completely become a one-man show.

In the screening room, the three-part series "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" was shown in its entirety for the first time.

Below sat the company's senior executives, led by Tang Lou, along with members of the content production team, directors, screenwriters, and 30 randomly selected internal employees.

The lights went out.

The film begins with an ancient compass spinning in the darkness, its pointer twitching, accompanied by a deep narration: "Humans light candles, ghosts blow out lamps, geomancers search for star peaks—"

The main feature begins.

Act One: Panjiayuan, Beijing, 1980s. Hu Bayi and Fatty Wang are setting up a stall; the background features bicycles, bell-bottoms, and...

Teresa Teng's songs are extremely faithful to the era.

"This set design really has a vintage feel to it," a long-time employee said in a low voice. "It's exactly like my childhood memories."

Act Two: The Ancient City of Jingjue. When the massive set appeared on the screen, a collective gasp filled the theater.

"These were all filmed on location!"

"Yes, it's a real-life location. This is a movie-level investment; over 100 million is no joke."

Act Three: Yang Chaoyue plays the role of Queen Su Xing of Jingjue.

When that close-up of the eyes appeared on the big screen, the effect was ten times more stunning than the behind-the-scenes footage.

This was naturally enhanced with special effects from the Cocoa Bean animation, giving everyone who watched it goosebumps.

"The special effects in this web series are amazing! They're incredible!"

After the third episode aired, the lights came on.

The screening room was silent for a few seconds, then erupted in enthusiastic applause.

After watching this movie-level web series, everyone was reluctant to part with it and wanted to watch the entire series.

The story, acting, costumes, and props of "Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City" are in no way inferior to "The Lost Tomb." This preview showed everyone Tanglou's production capabilities.

In the lead-up to the release, a full-scale promotional campaign was launched.

Coolcat Video Marketing Department, Operations Meeting Room.

"Mr. Tang, this is the final marketing budget." Marketing Director Li Jing handed over a folder. "A total of 1500 million yuan, covering Weibo splash screens, UC news feeds, subway light boxes, and building elevators —"

"Not enough," Tang Lou said.

Everyone in the conference room was stunned.

"Add another 500 million." Tang Lou tapped the table. "I want everyone online to know that 'Candle in the Tomb: The Lost City' has been released."