I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

But just as there are a thousand Hamlets for a thousand readers, everyone's sensitivity to the same scene is different. Some people think the crying wasn't intense enough, while others think it was too intense. There are always various opinions criticizing the actor's acting skills.

In Ke Lu Ban's movies, no one can judge the acting skills.

Even though no one has ever seen what it looks like for someone with unwavering faith to be burned by flames, when they see the mages sitting on torches atop the tower, burning themselves, no one in the audience will question the pain they endure and the faith they hold fast to.

There are two styles of performance: one is to make the audience empathize by objectively reflecting reality, and the other is to create a virtual scenario that the audience has never heard of before.

The former is often used in works with realistic themes to evoke resonance, while the latter is often used in the realm of fantasy to inspire imagination.

Lu Ban's film is undoubtedly the latter.

There is so much to study in his works. It can be said that if you can learn 30% of the techniques in Lu Ban's films, you will be able to make a blockbuster commercial film, and if you can learn 50%, winning awards will be no problem at all.

The reason why there is still a sense of sadness when facing Lu Ban's movies is that Lu Ban's works greatly raise the audience's aesthetic standards, while also squeezing everyone's wallets.

For example, during certain prime-time periods, if Lu Ban's movie is released, most of the other movies released at the same time will flop at the box office, and they might only be able to compete for second place, or even lower than family-friendly animated films. Furthermore, even if other movies of the same genre that Lu Ban has made are excellent, they will inevitably be compared to Lu Ban's work. In this comparison, their special effects, atmosphere, and acting skills are inferior to Lu Ban's. They can only rely on script twists to gain a slight advantage, and their box office will definitely not be able to beat Lu Ban's. It's a thankless task.

Therefore, a saying circulates among some industry professionals: "Lu Ban doesn't have many more stories to tell us."

Fortunately, Lu Ban usually films fantasy, horror, thriller, adventure, and suspense, and has not yet touched on topics such as romance, celebrity biographies, coming-of-age stories, or business battles. Film and television professionals who focus on these themes can rest assured for now.

In the group chat, everyone was discussing the trailer that Lu Ban had just released.

[Hengdian Xiaozhi]: Lu Ban is going to challenge the limits of special effects, it's going to be a disaster movie! Luckily, our team doesn't have any plans to touch these things recently, so we escaped a disaster.

[Ordinary screenwriter A Xiang]: I actually think that disaster films actually limit Lu Ban's performance. As we all know, all of his works are now connected. The core attraction is the worldview and the vague gods behind it. The industrialized formula of disaster films is not suitable for him to perform.

[Movie Bricklayer]: Indeed, the formula for disaster movies is too fixed. You could think of how to film it even with your eyes closed. The only thing that people are looking forward to in Lu Ban is the special effects.

[Red Bean Popsicle]: To be fair, the volcanic eruption effect in the trailer was pretty good. I had the pleasure of seeing an active volcano before, and the lava inside did indeed have that kind of texture.

【Yan Nan Xiao Liu】: Huh? A volcano? Isn't it some kind of super typhoon?

[Actor Zhao Kuo]: ? ? ? Wasn't it a major earthquake?

[Movie Bricklayer]: No way, the trailer looks like a huge tsunami.

The people in the group were suddenly stunned.

They all opened web pages and searched again.

You wouldn't believe it until you searched it up, and wow!

Lu Ban uploaded a total of four trailers.

Volcanoes, earthquakes, typhoons, tsunamis—different natural disasters correspond to different trailers. Although the patterns are similar, the special effects are completely different.

These trailers were distributed using different logics, resulting in many people seeing different trailers if they randomly come across them.

[Movie Bricklayer]: I've never seen anything like this in my life. Is Lu Ban making a film about the end of the world?

[Ordinary screenwriter A Xiang]: This is quite exciting. Disaster movies of this caliber only come around once every few years, and in the past, it was a privilege reserved for foreign countries. Now we can make them too.

[Red Bean Popsicle]: Am I the only one wondering how Lu Ban will handle it with so many guys coming together?

[Yan Nan Xiao Liu]: This is just a gimmick. Think about it, in a normal disaster movie, you can probably tell from the trailer that the protagonist is going to save the world. But in this movie, the more you watch the trailer, the more desperate you feel. You can't figure out how to win at all. So you can only go to the cinema to see it.

[Hengdian Xiaozhi]: Hiss, this kid is terrifyingly powerful.

Lu Ban's four trailers quickly became known to everyone. After all, in the Internet age, you can find them with a simple search. Various public accounts and self-media were also frantically trying to ride the wave of popularity, analyzing every shot of the trailers. Then, some of the content creators' analyses were copied by other public accounts, and the copying public accounts were copied by other public accounts, which caused quite a few disputes.

Before long, an article appeared online, claiming to have fully analyzed Lu Ban's new film.

A lengthy article of 10,000 words analyzing 30 details of Lu Ban's new film "The End of the World".

Chapter 522 A Long Article of 10,000 Words

[...First of all, the formula for disaster movies is quite mature and fixed. It opens with a thrilling small incident to showcase the protagonist's skills and abilities, then explains the conflicts the protagonist faces in his family and career. Subsequently, the authorities discover clues to the disaster, send people to investigate and stop it but fail. At this point, a strategist-like character steps forward and devises some seemingly unreliable plans, which can only be executed by the protagonist's team. Then, they overcome numerous obstacles, with some dying and others injured, leaving the protagonist and the female lead to resolve their family problems and save the world.]

This formula can be considered clichéd, or it can be considered classic. Most disaster films in recent years have largely followed a combination of these formulas. After all, for this type of movie, what audiences expect is grand scenes, seeing familiar buildings and landmarks destroyed, and seeking a thrilling experience.

[As for Lu Ban's movie, the trailer hides many details, which I will explain to you one by one. First, there's the trailer for the volcanic eruption. Although the specific location of the volcano isn't shown, judging from the scale of the eruption and the nearby city buildings, it should be located in...]

As for typhoons, it is well known that the typhoon classification only indicates its lower limit. A maximum wind speed exceeding 51 meters per second is classified as Category 16. However, there are differences between Category 16 typhoons. The typhoon depicted in the movie is far larger than we are aware of. A recent example of this type of typhoon is the abnormal weather typhoon in the South Pacific a couple of years ago...

This article, through popular science explanations of various meteorological phenomena and analysis of disaster films, roughly outlines some potential highlights of the film "Land of Trials" and the difficulties in producing special effects. At the same time, the article also expresses concern about the film's ending.

[…Finally, this film presents so many massive natural disasters at once, and how it concludes is a crucial question. Any one of these disasters could have a lasting impact on human society, or even destroy civilization. Given our current level of science and technology, we cannot solve the problem when they occur simultaneously. If Lu Ban were to forcibly resolve the issue through a deus ex machina, then this film would undoubtedly be incomplete.]

[At the same time, another question is, what is the connection between this film and the distinctive otherworldly cultures that Lu Ban previously showcased? This film looks like a disaster movie happening around us; how will it relate to those monsters, swarms of insects, and the world shrouded in disaster?]

After this article was published, many people became curious about what method Lu Ban would use to help the protagonist solve these problems.

However, the main character of this movie hasn't appeared yet.

Oh, so the main character in Lu Ban's movies is usually himself? Never mind then.

In June, film production proceeded smoothly. Lu Ban's planned release date was next year's Spring Festival, which was February. There were still eight months left. This was mainly for publicity and scheduling, since choosing a holiday was important if they wanted to attract a large audience.

For China, the two best release periods are the Spring Festival and October, with the summer vacation being a bit later. The Spring Festival is the best of these two periods, and any movie that can be released during the Spring Festival will not be postponed or delayed. In fact, many movies will specifically postpone their release to the Spring Festival.

Furthermore, during other film release periods, if one film performs well, other films may be affected. However, during the Spring Festival period, several films may achieve explosive box office results.

Although it might seem unlucky to show disaster movies during the Lunar New Year, so many people watch war movies, and some movies start as comedies but end in tragedy, so Lu Ban didn't think it was a big deal.

Based on recent trends, many movies have even stated that they would be considered successful if they could surpass "Boonie Bears".

To promote his work, Lu Ban also appeared on the latest episode of a talk show.

He is a very low-key person; he wouldn't participate in this kind of project if it weren't for saving the world.

This talk show is quite popular and has a variety of formats. Some people perform stand-up comedy, while others set up debate topics for everyone to discuss. In the past, it also had something similar to a talent show, and many previously unknown people became famous overnight through this show and started their own media companies.

Recently, however, many themes and content of this program have leaned towards emotional life, often using some potentially fatal questions between couples as topics. These topics not only have no right answers, but also vary depending on each person's interpretation, which can easily lead to conflict and disputes.

Therefore, each episode would trend on social media, with most of the trending topics being arguments between supporters of both sides or cross-dressing, bringing a huge influx of viewers to the show.

Lu Ban participated in a talk show, so he didn't have to debate with anyone.

He felt he wasn't good at speaking and would never win an argument, so he could only become a ruthless "yes, yes, yes" machine.

Lu Ban hadn't expected that the atmosphere would be so tense right from the start of the show.

The theme of this episode is movies. One guest started by saying that he never watches movies, believing that movies are all fictional fantasies that do not help real life at all. He also said that current movies are full of commercialism and that most of them are made by male directors, which are full of male chauvinism.

Upon hearing these comments, Lu Ban quickly realized that the guest probably didn't actually have any opinions about the movie; she just wanted to steer the conversation towards her area of ​​expertise and then use her extensive experience to persuade others.

For these public figures, stance is sometimes everything; often, all that's needed is stance, not logic.

The other guest was much more moderate. His view was that movies can be good or bad. Excellent movies can cultivate people's sentiments, while bad movies can have a negative impact on the public.

It's quite obvious that Lu Ban is theoretically on the side supporting the movie. Only with a three-way discussion can there be something interesting, something to talk about, and something to debate. When everyone is arguing, the show gets viewership.

However, Lu Ban had no intention of arguing with anyone. In this situation, even if he could persuade others with reason, they would definitely be stubborn, which would be meaningless, just like trying to convince others in an online debate.

After listening to the two guests' speeches, he took the microphone.

"Both guests made very interesting points. I think the quality of a movie should be judged by the final cut. I am currently preparing a disaster movie called 'The End of the World,' which will be released globally during the Spring Festival next year. Everyone is welcome to come and watch it."

"???"

Upon hearing Lu Ban's words, the two guests next to him were somewhat taken aback.

and many more.

What happened to the promised head-to-head confrontation and endless debate?

Why is this person directly advertising, and doing it so aggressively?

So they're just going to blatantly advertise?

Chapter 523 Never Forget the Original Intention

Hearing Lu Ban's words, the audience members below the stage looked at each other in bewilderment.

Although everyone knew that Lu Ban, who usually only posts pictures of food and cats, was only going on this kind of show to promote his new movie, no one expected that Lu Ban would actually only talk about the new movie and not take any bait.

Many people were originally looking forward to watching the spectacle and seeing the clash between Lu Ban and these people.

But what about Lu Ban now?

No, wait, a simultaneous global release during the Spring Festival???

Viewers who knew a little about the situation immediately realized that they seemed to have stumbled upon a major news story.

"Let's put the movie release aside for now... Hmm? Wait a minute, Director Lu Ban, you just said your movie will be released simultaneously during the Spring Festival?"

The neutral host only then realized what was happening.

"Yes, the Spring Festival is the most important period for domestic films. My films have never been released during the Spring Festival before. I hope that this time, everyone can watch it together when the family is reunited and have a lively New Year."

Lu Ban spoke the truth.

"Lively and bustling?"

The host found it a bit unbelievable.

This "Doomsday" is clearly a disaster movie, and it will definitely have many scenes of world destruction, natural disasters, and man-made calamities.

Watching this kind of plot during the Lunar New Year, isn't it a bit disgusting?

Does "lively and bustling" mean the heat of a volcanic eruption or the noise of a typhoon passing through?

Who watches this during Chinese New Year or other holidays?

Meanwhile, the audience watching the show were whispering and discussing among themselves.

Is it inappropriate to display this during the Lunar New Year?

"Last time Lu Ban said his movie healed people's hearts, but I think it was quite depressing. This time, with all the commotion, I'm afraid it will be deadly and injured."

"I understand. Lu Ban wants us to remember safety during the Spring Festival and to be careful of fires and accidents!"

"I strongly suspect that Lu Ban's film will definitely not follow the rules. Those film critics who thought Lu Ban would deliver a disaster film with amazing special effects but an ordinary story may be in for a surprise."

"You guys don't know anything! We only watch these kinds of visually stunning blockbusters during the Spring Festival. We only go to the cinema a few times a year. Nobody goes to the cinema to watch a romance or comedy, right?"

Seeing that the discussion in the venue was heading in the direction of Lu Ban's new movie, the guest who was skilled in boxing decided to steer the topic back on track.

"Speaking of your new film, Director Lu, I've always had a question. In all your past works, you've always been the protagonist, while encountering different female characters. Most of these female characters meet tragic ends. Does this represent a subconscious belief that you yourself are the most important, and all the women are just tools to you?"

The guest, who was skilled in boxing, pressed on with his questions.

“We all know that a work of art is a projection of a person’s consciousness. Throughout history, many creators have unconsciously poured their own thoughts into their works, reflecting their understanding of the world. But so far, there are no works in your art that feature women as protagonists who overcome and conquer fate. Does this mean that you subconsciously believe that women are unable to control their own destiny?”