Chapter 35: Super Visit

Dong Jianqiang is pinning his hopes on "Super Interview", hoping that after its broadcast, the box office of "Dark Invasion" will see a new wave of growth.

He really gave it his all for this film.

In the past two days, Zhang Chen and his team have been flying around, busy with roadshows in various cities. As the distribution manager, he has been busy too, drinking a lot of wine at every meal.

In the past era of unified purchasing and marketing, distribution work was much easier to do, and distribution just meant selling copies.

After the film is made, the producer only sells copies and does not participate in the profit sharing.

You get paid based on how many copies you sell. The box office has nothing to do with the producer. If one copy sells for 1.05 yuan, then if you sell 10 copies nationwide, you'll earn 10.5 yuan. If you sell 100 copies nationwide, you'll earn 105 million yuan.

It’s not possible now. You have to pay for the copying costs yourself, and the only money settled is the box office dividends!

Nowadays, everyone is very realistic. If the cinema is not interested in a movie, no one will buy your copy even if you drink yourself to death!
But if it's a movie that the cinema wants to buy, drinking is just a formality.

……

In the evening, "Super Interview" was broadcast as scheduled.

Dai Jun: "How did you come up with the idea of making a movie like this?"

Zhang Chen: "During the Chinese New Year, I wanted to write a script. Our teacher Fu once said that throughout the history of world cinema, there are only three genres that have been the most successful in terms of small-scale films: comedy, erotica, and horror..."

Zhang Chen once again repeated his theory of making a small investment to achieve great results, and even praised Teacher Fu.

Teacher Fu has helped so much, we must help him gain fame.

Li Jing: "I'm curious, why are all the characters in this movie female?"

Zhang Chen explained: "Because in the stereotypes of traditional culture, women are usually the weaker and victimized party. Once the situation is reversed, the contrast they bring is very strong, much stronger than that of men.

Just like in The Darkness, if a man kills the monster, the audience may not think it is a big deal, but if it is a woman, the audience will remember it deeply..."

Dai Jun: "Ah, there are so many things to consider when making a movie. Did you learn all this at Beijing Film Academy?"

Zhang Chen: "Yes, directing is very complex. You need to be able to write scripts, understand lighting, and understand photography. A good director can do almost all the work in the crew, and be proficient in at least one or two of them."

Li Jing: "Wow, you are amazing."

Zhang Chen: "Haha, no, it just happened to be an area I'm good at."

Li Jing: "Speaking of movies, can we talk about something more pointed?"

Zhang Chen: “For example?”

Dai Jun: "For example, some unpleasantness between you and House of Flying Daggers?"

Zhang Chen shrugged: "There is no unpleasantness. The schedules overlap and there is competition."

Li Jing smiled and said, "So you don't agree with what Zhang Weiping said?"

Dong Jianqiang, who was watching a show in front of the TV, felt his heart rise to his throat when he heard Li Jing's words.

Now he finally understood why "Super Interview" was so easy to talk to and even agreed to cut in line. It turned out that he was planning something bad.

Careless, careless!
This woman is really not a good person.

During the show, Zhang Chen did not answer immediately, as if he was thinking. Li Jing and Dai Jun had smiles in their eyes.

The reason why "Super Interview" can stand out from the crowd of programs is its boldness. They dare to discuss topics that others dare not discuss, and they dare to comment on people that others dare not comment on.

Seeing that Zhang Chen was slow to speak, Li Jing and Dai Jun looked at each other and it seemed that this topic could not be explored further.

Just when the two were about to change the subject, Zhang Chen suddenly spoke.

"I didn't know Zhang Weiping before. He probably didn't even know who I was. But I do know him, the man behind Zhang Yimou~"

"The man behind Zhang Yimou? Hehe, this is a very interesting statement."

Li Jing looked at Zhang Chen with her big eyes fluttering. She found that this young director was quite interesting. He was full of witty remarks during lunch and he was still like that now. They liked such guests the most.

“Of course, if it weren’t for Zhang Yimou, who would know who he is?

If it was director Zhang Yimou who said that, I would have tolerated it, after all, he is a senior and the most capable in the industry. But Zhang Weiping, what right does he have? "

Zhang Chen had no intention of pampering the other party. "I am a student majoring in directing, and I studied film. He is just an investor, and he may not even know how to shoot a movie. In terms of professional ability, I can beat him 10 times. I don't know who gave him the courage to question me. Fish Leong?"

"Fiona Leong? Courage? Hahaha~~"

Dai Jun and Li Jing were stunned at first, but immediately got the point and laughed out loud.

The photographer and other staff members nearby also laughed and shrugged their shoulders, but fortunately the camera remained stable.

No one cared. Their show style was like that anyway, not too formal and more like chatting about daily life.

"I find your speaking style really... so interesting. Why do you want to be a director? Joining our Super Interview as a host will definitely be a better choice for you."

"That's not necessary. I won't steal other people's jobs."

"Okay, okay, let's get back to the topic. Do you mean that Zhang Weiping deliberately belittled you?"

"Of course. He just felt that Dark Invasion posed a threat to their House of Flying Daggers, and he relied on his power to discredit his opponent."

Li Jing's eyes widened. How dare you say that?
Zhang Chen narrowed his eyes and smiled. This is just the beginning.
Dai Jun: "Actually, I'm quite curious. House of Flying Daggers is a blockbuster with an investment of 2.8 million yuan, but your Dark Invasion only cost 200 million yuan..."

"Be more confident. Take away the "as if". The cost of Dark Invasion is 200 million, and that includes part of the publicity expenses."

"Hahaha..." The two were amused again and the atmosphere became more relaxed.

"I'm just curious why the media always likes to compare you two."

Zhang Chen: "Maybe they can't find other targets. Didn't you notice that in the whole month of July, there were no other movies except ours? Everyone avoided House of Flying Daggers when they saw it."

"Aren't you afraid? Isn't there any pressure?"

Zhang Chen smiled and waved his hands: "Last weekend, our box office was 1980 million. In fact, we have already made back our investment, so he should be the one under pressure now. After all, "House of Flying Daggers" is said to have an investment of 2.8 million. But for this number, I can only say haha~"

Dai Jun and Li Jing burst into laughter again. From the beginning of the interview, Zhang Chen frequently uttered golden sentences, and the joyful atmosphere on the scene never stopped.

In previous recording sessions, they were the ones responsible for adjusting the atmosphere, but when it came to Zhang Chen's turn, it seemed like the opposite happened.

(End of this chapter)

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