All-rounder Artist

Chapter 412: Chapter 390: Strive to the Extreme_1

For the distributors who were invited to attend the screening of “Hachiko”, it was a memorable experience.

Such an experience is something most screeners could not offer.

But if you look at the overall Blue Star film market, the impact this movie has had so far is just a small ripple…

However, everything depends on people’s efforts.

The next day, Starlight increased the promotion budget for “Hachiko”, making the film more widely known.

Given the high reputation of Xian Yu’s first two films, the promotion of this one indeed attracted more audience attention.

And with the promotion, more information about the movie was revealed.

Such as “Hachiko” taking a touching storyline.

Such as “Hachiko” having a little bit of art film flavor.

Such as “Hachiko” featuring a very heartwarming and comforting storyline.

Such as…

Spoilers are impossible to disclose.

Major spoilers would simply chase the audience away.

You certainly can’t tell the audience directly that this movie tells the story of a dog waiting for its owner for ten years and ultimately dying beside the waiting flower bed.

The promotion can only release some stills and posters, using taglines like “the most touching movie of the year”, “redemption between a man and a dog” to attract the audience and so on.

Such prepared promotion sketches out the public impression of “Hachiko”:

This is a heartwarming drama with a touch of artistic flavor.

There are those who are interested, and many who are indifferent, but at the very least, the goal of widespread publicity has basically been achieved.

To make everyone aware demands a bigger promotional push; that would be too high a cost for “Hachiko”, so the company’s control over promotion funding is quite rational.

But Starlight’s ad copy is somewhat innovative:

“If you say ‘Flirting Scholar’ is the ultimate in happiness and comedy, then ‘The Tuner’ is the ultimate in plot twist and mind-blowing. Teacher Admirable Fish goes all out, taking it to the extreme, and ‘Hachiko’ also has its own extreme. What it is, we will see on November 11th!”

The purpose of the copy is simple:

Use the impressions of the first two movies to awaken the audience’s memories, thereby arousing their interest in Xian Yu’s third movie.

Apparently.

Starlight has achieved its goal with this ad copy.

With the release of this statement on Starlight’s official Weibo, many netizens began discussing what “Hachiko” would be the ultimate in.

“It should be the ultimate in warmth, right?”

“It really piques my curiosity.”

“It’s not easy to take anything to the extreme.”

“The first two films indeed reached the extreme in some ways, few movies have as many plot twists as ‘The Tuner’.”

“In my mind, few movies are as comical as ‘Flirting Scholar’.”

“….”

Meanwhile.

Lin Yuan received the specific screening schedule of “Hachiko”.

Starlight’s screening invited representatives from 43 theater chains. Nearly 90 percent of them showed interest in the movie and arranged some screenings, but the scheduling rate varied among different chains.

No need to elaborate on the specific scheduling rate, overall, the initial scheduling arranged by the theater chains is pretty good.

Especially for a drama like “Hachiko”.

Don’t think that just because representatives of theater chains like “Hachiko” they will automatically arrange a high rate of showcase.

The movie market is not that simple.

Liking it is one thing, business is another, never confuse the two.

After watching the movie, the theater representatives return to being rational, using a commercial perspective to evaluate movies.

Let’s use an example from Earth’s film industry:

Regardless of whether it’s in China’s Douban or in various leading film review lists in the West, “The Shawshank Redemption” tops them all!

Even if movie-watching levels differ in China and abroad, their views on this film are completely unanimous!

Everyone loves “The Shawshank Redemption”.

The film’s reputation on Earth is indeed top-notch.

But another shocking fact is that “The Shawshank Redemption” not only bombed at the box office after its release, but it also fell short in terms of awards, in spite of having some very strong competitors at the time…

The box office flop of this film is not an isolated case.

This is the status quo for many dramas with artistic attributes.

Audiences endeavor to go to the theater to watch more commercial blockbusters!

Chain representatives know this, so it is quite extraordinary that they are willing to sign contracts for screenings after the end of the “Hachiko” screening –

Perhaps they all plan to use the high reputation of this film to exchange for box office revenue.

If word-of-mouth can’t convert into box office, no matter how highly “Hachiko” is rated, the screening will gradually decrease until it is off the schedule.

Naturally.

This also has to do with the fact that the artistic flavor of “Hachiko” is not so strong, it even has a bit of commercial flavor.

There are not many of those pretentious shots that are common in art films.

No playing tricks on the audience, the goal of the story is to be heartfelt and emotional, to achieve the ultimate in these aspects, thereby gaining favor from the theaters.

Comparatively, some of Xian Yu’s diehard fans are the most selfless ones.

As the film’s promotional campaign kicks off, Xian Yu’s Tribe comment section is filled with cheerleading:

“Looking forward to Teacher Admirable Fish’s new film, see you in the cinema on November 11th!”

“The still shots make the film look so comforting, just in time as I’ve been feeling down lately. I hope watching this film can warm me up.”

“Just like what Starlight’s ad says, our Teacher Admirable Fish does take a different route with each film. The first work was the ultimate in comedy, the second film was the ultimate in plot twists, so I’m curious about what the third film will take to the extreme?”

“Needless to say, it must be the ultimate in comfort and warmth!”

“I don’t know why, but I always feel things are not so simple”.

“Teacher Admirable Fish’s movies, just like his music compositions, never repeat; each song brings a fresh feeling to everyone, unlike some composers whose songs all have shadows of each other.”

“…”

Fans’ expectations are effusive.

In fact, not only Xian Yu’s fans, but heartwarming and comforting dramas like “Hachiko”, although not as mainstream as commercial films, have quite a few enthusiasts, which has incited discussions regarding “Hachiko” in many movie forums.

Equally.

Audiences who are interested in the film are also wondering, what kind of extremes “Hachiko” will take?

Is it really warm and comforting?

And amidst everyone’s curiosity.

Time moves on to November, with only ten days left before the premiere of “Hachiko”.