radicalducati Chapter 22: An army marches on its stomach.
Chapter 22: An army marches on its stomach.
......
Fang Yi's words drew the attention of the others.
Chen Hui frowned, and said with a hint of uncertainty, "Wouldn't June 12th be too rushed?"
"Yes, Director Fang, if we want to release it two weeks earlier than Initial D, we'll have to set it for June 9th or 10th, and the publicity might not be able to keep up."
Zeng Chunhua also felt that the time was too tight. Today is May 19th, and by the 9th of next month, there are only 20 days left.
The concerns of the two directors left the Wang brothers unable to make a decision for the time being.
Wang Zhongjun's mind raced, and he came up with the idea of moving the film's release to July, hoping to wade into the murky waters of the summer movie season.
However, he cut off the idea as soon as it came to mind. Wang Jinghua had just left, and Huayi urgently needed a work to stabilize morale.
Just as he was in a dilemma, Fang Yi spoke again, his voice calm yet extremely seductive.
"If it is scheduled to be released on June 10, it will be just two or three days after the college entrance examination. Don't forget that students have just gone through a major life test, have nothing to do, and still have pocket money in their pockets."
If we don't act quickly, we probably won't reap the benefits throughout June.
"That's right, Director Fang's words reminded me."
Wang Zhongjun slapped his thigh and said loudly, "It's better to be early than late. Rather than eating what [D] left over, getting in first is the key. I believe in the skill level of [Sniper Phone Booth] and they can fight a beautiful sniper battle."
"It's settled then. 'Phone Booth' will be released at midnight on the 10th, seizing two weeks' worth of market share in advance."
Wang Zhongjun made the final decision, and everyone else echoed his sentiments.
Zeng Chunhua and Chen Hui are both action-oriented, and they immediately stated: "Please rest assured, President, our two departments will work together to distribute the promotional materials as quickly as possible."
"Very good, I trust you to handle things."
Wang Zhongjun smiled with satisfaction, pondered for a few seconds, and said: "Distribute 300 copies initially, and add more if needed. At the same time, contact major online platforms and media outlets to secure front-page headlines for three days."
"Understood, I'll contact him later." Zeng Chunhua was full of energy and cast an admiring glance at Wang Zhongjun.
Not only him, but Fang Yi was also surprised by Wang Zhongjun's boldness.
In the 2005 film market, the mainstream prints used film, while digital prints accounted for less than 5% of the market due to the limitations of digital screens.
A film copy costs roughly 8 to 1 yuan, and even a lower quality copy costs 6 yuan.
300 copies, at 8 each, would cost 240 million RMB.
Including the money invested in various media outlets and online platforms, the total publicity and promotion expenses will exceed 300 million RMB.
The promotional efforts were almost identical!
At this moment, Wang Zhonglei's eyes lit up, and he reminded him: "The male lead is Xiaoming. The Condor Heroes is becoming increasingly popular, so we can focus on promoting him. There's also Fan Bingbing. Although she has few scenes, her image in the movie is perfect, which can also attract many male viewers."
"Sister Bingbing looks really beautiful in this appearance."
Fang Yi nodded in agreement. Since he was not well-known at the moment, it was customary and a major weapon for him to focus on the actors in film promotion.
He looked at Zeng Chunhua and said solemnly, "The trailer has been edited. If it's not enough, just ask. I'll leave the rest of the movie's promotion to you."
"Director Fang, you're too kind. This is simply our publicity department's job!"
Zeng Chunhua smiled and waved her hand, then stood up and looked at Wang Zhongjun: "President, I'll go back to work now."
"Go ahead and get to work. If you need funding, just contact the finance department. I'll let them know in advance."
"Thank you, Mr. President. Farewell, everyone..."
With Zeng Chunhua's departure, the promotional meeting for "Sniper Phone Booth" came to an end.
After the four of them discussed a few more promotional ideas, Fang Yi and Chen Hui said goodbye to Da Wang and Xiao Wang.
In the elevator, Chen Hui looked at the overly young Fang Yi and couldn't help but sigh, "Director Fang, to receive such attention for your first film is truly exceptional in the entire industry."
"Mr. Wang has great vision, but that has little to do with me."
Fang Yi smiled, showing none of the excitement or arrogance of a new director.
The sale of the overseas rights to "Sniper Phone Booth" for $245 million is a remarkable achievement, and it's no surprise that Wang Zhongjun values it.
In addition, Wang Jinghua's departure was also a trigger.
In recent days, there has been a barrage of unfounded reports, speculations, and doubts surrounding Huayi. Given the ambitions of the two Wangs, it is highly unlikely that they would let the doubts from the outside world go unchecked. Using the "sniper phone booth" incident to dispel these doubts is simply a matter of course.
Fang Yi said: "[Sniper Phone Booth] Chun Chun is lucky."
......
night.
On behalf of the company, Wang Zhonglei invited the production, administration, publicity, and hair styling departments to a dinner, and Fang Yi was among the guests.
As the ancients said, "An army marches on its stomach."
Tonight's dinner party is a reward banquet that Huayi organized in advance for several departments, commonly known as a farewell banquet.
Next, Huayi Brothers will send key personnel from various departments across the country to guide the film's promotion and distribution, and to supervise and guide matters related to promotional materials and film copies.
During the banquet, Wang Zhonglei frequently toasted everyone, urging them, in his capacity as vice president, to go all out and win this publicity campaign.
Fang Yi, in his capacity as director, went from table to table with a beer in hand, asking everyone for help.
After the party ended, Fang Yi and Wang Zhonglei walked at the back, and, emboldened by alcohol, asked Wang Jinghua about the incident.
Since the situation was still unclear, he didn't want to pry or get involved.
Now that the incident has happened and everyone has left, as a member of Huayi Brothers, he knows the situation and no one will think too much about it.
"They're gone, it's good that they're gone."
Wang Zhonglei, with his arm around Fang Yi, swayed his head and said with a hint of wine red on his face, "Except for Xiao Ming, Deng Chao, Shuang Bing and a few minor artists, everyone else left the company with Wang Jinghua."
"It's alright, those who remain are all elites," Fang Yi said softly, his face full of certainty.
"They are indeed elites, but none of them are easy to deal with."
Wang Zhonglei forced a smile: "Old Fang, you probably don't know, but apart from your fellow villager Deng Chao, everyone else has offered quite a few conditions."
"Oh, they want to control the company?" Fang Yi feigned shock, speaking from Hua Yi's perspective.
"It's not about controlling it; big stars, of course they want to maximize their own benefits."
Wang Zhonglei shook his head, looking magnanimous, and his words showed no dissatisfaction with the matter.
That's true. Choosing to stay means standing on Huayi's side, and they're not allowed to make any demands.
Fang Yi understood that the artist's demands were twofold: first, future shares in Huayi Brothers; and second, the establishment of a personal studio.
Thinking that Fan Bingbing still hadn't spent the 500,000 yuan he borrowed, he decided to lend a hand.
"I think that since they are elites, they should be given the treatment they deserve. Xiaoming and Shuangbing are both top choices, and their future commercial value will only increase."
Instead of getting bogged down in procrastination, be more generous and cultivate their sense of belonging to the company.
"Director Fang thinks so highly of them?"
Wang Zhonglei subtly raised his chin, his eyes gradually regaining their clarity.
"The four Bingbings are all stars with great potential. Huang Xiaoming and Deng Chao are both outstanding. With these four, the company can both advance and retreat in terms of artist management, and is no weaker than other companies."
"Haha... Director Fang has a keen eye; those four definitely have a bright future in the entertainment industry."
Wang Zhonglei laughed heartily, a resolute glint in his eyes.
Regarding managing artists, we really shouldn't delay. I need to talk to my older brother tomorrow and sign contracts with Xiaoming and the others as soon as possible.
Then, he leaned closer to Fang Yi and lowered his voice, saying, "Besides those four, I've also prepared a secret weapon. You'll find out who it is later, Director Fang."
After saying that, Wang Zhonglei smiled mysteriously and turned to leave.