Bright Era of China Entertainment

Chapter 843 The beginning
Wuzhen, Tongxiang, Jiaxing, Zhejiang, was an inconspicuous little village ten years ago.

With the development of the times in the last century, the original Wuzhen was just following the normal modernization route and did not engage in tourism at all.

It was not until 1999 when a new leadership team was appointed that the unique features of Wuzhen, a town with a thousand-year history, were discovered: it has extensive waterways, ancient roads full of cultural heritage, and is located amidst green hills and clear waters, and is well versed in the water towns of the south of the Yangtze River.

With such ancient charm, it would be a waste if we don't develop cultural tourism, so there was the "Wuzhen Ancient Town Protection and Tourism Development Project", and this ancient town also ushered in an opportunity for development.

However, cultural tourism is not so easy to develop. Without traffic, no matter how good the cultural tourism landscape is, it will be useless.

After experiencing the difficult paper media era and then the era of rapid development of Internet information and the rise of online media, Wuzhen in 09 has finally become famous after ten years of development and has gained some fame in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Shanghai.

But it is still not well-known in the vast national territory. Not to mention compared with such famous places as the Three Mountains and Five Peaks and the Great Wall, it is far inferior to the West Lake next door.

In Chu Xuan's eyes, Brilliant Times Cinema opened a cinema in Wuzhen? He didn't know about it before the road show in Hengdian, and he didn't know what the chairman Hu Hanguang thought.

I just heard that at last year's Wuzhen official investment promotion conference, there were huge subsidies for entertainment industries such as cinemas. With the reputation of Brilliant Times Cinema having been operating in China for two or three years, it can get a lot of subsidies, which is very tempting.

Cultural tourism and cultural tourism, tourism represents travel, culture represents culture, and film and television are also within the scope of culture. The Brilliant Times Cinema has established an industry in Wuzhen, and it is currently the only cinema in Wuzhen.

Although he didn't know Hu Hanguang's specific ideas, Chu Xuan wanted to give him a thumbs up. In the future, Wuzhen will have the titles of "World Culture and Art Center", "Light of World Intangible Cultural Heritage", "World Internet Technology Center", "World Cultural and Tourism Industry Center", etc., all of which are world-class titles.

Regardless of whether it is over-marketing or something else, Wuzhen will have a great future. Not to mention other industries, just look at the entertainment industry's things such as TV festivals, film festivals, film and television exhibitions, art exhibitions, and drama festivals. Everything will be held here in the future.

When other cinema chains had not yet thought of building cinemas in Wuzhen, our company had already established a symbol of the entertainment industry here. Whether Hu Hanguang was truly far-sighted or did it for the benefit of local official subsidies, the company's cinema development here always seized the initiative.

"Big brother!"

"Ahhh, Seiryuu Seiryuu!!"

"Chu Xuan! Liu Yifei!!"

"Dillon! Zou Zhaolong..."

On the morning of July 7, a large number of people gathered in front of the Brilliant Times Cinema at the east gate of Wuzhen just after eight o'clock. Fortunately, the entrance square at the east gate was spacious enough, otherwise most places in Wuzhen would not be able to accommodate so many people at once.

Some of these people learned the news through roadshows, some learned the news through Reuters reports, and some were local residents and tourists of Wuzhen.

Hu Hanguang, chairman of the cinema chain company, together with a Wuzhen leader, the cinema manager and a group of staff, were also standing at the cinema entrance looking ahead with the enthusiastic crowd.

Several commercial vehicles stopped in the parking lot next to the east gate entrance. When Cheng Long, Chu Xuan, Liu Yifei and other actors and their accompanying team got out of the vehicles, the crowd's cheers suddenly became overwhelming.

"Oh my God, so many people!" Zhang Yuqi was very surprised. Maybe it was because there were too many roadshows in Hong Kong, and the place was small, so the audience was accustomed to such activities that could be seen every once in a while. Anyway, she had never seen so many people coming for a movie when she was on a roadshow in Hong Kong.

Maybe it’s because she is not famous, or because the crews that have filmed her works in the past are not famous. Just looking at the groups of enthusiastic audiences in front of her welcoming them makes her feel very honored. It’s worthy of being a big crew with Brother Chenglong, it’s really awesome.

However, after hearing the audience calling out so many names, there was almost no shouting for her, while the voices of Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei, who were of the same age, were almost as loud as those for Cheng Long, which made her envious.

This couple is really popular. No wonder they travelled like they were on a tour during their roadshow. They never did anything to attract attention or gain popularity. It's just this popularity that they don't have to make themselves so tired.

"There are too many people. There must be more people who haven't come yet. There won't be any problems with the screening arrangements, right?" Liu Yifei asked Chu Xuan as she walked and waved to the audience.

The roadshow lasted for a week, from Hengdian all the way to the current final destination, Wuzhen. On the way from Hangzhou early in the morning, I was still thinking, the roadshow is the roadshow, the tickets have been issued, what if there are only a few people when we arrive at the final destination? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing?

Now it seems that she was too worried. With so many people, she was worried whether a movie could be arranged.
"No, the tickets are numbered and planned in advance." Chenglong said.

Chenglong has been in Beijing discussing production, distribution, and theatrical release with partners such as Wang Jinhua, Tang Jili, and Han Sanping. Yesterday, when the couple and their group arrived in Hangzhou for a roadshow, Chenglong rushed over from Beijing to meet up with them, and they arrived at the final stop, Wuzhen, together this morning.

The movie was screened at the terminal, and with the support of all the actors during the roadshow, it didn't matter if he didn't come. However, not to mention that many fans came for him during the screening, he, as the backbone of the film's promotion, had to be present.

At least, the current couple is impeccable in TV dramas, but they are still unable to hold their own in movies, and Chenglong needs to take the lead.

"Since the company has planned this event, there is no way it can fail." Chu Xuan said.

The number of movie tickets distributed during the roadshow is limited. If the number of audience members exceeds the number of tickets, this has happened in the industry before, so the company probably has a plan and they don't have to worry about such things.

After hearing what the two said, Liu Yifei stopped worrying and walked towards the crowd.

Kara Hui, Zou Zhaolong, Ti Lung, Ng Man-tat and other Hong Kong actors, as seniors in the industry, have a good attitude that allows them not to be bothered by popularity, but the scene of countless people enthusiastically coming to the movie also makes them feel happy and proud.

It is said that the Hong Kong entertainment industry is on the decline, while the mainland entertainment industry is gaining momentum and thriving. Although Hong Kong artists do not want to admit that the Hong Kong entertainment industry is weak, this is an undeniable fact.

Occasions like this one will probably only appear in mainland China in the future. It will be difficult to see such a grand scene in Hong Kong again.

"Hello everyone!" Chenglong approached the crowd and greeted them, and team members helped maintain order.

"Hello~" Liu Yifei waved her hand.

"Hello friends." Chu Xuan greeted them.

The actors who followed also greeted each other, which drew an excited response from the crowd, who called out the actors' names.

"Yuqi."

"Big brother."

"You and the teachers go greet the crowd. Chu Xuan, Xixi and I will go greet the leaders and ask about the situation first."

"it is good."

Chenglong is not only the leading actor, but also an investor. It is only right for him to greet the leaders as a representative.

Not to mention that Chu Xuan is the boss of Brilliant Times, I heard that Liu Yifei is the real boss lady, the kind that has shares... Hey, they were born in the same year and month, with only a difference of ten days or so, so how could the gap be so big?
Zhang Yuqi sighed in envy, and did not forget what Chenglong had told her. She immediately called out to the crowd: "Are you all here to watch a movie?"

The crowd responded enthusiastically: "Yes..."

Chenglong, Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei took time off to meet with Hu Hanguang and a leader.

"Mr. Hu is here in person." Cheng Long said with a smile and shook hands with Hu Hanguang.

"I must come in person to the first screening of Brother Chenglong's movie," Hu Hanguang said in a worldly-wise manner.

This is the first large-scale roadshow mission in the company's development over the past few years. Ning Hao's previous "Crazy" two-part roadshow was just a small-scale one, unlike this roadshow across the two sides of the Taiwan Strait and Hong Kong and Macau, which is so large-scale.

Since this was the first time he had taken on such a big task and it was also an event for his own cinema, he, as the chairman, came to take a look in person to find out the gaps and make better plans for future roadshows.

In addition, the reason why the Zhejiang roadshow’s final stop was chosen in Wuzhen is also for the better development of this cinema.

After the cinema was built last year, local leaders had the idea of ​​promoting cooperation, that is, using the cinema to organize some activities to attract traffic. After all, this is the only cinema in Wuzhen.

Wuzhen needs to attract traffic to promote tourism and local economic development, and the cinema also needs more popularity and fame to expand its business. The interests of both parties are converging, so the end point of the Zhejiang roadshow was set in Wuzhen.

Looking at the huge crowd in front of us, this event is a win-win situation for both the cinema and Wuzhen.

"Mr. Chu, Mr. Liu." Hu Hanguang shook hands with the couple. Since they were all family members, he didn't waste time on the small talk and introduced the leaders to the three of them. "This is Secretary Xiao. This is the first time Wuzhen has held such an event. Secretary Xiao was also very interested and came to see it. Fortunately, our roadshow didn't lag behind. Otherwise, if not many people came, Secretary Xiao would have laughed at us."

"That's nothing, Mr. Hu, you must be joking." Secretary Xiao shook hands with Chenglong and said, "Hello, Chenglong. I never thought that Wuzhen would one day welcome an international superstar like you. It's a great honor to our humble home. Welcome."

"Secretary Xiao, you are too polite. The cultural landscape here is so beautiful. It is my honor to be here." Chenglong said.

"Mr. Chu, Mr. Liu." Secretary Xiao shook hands with the couple and said, "You are really young and promising. Welcome to Wuzhen."

"Hello Secretary Xiao, I'm very happy to come to Wuzhen. I just hope I don't cause you any trouble." Liu Yifei said.

After a brief greeting, the topic went straight to the point.

Hu Hanguang said, "There are too many people. I tried to count them earlier, but I couldn't figure out the exact number. But I'm afraid there are more than 500 people, and more people are coming. You should stop holding roadshows outside."

Secretary Xiao said: "With so many people here, we must pay attention to safety issues."

Chu Xuan, Liu Yifei and Cheng Long looked at each other and tried to understand each other's intentions.

The purpose of a road show is to familiarize the audience, but with the current lively scene, it might cause some confusion if they appeared in the crowd again.

"Then let's go inside. Before the screening, we'll go on stage and interact with the audience." Chenglong said.

"Okay." Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei had no objection.

Hu Hanguang said: "Only the main hall with 360 seats will be open for three shows a day in the morning, afternoon and evening. The rest of the halls will be open as normal. If we calculate it as full, it can accommodate 2160 people to watch the movie."

"Isn't it a little too little?" Liu Yifei asked. Seeing so many people coming now, it seemed that the upper limit of 2160 people in these two days might not be able to satisfy people's enthusiasm.

"I also think it's not enough." Secretary Xiao said with a smile, "There are not many local residents in Wuzhen, but there are nearly 2160 people. During the summer vacation, there are to tourists every day. If they heard that you are showing movies here for free, I'm afraid these people will not be enough in these two days. What's more, these two days are weekends, and there will be more tourists than usual."

Hu Hanguang said, "It depends on the situation. This is only the first morning show of the first day. Secretary Xiao said that Wuzhen is most lively in the afternoon and evening. If the audience is too enthusiastic, Manager Hu and I will discuss temporary adjustments and add more shows."

"This is your event, you decide." Secretary Xiao nodded. As a leader, he just let it go after getting a satisfactory answer. Of course, the more free movie screenings there are, the better. The more screenings there are, the more people will be attracted. Then the row of restaurants, specialty stores, sundry stores, luxury stores and the like next to the cinema will stimulate consumption.

"That's it. You go in first." Hu Hanguang invited Chenglong and the couple to go in first, and they would be responsible for checking tickets for the audience.

It was only half an hour before the 9 o'clock morning show, and Chenglong and the couple did not waste any time. They waved to Zhang Yuqi and others, then turned and walked into the cinema.

The exteriors of the buildings currently being developed in Wuzhen are very consistent with the original ancient style here, which also makes this Brilliant Times Cinema very unique.

The outside has white walls and gray bricks, and the roof is tiled, which looks very ancient.

When you walk in, you will see the ancient style of white walls and gray bricks, with some flowers and plants along the walls.

The entrance to the ticket check is a straight small bridge, under the bridge is a small artificial stream. After crossing the bridge is the corridor of the screening room. There is a transparent glass layer above the corridor, which feels like a glass plank road, and sunlight can shine through it.

The cinema only has one floor, in order to fit in with the style of the ancient town here. It would not be in line with local planning to put the three- or four-story Brilliant Times cinemas like those in Jingcheng, Shenghai and Guangzhou here.

Although it only has one floor, it is very high, about seven or eight meters, so it feels spacious and large.

In the middle after crossing the bridge is a hall with 360 seats, and there are four halls on both sides, a regular hall with 143 seats, a small hall with 60 seats and two VIP halls with 16 seats.

Watching a movie in such an ancient place is really a unique experience.

The group of people, full of curiosity, pulled open the red cloth covering the entrance of the hall and walked in.

The 360-seat screening room is very spacious, with three large rows divided into fifteen lines. The front row in the middle row is already occupied, with five invited film critics and five filmmakers and media.

Most provinces have a film artists association, and those engaged in media work in the association are film artists' media. Compared with the messy media in the industry, film artists' media are truly professional media that only report on movies.

"Hello everyone, please be gentle when writing the film review." Chenglong bowed.

"Hello, big brother!" The seven men and three women were all excited to see Chenglong. Seeing Chenglong bowing to them, they quickly stood up and bowed back even if it was a joke.

"Teachers, please write better." Zhang Yuqi raised her hand and scanned the actors: "They are all martial arts actors, all martial arts masters. I just want to ask you if you are afraid."

The couple laughed along with everyone else. This photo of Zhang Yuqi was also quite funny.

The five filmmakers, media professionals and five film critics smiled but said nothing. Professionals should do professional things. Since they dared to invite them from the Zhejiang Film Association, then a good movie is good and a bad movie is bad. At most, they can give some face and package the bad ones.

They cannot talk nonsense like some self-media, otherwise the reputation of their association will decline among the people. After all, their reports carry the logo of the Film Association, so they must correctly guide the audience's aesthetics and perceptions.

There was a commotion outside the door, and I guess it was the staff letting the audience in.

The actors and roadshow team members took their seats in the front row. Chenglong, Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei went to the side of the stage to take microphones from the staff for a sound test in preparation.

The audience came in one after another, and the quiet atmosphere began to become noisy. The audience who came in first were excited to grab the front row seats, while the audience who came in later felt sorry to see that the front row was full, but they all had high expectations for the movie.

When all the 360 ​​seats were filled, the staff closed the door of the screening room. Chenglong and the couple walked onto the stage at an appropriate time, focusing the audience's attention, and a warm cheer resounded throughout the hall.

"Good morning, everyone!" Chenglong greeted warmly.

"Good——" the audience responded enthusiastically.

Cheng Long said: "I am very happy to meet you all in this beautiful town of Wuzhen. It has been more than two years since I announced that I would be making this movie. Are you anxious?"

Cheng Long's tone was as if he was talking to an old friend, and the casualness and joking in it made his fans complain.

"too long!"

"too slow!"

"Refund!!"

"Hahaha……"

Refund? What kind of refund is there for a free movie ticket? ... This made everyone present laugh, livening up the very warm atmosphere before the movie.

"Hello everyone, I am..."

"Sister Fairy is so beautiful!"

Before Liu Yifei finished speaking, the enthusiastic audience interrupted her.

"I'm not a fairy sister. I'm a human being, an ordinary person. Please don't flatter me."

"You are the Fairy Sister, you deserve it!"

Liu Yifei uttered a "hmm" and sighed. The breath came out from the microphone, and the feeling of helplessness also made the audience amused.

"At this moment, I am neither Sister Fairy nor Liu Yifei. Who am I? Does anyone know?"

“Lin Yi!!”

Liu Yifei thought it would take half a day for someone to answer her question, but unexpectedly someone responded immediately, which made her very happy.

"What about me?" Chu Xuan picked up the microphone and asked.

"Wei Ran!" an audience member shouted.

"Then..." As soon as Cheng Long picked up the microphone, an audience member answered: "Cheng Xiong!!"

Chu Xuan, Liu Yifei and Cheng Long smiled at each other. The brief news about their movie was released at the press conference in early 08. It has been a year and a half and has become obsolete. Only the official Weibo account of the movie still retains it.

This group of audiences are definitely movie fans, otherwise it would be impossible for them to pay so much attention to and know so much about news about movies that are long out of date, and even remember the names of their characters, which is not easy.

"Thank you all for your attention to us and our movie." Cheng Long expressed his gratitude and said, "Then... our opening will end here. We will talk to you again after the movie is over. I believe you can't wait."

Liu Yifei took over the conversation: "What does our domestic science fiction look like? What kind of image will Brother Chenglong have in the science fiction film? Is he a superhero or just an ordinary guy? And what kind of relationship will Chu Xuan and I have? Are we a couple or do we just dislike each other?"

"Everyone should watch the movie carefully. After the movie, there will be a question-and-answer session about the content of the movie. If you answer the questions correctly, you will receive our signed movie posters and other small gifts."

He mentioned many unknown highlights in a playful tone, which aroused the audience's greater interest in the movie.

This is a domestically produced sci-fi blockbuster that has never been seen before. Cheng Long has never filmed this type of film, and Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei have never done it before. So how will Cheng Long be presented in it? Will Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei still be a screen couple?

As the three people walked off the stage, a strong atmosphere of curiosity was set off in the screening room.

Chu Xuan and Liu Yifei followed Cheng Long back to the front row seats. The three of them looked up at the screen at the same time, but they were all nervous.

For Chenglong, this movie is his masterpiece of transformation. He has always wanted to transform himself and wants to find a feasible answer in this movie.

For the couple, this movie is their stepping stone to officially enter the film industry. Whether they will take off with the wind from the start or struggle to move forward and explore slowly depends on whether the audience can accept it.

Although it is just a roadshow, the audience's response will to a certain extent be reflected in the subsequent releases, so feedback here is still very important.

With a click, the lights in the screening room went out and the noise gradually disappeared.

Under the gaze of the audience, the big screen slowly flashed from black to light, and "Skyfall: Enemy at the Gates" kicked off.

(End of this chapter)