In a small screening room on the set of Shaw Brothers Qingshui Bay, when the theme song "Happy Ghost" sounded, everyone in the crew gave warm applause.
There were no outsiders in the screening room, just Kang Jianfei, Zhao Yazhi, Hu Juncai, Wu Chenggang, Zhong Zhiwen, Qi Bo, Zhong Yuan, and Wen Bixia, who became Kang Jianfei's little tail.
"How do you feel after watching it?" Kang Jianfei asked. Although he was sure that this film could sell well, he still couldn't help but want to gain recognition from the crew. After all, this is the first movie he directed in two lifetimes.
Wu Chenggang said half encouragement and half affirmation: "The audience should like it. Few people shoot such comedy ghost movies."
Zhong Yuan, this fat man, was foul-mouthed and said: "I think the situation in this movie is not good. In terms of comedy, it is not as funny as others' humor, and in terms of ghost movies, it is not as horrible as other ghost movies. What is its selling point? If you don't sell a good box office without selling points, you will lose the game!"
"Say a few less words." Uncle Qi poked Zhong Yuan quietly.
Zhong Zhiwen was not sure, and commented: "The camera and picture of "Happy Ghost" is great, and as for the others, I can't say anything."
After all, everyone is not optimistic about this movie.
Why?
The inexperienced new director and the famous new actor made another weird movie where the comedy is not like a comedy, and the ghost movie is not like a ghost movie. No one else can have confidence in it except Kang Jianfei himself.
This is how the movie is. Before it is actually released, even a veteran with a good vision in the industry cannot prepare to predict the box office of a movie.
In another time and space, the shooting cost of "Happy Ghost" was 2 million. Since the big guys of New Art City were not optimistic about this film, they refused to promote it. The same time as "Happy Ghost" was released is "Provincial Hong Kong Flag Soldier". "Provincial Hong Kong Flag Soldier" had the strongest behind-the-scenes combination in Hong Kong at that time: Sammo Hung, McDonald, and Cen Jianxun, and it was crowded with people to promote it.
The result was surprising. Both movies were released at the same time, and the ticket windows of the theater were lined up. The audience of "Provincial and Hong Kong Flag Soldiers" only bought one or two tickets, while the audience of "Happy Ghost" bought six or seven tickets, and some even drew a row of tickets.
When the painting finally came to an end, the new director, new actor, and small-produced "Happy Ghost" won a box office of more than 17 million yuan, while the big production and big promotion "Provincial and Hong Kong Flag Soldier" only had a box office of 10 million yuan.
This result made everyone in the Hong Kong film industry at that time lose sight of it, including Gao Zhisen, the director of "Happy Ghost", who did not expect it.
Kang Jianfei couldn't help but comfort himself. It was also "Happy Ghost". Even if he couldn't sell the box office like Gao Zhisen, at least he couldn't fail!
However, Kang Jianfei really cannot guarantee the money. There are many factors that affect the box office of the movie, including the quality of the movie, schedule, publicity, stars, cinemas, other movies during the same period, etc. Any change may cause a movie that should have been sold to death!
Kang Jianfei breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at everyone, "Everyone wait for my news."
Zhao Yazhi comforted: "A Fei, I think "Happy Ghost" is very good and will definitely be a big hit at the box office."
Wen Bixia also said: "Yes, yes, I think it's so great and interesting. Everyone must like to watch it."
Kang Jianfei said to them: "Thank you, I won't let everyone down."
After Zhong Zhiwen, Qi Bo and others left, Wu Cheng said just now: "A Fei, are you planning to be released in Lisheng Theater?"
Kang Jianfei nodded and said, "Yes, what's wrong?"
Wu Chenggang said: "I'll go with you, maybe I can meet a few more acquaintances."
Kang Jianfei also refused and took Wu Chenggang and Hu Juncai to Lisheng Theater, a subsidiary of Lisheng Cinema, where the headquarters of Lisheng Cinema Company is here.
When he arrived outside Lisheng Theater, Kang Jianfei was stunned.
The gate of Lisheng Theater was closed, and a notice was posted at the door - "This theater is renovated and temporarily closed." There were also dinging sounds from the cinema.
Kang Jianfei and Wu Chenggang looked at each other, then bypassed the construction office and walked towards the general manager's office. Hu Juncai followed closely behind with the sample "Happy Ghost".
Perhaps because of the closure of business and rectification, there was no sign inside. Kang Jianfei knocked on the door for a long time before a middle-aged man came over and asked, "Who are you looking for?"
Kang Jianfei smiled and said, "Hello, I am the boss of an independent film company. I just made a movie and wanted to find Mr. Li Maowen, the general manager of Lisheng Theater."
The middle-aged man said, "All the cinemas under Lisheng Cinema are being renovated in a unified manner. Come again after the New Year."
"What?" Kang Jianfei was struck by lightning and was stunned on the spot. He calculated the movie before it started filming, but he didn't calculate that such an unexpected situation would occur. He actually encountered the unified decoration of Lisheng Cinema.
Isn't this a joke!
Christmas is coming soon, and New Year's Day is coming next, and the Spring Festival is just the time when the movie box office is the best. How could Lisheng Cinema choose to decorate at this moment?
Do you want to make money if you burn your hands if you have too much money?
Wu Chenggang asked: "Sir, is it really that all the cinemas in Lisheng Theater are decorated?"
The middle-aged man sighed and said, "Yes, there is no attendance anyway, so I will take advantage of this time to renovate it."
When Kang Jianfei heard something from this person, he quickly forced himself to calm down and asked, "Why is there no attendance? This theater is in a very good location."
The middle-aged man glanced at Kang Jianfei. Kang Jianfei suddenly stepped forward and grabbed a handful of Hong Kong dollars and stuffed it into his hands. The man said for the sake of money: "Oh, tell me, for more than a month, Shaw Brothers and Jiahe have issued bans on Lisheng Theater, which scared the film companies and directors to release the films to Lisheng. Lisheng went back and forth and played several bad movies from small companies, and the audience refused to come, so the general manager decided to take advantage of this time to decorate all the theaters."
This person didn't say much, but the information revealed was very rich.
Kang Jianfei quickly thought about the whole thing clearly. Facing the suppression of Shaw Brothers and Jiahe, more than a dozen independent cinemas that had just joined Lisheng Theater, probably many of them were about to part. Lei Juekun, the boss of Lisheng Theater, chose to delay time in a situation of internal and external difficulties.
Procrastinating time does not mean burying one's head to be an ostrich, but accumulating strength.
First, the new Lisheng Cinema has just been established, and many of its cinemas are very dilapidated. After unified decoration, the hardware equipment can be upgraded to the old cinemas.
Secondly, when fighting against foreign countries, you must first settle the internal situation. Lei Juekun can use the time when the decoration is closed to straighten out the contradictions within the theater chain.
Third, Lei Juekun must be looking for capable film companies at this time, intending to win one or several film companies by himself, using Lisheng Theater as the base to fight Shaw Brothers and Jiahe on the box office battlefield.
Wu Chenggang was a little panicked and asked Kang Jianfei, "What should I do? Ah Fei, why don't we try it at Shaw Brothers and Jiahe's theaters? Maybe we can get some theaters to be released."
"No need." Kang Jianfei shook his head. He was completely gone from the panic he had just now, and his expression was calm and confident.
Although his cousin Wu Chenggang is safe in his work, his vision is really not wide. He only hears the predicament in the words of the middle-aged man, but Kang Jianfei sees a rare opportunity.
In another time and space, how did the New Art City get up? It’s not that Lei Juekun is fully supporting him behind his back.
The dilemma Lei Juekun is facing at this time is probably more anxious than the fact that his own movie cannot be released. He brought the movie to his door and planned it for Lei Juekun. The Oriental Dream Factory will definitely be fully supported by Lisheng Cinema in the future.
This gain is the strategic growth of Oriental DreamWorks, which is even more rare than a movie.
Kang Jianfei had a relationship with the middle-aged man and asked, "I wonder if Mr. Li, general manager of Lisheng, is free now?"
The middle-aged man said funny: "I am just a supervisor who looks at the construction site, but how can I know about Manager Li?"
Kang Jianfei asked, "Do you know where Manager Li's home is? I have important things to discuss with Manager Li."
"I don't know." said the middle-aged man.
Chapter completed!