Chapter 553 Public Relations Oscar Nomination?

After the screening, there was a media reception.

At this party, Lu Yanhe and his group will be able to hear everyone's feedback and discussions about the film firsthand.

In such situations, it's inevitable to receive praise to someone's face and criticism behind their back.

However, people who genuinely dislike the movie usually wouldn't attend this party.

They would first publish their own comments on the film on social media, and then publish formal reviews in their partner media and magazines.

After talking with everyone, Lu Yanhe realized that in this kind of situation, you can't just listen to what people say; you also have to listen to what they don't say.

In these situations, people will only say the nice things to you.

But not everyone lies.

Therefore, we must listen to what others haven't said.

For example, Lu Yanhe discovered that almost everyone avoided discussing the main theme of the film when talking about it.

People were either praising it, saying that some parts really scared them, making their hair stand on end, or praising it as a very good performance, definitely worthy of attention during awards season.

Some people also say that the film is very well made, which is rare for a horror film.

However, almost no one mentioned the theme of Asian revenge against white protagonists.

That's clearly the biggest selling point of this movie.

-

In fact, Twitter is also quite lively.

The discrimination that Lu Yanhe encountered on the red carpet at the premiere of "The Mist" has attracted great attention.

The speed at which this matter escalated was as if an invisible hand was pushing it to spread online at an incredible pace.

Race is one of the most popular and attention-grabbing topics on the internet right now. When celebrities get involved, it's like a few drops of water falling into a hot oil pan—it explodes immediately.

While Lu Yanhe was interacting with everyone at the media reception, his large army of domestic fans were also crossing the Great Firewall to join his overseas fans in strongly condemning the incident and defending Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe's fan base has grown rapidly in recent years.

On the one hand, he has a lot of works and has accumulated a lot of fans who are actors. On the other hand, his past life as Lu Yanhe, especially his journey from a rural child who lost both parents to being admitted to Zhenhua University, and from an idol who was washed up to being forgotten to a top-tier star, has attracted a large number of fans who regard him as their idol.

Not to mention, this time, Lu Yanhe was discriminated against in the United States because he is Asian, which would make any Asian angry.

Those Europeans and Americans who like Lu Yanhe and do not discriminate against Asians are even more furious—their feelings are probably similar to when a racist suddenly appears among your friends, and you subconsciously want to distance yourself from him to avoid others thinking that you are like him too. Their condemnation of this matter is even stronger.

The momentum of support for Lu Yanhe has also led to constant mention of "The Mist," a horror film that focuses on "Asian ghosts seeking revenge against white demons." The pre-release data has increased even more dramatically than the predictions from forecasting agencies.

-

At D19, communications director Elena Green was pleased to direct her team to continue driving online discussion and solidify the narrative of an "Asian ghost avenging a white demon," hoping to increase the visibility of the film "The Mist" through this campaign.

Their original intention was certainly not to "gild" Lu Yanhe, but the publicity strategy they adopted achieved the effect of "gilding" Lu Yanhe.

On this day, Lu Yanhe's fame in Europe and America skyrocketed.

The next day, when Lu Yanhe was shooting a magazine cover with Alne and two others, the magazine's shooting team even offered to take a photo with him.

Both of these magazines are top-tier magazines in the United States.

The promotional resources obtained by D19 Company.

If it weren't for "The Mist," Lu Yanhe's fame and influence wouldn't be enough to grace the covers of these two magazines.

In fact, many magazine covers featuring celebrities are like this—many magazine covers that fans praise are actually obtained through public relations efforts by film companies or brands. In other words, they are bought with money, only the word "public relations" sounds more sophisticated and less commercial.

Of course, this is a very normal phenomenon.

The abnormal phenomenon is that many fans, and even the artists' own teams, treat magazine covers as proof of an artist's status. This is especially true in China, where it's been heavily demonized. In reality, it's not that objective.

After Lu Yanhe finished shooting for the magazine, he said goodbye to everyone at "Mist".

"See you in Japan later."

The film "The Mist" will hold promotional events in Japan and South Korea, and the main actors will all be there.

Unfortunately, because "The Mist" is not released in mainland China, there are no trips to China.

-

When Lu Yanhe arrived at the airport, he never expected that more than a dozen fans would gather there, holding signs and posters to wait for him. As soon as he appeared, they immediately surrounded him to express their support and love for him.

Lu Yanhe thanked them with some surprise.

Zou Dong and his group had no choice but to stay close to Lu Yanhe, keeping a close watch on everyone to prevent any potential harm from anyone among them.

Fortunately, no.

These people all started following Lu Yanhe after watching his films and TV dramas.

Some people said that she hadn't originally planned to come to the airport to see him off, but after seeing everything he went through yesterday, she made up her mind to come today.

She said firmly, "I want you to know that there are people in Los Angeles who like you, support you, and warmly welcome you to Los Angeles."

Lu Yanhe was quite moved to hear a complete stranger say this to him.

"Thank you, thank you."

Lu Yanhe fulfilled each of their requests for autographs and photos before entering the airport.

Wang Biao filmed a short video clip. When he gets back, he plans to edit these videos into a vlog, which he will then post on social media.

Wang Biao has actually been doing this recently.

Chen Ziyan told him that in the past year, all the news about Lu Yanhe that appeared in front of everyone was related to his works and his job. She hoped that Lu Yanhe could still show everyone a real, private side from time to time. It's not about creating a persona, but just to prevent Lu Yanhe from becoming more and more "high-class" in everyone's mind.

A celebrity should certainly be "high-class," but being too "high-class" can create a sense of distance for the public. Especially in the domestic environment, a celebrity who is too "high-class" will always attract some people's dissatisfaction and resentment.

-

After boarding the plane, Lu Yanhe was finally able to get some rest.

They don't need to talk to people, nor do they need to perform their "perfect" side as celebrities and actors.

He changed into slippers, turned on his e-reader, and prepared to read for a while to calm himself down. If he got sleepy, he would take a nap.

Anyway, this flight will take a long time, enough time for him to get a good night's sleep.

-

"The film 'The Mist' is not being released in mainland China. Should we continue to promote it?"

During a meeting of the film and television department, someone asked this question.

Lin Yu shook her head and said, "We don't need to do it. If you get the resources yourself and are interested in the movie and want to write something, you can write your own reviews, but we don't need to do any promotional plans."

"The main task of promoting this film is to do it overseas. This is not really our department's responsibility. Linghe has its own people to handle this. Of course, if they contact us again and need our help, then we will get involved."

“Okay.” A girl who had only joined the company six months ago—actually the same age as Lin Yu, having graduated six months ago—said, “Actually, it would be great if ‘The Mist’ could be released in China. The film has received quite high praise on foreign websites, especially for Editor-in-Chief Lu’s performance, which has been highly acclaimed. Some people even say that if ‘The Mist’ had been released a month earlier, it might have received many nominations during awards season.”

Lin Yu's eyes darted around, and she said, "Okay, Xiao Lu, go and compile a list of all the horror films that have won acting awards in Oscar history, and make a highlight reel."

Xiaolu was taken aback at first, then immediately showed a look of surprise.

"good!"

"Also, let's use your earlier quote as the opening of this article—some American media commentators said that if 'The Mist' had been released a month earlier, Lu Yanhe might have received many nominations during awards season," Lin Yu said. "We can't create unnecessary expectations; 'The Mist' is basically unlikely to get an Oscar nomination."

It's common knowledge that commercial horror films are not favored by the Oscars.

Unless your film becomes a box office smash and has the same social impact as "Get Out," OK, the Oscars won't ignore you.

One key factor contributing to the Oscars' immense influence is that they never overlook films that achieve box office success and generate significant impact, and they do not apply the standards of art films to all nominations.

Awards also depend on the quality of the work itself.

Xiaolu said, "Okay, I understand."

"Actually, The Mist might not necessarily fail to get an Oscar nomination... It was released in January, so theoretically it meets the Oscar eligibility criteria." At this point, another person said, "It's just that movies released in January generally don't have the opportunity to campaign during the awards season or do public relations promotion, so it's difficult for them to stand out at this time."

“We can’t pin our hopes on an uncertain miracle,” Lin Yu shook her head. “Also, has the analysis of the scenes from Friends been released yet?”

"The first draft is out, and we're asking Brother Li to take a look at it."

"Okay," Lin Yu said. "This manuscript must be sent out today or tomorrow."

"OK."

Lin Yu: "Today is the premiere of the fantasy drama starring Chen Ziliang. Please remember to watch it. I plan to comment on it on the show tomorrow."

Xiaolu was a little surprised and asked, "Do we have to report on Chen Ziliang's movies too? Isn't that giving him free publicity?"

“We run a film and television review program. If we ignore newly broadcast dramas, then we lose the most basic objectivity,” Lin Yu said. “Yan He won’t mind if we mention Chen Ziliang, and our reviews should be based on facts.”

Xiaolu hesitated for a moment and asked, "What if one day, Editor-in-Chief Lu's play isn't well-received, but Chen Ziliang's play gets incredibly popular? Will we still give our honest reviews?"

“We don’t need to discuss this before something like this happens.” Lin Yu glanced at the time. “Alright, I have another meeting. Let’s end today’s meeting here.”

After Linyu left the meeting room, Xiaolu curled her lips.

"I really don't understand why people would want to generate buzz for Chen Ziliang's show for no reason?"

“If you want to establish an objective authority in evaluation, you must at least appear to treat everyone equally, especially those you have a grudge against.” Another person, a few years older than them, smiled and said, “There’s a saying, ‘A cause must be justified.’ It’s the same with your program. We’re not doing anything else; we’re commenting on other people’s affairs. We can’t have any leverage that others can use against us, understand?”

Xiaolu responded with an "oh".

"All right."

"Did you initially think this was rather hypocritical? After all, Yan He never hid his conflict with Chen Ziliang in front of the camera."

"A little," Xiaolu nodded, admitting it.

"But sometimes, even if the whole world knows you're acting, you still have to act it out."

The look of confusion on Xiaolu's face lessened somewhat.

"Team leader, why did you join 'Jump Up'?" Xu Xiaolu suddenly thought of the question she had always wanted to ask. "Although 'Jump Up' has been saying that it will make a movie version, it hasn't been made yet, while you already have your own column in 'Movie House'."

"Having your own column in a film magazine is nothing special, especially in this era of declining print media."

"But isn't 'Jump Up' also a print media?" Xu Xiaolu asked doubtfully.

“Then you’re mistaken.” Jiang Meihui looked at the innocent and naive young girl who had only joined three months ago and smiled. “Jump Up is a media company that started as a print media outlet but is now developing into a media conglomerate. It has a presence in print media, self-media, video, websites, program production, and film and television investment. A pure print media outlet can only gradually decline in this era, but a print media outlet backed by a large media conglomerate will only have its influence grow larger and larger under the vast network of that conglomerate.”

Xu Xiaolu suddenly realized.

-

"Although the current online buzz surrounding Yan He is entirely due to his Asian identity, we absolutely cannot play that card."

Lu Qingzhen convened her company's publicity department, along with Chen Qin and Xu Fanxing, who had already started working in Linghe, and Wan Qingqing in the United States and Song Jiang in the United Kingdom, to hold this meeting on how to further promote Lu Yanhe overseas.

Wan Qingqing nodded and said, "When Sister Ziyan and Brother Lu were in Los Angeles, they also told me the same thing. Although Brother Lu is currently very popular on the internet, the keywords are too simplistic. If we keep playing this card, it will create a fixed impression and label for him. I think we can use the show 'Friends' to promote Brother Lu's growth in the entertainment industry from his roles as both an actor and a screenwriter, to build his success in this area and his personal image."

“But ‘The Mist’ is about to be released. Is it okay to promote ‘Friends’ instead of ‘The Mist’ at this time?” Xu Fanxing questioned. “Shouldn’t our current focus be on doing our best to ensure that ‘The Mist’ achieves good box office results? That’s the most basic thing.”

“Sister Fanxing is right. The box office of ‘The Mist’ is the most basic requirement. However, based on the current online popularity, the box office of ‘The Mist’ is sure to be good. Prediction agencies have already adjusted its box office to between 80 million and 100 million US dollars,” Wan Qingqing said. “Therefore, given the current situation, if we continue to focus our publicity and marketing on ‘The Mist,’ it will inevitably make people think of Xiao Lu’s Asian identity, since that’s what the movie is about.”

Lu Qingzhen asked, "You suggested mainly promoting Yan He's success in the entertainment industry. Won't this cause the public to have a negative impression of success stories?"

“Oh, in America and Europe, success stories have always been a powerful tool for gaining public favor,” Wan Qingqing said with great certainty. “People here, not only in their hearts, but also in the entire public opinion, are very superstitious about success. If we spread Xiao Lu’s story of struggle on a large scale, he will become an idol for many people.”

Lu Qingzhen looked at the face to Wan Qingqing's right.

"Song Jiang, is it the same in Europe?"

“Wan Qingqing is right. Compared to the current situation on foreign websites where Xiao Lu is discriminated against because of his Asian identity and needs everyone's support and solidarity, Xiao Lu's inspirational story of struggle is definitely more helpful for his long-term public image,” Song Jiang said. “Moreover, Xiao Lu has a very big advantage in Europe. He has a very good image in high society here, especially in the media and commentary circles, where he is highly regarded. But on the other hand, Europeans are also very arrogant. If the impression of Xiao Lu as an ‘Asian celebrity who is being supported’ becomes fixed, I worry that over time, some people will resent and hate him.”

Lu Qingzhen pondered for a moment, "OK, then you guys come up with a publicity plan today, based on the story you told. How do you plan to do it, and how much budget do you need? I'll go and discuss it with President Chen."

-

"You ask me how high the chances are of Yan He getting an Oscar nomination with 'The Mist'?"

Tom Wayne hesitated for a moment in surprise before saying, "Lynn, to be honest, the chances are very slim."

Lin Yu asked, "What if my goal isn't to get an Oscar nomination, but simply to use this competition and public relations process to get more people in Hollywood to know Lu Yanhe as an actor and pay attention to his performances?"

“That depends on how much attention ‘The Mist’ gets from critics,” Tom Wayne said. “You have to be careful in this regard. If your performance isn’t that good, but you’re doing a lot of public relations and publicity, it can backfire. ‘The Mist’ is Lu Yanhe’s first Hollywood film. Based on the reviews he received at the premiere, a steady and solid approach will get him a lot of attention.”

Tom Wayne's meaning is quite obvious.

Lin Yu pondered for a moment, "But as long as we don't go too far, we can still get Yan He more attention by leveraging the positive reviews from the critics, right?"

"Of course."

"Tom, tell me the truth, is the movie 'The Mist' really that good? Is Yan He's performance in it really as good as some media outlets have described, worthy of an Oscar nomination?" Lin Yu asked.

“I will not comment on the film ‘The Mist’; I attended the premiere solely because of Lu Yanhe,” Tom Wayne stated frankly. “But Lu Yanhe’s performance was indeed brilliant; he stole most of the spotlight from the entire film.”

Hearing Tom Wayne say that, Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.

"OK, thanks."

-

"Help Lu Yanhe get an Oscar nomination?"

D19's communications director, Elena Green, looked at Scott Harris incredulously, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Scott, are you serious? At this time? Working on Oscar nominations? The Oscar nominations are basically finalized now."

After a long awards season, everyone already has a list in their minds of who will be nominated and who won't.

This is even a publicly available list.

“This will require adding at least several million dollars to the public relations budget,” Elena Green said.

Scott Harris shook his head. "I'm not really going to get him a nomination back through PR, but rather to promote the film by announcing it. Right now, Lu Yanhe is the most talked-about star in 'The Mist.' The attention and discussion he's generated among minority groups far exceeds our expectations. Announcing that we'll be nominating Lu Yanhe for an Oscar for acting will further enhance their positive impression of 'The Mist' and encourage them to go to the theaters."

Elena Green understood instantly.

"Oh, so that's what you were planning."

"Of course, The Mist is just a horror film. An Oscar nomination? That's just wishful thinking." Scott Harris smiled and shook his head.

"Of course, we will also announce that we are nominating other people for awards in various departments, but the focus of our publicity will definitely be on the critical acclaim Lu Yanhe received for his performance in 'The Mist.' We will include all the praise from film critics for Lu Yanhe and emphasize that D19 is willing to allocate an additional seven-figure public relations budget to support an outstanding actor in his bid for this year's Oscars."

“Okay, I understand what you mean.” Elena Green smiled. “Scott, I have a feeling that ‘The Mist’ might be a box office hit.”

Scott Harris said, "You should have had a feeling when the first reviews came out after the premiere."

Elena Green: "But let's not forget that Simon is waiting for us to help him clarify the truth after the movie is released."

Scott Harris: "Clarify the truth? What truth?"

He looked at Elena Green and shrugged. "Elena, now is the time to stop worrying about those unimportant people. With The Mist about to be released, we are facing a crucial publicity campaign."

Elena Green was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Scott Harris to say that.

But she quickly came to her senses, nodded, and said, "Okay, I understand. I'm going to work now."

She nodded to Scott Harris, then turned and walked out of the office.

Scott Harris watched her retreating figure and dialed the number for director Mulken.

At this point, this renowned horror director must carefully maintain his relationships—it's easy to imagine that after the film's release, other film companies will vie for his next project.

Scott Harris cannot allow this to happen.

Besides director Muken, there's also that Chinese actor.

Are there any scripts in the company that need Asian roles?

Scott Harris wrote this down in his memo; he needed to find another script quickly and send it to Lu Yanhe, lest other film companies beat him to it.

Hollywood film studios are a pack of wolves with dog noses.

They tear and bite wherever there is meat.

There will be more later, but it will be very late. Don't wait, check it tomorrow morning.

(End of this chapter)