On December 12, Beijing welcomed its first snowfall.
The trees on the street had lost all their leaves, and everywhere you looked was a scene of silver and white.
Jiang Xia took a sip of hot tea, watching the snowflakes fall outside the window, and sighed that another year had passed.
This year, Qitian Company has been on a winning streak, with the animation market producing two blockbuster hits, Tom and Jerry and Slam Dunk, and DiliDili becoming the most popular video website among young people in China.
In addition, there are collaborations with third parties, with Tom and Jerry and Slam Dunk merchandise appearing in major markets. As a result, the sales of the father-in-law's toy factory have increased several times compared to last year. Tom and Jerry has also gone overseas and made a name for itself internationally, earning the title of "the face of the domestic animation industry" from netizens.
The office door suddenly rang, and he slowly withdrew his gaze: "Please come in."
The person who entered the room was Li Weiya. She was wearing a long black trench coat over a fitted knitted dress, which made her look elegant and capable.
"Ah Xia, the post-production of 'Tom and Jerry: Good Fortune in the Year of the Rabbit' is all done. This is the newly copied film. Take a look."
Li Weiya smiled and handed over a portable hard drive, saying, "The post-production team and I have carefully reviewed it, and we haven't found any flaws yet."
Jiang Xia nodded, took the hard drive, plugged it into his computer, and casually asked, "If we submit it for review now, is there enough time?"
Li Weiya sat opposite him, picked up the teapot and poured herself a cup: "There's still time. The Tom and Jerry movie is an animated film, with no dialogue, and it doesn't involve sensitive content such as pornography, superstition, or violence, so the review process will be relatively quick."
Most importantly, the animation script was submitted to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television for review and filing as early as the early stages of production. As the most popular cartoon in China at present, Tom and Jerry will almost always be given the green light by relevant departments as long as the content is not prohibited.
"That's good."
Jiang Xia clicked on the Tom and Jerry movie. The opening was the same as the TV series, with a tiger's head roaring, introducing Tom and Jerry.
"How's the publicity and distribution going? How are things going with all the communication?"
"We've already reached agreements with all the major platforms. Once we get the film's official screening license (Dragon Seal), we can officially start promoting it and placing advertisements. We also plan to hold a press conference with various media outlets, which will require your presence as the director," Li Weiya said with a smile, taking a sip of tea.
“No problem,” Jiang Xia readily agreed.
A movie press conference is essentially a way to promote a film. It invites media, journalists, and professionals to participate, with the aim of conveying relevant information about the film to the public, such as showcasing trailers, posters, and behind-the-scenes stories or details.
It is also an important opportunity to showcase the talents of the creators. However, given the current popularity of Tom and Jerry in China, the public should have a high degree of recognition of Qitian Animation's production capabilities.
"However, the contracts for the theatrical release and screenings are still under negotiation. I will do my best to secure a higher percentage of screenings," Li Weiya said.
"Well, there's no rush. We can discuss the screening contract after it's approved. As for the official release date, it'll definitely be on the first day of the Lunar New Year, no doubt about it. If we can get the top box office during the Spring Festival, Tom and Jerry will have made its mark in the history of Chinese animation. All our hard work this year will have paid off," Jiang Xia said with a smile.
Compared to traditional films, animated films of this era are at a disadvantage; if they can earn tens or hundreds of millions of dollars when they are released on the big screen, that's considered pretty good.
Jiang Xia didn't think so. Tom and Jerry had been incredibly popular for over a year. Other movies might need to spend a lot on promotion to let the public know about them, but Tom and Jerry only needed a name, which was an advantage.
Most importantly, with so many children in China who love Tom and Jerry, parents will buy at least two movie tickets during the Chinese New Year so that their children can have a happy holiday.
It's worth noting that "Let the Bullets Fly," later hailed as a masterpiece and the 2010 box office champion, only grossed a little over 600 million yuan at the time, while its production cost exceeded 130 million yuan. If you deduct the dividends from various cooperative channels, the final amount received wouldn't be much.
Jiang Xia recently attended the press conference for the movie "Let the Bullets Fly," which was scheduled for release on December 16th, four days later, in major cinemas across mainland China.
The Tom and Jerry movie was scheduled for the 2011 Chinese New Year season, perfectly missing out on this strong competitor.
As far as I can recall, there weren't any truly competitive films during the Spring Festival season. With this shift in momentum, the probability of the Tom and Jerry movie achieving higher box office returns has increased by several percentage points.
“Okay, then you can take your time looking at it. I’ll go get busy now. Call me immediately if you find any problems,” Li Weiya said.
Jiang Xia nodded slightly.
He watched the entire "Year of the Rabbit Brings Good Fortune" animation quietly, even watching it frame by frame in some parts to ensure there were no oversights in the details. If any part of it contained any hidden agenda, it could ruin the entire animated film.
Fortunately, this did not happen. After confirming that everything was correct, the finished film and the production license were sent to the State Administration of Film and Television for review again.
Four days later, on December 16, the movie "Let the Bullets Fly" was released, with a box office of 30.18 million yuan on its opening day. The box office continued to rise afterward, with a peak daily box office of 60 million yuan. The box office exceeded 300 million yuan in 8 days, and the main actors also posted their thoughts on Weibo.
However, at this very moment, the State Administration of Radio and Television approved the film, and Qitian Animation announced the premiere date of "Tom and Jerry: Good Fortune in the Year of the Rabbit" on D-site at 12 noon the next day, officially setting the release date for the Spring Festival!
At the same time, major media outlets reported the truth, and Qitian Animation even spent a huge sum of money to advertise on television, bus stops, and online platforms.
Also released was a promotional video for the Tom and Jerry movie, filled with strong traditional Chinese elements. A mischievous rabbit becomes Jerry's new friend and helps Jerry escape Tom's capture on several occasions.
The taste is still the same. The three-minute promotional video made countless people burst into laughter. Moreover, the exquisite visuals and smooth animation are breathtaking.
Seeing the continuous positive reviews online and the eagerness of netizens to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Qitian Animation finally held a movie press conference.
Amidst media coverage, Jiang Xia, as the chief director, led the entire creative team of Tom and Jerry to the stage, introducing the creative process of "Good Fortune in the Year of the Rabbit" to the public.
The final segment was to campaign for their own film, hoping that this lively and interesting animated movie would be loved by both adults and children.
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