Chapter 54
Xue Mi had not originally planned to go abroad. After all, her language skills were much worse than Miaomiao's. Even if she went to that kind of occasion, she could only smile awkwardly.
However, as the newly appointed owner of an old shipyard, Xue Mi was invited to attend one of the world's top yacht exhibitions there, where she could also talk to the designer face to face about her ideas and expectations for her boat.
Xue Mi hesitated for a while, but finally accepted the invitation and flew directly to the city where the film festival was held.
When the plane landed, the award ceremony had just ended. As soon as Xue Mi got off the plane, she received the news that "The Weary Bird Returns Home" had won the grand prize.
Xue Mi smiled to her assistant: "It's like they're welcoming me specially. I feel like this trip should be smooth."
This famous seaside town has a very typical Mediterranean climate and style. The mild and pleasant climate makes it a famous holiday resort, so wealthy people gather here. Various luxury houses are built on the nearby cliffs, overlooking this blue world of fame and fortune.
By the way, Xue Mi also has a Mediterranean-style private villa here, which also has a superior geographical location and superb scenery. She had lived here for a few days before, but because it was the off-season, there were not many people here, and many villas around were still vacant, making it look a bit desolate.
But now, the situation is completely different.
There are suddenly a lot more idle tourists and various luxury cars on the streets. From time to time, you can also run into reporters and internet celebrities carrying cameras. It depends on whether you are lucky enough to meet a celebrity or a big star in private and get some traffic.
Even the richest area, which was the quietest before, suddenly became lively.
Many luxury homes in Mid-Levels are brightly lit for several nights in a row, with luxury cars coming and going in an endless stream. Those entering and leaving are either celebrities and businessmen or top superstars. Even ordinary escorts or waiters are all handsome men and beautiful women, and full of life.
When Xue Mi returned to the villa, the award ceremony had just ended. The whole city was bustling with joy. Her car was stuck on the road several times. There were also young beauties who came up to her and chatted with her, both men and women, passionate and unrestrained.
Unfortunately, she couldn't understand what the other party was saying and could only politely decline this possible fleeting romance.
It turns out that no matter what time it is, knowing one more language can bring you more opportunities.
The assistant turned his head and said, "The crew of "The Return of the Tired Bird" is attending a celebration dinner now. Do you want to go over?"
Xue Mi was a little excited when she thought that she might see a bunch of international celebrities, but the dozens of hours of long-distance flight made her a little sleepy. Finally, she shook her head lazily: "Forget it, today is their home game, let them concentrate on celebrating, let's go back to the villa and rest for a night first."
Knowing that Xue Mi was coming, the housekeeper rushed here a few days ago and cleaned the house thoroughly so that the owner could move in directly.
The villa, which had been quiet for several months, finally welcomed its owner back. It instantly looked brand new, and even the air was filled with charming fragrance.
Xue Mi asked the housekeeper to arrange a room for the assistant to sleep in. Then she yawned, went back to the master bedroom, fell headfirst on the big bed that was as soft as feathers, and soon fell asleep.
The next morning, she was awakened by a blue light.
The floor-to-ceiling windows of the master bedroom faced an open bay. The morning sun fell on the sea, creating shimmering waves. The light passed through the glass, reflected on the walls and ceiling, and finally refracted into Xue Mi's eyes.
Being woken up by such scenery, even the person with the most irritable temper will not vent his anger on the sun and the sea.
Xue Mi walked barefoot on the soft carpet and opened the floor-to-ceiling window. The refreshing sea breeze blew in happily, instantly adding a unique ocean atmosphere to the room.
Well, it’s decided, we’ll have a seafood dinner today - Xue Mi thought with a satisfied look on her face.
As a result, not only did she have a seafood feast, but the meal was also held on the sea.
The waves gently hit the cabin, and the bright sunlight shining through the light blue filter glass also became gentle and obedient.
The boat was filled with elegantly dressed guests, a variety of delicious food was placed on the long table, and young and beautiful waiters were coming and going with plates, providing the most considerate service to every guest.
Miaomiao was leaning against Xue Mi at this time, like a little chick seeing its hen.
"The director said he would bring us here to sell the film, and I didn't expect you to be here too," she said happily.
This is a very famous celebrity yacht party. Only well-known figures can come here. If it weren’t for winning the Flying Eagle Award this time, the crew would never have the opportunity to come and see such a big event.
"The old man said there are a lot of distributors and theater managers here," Miaomiao looked around curiously, "Unfortunately I only recognize those big stars and a few famous directors, I don't know the others very well."
Looking at the old man in his 70s and the producer getting along well with a group of foreigners and chatting everywhere, Miaomiao felt a little guilty, and then she lay down very simply.
Anyway, she is not planning to be a director or a producer, so it is better to stay as far away from such troublesome interpersonal relationships as possible.
Then, she happily gossiped with her boss about the stars at the event:
“That bearded guy is a famous director. I remember he just got married recently. His wife is more than 40 years younger than him and is a beautiful supermodel.
The particularly handsome guy is the winner of the Best Actor award this time, and the one talking to him is the heroine of the drama, also a great beauty. There have been rumors of an affair between the two of them, but the queen seems to be a dozen years older than the actor. But on the screen, the two of them really look good together, and they are also very compatible in real life.
The one over there is this year’s Best Actress. Although she doesn’t look particularly pretty, her acting skills are really amazing. I cried while watching that movie. I think she is so strong! ”
Although she behaved like a socially anxious person most of the time, Miaomiao asked for autographs from all these people, so her social anxiety disorder might just occur randomly, sometimes working and sometimes not.
After saying a lot, Miaomiao finally remembered: "By the way, Boss, I didn't hear the old man say that you were here too. When did you come? Did you stay in another hotel? Otherwise, why didn't I run into you before?"
Miaomiao suddenly saw Xue Mi at the party just now. She didn’t dare to recognize her at first and thought she was just an oriental actress who looked a bit like her.
"I just arrived yesterday. I have a house here, so I didn't stay in a hotel." Xue Mi hadn't completely adjusted to the jet lag at this time, and she still spoke in a lazy tone. Her dress was different from other glamorous stars in gorgeous dresses. She wore a loose cotton long skirt with no special style. She exuded a lazy temperament from head to toe, and she seemed out of place when compared with those people in the world of fame and fortune.
It was this special temperament that made Miaomiao sure that she had not recognized the wrong person.
As expected of a boss, he even has his own house abroad! Miaomiao was quietly shocked.
At this time, the old man, who had been chatting for a while, finally realized that the younger generation he had wanted to cultivate wholeheartedly was slacking off again. He immediately came over to catch him, and then he noticed that the investor had also come.
He was slightly stunned.
After all, the places for this celebrity party are very limited. Even though their crew had just won the Flying Eagle Award, Miao Miao almost didn't get in just now. It was the old man who asked another friend to bring her in.
The investors haven’t contacted the crew to ask for admission spots!
Xue Mi was still chatting with Miao Miao at this time: "Yes, a beachfront villa. I have some work to do and will stay here for two more days. If you are not in a hurry to go back, you can move over to accompany me."
"Sea... beach villa..." Miaomiao stuttered, and suddenly realized that she had been worrying too much about the company having no money and considering whether to take a pay cut automatically.
"Yes, I happen to be a neighbor of the owner of this ship, so he gave me a few invitation cards. I didn't expect to run into you here."
The so-called neighbors, even if they stand on the top floor of the villa, can only see a corner of the house.
However, in such a wealthy area, as long as you have property, you are naturally a neighbor.
I heard that the rich man sent invitation cards to his neighbors. Xue Mi happened to hear that this yacht was ranked top 10 in the world, so she wanted to come and see it and also use it as a reference for her own boat.
The old man who was walking over with big strides couldn't help but twitch his mouth slightly when he heard the investor's casual words.
Being able to be neighbors with the world-famous rich man, it seems that this investor's wealth is much more than he had previously imagined!
No wonder he was so generous before!
For an artist, meeting such an investor who is rich but not bossy is a great joy. So he winked at Miao Miao, signaling his disciple to hold on to this golden thigh tightly, and he would be able to win easily in the future.
Unfortunately, Miaomiao was as silly as ever. She looked at the director and made faces. She couldn't help but ask worriedly, "Grandpa, are you feeling unwell? Do you want to see a doctor?"
After all, I'm old, and I got suddenly happy yesterday. It would be bad if something happened in a foreign country.
Old Man: ...This is really a piece of wood!
The old man actually gained a lot today.
As the most watched film of this year and winner of the highest award, "Homecoming" has undoubtedly become a hot commodity. The only problem is to find a good buyer for each market to maximize profits.
He quickly reached an agreement with several European agents and theater managers, and the only thing left was to sign the final contract. The situation in America was almost the same. "The Returning Bird" successfully reached a cooperation agreement with the largest art theater cinema chain.
The Asian market was a little more troublesome, as there were huge differences between the several markets. But he had met all the people he needed to meet and had finished all the discussions he needed to have. If he did the math, the overseas theater licensing fees alone not only recovered all the costs, but even multiplied them several times. If you add in the subsequent online and other copyright fees, it can be said that the old man made a rare fortune at the end of his career and did not let his investors down.
The only thing that worries him now is the high cost of domestic advertising.
"The Return of the Tired Birds" is also a strange film. The director and the main creators did not want to spend too much money on publicity, but the investors waved their hands and went for a big one.
Thinking about the box office target set by the investors, the old man couldn't help but wipe away a cold sweat.
Are you going to spend all the money you have worked so hard to earn this time?
So even though he won a big prize, the old man still seemed worried, and all he could think about was selling more to see if he could make up for the advertising expenses he had spent.
Just thinking about this matter makes this old man in his 70s, who thinks he is indifferent to everything in the world, feel very stressed!
Xue Mi Ke had no idea that this seemingly immortal director actually had so many conflicts in his heart.
She was now happily having a yacht adventure with Miaomiao, wandering around up and down, and carefully studying the decorations on the plywood and the positions of the light wires. She felt that if she was on her own boat, she would definitely not arrange the light wires in this way, mainly because it looked too dazzling.
However, on a yacht like this where parties are held all day long, this kind of lighting is just right. Amid the flickering lights, the faces and figures of the guests become more dreamy and blurry, and they even have more fun.
Unlike the red carpet and award ceremonies where everyone has to sit upright, the media is generally not allowed to enter places like this. Everyone is a little more casual and unrestrained. Besides, foreigners are particularly open in this area. Along the way, the two saw many guests whose behavior was a little over the line. Just looking at them from a distance made them feel that they were very erotic and made their hearts beat like drums.
"The entertainment industry abroad is really fun." The two couldn't help but whisper to each other, and discussed gossip for a long time, such as how a certain star and so-and-so are actually a couple, and that a certain well-known couple are actually only interested in the same sex. These were all gossips that Miao Miao had heard at the film festival recently. Xue Mi was very excited to hear them, and said that here, she could see more of the world than in China!
They were enjoying the melon so much that they didn't even bother to study the yacht. They just huddled in a corner. Xue Mi grabbed a handful of melon seeds from her pocket, and the two of them started to eat them happily.
The old man simply didn't want to admit that he knew these two guys!
At this moment, a handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes who looked very superior suddenly came over curiously. After watching the two of them stumbling for a long time, he finally couldn't help but asked them for one.
Foreigners also eat melon seeds? ! The uninformed Xue Mi found it quite novel. After careful inquiry, she found out that the customs and habits of various small countries here are also different. Some countries really don't eat this, while some people eat it like crazy and are not necessarily inferior to Chinese people.
Xue Mi had a rich stock of goods, so she generously grabbed a handful and gave it to the other party. However, she accidentally touched the other party's palm and saw a bunch of messy pictures.
The young man had no idea that his future had been seen through by others. He happily pinched the melon seeds and cracked them happily.
Xue Mi nudged Miao Miao with her shoulder and said, "Can you ask him if he is here to seek investment?"
Miaomiao looked at the boss strangely and translated it in a not very fluent foreign language. Sure enough, the handsome guy's eyes lit up and he said enthusiastically: "Oh, are you my dad's friends?"
He is quite self-aware and knows that if it weren't for his father, no one here would know him.
"That's about right," Xue Mi continued to happily eat melon seeds and asked Miao Miao to translate. "I know you're looking for investment everywhere. I'm a little interested. You can go talk to my assistant."
Because a translator was temporarily hired, Xue Mi, the all-round assistant, was currently following the old man and the producer, negotiating contracts with a group of business tycoons. Unexpectedly, he was temporarily hired by the boss for no reason and became an investor.
"Oh beautiful lady, you are as cute as an angel! I am so happy to receive this good news!" The blond boy didn't even bother to crack melon seeds, and rushed over to hug Xue Mi tightly.
Unfortunately, the customs and practices of the two countries are quite different. Xue Mi politely declined, and the handsome guy could only shrug his shoulders and say, "I know, you Orientals are always more reserved."
Xue Mi responded with a polite smile.
It has nothing to do with being subtle or not, she is just not used to being too close to people.
After handing the person over to her assistant, Miaomiao curiously asked Xue Mi how she knew this foreigner.
After all, it's really surprising that the two people didn't even speak the same language, but they knew that the other party was seeking investment.
"He's a rich second-generation guy who had a falling out with his dad because he wanted to realize his dream of becoming a movie star," Xue Mi gossiped to Miao Miao in a low voice, "But he's really talented and his ideas are very interesting."
Miaomiao nodded, not quite understanding, and decided to trust her boss's judgment.
After all, I was picked out by the boss for no reason.
She still can't understand why her boss strongly recommended her to West Wind Media.
After all, she just wanted to find an ordinary clerical job at that time.
Could it be that the boss can actually tell fortunes?
Miaomiao made a wild guess, but she accidentally guessed it right.
Xue Mi's assistant was actually a little confused at this time.
Although the young man stole the invitation letter from his father and ran to this place where celebrities gathered to solicit investment, what did he want to shoot? I don’t know, which direction do you want to go? I don’t know either.
All in all, I just want to make something particularly interesting and touching.
Please, just throwing a bundle of money at them would be the most touching way to move people - the assistant secretly complained in his heart.
Unfortunately, the boss was like a possessed person. I don’t know if he was fooled by this pretty face, but he actually wanted to invest money in this girl.
Who knows if he is a scammer and is planning to run away with the money?
Unfortunately, the boss was quite determined and she couldn't persuade him no matter how hard she tried. She was just an employee and there was really nothing she could do.
Forget it. The boss has a lot of money anyway. No matter how much I squander it, I’ll never be able to spend it all in my lifetime.
The assistant had no choice but to leave the young man's contact information and told him to contact her anytime he had a concrete idea.
The young man left happily, and Xue Mi was also in a good mood.
This young man, who is now confused and doesn't even know what he wants to do, is indeed an absolute genius.
This person wanted to enter the entertainment industry, so he made a random movie and easily became a hit and dark horse of the year.
Later, when she got tired of the entertainment industry, she went to play in the fashion circle. As a result, she quickly made a name for herself in the competitive fashion circle and even suppressed many old fashion brands at one point.
Finally, he got tired of the fashion circle, and when he was in his 40s, he became an apprentice of a painter and began to learn painting. Unexpectedly, within a few years, his paintings could easily be sold for hundreds of millions of dollars, which was truly jaw-dropping.
There's no way. There are always some outrageous people in this world who make people sigh at their own mediocrity.
However, Xue Mi is still happy to invest in time before the genius emerges and make a lot of profits.
Even if you can't become a genius, standing on the shoulders of geniuses is a good thing.
Maybe it was because they heard about Xue Mi's generous investment - or maybe it was because she fully demonstrated her ability to be taken advantage of - in short, many people from the entertainment industry came up to her and wanted to get to know her.
Miaomiao's spoken English has also improved greatly. She used to speak with a heavy accent and stuttering, but now her accent is still heavy but not so stuttering.
Unfortunately, in the next few handshakes, Xue Mi suffered several critical hits again.
She couldn't help but express her soul's realization: What's the big deal about the collapsed buildings abroad? The collapse abroad was truly spectacular. Not to mention all the sudden deaths that were unimaginable in China, the private lives of these people were so exciting and bloody that Xue Mi's brain was numb. She felt that she needed to face the sea and practice the Qingxin Jue a few more times before she could become the pure and ignorant rich woman again.
Damn, these guys are playing too extravagantly!
Xue Mi finally couldn't stand it anymore and was ready to run away from the banquet.
Anyway, I have almost eaten all the melons, seen the ship, and picked up a future genius with great financial prospects. Today I have gained a lot, so there is no need to stay on the scene and accept the mental attack.
After all, eating melon in moderation is good for your physical and mental health, but eating too much melon and accidentally dying of it doesn't seem appropriate.
Miaomiao was happily meeting various celebrities there, but suddenly she heard that her boss was leaving. Although she was still a little reluctant, she also expressed her loyalty to go with him.
But she couldn't figure it out: "Sister Xue Mi, don't you like that actor just now?"
That guy actually has a pretty good reputation, and his acting skills and looks are pretty good too. He's a young and popular new generation actor. I don't know why, but Sister Xue Mi's face changed drastically as soon as she shook hands with him, and the movement of her hand shaking looked like she was shaking off a cockroach.
"That's a pervert," Xue Mi said with disdain, "Stay away from him."
What kind of popular young idol is this? Not only is he a cultist who believes in all kinds of messy rituals and bloody sacrifices, but he has also killed people on his hands. Just those few quickly flashing images made Xue Mi feel sick and she didn't want to think about them anymore.
Despite this, she still asked Miaomiao for a piece of paper and a pen and quickly wrote down a few addresses. Although she didn't understand foreign languages, she could still write them down. She would ask someone to investigate later, and maybe she could destroy a criminal den at the same time.
"What about the other actress? The one with red hair and very beautiful." Miaomiao asked puzzledly.
When they were greeting each other, Xue Mi's expression was also very impatient.
Xue Mi thought about it and frowned again: "She abuses children."
"No way, I heard that she adopted several orphans, and her external image has always been that of a kind mother who is enthusiastic about charity." Miaomiao ate the melon with a shocked look on her face, and admired that the boss was indeed the boss, and was indeed not on the same level as herself. Even the melon was eaten particularly deeply.
Speaking of this matter, Xue Mi also made a note of it. Maybe, she could rescue those poor children in advance.
So Xue Mi was actually not happy to attend such occasions, especially those big stars and celebrities with glamorous appearances, who might give her a mental blow at any time, making it difficult for her to recover.
It’s really tiring, even more tiring than spending money!
On the way back, Xue Mi found the friend she met last time and asked him to check something.
"Is there another big case?" Although the friend was a private detective, he had made a lot of headlines in the circle when he caught a perverted killer, so he still remembered Xue Mi very clearly.
He was also curious about how this girl from China knew those details, but when he heard that Xue Mi was actually a super wealthy woman, those doubts disappeared in an instant.
After all, the wealthy class has wide eyes and acquaintances, and they may know things that others don’t know, which seems normal.
but……
"Are they investigating two celebrities this time? Haven't the paparazzi who should have been exposed already exposed? Could it be that they are evading taxes?"
Gossip rarely escapes the paparazzi, so there is no need to delve into it deeply.
Compared with those messy and sensational news, tax evasion is obviously a more serious crime.
"It's much more serious than that..." Xue Mi didn't want to elaborate, as long as the man checked first.
She was still a little dazed. Miaomiao was about to go back to the hotel, but Xue Mi forced her to come over and stay with her in the villa.
"I have a lot of houses over there, you can live wherever you want," Xue Mi said.
But Miaomiao never expected that the boss would have such a big luxury villa!
The villa is located on the edge of a cliff, with the blue sea and clear sky in the distance and lush woods and ridges behind it, perfectly concealing this highly hidden luxury residence.
Xue Mi herself couldn't clearly describe the rooms in the villa, she only knew that they were quite large and could easily accommodate a dozen or twenty people.
The decoration of the villa is also extremely luxurious. It is the first time for Miaomiao to know that the free and simple Mediterranean style can be so exaggerated. It is like a palace of a Mediterranean king!
"My place is fine," Xue Mi was very modest. She felt that the villa she had here only had a better view. In terms of area and decoration, there were many better villas under her name. "The one next door, the ship owner's house we just visited, is a real palace."
Not only does it cover a large area, it also has large decorative gardens, fountains, and even a horse farm.
In wealthy areas where every inch of land is valuable, that is truly exaggerated.
"It's scary enough here. Boss, did you really buy this house?" Miaomiao only thought that the boss was rich before, but now she realized that this boss seemed to be extremely rich, and richer than she could even imagine!
"I didn't buy it, my mother did." Xue Mi said with a smile.
Her mother likes to buy luxury houses, so Xue Mi has no room to play in this area, which is quite frustrating.
After all, I finally saw a house I liked, but when I compared it with my existing properties, it was far inferior! No desire to buy at all.
Why else would she buy an island and a super yacht.
She bought an island, built it exactly as she had in her mind, and then bought a palace on the sea, and it seemed that she could barely catch up with her mother's achievements.
This is probably the kind of trouble that only the second generation of rich people can feel. Xue Mi shook her head helplessly.
Miaomiao certainly couldn't understand her Versailles. She excitedly walked around in this Mediterranean palace, saying that it was really eye-opening for her. It turned out that this was what it felt like to be in those mansions in documentaries.
"If you want, you can stay a few more days. I'll be here for a while anyway." Xue Mi enthusiastically pulled her companions.
Unfortunately, Miaomiao declined the boss' invitation with great regret.
She had just conceived a script and was in a hurry to go back and draft the book. If she spent too much time like this, her brain might become dull and even her previous inspirations might disappear.
Xue Mi's eyes lit up: "You have come up with a new script? What's it about?"
After all, Miaomiao in the illusion died hastily after writing only that one script. Xue Mi was also very curious about whether this girl, who looked ordinary and a little introverted but had astonishing talent, was just a flash in the pan or really just a genius.
Miaomiao smiled shyly and whispered to her boss about her inspirations, but those inspirations were still very messy and she had not had time to organize them into a complete script.
Although she couldn't see the complete outline yet, Xue Mi couldn't help but applaud.
"I like your story very much. You must write it no matter what. I will continue to invest in you when the time comes!" Even if she is not sure whether the next script will be successful, the rich woman does not need to consider the rate of return. She only needs to pay for her hobby.
Anyway, she really liked Miaomiao's story and felt that she must invest in it.
Miaomiao once again showed her signature sweet and quiet smile.
Compared to the genius who was running around just now, Xue Mi actually appreciates geniuses like Miao Miao more.
Concentrate on one field and find ways to drill through it. Sometimes it may seem stupid and slow, but as long as you give them a chance, you will get unexpected rewards.
For example, now, Xue Mi feels quite surprised.
"Why don't you write in this villa?" Xue Mi continued to invite enthusiastically, "The environment here is good and quiet, it should be very suitable for creation, right?"
Unfortunately, Miaomiao still shook her head in embarrassment: "I am more used to writing alone at home. In a place like this, I may not be able to write a single word."
Some people need constant stimulation, traveling around, and changing their perspectives to gain more inspiration.
Some people are more adaptable to a monotonous creative space.
Miaomiao is obviously the latter.
"Okay, then I won't stop you," Xue Mi patted her shoulder helplessly, "I'm just waiting for your good news. I'm counting on you to make a lot of money for me again!"
It would be fine if this matter was not mentioned. Once it was mentioned, Miaomiao became as worried as the old man.
"Are the domestic marketing expenses still too high? What if we can't even get back our investment?" She didn't dare to talk to her boss like this before, but today, when they got closer and ate a lot of melons together, she finally relaxed a little.
"Don't worry, I can afford it!" Xue Mi ended the topic instantly.
Yes, look at this villa, the marketing cost of tens of millions is really not a big deal.
When she was woken up by the bright sunshine the next morning, Miaomiao became even more certain that her boss really didn't care whether he made a profit or a loss.
The sapphire sea was calm and waveless, with a few white sailboats floating in the distance, making it look like a fairy tale.
Miaomiao took a deep breath, and a bunch of messy inspirations burst into her mind again. She could only hurriedly take out paper and pen and write it down again.
Unfortunately, when she was outside, she could only have bursts of inspiration but was unable to organize them effectively. She could only start creating formally after she returned.
Although the scenery here is charming, for Miaomiao, what is more charming is always that small world. With a computer and a keyboard, she can create a world.
While Xue Mi was discussing plans and drawings with her yacht designer, the crew of "The Return of the Tired Birds" finally returned to China under the attention of the public.
Unlike when we went there and it was quiet, when we came back the airport was packed with media outlets.
Those in the industry who had originally dismissed this niche art film were almost all caught off guard. They could not have imagined that such a low-budget film with no stars could create such a big sensation abroad, let alone win the Flying Eagle Award, which the Chinese had not won in decades.
Although nowadays, people in China are not as superstitious about overseas awards as they were decades ago, the Flying Eagle Award is one of the top international awards after all, and it should still be given the respect it deserves.
Mr. Zhong, who won the award this time, was originally a veteran in the literary and art circle. Although he has declined in recent years and once seemed to be unable to catch up with those up-and-coming stars with great momentum, even he himself did not expect that he would be able to make a big move before retirement and launch a big missile into the domestic literary and art circle.
The result was that people in the literary and art circles only started looking for insider viewing opportunities for the film after they heard about the award.
It's a pity that no one knows what's wrong with this crew. This is obviously a niche art film that relies most on word of mouth, but there is not even a screening for industry insiders. Are they planning to give up on the mainland market and focus on overseas markets?
Without being able to see the full film, those in the industry and the media can only make up all sorts of stories based on reports from abroad. The few rare filmmakers who go to film festivals to watch the original film instantly become popular, and their film reviews can easily be reposted hundreds of thousands of times.
It's a pity that of the two domestic film critics who went to the film festival this time, one was a staunch fan of the director of another participating film and appreciated the artistic conception more. Instead, he looked down on this award-winning film and was full of indignation between the lines.
As for the other person, he missed the first show and never got a ticket again. His so-called movie-watching experience was actually just translating local media reports and reviews. They were so confusing that he himself might not even understand them.
One was slightly negative, and the other was weird. The feedback from these only two filmmakers was obviously not in line with public expectations, which was very disappointing.
However, several students studying abroad in the local area wrote film reviews, and their reviews were much better than those of professionals, which made people look forward to it again.
When the crew finally came back, they received various interviews one after another. Even Miao Miao, who thought she was insignificant, accepted interviews from several big-name media outlets. Later, she couldn't stand it anymore, so she hid back in her dormitory and continued to conceive a new script.
The old man made full use of his strengths in socializing. He was witty, quick to respond, and knew more memes than many young people. Finally, relying on his own charm, he became a big hit on various social platforms.
He is not a born social butterfly, this is all for the promotion of the movie!
Not long after the crew of "The Weary Birds Come Home" returned to China, the film finally confirmed its domestic release date: it avoided the most fiercely competitive Spring Festival period, and did not consider competing in the relatively mild and longer summer period. It even avoided the National Day period and chose the awkward end of October.
The Spring Festival period is known to be a Shura field. Although the box office can be terrifyingly high when it is high, it can also be equally spectacular when it is crushed. In short, it is a money-burning game that is best not to participate in if there is no box office expectation of more than 10 or 20 billion. It is obviously not suitable for "The Weary Bird Returns to the Nest".
In comparison, the summer season looks much better.
This schedule is long enough and has enough space to accommodate more different types of movies. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of competition in this schedule. The most important thing is that September is almost over. If you still want to choose the summer schedule, you can only choose next year. There is a high probability that you will miss the popularity of this award-winning movie, which is really not cost-effective.
Similar to this reason, the film was released too rushed during the National Day holiday. Besides, there were already several big companies entering the market at that time, so there was no need to spend money to compete with them for screenings for a small-scale film like this.
In comparison, the end of October is much better: the blockbusters have passed their peak popularity and entered a long tail period of weakness. There are not many new films entering the market, and even the publicity costs can be saved a lot compared to those hot films. For this kind of small-scale art film, it is simply a perfect choice.
Since the release date was confirmed, the promotion of the movie has also quietly started. The old man also went to so many interviews to cooperate with the promotion. He also accidentally attracted a lot of young fans. The old man himself was very surprised.
In addition to interviews, various hot topics have also quietly begun to emerge, with the main purpose of making themselves familiar to the public. Perhaps then interested viewers will pay for it.
Although the film is familiar to the public, it has been carefully avoiding false propaganda. What they fear is that after the film has been shown to the general public, its reputation will collapse. Although they may make money, their reputation will be ruined.
The old director paid close attention to this point. After all, he is so old and he finally made a satisfactory movie, but he doesn't want to fail on this issue at all.
Therefore, as the publicity gradually seeps in, the current impression of "The Return of the Tired Birds" among the public is that it is a very excellent art film that has won major foreign awards.
Although there are a few clips that have gained considerable popularity on the short video platform, according to the estimates of most theaters and the industry, the main audience of this movie is still traditional art film fans and a part of senior audiences with stronger aesthetic abilities. The box office is predicted to be between 10 million and 50 million - after all, the box office of Mr. Zhong's previous movie was only more than 20 million, less than 30 million. The fact that it was able to double was purely because of the foreign award.
The market for art films is so small, and the cost is low, so being able to get 50 million will definitely make the crew happy for a long time.
Most people, even Mr. Zhong himself, actually think so.
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