Chapter 85 World 2 [55]
After ten months of filming, "Song Xiaocao" was officially wrapped up in January of the following year, and all the filming was successfully completed before the Spring Festival.
Director Zhang had to personally oversee the post-production editing and production, so the related publicity and promotion was handed over to the assistant director.
The core of "Song Xiaocao" is still to praise the spirit of never giving up, but because the content of the film is very straightforward, it exposes the common situation of favoring boys over girls in rural areas, school bullying in junior high and high schools, the inside story of university scholarships, and the theft of research results that really happens in hospitals.
So the film encountered a small problem when it was first submitted for review. The vice president who seized Song Xiaocao's thesis results got the news from somewhere, contacted his own tutor and some friends in the system, and wanted to force Director Zhang to delete the last part of the content.
The person in charge of film review at the time was a person who got the position through connections. He had not done his homework seriously and did not know the value of Jing Ke, the nominal special consultant. So when he received certain benefits, he directly rejected the film "Song Xiaocao".
Jing Ke was stunned for a moment when she heard the news. Although she hadn't done anything big in the past year, she had completed all the tasks assigned to her by the country. How could the General Administration turn against her at this time?
So Jing Ke called a deputy director and said that he was very concerned about "Song Xiaocao" starring his girlfriend, and also told the deputy director the news that the film had been rejected by the review.
Jing Ke didn't delve into the details of how the deputy director did it. She only knew that the person with connections was fired within a week, and later on, some government officials at the bureau level were placed under double supervision.
After Jing Ke expressed her attitude, "Song Xiaocao" passed the review at an extremely fast speed and got the opportunity to be released in theaters across the country.
Director Zhang originally planned to release the film during the summer vacation, and she was mentally prepared for the first version to be rejected and then revised repeatedly.
But Director Zhang didn't expect that the review would be passed so quickly. If the publicity and promotion had kept up, "Song Xiaocao" could even be released early during the May Day holiday.
However, after internal discussions, the final release date remained unchanged, but large-scale publicity and promotion began during the May Day holiday, and a number of preview screenings were opened.
Directed by Director Zhang, starring Shao Qing, with Yu Hongjun and Jiang Qingyi discharged from the hospital as a friendly gesture, and with Boss Jing as the only investor, these elements combined together have made the film "Song Xiaocao" gain a lot of attention.
[Wow, this kind of film seems so rare. The character prototype doesn't seem to be very famous. I haven't even heard of it.]
"He's not entirely unknown. He has a very good reputation in our area. My mother's surgery was performed by him. It's just that fate has taken away his talent. He passed away before he was even thirty..."
[I'll predict this film will be highly controversial after it airs. Honestly, no one expected "Song Xiaocao" to pass censorship. This film is truly audacious.]
[I smell a big melon. Is the person in front of me an insider? ]
I'm not an insider, but I do have access to information. Before his death, Dr. Song performed an extremely difficult surgery, making what many people considered impossible possible.
[However, Dr. Song passed away before he could publish his success. I won't go into details about the subsequent operation, but Dr. Song didn't take any credit for the surgery.]
[Did someone steal Dr. Song's research?]
[That's fine. I won't go into the details. I can only tell you that the thief is backed by a powerful academic faction, whose influence is immense.]
[No, hasn't "Song Xiaocao" been released yet? How did you know the content? I didn't see any relevant footage in the promotional video.]
"Song Xiaocao" has already started previews in some cities, and there will be a lot of reviews coming out soon. I'm not very good at expressing myself, so I don't know how to describe it to you. Anyway, just go and see it; women will be touched to some extent.
What do you mean women are moved by this? Does that mean men are not worthy of watching movies?
What are you laughing at? Still being sexist at this time? If it doesn't turn men off, that's fine. I don't want to spend the money.
As soon as the topic turned to the conflict between men and women, many marketing accounts and water army accounts came over, just like NPCs whose keywords were triggered. It didn't take long for them to take the topic further and further, even escalating to the question of who is more suitable to be a doctor, men or women.
Jing Ke was very annoyed when he saw these people jumping around, so he rewrote the underlying logic again. Not only did he block the accounts of these people, he also posted their real names, causing more than half of the people to cancel their accounts overnight.
With fewer abominable reviews, major professional film critics have also begun to express their opinions.
It feels like a slightly niche topic, but it had a huge impact on me. For a moment, I felt like I was Song Xiaocao. Anyway, I empathized deeply with her and admired her immensely.
It's a very bold subject matter. Director Zhang is worthy of being Director Zhang. Only she is willing to devote so much time and energy to the life of a seemingly insignificant person to promote this spirit of never giving up.
The ending left me feeling very unsettled, with a suffocating sense of reality. It made me want to rush to a hospital with a brick and hit the vice president of a hospital on the head.
It's uncomfortable, but that's reality. It's a very straightforward and bold film. I recommend it to college students; it's okay to be a little aware of the dark side beforehand. Of course, the film's tone is still lighthearted, but if you watch it carefully, you'll feel suddenly filled with a certain power, which may strengthen your resolve in the future.
Film critics have different entry points, and since they can't reveal too many spoilers, the content they post seems particularly mysterious, which arouses the curiosity of many people.
Seeing that "Song Xiaocao" was about to be released on July 2, Jing Ke, who had not participated much in the promotion, once again demonstrated his mediocre ability to spend money and directly took out 1.88 million for the lottery.
There are 10,000 prizes in total, and each winner will receive 188 yuan.
One hundred yuan is a pure cash prize, and the other eighty-eight yuan is a movie package for two, which includes movie tickets, popcorn and two glasses of juice, so that the winner can call friends to go to the movies together.
Ten thousand prizes may sound like a lot, but you can enter once by liking and following the official Weibo account of "Song Xiaocao". So in just one day, the number of likes on this lottery post soared to seven digits, making the chance of winning much smaller than one percent.
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On July 2nd, "Song Xiaocao" was released on time in major theaters.
Because pre-sales were good, even though it was a niche subject, the first day's screenings accounted for 10%, which is a good amount of screenings for a niche subject.
Whether a movie is carefully polished or shoddily made for profit, the audience can almost tell after watching a movie.
Because the ending was not a traditional happy family reunion, most people who walked out of the theater were angry. They all wanted to find out who stole the fruits of Song Xiaocao's labor.
The power of one person may be weak and unable to fight against the complex and intertwined forces of the academic cliques, but what if there are ten thousand people, one hundred thousand people, or even one million people?
The fact that "Song Xiaocao" was approved to be released in theaters actually explains certain situations to a certain extent.
When some of the people with connections were fired, the people who were behind all this had already been targeted by the relevant departments.
Not only did they delay issuing visas, but after the movie was broadcast, the relevant departments arrested the person at an extremely fast speed. It was so fast that they issued an official notice with white text on a blue background on July 2nd.
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"That man has been caught, and Song Xiaocao can finally get the honor he deserves." After seeing the hot search, Shao Qing came out of the cinema and smiled.
The previous resentment seemed to have dissipated a lot in an instant. It seemed that I had helped Song Xiaocao to get back the honor that belonged to her.
"That's my surprise. Can I know now?" Jing Ke asked, looking down at his girlfriend who was wearing a mask and a hat. "You said the day you got the script that you would give me a surprise on the day the movie was released."
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten, but it's not the right time yet. I'll tell you when we get home." Shao Qing said, and couldn't help but get nervous in advance.
"Okay, then shall we go home now?" Jing Ke asked.
"Well, let's go home." Shao Qing let out a breath.
The cinema that Jing Ke and Shao Qing chose was not far from their villa. It only took them twenty minutes by car to reach their destination.
Thinking of the surprise he had prepared for Jing Ke, Shao Qing became more nervous. As soon as he entered the room, he raised his hands to cover Jing Ke's eyes.
"Don't open your eyes. Stand here and don't move. You can open your eyes only when I tell you it's okay." Shao Qing whispered in Jing Ke's ear.
"Okay." Jing Ke responded very obediently.
After closing his eyes, Jing Ke's sense of smell and hearing were enhanced to a certain extent. Not only could he analyze the smell of Shao Qing more clearly, but he could also hear her movements from the living room on the first floor to the second floor.
The bedroom door was opened by Shao Qing. More than ten seconds later, Shao Qing came out of the bedroom again, stepped on the stairs again, and walked towards him step by step.
Shao Qing, holding the jewelry box, slowly exhaled. After making sufficient mental preparations, he said, "Okay."
Jing Ke opened her eyes with a hint of anticipation and saw Shao Qing, who was unusually nervous.
"Jing Ke, will you marry me?" Shao Qing had clearly prepared a speech, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he forgot all his previous preparations.
I only remembered to ask this question, and by the way, I opened the box with the ring and handed it to Jing Ke.
"Ah?" Jing Ke was also stunned. She originally thought that Shao Qing's surprise was to give her a special piece of clothing and then ask her to help her put it on.
"What did you just say?" Jing Ke became nervous for a rare time, worried that he was hallucinating.
"Will you marry me?" Shao Qing repeated it again, and this time her tone was much calmer than last time.
"I originally wanted to call some people to set up the venue while we were watching the movie, but then I thought about it again. We are the two of us being together, and it doesn't seem to matter whether there are witnesses or not."
"Besides, I'm already thirty years old. I feel I'm old enough to have a wedding." Shao Qing said, "I admit that I was very skeptical of you at the beginning. I even agreed to sign a contract with you because I thought I could use you."
"But now I understand my heart. I like you and want to be with you forever." Shao Qing paused.
"I know you have an ex-girlfriend, and I don't think I'll ever completely let it go. Before you make a decision, I'll give you three minutes to think about it. Even if you agree to my proposal, you'll still be jealous. In the future, when we have a fight, I might even bring your ex-girlfriend up for a walk."
"But I feel your love for me. If you continue to like me for a hundred years, I will try my best to restrain myself from being jealous." Shao Qing didn't know what to say now, so he simply took the opportunity to say everything he wanted to say.
"I'm not a generous person. If you promise me, you can only love me before I die. You can't leave me for any reason." Shao Qing said.
"Also, don't confuse me with anyone, especially don't say I look like someone." Shao Qing emphasized, as if he was not the one proposing, but the one being proposed to, so he made a series of requests to Jing Ke.
Shao Qing: "If you leave me, I might lose some of my sanity and do something irrational. So you must answer carefully. I won't give you a chance to regret it."
"I do." Jing Ke couldn't wait to make the promise and stretched out his left hand.
"I only like and love you in this world. You are the meaning of my existence. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be who I am today." Jing Ke said word by word.
This was a promise she could make. In fact, Jing Ke had also secretly prepared a proposal.
However, it was August, and on Shao Qing's birthday, Jing Ke had planned to give him a customized ring.
"That's better." Shao Qing raised the corner of his mouth, took out the ring and put it on Jing Ke's hand.
"Jing Ke, from today on you are mine, and everything I, Shao Qing, own." Shao Qing said, and couldn't help but leave a kiss mark on the back of Jing Ke's fair hand.
"Okay." Jing Ke responded seriously.
When Jing Ke saw Shao Qing took out his phone to take a photo, she added, "I've also prepared a ring for you. Do you want to put it on and take a photo together?"
"You've also prepared a ring?" Shao Qing was stunned for a moment, then reacted almost instantly, "So you're planning to propose to me too?"
Jing Ke nodded and said, "I want to propose to you on your birthday."
"That won't work. I'll be 31 by then, and I'll feel much older." Shao Qing said seriously, "And if the proposal happens on my birthday, I'll miss an anniversary every year."
"It's my fault. I didn't think it through carefully enough." Jing Ke admitted her mistake obediently.
"Since you are so kind, I won't bother with you. Just take out the ring you prepared and let me wear it." Shao Qing, who got the advantage, became generous, and the smile on his face became more and more charming.
Jing Ke held Shao Qing's hand with the ring-wearing hand and pulled her to her former bedroom, which was also the guest bedroom on the second floor.
Under Shao Qing's gaze, Jing Ke took out a beautifully packaged jewelry box from the bedside table. After opening it with one hand, a ring inlaid with a 52-carat pink gem appeared in their sight.
"I commissioned someone to shoot this some time ago. The subsequent production took some time, so I only got it last month." Jing Ke explained briefly.
Shao Qing looked at the big pigeon egg ring on his finger, then at the slightly shabby diamond ring on Jing Ke's hand, and fell silent for a moment.
After about two minutes, Shao Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Sure enough, the difference is revealed through comparison. I chose the largest diamond ring in the store, but I didn't expect it still couldn't stand up to comparison."
"No, I like it very much. I like whatever you give me and I am very satisfied." Jing Ke said.
"It's okay, I'm just sighing. After all, you are Boss Jing, and I'm just an ordinary actor." Shao Qing said and looked at the ring on his hand again.
Although the ring worth nearly one million yuan is not as good as the one Jing Ke gave her, this pink diamond is really beautiful, and it makes her hands look more noble.
"Do we want to take a photo and make it official?" Jing Ke asked.
"Let's not rush. I think there is a more suitable time and place to announce the news of our marriage." Shao Qing gave up his previous idea.
"What time?" Jing Ke asked.
"If everything goes well with "Song Xiaocao", it should be by the end of the year." Shao Qing smiled and did not hide it intentionally.
After all, this is the first day of the release of "Song Xiaocao". If I announce the news myself, it will seem a bit out of place and make "Song Xiaocao", which should be paid attention to and discussed, lose the popularity it deserves.
So it’s better to announce this news after "Song Xiaocao" has received the honor it deserves!
Jing Ke has always fully supported Shao Qing's decisions. She even had an idea in her mind to buy another blue diamond and then polish it into a ring that she could wear.
Red and blue have been a popular couple since ancient times, and this sentence is still quite popular.
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"Song Xiaocao" caused a great controversy in public opinion as soon as it was released. The vice-president who was protected by the academic clique was the first to be criticized. After the vice-president was taken away by the police, netizens' attention once again shifted to the four words "preferring sons to daughters".
The Qing dynasty has been gone for over a hundred years, so why do so many people still favor sons over daughters? The government has been promoting the idea that having a son or a daughter is the same as having a daughter for eight hundred years.
[It's advertised, but I won't discuss the actual effect. Just look at the gender ratio.]
Why are there tens of millions of single men now? It's because tens of millions of baby girls are being deprived of their lives at birth or even before they are born.
[Stop talking nonsense about women being inferior to men. That's way too much of a scoundrel. Not only do you leave all the good things to men, but you also mock women for being weak. It's ridiculous.]
Those who say "Song Xiaocao" is degrading to men, don't they have brains? These are all based on real life, right?
There's no need to argue with those with mental problems. They simply think that depicting a middle-aged rural woman who drinks and commits domestic violence is the correct artistic interpretation. Truthfully portraying violent men, bullies, and those with connections is a malicious attempt to vilify men.
[Ah, yes, yes, good things are always done by little girls, and bad things are always done by little girls.]
Although Jing Ke used technology to block many accounts that maliciously provoked confrontation, there were still many people in reality who were not smart enough and were easily led by the malicious smear campaign against men by "Song Xiaocao". They also claimed to boycott "Song Xiaocao".
However, the increase in the number of films released in theaters and the fact that it climbed to the top of the single-day box office made those people's boycott a complete joke.
After seeing that the relevant public opinion was really getting louder, the General Administration, under the instructions from above, publicly stood up for "Song Xiaocao" and further strengthened the network civilization norms, and will impose administrative penalties on certain accounts that maliciously spread rumors.
This administrative penalty is not a joke. It will remain in your file and will follow you for the rest of your life.
Of course, in order to prevent this power of punishment from being abused, many rules have been added to the detailed regulations, such as the disclosure of specific reasons and results for punishment.
To sum up, multiple departments jointly enforce the law, and those who are punished can raise objections, but they will not be directly punished with one blow.
After the official action, major platforms also responded one after another. Without Jing Ke’s help, they pulled programmers to work overtime to develop new features.
Generally speaking, the release period of a movie is one month.
Box office revenue is usually concentrated in the first two weeks. Starting from the third week, the box office will begin to decline, and major theaters will also reduce the number of screenings.
But "Song Xiaocao" seemed to be an accident. With 10% of the screenings on the first day and 75% of the attendance rate, it became a dark horse of the summer.
It was transformed from a niche film into a popular hit, and its box office performance in the third and fourth weeks was also very strong. Although it did not exceed 100 million yuan, it could easily reach tens of millions, which is better than some movies that have just been released.
The cinema chain shares profits with the film company. The more box office revenue the cinema chain earns, the more money it makes. So after seeing that "Song Xiaocao" was still doing very well at the box office, the cinema chain applied for a key extension and insisted on extending it for 15 days.
Jing Ke anticipated what some netizens and internet trolls wanted to complain about, and announced on the day of the key extension that she would donate all the profits to support women like Song Xiaocao, giving them a chance to change their own destiny.
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