"The Mute Woman" is tentatively scheduled for release during the National Day holiday.
The timing of a film's release is also important. A tragic film, no matter how well-made, will only flop if released during the New Year's holiday or Children's Day. After all, nobody wants to watch a family tragedy on a day meant for family celebration.
Among the films released during this year's National Day holiday, those that garnered significant attention included domestic films such as "The God of the Land," "The Order of the Demons," "Spring Breeze Doesn't Understand the Youth," "Lujiang Love Song," and "Secret Love Diary," as well as action-thriller films imported from Hong Kong such as "Suffocation 24 Hours" and "Saving 1001 Hostages," and Hollywood blockbusters like "Nirvana," "Aftermath," and "Francis Alien."
Ji Juntao believes that this year's National Day film lineup consists mainly of period fantasy films, romance films, action films, and popcorn blockbusters, lacking films that resonate with reality. "The Mute Woman" has a unique subject matter; if it were released during this period, it might attract some viewers with milder tastes and perhaps even make a small profit.
After all, art films are essentially emptying the wallets of a small segment of the population.
Ji Juntao certainly didn't expect this short film to make a lot of money; he would be satisfied as long as he could recoup his costs.
Shang Yechu scoffed at Ji Juntao's optimistic assessment.
The filming cost of "The Mute Woman" was 3 million, which almost exhausted Qingping Entertainment's cash flow, Ji Juntao's savings, and Shang Yechu's salary (that's right, this is what it's like to work for Ji Juntao, you don't earn a penny and you even lose money).
Roughly speaking, a film needs to gross three times its investment to break even. In other words, "The Mute Woman" needs to reach 10 million yuan at the box office for Ji Juntao's dream to come true.
What does 10 million yuan at the box office mean for a 2017 art film with no famous director, no big names besides Shang Yechu, and an extremely bland and bittersweet plot?
Moreover, Shang Yechu was extremely familiar with the box office distribution of films during the 2017 National Day holiday. In that very year, a dark horse emerged out of nowhere, raking in 3 billion yuan at the box office and breaking the monopoly of Hollywood blockbusters and Hong Kong films in the domestic film market!
The film was called "The Fierce Land," a patriotic war movie. Filming took three years, and the producer nearly went bankrupt. Fortunately, the hardship paid off handsomely in the end.
"Heroes" boasts grand scenes and a well-paced plot, making it highly watchable. Although it can be considered a work that celebrates individual heroism, it is also deeply moving, poignant, and has won over many viewers with its poignant emotions.
The National Day holiday lasted seven days, with an average daily box office of around 350 million yuan. Of this, "Fighter's Land" alone accounted for nearly 200 million yuan, practically draining the market. After the remaining market share is divided among Hong Kong films, Hollywood movies, and romance films, how much of a slice is left for "The Mute Woman"?
To Ji Juntao, a box office of ten million was a rather unambitious goal, but to Shang Yechu, it was an unbelievable figure.
Of course, Shang Yechu kept her thoughts to herself and didn't say anything to discourage the ambitious Ji Juntao. Ji Juntao wasn't reborn; it would be too demanding to criticize him like that.
To be honest, Shang Yechu didn't really care about the box office performance of "The Mute Woman." She had almost completely moved on from the plot and story of "The Mute Woman" the moment she finished filming. The only thing she couldn't shake off was the filming experience and her emotional journey during that period.
That belonged to Shang Yechu and could not be shared with anyone in the world. Shang Yechu didn't care whether anyone understood or not.
If you were to ask who in the world has the least confidence in the box office performance of "The Mute Woman," the answer would undoubtedly be Shang Yechu.
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Compared to other highly anticipated films, the release of "The Mute Woman" was announced and announced quietly. There was almost no publicity. Even Ye Ya, who closely follow Shang Ye Chu's movements, did not promote the film.
The premiere of "The Mute Woman" was held at Jinsha Cinema, the largest cinema in Jinsha City, which was also the filming location, making it a kind of commemoration. Shang Yechu specially asked the crew for two days off to attend the premiere.
The "Xiao Feng Que" series has only one book left, which is also the last short vacation that Yi Tianzhao gave Shang Ye Chu Fang.
Besides familiar faces like Zheng Bohan, Li Kui, Su Ge, and Qin Tianye, Shang Yechu also gave each of her colleagues in the crew a premiere movie ticket. Unfortunately, the people who received the tickets seemed uninterested and had little intention of going to the premiere.
Shang Yechu was not discouraged by this. It was a favor if they came, and it was their right not to.
On the day of the premiere, Aunt Cai drove Shang Yechu and Ji Juntao to the Jinsha Cinema.
The premiere hall of Jinsha Cinema was very spacious, but Shang Yechu, as one of the lead actors, wasn't the first to arrive. Teachers Qi Ming (who played the mute woman), Li Zhenxiang (who played Yongfu), and Gao Jun (who played Pinghua), among others, were all there. What surprised Shang Yechu even more was that many villagers from Jinhe Village, where the filming took place, were also present!
Shang Yechu exclaimed, "You invited him? At least you did something decent."
Ji Juntao whispered devilishly, "No need to thank me. Their travel and accommodation expenses will be deducted from your salary."
Shang Yechu nudged Ji Juntao without saying a word, and Ji Juntao gasped: "Your medical expenses will also be deducted from your salary!"
The premiere was organized by Ji Juntao, so Shang Yechu didn't have to do anything for the time being. She wandered around the venue, chatting with familiar actors and villagers.
Several months have passed, but everyone still has a deep impression of Shang Yechu. They chatted very well. An old lady even brought Shang Yechu a bag of dried wild vegetables, telling her to take it back and stew it with chicken.
Shang Yechu accepted this precious gift with a wry smile.
While they were exchanging pleasantries, Gu Wenhua, the director of "The Mute Woman," also arrived.
After successfully completing filming "The Mute Woman," Gu Wenhua finally received her graduation certificate. Unfortunately, she hasn't had any new works released since, and has been drifting through life aimlessly, unsure of what she wants to do.
Compared to a few months ago, Gu Wenhua had even more pimples on her face—perhaps due to the anxiety of graduating and immediately facing unemployment. Her clothing was also extremely casual, exuding a fresh, earthy scent, and her shoelaces were undone.
Shang Yechu wasn't one to judge people's appearances; she'd just glance at them and look away. Ji Juntao, however, was different. As a company owner, an actor's appearance was like the product's selling point, and Ji Juntao couldn't stand unsold merchandise. Seeing how poorly Gu Wenhua looked, Ji Juntao immediately lost his composure.
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