Sergei appeared to remain calm throughout; his voice was completely inaudible in the lounge. This indicated that his volume had remained at a normal level.
The assistants initially listened with great interest, even pestering the translator to translate the dialogue for them. However, after translating over a dozen sentences filled with profanity, they grew bored and began either playing on their phones or working.
There happened to be a guest notebook and a pen in the lounge. Shang Yechu dragged the notebook over, uncapped the pen, and started writing and drawing on the paper.
Although there were quite a few blunders today, it also gave Shang Yechu some inspiration.
Shang Yechu has always been afraid of her status declining, having no roles to play, or only being able to take roles she doesn't like. Although actresses have a long shelf life and loyal fans, maintaining long-term popularity in the film industry is not easy.
With Lao Xie and his teacher currently engaged in a peak battle, Shang Yechu could finally sort things out.
To achieve lasting success in the film industry, there are only three possibilities: first, to be a box office draw; second, to win awards; and third, special circumstances, such as receiving funding from certain forces to make films that don't require box office success or awards—this is not among Shang Yechu's considerations.
Winning awards is often unpredictable. Nationality, social trends, and even the judges' preferences can all influence the outcome of an award. Moreover, the film industry has always been opportunistic; those who can win awards but not guarantee box office success will eventually be confined to low-budget genre films.
Ultimately, it all comes down to real money.
Shang Yechu has always been uneasy about whether he can carry a film at the box office. "The Mute Woman" was a miracle, riding on the popularity of "The Martyr." "Happiness Street, Please Come In!" did well, but there were always voices online saying that even a pig could have made it a hit, and that Shang Yechu only benefited from the subject matter and production.
By the time of "The Forest Without Flowers," the film had already grossed over 80 million island dollars, which is equivalent to approximately 16 million yuan.
Eighty million island dollars is a figure that ranks among the top three in the box office charts for LGBTQ+ films in Taiwan. But if you throw that money into mainland China, it's simply not enough.
As for "The Heavenly Emperor," post-production still needs work, and its release date is far off. Besides, Shao Guangji's name alone will likely take away a large portion of the box office.
Not enough, not enough, not enough. Shang Yechu had a constant sense of anxiety. The film industry was almost entirely a male-dominated field; they had many opportunities, and even if they flopped once or twice, they could keep trying. But if she flopped a few times in a row, she would immediately disappear from the public eye.
Shang Yechu wrote down his inventory on a piece of paper:
"The Heavenly Emperor," starring [actor's name], is currently in post-production and awaits release.
The second installment of "Happiness Street, Please Come Inside!", starring [actor's name], is awaiting filming.
Guest appearance in the second season of "Happiness Street Chronicles", filming to be completed.
Starring in "Ice and Iron" and "Rain and Iron" (?), filming is pending.
At first glance, the inventory seems plentiful. Four titles in the pipeline would be enough to make a name for themselves in the Chinese entertainment industry. But upon closer inspection, aside from Shao Guangji's more famous "The Heavenly Emperor" and the much-criticized "Happy Street" series (which has always been criticized for its poor production quality), there's only one left: "Ice and Iron," which is still embroiled in controversy next door!
Shang Ye's heart pounded like a drum. She crossed out the inventory on the paper and wrote a new line:
What kind of actors can carry a box office?
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