"Fast Forward" Premiered.
A peculiar scene unfolded at the cinema.
Everyone emerged from the theater in silence.
Their eyes were red.
The moment they walked out of the cinema.
"Damn!"
"Jiangnan, you old fox, you're incredible!"
"How can you stab us with a comedy film!"
"I absolutely never expected that after laughing like an idiot earlier, I'd be completely devastated by the end..."
"By the way, did Zhang Chi actually die?"
"An open ending, Jiangnan is really playing games!"
People who were about to buy tickets.
Hesitated upon seeing the audience leaving with grumbles and curses.
"Brother, is this movie good?"
"It's great! Didn't you see I was crying with laughter?"
Someone tentatively asked.
Then, someone with gritted teeth replied.
...
In the evening.
Gu Qianqian returned home after participating in a program.
The moment she entered the door.
Her ear was grabbed by Su Yunfang.
"Gu Qianqian, you little rascal, couldn't you have let Zhang Chi live?"
Her aunt, Su Yunfang, pulled Gu Qianqian's ear and scolded her.
Although it was an open ending, everyone could tell it was a forced open ending to avoid a too tragic conclusion.
"Ow... it hurts, Mom! I'm just the director, Su Yu is the screenwriter!" Gu Qianqian winced in pain.
Then.
A group of relatives instantly turned their gazes towards Su Yu.
Feeling their aggrieved stares.
Su Yu hunched his neck: "Ahem... you can also imagine Zhang Chi didn't die. It's an open ending, you can explain whether he died or not."
Gu Qianqian quickly chimed in: "That's right, didn't you see the post-credits scene? Zhang Chi didn't die..."
Towards the end, Gu Qianqian herself lacked confidence.
However, the relatives, hearing their director say this, naturally accepted it as the ending.
Gu Qianqian then breathed a sigh of relief.
She rubbed her reddened ear.
And started worrying again.
An open ending for this drama could barely be glossed over.
But what about "Legend of the Sword and Fairy"?
Only Li Xiaoyao was left alive from that one.
I won't be going home next month!
No!
I won't be going home for months!
She was afraid of being attacked by her parents and relatives upon her return.
Now she finally realized that filming Su Yu's dramas carried a risk to her life.
...
The first screening of "Fast Forward" concluded.
Some were joyful, some were worried.
As the production crew did not engage in extensive promotions, many cinema halls were not full for the premiere.
This led to cinemas with fewer screenings breathing a sigh of relief, as they had bet correctly by allocating more screening resources to the currently popular "Dreaming of the Entertainment Industry."
Cinemas with more screenings, however, were looking glum.
Because cinema bookings are usually made for the next three days, any booked slot could not be altered.
Huayu Cinema, with over twenty branches nationwide, was not considered a very large cinema chain.
However, among all cinemas nationwide, it had the highest screening rate for "Fast Forward."
Even prime time slots were allocated to "Fast Forward."
In the conference room.
"What's the current situation?" Chairman Qian Yu, with a dark expression, looked at the Operations Department Director.
"Not a single screening was full. Some had only half the seats occupied..." the Operations Director replied awkwardly.
"Sigh..." Qian Yu rubbed his temples.
At the time of the company's discussions, they felt that since Jiangnan's previous film "Huo Yuanjia" had been a massive hit, "Fast Forward" should also do well, so they decided to go all in.
But this time, it seemed they had bet on the wrong horse...
Cinema competition is fierce now, and the fundamental competition lies in which cinema allocates more screenings.
If the choice is right and they bet on a hit film, they gain a three-day lead over competitors, enough time to make a fortune.
But if they bet wrong, it becomes awkward. If the slots haven't been sold, they can be temporarily changed to other films. However, once even one seat is sold, the screening cannot be changed.
Even if only one person is watching, the cinema has to go through with it, as it's an issue of reputation, which is extremely important.
Huayu Films clearly intended to take a gamble this time, placing their bet on "Fast Forward," leading to a substantial allocation of screenings for this film.
Yet, the premiere results were not as good as anticipated.
"Let's see which of the upcoming screenings can still be changed..." Qian Yu took a deep breath, his face filled with exhaustion.
Their cinema's market share was already minimal, operating at a loss. This situation was simply adding insult to injury.
After speaking.
He dismissed the meeting.
The Operations Director wanted to say something but ultimately refrained.
After everyone had left.
Qian Yu took out his phone and opened the cinema's internal group chat.
This was the internal communication group for the cinema's senior management.
"Fortunately, we didn't place too much emphasis on the screenings for 'Fast Forward.' All our resources this time were invested in 'Dreaming of the Entertainment Industry.'"
"Is there anyone truly foolish enough to think 'Fast Forward' would be a huge hit? Speaking of which, Jiangnan is still a new director. 'Huo Yuanjia's' success was due to the theme song by Ting Yu, and the presence of Mo Yan and many big names at the premiere."
"I heard from an employee that Old Qian seems to have filmed many slots for 'Fast Forward,' and their cinema's screenings are mostly for this movie."
"Pfft... no way, let me go check."
Before the movie's release, everyone would communicate in the group.
And regarding this film, from the start, the cinemas didn't have high hopes for it. It lacked popular actors, had no buzz, and most importantly, no promotion from Ting Yu.
The reason why "Huo Yuanjia" was well-received last time was largely due to Ting Yu, as well as Mo Yan and a constellation of entertainment bigwigs gracing the premiere, which led them to allocate screening resources to it.
The results were excellent too; "Huo Yuanjia" exploded on its opening day, grossing 280 million RMB in premiere box office.
But this time was different. The premiere had already arrived, and there was still no news from Ting Yu's side, so after discussions, they decided to reduce the screenings for this film.
And allocate resources to high-traffic films like "Dreaming of the Entertainment Industry."
"Haha, as expected, Huayu Films went with the highest-tier allocation this time!"
"@Qian Yu, can we get an interview about what you were thinking?"
"Old Qian, aren't you digging your own grave? No wonder Huayu has been declining all these years. Your company's vision is poor."
Looking at the taunts in the group.
Qian Yu's entire face darkened.
This time, they had indeed suffered a huge loss and made a massive fool of themselves.
"Hmph, don't celebrate too early. Maybe it'll explode in the next two days?"
He sent a message in the group.
However, he himself didn't quite believe this message.
After all, having been in this industry for so long, he knew that premiere results were the most crucial. If the premiere was a hit, it indicated high attention and traffic. Most films that showed little impact on their premiere eventually faded into obscurity.
And the premiere performance of "Fast Forward" was clearly not explosive.
Based on past experience, after the premiere, it should have quieted down.
Another loss this time.
Qian Yu was finding it difficult to cope.
But he couldn't show it.
"Haha, then we'll wait for 'Fast Forward' to explode. Looking forward to President Qian's rise!"
"To be honest, if 'Fast Forward' explodes, given President Qian's screening volume, he might make a fortune."
"Is that possible?"
"Haha, we have to give President Qian some confidence to persevere."
Looking at the sarcastic remarks in the group, Qian Yu took a deep breath and turned off his phone.