EFB Chapter 21: Release Date and Promotion
Chapter 21: Release Date and Promotion
On June 24, the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing was lifted.
On June 25th, the Film Bureau's review results came out: "A Moment to Remember" passed the review without any cuts.
When Liu Yu received the public screening license, he felt a strange, indescribable feeling welling up inside him.
It was completely uncut. This means that after reviewing it, the film bureau officials felt there was nothing that needed to be removed.
It wasn't that he was lucky; it was that he avoided all potentially problematic content while writing the script.
His past life's business experience taught him that the best way to deal with regulatory authorities is not to seek connections after problems arise, but to think about how to prevent problems from occurring in the first place.
Not making mistakes is a hundred times less costly than making mistakes and then trying to fix them.
On June 28th, Li Jian finished recording his song.
When Liu Yu received Li Jian's call, he was eating instant noodles in his dormitory.
Li Jian's voice came through the receiver, carrying a calm and unhurried tone: "Liu Yu, the theme song is finished recording. Give it a listen."
A recording came from the other end of the phone. Liu Yu put down his instant noodle fork and put the phone to his ear.
The prelude is a piano, a few simple notes, like raindrops falling on glass. Then Li Jian's voice comes in, clear, restrained, and without any unnecessary embellishment.
"From a place where there is nothing, to a place where there is nothing..." Liu Yu closed his eyes.
He had thought about this song countless times; he wrote the lyrics and music, while Li Jian sang the soul of the song.
Some songs can only be sung with a specific feel by certain people, and "Actually, There's Nothing" is one of them.
If it were someone else, it would be either too sentimental or too indifferent. Only Li Jian can sing that "faint sadness" just right. It's not so sad that it makes you want to cry, but it's sad enough that it makes you remember it.
"It sounds nice," Liu Yu said.
"Then I'll post it," Li Jian said with a smile. "I've included the theme song from 'A Moment to Remember' on the cover. Is that okay with you?"
"No problem." Liu Yu paused for a moment. "Thank you, Professor Li Jian."
"What are you thanking me for? Good songs don't come around often, it's my luck to have encountered one." Li Jian hung up the phone.
The following day, Li Jian's company released the single.
Liu Yu saw the news on his computer; it was the headline of the entertainment section of a major portal website: "Li Jian's new single 'Actually Nothing' released, the theme song for the movie 'A Moment to Remember'." There were already dozens of comments below the news, most of which were saying "Looking forward to Li Jian's new song," while a few were asking "What's the background of this movie?"
.......
On June 30th, Liu Yu made an appointment with Yu Dong.
Yu Dong was introduced to me by the CEO of Xiaoxiang Film Industry. Upon hearing that Yu Dong was the son of the financial director of Hunan TV and a student at Beijing Film Academy, he readily agreed to the distribution business.
You may doubt Yu Dong's character, but his professional competence is undeniable.
The location was a Cantonese restaurant on the East Third Ring Road, chosen by Yu Dong.
Liu Yu arrived fifteen minutes early, chose a seat by the window, ordered a pot of Tieguanyin tea, and scrolled through his phone while drinking it.
Yan Danchen sent me a text message this morning saying she's filming a movie in Shanghai and won't be back in Beijing until the day after tomorrow.
Yu Dong arrived on time. He was thirty-two years old, younger than Liu Yu had imagined. He was wearing a dark blue polo shirt, his hair was neatly combed, and his smile exuded a shrewd and capable air.
He saw Liu Yu as soon as he entered the room, strode over, and extended his hand: "Liu Yu, right? Hello, hello, Yu Dong."
Liu Yu stood up and shook hands with Yu Dong. This wasn't the kind of handshake that was just a perfunctory touch.
Liu Yu made his first judgment in his mind: a person who knows how to handle things can shake hands in a way that makes the other party feel sincere without making them feel offended.
After ordering, Yu Dong picked up his teacup and first toasted Liu Yu: "President Li has mentioned you to me several times, saying that you made a movie in your freshman year of college, which is amazing. At your age, I was still squatting at the Beijing Film Studio waiting for work."
"Mr. Yu, you're too kind. Mr. Li has told me about you, saying you're a master at distributing Hong Kong films, and that he wants me to learn more from you in the future."
Yu Dong smiled. He knew Liu Yu was flattering him, but he appreciated it.
It wasn't out of vanity, but because he saw in this young man the potential of an excellent producer; he knew when to say what, and how to make the other person feel comfortable without appearing subservient.
The dishes arrived. Steamed sea bass, blanched shrimp, garlic broccoli, and a pot of slow-cooked soup—simple yet satisfying.
Yu Dong took a bite of fish, put down his chopsticks, and got to the point: "I've seen your film. To be honest, it's not bad, but it's not a blockbuster. Liu Ye has some box office appeal, but this subject matter might not necessarily be a hit."
Liu Yu didn't rush to refute him, but listened quietly to him continue.
"But," Yu Dong emphasized, "now is an opportunity. The pandemic has just ended, cinemas have just reopened, and audiences have been cooped up for months, wanting to watch movies but having nothing to see. There's only one film releasing in July, 'Dangerous Intelligence,' which is a children's film and doesn't conflict with yours. If you can secure a decent number of screenings during this window, the box office won't be bad."
Liu Yu picked up his teacup and took a sip, his mind racing.
Yu Dong's analysis was basically consistent with his previous thoughts: SARS had suppressed the audience's demand for movies for several months, and now that cinemas have just reopened, there is a serious shortage of new films on the market.
This is a typical "supply gap" window of opportunity; whoever gets in first reaps the rewards.
"Mr. Yu, when do you think would be a suitable time to go on stage?"
"The sooner the better." Yu Dong picked up a piece of boiled shrimp, dipped it in soy sauce, and said, "July 11th. I've calculated it; there are no other films in this slot, so your film is the biggest. I can help you secure more than 40% of the screenings in the north, and the distribution through Hunan TV in the south might be even higher. Together, you'll cover at least half of the cinemas nationwide, that's enough."
Liu Yu quickly went through the timeline in his mind: July 11th, less than two weeks from today.
The promotional materials aren't all ready yet, copies are still being made, and the distribution contract hasn't been signed. But Yu Dong is right, the sooner the better.
This window of opportunity won't last long. By the end of July or the beginning of August, if Hong Kong films and Hollywood blockbusters have big release dates, their screenings will be squeezed out.
"Okay, July 11th." Liu Yu extended his hand.
Yu Dong grasped his hand. "Then it's settled. I'll handle the distribution, and you'll be in charge of the publicity. You know your film, and you know how to beat it up."
When it came time to pay the bill, Yu Dong insisted on paying. Liu Yu didn't argue; Yu Dong was the distributor, and his fee was 7%, neither too high nor too low.
As I walked out of the Cantonese restaurant, the evening breeze of June in Beijing blew by, carrying a hint of sultry heat.
Yu Dong lit a cigarette at the door and handed one to Liu Yu. Liu Yu took it and lit it. The two stood side by side on the roadside, the smoke dissipating in the wind.
"Liu Yu, your mom works at Hunan TV, right?" Yu Dong exhaled a puff of smoke, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather.
"Yes, the Financial Assets Center."
"The Finance and Assets Center?" Yu Dong turned to look at him, a deeper meaning in his eyes. "So that's the department that manages money. You should have said so earlier. You could have helped me get some publicity resources from Hunan TV in the future."
Liu Yu didn't respond, but in his heart, he gave Yu Dong a high score. This person was unpretentious and down-to-earth; he was clear about what needed to be said and spoke plainly.
.......
On July 2nd, Liu Yu, along with Liu Ye and Yan Danchen, flew back to Changsha.
In the arrival hall of Huanghua Airport, Zhang Yan, wearing a red dress, stood out conspicuously among the crowd of people waiting to pick up passengers.
When Liu Yu came out dragging his suitcase, he saw her at a glance.
"Mom, why are you dressed so red? Are you afraid I won't recognize you?"
Liu Yu walked over, and Zhang Yan looked him up and down. "You've lost weight again."
Then he turned to look at Liu Ye and Yan Danchen behind him, his smile widening even more, "Teacher Liu, Danchen, welcome to Changsha. You must be tired from your journey."
Liu Ye felt a little embarrassed by her address, "Auntie, please don't call me teacher, just call me Xiao Liu."
Zhang Yan laughed and said, "That won't do. You're a movie star, I can't just call you that."
Hunan TV arranged a van to take the three people directly to a hotel next to Hunan TV.
The next few days were packed with promotional activities. He appeared on every show he could get on, including "Happy Camp," "Music Non-Stop," "Behind the Story," and "Entertainment Unlimited."
The three hosts, He Ling, Li Xiang, and Li Weijia, treated Liu Yu with such warmth that it was not as if they were treating an ordinary guest.
He Ling's first words to Liu Yu were: "Xiao Yu, your mom said you made a movie. I watched the trailer, and it was quite touching."
Li Xiang chimed in from the side, "You bet I was moved to tears."
Li Wei added, "When did you cry? I didn't know."
The three of them chatted away, making the atmosphere comfortable and pleasant.
Liu Yu didn't get carried away; he knew that these people's enthusiasm wasn't for him, but for Zhang Yan.
Liu Ye and Yan Danchen's performance on the show did not disappoint Liu Yu.
When Liu Ye and Yan Danchen appeared on "Happy Camp," they were so relaxed that it didn't seem like it was their first time. They chatted enthusiastically with He Jiong, making the audience laugh heartily.
Despite the publicity, the fight still has to be fought.
Liu Yu cast two "GG" slots on Hunan TV: one for the 8:01 minute trailer insertion, which cost 80,000 yuan per vote; and another for the 6:01 minute trailer insertion, which cost 10,000 yuan per vote.
He played for a week straight, and the price was about 30% lower than the market price, which was considered an internal discount price given to Zhang Yan by Hunan TV.
......
The effect is immediate.
After the first day's trailer finished airing, Liu Yu's phone started vibrating.
He submitted a keyword search result on Baidu Tieba, which showed that the search volume for the keyword "the eraser in my mind" surged fiftyfold within two hours after the trailer was released.
By the third day, news about the movie began appearing in the entertainment sections of major portal websites.
"A Freshman Student's Directorial Debut, Starring Liu Ye and Yan Danchen"
The first romance film after the pandemic, "A Moment to Remember," is set to release on July 11th.
The theme song "Actually There Is Nothing" sung by Li Jian has garnered over one million views online.
On the fourth day, a friend from Beijing texted Liu Yu, saying that he saw a poster for "Eraser" on a GG sign in the subway station.
On the fifth day, another friend in Shanghai said he saw it at the bus stop as well.
Yu Dong acted faster than Liu Yu expected. He laid out outdoor GGs in the core areas of the four first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Although the number was not large, each piece was in a place with the highest traffic and was eye-catching enough.
On the seventh day, which was a full week after the trailer was released, Liu Yu received a call from President Li.
The voice on the other end of the phone was still as loud as ever: "Xiaoyu, I've already talked to several brother cinemas in the south, and they've reserved screenings for you for the opening weekend. I've seen your trailer; it's well-edited, and the audience response has been great. Keep it up!"
After hanging up the phone, Liu Yu leaned back in the chair in the dressing room and let out a long sigh.