287: Chapter 287 Propaganda Genius

It didn't matter. Regardless, the contract he signed only entitled him to a cut from the mainland and Taiwan markets, not the international market. If Director Du Qiyu wanted to make a fuss, he could let him go ahead.

Lin Chuyan was very self-aware; his fame was mostly among Chinese people, or more specifically, young Chinese people.

Just look at what he'd done this past year: arguing with netizens online, acting in web dramas and movies but playing roles that were... hard to describe, occasionally singing songs that older folks couldn't understand, playing with racing cars...

It felt like it was quite an achievement that his girlfriend's parents considered him reliable; they were probably viewing him through rose-colored glasses.

Back to the film. Although there are Chinese people all over the world, it was too naive to think they could carry the box office on their own for an international release.

But from Director Du Qiyu's perspective, he had to take it seriously. When they filmed 'a moment of romance,' although Lin Chuyan's fame was already apparent, it was still far from what it was now. If it were today, that agent of his, Wu Yue, might not have agreed to a 1 million base guarantee plus a 5% cut from two markets.

As it stood, they should be able to fully recoup their costs from the mainland box office alone—it was a small-to-medium budget film to begin with, and they had even saved on the lead actor's salary...

He conservatively estimated that the six words "Lead Actor Lin Chuyan" should be enough to bring in two or three hundred million in the mainland box office alone...

As for Hong Kong and Taiwan, he had been doing research, and he could only say that Lin Chuyan might have been underestimating himself a bit.

He was quite confident about the box office now; the only question was how much they would make. Plus, the film's quality was genuinely good, so who was to say it wouldn't become a hit? How could he not be invested in this?

The promotional strategy set by the PR company was clear and focused on three points: First, this was Lin Chuyan's first lead role since his comeback, and they needed to build audience anticipation. Second, this was a brand-new combination of Director Du Qiyu, Lin Chuyan, and Uncle Da, and they needed to make the audience wonder what kind of magical chemistry they would create. Third, the New Year's slot, combined with romance and racing elements, was meant to create a sense of New Year's ritual.

As for Zhou Shiyun and Director Mu Sheng, they would be mentioned only in passing, at most...

Director Du Qiyu agreed with these three points, but they were only applicable to the mainland, Hong Kong, and Taiwan; they weren't enough to conquer the international box office.

However, he didn't have any better ideas. While he claimed, "The mountain man has his own secret plans," he was actually just bluffing.

One look at the screen allocations told the story. He had some channels and could cooperate with distributors in international markets, but getting high allocations was impossible. For years, no matter the country, the lion's share of the box office had always been the local market and the Hollywood market; that had never changed.

The only way Director Du Qiyu could think of to do his best and leave the rest to fate was to add one more thing—accepting the offer from Vogartis and filming a great MV for 'in the name of the father.'

With full support from an international brand and a pan-Asian release around the same time, it counted as an opportunity, at least...

If you were talking about showing it in Europe or America, Director Du Qiyu might feel that aesthetic tastes differed, and he wasn't sure about that. But in Asia, with Lin Chuyan's looks, height, and physique, combined with the MV for 'in the name of the father,' the music, the taste, and the style—and then putting that on display in the busiest parts of major cities in every country... which girl could watch that and not swoon?

But to say this alone could drive the box office was a bit of a stretch. It was a bit metaphysical; although, so far, everyone on the team who had seen the film had praised the "driving while carrying a girl" shot, it was possible they were too close to the project to judge objectively. Telling Lin Chuyan that he would "wait to swoon thousands of girls" wasn't a lie, but whether he could swoon foreign girls would depend on luck.

...

"Congratulations, Nickname! Best Supporting Actor." When they met, the group exchanged congratulations first.

"Thanks, thanks! Thank you, directors and big brothers! I'm treating everyone later."

"No, no. You've finally come all this way. We can listen to you on other things, but not this."

Thus, lunch was, as usual, at a Cantonese restaurant, with Director Du Qiyu hosting. With Director Wang Jiahui and Director Mu Sheng joining in, the group ate and chatted, naturally focusing on 'a moment of romance,' which was set to release in 40 days.

"Director Du, Director, when can I watch the film?"

Director Du Qiyu, unhurried, replied while eating, "So anxious?"

"It is my first lead role since my comeback, after all..."

"Then we'll watch it in a bit, and go to dubbing afterward." Director Du Qiyu nodded and continued to align the schedule with him. "Tomorrow I have to arrange the preparation for the Vogartis commercial shoot, so I won't have time to accompany you. However, I'll find someone to follow you the whole time and take you to meet with the people at 'City Magazine.' How about that?"

"So, that means dubbing today, magazine shoot tomorrow, and then straight to the set to film the commercial the day after?"

"That's right." Lin Chuyan signaled that it was okay. "I have no problem with that, but... there's no need for someone to accompany me, right? Just give me the address, and I'll go directly. Look at my entourage—I've already got an agent and an assistant. That's enough."

Director Du Qiyu looked at him with a smile. "What are you saying? Have you ever seen a top-tier star with only two people around?"

He shook his head again. "It's necessary. Just treat them as a local guide. If you have any questions or requests, you can tell my person."

Director Du Qiyu was more invested than anyone else now. As the lead actor of 'a moment of romance,' Lin Chuyan was naturally the focus of the promotion, and he was indispensable for many events that required his presence. The 'City Magazine' shoot was also something he had pulled strings to set up. In short, everything was at Lin Chuyan's service; nothing could go wrong.

There was one thing he hadn't said out loud: while he said he was finding someone to accompany Lin Chuyan, the actual task was to keep an eye on the magazine staff—to ensure they shot well and didn't cause any trouble. Don't let Lin Chuyan's easygoing demeanor fool you; that was only for friends. If some blind person actually provoked him... Director Du Qiyu knew what kind of temper this kid had. Previously, someone who discriminated against his assistant had been humiliated by him in public, over and over again. So, at critical moments, stability was everything.

Regarding the promotional strategy, Lin Chuyan also confided in Director Du Qiyu. "Director Du, I'll be releasing a new album in the middle of next month. The company is already preparing for it, and it will definitely be released before the movie premieres."

Director Du Qiyu's eyes lit up. "How is the quality compared to the first album?"

"Don't worry, I'm not slacking off; it's about the same as the first one." Lin Chuyan clarified, "I mean, the new album doesn't include the two songs I gave you, nor does it have any Cantonese songs."

Director Du Qiyu understood instantly. "Good. By hitching a ride on the new album, the Cantonese song will be a key point of promotion then."

Director Du Qiyu knew about the slick move by 'pegasus 2'—you could only hear the new song in the movie? Impressive. If Director Chu Dong could do it, why couldn't he? What, was a motorcycle not a vehicle? Didn't Director Chu Dong only have one song, 'drifting'? He had two!

"There's more." The good news from Lin Chuyan kept coming. "I'll also be doing an interview with CCTV in December, and I'll make sure to mention 'a moment of romance' during it."

Lin Chuyan was also very invested; after all, he had a cut of the profits, and who would turn down money?

"Good, good, good!" Director Du Qiyu was a bit overwhelmed and couldn't help but ask again, "Anything else?"

Lin Chuyan: "..." But he actually did have more.

"Director Du, I have an idea. Do you think we could do this..." Lin Chuyan gestured as he spoke, "I'll be coming to Hong Kong for the premiere, right? You prepare a motorcycle, preferably the same model from the movie, and then after the movie ends, isn't there a post-screening Q&A session? I'll just ride the motorcycle with Xiao Jun right onto the stage."

Director Du Qiyu: "... How are you going to ride it inside a movie theater?"

"That's simple. Since we're mostly hitting the mainland, I remember there's only one event here in Hong Kong, so shouldn't we make it a big deal? Why not do it outside a theater? Find an open-air venue, and we'll do it outdoors!"

Lin Chuyan put down his chopsticks. "Find a suitable spot and plan the route in advance. For the post-screening Q&A, everyone will still be savoring the movie. At that moment, I suddenly ride in on the motorcycle, recreating a scene from the film, and appear before everyone. Tell me, won't that trend on social media?"

"Holy crap!" Director Du Qiyu was already cheering in his heart: You son of a b*tch, you really are a genius!