Chapter 773: Big Plot, Small Plot, Counter Plot

Zhang Yuan was a little unconvinced.

"Teacher Minghua, that's not necessarily true."

"Really? Zhang Yuan, I guess young directors including you will be lifted from the ban soon. Let's see how your box office is when it's released?"

"Okay, if I'm lifted from the ban, I'll make a movie right away! Teacher Minghua, do you dare to invest in my movie like you did for Zhang Ke and Lou Ye?!" Zhang Yuan narrowed his eyes and looked at him.

"Why not?" Fang Minghua smiled heartily: "It's settled, just come to me when the time comes."

"A gentleman's word is as good as a horse's!"

After the meal, everyone went home. Fang Minghua's hotel was not far from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, so he and Jia Zhangke took a taxi back together.

On the way back, Jia Zhangke talked about what happened at the table and expressed his concerns.

"Teacher Minghua, do you think this "Xiao Wu" will lose money?"

"It's only 300,000 yuan, how much can it lose?" Fang Minghua smiled and said, "Don't worry, it won't lose money. Even if the domestic box office is sluggish, there is still the overseas market, and it will definitely make money."

"Now Zhang Yuan and his team rely on awards and overseas box office to live a happy life." Jia Zhangke said.

"That's right, so crying and shouting for the relaxation of domestic censorship and domestic release is actually useless." Fang Minghua said.

"Movies can generally be divided into three categories: big plot, small plot, and anti-plot. The number of audiences for the three plots decreases. Theatrical blockbusters must be big plots, family-friendly or superheroes. For example, the American blockbuster "True Lies" introduced last year is a superhero and sold well at the box office." "Small plot movies are relatively simple, usually not involving complex story structures and multiple narrative clues. "Xiao Wu" is a typical small plot movie." "Anti-plot movies break the traditional story structure and logic of the film type, but tell the story through non-linear time, incoherent reality and coincidence. Typical examples are "Ashes of Time" and "Chungking Express" shot by Wong Kar-wai. They are well made? They won many awards, but they failed miserably at the box office." Jia Zhangke nodded. Indeed. "There are not many people in the world who can watch such small plot and anti-plot movies. If you want to avoid losses, you must operate with a small cost. If you say that you want to invest 3 million instead of 300,000 in "Xiao Wu", I will not invest." Fang Minghua said. "Now the investment is 380,000." Jia Zhangke also laughed. "So, Zhang Ke, if you want to go the art film route, don't think about making big productions or investing big, otherwise you'll lose everything. At the same time, don't count on the domestic box office, just manage the overseas copyrights well." Fang Minghua warned.

Jia Zhangke nodded silently.

After sending Jia Zhangke back to the Academy of Fine Arts, Fang Minghua returned to the hotel and returned to Xijing the next day.

As for the filming and public screening in the cinema, that was the concern of Shengshi Film and Jia Zhangke, and Fang Minghua no longer cared.

A month later, "Xiao Wu" was released in China, and the praise of film critics and scholars in newspapers and magazines formed a sharp contrast with the box office failure.

The national box office was 280,000, while in Jia Zhangke's hometown of Fenyang, the box office revenue was 120 yuan.

This news was told to him by Song Tangtang.

At this time, it was mid-September, and the fourth part of the "Harry Potter" novel, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", was completed. After Fang Minghua sent an email to Li Li, he was ready to adapt the second part into a script.

The location shooting of the first Harry Potter movie has ended, and now it has entered the intense post-production stage.     However, with Wu Tianmin and Zhang Yimou watching in the United States, Song Tangtang didn't worry too much. She is now focusing on the second part of Kangxi's Secret Visits.

Of course, there is also Feng Xiaogang's "Party A and Party B", which has now been completed.

"Xiao Wu" became the first movie released by Shengshi Film and Television this year.

This afternoon, Song Tangtang came back from the company and sighed when she talked about this after dinner.

"Tangtang, this has been expected for a long time. What's there to sigh about?" Fang Minghua was fiddling with a pot of Epiphyllum in the yard. Seeing his wife like this, he comforted her and said, "Come, help me tie up the branches to prevent them from falling over. It's estimated that they will bloom tonight!"

"Not in the mood," Song Tangtang muttered.

"Ah? Not in the mood? Are you like this in the company and in front of employees? No way?" Fang Minghua laughed.

"Of course not. But you are my husband, it's okay for me to complain in front of you, right?" Song Tangtang said angrily.

"Okay, okay, you can say anything you feel uncomfortable about! If you are still unhappy, you can hit me twice, I will be your punching bag!"

"Pfft. I'm not a shrew." Song Tangtang was amused and squatted down to help.

"Tangtang, I told you that Jia Zhangke's box office is all overseas. Don't worry about what happens in China. Grasp the overseas distribution rights firmly and operate well, and you will definitely make money!" Fang Minghua comforted.

"I have contacted the French MK2 Film Company. They are very optimistic about this movie and are willing to be responsible for the distribution of the movie in Europe. At that time, the box office revenue will be divided." Song Tangtang said.

"Isn't that enough? You just wait to count the money." Fang Minghua laughed.

"Well, why do you say that the domestic box office is not good?" Song Tangtang sighed.

"Art films are not mainstream in Europe and the United States, and many theaters are unwilling to schedule them. But the UK has The Electric BFI Southbank, and France has the "Art and Experimental" theater. The government provides financial subsidies to specifically screen art films and niche movies. Which theater in our country is willing to do so?!" Fang Minghua asked in return.

"Minghua, in the future, when Shengshi Film and Television expands further and has abundant funds, I will also build some cinemas that specialize in playing art films like the French "Art and Experiment" cinema!" Song Tangtang said.

"You have ambition!" Fang Minghua gave a thumbs up.

"Husband, do you support me?"

"Of course! Otherwise, I will transfer some funds from the United States to China now?" Fang Minghua said while loosening the soil of the flower pot with a shovel.

"Hey, let me do my main business first. I can't eat a big fat man in one bite." Song Tangtang said.

Fang Minghua smiled and said nothing.

Sure enough, the movie "Xiao Wu" won the New Wave Award at the 2nd Busan International Film Festival, the Dragon and Tiger Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Best Director Award at the Nantes Three Continents Film Festival in France, and the First Prize of the Youth Forum at the Berlin International Film Festival.

The box office revenue in Europe was 2 million US dollars, equivalent to 16 million RMB, of which Shengshi Film and Television received a share of 5 million RMB, and Jia Zhangke personally received 500,000 RMB.

Jia Zhangke became famous in one fell swoop.

It was already December, and 1997 was about to end when Fang Minghua received a notice.

The second meeting of the 4th Mao Dun Literature Prize Jury was about to be held, and the final winner of the Mao Dun Prize would be decided at this meeting.