Chapter 575: Didn't Lose Face

Universal, as Fang Hong had said, that very night launched a campaign to disparage: A Space Odyssey.

Saying that Gravity had surpassed: A Space Odyssey.

This topic was everywhere on Facebook, on YouTube, on Twitter and other social media, and for a time it sparked heated discussion.

"Shit, how could Gravity possibly surpass: A Space Odyssey?"

"I watched Gravity, it was very stunning, I feel it surpassed it."

"Haven't seen either movie, talk after watching."

"These two are both very excellent space sci-fi films, no need to disparage one."

"Recommend watching Gravity, super good-looking, aside from the actors being Chinese, the sound and Best Special Effects are both very perfect, of course the female lead is very photogenic."

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Actually, internet Propaganda Department methods are all pretty much the same — you have to spark heated discussion among people, only with heated discussion can more people gather around and become interested.

If you can't give them a topic to discuss this movie heatedly, people won't bother talking about it.

Fang Hong's method was handing them topics, letting them discuss heatedly, so that those watching from the sidelines would become curious.

You could say he was very skilled at marketing psychology — after all, he'd been doing this for so many years.

Gravity that very day broke through 15.29 million USD in North America; by domestic standards, that was past a hundred million.

Aside from the opening day having over six million USD, afterward it dropped to three or five million USD.

And in just one day, it had added over ten million USD to the box office.

This made Donna very delighted, and she quickly followed up, expanding the scale of Propaganda Department; these few days Gravity would be released successively in the United Kingdom, France, Russia, Mexico and other places.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian also wouldn't go back for now, staying in North America to oversee Propaganda Department for this movie.

If it didn't break a hundred million USD, surpassing The Forbidden Kingdom and becoming Liu Tianxian's new representative work internationally, after so many years, wouldn't that couple have been wasting their time?

That day the two accepted an exclusive interview on an NBC program, which was a television station under Universal.

It was one of the United States' five major television stations.

The Hollywood Six Majors each had their own broadcast television stations and streaming media network platforms — this was where they were awesome.

Domestic film and television companies — who has their own television station? It's something you wouldn't even dare imagine.

They don't even have streaming media platforms.

This was also why, in terms of scale, domestic film and television companies couldn't compete — if they could have their own television stations, the channels would be even broader.

The interview studio was very simple, with a Gravity promotional poster as the backdrop.

The interview hadn't started yet; staff were setting up equipment, when a brown-skinned woman communicated briefly with Liu Tianxian and handed her a piece of paper.

This should be the script — which questions could be asked and which couldn't, made clear and circled in advance.

When the time came, the host would avoid the corresponding topics.

Liu Tianxian wore a blue suit, high heels on her feet, looking tall and dashing.

She looked at the script and asked: "Can this be asked? Family."

"No, our goal is to promote the movie, let people get to know you, understand you, and thereby like you — no need to bring family in." Fang Hong glanced at the script; it was all in English.

"Oh!" Liu Tianxian crossed out the "family" topic, then asked: "What about the other topics? Nationality, thoughts, things like that."

"You decide that yourself — if you want to answer, answer; if you don't, cross it out." Fang Hong didn't care.

Anyway, they weren't asking him; if they asked him, he could pretend he didn't understand.

Liu Tianxian tilted her head and thought for a moment, then left it in — in a foreign land, such questions were unavoidable.

Even if they didn't ask now, other reporters would ask when they went out. After circling them, she communicated briefly with the host, and they prepared to begin.

The interview setting was very simple — three chairs were placed facing each other next to the Gravity promotional poster.

Fang Hong and Liu Tianxian sat on one side, the host opposite, and that was how the interview went.

They had to wait for the equipment on the side, that is, the lateral cameras, to be set up, and also for the equipment above to be set up — there were several cameras here, perfect for switching between close-ups from front, back, left, and right.

Once everything was ready, the director signaled they could begin, and the cameras were turned on accordingly.

The host glanced at the script, handed it to the Assistant, and began asking: "According to the latest news, Gravity's box office has already broken through thirty million USD — do you have an expected box office in mind?"

"Of course the more the better!" Liu Tianxian said with a smile.

"Chinese-language films have a very hard time getting high box office in North America — did you ever think about it flopping here?" the host asked. "We thought about it, we all thought about it. Before coming to the United States, Fang Hong already said this movie was made for global audiences — whether global audiences accept it or not, like watching it or not, we gave it our greatest effort. Having given our effort, we won't regret it." Liu Tianxian's English was very pleasant to hear, both gentle and swoon-worthy.

Actually Fang Hong had never said that — it was just to make money, and to push Liu Tianxian along the way — but she could put it nicely; making money sounded so tacky!

Fang Hong listened beside her, and didn't understand, but if they asked him something, Liu Tianxian would signal him to answer.

"What kind of central theme do you hope the audience can get from the movie Gravity?" the host asked.

This question was a bit profound; Liu Tianxian thought for a moment before saying: "Mm, respect for life — it's like the self within, no matter what difficulties or setbacks you encounter, don't give up, understand what you're persisting in, and strive for it; and unconditional love for family — loving while also being loved."

She spoke at a slightly slow pace, thinking as she spoke.

"May I call you a husband-and-wife team?" the host asked.

Liu Tianxian nodded gently and didn't speak.

"Then for a husband-and-wife team like yours collaborating on a film, what is it like for you to act in his movie?" the host asked.

"Our relationship is very special — he's not just my dear, that's too simple. He's also my role model, my teacher, and the object of my admiration. We often discuss acting, filming, movie plots and things like that together.

He's taught me a lot, not just about work, but also about life. We often exchange some very deep topics, like life ideals and such.

Of course sometimes he's also very funny, makes me laugh — whether on set or in life, it's like this."

Liu Tianxian's smile was very warm when answering this question.

From the start, this man had been teaching her how to film, how to act, how to ease the bitterness in her heart — you could say this man had supported her all the way here.

She was grateful for this, and held gratitude in her heart, and he was still supporting her even now.

"What about the Principal? What are you to Liu Tianxian?" the host turned her gaze to Fang Hong.

Liu Tianxian tilted her body and whispered a few words in Fang Hong's ear.

"Honestly, she's a rare, good actress. She respects her own profession, has a kind of reverence for it, and doesn't have so many other ideas. What I mean by 'doesn't have so many other ideas' is — once she chose the path of being an actress, she just tries her best to do it well. She doesn't think about anything else, just does this one thing well.

Unlike other stars who flit here and there — this one wants to invest and be a boss, that one wants to invest and open a hotpot restaurant — she only wants to be a good actress.

So working with her is very relaxed for me, whether it was 'Bad Genius' before, or 'Gravity' now — both very relaxed."

Fang Hong spoke, adjusting his posture. Liu Tianxian translated, her gaze fixed on the man, with a certain tenderness.

He only heard him continue: "And she is a very independent, strong woman, with an indomitable spirit. No matter what difficulties she meets, she can take them calmly, and never does things that hurt others.

This is something I really admire about her, and I've always been learning from that spirit of hers. But unfortunately, I just can't learn it."

He, on the other hand, can't help wanting to take someone out at the slightest provocation, flies into a rage at the drop of a hat, and wants to show off while he's at it — nowhere near as composed as Liu Tianxian in handling things.

"Hehehe!" Both of them laughed.

"The Principal has a very high opinion of her. Is that why you fell in love with her?" the host asked.

"Yes!" That was the only word from Fang Hong.

That topic ended. All three paused for a moment. Liu Tianxian took a deep breath, as if moved in her heart, trying to relax herself as much as possible.

"In recent years, we've noticed that you often have works released in North America, or have very high view counts on streaming platforms. Among the representative works are 'Bad Genius,' 'Lucy 1,' and now 'Gravity.' Which of these films is your favorite?" the host asked Liu Tianxian.

No more asking Fang Hong — translating is too much trouble.

'Bad Genius' was taken by Universal and released in the United States, but the box office was poor so it was pulled. However, after the big cheating scandal broke out last year, it blew up once on overseas streaming platforms — the buzz was very high.

Only then did people discover that this film was actually so good to watch, and there was even a company that bought the rights to make an American version.

"I've watched all three of these films, as an ordinary audience member. And these three films were released the year before last, last year, and this year respectively. Honestly, I think they're quite powerful, easy to sit through, not like sitting on a bed of needles. In all fairness, I didn't disgrace myself." Liu Tianxian loosened up, crossing her legs, chatting freely.

Like this, she looked quite the big woman, and very cool too.

"If you were to re-act in these three films, do you think you'd act better than before?" the host asked.

"If you asked me to go re-act them now, I wouldn't dare say I'd act better than before, because a performance cannot be replicated. Even if you re-shoot a take on set, you can't act it exactly the same as the previous take."

Liu Tianxian went on: "I especially like waiting. I don't really understand why some people feel that waiting is a very painful thing. I feel waiting is very happy. While waiting, you can keep doing your homework — the scenes before and after the character."

"When do you feel it's very painful?" the host asked, taking the cue.

"My most difficult time — for quite a long stretch, I hadn't read many books, and many things I couldn't figure out. But once you figure it out, you'll discover that it's not just you who's in pain — actually, many people are in pain.

You're just inside your own field of vision, inside your own experience, so you feel that you're very painful, and so you can't sense other people's pain. Actually, other people are in more pain than me."

Liu Tianxian tilted her body, placed her hand on Fang Hong's leg, and said again: "Fang Hong likes to read some history books, and he often tells me about some figures. For example, the one who wrote 'Records of the Grand Historian' — he was in great pain too. He wrote 'Records of the Grand Historian' and got castrated by someone.

And Han Xin — he helped Emperor Gaozu of Han conquer the realm, and then was killed. You think they weren't in pain? Jesus was nailed to the cross, Giordano Bruno was burned to death — they were all in great pain. Compared to them, I feel I'm already very happy."

(End of chapter)