Chapter 9: Release

The budget was 4 million, and it was really budgeted about the same.

Lin Nan took the film back to school for editing and post-production. It was stupid not to take advantage of the cheap.

The school was also very generous. After all, 80% of this film was students from the school. Who would support it if they didn't?

Because the advantage of this film lay in the setting and plot, and the cost was low, the post-production was also simple.

Unlike those big-production commercial films or films with special effects, where post-production had to be calculated in years.

A group of seniors patted their chests with a thud, guaranteeing it would be done before the middle of the month.

Looking at their chicken-blood appearance, Lin Nan knew they would definitely work overtime. After all, the film was like their own child, and everyone was full of enthusiasm at this time.

The censorship and release permit matters were all handled by Shanghai Film. It shouldn't be a problem. The sample film and the final finished film were absolutely consistent according to the plan, and the censorship was only content censorship.

What needed to be considered next was when to release it.

At the end of last month, when Lin Nan and the others were filming, the domestic film and television circle had big moves. *Hero* was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.

The country was boiling, and the man behind Director Zhang once shouted the bold words: If *Hero* doesn't win, who will?

Finally, it lost to the German film *Nowhere in Africa*. For a time, public opinion turned the wind again.

Fortunately, it won the Golden Bauhinia Award two days later.

Heard that these two days were participating in the Hong Kong Film Awards over there. If there were no accidents, the main big awards would all be *Infernal Affairs*.

The purpose of their Golden Statue Awards was the same as the American Golden Statue Awards, only serving their own people. At least the one across the ocean had a Best Foreign Language Film award to compete for.

And the Golden Statue Awards here, the vision was high to the sky, and it would run more and more off track in the future.

Lin Nan looked at the account. 4 million could be said to be spent on the blade. The remuneration of school classmates and the remuneration of seniors in other departments were all settled.

Plus the rental cost of equipment, the cost of filming, Lin Nan couldn't afford film, so he rented digital cameras.

Calculating bit by bit, there were still more than 80,000 left. Lin Nan planned to give them bonuses after the post-production was done, and if there was still a little left, then eat.

Shanghai Film and Lin Nan finally determined the time for the completion of post-production. He guaranteed it would be done before the middle of the month.

And the result of Shanghai Film's action was that censorship and permits were perfectly solved. It was said to be post-production, but it was just repairing and mending.

Finally, speaking of the release time, Shanghai Film wanted to put it in the second half of the year, but Lin Nan refused.

He didn't want to seek death. Behind were *Cell Phone* and *Infernal Affairs*. That would be dead to what extent.

Lin Nan wanted the first half of the year. If it was the second half, he could accept early August at the latest, because *Infernal Affairs* was introduced and released in early September, and *Cell Phone* in December.

Finally, after a back-and-forth, since it was the first half of the year, then May 1st. It happened to have Labor Day.

Lin Nan accepted it decisively. This was 2003, and Labor Day was a seven-day holiday.

After setting the time, Lin Nan had to go see those seniors responsible for post-production. Was it too reckless to set the release date like this?

If there was a problem, did he really take the sample film to show?

When Lin Nan arrived, they gave good news: it was already finished.

Calming his apprehensive heart, Lin Nan contacted Shanghai Film and came to see the final finished film.

"The plot is completely consistent, the color and sound are more perfect, and some continuity errors are also well modified..."

Shanghai Film took away the final finished film.

"Brothers, it will be released on May 1st. It took a month to finish filming. It's time to witness our achievements. Remember to call more people to the cinema."

Lin Nan let everyone mobilize the surrounding groups, and everyone accepted happily.

Many classmates supported, but there were still most who sneered.

"A group of kids who haven't left school can film what kind of film? The box office will definitely flop."

Most people just watched the fun, and only a few participated in the crew in school.

Facing the angry Zhu Yawen and others, Lin Nan could only persuade them to be calm and not get angry. "I invested 1.8 million, and I'm not angry."

On the 24th, Liu Yifei returned to school. "I signed a new play, adapted from a game, and will join the crew at the end of the year."

Lin Nan knew it was *Chinese Paladin*.

"Why didn't you tell me when you filmed the movie?" Liu Yifei was very fierce, staring at Lin Nan.

The fierce appearance was good-looking, and the glasses were big.

"Your mother said you had arrangements," Lin Nan didn't lie.

When he contacted her, it was Liu's mother who answered the phone. The original words meant this, and she wished Lin Nan all the best, very polite.

"Ah, my mom didn't tell me," Liu Yifei instantly had an annoyed expression.

Lin Nan didn't speak, just looked at the girl, very comfortable.

Maybe in Liu's mother's eyes, these classmates of her daughter probably didn't have much of a future, including Lin Nan, this poor boy from the Northwest.

Time came to the end of April, and some newspapers and media began to report on this Film Academy student crew. Shanghai Film contacted them.

For the first time, Lin Nan and others accepted interviews, including his participation in Li Yang's *Blind Shaft*. These were all materials for promotion.

He hung the name of director, screenwriter, and producer. This news was reported, and he was ridiculed by many people.

"The world is going downhill..."

"Everyone is a director, whether human or ghost."

"Lin, don't take those words to heart," Zhu Yawen comforted Lin Nan, who didn't take it to heart.

Afterwards, Lin Nan went to find his class teacher.

"You want to change majors?"

Teacher Zhou had a ghost-seeing expression, looking at her student, and confirmed it again.

"Yes, Teacher," Lin Nan affirmed.

The school had this regulation, provided that Lin Nan met the conditions above, and he had to apply himself.

Academic assessment, transfer department assessment, and proving that he was indeed more suitable for the transfer department.

It was certain that it wasn't agreed. Lin Nan left, waiting for the film to be released before talking about this problem.

Zhu Yawen didn't know where he got the mp3, wearing headphones.

Zhang Mu took one, it was Jay Chou's *Milan Blacksmith*.

"You bought it?"

"Right, you gave the pay, I bought this and a new phone that day."

This answer was impeccable.

Farewell My Concubine was playing in the screening room. Pity Cheng Dieyi, he couldn't think straight and left at the beginning of the month.

It had to be said that this film was really well filmed. Director Chen started to go downhill from here.

Before watching the film, students were required to learn the acting skills of the actors in it and substitute themselves.

Lin Nan began to try to watch the film from the director's perspective. The teacher didn't agree to transfer majors, asking him to consider it again, but it didn't prevent Lin Nan from self-studying first.

The next day, Lin Nan went to the director department to audit the big class.

Although it was conspicuous to have one more person, no one cared.

On the day before May 1st, Li Yang called Lin Nan, asking if he was nervous. *Blind Shaft* was completely hopeless for release and was beaten to death with a stick.

On May 1st, Lin Nan and a few classmates went to the cinema. Shanghai Film's promotion was very attentive, with many posters and big gimmicks.

In the early 2000s, film promotion had nothing to do with the Internet, and promotion relied entirely on ground pushing.

President Yu, who came from the Beijing Film Studio, founded the first private distribution company.

But Shanghai Film handled the distribution and promotion entirely by itself, and didn't touch any department or company here at all.

Sitting in the cinema, everyone's mood was apprehensive.

"This is my first time filming a movie, and it's the heroine," Zhou Yang drank cola and burped.

"Who isn't?"

Zhu Yawen inserted a sentence.

"I'm not," Lin Nan said silently.

There were quite a few people in this screening hall, sitting two-thirds.

Thanks to the small number of films now, there was no explosive output like later. Lin Nan felt it should be profitable. As for how much, it depended on God's will.

This film was 4 million, which was a simple room. If it was later, it might be a tour of the cinema for a week, a cold slot.

At two o'clock on the 2nd, the classic Nokia ringtone woke Lin Nan.

"Hello, you said... how much?"

Lin Nan said weakly, perfunctorily turned off the phone, too sleepy.

Early in the morning, the dorm door was knocked with a bang. "Lin, open the door."

Rubbing his eyes and yawning, Lin Nan started to put on clothes. "It's a holiday, and you don't let people rest. What are you doing?"

"Box office, box office," Zhu Yawen shouted loudly outside. Fortunately, it was a holiday, and everyone had gone back. It was like Lin Nan was alone in the dorm.

"Box office? Oh my, where's my phone?"

Opening the door, Zhu Yawen rushed in impatiently.

Lin Nan was turning on the phone. He couldn't remember how much it was in the call last night.

"1.85 million on the first day," Zhu Yawen jumped up and down, more excited than Lin Nan.

Sure enough, a series of missed calls.

In the blink of an eye, another one came in. "Hello, who is this?"

"President Ren? Shanghai Film? Oh oh oh, hello, I'm Lin Nan, I'm Lin Nan..."

After answering the phone, Lin Nan sat there. Such a big shot calling himself, it didn't feel real at all.

"Lin, heard it? Calling you," Zhu Yawen pushed Lin Nan.

"I'm not crazy, and it's nothing, just 1.85 million."

"You're amazing, you've started to pretend," Zhu Yawen sat on the bunk opposite Lin Nan, crossing his legs, and giving a thumbs up from time to time. "Calm enough."

"Go, go out to eat, I'll treat, and see who is still in school, call them all."

Lin Nan slapped his thigh and made a decision. It was time to reward them. Last time he gave bonuses to the seniors who made post-production, and there were 20,000 left, which counted as his bonus.

Although it was May 1st, most of these people in the crew were there, just watching the results. Before joining the crew, they were also assistants and helpers. This time the meaning was different; it was a real knife and real gun they did themselves.

May 1st long holiday, everyone had a very exciting time. Lin Nan received calls from Shanghai Film every day, and the data was updated daily.

Seniors or classmates at school would also pay attention to the box office or ask Lin Nan directly.

Since handling the phone card, the calls received before May 1st didn't add up to as many as the 1st and 2nd.

His old class teacher's phone, other teachers' phones, school leaders' phones, director department, photography department teachers' phones, they all had students participating in the film shooting.

For teachers and leaders, this was teaching achievement, which could be written into reports.

For students, this was a bright resume. Anyone with a normal brain could see that the box office of this film could definitely be higher.

Seven-day long holiday, the box office reached over 15 million, and it was expected that starting from the 8th, the box office would plummet. ===== CHAPTER 10 =====