Chapter 273: Inviting Qianyi

On the first day of work, everyone at Heavenly Film was busy. In fact, during the holidays, many of them kept an eye on the film matters, coordinating with the crew whenever necessary. Today is the day of the movie premiere, and it serves as the first test of everyone’s efforts over the past few months. The results will not only affect whether the company can successfully enter the film industry but also influence the group’s confidence in the company’s development.

During a simple meeting, they shared that they had tried their best to recommend the film to friends and promote it via their personal accounts during the holidays. Although the impact was limited, it was still a sign of their enthusiasm.

Li Yan instructed everyone to focus on assisting Qiao Pan with any promotional preparations today, with all efforts directed toward tonight’s premiere.

Due to limited promotional funds, even though numerous celebrities were involved in the film, it wasn’t promoted like a major blockbuster, gathering stars to meet the media city after city. Apart from the opening ceremony, tonight’s premiere in S City is the only occasion to gather all the main creators. Therefore, tonight’s premiere and media reception are crucial.

After the meeting, Li Yan called Jiang Xueyin to the office, asking her to arrange a dozen tickets for the premiere. Though it is termed as the evening premiere, the film copies have already been distributed to major cities nationwide, and many places have started screening it during the day. As long as the distribution plan isn’t seriously disrupted, film companies generally don’t mind. Even if disrupted, it usually goes unresolved; they can claim it’s an early screening to understand market effects and determine cinema scheduling. Who would dare offend them?

As for the premiere tickets, the attraction lies in meeting celebrities. He could have asked Qiao Pan, who’s in charge of contacting cinemas, but knowing how busy he already is, Li Yan didn’t want to cause him further inconvenience for personal reasons.

Having arranged everything, Li Yan didn’t rush to help personally. As a representative of the major investors, he is considered an important figure expected to appear at the key moments tonight. He certainly shouldn’t be running errands for cinemas or stars.

However, he is highly concerned about the film’s performance, as it’s the first time he has invested significant time and energy into a project besides more sinister tasks. He hopes to see good results.

Now that major cinemas in first-tier cities allow online ticket booking and seat selection, ticketing data from cinemas can also be promptly updated online. Thus, it’s possible to check sales data from theaters online, providing reference points for ticket sales, occupancy rates, and other box office-related metrics.

Film schedules have a span; it’s not always the case that the New Year slots mean New Year’s releases. For example, the year’s largest festive slot starts from early December, peaking during the weekends in late December for Christmas, and reaching the last peak during New Year holidays before entering a calm period. If no strong films emerge afterward, box office capacity drops significantly, picking up again two weeks before the New Year when schools start their winter breaks, thus kicking off the New Year’s slot, which ends about a week after the New Year.

Watching movies in China is a fashionable leisure activity, seen as a relatively high expenditure. Thus, the slots developed, similar to those in Celestial Continent, involve a strong festive slot from Christmas to New Year, contested by major releases, with only a longer summer slot comparable. The New Year, involving significant population movement and familial visits, has a smaller capacity than the festive slot.

In the morning, Li Yan observed the scheduling across various cinemas in different cities, which appeared very promising. Not only was it ranked first among the new screenings these days, but it also led in all film screenings. Because major films in the New Year’s slot typically had schedules extending over two weeks, their main appeal has largely been exhausted. Now, even though schools haven’t resumed, most adults have returned to work, entering a calmer post-New Year slot. At this time, "Springtime Leaked," with many stars involved, doesn’t feel like a mid-sized budget film to regular folks, standing out among the shorter ones, naturally gaining more opportunities.

However, the presale situation isn’t very promising, with an occupancy rate of only about twenty percent. Although daytime performance at this time typically yields such results, it isn’t very encouraging for the investors expecting a box office boom.

Li Yan’s understanding in this regard is lesser than Qiao Pan’s, so he made a call to inquire about what this trend signifies.

After hearing Li Yan’s words, Qiao Pan wasn’t too worried and laughed, saying, "Don’t worry, our official premiere is tonight. Although many cinemas began early screenings during the day, the focus remains on the prime time tonight. Moreover, it’s just after the cake-snatching peak; we might not score high, but others are even lower. We aren’t seeking an overflow this week; as long as our occupancy is higher than other films, our schedule will remain steady. By enduring this week, the period around next week’s Valentine’s Day will be our major harvest focus."

No need for the best, just better than others will suffice!

This attitude, somewhat unambitious, doesn’t aim high yet undeniably acknowledges reality as it is. In the Olympics, one doesn’t need to break records every time; merely outperforming competitors can win the gold. Winning film awards doesn’t require extraordinary performance, just surpassing others selected in that year suffices. Cinemas are equally pragmatic; if your film sells better than others, more slots will be arranged for you, otherwise, they’ll reduce them immediately.