Despite no "official announcements", cinemas in many cities, including Shanghai, have quietly increased the attendance rate of cinemas from 30% to 50% since August 14.
Coinciding with the increase in attendance, "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" returned to the big screen, "Eight Hundred" was screened ahead of schedule, and "Mulan" announced that it would land in Chinese cinemas... A succession of good news announces the return of the cinema.
Some people once optimistically said that after printing, radio, television and the Internet, only the film, which was the earliest medium of content dissemination, still stands firm.
At the beginning of the year, the Spring Festival hit film "囧Mom" was transferred to the Internet, which made director Xu Zheng once fall into verbal criticism; now, "Mulan" will be launched in North America, and it will also be sprayed to the skin. But the sudden outbreak of the epidemic has changed the trajectory of many industries.
Whether you like it or not, in the hearts of many people in the industry, the future of movies, the big screen and the network are likely to go hand in hand.
Resuming work, is the cinema just fine?
With all sorts of doubts, I'm back in the cinema for the first time after more than halfway through 2020.
One
When I watch movies, I usually choose the Poly Expo Park store located in Expo Yuan, which is the first batch of five-star cinemas in Shanghai. Like most cinemas, it is crammed into a corner of the business district, where it is convenient to eat, drink and have fun, and traffic and parking are not worried. Step out of the theater to cross an intersection, 100 meters away is the Huangpu River.
At the height of the national epidemic in February this year, the entire Expo source was closed at night, and there were few people around. Stray dogs from all directions gathered here, and in the night they lay in the middle of the road next to the China Art Palace, and once someone passed, they did not get up, but only brushed and stared at the past figures, barking from far and near - as if these people and cars were uninvited guests who accidentally broke into their homes. Scenes like this always remind me of the clips in "I Am Legend".
The empty city in I Am Legend
Even then, including the cinema, the entire Expo axis was still lit up, and the China Art Palace shone like a torch on the cold cold night. Once I was passing by, and the driver said a sentence that I later wrote in the report: "Let the lights be on, or the city will be too lonely." ”
Light and shadow outline the city, and the film builds dreams for the audience and comforts people's hearts.
Fortunately, as the epidemic was gradually brought under control, Shanghai shopping malls resumed their original business hours; as soon as the temperature passed 20 degrees, more people rode along the river.
It's just that the cinema is still closed. The stray dogs that had previously occupied the surrounding roads had shifted their site to the green belt of the World Expo Exhibition Hall, which was deserted by the sharp decline of the exhibition, and occasionally rushed into the open space in front of the cinema. One night in July, I saw a group of running teenagers surrounding a stray dog standing alone in front of a movie theater: "Say, when is the movie theater going to open?" ”
When the global film and television industry entered the cold winter due to the epidemic, Xu Zheng, who sold the movie "囧Mom" to the premiere of the online platform for 600 million yuan, went from being criticized to being "secretly envied".
Originally scheduled to be released on March 26 in many parts of the world, "Mulan" was announced to be withdrawn just hours after the British premiere, and Disney just announced that it would be released in domestic cinemas
Now, "Mulan", which announced the adjustment of the file just a few hours after the premiere, has also decided to adopt a "theater + network broadcast" model - although this choice has also encountered widespread resistance from North American theaters.
"Enterprises, survival is always the most important. Who wants to warm up in the water? "In the eyes of some people in the industry, the epidemic may have accelerated the arrival of a new era in the industry."
Two
On July 20, the cinema reopened its doors to guests, and the maximum audience was locked at 30%. Even so, quality content remains competitive.
"Interstellar", which was re-released on August 2, reached 140:00 on August, and the re-screening broke 100 million at the box office in just 12 days.
"1917", released on August 7, won 36.86 million at the box office in its first week, becoming the highest-grossing new film in the first week after the theater resumed work.
Someone left a very affectionate comment: "For the audience, '1917' is the best gift to the big screen since the theater resumed. ”
"1917" "One Shot to the End" mode is very suitable for viewing on the big screen
Not all movies can be "beautiful because they have been absent for a long time".
The "Mystery of Arrival" starring the popular xiaosheng Li now premiered on July 31, the box office has just exceeded 25 million so far, the Douban score is only 5.0, and it has been unlocked on the online platform on August 15 - you must know that "Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters", which was released in May last year, has just been launched on the online platform.
The animation film "Mr. Miao", released on the same day, although known as the "sister article" of "The Great Protector", failed to reproduce the latter's reputation, and the Douban score fell from 7.8 to 6.2, and after earning 13.12 million box office, it has also been transferred to the network for paid screening.
However, during this time, the online platform has frequently exploded - in April, Tencent's solo web drama "Dragon Ridge Labyrinth" surpassed the movie "Finding the Dragon" and dominated the "Tomb Robber Universe" with 8.3 points; in June, iQIYI's self-made "Mist Theater" was launched, and nearly 740,000 people in "The Hidden Corner" gave 8.9 points, which attracted attention with the quality of the cinema movie; when "The Mystery of Arrival" was still repeating the cliché of "painful youth", in July, iQIYI's "Twenty Not Confused" opened a new youth story, and Tencent's "Twenty Not Confused" broadcast "Ten Thousand" "Thirty Only" has become a social topic with the record of "18 hot searches a day"...
The volume of 12 episodes and the quality of the cinema movie make "The Hidden Corner" a phenomenon-level pure web drama
Among the 12 film and television-related listed companies that have issued semi-annual reports or semi-annual performance forecasts, 6 have lost money, two have forecast losses, one has a significant decline in profit, one has predicted that its performance will change significantly, and 2 companies have turned losses into profits.
Huace Film and Television, which is thriving, turned the tide with the income of TV dramas, especially the sales revenue of the whole network drama reached 932 million yuan, an increase of 41.63% year-on-year, accounting for more than 80% of the company's total revenue.
Admittedly, it seems unfair to PK the far-reaching online platform of cinemas that are currently in a special period of limited attendance, and highly anticipated movies such as "Win the Championship" and "Detective Chinatown 3" will certainly not choose this schedule, but the advantages of the network have gradually become clear.
At the Shanghai International Film Festival, which just closed not long ago, some people in the industry have relaxed: "The future cinema and the network are likely to be five or five points each." ”
Three
A week before the re-release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, I couldn't book tickets when I swiped my tickets — the Poly Expo Park store was almost full.
At noon on August 12, when I heard that the attendance rate of the cinema had been raised from 30% to 50%, I turned on my mobile phone again and couldn't help but laugh: the ticket purchase page had been displayed as 50% of the status, supporting the rumors - the strong desire to survive in the theater almost spewed out of the mobile phone.
I've seen this Harry Potter opening work no less than 5 times — although the dramatic conflict of this one may not be strong enough, there are many holes to be filled in, and young Hermione reading lines always makes me play; although I am old enough to be fresh about the "wizarding world", I am familiar with the plot and even the lines and the tone of the actors, and I have seen the Blu-ray version in the Million Studio in my friend's basement - but who does not want to re-encounter the initially constructed "wizarding world" worldview on the big screen, relive the suspended candles in the Hogwarts Dome, Floating dust in the fog of the Forbidden Forest?
Who wouldn't want to relive such a scene on the big screen?
This is the charm unique to cinemas.
"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" 18 years ago the cumulative domestic box office of about 56 million, the Maoyan box office showed 14, 15 days, the re-release box office reached 58.616 million yuan.
At the entrance of the cinema, I saw a number of parents with children, all of whom were new guests to the wizarding world.
I think that instead of letting some films that are not four or six occupy the schedule, it is better to release those movies that are particularly suitable for the big screen and re-release them after being remade by the latest technology, and the harvest may not be just "feelings". If Transformers (1 only), The Matrix (all 3) or Avatar were re-released, I would still sit back in theaters and relive these "lost goodies."
Recently, I saw a news that the 1995 Indian Bollywood film "Fight for the Heart" has been screened in Mumbai theaters for 25 years and is still screened today. Such news, romantic, may not be a cost-effective business.
It is said that "Courage to Win hearts" has been screened for many years, and there are still many audiences
Finding the core competitiveness of cinemas is the key to competing with the network.
Four
The Poly Expo Park store that I often visit is a cinema that is very good at "doing things".
"The Avengers" is online, they will put large statues of superheroes in the lobby, and at one point they also set up counters around the area to display movie characters by hand. In the corner of the hall, there are even doll machines and game consoles, massage chairs next to them, and even the table in the waiting area, which are opened as game screens.
Returning to the theater, there is a feeling of both relief and sadness.
The Hulk and Spider-Man were moved to the corner
The Hulk and Spider-Man are moved to the corner, the Minions fall to the ground; the doll machines are lined up without lights; the telephone booth-like single karaoke box is closed, and the nearby self-service shopping counter is lined with cultural and creative products such as tea sets. The food counter was open, and there was only pure water and soda drinks – masks could not be taken off when watching the movie according to regulations, and the water could only be "taken away and drunk".
Epidemic prevention posters and epidemic prevention materials have recently occupied the C position in the cinema
I think of the epidemic, a number of catering companies have stagnated in dine-in and relied on online takeaway to survive the difficulties. It is said that cinemas have thought about taking out popcorn – an idea that is clearly going to fail – and if there is no other choice, who would buy these high-priced and monotonous meals in the cinema?
A bottle of convenience store 4 yuan drink, the movie theater for 10 yuan. As for the only one who eats popcorn, if not no other choice, does anyone really like it that much? I've even seen people sneak a duck's neck into the screening room.
During the epidemic, countless people have strangled the closure of the cinema, but in addition to "waiting", is there any other way for the cinema? Cinemas that have survived this epidemic, when facing the next challenge, what kind of competitiveness can they come up with?
The film is surrounded by cultural creations, which sounds like a good idea. But an "anti-Hulk Iron Man" offered 4,000 yuan, and the audience did not have the heart to spend such a large amount when watching the movie. In fact, for handmade fans, this price is absolutely affordable, but they are more willing to gather in the two-dimensional professional shop or animation game exhibition.
Clip doll machine on the side of the theater
Even the seemingly reasonable doll machines and massage chairs are not necessarily popular – most movie theaters are now in malls, cafes for a cup of coffee or clothing stores to see new models, which are good places to kill the waiting time before the movie starts, and the mobile phone is a universal weapon.
I think that as an audience, the cinema products I like are still derived around movies suitable for cinema.
In the West, the birth of the cinema diverted a large part of the theater audience, and the theater had to carry out various activities around the repertoire, take the initiative to enter the community, do a good job in social media, and cultivate a new generation of audiences. The member activities of many theaters in China are quite frequent, involving creation, appreciation, and exchange of main creative personnel.
Around the movie, what kind of products can the cinema come up with?
I have no doubt that cinemas will eventually reopen completely as the pandemic is brought under control, and there will be a succession of good movies coming into theaters – but change is happening.
I still love cinemas, but only change is the only constant.
Column Editor-in-Chief: Shi Chenlu Text Editor: Jian Gongbo
Source: Author: Jian Gongbo