Reporter | Jiang Yunan
Edit the | Li fang
Zhang Xiaobei is used to arranging this week's work on Monday. Fans, critics, directors, screenwriters, trailer studio heads... With a diverse identity in the film industry, he has always been busy.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic, the workload has been significantly reduced. The Battlestar Galactica studio he co-founded has not had a smooth life in three years: demand for trailers has plummeted, production project financing has not gone well, the company has moved to a new location in half, and staff salaries have been adjusted... The difficulty of the movie in the past three years has been embodied in Battlestar Galactica.
In the past, Zhang Xiaobei was a witness to the booming film industry.
Between 2000 and 2019, the national box office rose from 850 million to 64 billion. During this period, Zhang Xiaobei was first active in the film industry as a film fan and film critic. He participated in the planning of the CCTV program "Screening Room 10", each episode is 90 minutes of popular science film knowledge; The podcast "Weekly Film Review" was founded with the slogan "We love to watch movies, we only tell the truth".
Subsequently, Zhang Xiaobei retreated to the background to create, and the intersection with the film industry deepened. He is the screenwriter of the movie "The Adventures of Li Xianji" and also directed the science fiction film "Star Pioneer". The latter has not yet been released, but Zhang Xiaobei's Weibo always has fans urging him to change, looking forward to the finalization of the film.
Now, Zhang Xiaobei is a first-hand witness of the impact of the film and television winter and the epidemic.
From 2020 to 2022, the tide of capital receded, theaters were closed from time to time due to the epidemic, and the total box office of movies in the country regressed significantly. Zhang Xiaobei pulled business for the company, found investment for projects, and let the company try new formats such as short videos to survive in the trough.
Today, Zhang Xiaobei is still active on public platforms such as Zhihu: movies, science fiction and other professional content are at hand, and he is also interested in digital technology. The main business and hobbies converge on the keyboard: Zhang Xiaobei prides himself as a "boring straight man", and talks about the axis, layout and cost performance of the mechanical keyboard from the perspective of a writer.
His office layout also corresponds to the online image: books, such as movies, science fiction, and history, are lined up on the shelves, and there are at least three various field boards; The laptop is connected to a 27-inch screen, with a screen hanging light, a mechanical keyboard at the hem, and a simple and clean desk.
If conditions permit, Zhang Xiaobei will still find time to go to the office to deal with business. The ups and downs of this Battlestar Galactica studio mirror his mental trajectory from 2020 to 2022.
Grit your teeth, grit your teeth again
Founded in 2010, Battlestar Galactica mainly provides trailers, production specials and other promotional materials for films. Talking about the original intention of setting up a trailer studio many years ago, Zhang Xiaobei once said that trailers are an important part of the mature film industry, "which is what Chinese films need in the future."
Now, there are two space fortresses on the Gaode map, and the new site and the old site are less than 3 kilometers apart.
The new site is located in the film and television park outside Beijing's East Fourth Ring Road, and maps show that it takes more than 20 minutes to walk from the nearest subway station, with a walled open space to the west and a north-south railway to the east. The exterior walls of the standard factory buildings in the park are painted a flamboyant mustard yellow, which is incompatible with the surrounding solemn environment.
However, the interior of the space fortress is neither ostentatious nor solemn. 700 square meters, one floor, calm and restrained black constitutes the core color of the space fortress. Small cinema, water bar, pool table, etc. are all available. A minute ago, employees were busy in their own private offices; A minute later, everyone gathered in the public area with water cups, chatting about popular horror movies.
Zhang Xiaobei still has a photo of the company's old site in his hand. 1400 square meters, three floors, minimalist cool black and bright light intertwined, as if in the junction of the present and the future.
The first decade of Battlestar Galactica was a decade of rapid development of the mainland film market. From 2010 to 2019, the mainland's total annual box office soared from 10.2 billion to 64.1 billion. During this period, Battlestar Galactica has cooperated with many well-known theater films such as "The Wandering Earth", "Detective Chinatown", "Memory Master", "Dragon Hunt", "Flying Life", "Journey to the West: The Return of the Great Sage" and so on.
At the end of 2019, Zhang Xiaobei reviewed the operation status of the space fortress. In 2019, because the film industry was affected by the tax turmoil, it has begun to show a downward trend. At that time, the company lost a slight loss and expects to turn a profit in 2020.
However, the pandemic disrupted all plans.
In February 2020, cinemas nationwide were temporarily closed due to the epidemic. Without a cinema opening, there will be no theatrical film release, and naturally there will be no demand for trailer production. From February to September, the Battlestar Galactica did not start construction for seven months.
However, Zhang Xiaobei was still optimistic at that time, and got up every day to read books, write and watch films. He judged that the epidemic was a black swan event, and there was not much problem with the film industry itself, but the development was temporarily interrupted and could be restored in 2021 at the latest. If the core team is damaged for the sake of an emergency, the gains outweigh the losses, "gritting your teeth can pass".
"The challenge this year is to survive. And then don't lose personnel. If there is a loss of personnel, it will be difficult for you to recruit again. In June 2020, during the gap of "normal busy work", he told Interface Entertainment. In 2020, Battlestar Galactica still maintained its pre-pandemic scale without layoffs.
This judgment turned out to be correct. After the resumption of theaters in 2020, films such as "Yaoh", "My Hometown and Me" and "Jiang Ziya" have successively made efforts, with a total box office of 20.3 billion in 2020. Although less than a third of 2019, the film industry, which has been hit by the epidemic, has survived.
The market recovery will not happen overnight. According to the "2021 Annual Report on China's Film Market" released by Lighthouse Research Institute, a total of 611 films were released in 2019, with an annual box office of 64.15 billion and an average box office of 98 million for a single film; 697 films were released in 2021, with an annual box office of 47.26 billion and an average box office of 68 million for a single film, of which there are still many backlog items.
Income decreased, and the film side tightened his wallet. The trailer relies on the development of the industry, and the demand is also reduced accordingly. Battlestar Galactica's trailer business is far from recovering to its pre-pandemic level: Battlestar Galactica's business volume in 2021 is down 50% compared to 2019. Fortunately, imported films such as "Godzilla vs. Kong" and "Dune" brought new orders, and the company survived.
The epidemic is still repeated, and theaters are closing one after another. But Zhang Xiaobei still has expectations for the film market. In 2020 and 2021, he made two online movies with stitches. He believes that the overall state of the film industry is improving, and "gritting his teeth" can persist.
But this time the company needs to cut costs. At the beginning of 2022, Battlestar Galactica moved to a new location. At this time, the company also welcomed a new friend: the Spider-Man model in the 2021 global box office champion "Spider-Man: Homeless". Zhang Xiaobei introduced that the Spider-Man originally planned to create momentum in theaters, but the movie was not finally released in mainland theaters, and it happened that he was going to put it in the position of the company's entrance.
Zhang Xiaobei calculated that if the market continues to recover according to the rhythm of 2021, the space fortress after saving rent will definitely be profitable. But the pandemic in mid-March repeatedly broke plans again.
The operating rate of theaters nationwide fell below 60%, domestic films were withdrawn, the Qingming file, May 1st file and Dragon Boat file were empty, and the monthly box office went back ten years ago. The industry pressed the pause button again, and film and television materials were not spared. Compared to 2021, the volume of Battlestar Galactica trailer business has declined again.
"This time it's really 'reliable'."
Anxiety? "Let's eat first"
June and July 2022 are the most anxious times for Zhang Xiaobei.
At that time, the epidemic was repeatedly nearing its end, but the film shortage had not yet passed. Without a movie set, there is no need for materials. Upstream demand contraction brings price wars. Zhang Xiaobei thought about reducing the price, but "you give 7 discounts, 6 discounts, 5 discounts, others say that I will do it if you give money", and in the end, the lower price wins.
The trailer business volume has plummeted, and Battlestar Galactica began to ponder taking orders for short videos: at the beginning of the outbreak of the epidemic, this was once a fragrant food in the eyes of many film and television people. The company did receive orders from Douyin, starting from 200 at every turn, but according to the unit price of 150 yuan / piece, the income of a single order is only 30,000, which is far from enough to support the company's operations.
Business did not go well, and Battlestar Galactica entered a difficult window of time. Zhang Xiaobei did not deny that he was in a bad state, and corrected that he was "manic" rather than "impetuous", more precisely, "mean with a little anxiety". Asked about Battlestar Galactica's movements at the time, his answer was succinct: "Wait for death." ”
On the other side, the film market is slowly climbing.
"Jurassic World 3", "Life Events" and "Alone on the Moon" were relayed, driving the market to pick up. On August 13, the total box office of the summer season reached 7.382 billion, officially exceeding the previous year's summer file. This is one of the few positive news for the film industry in 2022, and in the same period of 2019 (June 1 to August 13) the figure was 14,448 million.
At the beginning of August, Zhang Xiaobei's anxiety suddenly disappeared. He did not explain what specific things or words made him let go of his uneasiness, only sent a meme: a cat man staring at the wise beanie eyes, holding chopsticks, and a table of delicacies in front of him, with the text "This is the end of the matter, let's eat first."
Also in August, Zhang Xiaobei began to get busy.
His project "Blood and Bone" was shortlisted for the final judging of the 12th Beijing International Film Festival. The script of the project has been written since the end of 2018, and it is a rare women's fighting theme in China, telling the duel between a single mother who has been imprisoned and a champion who has been victimized by her native family in an octagonal cage.
At the roadshow scene, Zhang Xiaobei partnered with screenwriter Jia Xi. Jia Xi tells stories and rationalizes plots, and Zhang Xiaobei talks about business and planning. Plot ups and downs, estimated costs, cast, audience sentiment, market expectations, etc. are included in the 10-minute project presentation.
After the presentation, the chairman of the judges, Er Dongsheng, pointed out the improvement space of the script and suggested the cost, but he expressed more confusion because of his sharp words. Generally speaking, the projects that come to venture capital are "old, big, and difficult", and venture capital is mostly a display platform for young directors.
But in the judges' opinion, the director in front of him is not like a novice: Zhang Xiaobei "knows very well what the investors present want", and "Blood and Bone" is "a scene that can definitely be filmed". In the end, a thousand words converged into a question: "You don't need to come to venture capital, why should you come?" ”
"We came to the venture capital to be seen. The biggest problem facing new directors is not looking down on you, but not seeing you. We want to take every opportunity and be seen. He spoke earnestly.
When the words fell, there was a round of applause at the scene.
Zhang Xiaobei is not the only "old man" looking for money. He noticed that more and more mature projects were starting to appear in the venture capital of major film festivals. The script and director are relatively mature, the cost is controlled between 10 million and 30 million, and such projects have not worried about investment in the past. But this year, creators ran two or three ventures with projects, looking everywhere for money.
The honor went elsewhere, but "Blood and Bone" was seen. After the roadshow, two well-known film companies in the industry came to the door and expressed their interest in the project. However, the two companies unanimously said that the offer given at the venture capital conference was too high and hoped to reduce it.
Zhang Xiaobei has long predicted this, "film companies have no money now." Therefore, he seems exceptionally calm and calm. At present, he has made one theatrical movie and two online movies, and "has a preliminary understanding and confidence in making movies." This confidence is reflected in cost control and the perception of finished films, "Give me as much money now as I want to make a film I want, but it depends on the budget." ”
So what do investors want? "Invest in nothing but the main theme," Zhang Xiaobei replied immediately, but he hesitated and quickly changed his words, "Investors don't know what to invest in." ”
However, there is also creation
After the Beijing Film Festival venture capital roadshow, Zhang Xiaobei and his teammates walked out of the venue, temporarily liberated from the busy film festival schedule. Under the blue sky of Huairou, the mania of two months ago has disappeared. Zhang Xiaobei was extremely calm: "Making movies is like this, and all of a sudden, things 'boom' come." ”
Now Battlestar Galactica has also escaped the empty window and is "doing everything it can". The trailer business continues to be maintained, and the company's employees are busy with the trailer of a domestic movie for the 2023 Spring Festival, but the construction period has been shortened from the past three months to the current month.
The imported films that saved the scene in 2021 may not add much to the trailer business of Battlestar Galactica in the last two months of 2022. Spider-Man's "colleagues" "Black Panther 2" and "Opposite Home" "Black Adam" at the door of the company have not yet appeared on the upcoming film list in November and December.
The short video business has been trying for half a year, but the company has found that this hot industry is not profitable. Zhang Xiaobei explained that at the moment when advertising is sluggish, the short video business that sells traffic is no longer as brilliant as it was then.
Looking back on the past three years, Zhang Xiaobei is most certain of the uncertainty of the future: "I don't think about next year anymore, I just want next week and next month." Of course, not all instinct, but now everything must be prepared mentally: the future we plan may not be realized, it will be broken at any time. ”
The blood loss in the film industry continues, and the method has changed from "withdrawing" in the first half of the year to "unfixed", "limit fixed" and "extreme withdrawal" in the second half of the year. In October 2022, only 5 cinemas were released online, with a monthly box office of 2.1 billion, the worst since 2014. However, seven years ago, the box office of 4.2 billion yuan a month only needed to support 30,000 screens and the practitioners behind them; Now, the monthly box office of 2.1 billion has to support 80,000 screens across the country, as well as the huge number of employees behind it.
The industry is difficult, the market is turbulent, and Zhang Xiaobei's mentality is constantly changing with the ups and downs. When it comes to movies like 2020 and 2021, he gritted his teeth. When there were no movies in the first half of 2022, he fell into a mania. When he was busy with movies in the second half of 2022, he got rid of anxiety again.
Despite the ups and downs of emotions in the past three years, Zhang Xiaobei never thought of leaving the industry.
After more than 20 years in the film industry, he can find reasons to remain optimistic: the industry has peaks and troughs, and he has witnessed good times for the rapid development of the film industry, and he has also witnessed the bad times when the national box office was only 850 million in 2000, "but now it's bad times again."
It is also because of more than 20 years of experience, contacts and resources are in the film industry. "What else can I do without making movies?"
In the end, what made Zhang Xiaobei stick to the film industry was the desire to create.
Even in the most manic times, he divides the seven days of the week into three parts: three days for business, three days for creation, and one day for rest. From time to time, he also goes to the gym to try to stay "sunny and hopeful."
He does not shy away from the rational consideration behind it: the cost of project development is controllable and apportionable. The script is written by myself, only to pay the creator's time cost and economic costs, "even if I don't make money, I don't pay in front."
But perhaps more important is to return to the original point and ask the original intention. "Why do we make movies? It's because we love content. For better or worse, as long as we can hold on, we will continue to persevere. ”
The development and production business of Battlestar Galactica continues to advance. Since the beginning of the year, Zhang Xiaobei has knocked out a total of four scripts, both for his own reserves and for others; Genres range from sci-fi to sports to action, adventure or romance. At present, he has two new scripts in writing and two scripts in the process of being revised. When I met a friend who asked me to help read the script, he also took a bite.
He decided to buy himself a new mechanical keyboard for every money-making script he wrote.
"I just focused on telling the story, focusing on writing the script. After writing the script, I couldn't shoot, so I wrote a novel. I'm a storyteller anyway. Zhang Xiaobei is sure that he will continue to look for good stories that truly reflect the spirit of this era, shoot them in the right way, and try to try to dialogue with this era.
"Stories are needed in any era, right?"