The difficulties and explorations of the road of transformation
Sohu Entertainment Special Article (Hamai / Text) In the entertainment industry, the transformation of actors into directors is a challenging road. Bao Bell, the actor who was once loved by the audience for his unique comedic style, also decided to embark on this road of no return. Since 2018, director Bao hopes to show the audience a different world of cinema through his own lens. Recently, his new work "The Great "Anti" faction" was released during the Qingming schedule, but it failed to cause the expected response, with a box office of only 33 million yuan, far lower than the industry's general expectations. The sluggish performance of this film undoubtedly raises all kinds of questions about his transformation path.
The bleakness and highlights of the first try
Looking back at Bao Bell's directorial career, his first work "Fat Squad" once achieved good results at the box office, receiving a box office of 261 million yuan, and received a high evaluation of 8.3 points on Maoyan, although the score on Douban is only 4.2 points. This divergent evaluation reflects the wide variation in audience acceptance of comedy films, but it is undeniable that Baumbel showed his potential as a director in his first work.
The brilliance and reflection of peers
Compared to the twists and turns of Bao Bell, the transformation of some other peers has been particularly successful. The likes of Xu Zheng, Wu Jing and Wang Baoqiang not only achieved great success at the box office, but their works were also often praised by audiences and critics. These actors-turned-directors have successfully transformed their understanding of cinema and their personal charisma into a double win at the box office and word of mouth. Their success may have given Bao Bell some inspiration - in the process of transformation, how to better grasp the psychology of the audience and the trend of the market is very crucial.
Cultural Differences and Market Acceptance
Analyzing the repercussions of Bao Bell's works, we have to mention the issues of cultural differences and market acceptance. Although the subject matter of "The Great "Anti" faction is novel and attempts to satirize and criticize social phenomena through black humor, this attempt obviously does not achieve the desired effect. This may be related to the cultural expectations of the target audience, or the film's lack of narrative and pacing control. In contrast, Xu Zheng and Wu Jing's films are closer to the popular taste, and they are able to grasp the emotions of the audience and tell the story in a more direct and effective way.
The "lonely hero" who broke into the screen alone
In the entertainment industry, transformation is not an easy task, especially jumping from the front of the stage to the director behind the scenes. Bao Bell is such a brave cross-border "fighter" who hopes to leave his own unique mark on the screen. The performance of the work "Big "Anti" faction in the Qingming file can be said to be lackluster, and the box office only received a pitiful 33 million yuan, which is far from touching the general expectations of the industry, and it has not even been opened on the main scoring platforms Douban, Maoyan and Taopiaopiao, which shows that this wave of operations has not detonated the enthusiasm of the audience.
Lessons from the past: a mess
Looking back at Bao Bell's previous directorial works, "Fat Squad" and "Sunshine Sisters", although the former scored a good 8.3 points on Maoyan and a box office of 242 million yuan, but because of the production fee of up to 100 million yuan and other publicity expenses, in the end it can only be said that it has earned a box office back, and the profit of real money is still not seen. And "Sunshine Sisters" is a direct loss, with a box office of only 94.97 million yuan, which is really unsustainable. In this way, the future of "The Great "Anti" faction is worrying, and it may only end up with an income of 50 million yuan, which is undoubtedly a disaster for a work with a budget of up to 100 million yuan.
Confusion and persistence on the way to dreaming
Audiences may wonder why Bao Bell insisted on his dream of directing in the face of repeated failures? In fact, as early as 2012, a casual remark from a producer ignited the fire of directing in his heart. "If you can't wait, then do it yourself!" inspired him to stop waiting for others to knock on the door of his destiny, but decided to create his own stage.
The courage to write and direct
Bao Bell's first starring in the costume web drama "Secret Agent" in 2016 was his first step. Although he co-starred with Jia Ling, Wang Ou and others, the most attractive thing is his dual role: director and actor. He said frankly in the interview, "On the day of the start-up, I suddenly realized that I should no longer wait for the dream to come, but should create my own dream." This spirit of self-motivation, despite the difficulties it faces, also shows a kind of perseverance and courage that does not give in.
The next challenge
Even if the current situation is not optimistic, the upcoming comedy "Runaway Family" still gives Bao Bell new hope. As an executive producer and lead actor, he needed to use the opportunity to prove his versatility, especially when it came to choosing scripts and controlling the quality of the film. This will be a great time for him to correct the shortcomings of his predecessor and regain the trust of the audience.
Cultural tribute and plot innovation
Although "Secret Agent" has been criticized as a parody of "The Legend of Deer and Ding", Bao Bell explained that it is just a tribute to his favorite works, and he deliberately makes connections in the character setting, but the story development and character are completely different. He insisted that his creation was far from the classic work "The Legend of Deer and Ding", and that the core concepts and forms of expression of the two were different. In this way, Bao Bell tries to reduce the doubts about the originality of his creations, and it is clear that he is very careful to protect the image of his artistic brand.
The bitterness and self-help of the dreamer
Bao Bell's several brushes with "The Legend of Deer and Ding" made this work a scar in his heart. He has tried to get involved in the production of this show many times, but for various reasons, he has not been able to do so. This experience of repeated defeats prompted him to write and direct himself in "Secret Agent of Joy", and tailor-made a "Niu Dabao" role for himself to balance the regret of not being able to play "Wei Xiaobao" in his heart. This is also reflected in his first film, "Fat Squad", which was conceived from a personal experience of failure and almost became an emotional catharsis.
A shift from passion to responsibility
Entering the creative stage of "Sunshine Sisters" and "The Great "Anti" School", Bao Bell's personal drive seems to have changed. From the initial pursuit of artistic expression and personal dreams, to more consideration of how to maintain team functioning and family life. He has expressed on several occasions that as he has grown older and his responsibilities have increased, his focus has shifted from fulfilling his personal artistic pursuits to ensuring financial resources and team stability. This change not only influenced his choice of film themes and styles, but also left a deep imprint on his work.
The film and television expression of the philosophy of life
In "The Big "Villain", Bao Bell explores the contradiction between fame and fortune and the essence of life through the story framework of a small actor playing the big villain. Although the protagonist in the film pursues the peak of his acting career, he ignores the true value of life in the process - getting along with his family. This reflects Bao Bell's personal life experience and mental journey, and he artistically transforms and digs deep into this complex emotion and philosophy of life in his films.
Innovation, challenge and self-transcendence
In the film industry, innovation and originality are highly valued, but Bao Bell seems to have a lot of room for improvement in this regard. Although his films attempt to explore some deep themes and complex character relationships, his work often lacks the kind of innovative elements that can move people's hearts. As a director, he needs to tap into his creative potential, and may need to step out of his comfort zone and try projects with very different styles or innovative themes in order to appeal to a wider audience and satisfy more discerning critics.
Stimulate investment and project development
As an all-round artist and business operator, Bao Bell not only needs to pay attention to his artistic expression, but also needs to be commercially astute. His active involvement in project development and investment has demonstrated his initiative and business acumen in his career. In the future, he could consider using his brand more to develop unique projects that align with his personal brand, which would not only bring him commercial success, but also help cement his position in the film and television industry.