Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 13 Mom!
"I like science fiction. I studied directing because I want to make our own science fiction stories." Li Qiutang is now chatting with a reporter from a local newspaper. In recent days, many media have come to his house. He is not picky. He accepts all reporters, no matter how big or small.

He does not have the qualifications to choose the media now, but if they are willing to interview him, he must seize the opportunity for publicity.

"But domestic science fiction movies never seem to be very popular," said the reporter.

"Yes," Li Qiutang admitted the current situation, "so someone should do it. From the perspective of market benefits, science fiction is a box office powerhouse, both in China and abroad; from a social perspective, excellent science fiction films are an important cultural carrier for demonstrating a country's comprehensive strength. Look at movies like The Day After Tomorrow and Independence Day. Only the United States can make them because the United States has strong national comprehensive strength to incubate such movies."

The reporter did not expect that the young director Xiao Li would actually link the film with the country's comprehensive strength. It is quite a vision, but he could not help but wonder: "Can we also make a movie like "The Day After Tomorrow"?"

"I definitely can." Li Qiutang was very sure of this, "I can even make a better one than this!"

Back to the movie "The Night the Comet Came", Li Qiutang did not shy away from the fact that it was an ultra-low-budget movie.

"There are ways to shoot movies with money and without money. The key to a movie is still the story and the way it is handled." He then took Akira Kurosawa as an example, "Seven Samurai only cost $50, which was not a big investment at the time, but Kurosawa used $50 to make the best movie in the world.

“I can’t say how good “The Night the Comet Came” is, but it’s definitely worth seeing and is definitely worth the money paid for.”

Li Qiutang did not play the victim in front of the media and said that he had not found a distributor yet, which was very discouraging. He said: "I will participate in the film festival first, and then release it after the festival."

However, the reporter still raised his concerns: "Audiences now like to watch blockbusters. Are you worried that audiences will not accept your film?"

"Don't worry." Li Qiutang showed great confidence in front of the camera. "I always feel that our Chinese audience is the most tolerant and aesthetically diverse audience in the world. They can watch any movie. The current popularity of blockbusters does not mean that low-budget movies cannot attract audiences. As long as you have a good story and shoot well, you should believe in the audience."

"Okay, thank you Director Li for accepting our interview."

"Thank you." Li Qiutang stood up and shook hands with the reporter. "Bo Xue, please see me off."

Wang Boxue saw the reporter out and handed him an envelope: "You came all the way here, so here's a little something for you. Buy me a pack of cigarettes."

The reporter took it. This kind of thing has become an unspoken rule in the industry, and he had no psychological barriers to accepting the envelope.

After seeing off the reporters, Wang Boxue returned and said to Li Qiutang, "Can this work?" He also knew that travel expenses and tea fees must be paid, but Li Qiutang was too generous. He gave each reporter a travel fee of no less than 500. Considering the current per capita income, Li Qiutang had spent more than on travel expenses in the past few days. He felt a little distressed.

"What else can we do? We still have to rely on publicity. Don't worry, I got some money earlier, which is more than enough to deal with the reporters." Li Qiutang poured himself a glass of water and then laughed, "If my mother knew that I spent money like this, she would definitely scold me for being a spendthrift. My mother's small shop only makes 800 to 900 yuan a month."

"So," Wang Boxue came over to sit down, "even though it's the money we raised, who wouldn't feel bad about spending it like this?"

"It's okay. The money should be spent." Li Qiutang hadn't told Wang Bo that he was the one who bought the headlines of the four major portals. He even boasted to Wang Bo, "When our movie becomes popular, he will be the one begging us to do interviews, and we won't have to pay him."

"That would be the best." Wang Boxue said this with uncertainty in his heart. Now the only directors in the mainland who can make money are Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang. Even the great director Chen was furious and cursed. Wang Boxue would be satisfied if "The Night the Comet Came" could make a profit.

Teachers like Jiang Wei could see Li Qiutang's wishful thinking, which was nothing more than self-promotion to attract the attention of distributors. They also approved of this approach. It was understandable that this kid went through so much trouble since no one distributed the movie after it was made.

Li Qiutang's calculation was correct, but he had his own promotional rhythm. If he could attract the attention of the distributor and sell the film now, then everything would be fine. However, he also understood that the Canadian Fantasy Film Festival was not a particularly well-known film festival after all, and domestic distributors would most likely not recognize it. It was reasonable that the film could not be sold.

After half a month of hard work and spending more than 20,000 yuan on travel expenses, Li Qiutang was almost praised as a genius director by some media, but still no distributor came to discuss the release of "The Night the Comet Came".

Li Qiutang even missed the era of traffic. At that time, as long as there was traffic, there would be business coming. Why would she be worried that no one would release the film?

But now the film companies themselves have no money, so they have to consider their pockets before releasing a film.

Li Qiutang couldn't keep hyping himself up like this. After the first step of exposure for himself and "The Night the Comet Came", he stopped and returned to his hometown in Fengtian.

He has to get a passport to go abroad.

From Yanjing to Fengtian, Li Qiutang took the train in the morning, and arrived in the afternoon after a long bumpy ride. Then he took a taxi with a broken meter - are all taxi meters broken in the country? "How much is it to the No. 2 Middle School staff dormitory?"

"Give me 30."

"Brother, can't you recognize my accent? I live there. 15 Are you going?"

"Come on, come on. There's not much work to do today. I'll take you there."

As soon as he got in the car, the driver started chatting with Li Qiutang: "Where are you coming back from, brother?"

"Yanjing."

"Yanjing is great, what are you doing there, brother? Studying or working?"

"I was studying there. I graduated this year and came back to do some work."

The driver was still very talkative and kept talking all the way. When he learned that Li Qiutang came back to apply for a passport to go abroad, he was even happier: "Oh, you are capable, brother. You are so young and you are going abroad for business."

"No big deal, just follow the main group. I'm just a small shrimp in the team, and I rely on others' help."

"You're quite modest, brother. Does your family have a business?"

"Can I live in No. 2 Middle School if I have a business?"

"That's right, your teachers at No. 2 Middle School are awesome, they make a lot of money out there."

"Haha." Li Qiutang laughed dryly twice, which was considered as his agreement.

The driver then commented on No. 2 Middle School, saying that it was good, but too difficult to get in. His son was just a few points short and couldn't get in, "but in the end he spent some money to get his son in."

Li Qiutang arrived at the destination and paid the taxi fare.

As soon as he entered the community, many old neighbors greeted him:

"Qiutang is back."

"Hey, I came back to do something."

"Your dad is at school and your mom is at the store."

"I know. I'll go home and put my things down before I go find my mom."

"How are you doing in school?"

"good."

"You're graduating this year, have you found a job?"

"Not yet, no rush. You go ahead and do your work, I'll go upstairs." Li Qiutang walked away.

Li Qiutang put her bag back home, walked downstairs for a few minutes, walked into a video store, and started shouting:
"mom."

(End of this chapter)