"Cheng, this is likely your first time attending a film festival, so there are many things you aren't aware of. To trade overseas rights, you must first have a comprehensive evaluation of the work. You need to attract the attention of overseas audiences and buyers through screenings and promotional activities. If you contact those distributors before the film has even been screened, you’ll be at a huge disadvantage. If the film is in the main competition section, you should wait even more; if the film wins an award, the overseas rights can be sold at a much higher price."
Hearing Scarlett’s words, Cheng Sheng finally realized how much of a novice he was.
It turned out there were so many tricks to trading overseas rights.
If he hadn't run into Scarlett, he probably would have let his film be sold for the lowest possible price.
If he had sold it off blindly, it would have been a massive loss.
"Thank you. If it weren't for you, I might have suffered a huge loss," Cheng Sheng said gratefully.
"You're welcome."
With Scarlett’s reminder, Cheng Sheng stopped looking for distributors.
Instead, he spent two days enjoying himself in Venice.
September 1st.
It was also the day schools across the country started their new term.
On this day, Cheng Sheng led his film crew to walk the red carpet.
Several coal bosses stood on either side of Cheng Sheng, looking very serious, much like employees undergoing an inspection by their superiors.
The rest of the lead actors stood behind Cheng Sheng and the others.
Logically, Cheng Sheng should have been walking at the front with the film's leads, but the coal bosses were the financiers.
Among all the crews walking the red carpet, Cheng Sheng’s was the largest, with nearly thirty people—and that was even after Cheng Sheng left a small group back at the hotel.
If everyone had come, it probably would have taken several minutes just to walk the red carpet.
This year, two Chinese films were shortlisted for the main competition at Venice: Jia Zhangke’s *The World* and Cheng Sheng’s *The Tang Dynasty: Origins*.
Normally, if a domestic film were shortlisted for the Venice Film Festival, the media would be in an uproar; after all, it would be a great honor for the country.
But the situation this year was a bit special. Jia Zhangke’s *The World* was an underground film and could not be screened domestically.
As for Cheng Sheng’s film, it was a historical piece, and it would be a miracle if such a film won an award.
Not a single media outlet was optimistic about Cheng Sheng, so the media hadn't reported much on it yet.
Unless Cheng Sheng’s film won an award, the media would only say one thing when the Venice Film Festival ended: "Young man, keep working hard."
Cheng Sheng was scheduled to walk the red carpet at around four o'clock in the afternoon.
Do not underestimate this time slot. Generally, the red carpet walk and the film's premiere in Venice happen simultaneously.
Four o'clock is an excellent time; usually, only films favored by the jury are scheduled for this slot.
The scheduling of the red carpet and the premiere was a very good sign for Cheng Sheng—his film might actually have a chance at an award.
Everyone in the crew felt a surge of energy upon hearing the news, especially the actors who had been shortlisted; they were all full of spirit.
At four o'clock, the group stepped onto the red carpet right on time.
The magnesium flashes around them flickered incessantly, and the cameras clicked away.
Media reporters from all over the world gathered on both sides of the red carpet.
It was the first time the coal bosses had seen such a grand scene. Looking at the white and black faces around them, along with a few Eastern faces, a sense of pride suddenly welled up in their hearts.
They really wanted to shout at the cameras: "Family back home, we’ve brought glory to our country!"
Fortunately, they weren't stupid; they knew that doing so wouldn't bring glory to the country, but rather shame the Chinese people in Venice.
The broad-shouldered, thick-waisted coal bosses looked solemn on the outside, but their hearts were far from calm.
"Old Yang, our money wasn't spent in vain. Director Cheng is the real deal. We’re really something this time."
"That’s right! Next time Director Cheng makes a movie, I’m investing again. What’s a few million? If it can make me look this prestigious, I’d give ten million."
"Hey, Old Feng, isn't that a CCTV reporter? Will we be on the evening news? If we really make it on there, that would truly be bringing honor to our ancestors."
The coal bosses whispered to each other, feeling that this moment was the highlight of their lives.
They had finally made a real appearance.
You could say they had both substance and style.
They would have plenty to brag about when they got back.
A few million in investment had bought them their peak moment; no matter how you looked at it, it was a great deal.
It wasn't just the coal bosses who were excited; the actors walking behind them were, too.
Although Zeng Li had participated in similar events in China, this was her first time abroad, and it was her first time filming a movie that had been shortlisted for an international film festival.
That’s right, Zeng Li had only done television dramas before; this was her first time acting in a film.
Su Chang, as the lead actress and a contender for the Venice Best Actress award, was stunned the moment she faced the situation. Her expression became a bit stiff, and she even subconsciously avoided the magnesium flashes.
If this had been some other domestic actress, she would have started posing for the cameras long ago.
Walking the red carpet at a top-tier international film festival was an honor most actors could only dream of.
As newcomers, Bai Baihe, Tong Yaya, and Wang Zhi performed even worse. Their bodies were stiff, their walking became uncoordinated, and if not for someone supporting them, they almost would have tripped.
Tong Yaya and Wang Zhi were essentially extras in the film; they were only able to walk the red carpet because Cheng Sheng specifically named them. Otherwise, based on their roles, they would never have had the chance.
The media on both sides also looked at Cheng Sheng and his group in shock.
It was probably the first time they had seen so many people walking the red carpet together!
After the red carpet, there was one final part: accepting interviews from reporters.
After that, according to Venice's custom, Cheng Sheng’s film needed to hold a premiere press conference.
But because the jury had scheduled the premiere at the same time as the red carpet, the *The Tang Dynasty: Origins* crew didn't have time to prepare.
Therefore, during the premiere, no one from Cheng Sheng’s group was present.
Once the red carpet walk ended, Cheng Sheng and the others finally arrived at the screening hall.
Looking at the sparse audience, Cheng Sheng roughly estimated that the occupancy rate was less than 40 percent.
Given that the jury had scheduled them for the best time slot, this turnout was quite pathetic.
This was likely because the jury hadn't helped with promotion, and because it was Cheng Sheng and his team's first time in Venice, they hadn't promoted the film either, choosing to play for two days instead.
That was why no one knew about the film, and consequently, no one came to watch it.
There weren't many people watching, but more than half of them were film critics, peers who had come to show support, and distributors from various countries.
Why were there so many professional film critics? This was mainly due to the jury’s high opinion of the film.
Although the jury hadn't told the outside world about the film's content, the news that they favored it had reached those in the know.
Since the jury favored it, the film must have its merits.
The film critics were curious about what kind of film could be so highly regarded by the jury.