Chapter 54: Holding a Victory Banquet?

As news from Little Japan filtered back home, the national pride of the Chinese people surged instantly.

It was also for this reason that the previously declining movie box office saw a slight uptick.

During the first seven days, the daily box office was at least 50 million. However, once the National Day holiday passed, the box office plummeted—no, it should be said it was halved.

The eighth day brought in over 30 million, the ninth day over 20 million, and by the tenth day, due to the news reaching the domestic market, the box office rose slightly, approaching 30 million.

The total box office for the ten days reached 650 million.

As soon as this figure was released, the entire entertainment industry fell silent.

What kind of demonic box office was this!

One must realize that a typical movie release spans a month; this film had made everyone kneel with just ten days of earnings.

Many realized that this movie might even exceed 1 billion.

A 1 billion box office was something previously unimaginable.

Because the box office of *The Great Ship* back then had already been unbelievable.

Now, this 1 billion mark was practically a blow to the confidence of domestic directors.

Upon seeing these box office records, Han Sanye of China Film could no longer sit still. He hurriedly called Cheng Sheng, who was still in his hometown, telling him to return to Beijing immediately.

What was the purpose of returning to Beijing?

To hold a victory banquet, of course.

As the distributor of the film, China Film had truly struck gold this time.

Domestic film distributors generally receive an agency fee of 5% to 15% from the box office, with the specific ratio depending on the film genre, cost, and market performance.

According to the specific revenue-sharing model, 5% for the special film fund and 3.3% in business tax must first be deducted from the box office, with the remainder distributed proportionally.

The production company usually receives 33% to 39% of the box office.

The distributor takes a 5% to 15% agency fee from the remaining portion.

The cinema chains and theaters combined receive 52% to 57% of the box office.

Other factors also influence the final split, such as film genre; small-to-medium budget films might pay higher distribution fees, while big-budget productions might negotiate lower distributor shares.

Market performance also plays a role; if a film's box office fails to meet expectations, the distributor's share may decrease further.

If *The Great Tang Dynasty—Origins* reaches 1 billion after its theatrical run, China Film, as the distributor, will earn 100 million.

How much was China Film's total profit last year?

Less than 100 million.

And a single film by Cheng Sheng had directly earned China Film 100 million; if the box office continued to grow, China Film would earn even more.

Under these circumstances, Han Sanye was naturally anxious; he practically wanted to kidnap Cheng Sheng and bring him back.

Cheng Sheng had originally planned to return in three days, but since Han Sanye had made the request, he went along with it. Early on the fourth day, the two left his hometown by car and then rushed to Rao City to take a train back to Beijing.

Since Rao City was a small city without an airport, he wouldn't have taken a plane otherwise.

After a long train ride back to Beijing, before Cheng Sheng could even rest, he was summoned by a phone call from Han Sanye.

Upon meeting Han Sanye, Cheng Sheng was showered with praise for a long time before being asked when the victory banquet would be held.

Cheng Sheng was bewildered!

Aren't victory banquets usually held when a movie finishes its theatrical run?

Was it too early to hold one now?

After Han Sanye's explanation, Cheng Sheng understood why he wanted to hold it so early, and he also learned that a victory banquet didn't actually have to wait for the film to leave theaters.

Film victory banquets are typically held to celebrate honors won at major film festivals or outstanding box office achievements, serving to recognize the hard work of the creative team while strengthening team cohesion.

This also serves as a better way to promote the film and increase the box office.

Han Sanye was clearly aiming for the latter: promoting the film to boost sales.

As for holding the banquet, Cheng Sheng didn't mind. After all, he didn't get a share of the domestic box office; the real beneficiaries were China Film and the coal bosses.

Since Han Sanye wanted to hold it, Cheng Sheng naturally wouldn't object.

After some discussion, they scheduled the banquet for three days later. China Film would use its influence to invite many stars from the industry to attend.

The task of inviting the coal bosses was left to Cheng Sheng.

After all, the coal bosses were the producers; it would be inappropriate if they didn't attend.

After discussing things with Han Sanye for a while, Han finally let Cheng Sheng go back to rest.

As soon as Cheng Sheng returned to his new house, he received good news: the studio he had requested was ready.

Victory Studio.

The name was a bit rustic, but Cheng Sheng didn't mind. Regardless, this studio was merely to facilitate cooperation with companies like China Film and other entertainment firms, to serve him personally, and to make investing more convenient.

Since Cheng Sheng knew the future trends of cinema, he certainly wouldn't miss any money-making opportunities.

For instance, after the premiere, Ning Hao had approached him to invest in *Green Grassland*.

Cheng Sheng certainly wouldn't miss such a great investment opportunity in Ning Hao's film; he had transferred the funds to Ning Hao on the spot.

With a studio established, Cheng Sheng needed to recruit people to manage it. After all, if there was no one there, there would be no need to establish a studio; he might as well just join another entertainment company as a pure director.

Regarding recruitment, Cheng Sheng had never been a boss and wasn't sure what kind of people to hire.

However, while he didn't know, someone else did!

Wang Jinhua.

The top agent in the industry.

After thinking it over, Cheng Sheng called her to ask about the situation regarding setting up a personal studio.

Upon hearing this, Wang Jinhua was very enthusiastic in offering advice.

This helped Cheng Sheng understand what kind of people a director's personal studio needed.

A core creative team requires a vast number of personnel.

First, there is the director, which refers to Cheng Sheng himself.

Then there are the screenwriters, producers, the production execution team, and the post-production team.

The latter two teams require talents such as cinematographers and assistants, lighting technicians and assistants, art directors and assistants, editors, and VFX compositors.

These were all people Cheng Sheng needed.

There are also public relations producers and production assistants, who can be hired on an as-needed basis and don't necessarily need to be part of the core creative team.

The team size usually ranges from 30 to 50 people, with the specific configuration adjusted flexibly based on the film genre, budget, and filming locations.

Hearing how complicated it was, Cheng Sheng felt a headache coming on.

Fortunately, Wang Jinhua suggested he find a professional manager to help, otherwise, he truly wouldn't be able to handle it all.

Therefore, Cheng Sheng's first task was to find a manager to handle the trivialities.

As for whom to hire, Cheng Sheng planned to ask acquaintances to see which manager in the industry was reliable.

Three days passed quickly.

China Film held the victory banquet at the Beijing Grand Hotel.

Many industry insiders held their events at this hotel.

On the night of the banquet.

Outside the Beijing Grand Hotel, promotional banners for *The Great Tang Dynasty—Origins* were hung, attracting the eyes of countless passersby.

Naturally, this bustling scene also drew many reporters who, hearing the news, flocked to the Beijing Grand Hotel, raising their cameras and aiming them at the hotel's main entrance.