The client of the China New Network, Beijing, May 22 (Ren Siyu) has withdrawn from the Chinese New Year film on January 23, and the cinema has been closed for more than 100 days.
In the halls of many theaters, there are also promotional signs for Chinese New Year movies. During this period, a few theaters were briefly opened and closed, and some theaters said goodbye forever. Countless filmmakers are lost in confusion and anxiety, staying and continuing to wait? Or leave early?
A movie theater manager named "Biezi Xiaosheng" made a video of his daily delivery of food. He often said that waiting for the spring to bloom, some people asked how to wait for spring now that it is summer. He said, "It is to wait for the spring of our filmmakers".
Source: video screenshot
Cinema under the epidemic
It has been a month since Wu Xujie delivered food on May 19. But this day he was a little depressed, because when he met a store that did not talk about integrity, the weight of the item was 1 kg, but when he arrived, he found that it was several large boxes of bayberry, with a total weight of nearly thirty or forty pounds.
A few days ago, he visited a movie theater under construction in Xiangshan County, Zhejiang Province with his colleagues during the day. At night, he changed from a formal suit to a takeaway service. He completed the task of delivering 5 orders a day at 10 o'clock, minus 3 A total of 29.9 yuan in insurance premiums.
Source: video screenshot
Wu Xujie is the store manager of Yuyao Wanda Cinema in Ningbo. This theater has about 20 million ticket properties each year, and it can be ranked in the top three in Ningbo. But since January 23, the theater has been closed for 119 days.
In early 2020, the new crown pneumonia epidemic caused the film industry to halt. Wu Xujie and colleagues originally invested considerable energy in preparing for the Spring Festival stalls, setting the atmosphere, preparing food, making film arrangements, and recruiting and training many part-time college students. It was a long "holiday".
Data Map: Pedestrians pass by outdoor advertising in a movie theater in Wangjing District, Chaoyang District, Beijing. China News Service reporter Hou Yushe
In recent years, the Chinese film market has been booming. In fact, cinemas that rely on box office revenue do not look as spectacular. Under normal circumstances, the box office income generated by a film is subject to 5% of the national film business development special funds and 3.3% taxes and fees, 43% of the remaining net box office belongs to the producer, 57% belongs to the cinema and cinema, cinema and The division of the theater line depends on the specific situation.
In the case of income interruption, the theater has to face a number of expenses, such as rent, labor, equipment, publicity, maintenance, cleaning ... In the days when the theater is closed, the staff also needs to open the equipment for maintenance.
In mid-to-late March, movie theaters in some parts of the country tried to resume work, and Wu Xujie and colleagues also submitted applications, but encountered "snapped brakes" before they opened. At the end of April, the National Film Administration estimated that, due to the epidemic, the annual box office losses will exceed 30 billion yuan. According to the data from Tianyan, 2,799 theater-related companies have been cancelled or revoked in the first quarter of 2020.
In order to save costs, many theaters have launched take-out services, deal with hoarded popcorn sausages at preferential prices, and theaters have transformed into "wedding studios". However, these incomes can only be regarded as salaries compared to rent and labor cost pressure.
Data map: Chengdu Pacific Studios Wangfujing store ticket office. Photo by Yang Yumin
Under anxiety, many filmmakers tried to "change", some people made masks, some people sent couriers in the same city, Wu Xujie also realized that he could not be swayed by decadent emotions for a long time. Mentality, to cheer the same anxious colleagues.
Most of his colleagues are post-90s and 95s. "As a store manager, this can also set an example for other friends." On the other hand, he also wants everyone to understand the real life of cinema and cinema workers. The grassroots studio staff is not easy to work, everyone came here out of love for the movie.
When the filmmaker "transfers" to takeaway
In this month, Wu Xujie delivered supermarket goods, bulky seafood, and valuable digital products. There were also many wrong deliveries. When ordering, "the courage is not big enough." In addition to heavy winds and heavy rains, they also have to face the sun and high temperatures, and they can only realize it when they are doing this job. "
When delivering food for two weeks, Wu Xujie earned a total of 772.85 yuan on three platforms. Compared with the electric car bought for 2,600 yuan before and the professional raincoat bought for 99 yuan, he can be said to be unable to make ends meet, but he is not discouraged. "I think I can stick to one thing, or I am very happy and positive to face my current work. It is a very good exercise in life. "
Source: video screenshot
Taking the opportunity of taking away food and making videos, he met with people from all walks of life, such as ramen shop owners, ride-hailing drivers, and driver drivers. A take-out brother joked with him that business would be better after the college students started. After the city resumed its business, it would be a little better, because the epidemic was suspended, and people from all walks of life were taking delivery, and it became particularly difficult for them to grab orders.
One day, he chatted with his colleague Awei. His wife was engaged in film distribution. During the epidemic, both of them were in a state of “unemployment”. In order to maintain his livelihood, A Wei first went to the food and beverage street part-time, 17 yuan an hour, busy every day from 4 pm to 10 pm; later he found a manual work near home, and cooperated with the mother and wife assembly line, fast You can earn more than 400 yuan a day.
"I have to let myself do something every day, otherwise I can't maintain a good working condition." A Wei's thinking is the same as Wu Xujie's, which is to prepare for the resumption of the film city in the future.
On the way to takeout, Wu Xujie can always think of all kinds of cinema work. One day, he received 18.88 yuan for anonymous reward from the customer. The customer service told him that the service attitude may be better. He thinks this should be related to the work of the studio. Every time he sends a bill, he will say "happy meal", "please take "Thank you very much", just like before, he and his friends always patiently answer customers' questions and say "Wish you a happy watching movie".
Five years ago, Wu Xujie entered the studio for the first time. The domestic film market that year was very lively. What made him remember is that the audience often used to leave before the end of the main film, but when "Chinatown Detective" was released, even if it was released. In the evening, the guests in the cinema are full, and they have to leave until the captions are completely over.
Five years later, the materials of "Chinatown Detective 3" still exist in the theater, but I don't know when it will be released. Every week, Wu Xujie and his colleagues will go to the theater to watch. One day, he recalled the grand occasion of the "Avengers 4" released in the video: "That is the biggest and most popular zero field I have ever seen. The people before the ticket machine are all people. , The selling area is fragrant popcorn, these scenes are gone now, it is very deserted, but I believe that the spring of our filmmakers will come. "
Source: video screenshot
At the end of April, he went to climb the mountain with his colleagues in the cinema. Everyone wore a T-shirt around the movie and stood on the top of the mountain and shouted: "We are filmmakers, see you tomorrow, because tomorrow will be better!" Wu Xujie cried when editing this video.
Like many filmmakers who are still out of work, he looks forward to hearing news about the resumption of the cinema, even if it is only a point in time or a signal, at least he can be mentally prepared.
I will wait for everyone in the theater
Wu Xujie often said in the video, "It is not because there is hope that we can persevere, but because we can see it because of perseverance." Now, as the situation of domestic epidemic prevention and control gradually improves, filmmakers finally wait for a glimmer of hope.
On May 8th, the Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council issued the “Guiding Opinions on Doing a Good Job in the Normalization of New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic Prevention”, which mentioned that, under the premise of implementing prevention and control measures, appointments, current restrictions and other methods can be adopted to open Theaters, entertainment halls and other closed entertainment and leisure places.
Wu Xujie also saw the news for the first time, "Wait for more than 100 days, and finally see the dawn." In the WeChat group, practitioners also expressed various concerns while being excited. He felt that he still had to wait patiently: "The file comes down Now, we are waiting for the notification step by step. Some things can be prepared, and we always look forward to it. "
The next day, he participated in a film city meeting organized by the local government department to discuss some of the current difficulties faced by the film city and preparations for future opening. After the meeting was held from 50 to 60 kilometers away, Wu Xujie happened to receive a downwind ticket, and the end point was near home. In order to maintain his professionalism, he hurried home and put on take-out clothes before sending. "When the movie theater officially opens, I will wear a shirt and welcome everyone to come."
Source: video screenshot
On the 13th, the Oscar-winning film "1917" exposed the Chinese poster of the regression version, "Meet the theater, still together". For the Chinese film market, such posters have been released for too long.
On the 14th, the Ministry of Finance and the State Administration of Taxation issued tax and fee support policies for industries such as film, which involved VAT exemption and cultural undertaking construction fees; On 31st, the national film business development special fund is exempted; other provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government are exempted from the national film business development special fund from January 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020.
Recently, Guizhou Province, Guangzhou City, Kunming City and other places have successively issued guidelines and opinions on resumption of work, making it clear that under the premise of implementing prevention and control measures, the theater will be opened through appointments and current restrictions.
Data map: On May 9, pedestrians pass by the propaganda board of a cinema in Chaoyang District, Beijing that has not resumed business. China News Service reporter Hou Yushe
With the resumption of work, when the theater can really open, what films can be put after opening, and how many people can come, is still unknown. Recently, Wu Xujie is still taking part-time delivery, and the mantra in his video has changed from "waiting for the spring to bloom" to "believing that tomorrow will be better."
On May 18th, Wu Xujie was waiting for a meal at the door of a restaurant. He waited 15 minutes for a 30-minute single meal, but he was not angry because he saw a small line under the rider's meal place: "Every time you We are grateful for waiting. ”I think that many people recently asked the cinema to open the door and said that they missed the cinema. He said,“ I also want to say to the customers who are waiting for the movie. Every time you wait, we are grateful. ” (Finish)