316. Our Duty Without Hesitation

"It seems that you, Director Lu, have a lot of confidence in our domestic film market."

Host Cao Song felt that Lu Ban should be able to offer many insights on industry topics, which was also the purpose of this interview. Since the audience consisted of students from Yannan University of Media, it was important for these young people who had not yet entered the workforce to have a direct understanding of the industry.

As a newcomer who graduated less than two years ago, Lu Ban's understanding of the industry should be similar to, yet different from, those of these college students, and he can provide valuable reference opinions.

"If 'The Tide of Demon Tide ' can reach our box office target, it will be the highest-grossing film of the year, which would mean that we are the number one film power."

Lu Ban spoke without hesitation.

"???"

The host Cao Song, was taken aback.

Is it possible to be this arrogant?

"Wait, Director Lu, even if ' The Demon Tide ' can reach 13 billion yuan at the box office and become this year's box office champion, it doesn't mean that our country's film strength can rival that of Europe and America, does it?"

The college students present also agreed with Cao Song's statement.

The fact that one or two movies became wildly popular and achieved high box office numbers is just an isolated case. Just like in the past, some domestic films have earned four or five billion yuan at the box office, but many people say that these films are only meant to please the Chinese people and have no international influence. They believe that domestic films are still stuck in a backward era.

"So what would it take to be on par with Europe and America?"

Lu Ban countered with a question.

"Although we are already the world's largest film market, although we have developed our own film genres, although our box office has reached billions, and although our own films are no less competitive than foreign films in the face of direct box office competition in China, we are still not on par with Europe and the United States."

His words silenced everyone present.

Indeed, that's the general perception.

When it comes to movies, it's definitely the Oscars, the Palme d'Or, the Golden Bear, etc. If a movie doesn't win these awards, then it's just Chinese people entertaining themselves.

On some movie websites, foreign films generally receive high scores while domestic films generally receive low scores. Foreigners change the original female lead to a black woman for political correctness, which is considered racial equality, but reasonable adaptations of the background in China are seen as fabrications. The same plot is considered a brilliant plot twist when made by foreign directors, but plagiarism and borrowing when made in China.

Ultimately, many people, whether ordinary viewers or film and television professionals, inherently feel inferior.

Even if films from other countries portray Chinese people negatively, there will be people who defend them, because for them, foreign things are always good and correct.

"When our films are box office hits, some people say that only winning major awards at international film festivals proves that a film is well-made. They say that high box office is just a commercial film and that the audience has low aesthetic standards. But when our films win awards internationally, some people say that they are purely art films, made specifically for the judges and have no commercial value."

Lu Ban paused, then looked at the others.

"So, can we make a movie that wins major awards at international film festivals and is also a box office hit, so we can make money without even having to stand up?"

The crowd fell silent.

No normal person would dare to say something like that.

Only a madman would think he can do it.

We lag behind others in technology, talent, funding, and all other conditions. Most importantly, the power to make relevant evaluations is still in the hands of others.

Only films that portray their country as backward, ignorant, and feudal, and only those that depict idyllic, simple, and conservative life, can win the favor of judges and audiences.

But Lu Ban didn't think so. Having seen countless movies in both worlds, he believed that the domestic films in this world had already developed quite well. Even without him, he was certain that one day in the future, they would be able to produce works that were in no way inferior to those of any other country.

"I will protect everything related to domestic films."

Lu Ban clenched his fist in front of the audience.

Of course, he wasn't acting rashly.

If "The Demon Tide" becomes a huge hit both domestically and internationally, the enthusiasm of ordinary people for watching movies will definitely increase significantly. His movies will surely set even higher box office records in the future. Who knows what conditions will be required for his future Career Development Task? If it reaches a box office of five billion US dollars, then Lu Ban will have no choice but to point a gun at the heads of these audience members and make them buy tickets to watch it one by one.

Furthermore, if "The Tide of Demon Tide" doesn't gross 5 billion at the box office, Lu Ban might have to ask Song Yunyan for help to make ends meet.

Song Yunyan, who doesn't even blink an eye at transactions worth billions, shouldn't have any problem supporting me with a few billion!

I'm not just making a movie, I'm saving the world!

Lu Ban's argument was well-founded.

Seeing Lu Ban's confident demeanor and determination to overturn the past, the students of Yannan University of Media were also infected and excited, clenching their fists and eager to try.

Young people are the most easily excited. Moreover, many of them did not experience the era when domestic films and TV series were completely outclassed, and they do not have that kind of deeply ingrained worship of foreign things. Therefore, they were even more excited when they heard Lu Ban's words.

"Therefore, the release of ' The Demon Tide ' is not just a movie, but a challenge from Chinese films to foreign films. Perhaps in the past, Chinese films have always been inferior to foreign films, but now we have the opportunity to fight them. Fellow students, it is our duty to defend the glory of Chinese films."

Lu Ban even stood up and issued a call to action.

The host, Cao Song, was momentarily at a loss for words.

Isn't this supposed to be a lighthearted and enjoyable talk show? How did it suddenly veer into a comparison between domestic and international films?

However, Cao Song also felt that Lu Ban was right. They needed some works to boost young people's confidence so that more people would devote themselves to the film and television industry.

Although the process was somewhat roundabout, unexpectedly, Lu Ban's words allowed the program to take a shortcut to its destination.

Lu Ban's interview was quickly recorded and then edited in various ways before circulating online.

Some versions highlight key points, showcasing Lu Ban's expectations for the new film and his views on the development of domestic films; others cut short, portraying Lu Ban as an arrogant and conceited director.

For example, in many forums and chat groups, screenshots of Lu Ban's live stream were combined with his words to create a long image.

Lines such as "This means we are the number one film powerhouse," "I will protect everything about domestic films," and "Defending the glory of domestic films is our inescapable duty" are all on it. The last line, "Getting 13 billion is a success," really makes Lu Ban seem extremely arrogant.

Soon, Lu Ban gained another nickname online.

Mad Lu!