Laila has always felt that the original trailer she saw wasn't particularly exciting, at least it didn't showcase the content audiences would love.
It's not about cramming everything good into it, but at least give it a bit of flair, right? Clearly, there were impressive battle scenes, but only a glimpse was shown. Clearly, there were attractive characters that could captivate the audience, but they seemed hidden.
Laila didn't hold back when editing the trailer. She directly included some visually challenging scenes and gave a close-up of each handsome man and beautiful woman.
Why should the audience want to go to the cinema after watching the trailer? Trying to decipher profound thoughts and souls in a short one or two minutes is impossible. The only way is to present captivating scenes and characters, making them think, "Ah, this looks beautiful," or "This actor is so handsome," to achieve the goal of bringing people into the cinema.
She believed that her version was much more exciting than the original. The original was from 2001 and, in terms of special effects alone, was significantly inferior to the present. Moreover, Laila was a complete aesthete, especially picky when selecting actors and scenes, almost using a magnifying glass to observe.
Not to mention Janet's dedication to family. She was a two-time Oscar winner for Best Costume Design and a renowned designer in the fashion world. The costumes she designed would undoubtedly boost the characters' charm by several percentage points.
After seeing some of the special effects scenes produced, Laila could confidently say that her special effects company was one of the best in the world, and perhaps the "one" could be dropped because it was just that good.
"Fantastic, Laila! This is the best trailer I've ever seen!" Janet excitedly rushed over and hugged her daughter. "You've created a masterpiece! It's the world I imagined!"
Laila smiled, patting her mother's back. "Thank you, Mom. But considering it a masterpiece after just a minute and a half of the trailer, isn't it a bit early?"
"Not at all!" Janet held Laila's face and kissed her several times. "Believe me, this will be a great movie, and everyone will remember it!"
Grandpa Oswald rubbed his chin and nodded. He wanted to appear dignified and offer encouraging words to the younger generation, but the constant smile on his face gave him away.
Even Quentin, who wasn't much of a movie enthusiast, joined the conversation. "It's indeed impressive. I don't know much about movies, but after watching the trailer just now, even someone like me, not very interested in movies, wants to see it in person."
"Thank you," Laila accepted their words graciously. For them, such praise was quite good.
As for Roy... just looking at the shiny eyes fixed on Laila, it was clear he would praise anything she produced. As long as it was Laila's work, he would give it a thumbs up without hesitation.
The family's confidence fueled Laila. While they went to watch the second half of the Super Bowl, she continued to check the online response.
The positive effects were also clearly reflected in various online discussions.
"I never thought I'd get so excited watching a movie trailer."
"Where are the scenes from the trailer? I swear I'll visit those places after turning 21!"
"This is amazing! The trailer makes me believe once again that only Director Laila can create my favorite movies!"
Various appreciative comments emerged online. While there were some negative opinions about the movie, the majority seemed genuinely interested.
That's enough. As long as so many people think she's good, she doesn't need to be upset about the small number who think otherwise.
The next day, the media extensively covered the Super Bowl, with Laila's movie trailer taking a prominent place. Some film critics shared their opinions. Most were optimistic about the movie, but they expressed concerns. After shooting so many commercial films, could Laila still remember the dedication she put into making "Chicago"?
In the eyes of film critics, the value of a movie with educational significance far surpassed a hundred commercial films. To them, movies were art, a noble thing, a means of spreading truth, goodness, and beauty. The emergence of commercial films, in their view, was a misunderstanding and pollution of the essence of movies. However, they were also aware that if only art films were allowed, the film industry would not develop at its current pace.
If they couldn't make much money, who would invest in movies?
Many film critics had given high praise to Laila's "Chicago" initially, almost elevating her to the status of the supreme director. However, her subsequent movies seemed to lean more towards commercialism, disappointing the critics.
They hoped to see more movies from her with the depth and soul of "Chicago" and not see her getting obsessed with making money and special effects.
Laila, of course, paid no attention to these comments. In her view, they were all meaningless. What makes a good movie? It's a good movie if the audience likes it. What's the difference between commercial and art movies? Why assume that art films are always unprofitable, and always have profound thoughts, while commercial films are only for making money and can't create a soul?
Laila didn't care about all that. She only knew she wanted to make movies she liked and make others jealous!
It's difficult but not impossible to imbue the value of art films into commercial films. There are plenty of successful examples in cinematic history, such as Laila's "Chicago"...
Well, using her movie as an example might seem strange. But the original "Chicago" also achieved decent box office success, making it a film worthy of consideration.
Take "The Lord of the Rings" for example. It now possesses many traits of commercial films, such as massive investment, splendid scenes, and special effects. No matter how you look at it, it's a film that thoroughly captures attention.
But does it lack a soul? Can't it provide something profound to people's hearts?
Laila believed that when the movie was released, it would prove everything to those who had doubts.
After the Super Bowl came the Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars. Last year, without any of Laila's works, she simply didn't attend and instead worked on the final touches of "The Lord of the Rings" at the company.