"Mr. Chow, what made you consider casting pop idol Yin Fenghua to star in your next production? Is this another bold attempt by Dragon Dreams to challenge taboo subjects? Many loyal fans of the 'Run Hua' duo want you to talk about what it's like to work with your ex-partner again …"
"You've officially announced that your new film is going to be called Qingqing. Does this title refer to an intimate term for a couple[1] or is it a synonym for kissing[2]? For such a sensitive topic as homosexuality, can Director Yuan share with us his thoughts and ideas on the filming? How many 'kissing' scenes can we expect to see in the whole film?"
"The tagline of the promotional poster is 'The intimate collaboration of Yin Fenghua and Yuan Ge; a roller-coaster romance between two men', and many people have speculated that this seems to have hinted at something else, could director Yuan please clarify?"
"Director Yuan, you have received international attention for directing 'Eve's Fallen', a film about sexual minorities. This time you have chosen a more traditional subject of Beijing Opera, but it still deals with the topic of same-sex relationships. Do you plan to make any adjustments to the positioning of the film in the current market, or to the way you present gender issues in the film? Will you be experimenting more boldly with the camera work…"
"Dragon Dreams recently has just signed a few new actors. Will they be asked to make the necessary sacrifices for director Yuan's artistic vision in the film?"
… …
Chow Mingrun doesn't mind at all the tricky questions from the entertainment reporters, because all publicity is good publicity. Only when a topic becomes a hot topic with a lot of hits and discussions will profits follow. Microphone in hand, he talks freely and eloquently, obviously well prepared, giving ambiguous answers and deliberately leading people into wild speculation.
Yuan Ge watches from the side line and knows Chow Mingrun's intention. By scheduling the opening of the shoot on the same day that the male lead joins the cast, Chow Mingyun is clearly trying to make the most of Yin Fenghua's current popularity in entertainment circles. In his TweeChat updates, he made a big deal about the same-sex aspect of Qingqing the film, attracting a lot of media attention, leading to all sorts of rumours and gossip in the online entertainment commentaries over the past few days. Many of the questions posed by journalists today are clearly triggered by his deliberately vague messages.
Yuan Ge doesn't want to complain about the calculated marketing tactics that Chow Mingrun has adopted to create hype on TweeChat's trending topic rankings. In this day and age, even the best art needs to be marketed effectively. Still, after attending the press conference today and listening to the questions from these entertainment reporters, he can't help but feel irritated by the subtext of the questions - all of which clearly focused on the film's male-male relationship. While it is to be expected that the production will generate discussion on the sensitive subject of homosexuality, the distorted attention and malicious speculation in the media still make it unpalatable in its superficiality, especially when the questions and harsh remarks are thrown at himself.
When faced with such a situation, Yuan Ge has never bothered to argue. Whatever he says will inevitably be used to confirm the preconceived ideas of the media and marketing agencies. Instead of selling ideas to people who don't understand, it's better to let his work do the talking.
Yuan Ge's indifferent reticence and Amélie's sharp retort from time to time soon brought the press interview to a standstill, and the reporters who have been expecting to dig out some juicy behind-scene gossip are all running out of steam. They either turn to Chow Mingrun to listen to his promotional bravado or snap pictures of the actors in this film. Having long been told by Yuan Ge that only photos are allowed, Waylon and the others happily pose in front of cameras, but not commenting about the plot of the film at all…
Just then, a sharp-eyed person sees a white figure getting out of a car on the edge of the crowd and immediately cries out, "Yin Fenghua!"
All at once, reporters flock to him as if they have found a saviour. Yin Fenghua loves the limelight and has a habit of making sensational statements, so as long as he is there, everyone will be able to get quotable remarks to elaborate on in their stories without having to worry about not being able to deliver the goods to their bosses. Instantly, Yin Fenghua's face is reflected dazzlingly bright in the countless camera flashes. He poses in front of the cameras in all directions with ease to get the best angle for the photo shots.
Of course, the reporters are unlikely to show him any mercy, bombarding him with all sorts of tough questions. But the focus of media attention is not on the former "Run Hua" duo, but on his relationship with Yuan Ge.
"Mr. Yin, this is your first foray into the film industry and you are working with internationally acclaimed director Yuan Ge. How is your personal relationship with him like? Are you two close in private?"
"Mr. Chow said that you admire director Yuan's talent. As the leading man of the film, are you two confident of working closely together to create a box office miracle?"
Yin Fenghua doesn't answer these questions, but looks to the back of the crowd. His thoughtful gaze falls on Yuan Ge, who has been left out in the cold by the reporters.
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[1] Qingqing was formerly a term of endearment between husband and wife or between close friends, and later generally used as a form of intimate address.
[2] Kissing is pronounced as "qinqin" in Chinese, which is very similar to the pronunciation of "Qingqing".