In Qi Prefecture.
Not long after the premiere of "Dance of the Fish Dragon," the film's creators, including the director Zheng Li, simultaneously opened the Qi Prefecture Film Network to read the reviews of their work.
[]: "I cried like a storm after watching the movie!"
[]: "I declare that from today on, we have a new champion in the category of melancholic films."
[]: "I hope the production team releases a high-definition image of the White Dragon transformed into a big fish flying in the sky. I want to use it as my wallpaper."
[]: "The ending song hits you right in the feels."
[]: "After reading the subtitles, it turns out the last song, 'Big Fish,' is the best soundtrack of the year, no doubt about it."
[]: "After watching the movie, I felt quite emotional. Then I heard my buddy next to me saying the whole movie is basically the music video for that last song. I burst into laughter instantly."
[]: "The movie is good, but the lyrics of the final song are too heart-wrenching."
"..."
With a perfect score of ten, "Dance of the Fish Dragon" currently holds an 8.5 rating, and the creators cheered, "This is the rhythm of our movie becoming a hit!"
This was a high score!
It had far exceeded the expectations of the creators. After all, "Dance of the Fish Dragon" was not a blockbuster, and its cast and promotion were in the middle range compared to others in the same period. To make a film like this successful, word of mouth was crucial.
Amid the cheers, everyone also noticed the discussions about "Big Fish" in the comments.
The producer couldn't help but chuckle, "A bunch of people are saying that our movie is the MV for 'Big Fish.'"
"I actually think there's some truth to that," another creator sitting nearby said with an odd expression.
"Now you guys understand why I was so strict about the soundtrack, right?" Zheng Li was in a good mood and didn't take the comments personally. She knew that most people were just having fun with this joke.
From a different perspective, the audience was praising her for selecting the perfect song to conclude the film.
She admitted to herself that the final song, "Big Fish," added value to the movie.
Whether it was the song's atmosphere, the vocal performance, or the lyrics that perfectly matched the story, it maximized the audience's emotional resonance.
Before this, Zheng Li had been contemplating how to wrap up the film. "Dance of the Fish Dragon" had a consistent melancholic mood all the way through, and this sadness had built up considerably by the end. She required an emotional trigger to detonate the audience's emotions.
Obviously, "Big Fish" became that emotional trigger.
Just then, Zheng Li's phone rang, and it was a call from the investors.
"The movie is doing well!"
The representative of the investors sounded excited, "The company has decided to increase the promotion of 'Dance of the Fish Dragon.' I've already sent someone to contact the theaters to increase the number of screenings. Also, you should call Qin Prefecture and get them to approve the last song..."
Zheng Li interrupted, " 'Big Fish.' "
The representative of the investors eagerly said, "Yes, yes, 'Big Fish.' Invite the singer of that song to Qi Prefecture. Let her perform the song during our promotional events. It will have a great impact!"
"Alright," Zheng Li agreed.
Then she changed the subject, saying, "Weren't you opposed to me spending five million to commission a song before? You argued that the soundtrack wasn't that important and that we should allocate all our budget to visuals. It took a lot of convincing to get you to agree to let me spend five million on this custom song."
Zheng Li had high standards for the soundtrack.
Initially, the investors had considered it a waste of money to spend five million on a song that matched "Dance of the Fish Dragon." Eventually, they reluctantly approved the funding to satisfy Zheng Li.
"But in the end, we did it your way," the investor replied sheepishly.
"So, for your next project, I promise to increase the budget, including the money for the soundtrack. We'll provide whatever you need. Filmmaking is your expertise, and sometimes we don't fully understand. Please communicate more with us, and we can find solutions to any problems."
But consider the way things are going right now.
Zheng Li's film is bound to be successful, and the investors need to temporarily set aside their pride to persuade Zheng Li, a director who can generate profits for the company. They have even brought up the idea of investing in his next movie, indicating that Zheng Li's standing in the film industry has been elevated to some extent.
"It's a deal!" Zheng Li replied with a broad smile.
She was now considering collaborating with Xianyu on the soundtrack of her next project and even thought about showing the complete script to Xianyu. Right now, she didn't recognize anyone except for Xianyu's name.
...
In Qin Prefecture, Starlight's response was also swift. Shortly after the movie's premiere ended, the audio version of "Big Fish" appeared in the recommended sections of various music streaming platforms. This made it effortless for the audience interested in the movie's closing song to find and listen to it.
In Starlight's executive office, Old Zhou had been waiting at his computer since early in the morning, anticipating the reviews and feedback for "Big Fish." With his many years of experience, he believed this song had the potential to explode, especially since his resource department had arranged the song's placement in music recommendation sections.
And indeed, that's how it turned out.
Within the first five minutes of its release, the download count of "Big Fish" rapidly exceeded thirty thousand. The song's comment section was bustling with activity:
"Just come and check in after watching 'Dance of the Fish Dragon'!"
"Agreed! Upstairs, add one more to the count!"
"So, the name of this song is 'Big Fish.' I love it!"
"What are you waiting for? Listen, download, and save. Triple combo!"
"This song made me cry."
"It's common knowledge that this song has an almost two-hour-long MV."
"Watching you fly far away, watching you depart from me, I've come to realize that you were born for the skies. Every teardrop flows toward you, reversing its course to our very first encounter," when you consider these lyrics in the context of the movie, it's truly heart-wrenching."
"...."
Not just the movie fans, but some passersby also noticed this song and, following it, got to know the movie "Dance of the Fish Dragon."
"It turns out it's the soundtrack of a movie. It makes me want to check out 'Dance of the Dragon and Fish.'"
"After listening to the song, I immediately bought two movie tickets. I'm going with my girlfriend this weekend, and everything's ready, just need the girlfriend now."
"I'm taking my goddess to see it! After the movie, I'll confess my love! My lifelong happiness depends on this movie and this song!"
"..."
Some people also noticed that the song's lyrics, composition, and arrangement were all credited to "Xian Yu."
The singer, Jiang Kui, was a newcomer, and many people were not familiar with her.
But Xian Yu couldn't be considered a pure newcomer. Many listeners had some impression of this name: "Xian Yu isn't the one who composed the lyrics and music for 'Life Like Summer Flowers,' right?"
"Xian Yu? The one who topped the Newcomer Rankings last month?"
"Yes, yes, I noticed this person too."
"This Xian Yu is quite impressive. Just last month, they claimed the top spot on the Newcomer Rankings, and this month, they've brought us 'Big Fish.' Both songs are right up my alley!"
"..."
Seeing these comments, Old Zhou was beaming.
Even though he hadn't seen the movie, he could tell from the fans' comments that the quality of "Dance of the Fish Dragon" was probably quite good, and it had brought a significant amount of publicity to the song.
"Hurrah."
Old Zhou was thrilled, thinking, "Lin Yuan's progress is remarkable. He's just a sophomore this year. If he keeps this up, it won't be long before the company's composition department has another ace composer!"
In the industry, the vast majority of newcomers take at least a decade or more to become ace composers. But Lin Yuan's potential is so great that he may not need ten years of hard work to become the company's new ace.
This is what Old Zhou is looking forward to the most!