Economic Essay | Three "Easter eggs" in the 20 billion yuan box office of summer movies
At the end of a movie, there are often dozens of seconds of Easter eggs, which can answer a mystery in the main film or pave the way for the future of the plot.
As of the evening of August 26th, this year's national summer film box office has exceeded 20 billion yuan. In this "strongest summer season in history", there are three meaningful "Easter eggs" buried.
This year, Chinese films have shown signs of recovery since the Spring Festival season. From the May Day period to the summer period, the recovery is not only firm, but also shows considerable momentum. Watching movies is a typical contact and gathering consumption activity. The outbreak of the epidemic has had a significant impact. The epidemic has receded, and the recovery is unstoppable.
The global film market is recovering. The top two markets - the North American market and the Chinese market - had a similar total box office revenue in the first half of the year. In the past three years of the epidemic, a small portion of the tens of thousands of cinemas in China have indeed not been able to withstand it. And when the comprehensive recovery arrives, just go watch a few movies and you'll know that most of the cinema "old friends" around you are still there. This "summer slot" broke the box office record, which is not surprising.
The post epidemic economic recovery is a process of wave like development and tortuous progress. The recovery of the film market may be one of the least suspenseful and convoluted parts. Rationally speaking, the arrival of the "strongest summer season in history" means that the potential for recovery has been fully unleashed. The momentum is indeed considerable, but breaking the record next is not an easy task. The operation of the film market will further return to normal, more influenced by long-term and deep-seated factors.
What is the total number of movie screens in the country? You can remember two numbers: 80000 yuan and 100000 yuan. "80000 yuan" is the current situation - by the end of September the previous year, the total number of screens had exceeded 80000 yuan. "100000 yuan" is the goal - the "14th Five Year Plan for the Development of Chinese Film" clearly states that the total number of screens will exceed 100000 yuan by 2025.
The North American film market has a population of 370 million and has 44000 screens. Compared to our total of over 80000 yuan, there is still a lot of room for improvement. More important than the total target is the structural target. After proposing the goal of "100000 yuan" in the "Plan", there is another sentence immediately following: "The structural distribution is more reasonable.". This is the key in the key.
The distribution of film screens in a country is closely related to its level of urbanization, population distribution and structure, economic development, and service industry development. For example, dozens of first and second tier cities in China account for over one-third of the total population, while the number of screens accounts for 60% of the total. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen continue to be among the top grossing films in the first half of this year without any doubt. Whether it is the number of cinemas, screens, box office numbers, or the number of viewers, one can see the difference between first and second tier cities and third and fourth tier cities, as well as the difference between the east, west, and central regions. The imbalance of structure and insufficient development are obvious.
The gap lies in the potential. In recent years, with the deployment of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council to promote urbanization construction with county towns as important carriers, there has been a new upward trend in the number of viewers in third - and fourth tier cities. The government has provided policy funding support for the construction, renovation, and expansion of cinemas in county towns in the central and western regions. Some provinces have further provided support for the construction of township cinemas, with the aim of "allowing more people to watch movies" and "allowing more people in small towns to follow the rhythm of the cinema and enjoy blockbuster films".
This is also the essence of solidly promoting common prosperity.
Through the box office, what you see is not just movies. Cities with a high concentration of young people often have box office rankings that exceed GDP rankings. For example, in Xi'an, there are already many universities, but in recent years, the threshold for young talents to settle down has been significantly lowered. Its position on the city box office rankings has been quietly moving forward. For example, in third - and fourth tier cities that export labor in the central and western regions, the box office for the Spring Festival rises to a high every year. As more people no longer travel far and instead work at their doorstep, the magnitude of this high point is quietly decreasing.
Movies are products of industrial civilization. But ultimately, the audience doesn't buy tickets just because the cinema is built big and good enough. Everyone is still watching works. This year's "20 billion yuan summer season" has several films that rank among the top in box office, including "The Disappearing She," "All in One," "The First Part of Fengshen," "In the Octagonal Cage," and "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an." The films themselves have different styles, with both realistic themes and Eastern aesthetics that showcase excellent traditional Chinese culture. They are relatively mature domestic commercial films, all worthy of the phrase "good films.".
Movies are art on the big screen. With the increasing convenience of watching movies through video websites on mobile phones, traditional large screens must have new pursuits in terms of quality, technology, and viewing experience. Stronger social attributes also give "watching movies" new connotations. In recent years, out of the top ten single cinema box office winners, 90% are IMAX cinemas. In the words of industry insiders, "audiences have higher demands for film quality and viewing environment, and they expect a more immersive and ultimate cinema viewing experience.".
It is imperative to produce good works. Chinese film creation, with the "plateau", needs more "peaks". These three "Easter eggs" with a box office revenue of 20 billion yuan - steady recovery, optimized structure, and more blockbusters - not only bring us a summer full of spiritual life, but also aim to build a cultural power by 2035.
Allowing more audiences to sit in front of the big screen and watch movies is one of the new challenges. Ten years ago, the per capita number of movies watched in China was 0.6 times per year, but now it has exceeded twice. It is said that more than 5 times is considered a senior fan.
Have you watched a movie this summer?
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