Creating phenomenal movies is better than making yourself an IP than chasing popular IP

The current China film market has a huge capacity, which may give followers some living space, but what about it in the long run? Those who pick up the wisdom cannot become a winner forever. Probably only by practicing internal skills in a down-to-earth manner like Wu Jing can we truly achieve box office and reputation success.

Original title: Pursue IP or Create IP? Wu Jing gave the answer.

Domestic films that have been depressed for half a year can finally hold their heads high. The box office of "Wolf Warrior 2" has soared, sweeping away the haze of the continued downturn in domestic films in the first half of the year. It seems that people have a little more confidence in this year's total box office, and it seems that domestic films have ushered in new hope.

But while celebrating, we must pour cold water on it."Wolf Warrior 2" is just an isolated case. It does not mean that domestic films will continue to rise in the second half of the year, and those bad films that should be hit will continue to hit the streets. You know, the popularity of "Wolf Warrior 2" is not to cater to a certain rising market trend, but to change it back bit by bit with Wu Jing's own original brand, his own investment, and his own blood, and these are all rare items in the current domestic movies.

Domestic films should be more

sincere. In recent years, although the domestic film market has been hot, it seems to have labeled the industry as "stupid people, rich money, and quick", attracting a large amount of foreign capital. This kind of unknown money comes to make money, and naturally it wants to make quick money immediately. As a result, various kinds of popularity for popular IPs have emerged, such as "Tomb Robber Notes", which has aroused countless people's competition. It was indeed lively for a while, but when the tide recedes, we will find that this excitement is somewhat self-deceiving, and that is why domestic films have collectively attacked the streets in the first half of this year.

Why can't those popular big IPs be played? Wang Zhonglei, chairman of Huayi Brothers, once said when summarizing domestic films in the first half of the year that "domestic films must respect the audience." Today's audiences in China are not young people who "just want to entertain but not think" as described by so-called big data. Their appreciation and judgment have been rapidly improved in recent years, and you cannot fool them just by putting on a cloak of IP. Although it is an industrial product, the artistic attributes of movies should not be ignored. Movies cannot be made based on cold data analysis and simple addition. Therefore, when the craze for burning money passed, those movies that lacked sincerity could only run naked.

Instead of chasing popular IPs, why not make yourself an IP?

How can we make movies that are recognized by the audience? The "Wolf Warrior" series can be said to give a standard answer. Instead of pursuing popular IPs, it is better to make yourself an IP. However, the process of creating an original IP is naturally much more difficult. As the first military action film in China, the first "Wolf Warrior" was not favored by the industry at the beginning of filming. Therefore, Wu Jing had to invest all his savings and hard work. He had to spend 18 months at the grassroots level of the special forces to experience life. It took seven years to prepare and shoot. Such investment regardless of cost is naturally not something that those who make quick money have the patience to wait for.

Not just the "Wolf Warrior" series, looking back at the phenomenal hit movies in recent years, almost every one has a similar story behind it. They are not necessarily perfect, but they are all pioneers in their respective fields and opening up a new world. From "Lost in Thailand" to "Monster Hunt", from "Return of the Great Sage" to "Operation Mekong", this is all true.

The road to winning the box office crown is often accompanied by thorns. In the past few years, in an industry environment where making quick money has become a norm, it takes courage and determination to find a unique way to create originality, and it takes to overcome numerous difficulties. What's more, some attempts cannot win. For example,"Kuiba", the pioneer of domestic hot-blooded animation, has worked hard for many years, but has failed to achieve corresponding market returns. Of course, the market still releases hope for hard-working people. Those films that become popular movies rely on the courage and determination of the creators to receive praise from the audience. Unfortunately, too few people have the courage and determination to win awards.

It is conceivable that "Wolf Warrior 2" is so popular that it will inevitably attract many followers. The current China film market has a huge capacity, which may give followers some living space, but what about it in the long run? Those who pick up the wisdom cannot become a winner forever. Probably only by practicing internal skills in a down-to-earth manner like Wu Jing can we truly achieve box office and reputation success.

Editor: Mary