From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

March 18th, Thursday, New York, Sunny.

Ripley took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. It was cloudless, and the blue-gray sky was clearly visible through the skyscrapers of Manhattan.

Although the sunlight was completely blocked in the upper part of the steel forest, and only a few weak afterimages could reach the ground, she could still feel a little warmth of early spring, no longer piercingly cold.

This was good news, even the weather was on her side.

The last big stone that had been weighing on her shoulders finally lifted, a smile crept onto the corner of her mouth, and her mood lifted uncontrollably.

She hadn't expected that things would actually work out.

An unexpected person came forward, Lucas Wood. He personally arrived in New York to meet and discuss with the management of Focus Features' distribution department.

Finally, within forty-eight hours, they came up with a feasible plan and personally went to the Mayor's Office to promote the passage of this proposal.

Because there was no news from the Mayor's Office for a long time, Ripley almost thought it had failed, but the situation took a turn for the better, and they got the green light.

And then, everything just… happened.

The Angelika Film Center was hosting its first, and possibly last, outdoor screening, expected to accommodate three thousand people.

Three thousand people, although still a drop in the bucket compared to the number of online applicants, undoubtedly, this event had been completely transformed.

First, the Angelika Film Center drew eight hundred viewers from the online applicants, ensuring that these viewers could enter the venue with their real-name movie tickets and sit in the middle of the tiered viewing area.

Second, on the 18th, on-site queuing was opened. The rules were very simple: first come, first served. Viewers were allowed to enter the venue in the order of their arrival, until all two thousand two hundred remaining seats were filled.

As soon as the announcement came out, there was an uproar, and it became a hot topic of discussion overnight.

It wasn't a premiere, or even a simple preview, but a carnival for movie fans. Just in time, it was the day after St. Patrick's Day, and the Angelika Film Center friendly suggested that viewers wear a green item when going to the venue.

The festive atmosphere was overwhelming.

The movie was no longer just a movie, but evolved into a carnival and party for movie fans. Who could refuse such an invitation?

But… three thousand people? Really?

After the news was announced, doubts and worries quietly emerged from all around.

To be fair, although the number of online applicants for the Angelika Film Center exceeded 300,000, no one could judge how much of that was just hype; and the reality in front of them was that they needed to hold an outdoor screening event with three thousand people gathering on the streets of New York—

It was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Two years ago, the outdoor screening of "Catch Me If You Can" in Washington Square Park was indeed crowded, but that was because of the powerful after-effects of Anson's flash mob event. The bustling crowd gathered, and before Anson appeared, there should have been less than a thousand viewers in Washington Square Park. That was already the most top-notch and grand viewing event, and the participants were composed of students who had not yet entered society.

And now, the Angelika Film Center was holding a viewing event for three thousand people.

Three thousand people, it sounds like not many, but does anyone know how outrageous this number is?

For reference, the Lumière Theatre at the Cannes Film Festival can accommodate a little less than two thousand three hundred people.

So, the difficulty can be imagined.

Most importantly, the Angelika Film Center did not mention that the cast members led by Anson and Kate would appear for on-site interaction. According to news from reporters, the actors did not seem to have any plans to attend, and the probability of them not appearing was very, very high.

In other words, it could only rely on the appeal of the movie itself.

Would this work?

Did the "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" crew and Focus Features really know what they were doing?

For a time, there was constant discussion.

No one knew what was happening behind the scenes, but what was in front of them now was an adventure.

On the West Coast, Los Angeles, "Dawn of the Dead" held a grand premiere; on the East Coast, New York, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" held a grand preview.

Whether it was a premiere or a preview, although the settings, event positioning, and presentation forms were all different, the ultimate goal was the same.

Involuntarily, people also began to wonder who would win and occupy the focus of attention.

But this time, the media and the audience did not need to make a choice. Unlike the competition between "The Butterfly Effect" and "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World", people based in Los Angeles could go to the "Dawn of the Dead" premiere, while people living in New York could go to the "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" preview to join in the fun.

Who knows, maybe the two movies could achieve a win-win situation?

In fact, Ripley herself was not sure, because such an outdoor preview had never been held before—

If it was a classic masterpiece, such an event would still be guaranteed. Italy, Switzerland, France, and Germany often hold such viewing events, leaving the space of the cinema and showing the charm of film in different ways. Gathering two thousand or three thousand people is not common, but it does exist objectively.

However, a brand new movie? A preview?

The situation was completely different.

But Ripley still took a long breath and regained her composure.

In fact, if they were worried about the attendance rate, the Angelika Film Center could have chosen a safer approach:

All three thousand viewers would be selected by lottery from the online and offline applicants, ensuring that all three thousand seats in front of them would be filled.

After careful consideration, Ripley did not choose to do this, because she knew that there was definitely hype behind the number of 300,000 applicants, and those people were not necessarily really interested in the movie; she hoped that movie lovers who truly liked and loved independent movies could use this opportunity to gather together.

On the one hand, it was for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", and on the other hand, it was to make friends through such a grand event.

Like a music festival or a film festival.

Therefore, if it was necessary to take risks, then there was no other way. No matter what the result, the most important thing was not to leave regrets, right?

What's more, Ripley had a little bit of confidence:

As early as forty-eight hours ago,狂热影迷前就有狂热影迷前来现场排队了, some狂热影迷前had already come to the scene to queue up, camping in front of the Angelika Film Center, bringing a tent to reserve a spot early.

The number was not large, and it had only gradually increased to more than thirty people in forty-eight hours; but looking at this scene in front of her, her mood could not help but lift.

That was love, and youth, and at the same time, she could feel the energy of life burning.

Ripley smiled, waved, and greeted, "Hey, good morning. Today's the day, how's it going, are you ready?"