Director/Screenwriter Vu Liem is currently the Deputy Director of the People's Police Cinema. He is the author of the TV series scripts: "The Unique Path", "Black Medicine", "Investigation Team No. 7", "Mirror Mask", "A Time of Crossing", "Whispers from the Past", "Mysterious Journey...". Movie scripts: "The Season of Burning Body", "Injustice". Stage scripts: "Sunny Sunset", "Aspiration for Peace".
Director Vu Liem shared his practical experience in the profession: “Up to this point, 3 out of the four films: “The Four Guardians”, “The Billionaire Kiss”, “Love by Mistake” and “The Ghost Lamp” have been successful in terms of revenue. I think that is a good sign for Vietnamese Cinema. Filmmakers have made reasonable calculations to first make films with a scale and investment worthy of their stature. That is the first respect for the audience. I have watched these films, from a personal perspective, some films touched emotions, some films did not, but in general, if we evaluate the criteria of “cinematic language”, these works all meet the criteria in a meticulous manner. I appreciate that very much”.
Despite receiving a storm of criticism, “The Four Guardians” still rose to the top with a revenue of about 300 billion VND. After watching the film, director Vu Liem shared from the perspective of a professional as well as an audience. For him, “The Four Guardians” is not his favorite genre. But this is the film in which he sees himself: “It sounds unreasonable but it is true. The director of the film always knows how to leave his own personal mark. The overall film may not meet the expectations of demanding audiences or those who expect something better from this creative collective, but there are still some segments that evoke special emotions and express the unique language that has become the filmmaker’s trademark. After watching it, I once told my friends, “If this were my first work, it would definitely be praised!”
With the movie “Billionaire Kiss” despite mixed praise and criticism, it still achieved revenue of nearly 200 billion VND. According to Mr. Vu Liem, the media factor and the spread of introductions from the talented people in the group “Anh trai vu ngan cong gai” have pushed up the revenue. Watching the movie’s revenue increase slowly but steadily at first, then having a rapid breakthrough, you can see that right away. However, for director Vu Liem, the content also plays an important role in making “Billionaire Kiss” successful:
“The story is not new at all, but the filmmakers have really skillfully and realistically developed the plot and mastered the emotional rhythm of the film. What was interesting to me when experiencing this film was seeing some viewers shed tears and some people, after watching it, went outside to express their anger at the character’s behavior. Pulling the audience into the film, I think that is a success.”
As for “Den am hon”, it is considered a surprising film when it quickly reached a revenue of more than 100 billion VND and is still attracting audiences to continue buying tickets. Explaining this, director Vu Liem said: “This film is part of the trend of mystical spiritual films inspired by or bearing the color of national culture that has been well received by audiences recently, so I think its success in terms of revenue is understandable. However, in the long run, this direction certainly requires a breakthrough, not simply wearing the cloak of “old stories” or “different versions” to attract viewers.”
However, with the film “Love by mistake”, although it was evaluated to have a good script, it only reached 20 billion VND and quickly stopped the race: “The film was remade from a foreign film that was once a hit in Vietnam. So the criteria for a good script already existed, but I think this trend after many years of being effective is now starting to slow down”. Director Vu Liem shared. “The audience probably wants to experience something truly new. Moreover, when choosing to “adapt” in this way, it will be easy to compare “the original and the remake”, the pressure is not small. Perhaps that is part of the reason why the film’s revenue is not as expected”.
According to Mr. Vu Liem, there is no formula for making a film that is 100% correct to attract audiences. But there is one statement that is always true for him: "What you and your friends like is not necessarily what most people like." Therefore, the so-called "research" of audience tastes must be called the magic key to open the door to revenue success that not many filmmakers possess today.
“I don’t think that the worse a film is criticized, the higher its revenue will be,” said director Vu Liem. “That is just a phenomenon that cannot reflect the whole nature of the matter. Sometimes that “criticism” is part of a communication strategy to stimulate curiosity. If we simply understand that “being criticized will make it famous,” I think it will be harmful to the development path of our country’s cinema.”
Through many years of experience in filmmaking, director Vu Liem believes that producing a feature film is a big game with many financial risks. To minimize risks and increase the chance of success when released in theaters, producers need to prepare carefully at every stage. According to him, the first extremely important step is choosing the script content: “I always believe that to be successful, you must first choose the right direction, then overcome obstacles and steadfastly reach the destination. The script is not just said to be “good” in general, it needs to be clearly affirmed that it must be a story that is strong enough to anchor in the audience's mind. The formula sounds simple, but not every filmmaker is successful in bringing a cinematic work that “everyone who watches it can see themselves in it.”
Next is the production staff, we all understand that it is very important. Of course, to put it simply, many "names" will have the ability to "sell tickets" well, and along with that, the budget paid to them must also be commensurate. If the creative team such as the director, screenwriter, visual director, art designer... are considered the soul of the work, the actors are the breath of the film, then the producer is like a special glue to connect those subjects. It is not simply that talented people put together will ensure success. Cinema is a collective art. An excellent creative team but lacking harmony can lead to conflict, derailing the film. When the producer chooses the right personnel with the same perspective and good coordination, the film will first be implemented smoothly according to the wishes of the creative elements. Therefore, a successful film in terms of revenue does not only come from a good script, but also largely from the contribution of people with enough talent and consensus to turn the story on the page into a vivid world on the screen.
In addition, according to director Vu Liem, with the current trend of filmmaking, it is not simply about creating a work of art, the producer needs to bring it to the public through the fierce flow of the market. A good film is not necessarily successful (in terms of revenue) if it does not reach the right target audience, at the right time, through a sharp communication strategy. And even when everything is fully prepared, there is always an element of luck, which we often call an unpredictable variable. The current cinema market, in addition to the art of the work's content, is now also the art of conquering the public to attract them to watch the film. A clever communication campaign can turn a small film into a phenomenon, but carelessness can cause even a masterpiece to sink into oblivion. And above all, a brave producer must always take into account the unpredictable fluctuations of the film market that do not follow any rules, and prepare escape routes if the revenue is not as expected: “Therefore, for me personally, being a good producer is proven through continuous success is only a part, what is extremely necessary is knowing how to control risks, keeping faith in your choices. Because cinema, after all, is not only the light on the screen, but from the beginning it is also the light in the minds of those who dare to dream and are determined to turn that dream into reality”.
Four Vietnamese films are competing fiercely at the 2025 Tet box office, including “The Four Guardians”, “The Billionaire Kiss”, “Love by Mistake” and “The Ghost Lights”. Despite receiving a storm of criticism, “The Four Guardians” still rose to the top with a revenue of nearly 300 billion VND. “The Billionaire Kiss”, with mixed praise and criticism, earned about 200 billion VND, and “The Ghost Lights” quickly reached more than 100 billion VND. Meanwhile, “Love by Mistake” was considered to have a good script, but only earned 20 billion VND. Although the films did not meet the quality expectations of many audiences, and the more “bad” the film was criticized, the higher its revenue, this is a prominent issue that needs to be explained by audience tastes in the unpredictability of the Vietnamese film market.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/dao-dien-nha-bien-kich-vu-liem-dien-anh-va-nhung-bien-dong-kho-luong-10301331.html
Comment (0)