How To Build A High Box Office - On The "sisters" Publicity Strategy

The development of Chinese film has a long history for over a hundred years. Film industry is viewed as a special commodity with growing concerns on its product attribute——box office. Concerning to film market, the main criteria of judging a film success or not is related to its box office. In the 1930s and 1940s, Twin Sisters is considered as the pioneer of"Box-office myth". The premiere of Twin Sisters on Xingguang Theartre hit a record of continuous showing for 60 days.According to advertising statistics on Shanghai Times's local supplement on April 14, 1934,"the cinima was full with over a hundred of people each time, and was continuously roomful for 80 times of showing. There were more than 200,000 Male and female audiences, and half of them watched twice. Almost all the female audiences came to tears, and 88% of male audiences were moved. More than a thousand of outside visitors also came to watch it."Copies of the film was distributed to 18 provinces, 53 cities, Hong Kong and South Pacific Islands. This paper focuses on means of propaganda of Twin Sisters, rather than the artistic attainments and innovation of it. The paper will discuss the reasons why Twin Sisters could break the box-office records through factors.