CHUYEN MA GAN NHA (Vietnamese Horror Story) is a film based on urban legends in Vietnam, produced by ProductionQ – Creative House and released by CJ CGV Vietnam. This is the third film project of director Tran Huu Tan and producer Hoang Quan, following Home Sweet Home (2019) and Survive (2021). The cast includes Mac Can, Van Trang, Kha Nhu, Ngoc Hiep, Huu Tien, Huynh Thanh Truc, Huynh Nhu Dan, Trinh Tai, Le Be La, Tran Phong, Xuan Phuc, Nguyen Minh Thoi, Quynh Anh, Van Anh and Hy An.
Released on February 11, 2022, CHUYEN MA GAN NHA became a big hit when Vietnamese cinemas were still recovering from the pandemic. The film had the highest pre-sale ticket bookings in the history of Vietnamese cinema with 85,000 tickets. It also achieved the highest opening day box office revenue of 2022 with VND 15 billion and eventually grossed over VND 70 billion.
MARKETING PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING
In 2020, when the project was launched, the communication process began at the same time. The marketing team evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the story when it was still on paper. The “Marketing Parallel with Production” model has three main advantages: more preparation time, no missing materials on set, and flexibility in adjusting direction. The highlight of the project is based on urban legends in Vietnam, which have not been exploited much on the big screen. A focal point of the film is the character “Co Mia,” a familiar lady on Vietnamese sugarcane juice carts. The film targets a broad audience as well as fans of horror and thriller genres.
FIRST INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT
In November 2020, the producer introduced the first poster featuring “Co Mia.” Accompanying this poster was the First Look Trailer, introducing the eerie mood and distinct Vietnamese style. The clip also aroused curiosity about the comeback of artist Mac Can in a haunting role.
THE MARKETING TEAM WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE PRODUCTION TEAM
During the official filming in February and March 2021, a public relations specialist followed the process closely. This person collaborated with the BTS crew to manage data and search for suitable materials for future communications. Many other marketing team members also updated daily developments, exchanging information to “understand” the film while it was being created. In addition, the crew organized a Set Visit event for the press, allowing reporters to work on the set and explore some details about the actors and settings.
ADAPTING TO THE “NEW NORMAL”
Due to general circumstances, CHUYEN MA GAN NHA could not be released on Halloween 2021 as planned. After the situation improved, the release date was set for February 11, 2022. At that time, this decision was risky because Covid-19 was still unpredictable and there was a risk of sudden outbreaks. Moreover, showing a horror film on Valentine’s Day was daring because this time is usually reserved for romantic or light entertainment movies.
TEASER POSTER AND TEASER TRAILER
In December 2021, the Teaser Poster and Teaser Trailer were released on the same day as the new premiere date. The project’s strength is still the haunting urban legends and the curious creature designs. Mysterious and terrifying images and clips have attracted many viewers. In addition, the song “Don’t Leave Me Alone” in the Teaser Trailer also received a lot of attention.
After this announcement, “Chuyen Ma Gan Nha” entered the top 10 list of the most popular keywords of the week.The film received 17 million interactions from various platforms.CHARACTER POSTERS AND PAYOFF TRAILER
In January 2022, “Chuyen Ma Gan Nha” released its official trailer along with a series of character posters, introducing a multitude of supernatural entities that will gather in the film.
VARIOUS CHANNELS
The film was introduced to audiences through multiple platforms to reach the highest accessibility.
Press: More than 133 newspapers and over 400 articles, and TV channels reported on the film.
Social media (Facebook and Tik Tok): The film was mentioned and discussed highly on various film communities’ pages such as Cuong Phim-Review, Thần Kinh Phim, Ra Rạp Xem Gì?, Phim Sắp Chiếu, Khen Phim, SV Movies, alongside some social media pages for young people like Beatvn, Hóng Hớt Showbiz, Không Sợ Chó…
Facebook:
15,983 followers on the fan page
11,831,580 reach
13,973,275 impressions
1,786,016 interactions
1,772,835 video views
Tik Tok:
1,571,240 reach
2,590,600 impressions
735,690 interactions
In Cinemas: The film’s materials appeared in all cinema clusters of CGV, Galaxy, Lotte, BHD… in different provinces.
OOH: Images and videos promoting the film displayed on over 839 LCD screens and electronic billboard systems located in buildings, apartments in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and 322 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi.
VARIETY OF PRODUCTS
Besides traditional contents such as trailers, posters, and social media posts, the project also has accompanying “satellite” products to increase brand coverage to many viewers.
Podcast: Episodes of urban legend stories
Webtoon: 12 comic episodes on urban legend stories (Link to read)
Short films: A unique product of “Chuyen Ma Gan Nha” is the “film within the film” project, consisting of three short films, “The Film Crew’s Haunted Stories.”
Besides traditional promotional content like trailers, posters, there are also additional angles like makeup, visual effects, and behind-the-scene to keep the media coverage during the release phase.
Best Cut: Highlight scenes from the film
Makeup
Visual effects
Behind-the-scenes design and color palette.
PREMIERE & CINETOUR
The premiere of “Chuyen Ma Gan Nha” took place on February 8, 2022, in Ho Chi Minh City, with over 900 guests attending including many artists, journalists, and partners.
The Cinetour took place on February 12, 2022, at 2 cinemas, Galaxy Tan Binh and CGV Su Van Hanh with a large audience attending.
PRESS REVIEWS
VnExpress newspaper commented: “The creepy monster designs in the film are carefully crafted. The dark forces appear in many forms, such as people with the ability to change faces, headless ghosts, and wide-mouthed ghosts… In many scenes, the film reminds viewers of famous works due to similar makeup and styling, such as “The Painted Skin” and “Pan’s Labyrinth”…”
Another positive point mentioned by Phụ nữ Việt Nam is the meticulous attention to detail, and investment in special effects from images, makeup, and sound to a carefully selected cast, suited to their roles.
BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENTS
The film had the highest pre-sale ticket volume in the history of Vietnamese cinema: 85,000 tickets.
Highest revenue on opening day in 2022: 15 billion VND. 400,000 tickets sold after the first two days.
Revenue for the first four days: 53 billion VND.
Total revenue: 72 billion VND (in Vietnam Theatrical Market).
MARKETING PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING
In 2020, when the project was launched, the communication process began at the same time. The marketing team evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of the story when it was still on paper. The “Marketing Parallel with Production” model has three main advantages: more preparation time, no missing materials on set, and flexibility in adjusting direction. The highlight of the project is based on urban legends in Vietnam, which have not been exploited much on the big screen. A focal point of the film is the character “Co Mia,” a familiar lady on Vietnamese sugarcane juice carts. The film targets a broad audience as well as fans of horror and thriller genres.
FIRST INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT
In November 2020, the producer introduced the first poster featuring “Co Mia.” Accompanying this poster was the First Look Trailer, introducing the eerie mood and distinct Vietnamese style. The clip also aroused curiosity about the comeback of artist Mac Can in a haunting role.
THE MARKETING TEAM WORKING TOGETHER WITH THE PRODUCTION TEAM
During the official filming in February and March 2021, a public relations specialist followed the process closely. This person collaborated with the BTS crew to manage data and search for suitable materials for future communications. Many other marketing team members also updated daily developments, exchanging information to “understand” the film while it was being created. In addition, the crew organized a Set Visit event for the press, allowing reporters to work on the set and explore some details about the actors and settings.
ADAPTING TO THE “NEW NORMAL”
Due to general circumstances, CHUYEN MA GAN NHA could not be released on Halloween 2021 as planned. After the situation improved, the release date was set for February 11, 2022. At that time, this decision was risky because Covid-19 was still unpredictable and there was a risk of sudden outbreaks. Moreover, showing a horror film on Valentine’s Day was daring because this time is usually reserved for romantic or light entertainment movies.
TEASER POSTER AND TEASER TRAILER
In December 2021, the Teaser Poster and Teaser Trailer were released on the same day as the new premiere date. The project’s strength is still the haunting urban legends and the curious creature designs. Mysterious and terrifying images and clips have attracted many viewers. In addition, the song “Don’t Leave Me Alone” in the Teaser Trailer also received a lot of attention.
VARIOUS CHANNELS
The film was introduced to audiences through multiple platforms to reach the highest accessibility.
Press: More than 133 newspapers and over 400 articles, and TV channels reported on the film.
Social media (Facebook and Tik Tok): The film was mentioned and discussed highly on various film communities’ pages such as Cuong Phim-Review, Thần Kinh Phim, Ra Rạp Xem Gì?, Phim Sắp Chiếu, Khen Phim, SV Movies, alongside some social media pages for young people like Beatvn, Hóng Hớt Showbiz, Không Sợ Chó…
Facebook:
OOH: Images and videos promoting the film displayed on over 839 LCD screens and electronic billboard systems located in buildings, apartments in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and 322 coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Hanoi.
VARIETY OF PRODUCTS
Besides traditional contents such as trailers, posters, and social media posts, the project also has accompanying “satellite” products to increase brand coverage to many viewers.
Podcast: Episodes of urban legend stories
Short films: A unique product of “Chuyen Ma Gan Nha” is the “film within the film” project, consisting of three short films, “The Film Crew’s Haunted Stories.”
VARIETY OF ANGLES
PRESS REVIEWS
VnExpress newspaper commented: “The creepy monster designs in the film are carefully crafted. The dark forces appear in many forms, such as people with the ability to change faces, headless ghosts, and wide-mouthed ghosts… In many scenes, the film reminds viewers of famous works due to similar makeup and styling, such as “The Painted Skin” and “Pan’s Labyrinth”…”
Another positive point mentioned by Phụ nữ Việt Nam is the meticulous attention to detail, and investment in special effects from images, makeup, and sound to a carefully selected cast, suited to their roles.
BOX OFFICE ACHIEVEMENTS
