Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

Chapter 34: The First Cinema in Another World



Edward toured the Nosrick Grand Theater and found it to be satisfactory.

Baron Baniel, who followed him closely, remained very respectful. Although he was a viscount and Edward a baron, it was important to remember that Edward was also a highly skilled magician. Even though he had been expelled from the Imperial Mage Tower, his personal strength remained unchanged, only lacking the network of the Tower.

“Lord Durin, do you see any issues with our theater?” Baniel inquired.

Edward responded calmly, “The seating arrangement is too large. While this is fine for stage plays, for films, such a large seating area would result in a poor viewing experience for those in the back. You can’t expect every viewer to have an Eagle Eye spell.”

Indeed, as the Nosrick Grand Theater was originally an opera house, its three-tiered structure allowed viewers on the second and third floors to see the stage from above. However, this setup was not ideal for films. Even though myopia was not a significant issue in this world, the height difference alone could ruin the viewing experience.

“The seating problem doesn’t end there. Ideally, cinema seats should be slightly inclined. Flat seats will obstruct the view of those in the back. The interior lighting needs to be carefully controlled. If possible, I would also like the audience to be allowed to bring in their own food. No, actually, that could cause problems. It would be better if the theater provided small, quiet snacks that are easy to clean up.”

Edward rattled off a series of suggestions for transforming the theater, causing Baniel to hurriedly take notes like an eager student. Baniel, slightly overwhelmed, replied immediately after Edward finished, “As expected of a great magician, Lord Durin. Your ideas are ahead of their time. However, making all these changes right now might be a bit rushed…”

“Of course, I’m just giving you suggestions. I don’t expect you to make all the changes immediately. What you need to do right now is transform the stage used for plays into a suitable area for film screenings.”

Edward pointed to the red curtains and the decorations meant to prevent the stage from looking too empty.

Once Baniel cleared the stage according to Edward’s instructions, the theater started to look more like a cinema. Edward then estimated the wall size and said, “How long would it take to paint that wall white?”

“If the workers are quick, probably half an afternoon.”

“Good. Get it done as soon as possible. If everything is ready, we can have the premiere tonight.”

Edward’s words indicated his satisfaction with the theater’s readiness for screening movies. Baniel, understanding Edward’s vision, quickly began modifying the family theater as suggested.

Truth be told, if Baniel had been an older, more stubborn individual, he likely wouldn’t have agreed to Edward’s unconventional plans. Older people often cling to tradition and are resistant to change, viewing the abandonment of ancient customs as a severe disrespect to their heritage. While this mindset may seem reasonable on the surface, it significantly hinders cultural and technological progress.

For the continued promotion of “KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!” in its film format, these conservative traditionalists would present a significant challenge. They control many old theaters and hold considerable influence, and would likely obstruct the development of movies. However, Edward had anticipated this and planned to screen films in open-air plazas as an alternative.

……

As Baniel quickly started the modifications, Edward nodded in approval and instructed, “When the film is shown, please ensure the environment is completely dark. Those glowing magic stones need to be removed or their internal magic drained. Make sure there are plenty of seats. The second floor can be used for viewing, but the third floor is out of the question. Also, before the screening, adjust the angle of the imaging crystal so that viewers in the back can see the full picture.”

Edward’s rapid-fire instructions were a bit too much for Baniel to remember, but his assistant, who had arrived early, diligently took notes.

As the theater’s transformation neared completion, Edward took a seat in the audience area and looked at the newly whitewashed wall with satisfaction. Baniel’s dedication to the film was evident, and he had nearly perfectly met Edward’s requirements. This suggested that the premiere would be a great success.

Although the actual experience wouldn’t be as good as the cinemas Edward had visited in his previous life, this transformed theater was quite comfortable by the standards of this world.

With these thoughts, Edward suddenly remembered that he had planned to watch the second part of the “Fate/stay night: Heaven’s Feel” movie trilogy before he got transported to this world. It was a pity he didn’t get to see it.

Lost in these thoughts, Edward noticed that the theater’s cinema conversion was nearly complete when Baniel returned.

“I believe you were supposed to promote the screening. How is that going? While we don’t need a full house for the premiere, we can’t have too few people either.”

Baniel nodded, “Yes, I’ve had my people change the billboard at the entrance to advertise your film. With the inherent popularity of the Nosrick Grand Theater, plenty of people will be attracted. Then, by word of mouth, more and more people will come to watch.”

Although Baniel’s confidence was reassuring, something felt off to Edward. He suddenly asked, “You mentioned relying on word of mouth? Does that mean you haven’t done any formal promotion or advertising?”

“Promotion? Isn’t that just shouting at the entrance? Our Nosrick Grand Theater is the only one in Nosrick, so everyone knows about it. By the way, what is advertising?”

Edward’s expression changed immediately at Baniel’s naive assumption.

Clearly, everything had been going too smoothly, and Edward had overlooked an important issue: despite the developed paper industry in this world, there were no means of obtaining real-time information. Moreover, people here had no concept of what proper promotion meant!


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