Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 610 The Three Driving Forces of Variety Shows

Zhang Chen couldn't avoid Zhao Benshan's drinking party after all, so he had no choice but to spread the word and invite more people to join him.

Old Zhao welcomes all comers.

Amidst the clinking of glasses at the dinner table, Zhang Jiahao led his troops in place of his father, while Zhang Chen's side also boasted a large and well-equipped army.

Both sides drank until their faces were flushed. During this time, Lao Zhao pulled Zhang Chen aside and whispered something in his ear, while the others fought amongst themselves.

"Alright, that's enough for today. You've had your fill, haven't you?"

"Thank you, Uncle Benshan, for sparing my life!"

Dong Jianqiang arranged for a car to take Zhao Benshan and the other man back to the hotel, while he himself escorted Zhang Chen home.

"Instead of going home, I'll find a place to get a massage and sober up~"

"Touch and sing?"

"Bullshit, it's a legitimate massage~"

"clear."

When his boss made a request, Dong Jianqiang immediately faced a dilemma: he didn't know any legitimate massage therapists, so was he supposed to hire a blind masseur?
But blind massage isn't exactly high-end.

A celebrity like Zhang Chen shouldn't be picking up items at a community store.

In the end, we found a club.

Zhao Benshan didn't force-feed Zhang Chen to death today, so the latter is still relatively sober.

Zhang Chen lay on the massage bed, feeling very comfortable. He hummed softly and fell into a deep sleep, then woke up again after a short while.

"how do you feel?"

"Yes, she's alive again~"

I was a little thirsty, and the technician immediately handed me a glass of water.

Hmm, not bad, it's still honey water.

Zhang Chen felt better after drinking some.

"I overheard you two whispering at the dinner table, about going to work together on a variety show?"

"Yes, it's called 'Happy Comedians'~"

Zhang Chen suddenly stopped talking. Dong Jianqiang understood and dismissed the technicians. Only then did Zhang Chen continue, "We will adopt a production and broadcasting separation model..."

"What about the broadcasting platform?"

"Our PPTV channel, and we might also choose one of the three satellite channels from Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning."

Zhang Chen also wanted PPTV to have an exclusive rights, but there was nothing he could do. At this stage, the influence of streaming media platforms is still somewhat lacking, and they are incomparable to traditional TV stations, especially satellite TV stations.

Another reason is to save face for Zhao Benshan.

Old Zhao has been cooperating with three satellite TV stations in Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning for many years. He doesn't want the profits to go to outsiders, so he definitely can't give it to other TV stations at this time. But Zhang Chen has also thought it through. The advertising revenue sharing will definitely have to be renegotiated later.

Dong Jianqiang nodded. He had wanted to do a variety show for a long time, but Zhang Chen had never agreed before.

Zhang Chen did not agree because he always felt that before the rise of streaming media, the production team was always in a weak position and could be manipulated by the broadcaster.

Even now, the two sides are still not on equal footing.

However, Zhang Chen has his own streaming platform, so he won't lose money no matter what; at most, he'll just make a small profit.

Moreover, for some variety shows, it's too late to secure a spot if you don't do it now.

"Jianqiang, you should set up a variety show department later. Although we've already reached an agreement with Benshan Media for 'Happy Comedians,' there's no rush. What's really urgent are the other two shows: one is called 'The Voice of China,' a music talent show, and the other is called 'If You Are the One,' a dating show."

Dong Jianqiang never expected Zhang Chen to have such grand ambitions, especially to be involved in a music talent show!
Did he choose a hellish difficulty level for himself right from the start?
As a key figure in Star Entertainment, Dong Jianqiang felt it necessary to offer a reminder.

After organizing his thoughts, he tactfully advised, "Isn't it a bit too much to go on three variety shows at once? Besides, we've never done variety shows before. How about we do one first to train the team?"

Zhang Chen knew his concerns, but couldn't explain. He couldn't very well say that "The Voice of the Netherlands" was going to air in 2010, and if they didn't secure the slots now, the copyright would belong to someone else.

"If You Are the One" also premiered in early 2010, so maybe they're already planning something similar now.

"I have my own reasons. Of the three shows, 'Happy Comedians' can be postponed, but the other two must be done as soon as possible."

Seeing that Zhang Chen had made up his mind, Dong Jianqiang immediately changed his attitude: "No problem, I will fully cooperate."

This scenario has happened far too many times.

Zhang Chen likes to act arbitrarily. At Star Entertainment, he is like an emperor, stubborn and self-willed.

His ideas always gave people the impression of being arrogant and unrealistic, but the results always proved that Zhang Chen was right.

Over time, everyone got used to it.

Moreover, the two had already made an agreement: Zhang Chen would be responsible for the creative work, and Dong Jianqiang would be responsible for management.

In terms of creative work, no matter how outrageous Zhang Chen's requests are, Dong Jianqiang will simply carry them out.

"With the establishment of the variety show department, do you have a preferred candidate?"

Now that the goal had been set, Dong Jianqiang began to implement it one by one, with the first priority being the personnel issue.

"Yes, go contact the production team behind 'My Hero' and 'Dancing with the Stars' on Dragon TV and poach them with high salaries..."

"Will they come? They're employees of the system, after all."

Television is a secure job, so it's no wonder Dong Jianqiang asked this question.

"Just tell them I have a way to help them beat Hunan TV this time, and ask them if they're willing?"

Zhang Chen was actually looking for the people from Canxing Entertainment, the original producers of "The Voice of China".

Canxing Entertainment is a company formed by the original group of people from Dragon TV's "My Hero" and "Dancing with the Stars" after they left the system.

Hunan TV once mocked them, saying, "They don't know what they're doing; the variety shows they produce are completely unwatchable."

In a fit of anger, this group left Dongfang Weidi, formed Canxing Entertainment, proposed a bet, created the phenomenal program "The Voice of China", and staged a world-shaking retribution.

Hunan TV was thoroughly defeated; "Super Girl" and "Super Boy" were no match for it, and even copying "China's Strongest Voice" didn't work.

"?"

Dong Jianqiang is interested in movies and TV series, but he doesn't really know much about variety shows, especially between the two satellite TV stations.

"These two have always been competitors, and in the variety show sector, Hunan TV has consistently outperformed Dragon TV..."

"As far as I know, it's not that Hunan TV has always been suppressing Dragon TV, it's that Hunan TV has always been suppressing all satellite TV channels~"
In China, Hunan TV became the top satellite TV station solely through its variety shows. Nationwide, it doesn't care about anyone except CCTV.

"Hunan TV is indeed the top satellite TV station, but its variety shows are actually terrible. Those game segments are all copied from Korean variety shows."

When it comes to variety shows, South Korea is indeed strong. Hunan TV is just taking advantage of the fact that ordinary people don't use the internet much. Even Taiwan's "Guess Guess Guess" can completely outperform Hunan TV's number one show, "Happy Camp".

"Once we find the people, they'll contact me. I'll discuss the creative ideas with them, and we need to work on the program as quickly as possible, ideally before New Year's Day."
Also, the program copyright must be registered immediately. Note that this is for global copyright. For overseas copyrights, you can contact Chen Xi to help with the registration, which will speed things up...

Zhang Chen appeared very eager, as "The Voice of China" is a program whose copyright can be sold globally, as is "If You Are the One".

"If You Are the One" is also a program whose copyright can be sold globally, and it is one of the few Chinese variety shows whose copyright has been sold all over the world.

The program "Original Time and Space" was launched on January 15, 2010. It is now July. According to the timeline of "Original Time and Space", Jiangsu TV either has not started yet or only has a prototype.

With six months to go, launching ahead of schedule shouldn't be a problem.

Zhang Chen knows the right direction for the show, and with no cost of trial and error, he can definitely be faster than the other side.

"By the way, regarding the copyright issue of 'If You Are the One,' check if the name has been registered. If it has, buy it. Also, check with Huayi Brothers; since it has the same name as their movie, it could cause trouble. Give them some money and buy it outright."

As far as I can remember, the name "If You Are the One" has been involved in lawsuits ever since. It's best to nip these bad signs in the bud.

Dong Jianqiang nodded, figuring there shouldn't be any major issues with Huayi Brothers, since the two sides had just reconciled and shouldn't deliberately cause trouble. The next day, Zhang Chen went into seclusion; he had to finish writing the proposals for all three programs.

Having watched the entire program, he naturally wrote the proposal quickly.

In just three days, three project proposals were on Dong Jianqiang's desk.

Dong Jianqiang then began to implement the series of matters that Zhang Chen had mentioned the previous night.

The first step is to register the copyright.

You wouldn't believe it until you check, and it turns out some clever people have actually registered the dating-related copyright for "If You Are the One" in advance.

It's likely that the movie was registered by someone as soon as it was released.

Instead of talking directly to the other party, Dong Jianqiang found an intermediary company and entrusted them to handle the negotiations.

Starry Sky Entertainment is too famous, the number one private film and television company in China. Once the other party finds out, they will definitely ask for an exorbitant price.

The result was ideal. The agency knew exactly how to deal with this kind of person, and didn't give them any chance to make exorbitant demands. In the end, they bought back the copyright at a very low cost.

Next, Dong Jianqiang plans to contact Huayi Brothers to purchase the copyright to the name.

Unexpectedly, Little Cannon suddenly went crazy before this happened.

One evening, Feng Xiaogang suddenly launched a scathing attack on Guo Fan on Weibo:

The rookie actor's 400 million yuan box office success was largely due to the subject matter of the film.
He earned 1500 million for his second movie. What makes him so special?
A film's success isn't solely determined by box office revenue.
Netizens were excited and started forwarding the post, tagging Zhang Chen and Xingchen Entertainment's official account.

The Wang brothers urgently sought to understand the situation.

They knew that Xiao Gangpao was unhappy when "Gravity" was a box office hit a couple of days ago, so Wang Zhongjun even had a special talk with him about it.

The main approach is appeasement, and the central message is to avoid causing trouble.

Feng Xiaogang is a reckless person, but he also knows what's what.

He's never won against Zhang Chen, and now he's bullying the newcomer Guo Fan. If he wins, it's an unfair victory; if he loses, it's even more humiliating.
Moreover, Guo Fan's box office is a solid 400 million yuan. Do you have that?

So Feng Xiaogang bluntly stated that he would swallow this insult.
but
How could you agree so readily one minute and then turn around and vent your anger on Weibo the next?

After learning the whole story, the Wang brothers realized that Xiao Gangpao had drunk too much.

After drinking too much, his cynical streak returned, and he felt like he was the most important person in the world, so he posted on Weibo.

People around tried to stop them, but they couldn't.
The more you try to stop him, the more energetic he becomes.
The Wang brothers facepalmed.
It's like trying to help a piece of rotten wood.

It's just a shame that all the hard-won good situation they've built up is now wasted. They had just managed to repair their relationship with Starry Sky Entertainment, and now it seems like it's all been for nothing.
Zhang Chen didn't reply online, but Guo Fan did.

He directly tagged Feng Xiaogang: "Sorry, my first film broke 400 million, it's an eyesore for you~, if you think I'm in the way, why don't you make a movie and break my record, then that's all."

As mentioned earlier, a company carries the genes of its founder.

Zhang Chen was not mistreated, and neither were his subordinates.

Guo Fan, a new member, was worried about how to prove his loyalty when he met a kind person.

Feng Xiaogang was frustrated, and the Wang brothers were discussing what to do when they unexpectedly received a call from Dong Jianqiang.

"What do you mean? Are you playing us for fools? Do you think Starry Entertainment is some kind of clown? Fine, then let's fight to the death!"

Hearing the discontent on the phone, the two were not surprised but rather pleased.

If Star Entertainment remains silent, then both sides are definitely finished.

But the fact that Dong Jianqiang called and made a fuss at least shows that there's still room for negotiation.

"No, no, Xiaogang just had a few drinks and said something carelessly. We've already criticized him."

The Wang brothers apologized profusely and said all sorts of nice things, and Dong Jianqiang finally accepted their so-called 'explanation'.

"Alright, this won't happen again."

With the matter considered closed, Dong Jianqiang took the opportunity to propose purchasing the rights to use the name "If You Are the One." The Wang brothers, of course, readily agreed, as they were just worried about how to repair their relationship and offered to give it away for free.

It was impossible to give it away for free, so Star Entertainment ultimately acquired the permanent rights to use "If You Are the One" on television for one yuan.

After hanging up the phone, Dong Jianqiang smiled.

This is like a godsend! Little Cannon is such a good person; otherwise, the right to use it would never have cost a dollar.

……

Benshan Media
After Zhao Benshan and Zhang Jiahao returned to Benshan Media, they did not immediately announce the collaboration. Instead, they asked Zhang Jiahao, "Who do you think is more suitable to participate in this year's 'Happy Comedians'?"

Zhang Jiahao wasn't stupid: "That's not up to me; it depends on what you, Chairman, decide."

Old Zhao sighed and turned to leave.

He was also troubled.

He liked to take on apprentices, and he had quite a few, but his apprentices were also divided into different levels.

The biggest beneficiaries now are his first batch of apprentices, the people from "Country Love".

Once you become famous, your treatment will naturally be different. Not only will your contract with the company be better, but you can also earn extra income on the side.

Over time, those who haven't become famous will feel resentful.

Why should they always get the chance to become famous?

No reason!
Because they are famous, they have a high profile, and audiences love to watch them.

So not only do they earn extra money, but they also get more opportunities to appear at Liu Laogen Grand Stage than others, because the audience specifically requests to see them, and they can't go against the audience's wishes.

But the other apprentices harbored resentment and began to say all sorts of strange things.

But resources are limited, and Lao Zhao isn't a god; he can't just make anyone famous.

Then came "Not Short of Money," and Wen Song became famous.

Afterwards, Cheng Ye and Song Xiaofeng gradually gained fame in the movie "My Own Swordsman: The Treasure Hunt".

Song Xiaobao also became famous at Liu Laogen Grand Stage.

More and more apprentices became famous, and everything seemed to be developing in a good direction.

But this time, Old Zhao was in trouble again.

To be honest, he didn't see much difference between "Happy Comedians" and previous sketch comedy competitions.

But he could see Zhang Chen's determination.

Zhang Chen has never lost a film or television series. If he wants to do variety shows, especially comedy variety shows, Lao Zhao thinks that with the strength he showed in "Not Short of Money" and "Summer of Prison Break", the chances of success are extremely high.

This is another opportunity to shine.

Putting aside his appearance on the show, Zhang Chen will definitely participate in such an important program.

The mere fact that one could have contact with Zhang Chen was enough to make people scramble to get their hands on him.

Everyone at Benshan Media knows that Wen Song was chosen to star in "Not Short of Money" by Zhang Chen; even Lao Zhao's words didn't carry weight.

A single sentence from someone can change your fate; who wouldn't seize such an opportunity?

Therefore, this time, Lao Zhao is not planning to designate anyone to participate.

Let everyone fight it out themselves.

……

Please vote for me!
(End of this chapter)