Entertainment: I just want to be the boss behind the scenes

Chapter 57 Web Drama Criminal Investigation Universe
Since the release of "Avengers" in 2012, the concept of "film and television universe" has gradually become a "new concept" for more and more industry practitioners.

When many new directors and independent screenwriters are looking for investors to raise funds, no matter whether the subject matter is suitable or whether it is an art film or a commercial film, they will not speak without using words such as "series" or "universe".

The same goes for many producers, especially those who have some "old and outdated" IPs. No matter whether these IPs were from the same world view in the past, they just have to throw them together for a "big fight".

There is no need to be too picky about quality. If the photos are taken well, they will become popular again. If they are not taken well, you can still reap the money of a group of "childhood nostalgic" fans. It can be regarded as "waste utilization".

Therefore, when Liu Jun heard that Meng Bai also wanted to create the concept of "film and television universe", his first reaction was to refuse.

"Mr. Meng, the format of 'film and television universe' is indeed very attractive, but it is not that easy to implement. To be honest, I am not optimistic about this."

He thought Meng Bai would refute him immediately. After all, most of those who create content are a bit "literary and artistic" and always think that their creative ideas are unmatched.

Unexpectedly, Meng Bai actually nodded in agreement and said, "Indeed, the concept of 'film and television universe' is actually a version trap. Apart from a few large manufacturers such as Marvel, DC, Disney, and Nintendo, few in the world can handle it."

Is the secret of Marvel's success the "Avengers Universe"? Of course not. They rely on the huge "national-level" IP accumulated from comics over the past few decades, as well as the fan base accumulated from six global blockbuster movies in five years.

How can you expect to achieve the same success as others by making one or two haphazard films?

"Then you..." Liu Jun asked in confusion.

Meng Bai explained: "The setting of gathering a bunch of powerful people and teaming up to fight monsters has existed in stories thousands of years ago. Marvel just split this process into two parts: 'independent and collective'."

"I didn't think about achieving a scale as large as Marvel's. I just wanted to build a small stage framework through five or six stories with the same story background and interconnected characters. This way, many similar and repeated settings can be saved, and the interactive connection between the dramas can deepen the audience's interest."

"As for whether these stories will eventually be integrated together to cultivate a common IP, it depends on the performance of each drama before this."

After listening to Meng Bai's explanation, Liu Jun thought for a moment and said, "How should I put it? Your plan is quite..."

"Idealized?" Meng Bai helped him add the following comment.

Liu Jun smiled, agreeing with his own idea.

"Indeed, these are just my plans on paper." Meng Bai said: "But it is not impossible to succeed."

This is nonsense. None of us have been reincarnated and traveled through time, so no one knows what the future will be like.

Liu Jun was in deep thought. Meng Bai brought out this "series plan". The meaning was very clear. He hoped that Leshi.com could cooperate to complete the construction of the entire "series".

According to him, the entire series consists of about five to six dramas, which is equivalent to at least two to three years, and Leshi.com will always put a portion of its resources on this series.

If it succeeds, everyone will be happy. But if the audience is not interested in this model, then there will be a big problem in terms of resources.

After thinking for a while, Liu Jun said, "Your proposal is a bit big, and I can't decide on my own. So, you can tell me about your specific plan first, and I will go back and tell the board of directors."

"Okay." Meng Bai did not object. It was reasonable to do so. "I'll give you a brief introduction first. After I go back, I will submit a detailed plan and setting set for easy explanation."

"That's great." Liu Jun asked curiously, "I'd like to ask first, is Soul Ferry the first part of your plan for this 'series'?" Meng Bai shook his head, "No, 'Soul Ferry' is an independent project. In fact, this new 'series' has nothing to do with the supernatural, ghosts, or anything like that."

Liu Jun was surprised and asked, "Isn't it a supernatural theme?"

"No." Meng Bai said: "Excuse me, Mr. Liu, you should know better than me that a supernatural horror project like 'Pendulum', even if it is a web drama, will probably not survive for too long."

Liu Jun nodded. Indeed, the emergence and popularity of "Soul Ferry", in addition to factors such as the script, production, actors, etc., there is another key point, which is censorship.

It is precisely because of the absence of censorship in the online drama market that "Pendulum" has room to be born.

But as Meng Bai said, this "absence" cannot be maintained for a long time as the online drama market becomes more and more popular. Maybe in one year or two years, online dramas will inevitably follow the path of "review before filming" like today's TV dramas.

By that time, there will be only two ways out for "Pendulum". Either it will be like many of the current bloody domestic horror films, full of "mental disorder"; or it will change its nature and become a fantasy theme of the "supernatural" type.

It seems that many viewers still remember that "Nie Xiaoqian" is a serious female ghost, and has nothing to do with "fox demon" or "fairy fox".

But no matter how it is changed, the core elements and biggest highlight of the play "Pendulum" have been lost.

"So what subject do you want to choose?" Liu Jun asked.

"Suspense, reasoning, and criminal investigation." Meng Bai said, "In fact, these are the subjects I am good at. 'Pendulum' can only be said to be a perfect match for me."

"Criminal investigation suspense." Liu Jun nodded: "Indeed, this type of subject matter has more character positioning and classification, which is more conducive to constructing different types of stories."

Meng Bai said: "Yes, I think so too. I call this series the 'Green Ivy Series'. All the stories take place in a fictional city, Green Ivy City. According to the different occupations of the protagonists, they are divided into five categories: criminal psychology, forensics, traditional criminal investigation, crime profiling and detective."

"So many!" Liu Jun was surprised, and then worriedly said: "This kind of protagonist with strong professional attributes is no different from other protagonists. It requires very high professional knowledge. With so many different types of protagonists, are you sure you can master this aspect?"

"Don't worry, I'm prepared." Meng Bai laughed at himself: "No matter who is given two years, he can ensure that his story is professional enough if he only takes a job occasionally and spends the rest of the time looking up information and writing scripts."

After that, he added: "And I am only responsible for the plot and the characters. As for professional knowledge, I will find experts in related fields to guide and check during the preparation and filming of each drama. Professional matters should be left to professionals."

"That makes sense." Liu Jun said, "Then which one do you plan to start with?"

Meng Bai said: "Criminal Minds. It's just right, and I can also take advantage of the youth campus theme that has been popular in the past two years."

"Youth campus...crime mystery?" Liu Jun thought about it, but he still felt that the two didn't seem to fit together: "What's the name?"

"Psychological Crime."

Liu Jun thought for a few seconds and said, "This name sounds like a story about the pain of youth."

"That's not wrong." Meng Bai thought for a moment and said, "It does hurt a lot anyway."

(End of this chapter)