Who are you calling "little fresh meat"? I'm the king.

Chapter 928 Casting (33)

"I know that variety show personalities are still quite rare..."

"Oh, so who do you think is suitable for variety show personalities in mainland China?"

"Yang Di, Song Xiaobao, Chen He, and Sha Yi... they'd be a good fit!"

Shen Li is a well-known variety show producer, and she has her own understanding of the guests required for variety shows!

Shen Yan immediately seized on the loophole: "So, you also think Shi Shi isn't suitable for variety shows?"

Before Shen Li could answer, Shi Shi rolled her eyes at him: "I'm just not suited for variety shows, what's the big deal..."

Shen Yan was a little embarrassed: "Since you've already said that... what else can I say..."

"Variety show personalities need to be quick-witted, able to catch jokes, and funny. It's no simpler than being an actor, especially now that audiences have increasingly higher expectations for variety shows!" After a pause, Shen Li suddenly remembered something: "Brother, why don't you have Brother Ji Xiang set up a talent agency specifically for training variety show personalities?"

Shen Yan shook his head: "It's not that simple... Variety show stars, since they have the word 'star' in their names, are basically established or famous artists."

The availability of regular spots on top variety shows is limited. These shows offer both financial rewards and consistent media exposure, and a good performance can attract just as many fans as a drama series. Many established artists are eager to get on these shows.

Are there any talent shows abroad that select variety show personalities?

Shen Yan pondered for a moment, then said, "Japan has a show called 'Ariyoshi no Kabe' that selects variety show personalities, and South Korea has 'Comedy Big League,' which specifically selects comedians... They're both variety show personality selection competitions..."

"Comedy Big League?"

……

South Korea's three major television networks all have their own variety shows that recruit gagmen, such as "The Laughing Man," "Saturday Night Live Korea," "Gag Concert," and "Comedy Big League," among others.

South Korea’s three major television networks broadcast comedy programs every week. These programs are usually live performances and consist of multiple segments. Each segment typically invites one or two regular comedians, or gagmen, to perform.

Sometimes, we invite guests to participate, but it's not very frequent!

Kang Ho-dong debuted on MBC – entering the entertainment industry as a guest comedian on MBC;

Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Soo-geun debuted through the KBS Comedian Audition;
Shin Dong-yup, Kim Jun-ho, and Kim Byung-man debuted on SBS's "Gag Concert"...

Those who come from the same platform will be closer, but it's a two-year contract. Once the contract expires, they become free agents!
Established MCs often work on multiple channels, so their methods are generally applicable.

The defining characteristic of gagmen is their willingness to go all out and do anything. Playing the clown is the most common trope. Being rude, low-IQ, and incompetent, and associating themselves with the lives of the lower classes, is their way of surviving. There's no other way; this is the consequence of vying for attention in the early stages.

Even if Yoo Jae-suk has to play ugly roles and Shin Dong-yeop has to be erotic, it's because without these lowbrow humors, they simply couldn't gain a foothold and leave an impression on the audience when they were still relatively unknown.

However, once this persona is established... it can't be erased.

There was actually a similar variety show in mainland China called "Serious Gagman," but for some reason, it later became "Serious Gagmen"...

It's not bad; Hammer Na Lisa, Xu Tianqi, Feng Man, Zhou Yingjun, and Guan Le all debuted through this show…

But this show wasn't very interesting...

Pure plagiarism!
Shen Yan thought for a moment and suggested, "If all else fails, you could organize a comedy competition and specifically invite some..."

"A comedy competition? Something like 'Happy Comedians'?"

"Happy Comedians has been ruined..."

The comedy scene is now dominated by numerous factions, with groups like Deyun Club, Happy Twist, Benshan Media, and Big Bowl Entertainment standing like towering mountains. Smaller comedians are far inferior to these larger groups in terms of scripts and performance skills. In this context, relying on competitions to determine winners and losers only makes it harder for smaller groups to stand out.

Not to mention that Guo Degang, as the host of the show, was both a contestant and a referee, which resulted in everyone taking turns being the host. The pie that was painstakingly built up didn't even let the marginal comedians get a bite.

There's only one Jia Bing!
By the way, the main contestants of the "Annual Comedy Competition" are actually the main cast of "Serious Comedians" - a pot of good ingredients was turned into a mess by the production team!
As an aside: The show *Gaga Men* was originally an S-level variety show, but Tencent realized they'd been tricked and kept downgrading it, ultimately it flopped quietly. Then, the director (who also directed *Laugh Out Loud* and *Legend of Laughter*) was arrested for corruption and bribery less than two years later…

Returning to Shen Li, she shook her head: "I'd better focus on doing a good job on acting-related variety shows first!"

Shen Yan didn't want to persuade her, and replied, "Whatever you want!" Then he put his arm around Shi Shi, and the two watched the Spring Festival Gala together...

……

This year's Spring Festival Gala was truly awful!
There isn't a single memorable language-based program...

However, the stage setup was truly magnificent!

The entire stage was dazzling, making the audience feel as if they were in a dream. The lighting effects were far more impressive than the actors themselves; it seems the stage design was the real star…

Shen Yan was so bored that he simply opened his tablet to check the movie schedule for the next day...

Monster Hunt 2... I'm shocked by its 33.6% screen share?
More than 13 sessions have been arranged!
Well, considering the massive promotional campaign for "Monster Hunt 2," a 33.6% approval rating isn't entirely unforgivable...

After all, they invested real money in advertising!

Next up is "Chinatown Prequel," with 23.5% of screenings and 85,000 showings…

Next up is "Operation Red Sea," which has 16.7% of the screenings and 52,000 screenings scheduled.

"The Kingdom of Women" had a 15.3% approval rating, with 56,000 performances...

Huh?
Okay... "The Monkey King 3" is only 115 minutes long; "Operation Red Sea" is over 155 minutes long...

Even though its screening rate was lower than the latter, "The Monkey King 3" still had 4,000 more screenings than "Operation Red Sea"!
By the way, Guo Degang's "The Nineteen Generations of Ancestors" only had 2.9% of screenings, and only 13,000 audience members were given tickets on its opening day...

Many people say that theaters are suppressing "The Nineteen Generations of Ancestors"...

Yes, there was indeed some suppression, after all, Huace Media, the main producer and distributor of this film, has a weak foundation in the film industry and lacks the support of large cinema chains.

Moreover, Guo Degang and Deyun Society have been labeled as making bad movies!

Especially Yue Yunpeng, the male lead of "The Nineteen Generations of Ancestors"—he occupied six of the top ten worst films of last year!

It's the king of bad movies!

Zhihu topic: Who is the king of the worst movies in the Chinese entertainment industry in 2017?

Yue Yunpeng won the championship with an absolute advantage.

With such a reputation, do you really expect theaters to screen the film more often?

"What are you looking at?"

"Oh, let me check the theater schedule..." Shen Yan replied, and then asked Shi Shi, "Have the casting for 'Ninefold Purple' and 'Zhou Sheng Ru Gu' been completed?"

"That's about it," Shi Shi nodded, "We've found Bai Lu and Han Dongjun for 'Zhou Sheng Ru Gu'..."

"Han Dongjun? An actor from Tangren Media?"

"Old K told me to take good care of her..."

Shen Yan sighed: "Fine, but don't pay me so much!"

"...Tencent is investing in the production, they don't lack that little bit of money!" He waved his hand dismissively, then continued, "We've contacted Meng Ziyi about 'Nine Layers of Purple,' but the male lead hasn't been chosen yet..."

"Just ask Ji Xiang... he must have signed a new artist!"

"Use new people?"

Shen Yan said matter-of-factly, "Sister Meng is so popular now, it's time for her to mentor the newcomers!"

(End of this chapter)