Huayu: This celebrity doesn't follow the rules.

Chapter 44 is just like a martial arts master.

The moment the projection screen went dark, the entire screening room fell into an inexplicable silence, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

The young women in the copyright department suddenly stared at Jiang Ye, their eyes filled with an inexplicable strangeness.

What is this guy filming?

Very brave, very daring to film...

“It’s one thing for a man to dress as a woman,” a girl whispered, nudging the person next to her, “but look at the part where the Crown Prince was arguing with him. The way the Crown Prince looked at him, even though he was clearly looking at a woman, somehow gave off a brotherly vibe. It was weird…”

Before he could finish speaking, another girl, her face flushed, interrupted him: "Hey, you know what, when the prince pinched his cheek and scolded the crazy girl just now, I actually thought...it was kind of cute?"

She quickly rolled her eyes at Jiang Ye, "They're supposed to be male and female leads, but why does it feel like a BL drama? It's weird..."

"With costumes and props that rough around the edges, the budget was probably all spent on these weird interactive elements, right?"

"But honestly, that little bit of tugging just now was way more exciting than the artificial sweetness of a typical historical romance drama..."

The girls were starting to question their existence.

On one hand, I think Jiang Ye's dramas are ridiculous and absurd, but on the other hand, I can't help but savor that inexplicable CP feeling.

What does it mean to feel a little tipsy?

"Everyone, please be quiet!"

Marketing Director Zhao pushed up his glasses, his gaze falling on Jiang Ye, his tone professionally cautious, "Mr. Jiang, to be honest, from costumes and props to the cast, your show is at best a C-level content on the platform."

"This year, we've already released three C-level period light comedies, with the highest viewership barely exceeding 50 million. S-level dramas rely on stars and special effects to create grand scenes, while C-level dramas, without any explosive elements, basically sink without a trace. The core competitiveness of your drama can't just rely on the bizarre premise of a man transmigrating into a woman, can it?"

Jiang Ye remained calm, lightly tapping the table with his fingertips, and smiled serenely: "President Zhao is right, we are indeed a C-level production, with a cost of less than 50 per episode, which is not even a fraction of the cost of an S-level drama."

"But we poured all the money we saved into the script."

He stood up, walked to the projector, and pulled up the data: "The period dramas on the market now either pile on special effects or rely on stars to carry the show, while the story becomes just a supporting element."

"Our script was revised seventeen times. The male-to-female transmigration is just the surface setting. The core is an ancient projection of the survival rules of the modern workplace."

He clicked on a sample clip: "For example, the Crown Princess uses KPIs to assess the concubines in the harem and uses project management thinking to reorganize the internal affairs of the Eastern Palace. This sense of contrast in the ancient workplace is what young audiences love most."

Director Li of the Copyright Department sneered: "The idea is good, but the poor production is a major flaw. The costumes, props, and sets are too shabby!"

Jiang Ye said calmly, "President Li, last year's 'Unexpected' had even rougher picture quality, but it still broke the broadcast record."

"Audiences crave novelty, and I believe our storyline will be even more captivating!"

"..."

Jiang Ye spoke eloquently at the conference table, each sentence resounding and powerful, a true champion among his peers, radiating passion!
Bai Mengyan sat beside her, her fingers secretly twisting the hem of her clothes, her eyes wide open, completely dumbfounded.

Her palms were slightly sweaty, so she quickly wiped them on her skirt.

When that bald, fat man sneered, she was so frightened that she almost broke the pen in her hand. She silently chanted "Go boss, go boss!" with more devotion than when she was reciting a text in school.

Seeing Jiang Ye handle the situation so well, she couldn't help but smile. But afraid of being seen, she quickly pursed her lips and secretly followed Jiang Ye's figure out of the corner of her eye, feeling a sweet warmth in her heart.

Turns out, the boss not only makes those weird and addictive dramas, but he's also incredibly skilled at negotiation, almost like...

Like the chivalrous heroes in martial arts novels who can take on a hundred enemies single-handedly!
She secretly clenched her fist and mentally gave Jiang Ye a super loud "Go Jiang Ye!" Her little face was full of undisguised admiration, like a little puppy secretly wagging its tail for its owner, both obedient and earnest.

……

The negotiations have finally entered a crucial stage!

Director Li of the copyright department pushed up his glasses and took over the conversation: "According to the procedure, for a drama of this size, we usually go through a one-time purchase, and the price is capped at 200,000 per episode."

The series "Go Princess Go" has 35 episodes, meaning that if it sells, it will fetch 700 million. For others, that's a loss!

The cost of this drama should be around 1000 million yuan, including the salaries of the main actors and director, as well as costumes, props, and equipment.
For Jiang Ye, earning a few million was possible, but that was definitely not his goal.

My first pot of gold after being reborn is only a few million; I'll be looked down upon by others...

Jiang Ye raised his eyes, his tone firm: "Director Li, I want to change the model, zero guaranteed minimum, pure profit sharing."

“The platform takes 70%, and we take 30%. But I have two conditions: first, I want a C-level new drama featured on the homepage for a week; second, I want a performance-based agreement.”

"A bet? What do you want to bet on?"

“If the number of views exceeds 1 million after 30 days online, we’ll split it into 7:3.” Jiang Ye said calmly.

"If it doesn't reach 8000 million, the platform will take 7.5%. If it doesn't reach 5000 million, we will only take 2%, and the rest will go to the platform."

"If the total views exceed 5 million, I want to participate in the advertising revenue sharing."

The meeting room fell silent.

In 2014, web series were still vying for copyright fees. Zero guaranteed revenue meant that the production company would bear all the upfront risks, which surprised everyone present.

This guy needs 5000 million views to break even.

As for things like exceeding 500 million views and advertising revenue sharing, they don't care about that.

It's nonsense to say it won't work!

It's a success? They've snagged a blockbuster; they'll be laughing in their sleep...

It's worth noting that Tencent produced approximately 10 original web series in 2014, and the total number of views for those series was only around 10 billion.

It also includes top-tier web series such as "Darker" and "The Haunted Files".

Mr. Li scoffed, "Aren't you afraid the show won't be a hit and you'll lose everything?"

"I'm afraid, but I believe even more in the potential of this show."

Just as Director Li was about to retort, Zhang Ming suddenly tapped the table: "Director Li, do you think the logic of low-cost trial and error is feasible?"

He turned to the other party, speaking in a businesslike tone, "The platform is indeed promoting small and exquisite content in the second half of the year. If it can really generate revenue through revenue sharing, it will be more cost-effective than a one-time purchase."

"..."

……

As they walked out of the Tencent Building, the evening breeze carried the chill of winter. Bai Mengyan was still clutching the newly signed contract, her fingertips trembling. "Boss, that fat guy just said our costumes and props looked like a makeshift stage. I was terrified. How come you weren't worried at all?"

Jiang Ye loosened his shirt collar and said casually, "What's the rush? They're nitpicking the costumes and props because they have nothing else to criticize."

He turned his head and saw her blank expression, then suddenly laughed, "Think about it, if the story were really boring, would they bother to fuss about how high the slit in their robes is?"

Bai Mengyan was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening.

While the girls were making complaints during the movie, they couldn't hide the gleam in their eyes.

“Besides,” Jiang Ye said, looking at the Tencent logo lighting up in the distance, “what makes a show memorable? Our show can make people argue and criticize, so we’ve already won half the battle.”

"Xiaobai, when it goes live, the more people criticize us, the closer we are to success."

Bai Mengyan was completely bewildered; she felt her boss was being a bit too pretentious...

Are there any TV shows that can become popular just by being criticized?
(End of this chapter)