I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

Chapter 160 Idol Drama

Compared to other types of works (such as anti-Japanese war dramas and period dramas), idol dramas are generally easier to film, but the specific difficulty needs to be judged in combination with creative needs and production conditions.

Idol dramas typically revolve around a love story, with relatively simple and melodramatic plots. They mainly focus on the emotional development of the male and female leads, and the scriptwriting is quite formulaic, making them easy to attract young viewers.

The "handsome men and beautiful women" formula mainly attracts those die-hard fans who are obsessed with looks.

The director focused more on emotional expression and visual aesthetics during filming, and had lower requirements for the depth of the script.

Other film genres, such as anti-Japanese war dramas, involve historical background and war scenes, requiring scripts with rigorous historical research and complex plot designs.

It is necessary to show the cruelty of war, to create heroic figures, and to avoid excessive entertainment or distortion of history.

This places higher demands on the director's historical knowledge and narrative ability.

Just like Cheng Sheng's "Three Kingdoms", most directors wouldn't dare to make it. Even if they did, without historical knowledge, they would only end up with a film that's neither fish nor fowl.

Idol dramas are less difficult to produce, and the scenes are mostly set in modern cities, such as offices, cafes, and homes, making the sets relatively simple and the production costs lower.

The director prioritizes visual aesthetics and a sense of style, resulting in a shorter shooting period.

Other types of film and television works have more complex sets. If it is a fantasy or xianxia (fantasy/martial arts) film, there will be more special effects and explosion scenes, resulting in higher shooting costs, longer production cycles, and the need for the director to coordinate a large number of extras and complex scenes. The requirements for scene choreography and attention to detail are also higher.

Then there's the actors and their performances. Idol dramas mostly feature young idols, so the acting requirements are relatively simple. Directors pay more attention to the actors' appearance and emotional expression.

Even if the acting is a little rough, the audience can accept it.

Other genres, such as serious dramas, require actors with excellent acting skills, and directors need to spend more time guiding the actors to ensure that the performances are realistic and believable.

Overall, idol dramas are relatively easy to produce in terms of script, setting, and filming, making them suitable for directors with limited resources or insufficient experience.

Other types of works place higher demands on the director's skills, mise-en-scène, and narrative ability, and are more suitable for experienced directors with ample resources.

Therefore, idol dramas may be "easier to film".

In Cheng Sheng's opinion, an idol drama only needs to find a handsome male lead and a beautiful female lead.

The costs were mainly spent on the lead actor's salary, marketing expenses, and post-production.

The plot doesn't need to cost money, since it doesn't need to be logical or morally sound, so the more melodramatic the better.

After filming, do good post-production and do a lot of marketing, and you can make a fortune.

Of course, if you want to produce high-quality idol dramas, you have to put in more effort. For example, the two idol dramas that Cheng Sheng plagiarized definitely need to be carefully polished.

"My Love from the Star" and "Descendants of the Sun," which I just finished writing recently.

These two dramas sparked a binge-watching craze across Asia, with some companies even granting their employees time off to watch the finale (such as the "Professor's Day Off").

After "Descendants of the Sun" was introduced to China, its viewership ratings reached new heights.

After its simultaneous premiere on the iQiyi platform, the drama quickly became a sensation, with viewership exceeding 3000 million in a short period. After just two episodes, it consistently ranked high on various charts, with three trending keywords appearing daily.

"My Love from the Star" garnered over 100 million views and received a higher overall rating than "Descendants of the Sun." This drama was a massive hit across China when it aired.

If these two dramas are handled well, Cheng Sheng believes that they can definitely use them to counterattack the South Korean market and also somewhat resist the onslaught of the Korean wave.

After that, as long as domestic film and television workers don't falter, it will be extremely difficult for the Korean wave to become popular in China like it did in another memory.

After reading the script, Sun Fei and Yang Ting didn't know how to feel, they just felt that the script was a bit addictive.

Romantic narratives and youthful, fashionable elements can both be found in the script.

"Boss, all you've asked us to film are idol dramas," Sun Fei asked in surprise.

It's not that she can't film idol dramas, but that in this era, idol dramas have not yet formed a mainstream market and have not become a big hit. The domestic TV drama market is still dominated by historical dramas and martial arts dramas, such as "Bright Sword" and "Emperor Wu of Han", as well as "The Little Fish and the Flower Without Flaws", which is still being filmed.

These works occupy an important position. Idol dramas will only truly explode in mainland China next year, after which a large number of idol dramas will continue to emerge.

Of course, the concept of idol dramas has existed for a long time. After the broadcast of "Meteor Garden" in 2001, it caused a ratings frenzy and became a classic in Asia. Subsequently, the entry of Korean idol dramas made the Chinese market gradually lean towards idol dramas.

"Yes, are you confident you can film it well?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"No problem, filming idol dramas is much easier than filming serious dramas."

Yang Ting breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had learned a lot about directing, she probably couldn't manage a serious drama production team right now. But idol dramas would be no problem for her.

"That's okay with me too."

Once you're a director, Sun Fei doesn't care what type of TV series you're making.

"Okay, the script is yours now. After you get back tomorrow, you can start assembling the crew and casting the actors," Cheng Sheng said happily.

"Boss, how do you plan to select actors?" Sun Fei asked.

As it was her first time directing, she still wanted to hear Cheng Sheng's opinion, since he had written the script and his opinion was very important.

"I plan to give the female lead role in 'My Love from the Star' to Jing Tian. I've already talked to her about it. After she finishes filming my drama, I'll have her join your production team."

"I plan to cast Su Chang as the female lead in 'Descendants of the Sun.' As for the rest of the actors in these two dramas, I'll leave it to you to choose. But remember one thing: casting for idol drama actors requires comprehensive consideration of multiple factors, including appearance, temperament, professional suitability, and acting skills."

"Idol dramas emphasize visual impact, and the male and female leads usually need to have outstanding physical appearance."

“Like Professor Lee, the male lead in ‘My Love from the Star,’ he comes from another planet and was stranded on Earth 400 years ago due to an accident. He has superpowers such as teleportation and time-stopping, but he is unable to integrate into human society.”

"He appears cold, aloof, and arrogant, but is actually lonely and has subtle emotional changes."

"Personality: sharp-tongued, cunning, and abstinent; outwardly distant but inwardly yearning for emotional connection."

"His cool appearance and delicate portrayal of emotional changes have made him a classic character in the drama, so the selection of the male lead is of paramount importance."

Upon hearing Cheng Sheng mention "My Love from the Star," Yang Ting immediately asked, "What about the male lead of 'Descendants of the Sun'?"

(End of this chapter)