Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 28: Amulet
The next day.

Monday, May 6, 1996.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and countless newsstands and newspaper reading areas in Beijing and even across the country were busier than usual.

The reports in local evening newspapers were like boulders thrown into a lake, creating ripples that, in turn, formed an even more turbulent wave in the daily and morning newspapers published the following morning.

The People's Daily published a short commentary in its Economic Life section on page two, titled "A Look at the Phenomenon of 'Exorbitant Wedding Records'." The commentary was calm and critical, affirming the inevitability of service segmentation and consumption upgrading under a market economy, while also raising concerns about blind comparison and excessive consumption, and calling for stronger guidance and regulation.

The China Youth Daily's headline was even more direct: "A Wedding Bid for 10,000 Yuan? The 'Courage' and 'Knowledge' of Young Entrepreneurs." The article used the entrepreneurial ventures of Wang Sheng and the children of the Beijing Film Studio as typical cases, focusing on how young people can use their skills and market acumen to open up new paths against the backdrop of state-owned enterprise reform and employment pressure. The article conveyed an encouragement for exploration, and the author's signature at the end was a very significant pen name.

Against the backdrop of an emerging wave of layoffs, the signal released by this report is of great significance.

Anyway, no one dares to jump out at this critical juncture and directly criticize Wang Sheng for using the name of a state-owned factory to seek personal gain. Even if someone wanted to publish an article criticizing this behavior, mainstream newspapers would definitely not report it. This would be going against the general trend, and mainstream newspapers are the tools for creating the general trend. Even if some individuals in the newspaper have ulterior motives, they would not dare to show them at this critical moment.

Major media outlets such as Guangming Daily and Economic Daily also reprinted or published related commentary articles.

Suddenly, the "sky-high wedding video" was no longer just a topic of conversation, but rose to become a social issue involving economic transformation, employment opportunities, and consumption concepts.

Even more unexpectedly, reporters from several foreign news agencies and newspapers based in Beijing also sensed this unusual atmosphere.

An AFP news report was titled “Only Children and the Rich: New Luxury in Chinese Weddings,” while Reuters focused on “Film Studios’ Market-Driven Survival: From Art Halls to Wedding Venues.”

Although it was just a brief report, it meant that this matter was beginning to enter the international spotlight and becoming a small window for observing social changes in China.

However, what most excites ordinary people and industry insiders is the "mysterious advertisement" that is mentioned in almost every report but no one has ever seen it in person—a short film that was only briefly broadcast after the "Midnight Cinema" program on Beijing TV's arts and culture channel, and which sparked countless imaginations with its cinematic quality and the beautiful "veil kiss" concept.

The less visible the information, the more discussion and speculation arise, which inadvertently elevates the prestige and mystery surrounding "Shengying Media" and "Wedding Films" to their peak.

At this moment, in the Shengying Media office, which is in the eye of the storm, the phone has been ringing almost non-stop since early morning.

"Hello, Shengying Media." The operator's voice was slightly hoarse, but still maintained a professional clarity.

"Yes, thank you for your attention."

"We are very sorry, the 'Golden Jubilee Collection' package is fully booked for this month and next month."

"Yes, there is a queue. You can leave your contact information, and we will notify you as soon as we have available slots..."

"Platinum Imaging still has available slots for negotiation, but we would like to have you come to our company for a face-to-face meeting at your convenience to discuss your detailed needs..."

"'Personalized customization'? We still have available slots for consultation, but we need you to come to the company in person at your convenience to discuss your detailed needs..."

"Sorry, we haven't launched our services in Shanghai yet. Please be careful to avoid being scammed. Thank you."

"Guangzhou? Not yet... Sir, this isn't about adding more money..."

Wang Sheng stood in the center of the office, feeling somewhat apprehensive as he listened to the incessant ringing of the phone.

The situation was even more chaotic than he had anticipated.

In just one morning, we received hundreds of inquiries from all over the country.

Nine orders have been placed with clear intentions and have come to Shengying Media's office to complete the deposit payment for the "Golden Jubilee Collection" package. Including the two orders placed earlier, of the 16 available slots this month, 11 have already been reserved, excluding the one that was just completed. The remaining 4 slots have also been preliminarily reserved, but the customers have not yet come to pay the deposit and sign the contract.

Three clients have also scheduled to visit us this week to discuss the "Platinum Imaging" package in detail, and judging from their attitude, the chances of closing the deal are extremely high.

Even though the "veil kiss" ads have stopped running, the hype is hard to quell.

There's no way around it, print media in this era is just too powerful; it's practically a killer when it comes to attracting traffic.

We can only wait for time to pass and for the hype to gradually die down.

Although Wang Sheng wanted to expand the scale of high-end business, broadcast-grade equipment was too expensive, costing hundreds of thousands of yuan per set. Beijing Film Studio also needed to reserve several sets for unforeseen circumstances. All the remaining inventory, excluding the equipment that had been rented out, was just enough to meet the existing quota for Sheng Ying Media's high-end business.

Wang Sheng didn't even consider borrowing equipment or manpower from other units, because if someone deliberately caused trouble, it would be a significant blow to the brand image.

In short, high-end business should not be expanded blindly.

The main task going forward is to seize a larger share of the low-to-mid-end market.

……

the other side.

The phone number for the director of the advertising department at Beijing TV station has become a hotline. The callers aren't ordinary citizens inquiring about wedding services, but rather astute advertising professionals and product vendors from all over the country.

In this era where the myth of "bidding king" is reaching new heights and a good advertisement can revive a product or even make it an overnight sensation, reports from major print media outlets have elevated the "veil kiss" advertisement to a legendary status within the industry.

An advertisement can dominate the high-end market of an industry and mobilize national print media to promote it... Regardless of whether it's a pig on the wind or not, just tell me if this is true or not.

"Director Hu, I am the client director of Shanghai White Horse Advertising. I apologize for bothering you. We saw that wedding advertisement broadcast on Beijing TV, and the production quality was truly amazing!"
I wonder which of your station's renowned directors was behind this? Could you introduce us? We have an important client's project we'd like to discuss the possibility of collaboration..."

"Hello Director Hu, I'm from the marketing department of Guangdong SunGod Group. Our general manager is very interested in the veil kiss advertisement that your channel aired! He feels that this cinematic style of expression perfectly matches our product upgrade concept. I wonder if you could help us contact the creative team? The price is negotiable!"

"Old Hu, it's me, Old Zhang! From Guangdong Broadcasting! Does your station have a hidden gem? Who filmed that wedding commercial? Please introduce me, you absolutely must! I'll treat you to a big meal when I come to Beijing!"

The calls came one after another, all with the same striking purpose: to find the creator of the "veil kiss" advertisement.

When Hu Gang answered the phone, his face initially showed surprise, then professional perfunctoriness, followed by increasingly intense astonishment, and finally, a shrewd calculation appeared in his eyes.

He never expected that the commotion Wang Sheng caused would have such a repercussions on his territory.

These callers are all genuine potential advertising clients!
If we could borrow Wang Sheng's "tailwind"...

Hu Gang couldn't wait to dial Liu Xuri's number.

"Hey, Xuri, this is Hu Gang."

"Haha, old leader, what are your instructions?" Liu Xuri's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"It's not really an instruction. That Wang Sheng you introduced last time is quite interesting."

Hu Gang's tone warmed up: "I looked at his matchmaking program proposal carefully, and then I talked to a few old friends about it. We think... it might not be impossible to implement."

Liu Xuri, being a shrewd man, immediately picked up on the implied meaning: "Oh? Director Hu has some ideas?"

"Well, I do have some ideas. But it's not convenient to talk about it over the phone. How about this, could you arrange to meet with Mr. Wang at noon, and we can find a place to sit down and discuss it in detail? I'll have someone make a reservation."

Hu Gang paused, then added casually, "Also, a lot of people are asking about the commercials he filmed, including many well-known companies. That's a good thing. Let's chat and see if there's any room for collaboration."

Liu Xuri understood immediately: "Understood, understood! Director Hu, I'll contact Wang Sheng right away."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Xuri went downstairs.

Beijing Film and Television Company also has offices in the main building, but on the third floor.

Wang Sheng is currently discussing the training plan with the instructors of the selected training course.

Upon arriving at Shengying Media's office, Liu Xuri found Wang Sheng in a meeting and waited a short while.

"..."

"Chen Liang and his team will arrive tonight with the equipment, and training can begin tomorrow. Alright, that's all, meeting adjourned."

"Yes, Mr. Wang..."

Several photography assistants who had switched jobs from the photography studio left the office.

"Brother Liu..."

Looking at Liu Xuri, who had a slight smile on his face, Wang Sheng asked, "What good news have you brought me?"

Liu Xuri smiled and said, "Director Hu just called and invited you to lunch. He made a reservation and said he wants to talk about your dating show. Also, I heard from Director Hu that a lot of people are asking about your advertisement. Maybe they want you to film it?"

Tsk.

Wang Sheng had been waiting for Hu Gang's reply for the past few days, but it never came, so he didn't press him for a reply.

Now...

Wang Sheng: "Brother Liu, let's go together, it's almost noon."

"Row……"

　I humbly request your recommendation votes and monthly tickets, dear readers!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)