Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 65: 'A Little Bit of Powerful Willfulness'

Monday, July 29, 1996.

The sky over Beijing was a deep blue, and the sunlight poured down without reservation.

Wang Sheng set off early in the morning with the director of the Beijing Film Studio's office.

The car drove out of the Beijing Film Studio and merged into the slightly busy traffic on Monday morning.

The factory office director was talking about some points to note, which were nothing more than the etiquette details when signing the contract. Wang Sheng listened attentively and nodded occasionally.

……

The office building of Beijing Television was much simpler than those of later generations, but in that era, it was a symbol of authoritative media.

The director of the Taiwan Affairs Office was already waiting at the door and warmly led the two to a small conference room.

Inside the meeting room, the air conditioning was so cool that it dispelled the summer heat outside.

From the Beijing TV station, the deputy director in charge of project coordination, the director of the film purchasing department, the director of the advertising department, Hu Gang, and the legal staff were all present.

After exchanging pleasantries and taking their seats, the two sides moved directly to the contract review process without much formality.

Several thick copies of the contract were placed in front of Wang Sheng and the factory office director, one of each.

The legal department of Beijing Film Studio had reviewed the main terms in advance, and Wang Sheng himself and the lawyers he hired had also carefully read them word by word.

It was a joint production, co-produced by Beijing Film Studio (including Shengying Media) and Beijing TV, with Beijing Television Art Center lending its name to assist in the filming.

Private companies cannot hold the copyrights to film and television works; they can only rely on the Beijing Film Studio to hold them.

The revenue sharing for advertising is based on the tone set by the station director. The revenue from advertising such as ad placements and title sponsorships will be split 50% between Beijing TV and the remaining 50% between Beijing Film Studio and Sheng Ying Media (Beijing Film Studio will take 10% and Sheng Ying Media will take 40%).

The purchase price per episode of the TV series was determined according to the current high standards in the industry, which can be regarded as a kind of recognition and concession by Beijing TV.

In their view, this was already a concession.

The terms are clear and the rights and responsibilities are well-defined.

Wang Sheng and the director of the Beijing Film Studio's office exchanged a glance, both indicating that they had no objections.

The pen scratched softly on the paper.

Wang Sheng signed his name in the "Representative of Party B" section and affixed the official seal of Shengying Media, while the director of the factory office signed on behalf of Beijing Film Studio.

The other party's representatives also signed and stamped their documents in turn.

Exchange contracts and sign them again.

The entire process was solemn and efficient.

"Happy cooperation!"

The two representatives stood up and shook hands with smiles on their faces.

Hu Gang made a point of walking over and shaking hands firmly with Wang Sheng, his eyes filled with complex emotions as he said, "President Wang, you must recommend some good projects to our station in the future!"

"Definitely, definitely. We'll have to rely on Director Hu's support a lot more," Wang Sheng replied with a smile.

With the business concluded, the atmosphere relaxed.

The two chatted for a few more minutes about the preparations for "Harmony Brings Prosperity" and agreed to stay in touch.

The factory office director had to stay behind to handle some follow-up matters with the Taiwan Affairs Office, while Wang Sheng prepared to leave first.

……

I hadn't gone far from the small conference room when a slightly hurried voice came from behind me: "Mr. Wang! Please wait!"

Wang Sheng turned around and it was Wang Changtian, the chief planner of "It's You" (the show "If You Are the One").

Almost two months have passed since the project was handed over to him last month, and Wang Sheng has not heard any news about it being broadcast.

As Wang Changtian approached, Wang Sheng smiled and extended his hand, saying, "Planner Wang, it's been a long time."

"Hello, Mr. Wang." Wang Changtian's tone was very polite: "I heard that you came to the station on business, so I thought I might try my luck and take up a few minutes of your time? There are some progresses on the 'It Was You All Along' project that I would like to report to you and also hear your opinion."

Wang Sheng glanced at the time; it was still early.

He was quite enthusiastic about this variety show project that he had "borrowed" from, which was originally another way for Shengying Media to get involved in television content production and expand its brand influence.

However, once Lao Han accelerated the process, the project became somewhat pointless, giving the feeling that after working hard for most of the day, it was as if nothing had been accomplished.

He turned to the factory office director and said, "Director, you go ahead with your work. I'd like to have a few words with Planner Wang."

“Okay, Mr. Wang, you’re busy. I’ll handle the rest here.” The factory office director nodded tactfully.

Seeing this, Wang Changtian's smile widened, and he quickly stepped aside to lead the way: "President Wang, this way please, our project team has a temporary office."

……

The two arrived at a slightly crowded office on the same floor, with a temporary sign hanging on the door that read "The Project Team of 'It Was You'".

Pushing open the door, I saw four or five desks pushed together, piled high with documents and papers. Flowcharts and relationship diagrams were pasted on the walls, and several young people were engrossed in discussing something.

"Everyone, stop for a moment," Wang Changtian clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention, "Let me introduce you, this is Wang Sheng, the creative initiator of the program 'It Was You All Along' and the general manager of Shengying Media." Several young people immediately looked up, their eyes all focusing on Wang Sheng with curiosity, surprise, and even a bit of scrutiny.

They had naturally heard of Wang Sheng's name, but seeing him in person at such a young age was still somewhat unexpected.

"Hello, Mr. Wang!"

Everyone stood up to greet them.

"Hello everyone, thank you for your hard work." Wang Sheng smiled and nodded in greeting, his attitude was calm and unpretentious.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wang Changtian told his team members to continue working, then led Wang Sheng to a relatively quiet table to sit down. He then rummaged through a pile of files and found a thick folder, which he solemnly handed to Wang Sheng.

"Mr. Wang, this is the planning outline you provided earlier. Our team has been working day and night for over a month and has finally completed a preliminary detailed plan for the first three episodes. This includes the details of the segments, the topic settings, the camera positions, and even some initial ideas for lighting and music. Could you please review it?"

Wang Sheng took the folder, finding it quite heavy.

He opened it and flipped through it, but inwardly he complained: It took more than a month to produce three detailed plans? This efficiency is simply a waste of time.

But then I thought, this was 1996, there were no established models to follow, everything started from scratch, and the team was also temporarily assembled. To have achieved this was probably the result of working overtime.

Wang Sheng calmed down and read carefully.

The planning document was very meticulous. It included detailed stage layout and camera positions drawn with a pen and ruler. The process was broken down into very small steps, and each episode even had a theme, such as "Finding the Signal of Love" and "Workplace Elite Special". Corresponding backdrops and interactive segments were also designed.

It's clear that Wang Changtian's team put in a lot of effort to understand and digest his advanced outline, and worked hard to localize and concretize it.

“Not bad,” Wang Sheng closed the proposal and nodded affirmatively, “The completion rate is much higher than I expected, the setup is solid, and the theme idea is also very good. Thank you for your hard work, Proposal Wang.”

Upon receiving confirmation, Wang Changtian visibly relaxed, a smile spreading across his face: "With your words of reassurance, Mr. Wang, we are at ease. We are proceeding in the general direction you have indicated."

He paused, then changed his tone to a report: "In other aspects, the props have been completed, and the filming studio has been coordinated. We are currently setting up and renovating it according to the blueprints, and it is expected to be completed by the end of next week."

Guest recruitment... has actually been underway for some time now. We've published recruitment notices in newspapers and on the radio, and received quite a few applications.

When it came to guest recruitment, Wang Changtian frowned slightly, revealing a hint of doubt: "Mr. Wang, so far, most of the applicants are ordinary people from all walks of life. I'm a little worried... if they're all just random passersby, won't the program be too bland? Won't it lack appeal? After all, this isn't a news interview; it needs to have something interesting to offer..."

He carefully considered his words and said, "It needs to have dramatic elements, or at least be more expressive."

Wang Sheng understood his concerns.

A variety show featuring only amateurs is indeed a bold attempt, with no precedent to follow, so it's understandable to be concerned about the outcome.

“Planner Wang, your concerns are valid. Being a complete stranger is certainly authentic, but it will definitely be a huge test of your talent selection skills. You need to be able to screen out people who have their own stories, unique characteristics, a strong desire to express themselves, and who are not shy on stage.”

He then shifted the subject, offering another idea in a calm yet suggestive tone: "Or, you could broaden the scope a bit; it doesn't necessarily have to be completely uninformed bystanders."

For example, students from art schools, actors in small theater troupes, or people with some performance experience but low public recognition are better able to present themselves in front of the camera and understand the rhythm and effect required by the program.

Wang Changtian's eyes lit up, as if he had just realized something: "You mean, find some 'actors' to play 'ordinary people'?"

Wang Sheng smiled, his tone subtle: "You can't say that. What we need are guests who are 'like' ordinary people, with genuine emotional needs, but preferably with a certain sense of camera presence and expressive ability, so as to ensure the show's watchability."

The key is that, regardless of the methods used for selection and guidance, the final presentation must possess sufficient 'realism' and 'dramatic effect'.

"certainly,"

Wang Sheng emphasized his point, his expression becoming serious: "When doing this, we must be careful about secrecy and maintaining a proper balance. Even if we use some methods, the bottom line is that we cannot deceive the audience's feelings. The core of the program must be genuine matchmaking and dating. Once it's exposed and the reputation is ruined, the program is finished."

Wang Changtian's expression hardened, and he nodded seriously: "I understand, President Wang. Don't worry, we will definitely handle the situation well. We want both effectiveness and to uphold the bottom line."

He already had some vague ideas about selecting and training guests, and he felt his thinking suddenly opened up.

After exchanging some more details about the program, Wang Sheng got up to take his leave.

Wang Changtian escorted him all the way to the entrance of the office building, his attitude becoming increasingly respectful.

……

Back at Beijing Film Studio.

Arrived at Shengying Media's dispatch center.

Li Tingting brought over a stack of resumes.

"Boss, these are the resumes of actresses who want to audition for the female lead in 'Family Harmony Brings Prosperity', sent over by the Arts Department."

"Oh, let me see."

Wang Sheng took it.

Ok?
Wang Sheng's gaze sharpened.

The first resume is Xu Fan's.

Eh?
Hey!
Wang Sheng wasn't interested in Xu Fan; he was mainly interested in the man behind Xu Fan.

He heard that Feng Kuzi seemed to be dissatisfied with him?
This was told to Wang Sheng by a manager at Beijing Film Studio. He said that he had recently attended a drinking party in the industry, where Feng Xiaogang was also present. When the group talked about Wang Sheng, Feng Xiaogang had some reservations about him.

Everyone knows that I have people working for the entire Beijing Film Studio. How dare you!
Wang Sheng exercised his 'little bit of power capriciousness' by throwing Xu Fan's resume into the trash can next to him.

(End of this chapter)