Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

Xie Jin took a lot of instant noodles and water and locked herself in her room for several days. There were crumpled pieces of paper all over the floor. She had written and revised the proposal many times.

The feeling of being a variety show planner is completely different from that of being a director. Film and television dramas focus on the story itself and the quality of production.

Variety shows require careful consideration of what the audience thinks, what they want to see, and what can stimulate their senses; it's all about the details.

Moreover, different solutions need to be written for the same problem.

While concepts can be learned from, the solutions and scripts for handling various situations must be devised by oneself.

He hid in his guest room writing, oblivious to everything else around him.

It's been quite lively outside these days.

·······

·······

Just these past few days, "Nan Hong" broke 3 on Zhejiang TV.

Even if the 3.42% viewership rating doesn't increase further, it's still a fair return on Zhejiang TV's gamble at the time.

Meanwhile, the second run of the drama series on Jiangxi Satellite TV has begun, and the ratings for the second run of the late-night emotional drama series reached 1.5% at the start of the series, and have been steadily increasing.

Many people watch the latest episode of Zhejiang TV at 7 pm, and then go back to watch Jiangsu TV.

The simultaneous broadcast of a TV series on two major channels caused the popularity of the actors in the series to soar.

A surge in popularity translates into increased commercial value, and Gu Renlong is receiving endorsement offers every day these days.

Unfortunately, Xie acted like a rat in the room, refusing to let anyone in...

..........

"Old Gu came to my room."

"Oh! You've finally finished your postpartum confinement!"

Gu Renlong pushed open the door, sniffing, "Why do you all smell bad?"

Xie Jin sat on the stool, looking tired but with bright eyes.

  

What time is it?

"Now? Five in the morning?"

Xie Jin drew back the curtains, feeling so disoriented that she thought it was still afternoon.

"Let Zhejiang TV prepare. I'll sleep for three hours until 10 o'clock for the planning and feasibility study meeting."

········

········

Today, all the key leaders of Zhejiang TV are sitting here.

In addition to the leaders of several program planning and directing, some PDs were also called to the meeting.

Inside the room, everyone whispered among themselves. They all knew about the internal reforms, but no one knew exactly what those reforms entailed.

There are a lot of rumors.

There are rumors circulating within the station that they're going to cut some programs, but it's unclear who will be the next victim.

They were talking about introducing a "catfish" (a metaphor for attracting external competitors)... Looking at Xie Jin, who was resting with her eyes closed, the planners felt a chill... Could they really be bringing in an external company for collaboration...?

·······

·······

When the station director pushed the door open and entered, everyone was stunned for a moment, because the station director shouldn't have come for this matter.

Ma Zhenni nodded, and Xie Jin knew that everyone was present.

Shih Tai was filled with mixed emotions. This was the first shot he had fired in his new post-election reforms!

"In order to align with the market economy, our station has decided to collaborate with external production companies to import programs. Today is the first planning meeting to discuss this proposal."

The audience fell silent immediately after hearing that.

Despite the rumors circulating within the station, no one expected it to be true... the catfish really has arrived!

"Ahem, everyone, silence your phones. Only listen, don't speak. No recording allowed."

"Mr. Xie, we can begin."

Gu Renlong distributed a portion of the proposal to everyone.

Xie Jin asked for a throat clearing.

"Alright everyone, I'll get straight to the point."

"Love has long been an unavoidable topic in film and music creation."

"It is an important aspect of the benefits of cultural activities and a crucial component of dramatic conflict."

"However, in the variety show field, the opposite is true; current dating shows mainly focus on traditional matchmaking."

"In my opinion, this is a significant problem..."

Shi Tai looked at the booklet in her hand; Xie Jin had written it very clearly in the program analysis of the proposal.

Traditional dating reality shows suffer from severe homogenization, a strong focus on profit, and an insufficiently young audience, primarily targeting viewers aged 30 and above. They emphasize speed dating and matching criteria, lacking emotional resonance with younger viewers.

"The relationship programs that young people are most interested in are actually making content that middle-aged people like."

"The programs they truly need are completely absent nationwide."

Qian Shun, the planner and director of "Elegant Qiantang" in the audience, was furious with Xie Jin. Rumors were circulating that his show had the highest chance of being canceled...

Qian Shun raised his hand: "Director Xie, we can't just let these young people date in front of everyone... wouldn't that be ridiculous?"

"Variety shows aren't movies, how can they be done like this?"

Seeing someone raise an objection, Xie Jin calmly retorted, "Why not? You all have half an hour to review the plan."

Gu Renlong then sent the second part to the attendees.

Heart Signal

[Youth Social and Dating Observation Program]

[Program Features: Authentic, emotionally nuanced, positive values, light on mystery, and low-key, emotionally resonant variety show]

[Primarily targeting students, recent graduates, and urban white-collar workers. This group experiences social anxiety and romantic uncertainty, and yearns for genuine and pure intimate relationships.]

【..........】

【..........】

The middle-aged planner muttered to himself, "These are all new terms... Let me see what this mess is all about..."

Time passed by, and Qian Shun, the planner, initially thought Xie Jin was just messing around, since making a TV show and making a movie are not the same thing.

The more you look at it, the more engrossed you become, and the more you realize how ingenious many of the interactive designs are.

It's completely different from the thinking of our peers; it's something entirely new.

In particular, it prohibits direct confessions of love and private exchange of contact information throughout the entire process, and requires daily anonymous text messages.

Isn't this just letting young people tentatively explore each other amidst their awkwardness and uncertainty...?

Although Qian Shun was annoyed by Xie Jin's appearance, he couldn't help but want to applaud her... It was just a pity that his "Elegant Qiantang" would most likely be cut...

After reviewing the materials, the station director carefully observed the state of the people in the room.

The planners of the five variety shows were all sweating profusely; some looked like they were learning, while others looked grim.

As for the producers who don't have any shows on hand, they are the most engrossed in watching, all wondering if they can get involved in the new project.

"Everyone, it's been half an hour."

Qian Shun looked up and thought, "Has time really passed so quickly?"

Director Ma coughed slightly: "Please vote, everyone."

Ma Zhenni, the director of the variety show department, was the first to raise her hand. She hadn't expected Xie Jin to give her such a big surprise.

None of the young producers present disagreed; regardless of whether a project was good or bad, launching a new project meant more opportunities.

There are only five programs planned and directed, and they are still hesitating.

Qian Shun sighed. Regardless of whether Xie Jin came or not, he would most likely be laid off... Xie Jin's proposal was indeed brilliant.

Qian Shun gritted his teeth.

To everyone's surprise, they raised their hands.

"Old Qian..."

"you...."

The senior planners who were about to be laid off all raised their hands. The remaining few looked at each other and reluctantly raised their hands as well.

Xie Jin was certain that the matter was now settled.

·······

·······

We've finished discussing the external aspects.

Director Ma coughed and stood up: "As you've probably all heard, the station is going to streamline its programming, and we'll be eliminating programs based on viewership ratings."

"The first program to be cut... is 'Elegant Qiantang'."

The room was quiet. The planners looked at Qian Shun with complicated expressions. They didn't feel happy about their competitor being eliminated; instead, they felt a sense of shared sorrow.

At Lao Qian's age, being laid off will most likely mean he has to retire...

Qian Shun's face turned deathly pale; he hadn't expected... it to happen today.

As expected, for every person who laughs, there is someone who cries... What a pity about the show I've been so looking forward to.

I've been taking photos for so long, visiting every quiet and bustling spot in the province, and I've worn out several pairs of shoes—what a pity...