The Wind of China Entertainment 2005

Chapter 717: Run

hotel.

In Lu Yuan's room, the coffee table was filled with midnight snacks.

There are mantis shrimps that are thicker than arms, seafood such as abalone and crabs, as well as barbecued food such as skewers of meat, eels and oysters.

"The food in the food stalls is still the most authentic. Those in the city are all just trying to trick outsiders."

Luo Jin picked up a small abalone, chewed it for a few bites, then filled three glasses of beer and turned to urge: "Hurry up, both of you, don't dawdle."

Lu Yuan and Zhu Yawen stood in front of the TV, fiddling with their phones.

"Don't make any noise, I'm projecting the screen. The TV in this crappy hotel is a little different from the one at home."

Luo Jin said with disdain: "Why not just search for Dragon TV? PPS doesn't rely on our data."

After a lot of trouble, it was finally done. Zhu Yawen sat down and explained, "That's different. The comments from the stupid netizens are fun. If you don't read the comments, the fun will be reduced by half."

Luo Jin retorted: "I think the barrage really affects the viewing experience."

Lu Yuan sat down, not wanting to bother with the two idiots, and started eating with chopsticks.

Xiamen is a coastal city that produces a lot of seafood all year round, and the taste is also unique.

On the TV, the PPS interface came into view.

Since the hit of "My Love from the Star", the platform has shared nearly 5 million yuan in revenue. More and more companies have chosen to take a chance on PPS, and the film and television content has gradually become richer.

Zhu Yawen's eyes were fixed on the TV screen. On the PPS homepage, the largest area was the recommendation column for currently airing dramas.

There are suspense horror film "Soul Ferry", urban drama "Let's Get Married", mini dramas "Never Expected", "Perfect Bride", "Child Slave", "Price of Victory 2".
The quality varies, but there are some surprises.

Such as "Soul Ferry", "Never Expected", "Let's Get Married", etc.

There is also a real-time popularity ranking list at the far right end of the homepage.

The first place is the long-ended "My Love from the Star", followed by the hit drama "Soul Ferry", and the upcoming variety show "Running Man" ranked third.

What is surprising is that the low-budget film "Never Expected" actually ranked fourth!
"Come on, let's go!"

Zhu Yawen raised his glass and smacked his lips. "Never Expected is much better than I expected. It's very imaginative. There are all kinds of Internet memes, historical parodies, classics, popular film and television works, entertainment circles, online games, popular jokes, etc. I haven't heard of many of them. I feel old. I searched Baidu while watching the comments."

"Yes, yes, yes, Tangtang recommended it to me. I'm following it these days." Luo Jin agreed.

"How do you feel?" Lu Yuan asked.

Luo Jin was eating oysters and paused. "At first I thought this was a joke. How can you have special effects like this? It costs less than 50 cents. The plot is even more outrageous. But I couldn't stop watching after two episodes. The laughs are dense and the time is short. I can only go to the toilet and wait for the bus. It's just to kill time."

Lu Yuan nodded slightly. "Never Expected" had been on the air for a few days, and its performance far exceeded the expectations of the PPS content department employees.

Each episode is very short, only 5 minutes long, with exaggerated content, revolving around the bizarre experiences of the protagonist Wang Dachui.

Wang Dachui always encounters various bizarre and time-travel situations, such as meeting historical figures Liu Bei and Adou, or being trapped in the bizarre world of low-budget martial arts dramas.

An ordinary interview can turn into a detective scene, with unexpected results.

In addition, the story is filled with a large number of popular Internet memes, deconstructing, reorganizing and reinterpreting popular elements that are familiar to the public.

The content revolves around the hottest social topics, while also outputting the creative team's unique and distinctive views and values.

The whole play gives people a very strange feeling, popular, open, rebellious, abstract, reversed, subverted, spoofed, irrational, mixed, crazy, absurd.
However, it is such a work that unexpectedly won the favor of young audiences. Every time it is updated, the barrage of comments surges like a tide, flooding the entire screen.

The hundreds of advertisers that worked with PPS were initially not optimistic about this shoddy mini-series. When the advertising department staff approached them for negotiations, they were all arrogant and dismissive.

Now they are fighting over the naming rights.

Because this mini-series, with a production cost of less than $1600 per episode and a total cost of over a million, has a single episode playback volume of up to million.

According to PPS data analysis, the estimated playback volume for one season can reach 2.5 million, exceeding the online broadcast volume of many TV dramas starring first-line actors.

With PPS's insistence, the naming rights fee alone for "Never Expected" was sold at a high price of 1000 million.

Production company Wanhe Tianyi was ecstatic after receiving the notice.

Under the revenue-sharing model signed with PPS, they will receive the majority of this fee.

They posted the news on Weibo as if to show off, which aroused the envy of their peers.

Many companies in the industry have also begun to imitate similar skits, hoping to realize their dream of getting rich overnight on PPS.

"Life is stressful nowadays, and audiences are becoming more and more impetuous. TV dramas with dozens of episodes are too time-consuming, and this kind of short drama has a brisk pace and helps people release their emotions."

"Yes, it is indeed impetuous. Whether on Weibo or WeChat, too many people are no longer willing to think. Sometimes, they can't even finish reading a 140-character Weibo post. They just blindly forward and comment on the title."

The three of them were eating supper and chatting while "Running Man" officially started airing.

"Coming, coming!" Luo Jin reminded.

Lu Yuan put down his chopsticks and looked up.

The variety show "Running Man" had already made a lot of hype before it was aired, and it was showing signs of becoming popular even before it was aired.

Its popularity is not due to the influence of the original Korean variety shows. Korean variety shows are currently more of a niche culture and are only popular in specific small circles.

In China, the most popular variety shows are still "Happy Camp", "Day Day Up", "If You Are the One", "I Am a Singer", "Kangxi Comes Here" and other programs mainly based in the mainland and Taiwan.

The reason why "Running Man" became popular before it was aired is mainly due to two factors.

One is the joint marketing of PPS and Dragon TV.

Both companies are experts in publicity, and Sa Beining and others frequently appear on Dragon TV's flagship programs.

At the same time, PPS is also bombarding social media such as Weibo, Tieba, and WeChat with continuous advertising push.

He even used his connections to get several guests on Hunan TV's flagship variety show "Happy Camp" for promotion.

This is also the first time for Hunan Satellite TV to promote a variety show on behalf of a rival platform.

The second point is the topicality of the guests themselves.

Among them, Sa Beining’s marketing approach is quite similar to that of Pan Yuemin before.

It's just that Pan Yuemin had a plan in advance. When "Soul Ferry" was about to be broadcast, he immediately released the negative information about Wang Dazi and Dong Jie to clear the name of the green Pan Yuemin. At the same time, he allowed him to gain the sympathy of netizens and attract a lot of attention by presenting himself as a victim. With this, "Soul Ferry" took off and became a hit as soon as it was broadcast!
Sa Beining was a coincidence, and Zhang Ziyi brought him to her on her own initiative.

In this matter, Zhang's mother's attitude of despising the poor and loving the rich aroused the dissatisfaction of many netizens.

Because Zhang's mother's words revealed a reality and hurt the hearts of many college graduates: being able to study does not mean you can make money.

Many netizens hold the following view: If you dislike Sa Beining's low salary, that's fine. When "Running Man" becomes popular, Sa Beining's salary will skyrocket. What will Zhang's mother think then? Her expression will be very interesting. Haven't you seen that Pan Yuemin swept away the haze and made a gorgeous comeback with the online drama "Soul Ferry"?

In addition, he has good business skills and decent looks, and is very popular among young people. He took on more than a dozen endorsements at once, and his salary increased to 800 million.

From being hated by everyone, to being a top second-tier player!
If "Running Man" really becomes a hit, Sa Beining will undoubtedly have a great opportunity to prove his commercial value to the world, especially to give Zhang's mother a loud slap in the face.

In China's huge market, the pay of a regular guest on a popular variety show is by no means inferior to that of first-tier stars.

At the beginning of "Running Man", several regular guests were introduced first.

The first person to appear is Sa Beining, who walks up the steps of Leifeng Pagoda in a black suit and faces the camera, with no trace of the legal figure at all.

As soon as Xiao Sa appeared on the scene, barrage of comments came flooding in like a tide.

"Hey, isn't this Peking University okay?"

"Xiao Sa, come on, let this old lady surnamed Zhang see your ability. You look down on scholars. Is it high for Zhang Ziyi to be paid 1000 million for a movie? We can catch up with that for a variety show!"

"Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west. Don't bully the poor. Go, go, go!!"

"PPS is simply amazing. There are victims in two consecutive productions, first Pan Yuemin, and then Sa Beining."

"Fuck it, PPS, can you please update Soul Ferry and Never Expected sooner? You'll lose me if you keep doing this."

Lu Yuan stared at Sa Beining on the screen.

He was somewhat unhappy with the company's use of Sa Beining and Zhang Ziyi for marketing.

After all, it is someone else's private matter and outsiders have no right to interfere too much.

Zhang Ziyi is different from Dong Jie. She simply used her relationship to promote her new movie and took advantage of Sa Beining. This is a common practice in the entertainment industry.

She has never been as rude as Dong Jie, who maliciously slandered and attacked Pan Yuemin in an attempt to destroy his career.

Although Lu Yuan is the chairman of PPS, he only controls the general direction and should not frequently interfere in detailed matters.

Each department of PPS has its own head and decision maker, and any promotional plan implemented by the marketing department is fully discussed and considered by internal employees.

Lu Yuan's intervention may affect the normal operation of the department and the enthusiasm of employees.

Therefore, even if he was dissatisfied with the marketing plan, he just remained silent.

After all, the topicality of "Running Man" has indeed soared because of the popularity of Zhang Ziyi.

The show's guest lineup is no secret.

However, when Sa Beining, Wang Baoqiang, Xue Zhiqian, Sha Yi, Lin Gengxin, Su Xing, Jing Tian and others appeared one by one, the barrage of comments was inevitably boiling.

Sabei is undoubtedly a good university, but Peking University is also pretty good, with lush greenery and high popularity.

Wang Baoqiang is a top-tier star, the leading actor of the first billion-level movie, and a well-known grassroots inspirational representative. Who doesn't know Xu Sanduo!
Although Sha Yi is not a first-tier star, as many people know Bai Zhantang as "Wulin Waijia" is popular. Many first-tier stars are not as familiar to the public as he is.

As for Su Xing, he was the runner-up of Super Boy.

In 2007, "Happy Boy" became popular all over the country, and the runner-up was selected by the national audience with real money and votes.

Zhang Jie is no match for him. Maybe he is not as popular as Li Yuchun in that Super Girl contest, but his popularity among young people is just as high.

The least famous one is the singer Xue Zhiqian who has been hidden in the past two years.

But this guy debuted on Dragon TV and was forced into the show by the TV station. He has a likable personality and sings well. He has accumulated a group of fans by writing jokes on Weibo, and he has a good effect on variety shows.

As for Jing Tian.

In the first episode of the first season, she appeared as an agent.

Dressed as Catwoman, wearing a black tight leather jacket, high heels, big wavy hair, flaming red lips, fair skin, and a broad mind, showing off her feminine charm.

After she got off the car, she leaned over, rolled over, or raised her legs high on the road section where laser intrusion detectors were installed. Her postures were enchanting and her figure was graceful, which caused the barrage of ghost howls and everyone shouted "Da Tiantian!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, these netizens." Luo Jin smacked his lips repeatedly, with a look of disdain: "How superficial they are."

Zhu Yawen nodded intently: "That makes sense, superficial, indeed superficial!"

Lu Yuan was busy replying to Liu Shishi's message. Hearing their conversation, he was speechless. He quietly pointed the camera at the two of them and pressed the shutter to capture the moment when the two were concentrating.

"Crack!"

Zhu Yawen and Luo Jin heard the sound and turned their heads at the same time. They immediately understood what had happened and looked at each other in shock.
"Hey, I don't know who to send this photo to."

Before Lu Yuan finished speaking, the two people at the table exchanged glances and shouted in unison: "Running dog, traitor, get him!"

"Stop, stop, stop, it's itchy, I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding."

Lu Yuan was pinned to the ground, unable to fight back. He begged for mercy and promised to delete the photos.

Only then did Zhu Yawen and Luo Jin give up.

At this time, Lin Gengxin made a brilliant appearance, riding a cool motorcycle. He was also wearing a black suit. He was about 1.8 meters tall, and his strong muscles were vaguely revealed in his open chest.

"Why is he so much stronger than in real life?" Zhu Yawen wondered. Both of them were signed with Sijiu Entertainment.

Lu Yuan explained: "He has been training privately. Not only him, but also the other guests have to strengthen their physical training as clearly stipulated in the contract. After all, this is an outdoor variety show with a lot of exercise. It won't look good if they can't run."

"Then why don't you just invite Liu Xiang? Who in China can run faster than him?"

"Uh..." Lu Yuan was stunned. It made sense. He thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait and see. It's only the first season. It's not clear whether it's worth filming the second season. Maybe they'll change the cast by then."

"It's just a variety show. They just dragged an athlete in to attack from a lower dimension. Besides, it's useless for a variety show to just run fast. It has to have a show effect." Luo Jin objected.

Lu Yuan and Zhu Yawen were silent.

Luo Jin shrugged, skipping the topic, and pointed at Lin Gengxin on the screen, curiously asking, "I saw online that Lin Gengxin and Zhou Dongyu were having an affair. They were photographed dating and watching a movie, and even went to a hotel together. Is this true? This guy has a good appetite."

"Puff!" Lu Yuan opened another can of beer and shook his head: "How should I know? I don't pay attention to their private lives. If you want to know, ask him personally."

"Forget it, you won't tell me even if I ask."

While chatting, several guests officially gathered.

Maybe it was their first time working together. From their postures and eye contact, it was obvious that they were not yet familiar with each other and seemed quite awkward when they greeted each other.

This is when Sabe's role comes into play. As a CCTV host, he has strong professional qualities and first-class ability to control the situation.

Just a few simple words livened up the atmosphere and the jokes were just right.

It was completely different from his image of a legal expert in news programs. He completely let go of his nature, acted witty, and made Jing Tian laugh so hard that she bent over with just a few words.

(End of this chapter)