Age of Legends

Chapter 370 Each strives in their own way, though separated by a thousand miles, they share the same wind (Part 7)
The room was quiet and somewhat awkward, with only the soft clinking of teacups against the table echoing in the background. Wang Bowen chuckled dryly and said, "So you're saying we have no taste?"

Chen Xuran sighed: "Right... your godfather and I were overthinking it. Sigh, once we have money, we don't know what to do with it. We always want to squander it."

Xu Ming looked at the two men. Although he was the Best Director winner at the Capital University Student Film Festival, he still had to bow his head in front of Wang Bowen and Chen Xuran. One was a producer with considerable achievements in Rongcheng, and the other was the top TV host in Rongcheng and the owner of Xuhui Real Estate. In terms of business acumen and ability, they were at least his seniors, if not his elders. But right now, the two were seeking Zhang Chen's opinion, and after Zhang Chen's rebuttal, they both backed down, and Chen Xuran even started to blame herself.

This contrast surprised him.

“You’re not without vision,” Zhang Chen shook his head at this moment. “On the contrary, you have great vision, but you’ve taken a gamble. This isn’t a good strategy.”

“Neither your godfather nor I understand these investments; we just do whatever looks good.” Chen Xuran perked up again: “So you see, we still have other options?”

"I think we should make full use of television's advantages now, transforming them into film and television, and building a solid foundation for a long-term strategy. This step-by-step approach is actually quite good. If we rashly release films in theaters, we'll be throwing money away," Zhang Chen said. "We should produce TV dramas, like lighthearted family comedies, and TV movies, and then bundle advertising sponsorships and broadcast resources together. Once we have cash flow, an audience base, and a good reputation, we can wait a few years until internet advertising and box office revenue can resonate. Then, when we try to break into theaters, our chances of success will be much greater."

"My suggestion is to monetize our existing influence, network, and audience appeal. Turn them into something replicable. For example, we can capitalize on the current trend and launch a TV series called 'Emotional Mediation Room,' or we can create some family comedies like 'Office Stories' or 'My Struggle with My Terrible Mother-in-Law.' This would minimize risk, generate profits, and build our brand along the way."

The market for light comedies has always been good. Successful examples include shows like "The Big Bang Theory," "Friends," and later, with the rise of the internet, shows like "My Own Swordsman" and "Story of a Cooking Squad." South Korea's "High Kick!" is also a prime example.

Movies, which require large investments and numerous resources, are simply not suitable for them right now. Instead, they should leverage their television connections and resources to create light comedy, which local television stations should be willing to fund.

"Just hearing what you've said makes me think it's interesting, and it automatically conjures up some plots. I think if you were to make it, there would be so many scenes." Chen Xuran's eyes lit up and she blinked.

“This is just imagination. You know our style, so you can naturally imagine it. It’s also a brand effect, a product gene,” Zhang Chen said. He felt he should explain it in more detail to Wang Bowen and Chen Xuran, because these two would use this same theory when they were trying to convince others: “We have shows like ‘Emotional Mediation Room’ and ‘Seven-Day Promise,’ so people will naturally know our style. We focus on the subtle emotions of the characters, on the unexpected moments that shine through. That’s where the story comes in. So even though I only mentioned the title, you can immediately guess the general content, the highlights, and the anticipation. If we really produce a few good dramas in this area, then this will be a golden brand, an inexhaustible gold mine.”

"We can't do something like 'Stories from the Editorial Department,' those are things we're very careful about now. If we're not careful, it'll be gone." Old Wang was quite aware of this, frowning and shaking his head.

"That's different. Some of the previous light comedies were too daring and satirical. Sometimes we shouldn't look at the whole picture or make a simplistic judgment. So we can reduce these metaphorical elements and move towards being more relatable, exaggerated, funny, and down-to-earth."

"We want to leverage this big opportunity with a small budget. We don't need to invest too much, because we're going for an emotional approach. The exciting part is focusing on the characters' conflicts and interactions."

"After thinking about it, if we're going to put together a sitcom, why not focus on a current social issue? It's about a group of former state-owned factory workers who, after the wave of layoffs, partner up to open a 'state-owned style' restaurant near an old residential area to make a living. So the show would be called 'Old Friends Restaurant.' Some of them are mechanics, some were workshop foremen, and some were even factory broadcasters. Opening the restaurant was just a temporary transition for them to find new employment, but they never expected that the little shop would become more and more popular, and every day it reflects all aspects of society."

Zhang Chen then created some new skits based on some light comedy sketches from later generations and told them to the three of them. The three of them were either surprised or couldn't help but laugh. Chen Xuran laughed non-stop, saying "Hehehe" and "How interesting!"

"The main point is that the customers can be a diverse group: market vendors, taxi drivers, community police officers, TV reporters, young entrepreneurs, self-help trainers... Each episode can revolve around such individuals, telling a story related to their identities and social issues. The final theme is to portray 'dignity and laughter after being laid off,' a story of a group of people reinventing their lives. It's not satirical, nor does it pander to pity. Instead, it lets the audience laugh as they see the courage and warmth of that era." "As for why we chose restaurants, it's because product placement is so easy. Water dispensers, condiments, refrigerators, TVs, large sofas—the placement is seamless and won't offend the audience. The message is delivered without them even realizing it."

Wang Bowen and Chen Xuran listened with increasing excitement. After hearing Zhang Chen describe several plot points and prospects, they both found them quite exciting. They exchanged glances and both felt that it was a promising and feasible idea!
Wang Shuowei, on the other hand, loudly offered a lot of creative ideas, and to be honest, they were not bad; he did have some ideas.

Xu Ming was even more shocked. Was this the strength of the college entrance examination prodigy who was reported in the newspaper?

No wonder Wang Bowen and Chen Xuran took his opinion seriously.

"Then you'll have to write the script and plan it!" Wang Bowen grabbed onto Zhang Chen as a straw.

"I'll try to give you a preliminary outline when school starts."

"And what about me?" Xu Ming suddenly spoke up, looking at Zhang Chen: "You just said you looked at my stuff, but didn't give any feedback. What do you think?"

Zhang Chen then looked at Xu Ming: "The core of your story is a bit dark humor. It's clear that you have a great sense of humor, Brother Xu."

Xu Ming chuckled dryly, but remained silent, waiting for Zhang Chen's "but".

“But it’s too artistic,” Zhang Chen said. “Being too artistic makes it incomprehensible, and even if you don’t understand it, you still think it’s sophisticated, which only adds to the appeal of certain works of art. So you might win Best Director, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a box office hit, or it doesn’t necessarily mean it will attract more viewers. Do you want to make it just for fun, or do you want more people to recognize it? Do you want more people to be willing to pay to see it?”

Xu Ming shook his head. "I'm not bothered by it. If it's not a hit or popular, that's just wishful thinking. Of course, it's better to make more money. Real money is the most authentic vote from the audience."

"That's right. I still stand by my point: if low-budget films want to break through, they still have to make comedies."

"Comedy..." Xu Ming said in a deep voice, "I'm afraid I can't make it."

“Black humor is still humor. I understand what you want to express. You can express it in a different way. The narrative can be similar to Quentin Tarantino's, which is a circle. Different people come together for different purposes because of a theme, and end up accomplishing something big. And the twists and turns in this process are actually black humor, an alternative comedy with satirical expression.”

Zhang Chen said, "I think you're suited for this. You could consider making a breakthrough in this area."

(End of this chapter)