How can you become a star without money?

Chapter 97 My best friends are all alright, they don't cheat much.
In the Chinese entertainment and film industry, the position of producer has always been somewhat awkward.

He is influenced by investors, constrained by the production company and director, and also has to deal with pressure from the platform, making him a typical doormat.

But it's also very important. It doesn't matter if a project doesn't have a good director, but if it doesn't have a good producer, then the project will most likely have difficulty even getting off the ground.

The biggest requirement for a producer is to be good at appeasing others and acting as a lubricant in coordinating various parties. They may seem to have great power over project management, but in reality, they are walking on thin ice.

Therefore, excellent producers are a rare talent in the Chinese entertainment industry. Producers with even a little ability have all transitioned into investors. After all, investors only have to deal with the boss's temper and don't have to be caught in the middle by multiple parties.

Wu Zhuli is one of the earliest producers in China. She started as a production assistant for director Jiang Deng with her brother. Later, she built up her network and joined Huhua Company, which was spun off from Hunan TV.

He has worked on several hit Qiong Yao dramas, including "Princess Pearl" and "Romance in the Rain," and has established a close partnership with Qiong Yao Company, gaining access to resources from Taiwan. He and a few friends then set up their own company, Shanghai Zhanjie Company, which produced a series of mainland idol dramas with a distinctly Taiwanese flavor, such as "Red Apple Paradise."

After reaping the initial benefits of heavily adapted and remade films, they focused on this field, purchasing scripts from countries like Japan and Korea and co-producing them with various television stations.

Wu Zhuli had high hopes for the script "Temptation of Wife" and went to negotiate its acquisition at the end of 08. However, due to the tightening of domestic and foreign cooperation, coupled with the script's excessive content, the outline was rejected as soon as it was submitted.

In the end, they had to give up temporarily. After all, China doesn't have the awareness of stockpiling copyrights, especially script copyrights, which would tie up a lot of cash flow. Most adaptations follow the "buy, film, and release immediately" model, and they were worried about being stuck with unsold copyrights.

But she didn't expect that just when she had almost forgotten about the project, she would receive a call from Huang Shengyi, saying that someone had bought the script and wanted to collaborate with her.

She had initially intended to mock this person for being stubborn, but upon learning that he was associated with the online video streaming platform that had recently been causing trouble in the industry, she immediately changed her attitude.

Just because she couldn't handle it doesn't mean others can't. So, she made ample preparations for this first meeting and even brought along Qin Lan, the female lead who had already been chosen.

This drama was originally intended to be a collaboration with Hunan TV. Wu Zhuli and Qin Lan have been best friends for many years, but Qin Lan has been unable to break free from the tragic heroine route of Qiong Yao's leading ladies for so many years. In order to broaden her acting range, she has been taking on serious dramas, but with little effect.

The female lead in this script happens to be a rare revenge-themed female lead in China, and Wu Zhuli felt that this might be the best opportunity to help her transform her career.

The two had discussed this many times during the Chinese New Year, so they both wanted to seize this opportunity. They finally managed to schedule an appointment with the person in charge on the other end and dressed up carefully to go on the date.

Unexpectedly, the person opposite me was a young man who looked incredibly youthful.

"Excuse me, is this the private room reserved by Mr. Wang from Tianhuo Media?" Wu Zhuli even stepped back to check the room number.

"Yes, it's Mr. Wu, please have a seat." Wang Yao put down the documents in his hand and stood up to greet him.

"I am Wu Zhuli from Zhanjie. How should I address you, young man?" Wu Zhuli sized up the other person, assuming he was an actor promoted by the other company.

After all, it's common for investors to bring along the artists they want to add to the project discussion.

“Wang Yao.” Wang Yao nodded.

"You and Mr. Wang?" Wu Zhuli raised an eyebrow.

Also surnamed Wang? Oh, it seems they're not just celebrities, but also immediate family members.

“That’s me,” Wang Yao said with a smile.

"Huh?" Wu Zhuli was stunned for a moment, then quickly apologized, "You are...? I'm sorry, I didn't expect Mr. Wang to be so young and accomplished. I've offended you."

There are many second-generation rich kids in this industry, but it's rare to see one this young.

"It's alright, it's alright, I'm just an employee too." Wang Yao smiled gently, handed over the menu, and looked at the woman who was still wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask after entering the room. "I just ordered some dishes, would you two like to add anything?"

"No need, no need. Eating is a small matter; cooperation is the priority," Wu Zhuli declined, subtly kicking Qin Lan, who seemed to be still in a daze beside her.

"Hello Mr. Wang, I'm actress Qin Lan. I'm here today to offer my services for the lead role in the script." Qin Lan snapped out of her reverie, quickly removed her external device, gave Wang Yao a subtle smile, and inwardly mused.

Is Mr. Wang, who is so young, reliable?

"Miss Qin is even more beautiful in person than on TV. I really enjoyed your portrayal of Wu Zetian," Wang Yao praised.

Qin Lan was taken aback. Her most famous representative roles should be Zhihua and Lüping. The drama "The Love Story of Tang Dynasty" was from 02. This kid should still be in elementary school at that time, right?
"Wow, it seems Mr. Wang has been watching Lanlan's dramas for quite some time now," Wu Zhuli said casually.

"Yes, he was my history teacher, I never expected to meet him in person." Wang Yao smiled shyly.

Historical enlightenment?

What a strange setting.

Wu Zhuli and Qin Lan exchanged a puzzled look, feeling the pressure of communicating with the young people.

“Lanlan and I were both very interested in this drama at the time. Although the Korean version was too long and complicated and was specifically designed for the target audience of housewives, the script could be modified to make it a drama suitable for urban men and women, discussing the topic of marriage.” Wu Zhuli began to show how much she had studied the script.

Incidentally, the side project showcased the compatibility between Qin Lan and the female lead's character.

Wang Yao listened attentively. It was probably similar in style to the "Return of Temptation" in his memory, so it seemed that Zhan Jie was indeed the producer.

Moreover, the director and team behind this TV series are also under Zhanjie's management. Director Lin Tianyi later produced the "Living Buddha Ji Gong" series.

"It seems that Mr. Wu has indeed done a lot of research on this script. Why did you give up on it before?" Wang Yao asked.

"The reason for the rejection was that we submitted it through Hunan TV, but it was immediately returned. Moreover, the Korean screenwriter was asking for a high price, so we temporarily gave up after assessing the risks. We originally thought we would wait for the situation to improve before reconsidering, but we didn't expect that President Wang would also be optimistic about this project," Wu Zhuli said.

"Maybe it's fate, but I'm mainly interested in the joint venture model. Domestic scriptwriting is too formulaic. Introducing more fresh ideas will benefit the market. Otherwise, it's stagnant and boring for the audience and investors," Wang Yao said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhuli's attitude became much more upright. Although this person looks very young, his thinking level is very high. He looks at problems from the perspective of the big picture. Could his family background be extraordinary?
"Mr. Wang makes a lot of sense. In fact, regarding the TV drama industry, we still rely heavily on the influence of external works for commercialization, especially the Hong Kong and Taiwan model. This is mainly because our domestic scriptwriting is not based on market considerations, but on literary considerations."

Most of them are adaptations of books into scripts or remakes of classics. Although the "Haiyan drama" model once flourished in China, the model of "book first, then drama" is actually somewhat outdated. In fact, there should be more categories, such as book adaptations, original dramas, and fusion dramas, among other creative forms.
I believe that Korea's model of creating scripts based on current phenomena is the fastest way to cater to the market. In contrast, most investors in our country are very conservative; they only invest if the script has a fan base based on the original work. This greatly limits the development of the scriptwriting industry.
Without investment, there is no fertile ground for creation. That's why Hunan TV has been able to maintain its leading position – it's because of its relatively diverse content. Although it has recently had some huge hits like "Struggle," "Bright Sword," and "Soldiers Sortie,"

But in essence, these are the main forces of popular culture, not the main forces of commerce. They are just for publicity. Many mainstream dramas are the same. In fact, they have long been a step behind the market, so most of the investment each year is wasted. As an industry insider, I am indeed heartbroken.

"Over the years, our company has followed overseas models, from comparing 'Red Apple' to 'Meteor Garden' to adapting new cultural themes like 'Du Lala,' gradually validating market responses and actually achieving a lot of success." Wu Zhuli's tone was solemn, as if she were giving a report.

Wang Yao scratched his head. He just wanted to express his expectations for the joint venture market, but why was this General Manager Wu actually analyzing it?

How these TV dramas and movies develop is none of our business.
“I agree with what Mr. Wu said, so when I bought the script, the first thing I thought of was to cooperate with you. However, I don’t really know much about the film and television investment sector, so I would appreciate it if Mr. Wu could enlighten me.” Wang Yao smiled.

His understanding of film and television rules is entirely based on entertainment novels. After all, when he started out, the internet was already flourishing, and short dramas didn't even have the concept of "scale."

But things are different now, especially with the censorship of TV dramas, which is really annoying with all the rules and regulations.

“Normally, it’s a three-way collaboration between the production company, the platform, and the investors. Of course, the production company or the platform may also act as an investor, but those are projects that are guaranteed to make money. If it’s a subject like ‘Temptation,’ then a three-way collaboration is definitely necessary, especially the platform, which is very important,” Wu Zhuli said in a deep voice.

"My relationship with Hunan TV is pretty good," Wang Yao nodded.

"Oh? I came from Hunan TV. Which department does Mr. Wang cooperate with the most?" Wu Zhuli's eyes lit up.

“I’ve worked with director Li Ying quite a lot,” Wang Yao replied.

“Director Li? That’s Director Chen’s department. Their department mainly focuses on variety show projects, so they might not be of much help to this project.” Wu Zhuli nodded.

"Even with sponsorship, it's still not possible?" Wang Yao asked.

“You may not have worked here before. Hunan TV has six departments, each responsible for different areas, and they rarely overstep their boundaries. However, it’s easier to negotiate if there’s investment involved. But this script was rejected before, so it might need more help to submit it again,” Wu Zhuli explained.

"What about cooperating with other TV stations?" Wang Yao frowned slightly.

"In comparison, Hunan TV faces the least resistance." Wu Zhuli shook her head. "Moreover, if this project were to start, the budget we initially set for 70 episodes would be around 3000 million yuan, with actor salaries accounting for 40%, set design, costumes, props, and post-production for 25%, distribution channels for 15%, and copyright for about 10%."

"What about the remaining 10%?" Wang Yao asked, puzzled.

"An emergency reserve fund, used to deal with various emergencies." Wu Zhuli smiled. It's basically money for social obligations.

"And the income?" Wang Yao asked again.

"Advertising is the biggest source of revenue, followed by second and third rounds of copyright, as well as some miscellaneous adaptations, channel revenue, and so on. However, if we cooperate with Hunan TV, their rule is that the first round of satellite broadcasting is free, which offsets the channel fees," Wu Zhuli explained in more detail.

There are two revenue models for TV dramas: buyout and revenue sharing.

Normally, once a TV series is finished filming, it is sold directly to major TV stations, which is the price for the first round of broadcast. Currently, for a normal top-tier production, the platform purchase price may be 20 to 30 yuan per episode. This is equivalent to directly buying out all the subsequent rights and revenue of the TV series, and the TV station bears the subsequent risks.

The revenue-sharing model involves the TV station not paying upfront but instead charging the production company a platform fee (channel promotion), and then sharing profits according to an agreed-upon ratio. This model is where top-tier production companies gamble on future returns.

However, in 2009, a broadcast restriction order was issued, requiring TV stations to broadcast no more than two episodes per day during prime time, in an attempt to force producers to improve the quality of their productions.

Then, the price increased several times within a year from tens of thousands of yuan per episode in 09, and reached 80 yuan per episode for the first run of "Empresses in the Palace" next year.

But in reality, it gives TV stations more bargaining power.

While it may seem that TV stations are facing increased procurement costs, they are actually forcing production companies to work closely with TV stations. After all, prime-time slots are limited, and whoever wants to be broadcast on a major network is not necessarily determined by the quality of the show, but whoever has a closer relationship with the TV station will definitely have an advantage.

Especially for a ratings powerhouse like Hunan TV, premiering a show on their channel means a greater chance of it becoming a hit, so they came up with a new cooperation strategy.

The first broadcast purchase offsets the investment share. In other words, if the production company wants to broadcast on a satellite TV channel, the TV station will not pay a buyout fee, nor will it charge a platform fee. Instead, it will be converted into an investment.

For example, the total investment in "The Temptation" is 3000 million yuan. Normally, the revenue sharing from the cooperation platform (channel promotion) is about 15%. If we cooperate with Hunan TV, the first round of broadcasting rights will offset this part of the investment first, and then we can discuss whether to buy out the rights or share the revenue.

In other words, if you want your show to air on Hunan TV, you have to give them 15% of the revenue first. This way, whether it's a buyout or a revenue-sharing partnership later on, they can always get this extra portion of the revenue.

This model has only emerged in the last two years. For example, when "iPartment 1" was filmed, no TV station could buy it, so they had to give up a portion of the revenue to Gan TV in exchange for the opportunity to broadcast it, which then unexpectedly became a hit.

While other TV stations treat different people differently, Hunan TV treats everyone equally; if you don't pay a share of the profits, there's no point in discussing it.

"Does that mean most TV dramas will struggle to make a profit?" Wang Yao calculated.

They were cut 15% without doing anything. No wonder the film and television market is getting worse and worse. They are using popular actors without thinking. They are all hoping for capital to support them.
“Yes, so now the industry is more inclined to share profits and cooperate. Of course, for some projects they are optimistic about, TV stations will also purchase some copyrights, but in any case, their risk is lower than before.” Wu Zhuli sighed.

“Since this is the norm in the industry, there’s nothing we can do about it.” Wang Yao shook his head. “Then how can we cooperate?”

"If this drama passes censorship, our company will not only be responsible for the production, but we will also contribute 10% as a guarantee to the investors. After all, if we ourselves are unwilling to invest, the investors will definitely question our determination and ability," Wu Zhuli said with a smile.

"So, there's still a funding gap of 2700 million?" Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly.

“Your script can account for 10% of the investment, so there’s only a shortfall of 2400 million. However, we can revise the script first, get it approved, and then see if Hunan TV is willing to invest a portion,” Wu Zhuli proposed a prudent solution.

“Okay, take the script back and revise it first. I’ve specifically studied the review process for this script, and we can split it into two parts and submit them for review in stages,” Wang Yao said.

Because the original subject matter of "The Temptation" was too sensitive, the later version adopted the industry's first segmented submission method for review, and finally barely passed the review. The script was divided into two parts. The first part mainly tells about family ethics. This part is almost not subject to review. You can get the "TV series distribution license" first. Once you have this license, you can go to the TV station to discuss cooperation, which is similar to selling a house in advance.

The latter part of the plot mainly involves revenge and business battles, a kind of "fighting evil with evil" storyline that has never appeared in China before. This is because most film and television dramas have the value of "repaying evil with good," and even "repaying evil with justice" is subject to censorship, let alone "repaying evil with evil."

However, without this part, the entire script would be soulless. The advantage of segmented production is that we can get the permits and start filming the first half first, and then revise the script gradually without delaying the overall progress.

Otherwise, if we follow the standard procedures and wait for the script to be approved, what should have been a six-month project might end up taking two or three years, eventually dying out.

Upon hearing Wang Yao's interpretation of the segmented submission method, Wu Zhuli was astonished.

If Wang Yao hadn't produced Order No. 63, which stipulated which section could be changed if necessary, Wu Zhuli would have almost thought that this kid was just daydreaming.

But once there are explicit regulations, things change; we can just work things out gradually.

But who would study the regulations so thoroughly for no reason?

This made Wu Zhuli even more curious about Wang Yao's identity.

When the collaboration on the "Temptation" project was finalized in the early stages, the two parties began to chat to get to know each other better. During this process, Wu Zhuli did not give up recommending Qin Lan as the female lead to Wang Yao and even brought out the original cast list.

Wang Yao glanced at it and found that it was almost the same as the original cast, except that the female lead was not Qiu Cixuan.

Because the actors are basically Zhan Jie's collaborators, and there's also Lei Datou.

However, Wang Yao still hopes to keep the original cast, since the lack of dialogue in three languages ​​would reduce the topicality.

“Well, actually, from a role perspective, Miss Qin is definitely suitable. However, I need a China-Korea co-production gimmick for this drama, so the female lead must be of Korean nationality. So I'm sorry, Miss Qin, for making you come all this way for nothing.” Wang Yao smiled apologetically at Qin Lan.

"Ah? Oh, so Mr. Wang is considering it from a distribution perspective, right?" Wu Zhuli was taken aback, then nodded in agreement. "Indeed, if the lead actor in a remake is of Korean descent, it will definitely be beneficial for promotion and raising audience expectations."

"No, no, I was just trying to get an opportunity. Mr. Wang has already given me enough opportunities," Qin Lan quickly waved her hand.

"Actually, if Miss Qin wants to change her image, she doesn't necessarily need to rely too much on her work. I wonder if she has been paying attention to the trends on the internet recently?" Wang Yao asked, throwing out the bait.

"Mr. Wang, are you referring to the recent Women's Support Association?" Qin Lan's eyes lit up.

Although there was a constant stream of news during the Lunar New Year, the only thing that truly resonated with her was the Women's Aid Association, as she is someone who enjoys making friends.

They even spearheaded the formation of a Teddy Sisters group, hoping to support each other. However, this Teddy group had a certain commercial aspect, and they jointly founded the first celebrity fashion brand in China, Teddy Family.

This group was incredibly popular last year, but it paled in comparison to the Women's Supporters Association.

First, the Teddy family has commercial attributes. Although they use the name of loving animals, they actually make money by leveraging the celebrity effect.

In contrast, although the founder of the Women's Aid Association is a third-rate, obscure model, any one of its members could easily outshine them. Moreover, the Women's Aid Association is a non-profit organization formed to address the plight of women, and it is far superior to them in terms of both prestige and stance.

The Women's Aid Association's newly launched charity Taobao store has a white shirt with "GHG" printed on it, priced at 29.9 yuan. In less than a week, its sales volume has almost exceeded 100,000.

Then look at the Teddy family. Although they played a scarcity marketing game, their high prices have actually made them the target of ridicule from many people.

The emergence of this group will become an insurmountable hurdle for all female artists in the industry.

Qin Lan's close friends are now racking their brains every day trying to figure out how to get involved with this group, so they are paying extra attention.

"No, it's news about artists like Wang Jing and Cheng Long." Wang Yao shook his head.

"Oh, of course." Qin Lan nodded, somewhat puzzled.

"The fact that Qu Shou and Ma Ruo, who are under our company, have gained considerable attention through internet channels is a testament to a new entertainment system. Meanwhile, the incidents involving Wang Jing and Cheng Long demonstrate that the public's perception and attitude towards celebrities are gradually changing."
Previously, the public's understanding of actors and celebrities was passive; they believed in what the media promoted. However, with the rise of social media platforms like Weibo, many celebrities, such as Yao Chen, have provided the public with new ways to learn about them.

Therefore, in the future, the public's perception of celebrities will likely no longer be one-dimensional, defined by single labels such as actor or singer, but rather by a more complete 'persona'.

The relationship between fans and celebrities will undergo a qualitative change, making it increasingly difficult to establish a career path that relies solely on the quality of one's work.
As the public becomes more familiar with celebrities, their personal biases and preferences become stronger, leading to a more skewed stance.
"It's like if someone else cheats, you can criticize them, but if your best friend cheats, you not only won't criticize them, you'll also say something like, 'You're awesome, keep it hidden,' right?" Wang Yao said with a smile.

Wu Zhuli listened thoughtfully.

Qin Lan immediately became alert and quickly waved her hand, saying, "My best friend is alright, she doesn't cheat much."

Wang Yao raised an eyebrow slightly and chuckled, "I was just using a metaphor."

　Thanks to bored_didi, rf9701, Bladmaster, and Coca-Cola No. 1.

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(End of this chapter)