Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 102, Section 101: Publicity First

It was December 1996.

The north wind swept across the North China Plain, covering the capital city in a layer of silver.

As the year draws to a close, the chill deepens, but the anticipation and restlessness in the air are more intense than ever before.

The news that the “TV series distribution alliance established by 31 film studios” has been included in the “Film Studio TV Series Production Collaboration Guidance Group” by the Ministry of Radio, Film and Television for pilot management has spread throughout the national cultural system.

The director of Xi'an Film Studio couldn't help but sigh privately, "It's easy to get ahead if you have connections in high places."

The voices that were initially hesitant, skeptical, or even resistant had to be greatly subdued under the banner of "ministerial approval".

Instead, there was a cautious approach and tentative exploration.

The representatives from various film studios who were stationed in different locations to negotiate acquisitions with local television stations were noticeably more assertive.

When they knocked on the doors of television purchasing departments across the country again, the resistance they encountered was significantly reduced.

"Since it's a pilot program within the ministry, exploring new approaches, our station should certainly support it."

Similar remarks began to echo in the offices of television stations in different provinces.

While considerations of self-interest still existed, the addition of a political element of "cooperating with the superiors' directives" made the negotiations much smoother.

The film studios also made timely concessions, showing more flexibility in terms of price and revenue sharing, striving for a "successful start" and ensuring the alliance's first success.

So, by mid-December, good news began to arrive at the 'Temporary Liaison Office of the Alliance' set up at the Beijing Film Studio.

Changchun Film Studio was the first to secure the broadcast time on Jilin Provincial TV Station for New Year's Eve; Pearl River Film Studio reached an agreement with Guangdong Provincial TV Station and several important local TV stations; Xi'an Film Studio lived up to expectations, getting "Family Harmony Brings Prosperity" broadcast on TV stations from the provincial to the county level throughout the province; even some relatively weaker film studios made breakthroughs on several local municipal TV stations by taking advantage of their geographical location.

In the end, a total of more than 600 provincial, municipal and county-level wireless television stations across the country decided to broadcast "Harmony Brings Prosperity" from about 9:40 pm to 12:00 am on December 31, 1996, as a New Year's Eve celebration.

At this time, the number of wireless television stations nationwide was at its historical peak, totaling 943. If cable television stations were included, the number would easily exceed 1000.

The reason there were so many television stations was related to the "four-level television administration" policy at that time.

Even those stations that failed to make it into the general channel were placed on platforms with clearly defined audiences, such as the film and television channel and the arts and culture channel.

The coverage was far greater than Wang Sheng and Han Sanping had initially expected.

The television station's unique propaganda machine was thus put into operation.

Program previews, plot summaries, and interviews with the lead actors recorded by the production company... were continuously delivered to households through TV guides, radio, and the TV station's own advertising slots.

The concept of "the nation's first Lunar New Year TV movie" has been repeatedly emphasized and has begun to take root in people's hearts.

For ordinary people who are used to watching the Spring Festival Gala during the Spring Festival and watching TV series at other times, watching a TV program specially made for the New Year, as exquisite as a movie, during the New Year's Eve celebration has become a novel and anticipated event.

It turns out that the New Year, the time for bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, deserves such a grand celebration and needs to be marked by a family-friendly work full of laughter.

Unconsciously, "New Year's Eve" as a culturally significant time node is being fostered and strengthened by this work, becoming a subtle footnote to the changing times.

……

Hangzhou, a thousand miles away.

West Lake appears exceptionally tranquil in the winter mist.

Li Xiuxiu, an intern reporter at Hangzhou TV, had just finished an interview and was sitting on the bus back to her workplace.

The street scenes outside the car window rushed past, but her thoughts drifted. During her lunch break, she saw a familiar name on the station's program schedule—"Harmony Brings Prosperity," airing on December 31st at 21:47 on West Lake Pearl Channel.

West Lake Pearl Channel was launched in 1993. It is the second channel of Hangzhou TV and is positioned as an arts and culture channel, with its programs focusing more on culture, entertainment and lifestyle.

The label prominently displayed next to it read: "The first New Year's TV movie in China, co-produced by Beijing Film Studio and Shengying Media, directed by Wang Sheng."

Wang Sheng...

Li Xiuxiu silently recited the name in her heart, a complicated smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.

The image of the young general manager who calmly and eloquently faced sharp questions at the press conference held at Lucheng Library a few months ago reappeared in my mind.

She had even sent an apology letter for her previous inappropriate interview, and the other party's generous words of encouragement were still ringing in her ears.

Unexpectedly, in just a few months, he has caused such a big stir.

From the controversial "sky-high price wedding movie" to this grand-scale Lunar New Year TV movie, touted as the "first of its kind in the country"...

This Wang Sheng seems to always be stepping on the most urgent beat of the times, and every appearance he makes stirs up a storm.

Li Xiuxiu took out her interview notebook and turned to the page containing information about Wang Sheng and Shengying Media.

Perhaps this young "Director Wang" will be a special news source worth paying long-term attention to in her journalistic career.

She looked forward to the evening of the 31st to see what magic this work he directed had that made so many TV stations give way to it, and what surprises it would bring to the audience.

……

At the same time, the competitive landscape within the capital city is becoming increasingly clear.

In response to the widespread success of "Harmony Brings Prosperity" across the country with its "alliance" momentum, the Beijing Television Art Center and Feng Xiaogang have also launched a full-scale publicity campaign for "Stories from the Editorial Department: Everything Goes Well."

Advertisements for "May All Your Wishes Come True" appeared in newspapers and on the radio.

Besides the main promotional focus on "the original cast reuniting" and "a Lunar New Year comedy," the most eye-catching aspect is "a major addition: Hong Kong star Wan Ziliang in a special appearance."

In the mid-1990s, leveraging the influence of Hong Kong stars to attract audiences remained an effective strategy.

However, those in the industry can immediately see the difference.

The broadcast platform for "May All Your Wishes Come True" was ultimately decided to be the Arts and Entertainment Channel of Beijing Television, rather than the more widely covered Beijing Comprehensive Channel.

Although the broadcast time was also scheduled for New Year's Eve, it overlapped with the broadcast time of "Family Harmony Brings Prosperity" on Beijing TV's movie channel, creating a direct head-to-head competition.

The implication is self-evident.

After balancing the relationships between various parties, the senior management of Beijing TV clearly made a biased choice, placing "Harmony Brings Prosperity," which has more political significance and market potential, on a more important platform, while relegating the works of their own art center to a secondary channel.

Despite its title as a sequel to a wildly popular IP and its Hong Kong star appeal, "All's Well That Ends Well" appears rather cramped in the face of its status as "the first TV movie in the country" and its massive reach across more than 600 TV stations nationwide.

Zheng Xiaolong and Feng Xiaogang were seething with anger, but they were powerless to do anything about it.

The market's choice, the allocation of resources, and even the attitude of the higher authorities have all become clear.

What they originally viewed as a battle between old and new forces within the "Beijing circle" for the New Year's dramas saw the balance of power tip the moment "Family Harmony Brings Prosperity" stepped out of Beijing and became a "national event."

(End of this chapter)