Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 14 14: Bitterness at Alma Mater

the next day.

Sunday, May 4.

The morning sunlight pierced through the thin mist, casting its light on the somewhat chaotic buildings in the Beijing Film Studio's residential area.

Wang Sheng and Chen Liang walked side by side on their way to the office.

"Shengzi, tell me, how many people in the whole capital were watching the arts and culture channel last night, waiting for our commercial?" Chen Liang rubbed his hands together, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement and curiosity: "Let me tell you, I wasn't idle last night!"

Wang Sheng glanced at him, sensing that the guy was up to no good: "Where have you been?"

"Me? I was doing market research!" Chen Liang said mysteriously in a low voice with a "praise me" look on his face. "When I estimated that it was almost time, I secretly wandered around the buildings in our factory's living area."

Good heavens! Guess what? I peeked through the windows of several houses to listen for any noise—of course, without being seen!

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng nearly choked on his own saliva, both laughing and crying: "You fucking... Chen Liang, you're really something! Peeking through the window? What if you see something you shouldn't? Aren't you afraid of getting a sty? Or getting arrested as a pervert!"

"Hey! I know what I'm doing, I was just listening to the sound!" Chen Liang waved his hand dismissively, then became excited again: "Really, Shengzi, I'm not kidding! In our factory alone, I'd estimate that out of ten TVs, at least seven or eight are playing that entertainment channel! It's either movie dialogue or the static after a commercial break! The ratings are phenomenal! How many households in Beijing do you think saw that?"

Wang Sheng had actually calculated that, given the influence of the Beijing Evening News and the public's curiosity, the number of viewers for last night's advertisements would be an astonishing figure.

But he thought a step further than Chen Liang: just because many people see something doesn't mean they are all potential customers.

Shock, discussion, and even calling someone "crazy" are all normal. The key is how many of these reactions can translate into actual orders.

“Quite a few people have seen it.” Wang Sheng nodded, his tone remaining calm. “But this is only the first step. Let everyone know that this thing exists, and that it’s expensive and high-end. Next, we’ll see how many people are actually willing to pay for this ‘high-end’ thing. Let’s go, we still have a lot to do today.”

The two arrived at the office; the others were already there.

Wang Sheng held a brief morning meeting.

"The newspaper's effect is evident; the number of viewers for last night's ads is estimated to be quite substantial. But this is just the beginning. Phone inquiries may surge. Chen Yu, you'll have to work hard and strictly follow the script when answering the phone. Focus on recording information on potential customers who are interested and can accept the price; don't get bogged down in other conversations."

"The first order is going to start on May 5th, and we must ensure that everything goes perfectly. Liangzi, you lead everyone to continue practicing the procedures, teamwork, and emergency plans until they are thoroughly familiar with them."

"I'm going out for a bit to coordinate the shooting process with the wedding planning company the client found."

……

After making the arrangements, Wang Sheng set off alone to meet Ms. Chen at the agreed-upon location—the "Purple House," a long-established wedding planning company in Beijing.

Purple House was founded in 1934 and is a state-owned wedding planning company.

The company is named Purple House because its founder, Mr. Yu Chichang, borrowed the line "A riot of colors always heralds spring."

It symbolizes hope and vitality in one's career and conveys the joyful and celebratory atmosphere of a newlywed couple.

He once hosted the wedding of the 77th generation direct descendant of Confucius and also organized the first, second, and third group weddings in Beiping City.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, due to the joint public-private ownership, it was merged into Wangfujing Jingcheng Photo Studio, and the Purple House brand faded from public view.

In 1990, with the support of the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Beijing Textile Industry Corporation, "Purple House" reopened, becoming the "first wedding planning company in the country" after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It restored its time-honored brand and its business scope covers almost the entire wedding service chain, handling wedding services at all levels. As a leading figure in Beijing's wedding industry, it enjoys the deep trust of locals.

……

The Purple House is located in Dongcheng District. Its purple-decorated facade is unique and eye-catching, and its interior decoration is considered grand for that era.

Ms. Chen had arrived and was talking to a middle-aged man in a suit who looked like a manager.

Upon seeing Wang Sheng, Ms. Chen warmly greeted him, saying, "Mr. Wang, you've arrived. This is Manager Zhao, the business manager of Purple House."

"Hello, Manager Zhao."

Wang Sheng stepped forward to shake hands, neither humble nor arrogant.

Manager Zhao sized up Wang Sheng, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He seemed not to have expected that the person in charge of the "sky-high wedding movie" was so young.

But he quickly masked his embarrassment, beaming, "Mr. Wang, it's an honor to meet you! Your Shengying Media has become famous overnight in our industry. We've seen your ads, you're truly impressive." After a few pleasantries, the two sides got down to business and began discussing the wedding arrangements for May 5th.

Manager Zhao is very familiar with the process, and he can clearly explain the time points and precautions for each step.

Wang Sheng listened attentively and took notes, occasionally asking detailed questions based on the needs of the shoot, such as the lighting at a certain stage, whether there was enough space for a dual-camera setup, and whether there was a power outlet, showing his professionalism.

Docking complete.

Ms. Chen said she wanted to go and see the wedding clothes she had prepared for her son and daughter-in-law. Manager Zhao called a colleague and asked him to take Ms. Chen there. He then made an excuse that he needed to talk to Wang Sheng about other things. Ms. Chen neither agreed nor disagreed.

……

"Mr. Wang."

Manager Zhao offered him a cigarette, but Wang Sheng waved it off.

Seeing that Wang Sheng didn't smoke, he put his cigarette away and said in a more candid tone, "Mr. Wang, to be honest, your advertisement has really opened our eyes. We at Purple House have always done wedding videography, but we usually outsource it to a few fixed videographers who use home VHS cameras or better Hi8 cameras. The footage is just a record, and we only charge a few hundred yuan at most for a set. The profit margin is thin, and it's just a side job."

He continued, "The main profits still come from banquet bookings, car fleets, formal wear rentals, emcees, and so on. But we've always wanted to upgrade our video recording services, but we just can't find a suitable partner."

"Our equipment, technology, and manpower are all lacking. You guys are different; you have the background of the Beijing Film Studio, professional equipment, and you're clearly a 'regular army.'"

Manager Zhao leaned forward and lowered his voice: "Mr. Wang, are you interested in a deeper collaboration? From now on, all the wedding videography orders we get from Purple House will be handled by you! Of course, not your high-end packages that cost eight or nine thousand..."

He quickly added, "That's not something for the general public. What we're thinking about is, could we offer some more affordable meal options?"

He counted on his fingers and said, "For example, a low-end camera would use a regular VHS or Hi8 camera, a single camera, to follow and record, with simple editing, and charge 588 yuan or 666 yuan? The main goal is to sell in large quantities and meet basic needs."

"How about we make another mid-range model? We could use a better Digital 8 or one of your outdated professional cameras? A single camera or a simple dual-camera setup, some basic lighting, a little color grading in post-production, some packaging, and sell it for 988, 1288, or 1999 yuan? Many discerning young people should be able to accept that price."

Wang Sheng listened silently, his mind racing with calculations.

Manager Zhao's statement accurately reflects the current situation: the high-end market has potential but a small customer base, while the mid-to-low-end market has a massive potential.

Shengying Media currently has limited manpower and equipment, so concentrating its efforts on high-end products is the right thing to do.

However, in the long run, to expand, to support more businesses, and to reduce equipment and management costs, it is necessary to venture into the low-to-mid-end market.

Moreover, a large number of low- to mid-end businesses provide a good opportunity for training, allowing the team to quickly accumulate practical experience and refine processes.

"Manager Zhao, your suggestion is very constructive."

Wang Sheng pondered for a moment before speaking: "Our Shengying Media is positioned as a high-end brand, focusing solely on 'Golden Jubilee Collection' and above. We are indeed interested in cooperating with the mid-to-low-end market you mentioned, but we cannot use the name 'Shengying Media' to avoid brand confusion."

Manager Zhao was taken aback for a moment: "Then..."

Wang Sheng smiled slightly: "We can use a different brand, or we can simply not emphasize the brand at all. To the outside world, we can say that your Purple House has upgraded its own video recording service, which is created by a team with professional backgrounds from the Beijing Film Academy."

The name of Beijing Film Academy is as impressive as that of Beijing Film Studio in the eyes of ordinary people, enough to support the trust of the low-end and even some high-end markets.

"Equipment, personnel, and post-production will all be handled by Shengying, who will provide standards and training to ensure the quality of the finished product. However, external publicity and negotiations will be primarily handled by your company, Zifangzi. We can discuss profit sharing in detail."

Wang Sheng pondered that although he had only studied at the Beijing Film Academy for a year and was an unorthodox graduate, it was still his alma mater.

Once a student of Beijing Film Academy, always a student of Beijing Film Academy.

I'll bear the blame for my alma mater's suffering.

Today my alma mater is ashamed of me, but another day I will make it proud of me!

Manager Zhao's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh: "Brilliant! President Wang, your thinking is so clear! A professional background in Beijing Film Academy? Great! This is excellent! It elevates the level without affecting Shengying's high-end image. Let's do it this way!"

"Have your staff quickly gather an order for the specific packages and prices, including accurate calculations of equipment and labor costs, so we can finalize the cooperation details as soon as possible."

(End of this chapter)