This director is so innocent.

Chapter 172 Brother Jin, be my boyfriend!

As we entered early July, the earth was filled with harmony.

After nearly half a year of production, "Running Man" has premiered.

The platform for cooperation is Beijing TV. We originally wanted to cooperate with Hunan TV, but they had too many variety shows of their own and didn't have time to broadcast them.

Then I chose Beijing TV. I was also quite interested in Shanghai TV, but Beijing TV is located in Beijing!

The only online platform we can cooperate with is Sohu Video; the other platforms don't have its traffic.

Variety shows, for example, have pre-selected cast members; they're not chosen randomly.

For example, in "Running Man," there are seven people. With so many people, there needs to be a core leader who can set the pace and control the situation.

Looking at the entertainment industry, there aren't many people who are popular, know how to control the situation, and can set the tone.

Huang Jiaqiang wanted to ask Su Jin to appear, but Su Jin was filming "Lurking" at the time and had no time to film variety shows. However, he still appeared in the first episode.

After much deliberation, they ultimately chose Huang Lei.

Although he likes to create a persona, it's undeniable that he's good at controlling the flow of events and has a lot of popularity.

A few years ago, he was incredibly popular, but now his popularity has waned.

Huang Lei had the aloofness of an intellectual and didn't want to go, but the offer of three million yuan knocked him out.

Three million, two months of recording, easier than making a movie, yet he felt the money was too hot to handle.

As for why Deng Chao wasn't considered, it's because he's not popular enough!

He's just a third-tier celebrity now, not even a second-tier one.

With the eldest brother secured, the other six are easy to choose from; just select them according to their established personas.

Funny thing is, they chose Oudi, who had just joined "Day Day Up".

A character with special abilities needs a muscular man, and at that time in mainland China, there really wasn't anyone who liked to flaunt their muscles.

After much deliberation, he chose Zhang Jin.

Both of these people are relatively unknown, so we need a young, handsome actor to boost the show's overall appeal.

Luo Jin just happened to be a good fit, so I chose him.

The counterpart to the young heartthrob is naturally an older, more seasoned actor. This person doesn't care about popularity, but rather about cracking jokes and lightening the mood of the show.

Sha Yi was a good fit, but he's not greasy yet, so he ultimately chose Shen Teng.

Shen Teng had gained weight by this time and was no longer the heartthrob he once was at the PLA Academy of Arts; his face now had wrinkles when he smiled.

The last man chose Lu Fangsheng.

There are seven people, six of whom are men, so naturally, a woman is needed to represent them in terms of appearance and attract attention.

Su Jin initially wanted Xia Jie to participate, but Xia Jie backed out. Then she thought of Yang Mi, but Yang Mi didn't like variety shows.

Nowadays, variety shows are truly at the very bottom of the film and television industry, the kind that everyone can look down on.

We also considered Zhao Liying, but her personality wasn't really suited to this kind of variety show, so we ultimately chose Tangtang.

Don't let Tangtang's quiet and gentle demeanor fool you; once you get to know her, she's a wild and energetic person.

Moreover, when she participates in variety shows, she exudes a kind of innocent foolishness.

After the premiere of "Running Man", the first episode featured Su Jin, but its popularity was just so-so and couldn't beat "Tianben Camp".

The viewership ratings were also not good, at only 1.5%.

But Beijing TV was already quite satisfied. "Happy Camp" only had a 2.8% viewership rating, so what was there to complain about?

It has to be said, Beijing TV really knows how to do business.

Seeing that the first episode's ratings were decent, they edited together Su Jin's footage for another episode, which was then broadcast as the second episode.

After two episodes aired, the viewership rating reached 2%.

By the time the third episode aired, the show had completely won over the audience and generated a lot of buzz online.

Upon seeing the buzz, Huang Jiaqiang contacted Weibo directly, and the topic trended on two separate Weibo accounts.

This sparked even more discussion.

"Bingbing, please don't contact me anymore. I'm afraid Tangtang will misunderstand."

This comment was very popular, garnering over 50,000 likes in a short period of time.

Jianmu Media's marketing team is no pushover either. Upon seeing this comment, they immediately deployed an online army to create memes.

"Yifei, please don't contact me anymore. I'm afraid Tangtang will misunderstand."

"Yuanyuan, please don't contact me anymore. I'm afraid Tangtang will misunderstand."

"Jiaxin, please don't contact me anymore. I'm afraid Tangtang will misunderstand."

Seeing so many people talking about Tangtang, onlookers couldn't resist their curiosity and watched the first three episodes on Sohu Video, instantly becoming fans and joining the discussion.

When the fourth episode aired, the ratings soared to 2.87%, surpassing the ratings of "Happy Camp" by 0.1 points.

When the fifth episode aired, the viewership rating broke 3%, reaching 3.56%.

Beijing TV has gone crazy, calling Huang Jiaqiang repeatedly to express their gratitude and asking when the second season will start filming.

In addition, they also want to buy the production rights to the second season of "Running Man" for exclusive broadcast.

However, Huang Jiaqiang had received instructions from Su Jin and never considered buying the show. Even without those instructions, he wouldn't have bought it after seeing the ratings.

This is a goose that lays golden eggs; only a fool would sell it.

The first season's GG sponsorship was not very successful, totaling only 2000 million.

The title sponsor was Weibo, which contributed 1100 million yuan.

After a whole season, I only earned 200 million yuan of hard-earned money.

However, they signed a ratings-based betting agreement with Beijing TV.

If the average viewership rating exceeds 2%, Jianmu Media will take the lion's share of the program's revenue from GG; otherwise, it will need to compensate Beijing Satellite TV for its losses.

Actually, Beijing TV didn't want to buy it at first; they were only willing to offer 400,000 yuan per episode, which would be 4.8 million yuan for twelve episodes.

This price was a huge loss compared to the cost, so Su Jin directly signed a ratings betting agreement with him.

Clearly, Su Jin made the right bet.

After the ratings for "Running Man" broke 2%, brands began contacting Beijing TV.

Once the viewership ratings broke 3%, more and more brands started to join in, and the price of a 15-second clip during the show's time slots was as high as 500 million yuan.

Beijing TV was filled with regret, wishing they could slap themselves a few times. The deputy director in charge of the negotiations became the scapegoat and had to make an internal self-criticism.

Thanks to the immense popularity of the variety show "Running Man," Weibo has surpassed 7500 million registered users and is moving toward the 8000 million mark.

Sohu Video gained 800 million registered users despite rampant piracy thanks to its exclusive streaming service.

Zhang Chaoyang was so happy that he drank a large cup of wine and declared that he wanted to climb Mount Everest.

As for why I mentioned gambling...

"Running Man" aired five or six years ahead of schedule, and there were no other outdoor variety shows on the market to refer to. Who knows if it will be well-received?

The seven MCs experienced varying degrees of popularity.

Huang Lei has become popular again, and many TV dramas have offered him roles.

With her sweet and adorable persona, Tangtang rose to fame overnight, gaining countless fans and surpassing Yang Mi in popularity, almost rivaling Liu Yifei.

GG has countless endorsements, commercial performances, and acting offers.

Yang Mi was filled with regret, beating her chest in despair. This was supposed to be hers, it was hers—

Opportunities rained down on her, but why did she choose to hold up an umbrella?

Sister Xia also felt a little regretful, but she wasn't too sad, after all, she was thinking about Brother Jin.

Zhejiang TV also regrets not trying harder back then!

Beijing TV has now gotten a great deal.

Later, they learned that Jianmu Media had a music variety show called "The Masked Singer" that they hadn't sold.

It's not that we're keeping them; it's that we simply can't sell them. The TV stations are offering too low a price, only willing to pay 300,000 to 400,000 per episode.

So, let's release "Running Man" first to test the waters. If it doesn't work out, we'll have to sell it with a heavy heart. We can't just let it sit unsold!

Zhejiang TV wasn't the only station interested in "The Masked Singer"; Jiangsu TV, Shanghai TV, and Hunan TV were also interested.

Beijing TV was also very interested, and it was the perfect time to replace "Running Man" after they bought it.

Five TV stations bid against each other, and the price soared from 400,000 to 1.5 million.

Ultimately, "The Masked Singer" was acquired by Shanghai TV, with a price of 160 million yuan per episode.

Originally, Huang Jiaqiang wanted to sign a ratings betting agreement with Shanghai TV, but the price would naturally be lower.

But this time they learned their lesson and refused to sign.

"The Masked Singer" did not disappoint Shanghai TV. Like "Running Man", the first episode was lukewarm, with a rating of only 1.3%.

But starting from the second episode, the ratings began to rise, reaching 1.98%, and the ratings for the third episode even broke through 2%, soaring to 2.68%.

The most distinctive feature of "The Masked Singer" is that all the celebrity singers wear masks, making it impossible for the audience to identify them. All the scoring criteria are based solely on the singers' singing voices.

This performance style, which combines "music + suspense", brings all the singers back to the same starting line under their masks.

Idol singers shed their glamour, while talented singers unleash their full potential without restraint. Everyone competes based on their own abilities and singing skills, without relying on looks or sentimental stories.

This way, viewers can enjoy a fair and competitive music program while also experiencing the fun of suspense and guessing.

After airing three episodes, it aroused the interest of the audience and generated a lot of discussion, trending on social media several times.

The fourth episode achieved a viewership rating exceeding 3%, reaching 3.28%.

During the semi-finals, the viewership rating even broke 4%, reaching a new high for variety shows.

During the finals, the viewership rating almost broke 5%.

Shanghai TV made a fortune from "The Masked Singer," earning over 40 million yuan.

They then urgently contacted Wong Ka-keung, demanding that the second season be released as soon as possible.

Huang Jiaqiang naturally agreed with a smile.

Now his admiration for Su Jin is like a surging river, endless and boundless; he's practically worshipping Su Jin.

That's awesome.

Although the two variety shows didn't earn much, only a small profit of 40 million, they did increase brand awareness.

The second season's sponsorship is much easier to handle. Brands are already waving their cash, asking for 20 million, 30 million, and even 40 million for title sponsorship.

Let's wait and see.

Wait until the two variety shows are broadcast in rotation for a while to maximize their influence, and that will be the best time to attract advertisers.

By the way, "The Masked Singer" is different from the mainland version; it's similar to the Korean version.

To maintain the mystery, the winner of the current round of singing directly enters the semi-finals without revealing their identity; only the loser will reveal their identity to prove they were there.

In the mainland version, the singer who wins the episode reveals their identity, while the loser doesn't reveal their identity and simply says they're leaving.

That's supposed to be to maintain the loser's self-esteem.

What nonsense!

People come to participate in variety shows with the goal of becoming famous. Do you really think they're here to compete?

If you don't let them reveal their faces, then their trip was for nothing.

Of those who make it in the entertainment industry, how many truly care about their self-esteem? And those who do care about their self-esteem never really succeed.

Besides, when someone reveals their identity and delivers a heartbreaking farewell speech, it generates buzz for you and for themselves.

The production cost of "The Masked Singer" was about the same as that of "Running Man".

The biggest cost came from the construction of the photography studio, which cost more than 20 million yuan, mainly due to the sound system.

To create an audio-visual feast, a batch of audio equipment was ordered from L-ACOUSTICS in France for ten million.

As for the artists, the fees are very low; a group of has-been singers have appearance fees ranging from 10 to 50.

"Running Man" is different; the salaries of just the seven MCs alone exceeded ten million.

Including the various outdoor locations that need to be rented, personnel expenses, food and lodging, etc., the total cost exceeded 35 million.

It'll be better in the second season. By then, those places will be begging the production team to come and give you money.

The cast and crew of "You Are the Apple of My Eye".

Su Jin supported Liu Shishi's slender waist, looked at her flushed face, and couldn't help but laugh.

He was just filming the last scene with Sister Xia, which is also the biggest surprise in the film: the kissing scene between Ko Ching-teng and Shen Chia-yi.

Before filming began, Liu Shishi seemed eager to start, but after filming started, she became shy.

It took seven or eight takes to finish filming.

Yang Qing, holding a megaphone, announced: "I hereby announce that filming for 'You Are the Apple of My Eye' has officially wrapped."

Applause and cheers rose and fell.

Liu Shishi blinked her big eyes and said with a smile, "Brother Jin, be my boyfriend!"

"Good—good my foot! You're always dreaming of something wonderful."

Su Jin flicked her snow-white forehead and left with a smile.

"Hmph—" Liu Shishi pouted, watching Su Jin's back, but her heart was filled with sweetness.

In the evening, there was a wrap party.

They clinked glasses, exchanged toasts, and chatted merrily.

Qiao Shan, holding a glass of baijiu, approached Su Jin and said respectfully, "Producer, I'd like to offer you a toast. Please feel free to drink as you please."

Su Jin raised her wine glass, clinked it against his, and drank it all in one gulp.

"Qiao Shan, have you signed with an agency?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Shan stood frozen in place, then overjoyed. He never imagined that he would encounter such a wonderful thing.

"Brother—no, producer, let me toast you again."

He picked up the wine jug on the table, filled his cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

Perhaps feeling that this was not enough to express his excitement, he refilled his glass, preparing to drink another cup.

Su Jin stopped him from drinking a third glass: "No need to drink anymore. How about coming to my company?"

"Yes, yes, yes—" Qiao Shan nodded repeatedly.

"Then you'll come back to the company with me tomorrow."

"Thank you, producer." Qiao Shan sincerely thanked him and then downed the wine in his hand in one gulp.

What many people don't know is that Qiao Shan is also a professionally trained actor; he was in the 04 class of the Central Academy of Drama's acting program.

Huang Bo also graduated from a vocational college, but he fared much worse than Huang Bo.

No company signed him, and he had no chance to play minor roles. He spent his time in various small theater troupes, earning 80 yuan a day.

To make a living, he wanted to follow Chang Yuan and become a wedding emcee, but he lacked the eloquence to do so.

Later, he joined Happy Twist, but he didn't achieve anything significant there.

After that, he joined "Love Meeting Room" and made a name for himself. Later, he met Da Peng and starred in "Men's Diary". He became the top guy in the foot massage parlor and that's when he started to take off.

It's fair to say that without Da Peng, Qiao Shan would never have achieved what he has today.

Qiao Shan is a good actor, that's for sure.

When he came to audition, Su Jin saw that he only weighed 130 pounds and asked him if he could gain weight to 150 pounds.

He agreed without hesitation, and then gained more than ten kilograms in a month.

When on set, he was never late or left early, was humble and polite, and got along well with every actor.

In their spare time, they also help the staff move equipment.

Su Jin was offered a lot of drinks, and even though everyone only took a sip, there were just too many people!

It can be said that all of the more than one hundred people in the entire crew came to toast, and by the end, their minds were already a bit foggy.

In the hotel room, Su Jin took a sip of plum juice to sober up, and said to Liu Shishi, who still didn't want to leave, "Go back to sleep quickly."

"Brother Jin, how about I sleep here tonight?"

"Not very good."

"How about a kiss?"

"Okay!" Su Jin stood up with a smile, walked to Liu Shishi's side, grabbed her by the neck, and threw her out.

-

Liu Shishi stood up angrily, staring at the closed door, about to unleash a torrent of curses, when she heard Jiao Dabao's mocking voice.

"Senior Sister, did my boss throw you out?"

Liu Shishi blushed, but stubbornly replied, "No, your boss personally escorted me out."

Jiao Dabao glanced at Liu Shishi's buttocks and smiled meaningfully.

"What kind of look is that? You can ask your boss if you don't believe me," Liu Shishi shouted.

Jiao Dabao didn't refute her words. He stepped forward, took Liu Shishi's arm, and changed the subject, saying, "Shishi, go try my new face mask. It's amazing."

"Some other time! I'm going to sleep now, goodnight."

"Good night"

The next day, everyone went home.

Sister Xia is going back to Hengdian. Filming for "Chinese Paladin 3" will start in August. She plays Long Kui, who has a lot of action scenes, so she needs to join the crew for training in advance.

Luo Jin is flying to North America, where filming for "The Maze Runner" will begin in mid-next month, and he wants to go there in advance to get used to it.

This bastard didn't really want to take that role before, thinking he couldn't speak English and would be unfamiliar with the place.

Zhao Shan gave him a severe scolding and hired him a private English tutor. For the past month, he has been studying English every night when he's not filming.

Don't get me wrong, this is normal English learning, not some kind of advanced English course taught by a Russian.

With the guidance of his English teacher, Luo Jin's spoken English improved rapidly.

Although I can't speak English fluently yet, I have no problem with general spoken English.

The others were fine.

Back at the company, he tossed Qiao Shan to Zhao Shan and went back to his office.

A short while later, Huang Jiaqiang walked in with a stack of documents and reported on the work progress over the past period.

It mainly concerns the projects that were started previously.

Huang Jiaqiang asked, "Boss, have you been keeping an eye on the box office performance of 'Red Cliff Part I' lately?"

"No, what's wrong?"

"I heard that 'Red Cliff Part I' is going to take back 'Titanic's' box office crown of 3.6 million yuan."

"Take it back my ass! Don't you even look at the reputation of 'Red Cliff Part I'? It's absolutely terrible."

"Boss, don't be fooled by its bad reviews, it sparked a movie-going frenzy and grossed over 2 million in just 10 days."

"That's impossible."

Why?

"There's no reason why. If you don't believe me, just wait and see!"

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