Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

In 2011, Beijing had a permanent population of 2018.6 million, of which 742.2 million were migrant workers, accounting for 36.8% of the permanent population.

Standing at the exit of Beijing Capital International Airport, Zheng Nan felt that there were just too many people, like a tourist attraction during a holiday.

I joined the queue and hailed a taxi.

After getting in the car, Zheng Nan said they were going to the Sohu building.

"Which Sohu building are you going to?" the taxi driver asked.

"How many Sohu buildings are there?" Zheng Nan was stumped by the question.

"There are two. One is the old building we're using now, in the Zhongguancun area of ​​HD District, and the other is a new building under construction, in the Academy of Sciences area of ​​HD District," the taxi driver explained.

Sohu's old building was originally named "Wai Sin International Building". It was jointly developed by Wai Sin Group of Hong Kong Island and Tsinghua Science Park. Sohu acquired part of the building's ownership and naming rights in 2006 for US$2.77 million.

The new building, which began construction last year, is exclusively owned by Sohu.

"I'm going to the old building. Are those two places very far apart?"

"Hey, it's not far, we're all in Haidian, how far can it be?"

Why are you asking me when we're not far apart? Taxi drivers are so talkative!

Zheng Nan silently complained to himself.

Zheng Nan remained silent, but the driver spoke up first: "Young man, are you a celebrity?"

"no."

"Don't lie to your uncle, it's not like a celebrity would wear a big mask and go to Sohu."

"Let's talk about work."

"See? What did I tell you? It's about celebrities. Young man, you're at most seventeen or eighteen years old. There's no such thing as child labor in the entertainment industry..."

The driver kept talking the whole way, and since the Sohu building was a bit far from the Capital Airport, and Beijing was also experiencing traffic jams.

The 30-kilometer journey took more than an hour, and Zheng Nan's brain was practically boiling from talking so much.

As soon as Zheng Nan got out of the car, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, taking five minutes to calm down: "Is this what taxis in Beijing are like? So authentic!"

"Damn it! I forgot to ask for an invoice. Will Sohu reimburse me without an invoice?"

"Uncle didn't foresee this, did he?"

Zheng Nan stood at the entrance of Sohu with a hint of sadness, realizing she would probably have to pay the 124 yuan taxi fare herself.

"Zheng Nan?!" A hesitant voice sounded from the side.

Zheng Nan subconsciously looked over and saw a familiar face: Da Peng.

"It really is Zheng Nan! I could tell you looked like you from a distance. You're so talented. I've watched all eight episodes of the first season of 'Hilarious Men' three or four times. I'm a fan of yours!" Da Peng walked over enthusiastically.

Zheng Nan never expected that the first person he saw on Sohu would be Dapeng; the two were truly destined to meet.

"You're very talented too. I've watched quite a bit of your show, 'Dapeng Debade.'" Zheng Nan was telling the truth; Dapeng was indeed a talented person.

"I can't compare to you. 'Hilarious Men' is really popular. You must have come to Sohu this time to discuss copyright cooperation, right? If you really sign with Sohu, ask me to be a guest star in the second season. I'll act for free, really." Da Peng didn't expect that he would run into Zheng Nan when he went out for some fresh air and a smoke at noon.

With the help of Da Peng, a long-time Sohu employee, Zheng Nan entered the Sohu building smoothly.

"Hello, are you registered?" the customer service representative asked.

"I didn't register. Mr. Liu Chun told me to contact him when I arrived," Zheng Nan replied.

"Director Zheng Nan, right? Please wait here in the conference room for a moment."

Soon, Zheng Nan met Liu Chun and the others.

"Director Zheng Nan came all by himself? What a young hero! When I was eighteen, I was still researching what to eat for dinner in college, and Director Zheng Nan already has his own works." Liu Chunxian praised him first.

Then I had my secretary bring out the price list and a bunch of documents and we started discussing it in detail.

"This is the quote for the first season of 'Hilarious Men,' which is the version that was sent over."

"This is the estimated value of the 'Hilarious Men' IP."

"This is a report on the approximate audience and spending power of 'Hilarious Men'."

Being a leader is good, but apart from a few words when Liu Chun first came in, it was his subordinates who took the lead.

"Director Zheng Nan, before we talk, I'd like to say something. Sohu Video's positioning leans towards urban, young, internet-native, and entertainment-oriented content, which highly overlaps with the audience of 'Hilarious Men.' It would be mutually beneficial for us to cooperate," Liu Chun interjected.

The employee then introduced Sohu's advantages: "Sohu is currently the platform with the richest entertainment resources, the highest degree of media integration, and the closest ties with the film and television industry among film and television platforms."

Sohu possesses a full-chain resource encompassing portal, video, entertainment media, self-produced content, awards ceremonies, and celebrity collaborations.

Furthermore, Sohu understands grassroots people, comedy, and the internet!

Taking the greenhouse team as an example, their flagship program "Greenhouse Chatter" is the number one online talk show, averaging millions of daily views and boasting extremely strong fan loyalty...

The employees showcased Sohu's advantages in various ways, which might have genuinely impressed the average person.

But Zheng Nan knew that all the previous talk was just a prelude; in the end, they would still have to talk about money.

"Based on all of the above, I believe Director Zheng Nan has no reason not to choose Sohu!" The employee said, his mouth practically dry.

"Hmm." Zheng Nan nodded, acknowledging the employee's hard work, and then asked, "What about the price?"

Unable to contain their shock, the employees looked at Liu Chun.

When it comes to money, the boss has to make the final decision.

"We highly value the success of the first season of 'Hilarious Men,' which is why we offered 250,000 yuan per episode. However, we also believe that the IP hasn't truly taken off yet, since no one can be sure that the second season of 'Hilarious Men' will be as popular as the first."

"However, I personally have high hopes for Director Zheng Nan and am willing to invest in your future."

"Let me ask a few questions first. Is there a script for the second season? How many episodes are planned? What is the filming duration? Has a cost estimate been made?"

When discussing serious matters, Liu Chun was very serious, asking one question after another.

"The script outline for the second season is already available, and I can provide it. The second season will still consist of eight episodes, each twelve minutes long."

"The cost of the second season will definitely not be 26,000. I plan to invite a lot of celebrities to make cameo appearances, and the cost per episode will be controlled at 200,000, with the total cost controlled at 1.5 million."

Zheng Nan, who was well-prepared, answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"The cost has suddenly jumped to 1.5 million?" Liu Chun frowned.

Actually, a production cost of 1.5 million isn't much, but it seems like a lot compared to the 26,000 cost of the first season.

"Low budgets are not a long-term solution. Audiences still prefer novelty. If we try to cut costs by filming in the same economical way as in the first season, I'm sure the ratings for the second season won't be high," Zheng Nan stated.

The first season of "Hilarious Men" was a reluctant move due to cost constraints, with a large number of repeated backgrounds and actors appearing multiple times in eight episodes.

In other words, Zheng Nan told a story about "26,000", and the combination of his newcomer status, free distribution, and the novelty of the short video format of "Hilarious Men" made the audience have a high tolerance for it.

If the second season is just as rough as the first, Zheng Nan is sure that there will be more negative reviews.

"That makes sense, but why should I buy the copyright to 'Hilarious Men'? Wouldn't it be better for Sohu to invest in a similar work itself?" Liu Chun asked sharply.