Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

The first season of "Hilarious Men" had a very prominent label: achieving big results with small investments.

Liu Chun's problem is based on this.

"Even with a small investment, it's difficult for one out of a thousand to succeed. People only see those who succeed, not those who fail."

Mr. Liu used to be the director of Phoenix TV and has many years of work experience. He has seen many people achieve great success with small investments.

Moreover, Mr. Liu had only recently joined Sohu, and he probably didn't want his first project to fail because of trying to save money.

Streaming platforms prioritize users, new user acquisition, and viewing time; these are more important than cost savings.

Zheng Nan's answer was clever and reasonable, but Liu Chun was not satisfied.

"You haven't answered my question directly: why did you choose 'Hilarious Men' instead of creating a new work with the same investment?"

"Stable. The first season of 'Hilarious Men' proved its value. Who dares to guarantee success if we invest in another new program?" Zheng Nan returned Liu Chun's earlier criticism that the "Hilarious Men" IP hadn't been established.

silence.

Liu Chun remained silent, and the employees below dared not speak either.

After a half-minute silence, Liu Chun suddenly laughed and said, "Director Zheng Nan is not only talented, but also has first-rate courage and emotional intelligence. I admire you even more now."

"I'm just stating the facts; I like to tell the truth."

"Wait a moment, let's discuss this." After saying that, Liu Chun led his men out.

Not long after, Liu Chun and the others returned and reported the results of their discussion.

"Regarding the future development of the 'Hilarious Men' IP, we have discussed three cooperation models, and we will see which one Director Zheng Nan prefers."

The first type is the buyout system.

The exclusive rights fee for the second season of "Hilarious Men" has increased by 150,000 to 400,000 per episode, totaling 3.2 million for eight episodes.

No matter how much money director Zheng Nan spent to make the film, Sohu bought it for 3.2 million.

However, we need to insert product placements and brand collaborations into the storyline, and this revenue goes to Sohu.

"The second type is a joint venture."

Both parties jointly funded the production of the second season of "Hilarious Men," and the subsequent revenue will be distributed according to their respective investment ratios.

Of course, the copyright of "Hilarious Men" can be converted into a certain investment ratio.

In the case of a joint venture, revenue from product placements with GG and brand collaborations can be shared proportionally.

"The third type is tiered betting."

The first season of "Hilarious Men" has already garnered nearly 300 million views across all official platforms.

If the second season of "Hilarious Men" reaches 300 million views in the week after its finale, that's 300,000 views per episode.

"If it reaches 500 million, it'll be 400,000 per episode. If it reaches 800 million, it'll be 500,000 per episode..."

Each of the three cooperation models has its own advantages and disadvantages.

A buyout agreement is equivalent to a guaranteed minimum income, providing a fixed income.

There are two options. The first is to shoot at a low cost.

If you only want to watch one episode, you can choose to spend tens of thousands of yuan to film eight episodes and get 3.2 million yuan. However, the IP of "Hilarious Men" is ruined, and there will definitely be no third season.

The second is high-cost filming, just as Zheng Nan planned earlier, to film it with a budget of 1.5 million.

So, out of 3.2 million, we only have 1.7 million left. But the IP of "Hilarious Men" still exists. If the second season is a hit, the third season can fetch an even higher price.

Joint ventures are more common in the film industry.

Several companies pool their resources to produce a movie, then sell the movie and split the profits.

If you are confident in your work, you can choose this option; the more you submit, the more shares you will receive.

However, this is prone to shady dealings, and payments are slow, making it difficult for individuals to compete with large companies.

Ladder-based performance-based contracts are also common in the entertainment industry.

Yang Mi, Zhang Guoli, and Feng Kuzi are all well-known gamblers.

Of the three, only Yang Mi succeeded in his bet with Jaywalk Studio.

In order to fulfill the bet, Yang Mi filmed 13 TV series, 2 movies, and multiple variety shows in the three years from 2015 to 2017, which damaged her reputation among many casual viewers.

Before 2015, the public's perception of Yang Mi was based on her roles in popular dramas such as "Chinese Paladin 3" and "Palace," and they believed that Yang Mi had acting skills.

After 2017, public perception of Yang Mi declined, and scandals such as "Queen of Bad Movies" and "expressionless face" emerged in these years.

Zhang Guoli and Feng Xiaogang suffered even worse losses in their bets, both having to pay out of their own pockets to compensate for their losses.

Therefore, in life, do not get involved in the bad habit of gambling, as gambling is a deep abyss full of disaster.

"I'm not satisfied with any of these three cooperation models!" Zheng Nan replied calmly.

"Why?" the employee asked.

"First of all, I didn't only have Sohu as an option; it's just that Sohu offered the highest price for the rights to the first season of 'Hilarious Men,' so I approached Sohu first. Secondly, I now see that Sohu isn't being sincere."

Negotiation is like bargaining; when you have the upper hand, you must know how to leverage the situation.

The copyright of "Hilarious Men" is held by Zheng Nan, and the initiative for cooperation is also in Zheng Nan's hands.

"How can you tell that Sohu isn't sincere?" Liu Chun asked.

In 2010, Sohu's total revenue was US$6.128 million, almost all of which came from Google Ads.

GG formats also come in various forms, including pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, pause ads, corner logos, brand sponsorships, and content integration.

With the foundation laid by the first season, the sponsorship work for the second season of "Hilarious Men" should proceed smoothly.

Even if I personally approached GG for sponsorship, it would still cover the filming costs for the second season.

Mr. Liu wouldn't tell me that Sohu's business development department is less capable than me alone, would he?

In Zheng Nan's previous life, the original "Men's Diary" magazine's revenue was more than seven times its cost.

With a filming cost of 1.5 million, they received tens of millions in GG fees before filming even started.

It was precisely because Zheng Nan knew the key to this that she expressed her dissatisfaction.

Liu Chun is treating him like a complete novice.

"Director Zheng Nan has indeed made a lot of preparations. It seems that we are not sincere enough. Please wait a moment, and we will discuss it again."

Liu Chun wasn't embarrassed and left with his men.

They discussed cooperation details and negotiated profit sharing ratios, going through round after round of talks. Zheng Nan arrived at noon and they've been talking until almost 8 p.m. now.

"I haven't eaten yet, how about we talk again tomorrow?" Seeing that it was definitely impossible to reach an agreement today, and even if an agreement was reached, Zheng Nan would still need to find a lawyer to review the contract, so she suggested that we stop here for today.

"It's almost eight o'clock? Sorry, I'm a workaholic, I'm used to working 996." Liu Chun glanced at the Patek Philippe on his wrist and expressed his apology.

Then he turned to his secretary and said, "Director Zheng Nan came with sincerity. Go and apply for 20,000 yuan. Sohu will cover the food and accommodation expenses for the next few days."

Men who pay are definitely handsome!

Zheng Nan's mood improved after receiving the 20,000 yuan, and she found Liu Chun much more agreeable.

"We had a very pleasant discussion today. I'll double-check the contract details and get approval from my superiors. If all goes well, Director Zheng Nan can bring a lawyer over on Monday so we can sign the formal contract." Liu Chun proactively extended his hand and handed over a personal business card.

WeChat is not yet widespread, and middle-aged people don't like using QQ, so business cards are the most commonly used method.

After saying goodbye to Liu Chun and walking out of the brightly lit Sohu building, Zheng Nan was still a little lost, wondering what to do these past two days.

"Zheng Nan?" a voice came from the side.