Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

Zheng Nan is also anxious about filming the second season of "Hilarious Men".

However, objective factors must be considered.

First of all, the first season of "Hilarious Men" was definitely rough. As a sequel, the second season must be of higher quality, otherwise it will not only fail to attract new viewers, but will also be criticized by old viewers.

Zheng Nan planned to start by improving the image quality, hiring two professional photographers and renting two professional video cameras for filming.

We still need to wait for Sohu to finalize the GG (Ghostly Promotion) sponsorship deal. Zheng Nan will distribute the GG elements throughout the script; it can't all be GG, or the audience will find it off-putting.

Another issue is finding celebrities to make cameo appearances.

"Hilarious Men" is not a sitcom; it has no plot and is supported only by jokes.

A twelve-minute episode can't deliver a high frequency of laughs, especially since there are still quite a few gags to be inserted in the second season.

This is where the importance of celebrities becomes apparent.

Find a few celebrities to make cameo appearances to give the audience a different perspective.

So when Zheng Nan spoke to Liu Chun at Sohu, he said that they would increase investment in the second season and find celebrities to make guest appearances.

You have to pay celebrities to make cameo appearances!

Zheng Nan is not a greenhouse.

Dapeng is Teacher Zhao's apprentice, has connections with the entire Zhao family troupe, and has been a host at Sohu for many years, so he knows many celebrities.

Zheng Nan was a student at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and didn't know anyone.

These are all issues that need to be addressed.

"Let's get ready first. Uncle, I need a foot massage parlor scene. If you find one, contact me, and I'll coordinate the actors' schedules," Zheng Nan said after thinking for a moment. Waiting indefinitely wasn't a solution.

"A proper foot massage or something else?" Ding Xiu asked.

These days, there are more shady foot massage parlors that skirt the law than legitimate ones.

"Anything serious is fine," Zheng Nan quickly said, telling him not to overthink it.

"How long will it take?"

"It will take about two or three days to film." Zheng Nan roughly calculated the amount of content for the "Massage" series.

"Is the filming location you need large? If it is, I don't recommend finding one in Shanghai, as it's too expensive there."

A typical foot massage parlor in Shanghai can generate tens of thousands of yuan in revenue per day. If you were to rent the entire parlor for two or three days, it would cost at least 100,000 yuan.

"It doesn't need to be big, just a few foot massage rooms will do."

"That's easy to find, you can find it anytime you want. Just contact the actor."

Zheng Nan immediately dialed Qiao Shan's number.

"Is Brother Shan busy?"

"I'm currently rehearsing and preparing for my show, which will premiere on Heilongjiang TV on the 22nd."

The sounds from Qiaoshan's side were very mixed. Zheng Nan could hear Xiu Rui, Zhang Zidong, and Cui Zhijia talking.

"My show, 'Hilarious Men,' is about to start filming its second season. I'm asking if you have time to appear in it."

Zheng Nan values ​​Qiao Shan's "Big Health Care" series very much, which is why she prepared to film the first scene of the second season.

"How many days of filming are needed? I need to calculate the schedule." Qiao Shan asked as he walked to a quiet corner.

"Do you have time in the next two or three days? We'd like to film in Shanghai."

"How about the 11th? The staff and hosts here work from Monday to Friday, and we need to go over the script. I'll head over on the morning of the 11th." Qiao Shan counted on his fingers and gave a date.

"Sure, I'll send you the address on QQ later. You can just go directly to the filming location, Shan-ge."

"OK!"

After hanging up the phone, Qiao Shan went back to continue creating and rehearsing.

Hugh asked curiously, "Who's on the phone?"

Qiao Shan reached out and touched Xiu Rui's big beard. With such a full beard, who would have thought that Xiu Rui was only 21 years old?

"Zheng Nan's phone number. Do you know Zheng Nan? He's the director of 'Hilarious Men'."

"Are you kidding me? I've watched 'Hilarious Men,' and you weren't in the first season." Hugh said, expressing disbelief.

He had known Qiao Shan for over a year, but Qiao Shan had never mentioned Zheng Nan.

Moreover, the two people, one an unknown struggling artist in Beijing and the other a rising student at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, seemed to have no connection whatsoever.

"Just wait and see if there's a second season, then it'll be over." Qiao Shan slapped his face, his buttocks trembling.

…………

Two more days passed, and Liu Chun sent a message.

"The sponsorship for the second season of 'Hilarious Men' has been finalized. Please check if there are any issues with these product placement sponsors. If there are, please let me know," Liu Chun said, sending the list to Zheng Nan.

Zheng Nan had the right to choose which product placements were included in the main film, as stipulated in the original contract.

Zheng Nan opened the list and glanced at it, and had to admit that Sohu's investment promotion capabilities were indeed impressive.

The lead sponsor is Kungfu, and the co-sponsors are Vancl and Landwind Motors.

Products that want to incorporate GG include 360 ​​series products, JDB herbal tea, and Jiangxiaobai.

The joint promotion includes Master Kong instant noodles.

"This portion of GG's revenue is 12 million. You can get 30%, which is 3.6 million. This amount will be credited to your account gradually after the second season has finished airing."

Zheng Nan's cooperation fee with Sohu was divided into two parts: one part was the fee for the exclusive copyright purchase, and the other part was the revenue sharing with Google.

The exclusive buyout fee can be obtained by handing over the entire second season to Sohu, while the revenue sharing fee with GG will depend on Sohu's attitude.

"Don't these brands have any spokespeople they want to appear in?" Zheng Nan asked.

"There's no such requirement. Why don't you want them to appear on camera?" Liu Chun thought Zheng Nan had some concerns.

After all, many directors don't like investors putting people into the production crew.

Liu Chun considered that since this was the first collaboration between the two parties, the GG merchants he chose did not have any special requirements.

"No, I really want them to leave the country." Zheng Nan said, indicating that you misunderstood.

These brands' spokespeople are mostly celebrities, and Zheng Nan would love to get a few celebrities to appear on screen for free.

Other directors dislike people with connections because they only make TV series and movies.

"Hilarious Men" is a web comedy series, so what does it matter if the actors are celebrities? Even if they act badly, they'll still be funny; even if they act awkwardly, people will still watch.

"If you have any needs in this regard, I'll ask the brand." Liu Chun seemed to remember something: "By the way, I heard that Master Kong instant noodles are in talks for a new spokesperson. If you're interested, I'll ask if you can make it to the filming of 'Hilarious Men'."

"Who is it?" Zheng Nan asked.

"Yao Dazui, she's so popular right now, a top-tier actress." Liu Chun revealed the inside information he knew.

Upon hearing the name, Zheng Nan broke out in a cold sweat: "Forget it, don't bother the brand. I'll find a celebrity to make a cameo appearance myself."

"You're not using it again?"

"No need, no need, thank you." Zheng Nan quickly hung up the phone.

Liu Chun found it strange that Zheng Nan's attitude kept changing. Was she under too much pressure preparing for the second season of "Hilarious Men"?

…………

These past few days have been spent waiting for Qiao Shan to arrive.

With Lin Wenruo's introduction, Zheng Nan found two professional photographers.

Through Ren Yi's connections, he bought two nearly new Sony PMW-EX3s from his friend at the Bai Nao Hui shopping mall.

My uncle has also found a foot massage parlor for the filming.

Zheng Nan also contacted the extras needed for the filming.

Everything is ready, we're just waiting for Qiao Shan to arrive so we can start filming!