Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

Zheng Nan definitely couldn't come up with one million.

Go out and attract investment?

This idea is also unrealistic.

A few years ago, before coal mine owners were so badly exploited by people in the entertainment industry, there was still a chance.

It's very difficult now.

Especially for a freshman at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, with no fame, no background, and no works, why should people throw real money at you?

unless……

Some inappropriate images flashed through Zheng Nan's mind.

If a beautiful woman sat down next to a coal mine owner and spoke sweetly to him, she might be able to coax some start-up capital into his business.

Big handsome man?

It doesn't seem to work either.

But Zheng Nan dismissed the idea without even thinking about it.

I was reborn to become a top influencer, make a lot of money, and date beautiful women, not to sell my body!

Dude, I'm mortal with Chengdu!

So how can a cost of one million be reduced to twenty-eight thousand? That's the question.

Zheng Nan leaned against a plastic chair in the cafeteria, gazing at the leaves swaying in the wind outside the window. The spring sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves onto his face, a warm and pleasant temperature that made him feel somewhat restless.

"Unexpected" and "Report to the Boss"?

These two names were rejected by Zheng Nan as soon as they came up.

Not bad, quite the opposite. Both of these dramas were low-budget hits, achieving both critical and commercial success and making the entire team famous.

The problem is that these two works require a large number of actors, diverse scenes, and a coherent plot.

The various fantastical settings of Wang Dachui in "Unexpectedly" and the deconstruction and remake of various film and television dramas in "Report to the Boss" both require at least five or six fixed actors, as well as frequent changes of location and simple props.

What is Zheng Nan's current situation?

Alone, with only 28,000 yuan in my pocket, my classmates are either busy practicing their major courses or busy dating. Who would follow a guy who is ranked last in the first year of college and mess around with him?

After much thought, of these three works, only one could be reduced to a cost of 28,000 yuan, and that is "Men's Diary"!

"Diaosi Men" is, to put it nicely, a web comedy short film; to put it bluntly, it's a collection of jokes.

It doesn't need a complicated main plot, coherent character development, or even a fixed setting.

A street, a coffee shop, an office, a bed, or even a utility pole by the roadside can all be used to film a short video.

Even fewer actors!

Most jokes can be completed by only two or three people.

The people making cameo appearances don't even need to be on set the whole time; they can just come in for half an hour to shoot a short clip and then leave.

Later?

It's simpler.

Editing and splicing, adding background music, and some funny sound effects—all you need is a computer and free editing software.

Costs can be reduced to the absolute minimum!

Zheng Nan became more and more excited as she thought about it, and her fingers unconsciously began to tap on the table.

He knew all too well the power of the show "Men's Diary".

In my previous life, this show spread like wildfire across the internet as soon as it was released.

People were watching everywhere – on the subway, in dormitories, and in offices.

The reason for fire is simple and singular: people need happiness!

Thanks to this drama, Da Peng, who was both the director and the lead actor, transformed into a household name.

Even the later film "Jianbing Man," which flopped due to poor reviews, still managed to rake in 1.1 billion yuan at the box office by riding on the coattails of "Men's Diary."

Although the subsequent films didn't perform well at the box office because the production company tried to fill the gap left by "Jianbing Man," this was because "Jianbing Man" itself was of poor quality, and had absolutely nothing to do with "Men's Diary."

The short drama "Men's Diary" is a perfect example of low cost, high return, and rapid popularity.

The most crucial point is that the inspiration for the previous "Men's Diary" was the German "Women's Diary," which the studio itself has publicly stated, and it was specifically thanked in the end credits.

When will the German version of "Lady Loser" premiere?

2011 11 Month 25 Day.

What time is it now?

2011 3 Month 5 Day.

There was a difference of more than eight months!

If Zheng Nan can film and upload the first season of his "Men's Diary" before November 25th, then he will not be plagiarizing, but creating original content and becoming the pioneer of similar dramas in China!

The more Zheng Nan thought about it, the more excited he became, and he began to recall classic jokes from "Men's Diary".

For example, the "Big Health Care" series:

"Brother, do we have a big sword here?"

"If you do my nails like this, won't I run my stockings?"

"My god, if 98 is already like this, then 298 must be incredible, they'd all be taking off!"

"I'm getting a bit tired of doing the routine stuff. I don't understand why."

Fortune Telling Series:

"You are destined for bloodshed." That's what I told my fortune.

"Your forehead looks dark!" I'm a black person.

Celebrity cameos? No money for that, so let's pass.

No professional equipment, no professional venue, no professional extras are needed.

He'll star in the film himself, and get a few classmates to make cameo appearances. He can rent or buy a second-hand camera to film it. Twenty-eight thousand should be enough to cover the expenses!

An excited Zheng Nan immediately got up, walked quickly out of the cafeteria, and headed straight for the boys' dormitory.

The male dormitory building at the Shanghai Theatre Academy isn't new, and the hallways aren't filled with the smell of male hormones, but rather a faint scent of perfume.

Zheng Nan returned to her four-person dormitory, immediately pulled out a notebook and a pen, and began to write furiously on the table.

He first needs to list out the core jokes that need to be filmed for the first season of "Men's Diary".

To control costs, the scenes in these skits cannot be too complex, and some commercial scenes require payment for filming. Therefore, Zheng Nan does not plan to film the "Massage" series in the first season.

In short, go for whatever is cheapest!

The jokes mainly take place in free settings such as streets and parks.

Zheng Nan wrote seven or eight jokes in one go, each one extremely low-cost and packed with laughs.

……

Lin Wenruo walked into the dormitory, rubbing her tired lower back.

Last night's battle was a bit too intense; the 35-year-old print model was just too good, and even he, being so young, couldn't keep up.

He carefully took the Canon EOS 5D Mark II hanging around his neck; it was his prized possession for picking up girls.

After appreciating Mr. Chen's works, Lin Wenruo discovered the wonderful uses of a camera and has been hooked ever since.

"I can't go out for free photoshoots tonight; I need to take care of my little brother."

Lin Wenruo thought she needed to nourish herself properly and was pondering whether to eat lamb kidneys or pork kidneys when she suddenly glanced at Zheng Nan, who was engrossed in writing.

This is quite strange.

In their four-person dormitory, Lin Wenruo is studying directing, Duan Xingye is studying broadcasting and hosting, and Zheng Nan and Ren Yi are both studying acting.

To put it bluntly, the combined academic scores of all four of them would barely be enough to get them into Tsinghua or Peking University.

In their dorm, studying is as important as studying for pandas.

"What are you writing? It's not a love letter, is it? Let me sneak a peek."

Lin Wenruo loved spying the most.