Huayu 2011: Starting with Hilarious Men

Broker is a broad category, referring to intermediaries who introduce buyers and sellers in exchange for a commission.

There are several common types of celebrity agents.

Personal agent: Only manages 1-2 artists, closely follows them on set, and stays with them throughout the entire process.

Company agent: An employee of a talent agency who manages multiple artists in batches.

Executive Broker: The assistant, responsible for implementation, running errands, and handling on-site matters.

At the end of their careers, agents often start their own agencies, wielding power and deciding on the career paths of their artists.

The most famous agent in the Chinese entertainment industry is undoubtedly Wang Jinghua. Sister Hua is a ruthless person who single-handedly laid the foundation for the mainland agent industry.

If Zheng Nan wants his company to grow and expand its singer business, he needs to find a capable agent.

Uncle Ding Xiu was actually Zheng Nan's first choice, but Uncle Ding Xiu didn't know much about the entertainment industry and was too busy with multiple jobs, so Zheng Nan needed to find an assistant for Uncle Ding Xiu.

"Headache, who should I contact?" In her previous life, Zheng Nan was just an ordinary student at the Shanghai Theatre Academy with no experience in the entertainment industry. Now, she couldn't think of anyone suitable as an agent.

"I'll have to ask someone for help." Having no other option, I had to ask for help.

In Shanghai, the only agent you can contact is K-sister Cai Yinong.

"Sorry to bother you, Mr. Cai." The call was connected.

"Director Zheng, how come you have time to call me? Do you want to join the Tangren family?" Cai Yinong's words were purely joking.

She knew that Zheng Nan owned his own company and had also learned from Sohu that the second season of "Hilarious Men" was of good quality. Zheng Nan hadn't wanted to join Tangren before, and now there was even less reason for him to join Tangren.

"I have a small matter I'd like to trouble you with, Mr. Cai. I'd like to find a suitable independent agent..." Zheng Nan explained the situation.

"What a coincidence, I actually know an agent who fits your requirements. This young lady is called Aya. She's capable and has a good temper. I'll send you her contact information in a bit, and you can contact her."

The Aya mentioned by Cai Yinong is actually named Wang Ya. She used to work for Tangren Media, but left Tangren in 2010 to work independently as a talent agent.

"Knowing the right people makes things easier." A problem that had been bothering Zheng Nan for several days could be solved with just one phone call.

Zheng Nan contacted Aya, and the two agreed to meet at Formosa Boulevard that evening.

…………

At six o'clock in the evening, Zheng Nan met Aya, a young woman of twenty-five.

"Hello, I'm Aya," Aya introduced herself.

"Aya looks so young."

"Director Zheng, you've got it backwards. You're younger than me." Aya thought to herself, "You're only nineteen. It's inappropriate for you to say that."

"How long has Aya worked at Tangren?"

"I joined Tangren in 08 and left at the end of 10. I worked at Tangren for more than two years." Aya was afraid that Zheng Nan would look down on her because of her age, so she quickly added, "In the agent industry, it's not about being older. Fan Bingbing's agent, Yang Tianzhen, is only twenty-six years old this year."

Yang Tianzhen was born in 1985 and is 26 years old this year. She works full-time at Fan Bingbing's studio, only mentoring Fan Bingbing and not accepting any new talents.

The film "Buddha Mountain" was released on April 26 this year, and it was a box office and critical success. Yang Tianzhen's marketing and distribution skills became famous overnight.

In May, Yang Tianzhen led Fan Bingbing to the Cannes Film Festival, where her "dragon robe" look went viral, making her a legend overnight. As a result, Yang Tianzhen's public relations skills were recognized by the entire industry.

"I only value ability, not age," Zheng Nan explained, then got down to business: "Miss Aya should have known about my situation before she came. I'm currently preparing to sign a few singers and would like to ask new singers for advice on how to develop their careers in this area."

singer?!

Aya thought to herself, "You're a student at the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and it's already too much to direct and act. Now you want to cross over into singing. Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"

Aya's resources are mainly concentrated in her former colleagues at Tangren Media, casting channels at the Shanghai Theatre Academy/Xie Jin Academy, as well as small and medium-budget film crews in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, GG Entertainment, and fashion magazines.

These resources are mostly film and television resources, and have nothing to do with singers.

If it weren't for Zheng Nan's serious expression, Aya would have thought Zheng Nan was playing a trick on her.

"I don't have much contact with singers. Currently, the income of mainstream singers comes from concerts, commercial performances, endorsements, and copyrights..."

2011 was a very special year for the Chinese music scene, a transitional period marked by the collapse of physical records, meager revenue sharing from digital music, and the dominance of performances and endorsements.

Top-tier singers can hold concerts, perform at commercial events, accept endorsements, and earn income from copyrights and ringtones.

Singers with some fame below the top tier rely on commercial performances and gigs; if they have a particularly popular song, they can also earn money through ringtones.

At this time, aspiring singers without hit songs mostly earn money by performing in bars, karaoke rooms, and other similar venues.

"In conclusion, I do not recommend that you sign a new singer; the risk is too great." Aya explained the pros and cons of signing a new singer, leaving Zheng Nan to make his own judgment.

"I understand. Can you handle the integration with the ringback tone service?" Zheng Nan nodded. It's great to have someone knowledgeable in this field; once explained, everything becomes clear.

"It's possible, but the three major operators only deal with SPs (ringback tone service providers). We're at most CPs (content providers), and how much revenue we can get from the SPs needs to be negotiated." The agent's job is to negotiate with different partners.

The full name of the SP license is: Class II Value-Added Telecommunications Business Operating License. There are two types of this license: one is a local network SP (limited to local ringback tones/SMS), and the other is a nationwide SP (can provide ringback tones nationwide).

"Can we apply for an SP?" Zheng Nan had a lot of music in her mind and didn't want to share profits with too many middlemen.

"I'll make a call and ask for you." With that, Aya could tell that Zheng Nan was determined to enter the music market.

"This is troublesome."

Aya spent half an hour on the phone, and after clarifying everything, she listed out the necessary conditions.

To apply for a nationwide SP (Special Service Provider) in Shanghai, you need to be a domestic company registered in Shanghai, with paid-in capital of more than 10 million yuan, a fixed office space, at least 10 full-time employees, and complete social security benefits, etc.

"OK, let's not even talk about the local network SP. We won't apply even if we can."

Zheng Nan couldn't come up with the ten million yuan in paid-in capital alone, so in the short term, this money could only be earned by others.

"I'll be going now if there's nothing else." Aya thought the two sides wouldn't cooperate, so she prepared to leave.

"No contract or anything?" Zheng Nan asked in surprise.

"What kind of contract?" Aya was also taken aback.

"The cooperation agreement!"

They glanced at each other, and Aya sat down again.

After communication, Sennan Entertainment and Aya Studio reached a cooperation agreement.

The two parties will not sign a full contract. The cooperation model will be project-based cooperation plus business agency, without interfering with the artist's sovereignty or the company's operation.

After seeing Aya off, Zheng Nan thought to herself, "I should call Chen Li when I have time; I can't let this hard-won amateur singer get away."