Rebirth 09: Starting from taking charge of Running Man on CCTV

"Come in, everyone."

Chen Yang stepped aside to make way.

More than twenty people filed in, some carrying canvas bags, some carrying equipment bags, and some carrying briefcases filled with contact lists.

The process of taking a seat was quieter than expected.

It wasn't that I was reserved; I was shocked.

From the moment the elevator doors opened, these people hadn't stopped talking.

When Zhou Jianjun entered the post-production computer room, he squatted in front of the Sobe non-linear editing system and touched the chassis for a full two minutes, as if he were touching his own daughter's face.

When Zhao Bin saw the two 48TB disk arrays, he didn't even pick up the unlit cigarette that had fallen to the ground.

Even the most worldly-wise Ma Li was stunned for two seconds when she glanced at the 42-inch Sony broadcast monitor in the screening room.

"Alright, stop acting like you've entered the Grand View Garden."

"Everyone, get ready, let's go into the meeting room and have a chat."

Afterwards, everyone put down their backpacks and other personal belongings, and then followed Chen Yang into the largest conference room inside.

Chen Yang stood at the front of the conference room, holding a whiteboard marker in his hand, twirling the cap between his fingers.

First of all, welcome everyone to our big family.

He looked around.

Zhang Lei sat in the first seat on the left and habitually took out his notebook and opened it.

Su Xiao stood beside him, her ponytail neatly tied, a pen in her hand, the dark circles under her eyes much lighter than they had been on that day in Luzhou.

Zhao Bin leaned back in his chair and finally put the cigarette back in the pack.

Ma Li sat on the right, opened her briefcase, and a corner of her densely packed business card holder was visible.

Wang Jianguo, the production director dispatched by CCTV, sat at the very back, holding a stack of financial folders, his expression a typical CCTV veteran's observation, not expressing any opinion, just waiting to see.

Chen Xi huddled in the corner, clutching her backpack, her eyes darting between the faces of the group.

"Half of those here are my old comrades-in-arms who fought alongside me in Anhui and Anhui."

Chen Yang placed the whiteboard marker on the table. The sound wasn't loud, but every word was clear.

"The other half, I found them one by one from every nook and cranny."

"Whether you're a veteran or a newcomer, from today onwards, you only have one identity."

He held up one finger.

"People from the 'Run, China!' program team."

"My people."

Zhang Lei's pen paused for a moment.

Zhao Bin sat up straight.

Zhou Jianjun pulled his hands back from his knees and clenched them tightly.

"Alright, let's start with the senior students. No fluff, name, job, and best skill. Thirty seconds each."

Zhang Lei was the first to stand up.

"Zhang Lei, Executive Director."

He glanced at the people present, his voice steady.

"I've been working in variety show production for seven years, doing both studio and outdoor shows. My specialty is turning unreliable ideas into reliable programs."

"Su Xiao, head screenwriter."

When Su Xiao stood up, Wang Jianguo's gaze lingered on her for a second longer, clearly not expecting the head of the screenwriting team to be a twenty-six-year-old girl.

"After writing variety show scripts for four years, my specialty is being able to smile and say 'I received it' even after the client has revised it eight times."

A low chuckle rippled through the conference room.

Zhao Bin pushed his chair back and stood up.

"Zhao Bin does post-production. He's been editing for six years, and his specialty is turning scrap footage into something amazing."

He pointed to his four disciples behind him.

"These four are my men; I guarantee they'll do a good job."

Zhou Jianjun wasn't very good at talking, so he stood up and scratched the back of his head.

"Zhou Jianjun, cameraman. He carried the equipment for eight years."

He thought for a moment and then added a sentence.

"My specialty is... carrying machines and running fast."

The cameramen in the back row laughed.

Ma Li didn't stand up, but raised her chin slightly.

"Ma Li, artist coordinator. Her specialty is getting celebrities who don't want to come to show up, and getting celebrities who want to raise their fees to lower them."

Chen Yang pointed to Chen Xi in the corner.

"The last one, a newcomer."

Chen Xi stood up, her face slightly flushed, but her voice was surprisingly steady.

"Chen Xi, online publicity. A recent graduate of the Communication University of China with a major in New Media."

She paused for a moment.

"My specialty is... posting on Tianya without getting my posts deleted."

The meeting room erupted in laughter again.

Wang Jianguo pushed up his glasses from behind, his lips twitched, but he didn't laugh out loud.

But the way he looked at Chen Yang was less perfunctory than when he first entered.

"Okay, that's it for getting to know each other."

Chen Yang turned around, picked up the whiteboard marker, and wrote three large characters on the whiteboard.

[Run, China!]

"What I'm about to say is something that none of you here have heard of, seen, or even think I'm talking nonsense."

"It's okay."

Listen before you judge.

He drew a horizontal line on the whiteboard and wrote two words on it.

[Screenwriter-centric system, with one person monitoring and filming].

What is the core creative logic behind all variety shows in China, including those produced by CCTV itself?

Chen Yang looked at Zhang Lei.

Zhang Lei answered without hesitation.

"The director makes the decisions, the screenwriter and director are responsible for execution, and we improvise on set."

"right."

Chen Yang tapped the whiteboard.

"But we are different."

"The writing team is the core of our program's content."

"The theme, games, character storylines, plot development, and predictions of memorable scenes for each episode are all written in advance by the scriptwriting team."

"The directing team is responsible for turning the script into an on-site execution plan."

"The camera crew set up camera positions in advance according to the famous scenes predicted in the script."

"It's not about improvising on the spot; we plan out 80% of the things beforehand, and only handle the 20% of unexpected surprises on the spot."

Su Xiao stopped writing.

She had worked as a variety show director for four years and had never heard of the concept of a "variety show writer".

In China's variety show industry, writers and directors both write and direct; there are hardly any writers who specialize in writing scripts.

"The second one."

Chen Yang drew a circle under "person-to-person follow-up filming".

"We have seven regular MCs. Each MC is assigned a dedicated cameraman, a dedicated sound engineer, and a personal director."

"Three people are watching one person, from the beginning to the end of the recording, they don't leave each other for a moment."

"MC is going to the bathroom, you wait at the door."

"MC is eating, and you're filming from the side."

"When the MC whispers to someone, you must be able to hear everything clearly through the microphone."

Zhou Jianjun's eyes lit up.

He had been carrying the equipment for eight years, and this was the first time he had ever heard of a variety show being filmed like this.

To put it bluntly...

Chen Yang closed the pen cap and placed it on the table.

"We're not making a variety show; we're making a reality movie with seven storylines unfolding simultaneously."

"Everyone is a protagonist, and every shot is worthwhile."

The meeting room was silent for two seconds.

Wang Jianguo quietly opened the finance folder in the back row, took out a blank sheet of paper, and began to take notes.

They're no longer just observing.

"Okay, that concludes the explanation of the core patterns."

Chen Yang turned around and drew seven squares on the whiteboard, lined up in a row.

"Next, let's talk about the most crucial thing."

He wrote two words on the first box.

【line-up】.

"The seven regular MCs are the core of this show."

"Choose the right one, and the ratings will explode. Choose the wrong one, and all your hard work will be for nothing."

He wrote two names in the first two boxes.

[Deng Chao, Li Chen].

"First position: Captain, the core of the team's control."

"Deng Chao, a graduate of the Central Academy of Drama, has established himself as a leading actor in television dramas with works such as 'Young Emperor' and 'Sweet Honey.' He just won the Best Supporting Actor award at the Hundred Flowers Awards this year and is currently transitioning to the film industry."

"Outgoing personality, high emotional intelligence, loves to show off and make fun of himself, a natural talent for variety shows."

"The key point is that he currently has no experience as a regular host on variety shows and has a strong need for exposure during prime time on CCTV."

Chen Yang looked at Ma Li.

"Sister Li, what do you think?"

Ma Li flipped through her business card holder and pulled out a card.

"I know Deng Chao's agent; we even bumped into each other at a dinner party a couple of days ago."

"He is indeed in a transitional period this year. He hasn't established himself in the film industry yet, and he hasn't tried variety shows. He's in a state of being stuck between a rock and a hard place."

"Being a regular MC on CCTV's prime time slot is a sure-fire way for him to make money."

She nodded.

"We can talk."

"The second position is the powerhouse."

Chen Yang tapped on Li Chen's name.

"Li Chen, who played Wu Zhe in 'Soldiers Sortie,' and whose tough guy image has just finished airing in 'My Chief and My Regiment,' has deeply impressed people."

"Thirty-one years old, down-to-earth, physically fit, responsible, suitable to be the leader who takes on the heavy lifting in the team."

"It's a complete complement to Deng Xiaoping's style; one controls the mouth, the other controls the legs."

Ma Li did not hesitate.

"Li Chen is easier to deal with. His management team is small and the decision-making chain is short. He has no reason to refuse the invitation from CCTV's prime time slot."

"Okay, the first two are locked."

Chen Yang put down his pen and turned around.

"Let's chat about the remaining seats."

"You've been in this industry for so many years, you must have someone in mind. Don't keep it to yourself, speak up and discuss it."

Ma Li was the first to speak.

"I recommend Wang Baoqiang."

Su Xiao looked up at her.

"The one from 'A World Without Thieves'?"

"right."

Ma Li flipped through the business cards in her hand.

"He has a new drama airing on CCTV-1's prime time slot next month called 'My Brother is Shunliu,' and he's currently on very good terms with the station."

"Moreover, he has a background in martial arts and is very skilled. He can do things like climbing walls and trees as if it were child's play."

"The key is personality; being honest, simple, and straightforward appeals to all age groups."

Chen Yang didn't reply, his gaze sweeping over the others.

"Anything else?"