Chapter 745 Movement

While Lu Yanhe was writing the plan for the variety show "Divas Hit the Road", their show "The Voice of China", which they had been preparing for a year and a half, was finally scheduled to be broadcast.

The program will be broadcast simultaneously on three platforms: Yuehu TV, Northern Lights, and Icefield.

At the same time, HP also bought the overseas streaming rights to the program at a relatively low price.

Variety shows are generally rarely sold overseas.

HP did this primarily to maintain its relationship with Lu Yanhe, because Lu Yanhe gave HP priority for the sitcom "2 Broke Girls," and Maxine didn't even have the chance to bid for it.

For HP, Lu Yanhe is of great importance and value.

HP has also been trying to get Lu Yanhe to tailor a drama series, or rather, a series that can be developed into a franchise.

Several Chinese-language dramas, such as Friends, The Squid Game, and The 17th Floor, brought Maxine substantial returns, but these were all licensed dramas, and in reality, the copyrights were not in Maxine's own hands.

The same goes for "2 Broke Girls".

HP has seen the initial cut and their internal feedback is very positive. The only downside is that this series isn't part of HP's franchise.

However, no matter what price HP offered, Lu Yanhe was unwilling to write a TV series for HP.

Even though HP had actually reported a number that was hard for everyone to believe.

Lu Yanhe reiterated that he was not short of money.

-

There is now a general consensus in the Chinese film and television industry that money alone cannot win over Lu Yanhe.

Even if you throw hundreds of millions at Lu Yanhe, you still won't be able to break him.

Given the assets Lu Yanhe currently possesses, including shares in Jump Group, Linghe, and Shihuo, even if you poured the entire budget of a project onto Lu Yanhe, it would truly be just a number to him.

-

“We know very well that you care more about attitude than these things.”

That day, Huang Zhongjing made a special trip to Lingyang District to meet with Lu Yanhe in the conference room of the "Jump Up" editorial department.

He said to Lu Yanhe, "Of course, this is our attitude. The 'Burning Fire' film series would lose its soul without you."

Today, Huang Zhongjing is here to discuss his role in the second part of "Burning Fire" with Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe has refused to sign the contract to this day, but filming is about to begin.

“Zhang Yang will be leaving this series, and Longyan will arrange for someone else to take charge of the series’ publicity.” Huang Zhongjing said this to Lu Yanhe after finishing talking about the salary.

Lu Yanhe nodded and said, "President Huang, I won't bother with formalities. Since you were able to get Zhang Yang to leave this series, I believe in your sincerity. As for the salary—"

“His salary of 20 million is the same as Shang Yongzhou’s,” Huang Zhongjing said. “However, he does not enjoy the overseas revenue sharing.”

Lu Yanhe nodded, "In that case, I don't need you to offer me the same salary as my senior brother."

He voluntarily reduced his salary by one million.

Huang Zhongjing looked at him with some surprise.

Lu Yanhe said, "The main character of this movie is my senior brother, isn't he?"

-

If Lu Yanhe didn't receive any additional share of overseas profits, that would be fine, but if he did, he didn't want Shang Yongzhou to feel uncomfortable when comparing the two.

Actually, voluntarily reducing one million in salary is nothing compared to the overseas revenue sharing.

But this is an attitude, a stance.

Lu Yanhe's attitude was meant for everyone.

The core actor in the "Burning Fire" film series is still Shang Yongzhou. This is also to prevent Longyan Company from making things awkward between him and Shang Yongzhou again through some "divine actions".

Lu Yanhe always remembered that when many marketing accounts in Longyan spread the news that he was dissatisfied with Shang Yongzhou's treatment and refused to participate in the film's promotional tour, Shang Yongzhou immediately refuted the rumors for him at the promotional event.

If it weren't for that, given Shang Yongzhou's status, influence, and number of fans in the industry, if such news were allowed to circulate, even if Lu Yanhe himself came forward to explain, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.

In fact, Lu Yanhe's actions did indeed dispel Huang Zhongjing's last bit of underestimation of Lu Yanhe.

Therefore, Wang Biao took over the negotiation of all other contract details.

The main body has been decided.

Lu Yanhe has officially returned to the "Burning Fire" series.

-

A press conference was held before the premiere of "The Voice of China".

It was very grand and solemn.

This wasn't organized by Linghe, but rather by Yuehutai, Aurora Borealis, and Icefield.

With the huge success of "The Birth of an Actor" as a precedent, they were all very confident that "The Voice of China" would definitely be another huge hit.

Lu Yanhe actually wanted to say that, in terms of popularity alone, the influence of "The Voice of China" is definitely not comparable to that of "The Birth of an Actor".

But forget it, why should I badmouth myself?

Whether "The Voice of China" is a hit or not is unknown, but based on what he knows, many future popular singers and singer-songwriters will definitely emerge from this show.

Just like the original version of this show.

Lu Yanhe sincerely hopes that this will become a continuous stage for introducing new singers.

Any industry can only thrive if it receives a constant influx of fresh talent.

After thinking about it for several days, Lu Yanhe finally decided not to attend the press conference.

Furthermore, he expressed his desire to minimize his association with the show.

This is for the good of the show.

Let the program return to its essence and its purity.

After all, the biggest difference between this and "The Birth of an Actor" is that "The Birth of an Actor" is a group of "veterans" "re-entering the workforce," and the main focus is on a colorful and vibrant show.

"The Voice of China" is like blank canvases stepping onto the stage, facing the audience's evaluation in their most unpretentious state.

The audience's attitude towards the show determines the first impression of the "blank slates" in their minds.

At the same time, Linghe finally officially established its variety show production department.

Previously, it was just Xin Zixing and her team from Shi Huo who were preparing for the project with Ling He. Later, Li Zhenzhen's team from "The Days of Youth" also joined in.

This is a complete "combined army".

Linghe was able to establish this variety show production department and recruit a large number of people because the department already had the "Birth of an Actor" series and the "Sing My Song" series, and after learning that there was another idea called "Divas Hit the Road" in the incubation, the department was already able to support itself.

For Shi Huo, these hit variety shows are, in some ways, even more "real value" than TV dramas.

No one knows how a TV series will end up, but a wildly popular variety show can keep going and maintain a stable audience.

Whether it's newcomers wanting to gain recognition and popularity, or established artists wanting to maintain exposure, variety shows are the quickest way—short duration and fast monetization.

-

"We at Shihuo have already extended olive branches to all the new singers on 'The Voice of China' who haven't signed with a company yet."

That day, Lu Yanhe had dinner with Chen Ziyan and Lu Qingzhen.

They then brought up "The Voice of China".

Lu Qingzhen said, "However, basically all the singers who have obtained the qualification to record 'The Voice of China' have already been targeted by major music companies. We, Shihuo, are just a comprehensive agency and are not professional in music. I estimate that most of them will only be able to sign commercial split contracts in the end."

“That works too,” Chen Ziyan said. “These days, music companies are losing money to produce musicians. I even suspect that if they can’t control the commercial contracts, they might not be willing to invest resources in a singer.”

Training a singer requires resources and money, but it's difficult to make money in music these days.

Digital albums on music platforms are selling very well, generating tens of millions in revenue per album.

Compared to the production and marketing costs of this album, it's really not cost-effective.

After all, it takes at least a year to make an album, and normally two or three years.

Lu Yanhe said, "But those who come out of the show have an innate advantage in terms of popularity, fans, and popularity. They have also avoided the stage of being unknown newcomers with the lowest cost-effectiveness. Unless you make an album for them right away, they shouldn't lose money. Music festivals, commercial performances, film and television OSTs... Nowadays, singers just don't achieve sales freedom by selling albums like singers in the past. It's not like they really have no food to eat."

“Business deals are the fastest way to make money,” Lu Qingzhen said with a smile. “Many brokerage firms hate us because we take away the easiest part of making money.”

"However, Shi Huo also helped them increase the artists' popularity and exposure; it's not like they just eat without doing any work."

Lu Yanhe knew about Shi Huo's operating model. Heaven knows how many of his projects had film and television OSTs and promotional songs sung by Shi Huo's signed singers. Wasn't that a case of being close to the source and getting the moon first?

Needless to say, Shihuo's strong resource integration capabilities ensure that many artists constantly generate new topics of discussion, keeping them in the spotlight. Many management companies have very limited capabilities. For example, music companies can only provide singers with music production resources. They simply cannot keep up with this rapidly changing era in other areas, such as brand commercial resources, connections in the film and television industry, or public relations, publicity, packaging, and planning.

“They won’t tell you that much,” Lu Qingzhen said. “In their eyes, the whole cake should belong to them, and those of us who make the cake bigger are just people who are trying to grab it. They can only see the whole cake, not the small cakes that are getting bigger.”

Lu Yanhe: "Has the production of 'The Voice of China' been completed?"

“We’ve finished recording one-third of it.” Although Lu Qingzhen doesn’t oversee the production of “The Voice of China,” she is well aware of the show’s progress because many of her clients are on the show. She added, “The team behind ‘The Birth of an Actor’ has also started recording the second season. One-third of the artists currently signed by Shi Huo are on these two shows.”

Lu Yanhe laughed.

One is a singing competition, and the other is an acting competition; they do indeed cover the main types of artists in the entertainment industry.

“However, singers still have too few stages,” Lu Qingzhen said. “Aside from those who can hold their own concerts, there are only some galas and events where they can perform. But as you know, the sound equipment in these kinds of events is just so-so, not good enough. Only music variety shows are doing quite well now.”

"Music variety shows are also prone to homogenization."

“Yes.” Chen Ziyan nodded. “But it’s okay. Music festivals are very popular now. Basically, new singers and young singers rely on running music festivals to gradually gain popularity. Singers still need to experience live performances. But the types of music that can be performed at these music festivals are relatively limited.”

Lu Yanhe said, "So you want to create a long-term performance stage for singers, a stage that can accommodate singers of more styles?"

"Of course I've thought about it. Shi Huo has signed quite a few singers now, especially many established singers."

Lu Yanhe said, "Then why don't you talk to Sister Zixing? They have connections and collaborations with cultural and tourism departments in various places for their 'City Travelogue' series. Couldn't we combine the performance format of music variety shows with this program and turn it into a spin-off segment? Or we could simply create another spin-off program, holding a small concert in each place we visit, using the best sound equipment, and inviting some singers to participate. We could do a live broadcast on one hand, and edit it into a program on the other. Either way is fine."

Chen Ziyan: "It's easy to say but hard to do. Just think about it, just these audio equipment, if you go to a city, you have to make a whole trip, and the shipping costs are outrageous."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

Indeed, many times, the idea is beautiful, but the reality is harsh.

“However, it might not be impossible if ‘City Travelogue’ were to do it.” Lu Qingzhen suddenly thought of something, her eyes lighting up. “YeMai.com is backed by Shijin Investment. They have money and are willing to spend it. For a program like ‘City Travelogue’ that focuses on word-of-mouth and has a solid foundation, Shijin should be very willing to spend more money, right? At this stage, profitability is not Shijin’s primary goal. Building a brand, opening up the market, and establishing an image are the top priorities, right?”

"After all that, isn't your main point just that Shi Jin is now a big spender and we can fleece him without restraint?" Chen Ziyan laughed.

Lu Qingzhen: "Then tell me if I'm wrong or not. They need high-quality content, which we can provide. We need some funding for innovation in the early stages, which they can provide. Isn't that a win-win situation? How many pitfalls do they have to fall into if they want to enter the entertainment industry? At least we're not the ones who are hurting them."

“We can go and talk to them,” Chen Ziyan nodded.

Lu Yanhe laughed.

Shi Jin is definitely not a nouveau riche who is "foolish and rich".

However, Lu Qingzhen's judgment was indeed correct.

For an established program or company, such an attempt at a new segment would likely be rejected due to budget constraints, as it would be an innovation that "seems unnecessary."

However, isn't the "City Travelogue" program just in time for a "new face and a fresh start" moment?

It was a matter of timing and circumstance.

-

Xin Zixing, however, showed signs of difficulty regarding this collaboration.

She hesitated for a moment, then said that she still wanted to keep the original "City Travelogue" as it was.

The original "City Travelogue" is about using documentary filming methods and video styles, and "de-celebrityizing" the celebrity guests, returning to the essence of humanity and nature.

The purpose of "City Travelogue" is to explore a city.

The city is the main character; they don't come here to bring anything to the city, but to experience something.

Lu Yanhe had no objection to this.

"City Travelogue" is a program on Yemai.com, and the final form of the show is ultimately up to Xin Zixing.

It's impossible for Xin Zixing to agree to every single idea he puts forward.

Xin Zixing said, "However, I think this kind of program format, which involves holding concerts in various cities, is quite novel and also fits the tone of Yemai.com. We can discuss how to combine this format with the elements of Yemai.com and create a new humanistic program together."

Lu Yanhe nodded, "If there's a good way, of course it's good."

Chen Ziyan asked, "Zixing, what are your thoughts on this format?"

Xin Zixing said, "Actually, I've been thinking that in addition to 'City Travelogue,' Yemai.com should also produce some other cultural programs in different forms, including music. Music is the most important art form. I've thought about whether we should make a program that discovers singers and music from various places, like the kind of restaurant exploration program. In local bars or on certain stages, there are some unknown but outstanding singers. We can film their live performances and tell the musical stories of this group of people."

It definitely has an artistic vibe.

It is a program that is destined to be unpopular with the general public, but can easily gain high reputation if done well.

Xin Zixing's ideas and approaches to leaf vein networks were not actually heavily geared towards the market.

“That’s a great idea,” Chen Ziyan was the first to agree, saying, “But doesn’t it align a bit with our idea of ​​holding concerts in every city?”

“Of course it can be a match,” Xin Zixing said. “You established singers can form a discovery team to listen to those singers live. If you like them, you can extend an invitation to them on the spot, and then they can hold a small concert together. In this way, the program will have a main storyline and a good theme. The musicians will have both past stories and present stories.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanhe's eyes lit up instantly.

This idea is indeed very innovative.

He turned around, and sure enough, Chen Ziyan and Lu Qingzhen both had expressions that said, "This idea is feasible."

-

"Sigh, ever since Lu Yanhe came back, he's been on vacation and hasn't taken on any work. He's either at the editorial office of 'Jump Up' or meeting with his agent and friends."

The paparazzi who had been following Lu Yanhe were a bit annoyed.

Because nothing of value was captured on camera.

"I told you long ago, if you wanted to photograph Lu Yanhe, you basically wouldn't get anything. At most, you could photograph him getting on and off the car," a colleague said. "The level of secrecy surrounding his itinerary and his security team are top-notch."

"But with Lu Yanhe's current popularity, he'll make a fortune if he manages to capture anything of value."

The question is, can you even get a shot of it?

"..."

"However, if we can get a photo of him and Xin Zixing together today, it's not impossible to publish it," a colleague said. "Xin Zixing is Huang Kairen's wife. She had a close relationship with Lu Yanhe before, and later returned to Yemai.com. Now that they're meeting again, they might be discussing cooperation. We can use this as a starting point to dig deeper."

So the two paparazzi got to work.

-

I recommend the classic entertainment novel, "I Became the Scandalous Leading Lady Overnight".

(End of this chapter)