Chapter 493 Star Trainee

On Sunday afternoon, the melody of "Time Cooks Rain" flowed slowly like water.

Yu Kewei's ethereal voice sang in the speakers: "The wind blows the rain into flowers, time cannot catch up with the white horse", adding a bit of tranquility and sadness to the whole room.

In the office, Liu Shishi was completely immersed in the beautiful singing atmosphere.

Although "Tiny Times 1" did not receive good reviews, its theme song unexpectedly became popular and became a hit song sung on the streets, once again proving the old saying that bad movies can produce great songs.

At this moment, a knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in."

The studio's financial director, Yang Jie, walked in and reported calmly:

"Mr. Liu, we have followed your instructions and cooperated with Mr. Zhang to transfer all equity in several companies, including Pop Mart and Mihayou, to Huiwen Investment in compliance with regulations."

"Thank you for your hard work, Director Yang." Liu Shishi nodded slightly, quite satisfied with her subordinates' work efficiency.

The original intention of registering these investment shares under the studio's name was to make things easier.

Now that Huiwen Investment has been established, the studio only retains equity in four film and television companies: Tangren Film and Television, Lehua Entertainment, Noon Sunshine, and Yaoke Media.

It is obviously a wiser choice to divest the remaining high-quality assets and have industry insiders like Zhang Tong take the helm to carry out professional and systematic management.

The core of the studio has always been film and television content production, rather than capital operation.

Yang Jie continued her report, "All formalities have been completed. The subsequent financial report will be submitted directly to Huiwen Investment and Mr. Zhang. Also, Mr. Cai is already waiting for you in the small conference room next door. He said he has something to discuss with you."

"Okay, I'll be there right away." Liu Shishi stood up and walked straight to the next room.

When I pushed open the door of the small conference room, Cai Yinong was chatting enthusiastically with Jiang Yuanyuan.

Seeing Yijie coming, Cai Yinong chuckled and joked: "Hey, the biggest winner of Weibo Night is here!

From walking the red carpet to the podium last night, and then to Mr. Song's heartfelt confession, you were almost the only one on the hot search list. You must be so happy, right? "

Liu Shishi couldn't help but frown, the sweetness and scenery of last night seemed to still linger in her heart.

The warm company of her husband Song Ci, the glory under the spotlight, and the true feelings expressed in public all made her smile and feel happy.

She sat down gracefully and said in a light tone, "Sister K, please stop making fun of me."

Then, with a hint of curiosity, he asked, "Why don't I see Lao Hu today? He won the Male God of the Year and Weibo King last night, and he's in the limelight."

"As soon as the event ended, I rushed back to the set of Han Han's 'Later We Will Meet Again' overnight."

Liu Shishi covered her mouth with her hands and smiled with feigned regret: "That's such a pity, I wanted to tell him in person.

My husband said that the old grudge about Jingtian slapping Longkui is now forgotten, considering his sincere apology last night."

Cai Yinong and Jiang Yuanyuan burst out laughing, and the atmosphere in the conference room instantly became relaxed.

After the joke, Cai Yinong put away his smile and pushed a document in front of Sister Yi: "Okay, let's talk business.

This is the preliminary list of actors for Nirvana in Fire. Directors Hou Hongliang and Kong Sheng have basically finalized it. Take a look. If you have no objections, we'll proceed in this direction."

Liu Shishi took the document and looked through it carefully.

When he saw the first name, he looked up and asked with a smile, "Did Director Kong finally decide on Lao Hu for the male lead, Mei Changsu?"

"Yes," Cai Yinong nodded in confirmation, "Huang Xiaoming's schedule is really hard to coordinate.

Furthermore, Hu Ge was in excellent condition during the audition, perfectly capturing the character's frail yet resourceful temperament. Director Kong and CEO Hou immediately decided that he was the most suitable candidate."

Liu Shishi smiled and was still somewhat confident in Hu Ge's acting skills. After all, he was braver after knowing his shame and had practiced hard.

His gaze continued to move downwards, and when he saw the candidate for the second male lead, "Prince Jing Xiao Jingyan," he was slightly startled: "Wang Kai? Is he willing to play the supporting role for Old Hu?"

This is indeed unexpected.

The movie "Peking Meets Seattle" starring Wang Kai and Lu Yi is currently in theaters. Its box office performance is comparable to that of "Tiny Times 1", and it is firmly in the first-line ranks. Its status is on par with Hu Ge.

Seeing such a popular actor play the second male lead will probably cause quite a stir among fans.

Cai Yinong explained: "The details were communicated with Mr. Hou. Wang Kai is currently filming Director Kong's All Quiet in Peking, and the collaboration is very pleasant.

I heard that Mr. Hou and Director Kong personally approached him about this role. After reading the script, he thought that Prince Jing was a multifaceted character with a lot of inner drama, and that it was a rare challenge, so he accepted it very readily.

"So that's how it is." Upon hearing this, Liu Shishi's eyes flashed with admiration.

"Excellent actors really value the charm of the character itself rather than simply the ranking.

With Wang Kai joining the cast, I'm increasingly excited about Nirvana in Fire. I have no objections, so let's proceed with this roster."

Liu Shishi was about to hand the document back to Cai Yinong, but her fingertips accidentally touched the last page of the document, which seemed to have a page of paper of a different texture attached to it.

I pulled it out out of curiosity and found a printed list of books with the words "List of Recently Acquired IP Copyrights" written prominently on the top.

She raised the paper in her hand and said, "Sister K, what is this?"

Cai Yinong glanced at it and said, "Oh, this is what the copyright department just sorted out.

"Recently, the company has been accumulating copyrights for popular novels and film adaptations. If we don't buy them now, we might not be able to afford them in two years."

Liu Shishi lowered her eyes and browsed carefully, reading out a few titles softly: "Eternal Love", "The Legend of Hua Xu", "Eternal Love of Dream"...

And "Love O2O" and "Scarlet Heart," didn't we already have the copyrights for these novels? "

"That was just the TV adaptation rights. This time we bought out the full set of IP development rights, including movies, games, and peripherals."

Cai Yinong said with some shrewdness: "These are all popular novels on the market. The copyright price of one is not too outrageous now, probably between one million and three million.

Looking at the current momentum, the price of film and television copyrights changes almost daily. It’s better to stock up early to be prepared.”

After a pause, he couldn't help but admire and sigh: "I have to say, Mr. Song has a long-term vision.

Tengda Culture's current industry status is undoubtedly due to the support of a powerful internet group, but the massive amount of IP copyrights it accumulated at low prices in the early years now seems to be an inexhaustible gold mine, and this is also a significant contribution."

Liu Shishi's lips curled up slightly, revealing a proud smile as she nodded in agreement, "He does think ahead. Holding the copyright first is like controlling the source of the source. In the future, when and how to develop it, the initiative is in our hands."

"That's right," Cai Yinong agreed, then changed the subject to a current hot topic. "The recently released 'Tiny Times' was very controversial and received widespread criticism online. But from a commercial perspective, it has had a disruptive impact on the entertainment industry."

He leaned forward slightly and analyzed rationally: "It proves that in the Internet age, the success of a film no longer depends entirely on traditional artistic quality or popular reputation.

As long as we can accurately identify the target group, build a highly sticky fan community, and use various marketing methods to convert this 'love' into direct consumption behavior, we can also generate huge, or even faster, economic benefits."

"Fan economy!" Liu Shishi summarized it succinctly, her eyes bright. "Its core is emotional connection and community recognition, not just content output. It's foreseeable that many companies will prioritize fan economy development in the future."

After a brief pause, he let out a calm and profound sigh, "However, if a star wants to go far and gain a foothold, they ultimately have to rely on their solid work. Otherwise, when fans argue with their opponents, they won't even have the confidence to promote their work, and it won't last long."

Cai Yinong agrees: "That's true. But as of now, the fan economy is indeed effective immediately. Tangren specializes in costume dramas, which have always been a powerful tool for attracting fans. It's worth giving this a try. There's no contradiction between talented actors and having a large fan base."

Then he smiled and looked at Sister Yi, "Shishi, aren't you a role model with both film and television success and tens of millions of fans?"

The business was almost over. Liu Shishi checked the time and prepared to leave. "Sister K, if there's nothing else, I'll go back to Peking. See you on the set of 'My Fair Princess' in April."

"Hey, wait!" Cai Yinong called out to Sister Yi.

"Du Hua from Lehua Entertainment will be coming over soon to discuss a cooperative project. If you're not in a rush, why not stay and listen? And give us your opinion."

Liu Shishi had already picked up her bag, but she stopped and asked with interest, "Movie? Or TV series?"

“It’s a variety show!”

"Variety shows?" Liu Shishi immediately piqued her interest. She had invested in and participated in many movies and TV series, but had never ventured into variety shows.

After a brief thought, he sat down again: "Then I really need to listen and learn."

"Shishi, what date are you and Mr. Song flying to Iceland?" Cai Yinong asked considerately.

"We're leaving on the 8th. After the Qingming Festival, he'll go to Jinling to inspect the car factory there. Then we'll fly directly to Europe from there."

The three of them drank tea and chatted about some gossip in the circle.

About a quarter of an hour later, there was a knock on the door of the conference room, and Secretary Cai Yinong walked in with two people.

The visitors were Lehua Entertainment President Du Hua and her assistant.

As Du Hua entered the room, he quickly scanned the meeting room. Seeing Liu Shishi there, his face immediately filled with an extremely enthusiastic smile. He quickly stepped forward to greet her:

"Mr. Liu! Oh, I didn't expect you to be here today. That's great! You look so good today, so radiant!"

Liu Shishi smiled politely and nodded, "Mr. Du, long time no see."

Du Hua exchanged a few words with Cai Yinong and Jiang Yuanyuan, his attitude warm and appropriate.

He sat down very naturally in the empty seat next to Liu Shishi, without any unnecessary formalities, and got straight to the point:

"Mr. Liu, Mr. Cai, and Mr. Jiang, I'm here today because I have a project that I think has great potential. I wanted to report it to you all right away to see if there's any possibility of collaboration."

After saying that, he winked at the assistant beside him.

The assistant understood and took out several beautifully bound project plans from his briefcase, neatly and respectfully placing them one by one in front of Liu Shishi, Cai Yinong and Jiang Yuanyuan.

On the white cover, there are several eye-catching words: "Star Trainee"

Seeing the three people begin to read the plan, Du Hua spoke at the right time, his voice full of motivation: "The core model of this program is idol training.

16 young people with the greatest potential were selected from the large number of applicants and were given closed-door training for several months.

The content covers all-round professional training in vocal music, dance, body shape, lines, acting skills, etc.

After each stage, five mentors we invited will conduct comprehensive evaluation and screening.

Ultimately, the top four overall winners will be able to debut successfully, and they will have the right to choose to join Lehua or Tangren Film and Television, become signed artists, and receive the promised top resources and support.

Cai Yinong quickly browsed the plan and already knew the purpose of Du Hua's visit.

Although Lehua Entertainment has made some arrangements in idol training, its overall reputation in the circle and the depth of its film and television resources are far behind those of the old companies.

Obviously, Du Hua is very smart and hopes to use the golden signboard and industry reputation of Tangren Film and Television to endorse and empower this program.

As a veteran company in the industry, Tangren Media has top-tier stars such as Liu Shishi and Hu Ge, and its popularity among the public is extremely high.

The attraction to newcomers who aspire to develop in the entertainment industry is self-evident, and it can greatly enhance the authority and attention of the program.

However, Cai Yinong is not opposed to this cooperation.

Tangren is seeking to further expand and even go public. Diversified development is the only way forward. It is not a bad idea to enter the new track of variety shows and test the waters with a relatively controllable program.

Du Hua spoke passionately, "The mentor lineup is the soul of the show. I hope Han Geng and Hu Ge can serve as head mentors, representing Lehua's idol strength and Tangren's actor background respectively.

In addition, we have hired top professional instructors in dance, vocal music, body shape, etc. in the industry to form a powerful teaching matrix.

In addition, each episode will invite two popular guests to create fresh hot topics and maintain a high level of discussion."

Liu Shishi listened quietly, her slender fingers tapping the plan lightly, and she nodded slightly: "It sounds like the framework is quite clear, and the model is novel."

Jiang Yuanyuan, who was carefully studying the budget sheet, interrupted and asked with professional caution: "Mr. Du, the total budget listed in your budget sheet is 60 million.

With all due respect, is this amount of money really enough to create a variety show of the scale you describe, especially in terms of guests and production?

Upon hearing this, Du Hua immediately assured with confidence: "Don't worry, Mr. Jiang, it will definitely be enough! We have conducted a detailed market research.

Based on the current variety show production costs in the market, a budget of 60 million is enough to create a large-scale S-level variety show project.

15 million yuan for program production, covering all costs from the director and screenwriter team to camera, lighting, stage design, sound, post-production editing, and venue rental;

30 million yuan will be used for tutors and guest remuneration, of which Han Geng and Hu Ge, as core tutors, will receive the lion's share, while flying guests will be settled regularly according to market prices;

10 million will be used for marketing and publicity expenses, which is enough to cover all aspects from online and offline promotion, media releases, hot search purchases, to the precise placement of trailers;

The final 5 million will be used for the 16 trainees' food, lodging, clothing, and styling during the entire training period, as well as the cost of hiring additional master class teachers."

As he spoke, he looked towards Liu Shishi, knowing that she was always considerate of her subordinates, and added with a smile:

"If Mr. Liu feels it's necessary, we can also use this fee to provide the trainees with some living allowances to reflect the program's humanistic care."

Cai Yinong read very seriously, occasionally lowering his head in thought.

The profit model section in the plan is very clearly written, and costs are mainly recovered through advertising sponsorship, patch advertising, and mid-roll advertising.

In addition to the copyright purchase costs of the video platform, as long as the popularity of the program meets expectations, there is a high probability that it can make a profit or even generate considerable revenue.

Liu Shishi's eyes fell on the chapter "Operation and Promotion Plan" and she carefully looked at the strategies listed there.

From the mysterious trailers and contestant suspense during the early stages, to the mentors' ideological conflicts, CP marketing, dark horse comeback scripts, and the deliberately created "unforgettable" elimination plot...

I couldn't help but sigh, "Boss Du, you really have a clear understanding of idol management and fan economy."

It is almost foreseeable that after the show is broadcast, the hot search list will be completely dominated by related topics.

Du Hua's face showed a little pride, but his tone was still humble: "Mr. Liu, you are too kind. To be honest, many of our ideas are indeed borrowed from the operating model of Korea's mature idol industry.

But this also proves that this market really exists in the country and has huge potential.”

After saying this, he looked at Cai Yinong with a burning gaze and said earnestly, "Mr. Cai, if Tangren is willing to cooperate, the foundation for the success of this program will be more solid.

For the top four contestants who make their debut, Tangren's strong support is very much needed for their subsequent film and television resources and development."

Cai Yinong flipped to the end of the plan and saw the "resource package" Du Hua had planned for the top four:

The winner will receive a single contract from Lehua Entertainment, plus a key role in Tangren Films' next major historical drama.

The second, third and fourth place winners will also receive corresponding film, television or music resource packages according to their rankings; at the same time, the final ownership will be decided by netizens' voting, pushing fans' participation and enthusiasm to the peak.

It even includes a "lost pearl" plan, which suggests signing one or two more popular contestants who have never debuted to show appreciation for talent and to reserve suspense and highlights for the second season.

Du Hua was ambitious and became more and more excited as he spoke, his eyes moving between Liu Shishi and Cai Yinong: "Boss Liu, Boss Cai, in my conception, this program will form a perfect closed loop!

Ensure the professionalism and initial traffic of the program through a strong lineup of mentors; continue to create topics and popularity through refined script operations;

Finally, with the deep pool of film, television and music resources of Lehua and Tangren, we provide one-stop protection for debut artists.

Complete the entire process from amateur selection, training, exposure to final debut.

I have absolute confidence that if it succeeds, "Star Producer" will very likely become a pioneer in mainland China's idol development programs and change the current landscape of the domestic idol entertainment industry!"

Liu Shishi was moved by the "grand blueprint" Du Hua described and was very interested. After a moment's thought, she immediately expressed her opinion, which was of decisive importance:

"Since President Du is so confident, I'll give it a try. The top four contestants, if interested, can also choose to sign with my studio."

Du Hua was overjoyed when he heard this!

Although Liu Shishi's studio is not as big as a large company, it is backed by the huge resources of the Tengda Group, and with the influence of the first-tier sister herself, its appeal to newcomers is even greater than that of Tangren and Lehua.

Her joining is such a pleasant surprise!

Du Hua immediately said happily, "That's great! With you, Mr. Liu, joining us, the appeal of this program and the future prospects of the contestants are limitless. It's hard for the program not to be a hit!"

Cai Yinong looked at Sister Yi and nodded, and couldn't help but chuckled. He made a decision: "Since Shishi has participated, what else can I say? Okay, Tangren Films has invested in this "Star Trainee"!"

Du Hua was overjoyed, a brilliant smile blooming on his face. He shouted in his heart: "Cooperating with a big company is so refreshing! This matter is done!"

(To be updated tomorrow)

(End of this chapter)