Chapter 443
Qiao Haidong has been navigating the importance of official disbandment photos online these past few days. Post-production for nine members has been a bit stressful for her, but thankfully, her boss is accompanying her this time.
When Zhou Xiao finished photographing Liang Wendao, the last member of NINE STAR who had just returned from producing an album in the United States, the photography base finally welcomed a brief moment of peace and quiet.
The ones most deeply touched were Jiang Langli and Guo Tan, who arrived and left work on time every day at the base. If they didn't have families in Shanghai, they would have stayed at the base and lived in the staff dormitory.
While the fans waiting outside seemed to be secretly battling each other, and were quieter outside the base than usual offline, only the two who had experienced being mistaken for fans realized how much longer it took to reach the gate normally.
In the small conference room.
Three figures sat quietly at their seats, looking up at Qiao Haidong, who was working on a computer, projecting the finalized photos onto the large screen one by one. The official photos would undoubtedly be displayed on the concert screen, and their task was to select the most harmonious series of photos for Huayao from the various groups.
After reviewing the formula photos one by one, Zhou Xiao and Zhang Hongyu all had a clear idea in their minds, except for Xue Xi, who still looked a little confused, couldn't find any problems and felt that he was dispensable.
When Qiao Haidong's inquiring look came to Zhou Xiao in front of the curtain, Zhang Hongyu on the side could not contain his emotions. He stood up straight and clapped excitedly.
After two years as a full-time photographer at Huayao, Zhang Hongyu's aesthetic has essentially become entwined with the company's. Judging by the quality of the film just shown, it's a guaranteed "pass" in his opinion.
Qiao Haidong glanced over. She had already heard from Xue Xi and Shu Nan that a new photographer had joined the company. However, since she had previously been discussing photo editing details with her boss in the dormitory, this was her first time meeting him.
Zhou Xiao naturally didn't mind Zhang Hongyu's unruly behavior. She placed a pen on the table and twirled it in a beautiful pattern. After a moment's thought, she said to Qiao Haidong, "Retouch this part of the photo. It would be best if the marks aren't noticeable."
Because NINE STAR's members' schedules are unevenly distributed, a perfect group photo requires post-production. During the initial photoshoot, Zhou Xiao also intentionally had everyone strike poses that would be needed in post-production.
"good!"
Despite being pointed out, Qiao Haidong showed no dissatisfaction. Instead, he excitedly moved towards the computer. After safely ejecting and carefully storing the USB drive, he said goodbye to Zhou Xiao and left with his comments.
"Teacher Zhou, I think it's already very good." Zhang Hongyu's pupils dilated and he was shocked. If a blockbuster of this quality still needed to be revised, then wouldn't his previous works be...
"Dongzi has high expectations for himself," Zhou Xiao looked at Zhang Hongyu with a half-smile, "but you have to improve yourself from now on, otherwise..."
Zhang Hongyu's heart was beating rapidly, and he couldn't tell whether it was nervousness or excitement. He glanced at Xue Xi, who was diligently studying the behind-the-scenes editing next to him, and was already considering whether to let him and Liu Jia study with him.
He already understood that Zhou Xiao was providing an environment for Xue Xi's learning. Teaching one person or two people was the same, and it was all a matter of convenience.
After catching a glimpse of Zhou Xiao's "OK" sign, Zhang Hongyu's initial nervousness dissipated. His expectations for the future were increasing by +1+1+1...
…
Huayao Building.
During the time they were preparing for NINE STAR's graduation concert, Lin Qianxia and Mao Sifeng began to develop a "comradeship" relationship, becoming closer than their previous purely superior-subordinate relationship.
At this moment, the two of them were in Lin Qianxia's office, finalizing the official photos Zhou Xiao had sent them. The photos, from every angle, were truly dazzling. And considerately, they even recommended two sets of matching official photos.
"Zhou Xiao is truly capable!" Mao Sifeng exclaimed, looking at the refined official photos. The most intuitive comparison of aesthetics was naturally with Zhang Hongyu, her colleague of two years.
Lin Qianxia felt a little regretful, and murmured as she looked at the movie, "Yeah..."
"Why didn't you consider recruiting him into Huayao?" Mao Sifeng asked doubtfully. She joined Huayao in the latter stages of Star Path 101. However, she knew that the production team had collaborated with Zhou Xiao before, and this question had been on her mind for a long time.
"Do you think someone who can make such a blockbuster film would be willing to be trapped in our company?" Lin Qianxia picked up the coffee on the table, letting the bitterness spread in her mouth, but her words were unusually open-minded. "I'm very satisfied with the official photos. What do you think? If you are sure, I will tell the cashier."
That being said, who could have predicted Zhou Xiao's achievements? Although Zhou Xiao might not necessarily be willing to be "trapped" at Huayao, Lin Qianxia was also well aware that the top management initially didn't actually attach much importance to technical personnel like photographers.
"Excellent value for money," Mao Sifeng nodded. "It's expensive for a reason!" But Zhou Xiao's skills were more than just excellent value; they were so impressive that even outsiders with money wouldn't be able to compete. Especially that group photo; the editor who edited it must have been a genius!
"By the way, is the suit ready?" Lin Qianxia seemed to have thought of it and asked the other party. The thought of this made her head hurt. If she let it go, she would be laughed at by many people!
Of course, it's likely more fans of these members than their peers. And some of the members' former agencies are even more ridiculous, encouraging fans to criticize Huayao for exploiting their artists. But what about them? When I video-called the members last night, several looked even more haggard and exhausted than before the disbandment.
"Changed it!" Mao Sifeng was very concerned about this. Not only did he beg the master chef to personally take action, he also asked the master's disciples to revise it together so that it could be in time for the concert.
Since Zhou Xiao has been invited, surely the fan base she watched grow up with should be able to part ways amicably with Huayao? Perhaps we can even hope that the disbanding scene won't be filled with cries of "Huayao is bankrupt"?
"Then we'll release the behind-the-scenes footage tonight and the official photos tomorrow," Lin Qianxia made the final decision.
…
With three days left until NINE STAR's graduation concert, the group ticket results are already in. However, with only 90,000 tickets released for the Jinling concert, which has a capacity of 102,000, the initial number of people submitted by various fan clubs has already been overwhelmingly sold out.
NINE STAR's disbandment concert is no longer just for the members' fans. In fact, many fan clubs still receive requests from passers-by to join the group ticket.
As the organizer of NINE STAR's concert, C TW is undoubtedly extremely sad about the disbandment of NINE STAR considering the enthusiasm and number of fans of other domestic talent shows.
While group tickets are common in China, fans often push for them, only NINE STAR manages to sell out every show. Besides withholding tickets from media outlets, favors, and scalpers, 90,000 tickets is the maximum they can offer.
90,000 tickets was the organizer's limit, not NINE STAR's, and they were convinced of this. However, the significance of the disbanding was too great. Late on the third night, after realizing that the number of submissions had far exceeded expectations, CTW decisively stopped collecting receipts.
This sudden deadline for group tickets was naturally met with strong opposition and incomprehension from both the nine singles and group fans. But when the organizers revealed that the number of group tickets collected had reached 120,000, everyone fell silent.
120,000 people in three days. Even if the disbandment of NINE STAR was a major factor, this kind of appeal is still a terrifying strength no matter where it is placed.
It's just a thought, but there are still problems with the ticket cancellation process after the big crash. Fortunately, CTW had some conscience and did not announce the crash after the fans had purchased the flights and hotels. Instead, after discovering the statistical data, they immediately synchronized the matter with the ten fan clubs in the group.
The presidents of various fan clubs had different reactions to this. After receiving CTW's plan of [cutting/players without compensation], they all returned to their own groups for further discussions.
After the experience of previous concerts, all ten fan clubs tacitly opted for a "floating" number of attendees. The over-reporting of numbers and attendance was a mental game during this period. Furthermore, exaggerated numbers didn't require questioning by other clubs; the organizers could simply cut them off. The key issue this time was whether the remaining tickets, after the cuts, would allow all of their fans to enter the venue.
In Ji Shao's fan club, members hadn't slept well for several days because of this group ticket. After seeing the news brought by the numbers, everyone was on high alert and began to think about maximizing the benefits.
At this moment, everyone understood the old saying, "The bold will die of overeating, and the timid will die of starvation." Unfortunately, their family is the daring one!
In the group chat, Numbers was the first to speak, "We took the risk and signed up for over 60,000 tickets this time. The organizer just counted that the total number of tickets this time is over 120,000. What do you think we should do with the other fan clubs?"
The organizers were able to notify the group in a group chat, naturally hoping the ten companies could resolve the issue internally. This is standard procedure. If it were any other concert, perhaps they would simply cut the number of people proportionally. But this time was different; Chinese people always have a stronger preference for disbanding shows.
"The actual number of people counted so far is close to 50,000," said Cheese, who is in charge of counting the number of offline group tickets. "Of these, 40,000 registered in the past two days. I've also taken into account some who changed their minds at the last minute. If the organizers reduce the number of tickets proportionally, we won't panic. We have the final say."
Before the group ticket sales started, the fan club had already emphasized several times that fans who wanted to attend the concert should make up their minds two days in advance. This was not only to put pressure on CTW, but also to ensure that tickets would not be cut.
If the 60,000 tickets took longer to sell, it wouldn't be a big problem for them. Every time a concert group ticket sale ends, there are far more people popping up in the super chat seeking to buy tickets than there are fans selling them. This is a common occurrence in all super chats. There are always some fans who are slow to react, waiting for the fan club to solve their problems.
For NINE STAR's disbandment show, group tickets will still be prioritized based on the number of people in the group. This rule won't affect Ji Shao fans, as they'll definitely be first in line. But for fans of the other eight artists and group fans, it's an absolute bloodbath.
Ji Shao's floating number was due to the fear that the number would be cut too severely and fans would not be able to get tickets. In addition to this same reason, several other companies were also playing tricks on the group ticket rankings.
A dozen or so people in the fan club exchanged opinions, ultimately arriving at the same conclusion as before: maintain composure and avoid getting involved in other parties' disputes. Furthermore, even if their account was truly cut, as long as the number wasn't significant, they could still find ways to obtain tickets from other sources.
However, this guarantee is only available to fans who registered in the first three days. If CTW doesn't dare to cut too hard on them, the fan club will be happy to find tickets for their own fans. After all, the purpose of the fan club's existence, in addition to supporting Ji Shao, is to do its best to protect the interests of its own fans.
The organizer, CTW, did not disclose the number of group tickets for each group in the group chat, leaving it up to the individual fan clubs to guess. Even so, some speculated that half of the total might go to Ji Shao's family.
As for whether the organizers would suspect that his family's number was fake, just look at the purple light signs that dominate half of the concerts. Everyone knows that even if there is any inaccuracy, they can't say it out loud. Except for Ji Shao's family, no one else can disclose it either.
The organizers knew one thing: the number of tickets for the top 1 and top 2 groups in other countries was the lowest for NINE STAR. This is why Huayao has always dared to open stadiums. This is how confident the top boy band in the industry is.
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