Chapter 471
In the audience, Cheese lowered his head and took out a half-empty bottle of water from his bag. He handed it to Qimiao and frowned, saying, "Miao, don't you think this host's commercials are taking too long?"
As soon as Cheese said this, several nearby audience members who had heard her rant echoed her with agreement. If the pre-show announcement lasted about 10 to 30 seconds, then the commercials had already lasted at least three minutes!
"If it weren't for Xiao Shao's performance right next, I'd have to take a nap!" Qimiao yawned. The skit she'd just seen had already made her sleepy. She was only able to hold on now because the skit on the program was followed immediately by a NINE STAR joint performance.
Standing at the podium, announcing the commercial, Jiang Hongyuan couldn't help but feel the audience's emotions. He noticed, in particular, that some of the people in the front rows were starting to lose focus. And yet, he still had to quickly and efficiently go through the stack of advertising cards in his hand.
Fortunately, Jiang Hongyuan managed to breeze through the commercial before the audience's patience reached its limit. However, his desire to finish the show quickly didn't sit well with the stage manager, who was directing the performance from the audience.
With a gesture to continue, Jiang Hongyuan could only hold onto the microphone and barely hold on. Finally, he heard the countdown for the transition shot through his headphones. He ignored the unfamiliarity of the sound and began to rejoice. After the countdown ended, his tense nerves finally began to return to normal.
When the lights in the hall dimmed and the prelude of "Sending My Love" was about to sound, Jiang Hongyuan breathed a sigh of relief and handed the microphone to his senior who had jumped onto the stage and was waiting there.
"How does it feel to host a large-scale live evening party for the first time?" Ji Wenbo took the microphone, patted Jiang Hongyuan's shoulder comfortingly, and spoke in a somewhat friendly tone.
Although he's called a host, Jiang Hongyuan actually spends most of his time spouting commercial slogans. However, this is also a way for the station to hone the new hosts' verbal skills and adapt to the commercial rhythm. Every evening show host goes through this experience before officially hosting.
"Brother Ji, please stop talking. Luckily, I finished my ad copy within the allotted time." Jiang Hongyuan was still a little frightened, but as if remembering something, he asked doubtfully, "By the way, Brother Ji, was the person who just spoke on the channel the director we hired a while ago?"
Because Zhou Xiao was only directing the stage portion, Jiang Hongyuan hadn't encountered her during the previous rehearsals. Just as he'd breathed a sigh of relief, his curiosity was piqued. Everyone on the set was curious about this externally hired director.
Ji Wenbo nodded. Seeing that Jiang Hongyuan seemed to be thinking about what to say next, he smiled and said, "If you're curious, then use your eyes to see how this person qualified to be specially hired by the leadership."
Jiang Hongyuan nodded, somewhat bewildered. At that moment, a beam of light suddenly shone from the stage. A warm yellow light instantly struck the left side of his face. Before Jiang Hongyuan could reach out to block the glaring light, the previously dark stage suddenly transformed from night to day.
The familiar melody began, prompting many in the audience to sing along. The "hit songs" of short videos are constantly pushed to you by big data, even if you don't want to. But the next second, a stunning introduction suddenly made it impossible to connect this song with the viral short video hit.
The young man, holding the uniform microphone to his ear, looked at the camera with gentle eyes. The magnified beauty captured at the right time successfully awakened many drowsy audience members.
Their voices were as clear as a mountain spring, their dancing as graceful as a crane's upright and relaxed form. As a CCTV audition, the performance captivated the audience from the moment it premiered. The members' impeccable performances were the most anticipated event for many in the audience.
For the audience watching the live broadcast on screen, this is an even more exhilarating performance, and even the experience is no less than watching it in person. This is not only due to the wonderful performance of the members on stage, but also requires extremely high level of director skills.
In addition to accurately capturing the highlights of each member, the director's panoramic stage clips and dynamic follow-up shots fully display the entire stage and the unique charm of the members in the camera.
The fans who had been waiting in front of their screens to take screenshots and record the performances were stunned. This was completely different from what they had imagined. But if all future performances could live up to this standard, it would truly be a "fan paradise," no exaggeration.
Cheese's hand was already tightly clasped with that of a friend. Their excitement had left several nail marks on their palms. No one could remain calm during this performance, not even those accustomed to high-energy performances.
"Miao Jie! That shot is what's on the big screen, right?" The performance was barely halfway through, but it wasn't the first time Cheese regretted not sneaking in the camera. If she'd known today's performance would be this dramatic, she would have taken the lead in "disobeying" the production team. But she also knew her level was far inferior to this.
"Yes! There must be live footage!" Qimiao's mind was still filled with Ji Shao's casual glance, coupled with the sparkling rhinestones in the corners of his eyes, which made her want to rush onto the stage... rush onto the stage and put Shao Gaoleng Mi in a sack and take him home.
Before the gala, when they learned that they would be reuniting with their former bandmates to participate in CCTV's Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, the fan clubs were very excited. But after the excitement subsided and their rationality gradually returned, they generally did not have high hopes for today's stage.
After all, everyone had already learned the details of the gala's stage performance from the agency beforehand. The fact that NINE STAR couldn't perform their original set was enough to put their minds at ease. While Huayao has always been a drag, the company has been incredibly lucky with the songs they've released for their members, with nearly every one of them achieving widespread popularity.
Secondly, it's not that fans look down on these viral hits. While everyone can hum along, these "short video hits" often have a certain "cheapness" about them. Even if the members perform well, their performances probably have reached a certain ceiling.
Finally, there's the uncertainty about the quality of CCTV's directing. Unless it's a standing stage, there's a high chance it'll be like the last CCTV Qixi Festival Gala, where even the most stage-loving audiences won't be able to watch it.
Besides the individual performances of the members, the most crucial factor in a group performance is the director's skill. Often, the difference between a stunning image and a stunning scene lies in the director's discretion. The difference between a masterpiece and a subpar performance often lies in the angle.
Even as everyone lowered their expectations, they realized just how shocking this brand new stage was. None of the concerns arose; instead, it was a perfection that exceeded everyone's expectations.
When "Sending My Love" seamlessly connected to "Chasing the Moon" for scene transition, almost all the audience were amazed by this scene.
Under the director's control, using CCTV's advanced and mature large-screen and floor-screen LED display technology and multi-angle switching of lenses, the audience is led smoothly from the previous stage into the world of the next song.
Just as the gorgeous cold flame waterfall above the stage disappeared, accompanied by the crisp and bright rhythm of the pipa playing, the close-up of a single person turned to the pulling shot of the entire stage, allowing countless audiences at the scene to truly feel the strength of the members and the uniformity of the stage of this once No. 1 boy band in the country.
As a mid-season program tasked with boosting ratings and boosting audience engagement, NINE STAR's performances in "Sending Love" and "Chasing the Moon" far exceeded the station's expectations. But what impressed everyone even more was Zhou Xiao's incredible camera control.
At the moment when the lights gradually dimmed, the members who appeared on the big screen were either sweating profusely or breathing heavily, but without exception, they presented the audience with smiling faces full of youthfulness.
At some point, applause began to rise from the audience. A good performance resonates with the audience. This was different from the kind of clapping that relies on someone else to lead the effort. The entire audience gave their heartfelt applause to the glittering young people on stage.
Cheese was also clapping hard, but apart from cheering for the members on the stage, at this moment she just wanted to cling to the director's thigh and beg him to work with Ji Shao in the future.
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