Chapter 304: Searching for Hometown
"A Story of Searching for Hometown?"
Looking at the new program plan submitted by Su Yun, Fang Mona hesitated: "There is no similar precedent for this type of food travel program in Hong Kong. Moreover, the effort and issues required to go north to the mainland cannot be estimated by simply making a food travel program..."
There are local food and tourism programs in foreign countries, and there are also early variety shows in Taiwan or Hong Kong, but they are generally based in the local area or nearby areas. There is no plan like the one proposed by Su Yun that travels all over the world - especially under their particularly complex national conditions and political situation.
"TV programs are not as easily banned as movies in Taiwan, and this subject has great potential to be made into a long-lived program." Su Yun argued, "Food is the primary need of the people, and local cuisine has always been intricately linked to local customs, regional climate, historical factors and many other aspects. The recent direction there is towards openness, tolerance and keeping up with the times, and we are also connecting with their tourism departments and travel companies..."
“So now is the best time to do this type of program.”
Su Yun turned to a certain page in the program plan she submitted, which was much thicker than the average program plan, and explained: "The food chapter of "Searching for Hometown Stories" is a gimmick that takes the audience to appreciate the specialties of various places, leading to the subsequent chapters related to food, but also enough to open up many complete new themes."
“For example, there is a music section with local music as the theme, and there is a craft section with local handicrafts as the theme… These are just like the food section, which can not only find resonance in the local area, but also find like-minded people in foreign countries.”
"Hong Kong is a mixed population of immigrants. Many of the older generation migrated south due to the war and settled here. In recent years, they have always wanted to find opportunities to visit relatives in mainland China. Based on my understanding of the overseas market, most normal people and some people who like Chinese culture are interested in various aspects of mainland China, not to mention those who are mentally ill and hostile to us."
"And this is our unique advantage - just like Zhao's Huangmei Opera movies were able to defeat modern movies that imitated Western operas in the past, if you want to open up and occupy a certain market, you must come up with something that others cannot copy." Su Yun paused and added, "And Zhao's early martial arts movies and palace movies were able to continue to flourish after Huangmei Opera movies. It was also based on the 'uniqueness' of Huangmei Opera movies, integrating and developing modern aesthetics and production concepts, making them more in line with the needs of the modern public than before, and achieving an effect that is easier for newcomers to accept and like than before."
Of course, Su Yun would not say that Zhao, who thought they were invincible in Hong Kong, began to rest on their laurels, while Zou Yunhua and Lu Shaolong of Jiahe followed the "uniqueness" point and improved the traditional martial arts movies, creating a subtype of modern action movies with Hong Kong characteristics, the Hong Kong Kung Fu movie...
After all, people often live for a living, and Zhao's deeds, which were repeated by thousands of overlords before him, are tantamount to exposing someone's shortcomings in person.
Her goal was to promote the success of the plan, so she naturally chose to say something that sounded nice and that the other party would feel was considerate: "Besides, the neighboring TV station has been targeting our small-investment TV series with the key concepts of 'saving money, speed, and qualified online' in recent years. It has been going in the opposite direction, with large investments, slow work, and fine products..."
"TBB has so many TV stations and so many program time slots, so there must be a focus!" Before Fang Mona could respond, Zhao Lizhong lost his temper, "The station next door must have made a big investment - because its small investment will have no one watching it!"
"Moreover, the so-called 'big investment' is also a marketing effect that shamelessly steps on us to get to the top. When the hype is hot, they can occasionally surpass us a little, but then they fall back on their own. Sometimes we don't even need to do anything to deal with it." Although Zhao Lizhong still feels that he is an airborne newcomer, at least he has the self-knowledge to ask if he doesn't understand and learn if he doesn't know. Unlike the next station, which has changed hands one after another, and every new leader seems to have the same problem of liking amateurs to command professionals... This has a great impact on the development prospects of a company.
"Of course I understand this. TBB produces at least dozens of dramas a year. It is impossible for each one to be treated as a high-quality production with big investments. Emphasizing certain aspects can also diversify the programs we produce and reduce aesthetic fatigue." Su Yun smiled. "Anyway, after eating big fish and meat, you will definitely want to eat some light porridge and side dishes occasionally."
"Although spring snow is admirable and amazing, onion and white garlic can also bring people a sense of pleasure. Catering to the preferences of every audience group is also one of the core aspects of making a program."
"But..." Su Yun changed the subject and brought the topic back to the original argument, "While we need to do a good job with small investments and small productions, large investments and large productions require a cautious attitude and increasingly innovative thinking."
"The marketing slogan of the next-door station includes the term 'live-action shooting', which is specifically used to hedge against the production method of most of our dramas using studio shooting." Su Yun made an extremely serious look, "Although I am a computer special effects professional, I still believe that the feeling created by real objects and real scenes cannot be compared with the best and most realistic computer special effects."
"For example, for "The Grave Robbers", I chose to go to China to shoot the exterior scenes. The exterior scene effects and materials I got were so shocking and realistic that they could not be achieved with artificial studio scenes."
"Technology is developing so fast nowadays, and every moment is innovating the results of the previous second. The issue of transportation will definitely be brought to the forefront as keywords such as tourism and globalization rise and spread..."
“When the time comes, our featured travel program will be the best reference book for viewers who want to travel far away after the changes in the times and the development of technology. At the same time, it will also be the most authentic, authoritative and comprehensive reference material we can have when we need to shoot on location in the future!”
Fang Mona raised her eyebrows: Su Yun's last point obviously moved Zhao Rifu, who had been listening quietly.
People say that Zhao is stingy, and of course he is stingy in a relative sense - for low-budget dramas, as long as there are no major problems that can affect the ratings, then of course he will save as much as possible; but when it comes to big-budget, big-production dramas that are positioned to buy big and take big risks, then not only can a lot of money not be saved, but one must even strive for excellence and strive to be the best.
The "Grave Robbers" series mentioned by Su Yun before, and "Blade Runner", which Zhao was extremely optimistic about but suffered a terrible box office and reputation after it was broadcast, are typical examples of buying big and gamble big and striving for perfection.
Due to historical and political factors, people here either set the scenes in foreign countries or in their own country when they want to shoot on location, for fear of having any connection with the mainland. As a result, when the motherland has stridden into a new era, they still only have the impression and memory of the mainland as backward, dilapidated and difficult in the past.
During the past two years, the mainland has always maintained a tough attitude to take back Hong Kong, the pearl that was taken away from it, and has not shown any intention of giving in during the dozens of rounds of negotiations.
Especially in 1982 when the famous Iron Lady suddenly fell down in front of the City Hall - this shocking scene was broadcasted by their TV station in Hong Kong.
Putting all these events together, many people are speculating that perhaps by the end of this year, the two countries will come to a decisive conclusion on the long-standing stalemate over the issue of return.
Although she doesn't know what other people are thinking, she predicts that the probability of her plan's success is at least 80%: Hong Kong's Zhao Group and its industries are relatively neutral, pro-China, and pro-blue, so much so that they are always slandered and criticized by Hong Kong's yellow circle in later generations, but they still stand firm.
While maintaining one's attitude, stance and alignment, one can also supplement or perhaps expand one's own interests, which must be a temptation that Zhao Rifu finds difficult to resist.
Feeling the gaze from Uncle Six, Zhao Liying asked on his behalf: "So, who are you going to let be the host of the show?"
"Of course it's Zhong Buluo - he's young enough, in good health, able to endure and carry on, and he also has the foundation of the 'food' program "How to Cook". If he makes it, it will be a hot topic..." Su Yun was not shy about mentioning her relative and nominated her friend right away.
Zhao Rifu closed his eyes briefly: There are not many artists who can be hosts, and there are only a few who can achieve success in Hong Kong. Zhong Bu Luo is definitely the most outstanding one among the young generation.
There isn't even one or the other - the most popular male stars in Su Yun's "team" are undoubtedly Chen Baiyang and Zhang Querong. From time to time, newspapers and magazines call them the twin stars; and Zhong Buluo, who was once known as the "Three Princes of Central" together with Chen and Zhang, has been working steadily in the hosting industry. He has taken a completely different path from his former good brother, but it may lead to the same destination.
After Su Yun's previous actions helped Chen, Zhang and her adopted sister Mei Yanshuang to the top of the young generation, she has now begun to look at the hosting industry, which she had never had time to get involved in before...
Perhaps Zhao Liming and Zhao Lizhong still didn't understand the relationship, but Zhao Rifu, Fang Mona and Zhao Liying, who had been fighting with the company's senior executives for many years and were accustomed to the faction culture, all secretly gave Su Yun a look of approval: Su Yun wanted to rely on her achievements during this period and future plans to establish a "mountain" that belonged to her alone.
"Let Li Zhong help you with the details." Zhao Rifu slowly signed and stamped Su Yun's plan: Su Yun is the only one in the Zhao family who can be "productive", but it is too tiring to shoot a movie and do a show at the same time.
"Got it!" Su Yun happily took the plan, and then made eyes at Zhao Lizhong: See, it turns out that you are the one who "assists" me.
Zhao Lizhong also made a gesture to him, indicating that he would try his best - even if it was a land reclamation with risks, it would be much more comfortable than his current job where he was constantly scheming against those old hands in the company.
After getting permission, the two siblings found some time to get together and quickly decided on the title for the first food episode of the travel program: "Searching for the Story of Hometown - Rich in Hometown Flavor".
It means both "hometown" and "fragrance".
Once the food section becomes famous, the music section "Long-lasting Charm" and the crafts section "Natural Craftsmanship" can be gradually put on the agenda to showcase the unique and charming Chinese culture to the world.
Of course, a reverse special episode "Searching for Stories from a Foreign Land" can also be arranged. By choosing a topic about overseas Chinese who yearn for home, perhaps we can "trick" them into returning to their motherland from thousands of miles away in tears to support construction!
Su Yun looked at the increasingly thick plan documents on the table, and then at the letters that were still coming to Hong Kong after many years, which were packaged and sent from the Shanghai Film Studio in mainland China, and she couldn't help but sigh.
Even though we are separated by thousands of miles, what you and I think about are all based on the fundamentals of human fireworks and thousands of years of history.