Xu Hanwen squinted and carefully read the contents sent by Shang Yechu twice, his lips pursed.
Zheng Bohan spoke up before him: "Ye Zi, it's not that we don't want to help, but the conditions on paper are simply impossible."
Shang Yechu knew the chances were slim, but Zheng Bohan's resolute decision still surprised her slightly.
Which one do you think is impossible?
Just as Zheng Bohan was about to speak, Shi Shan reached out and gestured for Zheng Bohan to remain silent.
"Your proposal is excellent, Ye Chu." Shi Shan pulled his chair back, looking up at Shang Ye Chu from a slightly angled position.
"As far as I know, Ruguan TV has already realized the issue you raised regarding changing the publicity strategy. The new publicity plan has been completed overnight and will be launched around tomorrow or the day after."
Ruguan TV isn't entirely stupid; they were just too hasty this time, taking too big a step and making a mess of things. Once the ratings teach them a lesson, they'll calm down and take measures to save themselves.
“However,” Shi Shan changed the subject, “the ‘official fan-made video competition’ you proposed is something that has never existed in the industry before.”
Film and television editing and derivative works have always been a gray area. Most copyright holders have a rather contradictory attitude towards this: they want to use derivative works to attract traffic, but they are also afraid of being infringed by segmented and cut clips, which would affect the traffic of legitimate works.
Currently, all film and television editing and derivative works are still in a state of ignorance, where officials don't investigate unless the public complains. Editors work "out of passion," and whether film and television production companies and platforms sue them is entirely up to their whim. Without authorization and communication channels, creators constantly face the risk of infringement, and judicial practice is difficult to enforce, making it truly a no-man's-land overgrown with weeds and wildflowers.
It's 2018, and the commercialization of fan fiction and derivative works hasn't even begun. Shang Yechu's proposal at this time to "officially support derivative editing" and even hold a derivative video competition, while not groundbreaking, is certainly unconventional.
Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, Shi Shan has never seen a copyright holder of a TV series or movie openly support fan-made edits. —To put it bluntly, fan-made edits and piracy are separated by a fine line. In this era where many things become distorted as they are passed down, who knows if those major platforms won't interpret Shang Yechu's suggestion as "supporting piracy," or even make a big deal out of it?
Shi Shan didn't say this aloud. Shang Yechu was the smartest woman he had ever met; in her presence, he often had the illusion that she saw right through him. Shi Shan believed that even if he didn't say it, Shang Yechu herself knew what was going on.
“Precisely because it’s never happened before, there has to be someone who’s the first to do it,” Shang Yechu retorted, her eyes narrowing. “The potential of the short video field hasn’t been fully explored yet, but sooner or later someone will discover this lucrative opportunity and be the first to try it. In that case, why can’t it be us?”
"us".
This title made Shi Shan pause for a moment, then he looked away: "The first person to eat crab is not necessarily a hero praised by everyone; he may also be the 'instigator' in the eyes of later generations. That's all I have to say."
While acknowledging Shang Yechu's talent and intelligence, Shi Shan didn't think Shang Yechu's suggestions were feasible. Tuiqi Video's reputation as a copyright powerhouse wasn't new, other platforms were ambiguous in their attitudes, and Ruguan TV was determined to guard against online platforms—making things difficult, extremely difficult.
In the drama, Li Ruhui is always obedient to Li Yiming. Off-screen, Shi Shan also consistently accommodates Shang Yechu. This is the first time Shi Shan has explicitly expressed an opinion that differs from Shang Yechu's. Shang Yechu instinctively feels somewhat uncomfortable.
Seeing the two locked in a stalemate, Xue Haodong quickly jumped in to change the subject: "Xiao Ye, let's not talk about the derivative short videos for now. Your third suggestion is the least likely one! You want to get simultaneous broadcast on TV and online? How is that possible!"
This suggestion is the most important one, and it is also the main reason why Zheng Bohan and others believe that Shang Yechu's suggestion is unlikely to succeed.
In his proposal, Shang Yechu suggested that Tuiqi Video bring forward the online broadcast time of "Tianban" to be synchronized with the TV broadcast!
How could Ruguan TV possibly accept this?
For example, would an emperor give half of his kingdom to the emperor of an enemy country?
Zheng Bohan said seriously, "Ye Zi, let me tell you the truth. The short video suggestion has a 10% chance of being feasible. This proposal, however, has absolutely no chance of succeeding. If the leaders of Ruguan TV dare to make this decision, they would be tantamount to 'traitors' to the TV station."
These words are exactly the same as those spoken by Ji Juntao.
A few years later, simultaneous broadcasts on television and online, or even online broadcasts preceding television broadcasts, would no longer be uncommon. On the contrary, it would be a niche phenomenon for television broadcasts to precede online platforms. Shang Yechu, with his forward-looking perspective, was accustomed to this phenomenon, but for the people in front of him, it was almost unimaginable.
Zheng Bohan and others are screenwriters and directors without factions, and they still have this attitude. It's not hard to guess what Ruguan TV, the dominant force in the television era, will think.
Times have changed.
Shang Yechu silently repeated those four words in her heart once again. This time, she felt more clearly that she was sitting at the forefront of a changing era. Among her comrades, some chose to ride the favorable wind and soar to the top together; some watched from the sidelines, afraid of being blown away by the wind; and many more, like Ru Guan TV, hesitated to move forward—believing that this was an untouchable, malevolent wind.
The meeting fell silent again. Shang Yechu remained silent, and the others didn't know how to add anything.
Finally, Qi Ming broke the ice: "Ye Zi, it's not that we can't sign this. After all, Ru Guan TV isn't so heartless as to blacklist someone just because of a signature. But you need to think carefully, will signing this really make any difference?"
Those present were all people of status; organizing a large-scale joint petition wouldn't be difficult. The difficulty lies in, then what?
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