novellhall Chapter 1 The Last Chance
Chapter 1 The Last Chance
"Shen Yan, do you still want to do this job or not?"
In the conference room, the projector's light shone on the white wall.
There are two data tables on the screen, not one.
The one on the left has the title:
[Episode 3 of "Let's Talk Tonight"]
The one on the right has the title:
[The Sisters' Afternoon Tea - Episode 1]
Both programs belong to the variety show department of Galaxy Video. They are both studio-produced programs and low-cost experimental programs, with only a three-day difference in their broadcast time.
But the data, when placed side by side, was like two slaps to Shen Yan's face.
[Episode 3 of "Let's Talk Tonight"]
Effective views in the first week: 18.7 million.
Average viewing time: 2 minutes and 11 seconds.
Completion rate: 6.3%.
Interaction rate: 0.08%.
New members: 0.
Investment intentions: 0.
[The Sisters' Afternoon Tea - Episode 1]
Effective views in the first week: 642 million.
Average viewing time: 17 minutes and 42 seconds.
Completion rate: 31.6%.
Interaction rate: 2.9%.
New members: 1.8.
Investment intentions: 3 companies.
The middle-aged man at the end of the long table tossed the remote control onto the table.
"They are both studio-based variety shows, both have low costs, and both lack top-tier celebrities."
Supervisor Zhou Qiming pointed to the screen.
"Lu Jingran managed to get over six million views and three companies expressing interest in sponsoring his project. What about you?"
He looked at Shen Yan.
"The platform gives you a budget, a studio, and two third-rate artists, and this is what you give me?"
Shen Yan opened his eyes just as he heard those words.
A tingling sensation ran down the back of my head.
Unfamiliar memories flooded my mind like cold water.
Blue Star.
parallel world.
The entertainment industry is highly developed, with short videos, live streaming, long videos, cinemas, and music platforms all fiercely competing.
Celebrity salaries are shockingly high, and fans' efforts to boost rankings can crash platform servers. GG (Google's advertising platform) can argue so fiercely over sponsoring a top-tier variety show that they bang on the table in a meeting.
And he, Shen Yan.
Twenty-six years old.
A junior planner in the variety show department of Galaxy Video.
Monthly salary: 8,500.
He was being scolded like a grandson by his supervisor because of a failed talk show.
Shen Yan glanced down at the employee badge on the table.
[Galaxy Video - Variety Show Content Department]
Shen Yan
well.
crossed.
Or perhaps it's about wearing it to a public execution scene in the workplace.
"Say something."
Zhou Qiming stared at him.
"You're quite the thinker, aren't you? In the first episode, you said you wanted to see celebrities express their true feelings; in the second episode, you said you wanted to delve into the guests' inner world; and in the third episode, you said young people like authenticity."
He pointed to the appalling data on the left side of the screen.
"What about realism? What about the audience? What about attracting advertisers?"
No one spoke in the meeting room.
Several colleagues looked down at their computers, some pretending to take notes, while others glanced at Shen Yan out of the corner of their eyes.
It's not that everyone is just watching the joke.
Shen Yan's face has always been very noticeable in the variety show department.
He was a little over 1.8 meters tall, with straight shoulders and a clean, sharp face. His eyes looked a bit cold when he wasn't smiling, but he looked very young when he did. When he first joined Xinghe, some people in the publicity department joked that he didn't look like a planner, but rather like a newly signed artist coordinator.
Unfortunately, looks don't matter in this place.
The show flopped, and no matter how good-looking you are, you'll still get criticized.
The young man sitting diagonally opposite Shen Yan did not lower his head.
Lu Jingran.
The most popular new planner in Xinghe Video's variety show department recently.
The show on the right, "Sisters' Afternoon Tea," was created by him.
Both were set up in a studio with low budgets, but Lu Jingran only invited three second-tier actresses and set up a garden tea party scene.
The program content is not complicated.
We talked about fashion, best friends, relationships, and a minor career slump.
Safe, beautiful, and foolproof.
But the data is impressive.
According to Xinghe Video's internal standards, low-cost studio variety shows are eligible for continued observation as long as they achieve over 1 million effective views, a completion rate of over 18%, and an interaction rate of over 100% in the first week.
Lu Jingran not only crossed the line, but he crossed it beautifully.
Shen Yan couldn't even get a touch of the wire.
Zhou Qiming tapped on the table.
"Shen Yan, this platform is not a charity."
"You haven't even reached the lowest threshold. Forget about attracting sponsors; the GG department avoids your program now just because they hear its name."
Someone in the conference room couldn't help but cough softly.
Lu Jingran, however, did not laugh.
He even went so far as to say something on Shen Yan's behalf:
"Mr. Zhou, interviews are indeed difficult to do. Nowadays, audiences have less patience, unlike talk shows where at least the relationships between female stars can keep viewers engaged."
That sounds like a helping hand.
But when it reached Shen Yan's ears, the meaning was very clear.
It's not that the studio-style variety shows are bad.
It's because you're not good enough.
Shen Yan rubbed his temples.
Its predecessor was indeed tragic.
After graduating from university, I joined Xinghe Video. At first, I thought about creating a program that would change the industry.
Three years later, instead of changing the industry, he was transformed into a slave to spreadsheets by the industry.
"Let's Talk Tonight" is the project he's been in charge of recently.
It's called an interview program, but it's really just a few celebrities who don't have many gigs sitting on the sofa chatting.
They talked about their childhood, their dreams, and their low points.
Finally, the host's eyes reddened, and he said, "Thank you for being willing to open yourself up today."
The guests also got red-eyed.
The camera zooms in, and music begins.
End.
Even when Shen Yanguang was receiving this memory, he felt a little acidic in his stomach.
Ironically, this kind of program isn't considered outrageous in this world.
While variety shows on Earth appear lively, they haven't changed much at their core. Studio shows revolve around sofas and coffee, outdoor shows continue chatting in different cities, music shows feature judges praising contestants after each performance, and dating shows edit a few ambiguous glances into something resembling the end of the world.
Viewers complained it was boring, but the platform continued filming.
The reason is simple.
Where there are celebrities, there are fans; where there are fans, there are views; and where there are views, there are opportunities to attract investment.
Whether the show itself is good or not is often not that important.
At least most people in the world who work in the entertainment industry think this way.
Lu Jingran's "Sisters' Afternoon Tea" is the most standard example of success.
It's not new at all, but it understands the world's safety formula perfectly.
We'll hire a female celebrity who generates buzz, set up a beautiful studio, cut out some clips of the sisters praising each other, and add a few catchy quotes that will trend on social media. Fans will naturally take screenshots and share them, and brands will also be able to see comfortable exposure positions in the shots.
This is the most awkward situation for Shen Yan at this moment.
He didn't lose to any groundbreaking, ingenious ideas.
He lost to a cup of afternoon tea.
Zhou Qiming pushed a document in front of him.
I'm giving you one last chance.
"The platform has a low-cost pilot program next month, which will be studio interviews. The budget is not high, so the artists will have to figure it out themselves."
"It's done, keep it."
"If you can't do a good job, you can go to HR and sign your resignation form yourself."
Shen Yan picked up the document.
There were a few words written on the cover.
[Low-Cost Studio Talk Show Pilot Program]
There is another line of notes below.
[Suggested areas: Interviews with female celebrities about their personal growth, clarifications from controversial artists, and relationship topics.]
Someone in the conference room sighed softly.
This is no chance.
This is a trash can.
Shen Yan is not selected for major projects, nor is she selected for popular time slots.
Give him a low-cost interview test file; the meaning is clear.
Didn't you say you had your own ideas?
Then let's use the least amount of money to make the ugliest show.
If you can't do it, then get out.
Lu Jingran glanced at the document and smiled.
"Shen Yan, you could actually take a safer approach."
His tone was very gentle.
"Nowadays, audiences don't necessarily like overly in-depth interviews. A lighter, more elegant interview with a clear topic is more likely to get them across the line."
Zhou Qiming did not stop him.
This was exactly what he wanted Shen Yan to hear.
They're both newcomers, both working on studio variety shows, but the other person has already figured out the platform's standards, knows what's acceptable, knows what brands like, and knows what fans are willing to edit.
Shen Yan is still stubbornly clinging to his so-called sincerity.
Can sincerity be exchanged for investment?
Can we change the completion rate?
Can we let users watch for another ten minutes?
Zhou Qiming leaned back in his chair.
"Don't blame me for not warning you, this time don't try to have any of that so-called sincere communication."
"The audience isn't buying it."
Shen Yan looked at the document and suddenly asked:
"What about the scope of guests?"
Zhou Qiming was taken aback.
He originally thought Shen Yan would explain, apologize, or promise to change next time, just like the previous times.
Unexpectedly, he asked about the guest.
"You really want to do it?"
"We can't go to HR right now."
Someone in the meeting room couldn't help but chuckle.
Zhou Qiming also smiled, but his smile lacked warmth.
"The scope is very broad."
"You can negotiate with any company that's past its prime, has a bad reputation, is currently out of work, or wants to improve its image, as long as the price isn't too high."
As he said this, he casually tapped on a few artist profiles on the screen.
"Take Yang Mi Xue for example. Her new drama recently flopped, but she's still popular. However, her asking price is definitely not low."
"Zhao Liying is well-liked by the public, but her team always picks the shows she's on."
"Dilreya has high traffic and a strong fan base, but she may not be willing to come to low-cost studio variety shows."
"Don't even think about it, Liu Yifei rarely participates in variety shows."
"Bai Lulu is a possibility; she has a good sense of variety shows and her schedule is flexible."
"And there are also young actresses like Yu Shuxin and Yang Chaoyue. If you can persuade them, that's quite an achievement."
After he finished ordering, he shrugged.
"But I advise you to be realistic. With your budget, you'd be lucky to hire even two well-known professionals."
Lu Jingran also looked at the list on the screen.
"If it were me, I would talk about Bai Lulu and Yu Shuxin first."
He seemed to be analyzing the situation seriously.
"Bai Lulu has a solid sense of variety show humor, while Yu Shuxin has plenty of controversial topics. If the two of them sit down and talk about the controversies surrounding female celebrities, they could probably make a lot of short video clips."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Shen Yan.
"Crossing the line shouldn't be difficult."
Crossing the line.
This word fell once again.
Shen Yan looked at the list on the screen, his gaze lingering on Bai Lulu's entry.
Bai Lulu, 26 years old, actress, regular guest on variety shows.
[Recent public opinion: New drama receives poor reviews, acting is ridiculed; variety show clips have high viewership, but negative reviews are increasing.]
[Frequently used tags: cheerful, quick to catch jokes, great at creating atmosphere, noisy.]
[Team goal: To shed the simplistic image of "just grinning like an idiot."]
Shen Yan stared at those lines of text and suddenly fell silent.
Bai Lulu isn't the most popular, nor is she the most stable, but she's the most suitable to be the first nail in the coffin.
Because her question was very clear.
It's not that she lacks a sense of humor; quite the opposite, she has an incredible sense of humor.
She's cheerful, quick-witted, and has an outgoing personality; in many slow-paced variety shows and interviews, directors would only have her warm up the audience.
Once or twice, the audience found it cute.
Too much of it becomes noisy.
Any more and it becomes "that's all she knows how to do".
But what if we give her a scenario where she has to observe, test, and retaliate?
What if her laughter wasn't used to fill an awkward silence, but rather to put the other person at ease?
What if she laughs while simultaneously pointing out flaws in what others say?
The next time the audience sees her laugh, they won't just find it noisy.
They might wonder: Has she discovered something again?
Zhou Qiming closed his laptop.
"Alright, meeting adjourned."
He walked to the door and paused for a moment.
"Shen Yan, submit the proposal in three days."
"This time I want to see how to cross the line."
"Don't let me see any more empty words like 'genuine emotion' or 'women's growth'."
After saying that, he pushed open the door and left.
People in the meeting room gradually left.
Someone passed by Shen Yan and whispered:
"Brother, don't push yourself too hard. If it's really too much, find another job soon."
Someone patted him on the shoulder.
"What kind of results can low-cost interviews produce? Don't take it too seriously."
Lu Jingran was the last to leave.
He paused briefly as he passed by Shen Yan.
"Actually, Mr. Zhou's words were harsh, but they weren't entirely wrong."
"Cross the line first, then talk about ideals."
Shen Yan looked up at him.
Lu Jingran smiled.
"The platform looks at the data first."
"Only when the audience stays can we talk about anything else."
After saying that, he took his laptop and left the conference room.
Shen Yan did not get up immediately.
In the corridor outside the conference room, a woman's figure stopped.
She was wearing a black baseball cap, her mask pulled down to her chin, a light gray coat, and holding an unfinished iced Americano in her hand.
She is not an employee of Xinghe Video.
It's an artist who just finished recording in the next studio and came over to wait for their manager.
Qiao Anran.
Twenty-four years old.
Having debuted four years ago, she has had supporting roles in two moderately popular web dramas. With her cool and aloof appearance and clean demeanor, her popularity has unfortunately remained stuck between the third and fourth tiers. She's not exactly unknown, but she's far from being famous either. When she appears on TV shows, she might be addressed as "Teacher Anran," but after leaving the shows, she quickly fades into the background among a group of more famous and talked-about actresses.
She has another identity.
Shen Yan's ex-girlfriend, whom he broke up with less than half a year ago.
Qiao Anran stood at the door, clearly having overheard the public execution that had just taken place inside.
She looked at Shen Yan.
Shen Yan was also looking at her.
In her past life's memories, she used to really like Shen Yan's face.
When the two were together, she always said that Shen Yan didn't seem like a variety show planner, but rather like a male lead who would one day be scouted by a talent agent to film a campus drama.
Back then, Shen Yan wasn't in such a sorry state, and she hadn't yet learned to control her expressions in front of every camera.
Later, Shen Yan's projects kept failing one after another, and Qiao Anran's career remained stagnant.
The question they argued about most often was when she asked:
"When exactly will you be able to produce results?"
Shen Yan couldn't answer.
On the day they finally broke up, Qiao Anran neither cried nor made a scene.
She simply said:
"You always say you can make different kinds of shows."
"But what the platform wants is results."
At that moment, the light at the end of the corridor fell on her face.
She looked at Shen Yan for a few seconds and then said:
"President Zhou's insults were awful."
Shen Yan didn't speak.
Qiao Anran pulled her mask back up.
"But he's right."
After saying that, she turned and left.
The conference room door slowly closed.
Only the projector was still lit up inside.
On the white wall, the standard for the continuation of the experimental file was still glaringly obvious.
It garnered 100 million views in its first week.
The completion rate was 18%.
Interaction rate: 1%.
At least one company has expressed its intention to invest.
Shen Yan stared at those few lines of text for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled.
Good.
There is a target.
It's better than vaguely saying "the show is going to be a hit".