NABC Chapter 42 We're in Charge
Chapter 42 We're in Charge
Zeng Hao picked up his coat from the chair. "I learned that in directing class."
Peng Bing didn't ask any more questions.
Zeng Hao didn't explain; he just knew that the method worked for Xiao Zhang, and different actors needed different keys.
After wrapping up the emotional scene, Dilraba came out of the set and saw Zeng Hao still there. She walked over and said, "Mr. Zeng, you've come today."
It's not a question, it's a statement.
"Yeah, it's on the way," Zeng Hao said.
Dilraba took the comb from the hairstylist and casually tidied her bangs. "There are two more shows next week, and Director Peng said the difficulty level is about the same."
"I know," Zeng Hao said. "We'll see how things go next week."
She nodded and turned to touch up her makeup.
Fang Qing, who was standing next to him, closed the script and leaned closer. "President Zeng, at this pace, 'Diamond Lover' should wrap up filming in three weeks. What about your end—"
"I know," Zeng Hao said. "Show me the storyboard for the last three episodes. There are a few things I want to confirm."
Fang Qing opened the script, and the two of them stood in the corridor, going through several key scenes from the last three episodes. Zeng Hao pointed out that there was a logical jump in the dialogue of one of the scenes, and Fang Qing wrote it down on the spot, saying that she would revise the script tomorrow.
After confirming the matter, Zeng Hao walked out. When he reached the parking lot, his phone vibrated.
It was sent by Zhang Tianai.
She sent a voice message, but Zeng Hao didn't open it. Instead, he replied with a single line: "If you have something to say, send a text message."
After a pause of about two minutes, Zhang Tianai sent another message.
"Xu Wen said I'll still have gigs next month, so I wanted to ask if there are any new projects, the one you mentioned before."
Zeng Hao stood at the entrance of the parking lot and read the message.
Zhang Tianai's current workload is being controlled by Xu Wenzai, with four to five appearances per week, just enough to maintain her exposure without overexerting herself.
She knew he set the pace, but knowing it didn't mean she wouldn't ask.
What she wants is the next film project.
He had considered this matter; he was already working on the script for "Love O2O".
However, he planned to give Dilireba an urban route for this project, while Zhang Tianai had other plans, but the time was not right yet.
He replied: You have enough resources now, no rush for new projects, wait for my message.
Zhang Tianai was silent for about a minute, then sent a message: I was just asking.
Zeng Hao put his phone back in his pocket and didn't reply.
Zhang Tianai is not hard to guess. She came to ask not because she was really in a hurry, but to confirm that she was still in this scheme. She needed this sense of confirmation. To give her this confirmation, she didn't need resources. Just saying "Wait for my news" was enough, because those four words themselves were a promise, a promise that she was still in the arrangements.
This is what she wants.
Zeng Hao opened the car door, got in, put his phone on the passenger seat, started the engine, and drove towards the city.
Zeng Hao arrived home at 8:40 p.m.
He hung up his coat, didn't change his shoes, went to the kitchen to boil water, then sat on the sofa and opened today's memo, reading it through from beginning to end.
My phone vibrated.
It was Xu Wenfa's.
"Mr. Zeng, the 'I Am a Singer' program team has sent you a formal invitation. It just arrived in an email, and I've forwarded it to you. Would you like to see it now?"
Zeng Hao opened the email.
The invitation for the third season of Hunan TV's "I Am a Singer" was sent out today by Golden Eagle Cartoon.
The official recording is scheduled for late March.
The first episode was recorded at the Meixi Lake International Culture and Art Center in Changsha.
Contesting singers are required to provide a confirmation reply by the end of February and submit a draft of their song selection for the program team to use for preliminary publicity and scheduling.
He read the invitation from beginning to end, stopping at the last paragraph.
The program team included a message in the invitation, which essentially expressed their hope that artists under Sunshine Entertainment would participate, and specifically mentioned Xu Jiaying's recent popularity on the internet, saying that she was one of the program team's key invitees for this season.
Special invitation.
Zeng Hao put down his phone and mentally went over those two words.
This wording wasn't something the production team wrote casually; it's telling them that the name Xu Jiaying had been discussed internally and there was a consensus within the team.
This is useful for negotiating contracts.
He picked up his phone again and replied to Xu Wen: I've seen the invitation. Don't reply yet. Come to the company at 10 a.m. tomorrow so we can talk in person.
Xu Wen replied: Okay, I'll be there at ten o'clock tomorrow.
Zeng Hao put his phone on the coffee table and closed his eyes again.
This matter isn't urgent tonight; what's urgent is how to discuss it.
He understood the rules of "I Am a Singer" better than anyone else. After each singer's performance, the audience voted, and the last one was eliminated. The pressure was immense, but the results were also enormous. If a singer could survive the first few episodes, their popularity would skyrocket.
Xu Jiaying's problem is that her voice is distinctive enough on stage, but she herself is not quick to adapt to the pressure of the large stage. She got through it in her previous life, and in this life, he plans to make preparations in advance before she enters the stage.
But all of that happens after we get on the show. What we need to figure out now is how to negotiate with the production team.
He picked up his phone and sent Xu Wen a message: "Bring over Xu Jiaying's announcement data for the past three months, her Weibo follower growth, and a memo confirming the completion of the recording of 'Ugly Monster' tomorrow."
Xu Wen replied: I understand.
He put his phone down; that was all for tonight.
At 9:50 a.m. the next day, when Xu Wen pushed open the door and came in, Zeng Hao was already sitting in the small conference room. There was a cup of steaming coffee on the table and an A4 sheet of paper with a few lines written on it.
Xu Wen put his laptop bag on the chair and handed over the USB drive. "President Zeng, all the data you asked for is in here. I organized it last night. Xu Jiaying's Weibo followers have increased from 41 to 87 in the past three months, an increase of 112%. I controlled the number of appearances during the filming of 'Ugly Monster', but after the episode of Happy Camp aired at the end of last month, there were more emails from brands asking for quotes. We received four emails last week, all from mid-tier brands."
Zeng Hao took the USB drive, plugged it into the computer, opened the data spreadsheet, and started looking at it from top to bottom.
The fan growth rate of 112% is not particularly exaggerated, but the structure is good. Nearly 60% of the new fans came from her performance on Happy Camp. They are not music fans, but attracted by her variety show appeal. These two types of fans have different meanings for a singer. Variety show fans have relatively low stickiness, but the base is large and they are suitable for generating buzz.
"Which four brands did you notify us about?" Zeng Hao asked.
Xu Wen turned on his computer and looked through his emails: "One is a regional promotion for a mobile phone brand, one is an offline event endorsement for a popular milk tea brand, one is a photoshoot for a clothing brand, and the other is a splash screen placement for a certain app."
Zeng Hao went through the four options in his mind, "Put them all aside for now, don't answer them."
Xu Wen looked up at him. "All of them?"
"We won't accept any brand offers before the recording of 'I Am a Singer' is over," Zeng Hao said. "After entering the show, her price will at least double. If we lock in a mid-tier brand's price now, we'll be the ones who suffer. We'll talk again after the show is over, and then we'll be in charge."
Xu Wen marked the four emails with a note: "Understood, I'll reply and say that the schedule is being coordinated."
"Hmm," Zeng Hao said, "Did you bring the recording notes for 'Ugly Monster'?"
"Here it is," Xu Wen placed a printed sheet of paper on the table. "The master tape is complete, and I've worked on three drafts of the arrangement. The final version was finalized at the end of last month, and now all that's left is to finalize the distribution plan."
Zeng Hao picked up the paper and scanned it. "I've set the release window for the end of April. The specific date will be determined after the recording of the first episode of 'I Am a Singer' is finished. To match the show's popularity, 'Ugly Monster' will be released simultaneously on all platforms on the weekend of the first episode's broadcast, understand?"
Xu Wen wrote it down in his notebook, "Understood. I'll contact the various platforms in advance to reserve slots."
"No need to call now," Zeng Hao said. "If we call now, they'll ask why. There's no need to talk about it too early. Let's talk about it in mid-March. By then, the news about the recording of the first episode of 'I Am a Singer' will come out, and the platform will take the initiative."
Xu Wen put down his pen. "So, when do you plan to respond to the production team for 'I Am a Singer'?"
"This afternoon."
Xu Wen was taken aback. "So fast?"