sovbooks Chapter 24 Hype
Chapter 24 Hype
Xu Wen replied quickly: I asked about Happy Camp before, and the guests for the last three episodes are already booked. The earliest they can book is three weeks from now. Can you lock it in?
Zeng Hao put down his phone, crossed out the brackets for "expected within two weeks" in his memo, and wrote a new line: Happy Camp, three weeks later.
Where will the box office be three weeks from now?
He estimated in his mind that, based on the current rate of increase, it should be between 1.8 million and 2 million views in three weeks. The popularity is still there, but it has passed its peak. At this time, going on Happy Camp would provide a foundation for discussion and allow him to use the variety show exposure to boost the remaining popularity.
The timing was perfect.
He replied to Xu Wen with a single word: Change it to Yang Shanshan, lock it.
Then, a sentence was added below: "To create hype about a romantic relationship, the male lead of 'Back to 20' will be chosen as the target. The focus of the discussion will be whether the relationship is real or not. We will neither confirm nor deny it, and we will maintain this for three to four weeks until the next project is finalized."
Xu Wen was silent for more than ten seconds before replying: Understood, I'll design it.
Zeng Hao put down his phone and looked at the figures on the account again.
According to the revenue sharing structure of the cinema chain, with a box office of 1.03 million, the cinema chain takes 57%, about 5871 million, the distribution channel takes about 5%, about 515 million, and the production company takes about 38%. In other words, Yangguang Entertainment can actually get about 3914 million. However, the settlement cycle of the cinema chain is not instant. It is usually settled monthly, and sometimes there is a delay in the payment period. The actual time to receive the money will be pushed back by one to two months.
In other words, even though the box office has now exceeded 100 million, the real changes that can be seen on the books will not be seen until the end of October or November.
During this period, the cash flow was still supported by the revenue from Yang Shanshan and Zhang Tianai's appearances.
He updated a line of estimated figures on the accounting sheet, then saved the sheet and sent it to Sister Liu.
After reviewing the document, Sister Liu opened the door. "Mr. Zeng, this estimated payment time... should we communicate with the cinemas beforehand to see if we can shorten the payment period?"
"No need," Zeng Hao said. "Following the normal procedure and actively urging payment seems rushed, but there's no need to rush now."
Sister Liu nodded and left.
The matter of Xu Wen contacting Happy Camp came to a conclusion the following day.
The production team agreed and gave a specific schedule: filming will take place three weeks from now on Thursday, and the broadcast will take place about two weeks after filming, which is about a month and a half from now.
Xu Wen went through the process in WeChat and sent it to Zeng Hao. After reading it, Zeng Hao added a reply at the end: "A week before the recording, post a photo of Yang Shanshan working on set on Weibo with a caption of no more than twenty characters. Don't mention the movie or Happy Camp. Let the fans guess and create buzz beforehand."
Xu Wen: Okay, I'll arrange it.
Zeng Hao put down his phone, picked up the copy of Dilireba's contract attachment next to him, and turned to the second page.
Article 1 of the Attachment: Within six months of signing the contract, arrange for a female lead in a TV urban drama to be broadcast on a major television network. The specific title of the drama is to be determined. The production budget shall not be less than eight million. The broadcasting platform shall be a first-tier satellite TV station or an online platform of the same level. If the contract is not fulfilled within the specified period, the production company shall pay a penalty of two hundred thousand.
The signing date is mid-July, and the six-month window ends in January next year.
It's early October now, so there are still three months left.
He marked this time point in the attachment, then flipped through the list of potential dramas he had written before and found the one for "Diamond Lover".
He knew this drama very well; it was about a jewelry designer and a rich second-generation heir's urban love story. The female lead's character was a good match for Dilraba Dilmurat's temperament. The script itself was decent, but in the urban drama market at the time, it was a safe choice.
More importantly, the original version of this drama has not even started preparations yet.
If Yangguang Entertainment were to enter the market now, they could easily preemptively claim the story, modify the details, file for approval, and ensure the script's logic is sound.
He circled the four characters "Diamond Lover" and wrote next to them: Project initiation, script, to be submitted within October.
Then, opening the memo, I updated a line in the Dilireba section: First resource, female lead in "Diamond Lover", target start date November, contract attachment terms fulfillment deadline: complete filing and signing before the end of the year.
The first step in moving this matter forward is not finding a director or choosing a location, but the script.
He picked up the phone and called the head of the screenwriting team in the company's film and television production department, a woman in her thirties named Fang Qing. She had worked as a screenwriter for several years and had worked for another company for two years before joining Yangguang Entertainment. Her professional skills were considered above average in the company.
"Fang Qing, I have a project to launch," Zeng Hao said. "It's an urban romance drama, going to be broadcast on TV. The female lead is a jewelry designer, and the male lead is a rich second-generation. The core conflict is the difference in social class and professional competition. Can you come over today? I'll tell you the framework, you write it down, and then go back and write a first draft outline and give it to me within a week."
There was a moment of silence on Fang Qing's end. "President Zeng, we still have copies of 'The Crown Princess' on hand..."
"Xiao Lin is in charge of finishing up 'Go Princess Go,'" Zeng Hao interrupted her. "This project has a higher priority. Come to my office at three o'clock this afternoon."
"Okay, I'll be there at three o'clock."
Zeng Hao hung up the phone and wrote in his memo: Fang Qing, 3 PM, Carat Lover Frame.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Fang Qing appeared at Zeng Hao's office door on time, carrying a crossbody bag and holding a notebook. She knocked twice on the door first, and only walked in after Zeng Hao looked up.
Zeng Hao pushed the things on the table aside. "Sit down."
Fang Qing sat down, opened her notebook, and uncapped her pen. "President Zeng, what are you saying?"
That's what Zeng Hao likes about this person—he doesn't waste words and gets straight to the point.
"You can decide the female lead's name yourself. She's a jewelry designer from an ordinary background who got into a well-known jewelry company on her own. She's assertive and has her own opinions, but not in a way that makes people uncomfortable," he said. "The male lead is the son of the company's backer, a rich second-generation heir. He's not a typical playboy; he's capable, but his values are opposite to the female lead's in many ways, and that's where the conflict comes from."
Fang Qing quickly jotted down notes in her notebook: "Is the core conflict a love triangle or a clash of careers?"
"Both should be present, but the main conflict should be a clash of values, and the love triangle should be a secondary plot. Don't let the secondary plot overshadow the main plot," Zeng Hao said. "The series is set to be thirty episodes long, and the pace should be fast. The first three episodes should establish the tone of the relationship between the male and female leads. Don't drag it out, because today's audiences don't have the patience."
Fang Qing nodded and continued taking notes, "If it's broadcast on TV, regarding the content..."
"Clean, family-friendly, and with a moderate level of emotional intensity," Zeng Hao said. "Our target broadcasting platform is prime time on satellite TV, so we need to take the censorship process into account in advance. There shouldn't be anything in the script that could be nitpicked."
Fang Qing looked up. "Has the female lead already been cast, or...?"