Chapter 637

Hou Jun didn't expect that Lu Yan He would think of him for such a program.

"Chinese Good Songs?"

"Yeah," Lu Yan He said, "An original music program."

"How should such a program be done? Original music, competing episode by episode?" Hou Jun was indeed a veteran of music variety shows and found the most difficult part from the four words 'original music' at a glance, saying, "A person might be able to make one good song a year, so how are they going to compete with others? Compete only once? What about the next time? Still use this old song, or use another new song to compete?"

The problem Hou Jun raised was actually the reason why original music competition programs were hard to make successful.

Everyone's creative talent is limited; it's not that easy to make a good new song quickly.

There are only a few truly awesome composers who are as prolific as a sow and whose quality is also very high.

Lu Yan He said: "It definitely can't be done using a conventional competition mode. It's definitely not about finding a bunch of singers and then starting to compete with each other, playing the elimination and promotion game. Otherwise, everyone will take out their best songs in the first round, and the subsequent songs will only get worse and worse, and the result presented will be that the quality of the first episode is the highest."

"Exactly," Hou Jun said, "There are so many platforms, so many music variety shows, and there is a reason why original music programs can't be made successful. There are too few creators who can truly make good music, especially now that many young people are doing rap."

"However, Brother Jun, do you know? When we first started doing 'Jump Up,' we also had a headache because we were all worried about not receiving submissions," Lu Yan He said, "Actually, I have always had a feeling over these years: in China, you won't lack creators; the key is whether there can be a stage for these people to emerge themselves."

Hou Jun: "But if you can't collect enough creators, the key is excellent singer-songwriters, this program would also be hard to make, right?"

Lu Yan He said: "I didn't intend for this program to become a simple stage for singer-songwriters."

"Huh?"

"My positioning for it is more inclined to be a stage for promoting new songs," Lu Yan He said, "The only hard standard for songs appearing on this program is that they have never been publicly released."

Hou Jun was stunned.

"Referencing 'Idol Era,' making monthly charts, quarterly charts, and annual charts," Lu Yan He said, "Inviting all singers who want to release songs to come to this program for their first performance."

"So you don't just want to do singer-songwriters?"

"What I want to do is 'Chinese Good Songs'," Lu Yan He said, "It's just that generally, such programs might have more singer-songwriters at the beginning."

Hou Jun: "But if you do it like this, how are those unknown singer-songwriters going to compete with already famous singers?"

"Separate them, make more charts, separate the competition for singer-songwriters and non-singer-songwriters, and make a general chart for songs," Lu Yan He said, "This is just a preliminary idea. The key lies in: first, having good songs; second, having a mechanism that can mobilize the enthusiasm of singers to participate in the program; third, making this chart have gold content, making the results have credibility and value, and being able to promote singers, songs, and the music industry in a good direction."

Hou Jun: "How did you suddenly think of doing this kind of music program?"

"Actually, I have always had the idea of doing a music program before. Sister Ziyan opened a Shi Huo brokerage company, right? There are many singers in it. I thought about it that way at first. I was recording 'Young Days' with Song Lin Xin, and we happened to talk about the plight of the music industry, so I changed my mind."

Hou Jun: "Of course there's no problem with you wanting to do such a program. The songs you've written over these years are all classics, and your recognition in the circle is also high. It's a pity you aren't willing to spend more effort on music."

"Brother Jun, it's not that I'm not willing to spend effort on music; it's that I'm really not as good at writing songs as you all think," Lu Yan He sighed, "Although every time I say this, you all don't believe it."

"Who would believe it? 'Memory,' 'Young Days,' 'Infatuated,' 'Chinese Language,' 'Green Apple Paradise'... tell me about these songs you wrote; they all became popular, and their spread is so high."

"Since the third year of high school, it's been six years, and I've only written these few songs. And the reason why these later songs could become popular is the result of the right time, the right place, and the right people," Lu Yan He said, "I might be able to be a very popular singer, but I definitely can't become a top-tier singer; my vocal conditions are just there."

Hou Jun: "I won't argue with you; you always have a set of reasons anyway. I'm very happy that you want to do such a program. It's just that you want me to be the director. Listening to what you mean, you might want to make this program a year-long program like 'Idol Era,' not a quarterly one. Northern Lights might not necessarily let me go."

Lu Yan He asked: "Then do you want to do it?"

"That's a rhetorical question. I've always wanted to redo music variety shows, but Northern Lights has forcibly stuffed me into the position of gala director these few years, and the music variety show proposals I submitted were all killed," Hou Jun's tone became grumpy when he talked about this.

Lu Yan He said: "I'll go communicate with Lin Zong. If I really can't be the chief director, I hope you can at least come to be a director, including the entire music content, which all needs you to handle. Besides you, I don't know anyone who has done music variety shows and has extensive connections in the music circle."

Hou Jun: "Then you go communicate with Lin Zong. Maybe if you step in, their attitude can loosen up a bit."

Lu Yan He: "Okay, then I'll go communicate with Lin Zong. If you can't join, I won't have any confidence."

"Why? There should be quite a few director teams doing music variety shows," Hou Jun said, "If you need, I can introduce them to you."

"No, Brother Jun, we aren't doing an ordinary music variety show," Lu Yan He said, "If we can't ensure that the production team itself has musical aesthetics and can be fair, even if this program is popular for a while, it will become a game of capital and money. In the end, the works and singers on the chart will be there for various reasons, but not because the musicality is good enough or the audience likes it enough."

Hou Jun: "I understand what you mean."

He gave a bitter smile.

Actually, when it comes down to it, fundamentally, it's just the word 'trust.'

However, being trusted by Lu Yan He like this—

Hou Jun also didn't expect it.

Sometimes, some people soar to the sky; it's just a matter of a year or two, especially in the entertainment industry.

The so-called overnight fame, becoming popular in one shot.

Hou Jun couldn't have imagined that that little idol from back then would grow to such a height six years later.

A height that makes many people look up to him.

Hou Jun also really didn't expect that at such a time, Lu Yan He would actually still want to do a music program and make such a big move.

To be honest, he was actually a bit excited, his heart surging, wanting to do this with Lu Yan He.

It's just that Hou Jun really couldn't directly promise Lu Yan He.

This wasn't just his own business.

This also included his team and the communication between him and Northern Lights.

A director of a variety show, if they don't have other identities at the same time or haven't reached a senior position, actually doesn't have much say. Especially a director like him who doesn't have a true ace variety show masterpiece. "Small Song Gathering" has always been a relatively niche program, not a big variety show with high national popularity. And those galas later, that's different from making a program after all.

Reaching middle age, Hou Jun couldn't just switch to another company because of this little problem. At Northern Lights, besides not really wanting him to continue doing music programs, they haven't treated him badly in any aspect.

It's just that he really couldn't figure out why Northern Lights was so opposed to him continuing to do music variety shows.

Lin Desheng said: "I know this person Hou Jun; his evaluation within our company is very high."

Lu Yan He was a bit surprised; he thought Lin Desheng didn't know who Hou Jun was.

"Then why has Northern Lights never passed his music variety show proposal?"

Lin Desheng smiled, made a phone call, called someone, and told him to come to the office.

After a while, this person came.

Lin Desheng said this was Yu Jian, who is in charge of variety content production in the company.

"Hello, President Yu." This was Lu Yan He's first time dealing with this person.

Yu Jian enthusiastically shook hands with Lu Yan He, "God Lu, finally met in person."

"God Lu?" Lu Yan He was stunned.

"Haha, because the kids in the company call you that, so I followed them and called you that too," Yu Jian said, "I think this title they gave you is very appropriate; you succeed in everything you do; you are indeed God Lu."

Lu Yan He quickly waved his hand.

"I don't deserve it."

After some pleasantries, Lin Desheng mentioned Hou Jun's matter. Yu Jian was stunned, and then, at Lin Desheng's signal, he revealed Northern Lights' considerations for Hou Jun.

"Hou Jun actually makes programs with very high quality, but he still pursues so-called artistry and quality too much. Using this way of thinking to make programs, even if there is creativity, the upper limit of the program is just there," Yu Jian said, "Including the new music variety show proposals he has been submitting these few years, we look at them, no matter what form they turn into, they are actually the same set of things. From the beginning, he hasn't really thought about how this program can be liked by the public."

Lu Yan He suddenly understood.

Understood.

What Hou Jun wants to do might be very good, but the ceiling is just a "small and beautiful" program.

This is not what Northern Lights Video wants.

Northern Lights Video's projects, especially self-made projects, are all aimed at "explosive hits."

For this kind of "small and beautiful" project, they can buy copyright programs from outside, they can let the new teams they cultivate do it, but they don't need Hou Jun to do it at all.

Plus, Hou Jun can fill Northern Lights' current demand for gala and ceremony directors, so they won't let Hou Jun do those "small and beautiful" programs even more.

After Lu Yan He understood this point, he nodded.

Yu Jian was very sharp and asked: "Why did God Lu suddenly ask about Hou Jun? I remember you were on his 'Small Song Gathering' program before. Are you very close to him in private?"

The implication was, did Hou Jun find Lu Yan He to be a lobbyist?

Lu Yan He smiled and said: "We have always been in contact. When I didn't have much fame, he let me be on those two programs, sing a 'Memory,' and let me earn some labor fees, so I could smoothly finish high school and take the college entrance exam. I am very grateful to him."

Yu Jian and Lin Desheng looked at each other.

Lu Yan He: "It's like this: I have an idea for a music variety show, benchmarking against the idol artist program 'Idol Era.' Because I have only cooperated with Director Hou Jun on music variety shows, and I think his musical aesthetics are very good—the soundtrack for my movie 'Love Letter' was handled by him. I hope to let Director Hou Jun participate in this music variety show."

For Northern Lights Video, "Idol Era" is a name they hate very much.

In these few years, Northern Lights Video can be said to be unrivaled.

From dramas to variety shows, they have blossomed in all aspects, firmly occupying the position of the leader in video platforms.

However, only in the point of year-long variety shows, Ice Field Video, relying on the program "Idol Era," can stably have more than 20 million members and investment exceeding 1 billion, making Ice Field Video bite tightly behind Northern Lights Video.

No matter how explosive "The Birth of an Actor" is, it ends in a quarter.

Not to mention, the strategic significance of an ace year-long program in the top 1 position for this video platform means how much value cannot be quantified by data. Northern Lights has always tried to make such a year-long variety show, but things have gone against their wishes.

"Idol Era," with its extremely strong fan attributes, has almost pulled the achievements a program can obtain to the ceiling position.

Wanting to replicate a "Idol Era" of their own is extremely difficult.

Now, this explosive hit maker Lu Yan He actually proposes to do a year-long program? And it's a music variety show benchmarking against "Idol Era"?

The aura of Lin Desheng and Yu Jian changed instantly.

"Another program."

Chen Ziyan smiled.

"Music variety show."

Lu Qingzhen also smiled.

Lu Yan He sat in front of the two of them, a bit bewildered.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong," Lu Qingzhen shook her head, "Just very curious, how can there be so many endless ideas in your head."

【In one look】

"Everyone has endless ideas in their heads."

"But your ideas can all become reality, and make more people regard your next idea as gold."

"I'm lucky."

"Ziyan, you're right; this humility of his really makes one want to spit at him sometimes."

Lu Yan He looked innocent.

Chen Ziyan said to Lu Yan He: "You should know that doing a music variety show, or an original music variety show, is very easy to fail, right?"

"I know," Lu Yan He nodded, "However, still the same sentence: if it fails, it fails."

Chen Ziyan: "How do you plan to do this program?"

"Director Hou Jun's team is responsible for the music part, and Director Li Zhenzhen is responsible for the program production part," Lu Yan He said.

Chen Ziyan: "Is this the program you told us about before... tailored for those powerful singers of our Shi Huo?"

"No," Lu Yan He shook his head, "But they can participate too, as long as they can receive good songs."

Chen Ziyan: "When are you planning to bring out the program tailored for powerful singers?"

"It can be brought out at any time, but what I want to do more now is the 'Chinese Good Songs' program."

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"If this program becomes popular, I believe it will be of great help to the entire original music industry. In the future, when everyone releases new songs, the first choice for a place to promote them will be this program," Lu Yan He said, "This is a blank space in the current Chinese music circle."

Chen Ziyan said: "If this program doesn't have many viewers, then it can't become everyone's stage for promoting songs."

"Human effort is the decisive factor," Lu Yan He said, "Compared to the endless cover music variety shows every year, new songs can make everyone feel refreshed, right?"

"New songs mean no audience base, haven't been tested by the audience, and it's very likely that after an episode, there won't even be a song that can go viral."

"So, this requires a director team with taste, aesthetics, and the ability to pick songs, which is why I found Hou Jun," Lu Yan He said.

"Most singer-songwriters don't have much fame and might not be able to attract enough viewers to watch this program."

"So this program doesn't just recruit singer-songwriters to sing new songs; all singers, as long as the songs have never been publicly released, are invited. Of course, the prerequisite for getting on this program is to pass the review of Hou Jun and the others," Lu Yan He said, "We don't want songs that aren't good."

Chen Ziyan: "Would famous singers be willing to take their new songs to such a stage for their first performance?"

"I have already invited Song Lin Xin and Qin Zhibai," Lu Yan He said, "Not just the two of them, but also Hou Jun; their connections in the music circle can help us attract some singers first. Of course, we can also specifically ask for songs from those top singers. It's inevitable to spend money in the early stage. As long as we can make this program successful, later on, it will be singers breaking their heads to get on our program, just like 'Idol Era' now."

Chen Ziyan and Lu Qingzhen looked at each other.

"Not every popular program will attract those popular singers," Lu Qingzhen said.

"What if one day, the chart of this program becomes one of the standards for the audience to evaluate a song or a singer?" Lu Yan He asked, "Just like the annual chart of 'Idol Era' now, it has become one of the important signs of whether an idol artist is successful."

Lu Qingzhen: "That's because idol artists were completely growing wildly before that, and there had never been a unified evaluation system."

"Is there one for Chinese music now...?" Lu Yan He asked, "Movies and TV dramas have three major awards, and music, let alone three major awards, is there even one award that the current audience widely knows and recognizes?"

Lu Qingzhen and Chen Ziyan sighed at the same time.

"Okay, all our doubts have been asked; it feels like you have thought very clearly," Chen Ziyan said.

Lu Yan He nodded.

"Actually, many things weren't thought that clearly at the beginning, but after you raised questions, the answers appeared in my mind. The more I answer, the clearer it gets."

"You can always see some blank spaces, and you happen to have the ability and strength to pull a group of people to fill these blank spaces," Lu Qingzhen shook her head, "Nothing to say; regarding your ideas, I don't think there's anything to question anymore. Just help you check for omissions and fill in the gaps, and push forward."

Lu Yan He: "Sister Qingzhen, you praised me so much that I don't know what to say."

"Nothing needs to be said," Lu Qingzhen said, "Although I know this program can't lack investment, if the investment from Northern Lights Video makes you dissatisfied, find me at any time. After all, this is not a self-made variety show of Northern Lights; the program copyright is in the hands of your Linghe, and they might not be willing to tilt the platform's investment resources to this program. Having said that, they can do it; recently, there was a drama that reached the S-level standard and firmly held the first place for several days, and there wasn't even a single pre-roll advertisement."

Lu Yan He was surprised when he heard this.

"What's the situation? What drama?"

"A copyrighted drama, a modern romance starring Liu Zefan," Lu Qingzhen said, "Now platforms generally give investment resources to their own biological children."

Lu Yan He suddenly understood.

"With your cooperation with Northern Lights, they shouldn't do such a muddle-headed thing, but you still have to keep an eye out," Lu Qingzhen said.

Lu Yan He: "I know that if they don't hold the copyright in their hands, they won't use the best resources to do this program, so I don't intend to let Linghe exclusively own the copyright of this program."

"Do you intend to share it with them?"

"Not giving it away for free; let's see how to talk about it. They will bring out a plan," Lu Yan He said, "In short, I just need to ensure the independence of my program production and have enough autonomy and decision-making power; that's enough."

Lu Qingzhen nodded.

After communicating with Chen Ziyan and Lu Qingzhen, Lu Yan He left.

Chen Ziyan sent him downstairs, got into the car, watched him leave, and then returned to the office.

Lu Qingzhen was still waiting for her in her office.

Chen Ziyan asked with a smile: "Tell me, does what I usually say to you make sense? As his agent, do you feel your ability is insufficient and a bit unable to keep up with him?"

Lu Qingzhen: "I can only say that he is really too exaggerated; even those copycats don't copy ideas as fast as he does."

Chen Ziyan: "For someone with this ability, no matter how big the ability is, it's normal. He also seriously told me that he doesn't think he is a genius; he is just an ordinary person with the flaws that ordinary people have."

"Fine," Lu Qingzhen nodded, "In his world, he can think whatever he wants."

Chen Ziyan sighed with a smile.

"If someone tells me now that he can build a cultural and entertainment empire in the future, I won't be surprised."

"What's strange about that? In my eyes, this cultural and entertainment empire has already begun to take shape," Lu Qingzhen said.

Chen Ziyan: "You pull out the information of the singers signed in the company later; we should make preparations in advance. Those who have plans to release songs, those who don't, all notify them. When the program starts looking for people later, we need to have songs to audition; don't have nothing."

Lu Qingzhen: "Most of the singers signed to our company didn't sign music contracts."

"We didn't sign newcomers; having mixed in the circle for so long, don't they have their own connections and resources? Tell them the news; it's up to them to work hard," Chen Ziyan said, "If they can get on this program, maybe they can become popular again like Cheng Hai and Zhang Pingqing in 'The Birth of an Actor.' Once they become popular again, it's time for us to show our skills."

Lu Qingzhen nodded.

"Actually, the ones most interested in this program should be those music companies."

"Those music companies feel like they have basically disappeared from the entertainment industry now."

"Maybe through this program, they will emerge again and start to have a voice," Chen Ziyan said, "The most important reason why current music companies can't emerge is that they can't push newcomers, and big names often set up their own businesses, all relying on some half-baked singers. They can't make a sound in this industry; who cares. Some traditional old-brand music companies don't put effort into newcomers either. After all, the reality is that they lose money for every one they make. Maybe they finally make one popular, and the person runs away immediately. It's better to rely on the song copyrights they saved in the past; eating off the old capital is also nourishing enough. The ecology is broken; no matter what, they can only do things like patching the east wall to fix the west wall."

Lu Qingzhen: "This is the correct answer. Although several online music platforms seem to be booming, new songs, unless they are top-tier or big-name singers with their own fans, simply can't sell. It's a pity."

"Do you realize the significance of the 'Chinese Good Songs' chart now? The program itself is secondary; the key is if such a chart can be made, maybe everything will change," Chen Ziyan said, "Any consumption in the cultural and entertainment field is essentially herd consumption. Where the hot spot is, where the consumption is. Scattered fires, even if they are stars all over the sky, are definitely not as eye-catching as a bright moon."

Lu Qingzhen: "Indeed. If a chart can really be made, what it drives is concentrated heat, attention, and pursuit, and it is also the competition, pursuit, and defending of more people and more works."

"Everyone understands the logic, but not everyone can put it into practice," Chen Ziyan said, "If 'Chinese Good Songs' also succeeds, Yan He has basically cleared all the mainstream film and television forms on the market now."

"Film and television drama writing, directing, acting, music lyrics, composition, singing, variety show music, acting, slow... a true hexagonal warrior," Lu Qingzhen nodded, "Exaggerated."

"And then he still says he is an ordinary person," Chen Ziyan shook her head speechlessly.

It can be seen that she is very "mindful" of this self-evaluation of Lu Yan He.

Lu Qingzhen laughed out loud. (End of chapter)