At the end of Beijing Subway Line 7, 23 kilometers from the city center, is a parallel world for the continuous production of happiness - Universal Studios. It has been more than one year since it officially opened.
Needless to say, Universal Studios has the best hardware in the world's parks. For example, the transformers of "top lacquer craftsmanship"; Decepticon roller coaster with track accuracy within 1 mm; Jurassic Park with high-precision modeling; Or a special effects theater that restores the scene of an epic disaster... Many of the projects are even world firsts. The investment is also generous, and the investment in the first phase of the park that has been opened so far alone is as high as 46 billion yuan.
However, the "software" that should match the hardware has become a shortcoming that restricts the development of Universal Studios to some extent. Discussions on social media also prove this – most of the praise for Universal Studios focuses on the hardware; In contrast, many of the complaints and criticisms focus on the evaluation of soft power such as some staff members' "poor attitude, unprofessionalism, and lack of commitment".
As the most important part of completing the whole happy "magic", Universal Studios employees are the carriers of "soft power" in the park. But the problem behind soft power is not just as simple as low employee income and high work intensity. At the same time, Universal Studios faces another challenge – now there are fewer happy producers. Internal employees revealed that the actual number of people in the entire work group is currently about 8,500, which is nearly one-third less than when the park opened.
After the headcount plummeted, we chatted with a number of employees who chose to leave Universal Studios in the "front" and "backfield" to try to explore a different side of the park. And how the happiness that floats above it arises and dissipates.
Text | Chang Fangfei
Edit the | Yi Fangxing
Operational | chestnut
Just pass
Even Liu Fei herself could not imagine that the reason why she wanted to take the initiative to leave Universal Studios was that the role she designed was too handsome.
She is a 23-year-old girl who loves dreams and design. A few months ago, shortly after graduating from the costume major, she participated in the design of a Universal Studios show. Inside Universal Studios, this is a high-profile linkage project, with the entire performance expected to last up to 3 months.
But the time is a bit tight, only two months. As a member of the entertainment district styling team, she is tasked with designing and producing the looks of all the parade performers. But this time, there are dozens of characters participating, including styling changes, which means that there are hundreds of wigs and hundreds of costumes waiting for them to design and produce.
Universal Studios has a rule that employees cannot work more than 12 hours continuously. Liu Fei clocked in and left work first, then returned to the work area and continued to work overtime, sleeping only 4 hours a day. "I'm definitely going to have to get it done." During that time, she always had similar dreams, either someone's clothes on the float suddenly cracked, or she found that a certain character's sword was lost.
Liu Fei's seriousness finally paid off. The characters she designed are internally recognized as the most similar and handsome. On social platforms, many people even made a special trip to Universal Studios to photograph the interaction with the characters. But one day, her boss suddenly called her away alone, "You don't have to do this to 90 points, or even 100 points, if you have extra energy, you can help everyone achieve an average of 60 points." The implication is that the characters she designed are so handsome that they are somewhat dwarfed by the characters designed by others.
Liu Fei, who stayed up late and worked overtime, did not wait for praise, but was criticized one by one, "the standard of work turned out to be only passing."
At this moment, Liu Fei, who was in the "backfield", the engine that worked hard for the smile of tourists stalled. "Maybe I'm not big." She smiled wryly.
And Liu Fei's experience this time is not unique. Since its opening, Universal Studios has indeed created many highly restored character images; But on the other hand, on social platforms, you can often see people complaining about actors not looking, playing, or unprofessional play experience.
Wen Liu, a post-90s girl, is another employee of Universal Studios responsible for actor styling, and she has almost encountered the same "perfunctory". More than a year ago, she worked overtime for the Universal Studios opening show when she received an instruction that seemed a bit of a layman.
At that time, dozens of people in the team were busy in the studio, and her boss suddenly asked her: "Repeatedly making makeup and hair for actors every day, the efficiency is too low, is there a way to do it once and for all?" ”
"Once and for all?" Wen Liu couldn't help but repeat. The other party was not impressed by her surprise, and directly gave the request - it is best to have some technical method to make the wig style persist for a year without cleaning and maintenance, "it really can't be done for half a year."
In Wen Liu's philosophy, to create a living character, frequent maintenance of the style is very necessary, and the layman's and perfunctory tone made her decide to refuse.
"I can't do it with my technique, so I have to do it for you." The moment she spoke, she understood that she had been here for a short time.
▲ In September 2021, Universal Studios Beijing float parade. Figure / Visual China
"Software" that can't be ignored
As we all know, unlike traditional amusement parks such as Happy Valley, Universal Studios, which has a large number of film and television IP, pays more attention to bringing an immersive experience to visitors.
To achieve an immersive experience, it must be completed by realistic hardware, with exquisite actor modeling and meticulous staff service.
Universal Studios' hardware is excellent. When she first joined Universal Studios, Liu Fei was once infected by the "immersion" brought by this hardware facility. Her office area is next to the Decepticon roller coaster, and she has long been accustomed to listening to the "pig-killing noise" while laughing at work.
Like many of her colleagues, she decided to join Universal Studios because she wanted to do something "weird." After graduating from the fashion design major, the college students either plan to return to their hometown to take the official exam, or become party B and design clothes according to the requirements of the brand. Of these two paths, Liu Fei did not want to choose.
And Universal Studios gave her the opportunity to work with Harry Potter and Minions.
On the first day of employment, the trainer told her that there is no superior-subordinate relationship, no leadership, and everyone gathers here to realize the vision of "becoming China's No. 1 and the world's top dream resort".
For many people, it may just be ordinary words, a page of ordinary preaching PPT. But Liu Fei felt that she had been chosen to be a witness to this miracle and dream-making paradise, "this moment is so wonderful".
She will always remember how she felt when she first walked into Universal Studios. At that time, when she saw this fictional paradise in a seemingly parallel world, she felt that it was exactly what she idealized.
The details of the hardware design reflect the original intention of "paradise". The sphere marked by Universal rotates at the same angle as the yellow-red angle; The cover of each book in the Minion display window is printed with the names of those involved in the design and construction of Universal Studios Beijing; Universal Studios Beijing has nearly 10,000 trees, including European dwarf palm, thorn palmetto, riverside thorn sunflower, iron tree, etc., which can not only resist the cold in the north, strong wind, not easy to burn, but more importantly, the landscape designer deliberately chose the same forked trees in the forked path of the Harry Potter scenic area, forming a subtle interaction between the magical world and the real world.
All of this is just to allow visitors to find the cracks in the movie - people may have just made contact with Transformers, and two hours later, they are running around Wizarding Town wearing Gryffindor scarves. These details are far from being done with money, but in them, one might really feel like a magician, not just a real-life Muggle.
"I exclaimed in my heart a little, this is really a place with feelings." Liu Fei said. At that time, she felt that she had finally found the job that she was determined to put in more effort and effort.
It wasn't until that linkage event appeared that for her, paradise began to fall into mediocrity.
▲ Universal Studios Beijing, in the wizarding world of Harry Potter, tourists pursue an immersive experience. Figure / Visual China
Fatigue
Universal Studios' work is divided into "backfield" and "frontfield". Like Liu Fei and Wen Liu, they belong to the "backfield", mostly technical personnel, or administrative management positions. The front-line operators who directly contact tourists belong to the "front field". Together, they form the "software" part of Universal Studios.
At 7 o'clock in the morning, Lin Qing, who was in charge of the front-line security of the "front field", just left the night shift. Walking in Hogsmeade Village, he watched the clouds tear out a bright light in the distance. The sun rises and the sun shines fairly on the enchanted town.
But Lin Qing woke up from this "magic", as a frontcourt, the dilemma he encountered was that the salary was too low and "there was no hope".
In fact, it is no secret that Universal Studios employees are not well paid, which has long been reported by many media. The low salary level is also the point that many employees complain about the most. For example, the "front-field" employees who have the most contact with tourists generally have a pre-tax salary of 4,500 yuan, deducting five insurances and one housing fund and the rent of the employee dormitory, and the salary received every month is only 2,900 yuan. The salary of "backfield" employees is higher, but it is not much higher, and it is generally 4,000-5,000 yuan after getting it.
After graduating from college, Lin Qing's 24 hours were divided into two halves by Universal Studios. The morning shift starts at 7 a.m. and ends at 7 p.m., with the evening shift reversed. He maintained this rhythm for two years. From the dusty construction site on City Avenue, he watched little by little the blue sphere with a diameter of 7.5 meters and a weight of 13 tons with a huge Universal written on it slowly turn. The soft light filter that witnessed the birth of a miracle made him forget for a moment that his daily work was just staring at construction and staying up at dawn.
Until he accidentally flipped to his pre-employment photo, which was the guy with dark and dense hair. Looking at it now, staying up too late, his hair fell out one by one, "I'm worried I'm going bald."
In such income and work, as an employee of Universal Studios, you are also required to maintain a high mental state.
At Universal Orlando, for example, employees are clearly stipulated, "If visitors are within ten feet of you, you must smile, nod and make eye contact." If they are within five feet of you, you must talk to them and ask if they need help. ”
This requirement also applies to several other Universal Studios around the world. Universal Studios also emphasizes "immersion". As soon as you see a visitor with a wand, the staff has to smile and say hello: "Hello, magician." ”
But in Universal Studios, Zhang Wei, an employee in charge of pushing a trolley to sell merchandise, found that old employees almost did not do this. Standing and smiling for 9 hours a day is only 2,900 yuan in hand. A senior said to him, "We were only given money to stand, but we were not greeted." ”
With these details, those social media clashes between tourists and employees become understandable. For example, a teller at the Harry Potter Park directly sarcastically mocked tourists: "Is it sick to buy a magic wand that is so expensive?" The tourist turned his head and posted a complaint, "The staff are so unprofessional, how can you make tourists happy?" ”
But Zhang Wei feels that employees are not happy, how can they pass on happiness to tourists?
Trapped by many factors, since April, Universal Studios has begun to reduce its staff, and the first step is to terminate the contract with the front intern in advance. Security and catering service personnel are on the second list. On the side of the city avenue, the neon market that specializes in Southeast Asian cuisine can only be closed directly because of the lack of waiters. This is the favorite restaurant of many employees, with large quantities, good taste and cheap. For example, coconut chicken leg rice, only 58 yuan, "placed in the garden is only a drink of money."
According to internal employees of Universal Studios, the number of people in the park employee group group is 8,500, which is nearly 30% less than when the park opened.
▲ Universal Studios' iconic blue orb. Figure / Visual China
As in paradise
But you can't deny Universal Studios' pursuit of happiness - almost everyone can talk about their original love for Universal Studios, which entrusts their entire imagination of dream-making and happiness.
On the first day of the open staff closed beta, Lin Qing, an employee in the front court, went straight to the "Minion Falling Out" area - his hair was still thick at that time. In the past, Lin Qing has watched the 3 movies of "Despicable Me" many times. This 185 cm tall northern boy, as long as he mentioned the minions, he smiled shyly, and he couldn't say the reason for liking it, as long as he saw their peculiar head-to-body ratio and heard them say "Banana", Lin Qing immediately melted.
He also made a point of going to the Minions' play area to throw the ball a few times, and the prize in exchange for an oversized unicorn was returned. Lin Qing was overjoyed, and refused to let go all the way. The unicorn still lies on his pillow and is a testimony to Universal's work. He didn't miss the parade either. Minion and Kung Fu Panda all stood on the float, greeting him warmly and kissing him, and he inexplicably followed the float around the park twice. After walking outdoors in Beijing for two hours in winter, he came back to his senses and found that his face was numb, "but happy is really happy."
And tourist Chen Lu can always find happiness in Universal Studios in his own way. Working in an Internet company, she spent 1015 yuan to apply for a half-year card and has already brushed Universal Studios. Decepticon Coaster, Forbidden Tour, Eagle Horse Flight, Flying Over the Jurassic I can't remember how many times I've played it. It's just that the signature butterbeer has been drunk once and never bought again. 50 yuan a cup, sweet - if this product does not appear in Hogsmeade, Chen Lu must write a bad review.
This time, Chen Lu found a new happiness - winning a minion toy in a slap game, or discovering that the fish-flavored meat rice bowl in the Kung Fu Panda Scenic Area was as authentic as her hometown. The late autumn night in Beijing was already cool, but she was reluctant to leave the scene, "being happy for a while is a while."
After all, who would refuse to be happy?
To mediocrity
However, for many people, happiness is also short-lived and there will be fading moments.
For Wen Liu, the bad premonition may have started from the moment of the interview. She used to work at Disney, so all the interview questions revolved around the word Disney. From Disney's working methods and processes to a cosmetics brand, the other party has carefully asked. "Is this something that can be said?" Wen Liu thought to herself.
Next, only 5 days of English training is also a bit awkward. For example, a conversation learned is one that many people are very familiar with:
“How are you？”
“I'm fine, thank you, and you?”
For a moment, she dreamed back to her elementary school classroom. Why teach such basic content? Are you going to let them use such simple English to communicate with foreign tourists?
And the training manual also made errors. She didn't turn a few pages and found that Harry Potter's IP had the monster Shrek printed on it. She asked the trainer, who told her: "We printed it ourselves, typographical errors, don't care about the details." ”
The hectic one in her career was the styling review meeting for the opening show. She was responsible for a well-known movie character styling, which lasted less than 1 hour. She originally thought that her boss must know how to style and would help with the handle, but when she arrived at the scene, she found that there were only a few interns waiting for her.
As soon as the character appeared, Wen Liu was unanimously praised by all his superiors. But it was at this moment that she really moved the idea of leaving, and only she knew the actual quality behind the glossy shape on the surface. It wasn't until before she left that she plucked up the courage to ask, "Why don't you want to help?" ”
Unexpectedly, the boss was very straightforward: "I won't, and I can't let the boss know that I won't." ”
These words extinguished the enthusiasm in her heart.
For Universal Studios, Liu Fei's feelings are complicated, she loves it and left it, but finally began to miss it. In the original project, she heard her boss chanting words in the office more than once, such as "hurry up and finish pulling down", "This job is done well, it should be done, once there is a mistake, you will carry the pot", which made her feel discouraged.
But when she left Universal Studios and returned home, she began to miss it again — three meals a day and late-night snacks, the good apartment conditions, the people and the scenery in the park.
This may be the imprint of paradise on people. Recently, Liu Fei had a friend who left Universal Studios and talked about the happiness of being in the park, and he cried while talking. At a casual dinner with his colleagues, he clutched an empty Wusu bottle and recited the Decepticon lines, the last of which was:
"Hey, agents, we'll see you next time!"
▲ Figure / Visual China
(The characters involved in the article are pseudonyms)
The article is original for People of the Day
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