The Paper's reporter Yang Kaiting
Because of the epidemic, Hong Kong artist Wang Zulan and his family stayed in Shanghai for a year and have not returned to Hong Kong. During this period, he received an invitation from Xu Tao, chairman of the board of directors of TVB, to let Wang Zulan return to TVB as the chief creative officer.
Wang Zulan, who was originally recording a program in the mainland, was a little hesitant. Today, his company in Beijing is running well, and his personal development in the mainland is also smooth, and he even has the idea of settling in Shanghai. Zeng Zhiwei came to persuade, "Zhi Viagra said, TVB is not in a good condition now, now is the time when you are needed most, you have always wanted to contribute, now is the most suitable time to go back." ”
Over the years in the mainland, Wang Zulan has met many outstanding Hong Kong producers, Hong Kong artists, Hong Kong directors, etc., who have developed well in the mainland. "So Hong Kong is not without talents, Hong Kong people are going to the mainland to develop, so the local level of Hong Kong has come down, if you don't advance, you will retreat, that's it."
Wang Zulan
Wang Zulan felt that the opportunity at this time was a bit like the situation when he first became acquainted with TVB. At that time, "Wenqing" Wang Zulan was still single-mindedly working as a stage drama director, and a sister from the Performing Arts College invited him to enter TVB, "Stage drama you have the opportunity to do at any time, but TVB invites you, it may be a chance." This sentence convinced him.
And now, going around seems to have reappeared yesterday, tvb's options are once again in front of him, the difference is that he seems to have the opportunity to change not only his own destiny, but the future in a larger sense. "I don't have any career planning, I've always been like this, and when I have an idea, I'll try it and try it."
"Inland" TVB? This is normal communication
Wang Zulan said frankly, "If I was asked to go back before, I think it doesn't make much sense, and at that time, tvb's management may still use a set of more traditional business ideas." They don't know much about the mainland, they don't have much affection and understanding for the mainland, and the exchange with the mainland is to do business, and the technical aspects do not understand the development of the mainland entertainment circle to what extent, and what new ways to do variety shows and entertainment. But now, Uncle Li (Li Ruigang) came in, he knew the mainland very well, and Chairman Xu Tao also managed many companies in the mainland, and I talked to them and found that they knew the situation in the mainland very well. In addition to my own mentality of 'returning to work', I hope that TVB and the mainland can have better exchanges, especially in the field of variety shows. ”
Recently, TVB acquired the Hong Kong e-commerce platform ztore, with ztore, big big shop, neighbor buy three e-commerce methods, hoping to "compete for a leading position" in the Hong Kong e-commerce market. This is also an opportunity for Wang Zulan to show his fists.
More than two years ago, when there were still few artists as e-commerce anchors, Wang Zulan's team noticed the soaring data of e-commerce live streaming with goods, judging that this was a major trend in the future, so Wang Zulan became the first batch of artists to enter the field of e-commerce live broadcasting. "I have accumulated experience in e-commerce. It just so happens that TVB has also acquired an e-commerce platform, so I can also use my e-commerce experience in the mainland to develop Hong Kong regional e-commerce. ”
TVB gave Wang Zulan a fairly high degree of creative freedom, and after deciding to return to Hong Kong, Wang Zulan fulfilled several programs in the mainland, which was already in March, but before returning to Hong Kong, he had already begun to prepare new programs. The first big move is TVB's new variety show "Good Sound and Good Drama".
Wang Zulan attended the launching ceremony of the "Sound of Sound and Drama Level Academy" by video link
Wang Zulan did dubbing work in his early years, had feelings for dubbing, and also worked as a guest in several episodes of "Sound Immersion" in the mainland. Doing a dubbing variety show was his first thought to return to TVB. But he prefers more professional voice actors to the front of the screen than the all-star cast. "Many of them are some voices that grew up with the audience in Cantonese-speaking areas, and I think this sentiment is quite important, so I strongly promote this show." From TVB classic good dramas, with animation works, from old audiences to a new generation of one network, the programs that were not optimistic about everyone have been well received since they were broadcast, with a rating of 19.6 and cross-platform live broadcast ratings climbing to 21 points.
Wang Zulan did use "Good Sound and Good Drama" to make a good start for his TVB variety business.
Once tvb, Wang Zulan handled several new variety shows, the content theme and production level have been in line with the mainland trend, the response is quite good. But some people have also questioned: will you make TVB very "inland"?
Wang Zulan and Du Haitao's mother and son participated in the "Hundred Changes Big Coffee Show" together
"I think the other way around, when I first filmed "The Hundred Changes Big Coffee Show" (Hunan Satellite TV), I brought TVB's 'Fulu Shou'; when I first filmed 'Running Man' (Zhejiang Satellite TV), I also brought my variety experience in TVB with me. Then I have accumulated another ten years of experience in the mainland from 2011 to the present. I hope to bring back the experience I learned in the mainland to TVB, I think this is a normal exchange, because now the cultural progress in the mainland is really fast. ”
I'm not interested in power, my logic is to come up with good work
For TVB's expectations, Wang Zulan has a very comprehensive plan, "Before coming back, I decided that what I must do is to improve three aspects, one is data, one is public relations, and the other is the production system. ”
In the past, TVB paid little attention to big data, and always used the traditional method of calculating ratings. "My first reform this time is that I must use data to plan the company's prospects." Wang Zulan invited a senior data expert who had participated in the construction of Taobao's big data system to establish a big data management system for TVB. "For example, "Good Voice and Good Drama", in addition to good ratings, many videos also exceed a million clicks on the Internet, and most of the people who contribute to the click-through rate are young people, so I know that the old audience I stabilized, and then young people were also attracted to it. ”
In addition to the ratings data, Wang Zulan believes that artists also need data for reference. "If you have data, you'll have a clear direction for managing the entire artist." As we all know, TVB has a "pro-son" saying, and resources are usually given to their own artists, "because they are willing to pay more energy and focus on TVB, then it must be fair to them." But there's a problem here, which is that the tendency is too strong. I used to push artists from our own company, so I asked TV directors to use them, but I don't know if they wanted to. ”
"To build a data system, I want to know how many artists want to use, at least I want to collect them within the company, why do so many people want to use this person, why do so many directors like him?" Are we going to pick up the wrong people? Is our positioning of an artist right? What are our reasons for signing an artist? The value of an artist can actually have data. Of course, the process of negotiation with artists is humane, but at least there is a data to refer to, and within that range, we achieve the most humane design. ”
"To let the artists face the market, we must decide on the feedback of the market, how we should arrange the artists, and where they should be arranged."
In addition, Wang Zulan bluntly said that he hopes that the big data system can play a reference role in the operation and management of TVB. "Everyone has heard a lot of right and wrong before, and they all say that TVB engages in management struggles or something, as if this company is like "Golden Branches desire". So what is the way to reduce the 'human' factor in the management and operation of a company? I think it's big data. Wang Zulan said, "It's not that this person says what we listen to, that person says what we listen to, everyone refers to big data, if the data shows that this thing is valid, we will execute it." ”
The second is the PUBLIC RELATIONS aspect. "In the past, TVB was very traditional, the previous public relations was to open a press conference, the reporter can ask anything, in fact, the entire public relations team must establish an effective crisis management system." From the company's point of view, in addition to the artist's public relations, Wang Zulan also hopes to establish an overall aspect of public relations, "to have a connection with the mainland public relations, involving the innovation of tvb's overall external public image, I hope to let everyone see that TVB still has good content, or is very willing to serve everyone, at the end of this year, probably in the mainland will see some changes, TVB and the mainland cooperation in the different changes." ”
Wang Zulan in the "Run" program
The third is the production aspect. Wang Zulan said frankly that the production level of TVB variety shows today, from the early stage to the later stage, from equipment to personnel management, has a gap with the mainland. "So reform the production system internally." Wang Zulan personally went into battle and persuaded a production company that had grown from Hong Kong to the mainland to assist in the update of TVB's production system. This production company has participated in the post-production of many variety shows such as "Run", "High-energy Youth League" and "Let's Fall in Love" in the mainland. "I persuaded them to come to Hong Kong to help, and I said I know that you are doing well in the mainland right now, but we also need to train the next generation of behind-the-scenes staff." So this time, their company also sent people to TVB to sort out a system we made, hoping to be more in line with the mainland. ”
Wang Zulan hopes to cultivate more new people, "from artists to behind-the-scenes staff, they all hope to have a promotion class, so that young people can start with some small programs and create more." You see that many senior executives of large enterprises in the mainland are now in their twenties and thirties, because they are the future, train more new people, and then let them play themselves better under the guidance of senior personnel. ”
Wang Zulan also mentioned that it has been agreed after high-level consultation that in the future, TVB will relax restrictions on artist contracts, "Whether it is an artist or a staff member, he is trained well in TVB, he can go to the mainland to shoot dramas, go to the mainland to participate in creation, and when you think it is appropriate, you can come back to serve TVB." Don't lock up in tvb before, you go out and cancel the contract, no need. Now that the world is bigger, it is not TVB that has the final say, how many self-media platforms there are now, how many video platforms there are, so everyone's vision must become a little bigger. ”
Wang Zulan and "Pick up the trick! Group photo of the guests of the "Seniors" program
From the construction of data systems, public relations methods and image updates, and the integration of creation and production with the mainland, each of them is a difficult big project, and in today's environment, it is unknown whether TVB really has the courage to implement such a earth-shaking innovation. But Wang Zulan is optimistic, "You think, if these three systems are established, they are not the power of anyone, but who will do the work of management and do the work of creation in the future, they all have big data to refer to." I think the establishment of this system is the long-term for the company. ”
"Why did TVB last for decades, because of several generations of founding elders, they left a very good set of systems, so that TVB can go for decades, no problem, even if the management changes, even if the actors change, even if the behind-the-scenes change, that system can still go forward." So in fact, a good system is like a high-quality building, people go, the building is also solid, these years may be relatively disrepair, so to reorganize this system, so that it can go for another 50 years. Wang Zulan's "wild hope" seems not to be in this system, how high the position to achieve, how much power to grasp, but to establish a long-term effective system that can make TVB go further. "I'm not interested in power because I'm an artist, and in my logic, I still think the most important thing is to come up with a good 'work.'"
Preparing to return to the theme variety show: If I can do it, I will be moved to cry
In addition, Wang Zulan attaches great importance to the current point in time: "Next year is the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and it is also the 55th anniversary of TVB's celebration, which is very meaningful, and I hope to promote more exchanges between the cultural and entertainment circles of the two places. ”
"Every year, there are some major time nodes, such as the founding of the party, the founding of the country, but generally only in the TV series and movies to express these themes, variety shows are rare, because it is difficult to express from the perspective of entertainment." However, the theme of the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland is actually suitable for variety shows to express. ”
"The post-70s and post-80s generation of mainland audiences have grown up with a lot of Hong Kong cultural and entertainment content, whether it is film and television or music, even if you are far away in the northeast, you must have heard Cantonese songs and seen Hong Kong movies." Wang Zulan believes that mainland audiences have a natural and intimate psychological feeling for Hong Kong entertainment in the golden age. "On the Hong Kong music scene from the original golden age to influence the mainland Chinese music creation, to the current cooperation with the mainland, in the context of the whole era, what kind of contribution has Hong Kong made to mainland entertainment? And now what can internal entertainment learn from the Hong Kong entertainment industry? ”
Wang Zulan revealed that several Hong Kong reversion theme variety shows are being planned, including music-related, film and television-related, and are negotiating with major mainland platforms, which will be announced soon in the coming months. Wang Zulan made an analogy that the Hong Kong entertainment industry and the mainland entertainment industry can be said to be old friends who take care of each other for so many years. "Now one of them may be a little old, and he wants to introduce the next generation to his old friends, 'You know my son', and then he also wants to say to his old friends, 'We are still a family.'"
"Some social events in the past two years have caused many mainland compatriots to misunderstand Hong Kong or hear a lot of bad news about Hong Kong." Wang Zulan said that he was very sad, which is one of the reasons for his return to TVB, "I think to change the impression of mainlanders on Hong Kong, the first one is to start with TVB." Changing everyone's impression of Hong Kong, you don't start with the Hong Kong media, where do you start? ”
"I very much hope that the content prepared this year can also be seen by the audience in the mainland next year, and I would like to let everyone see a beautiful Hong Kong, a Hong Kong that opens its doors to welcome everyone." Wang Zulan said frankly, "As a Native of Hong Kong, China, I hope that TVB can have more exchanges with the mainland from the content and from the feelings, if it can be done, I tell you, I will really be moved to cry." It's just getting started now, give me a little time. ”
Editor-in-Charge: Zhang Zhe
Proofreader: Luan Meng