classifiedscript Chapter 542 Girl Group Program Airing
Chapter 542 Girl Group Program Airing
On Saturday, August 11th, at 8 PM, Nebula Video and Hunan TV simultaneously broadcast a brand new variety show, "Starry Dream Factory".
The program was in preparation for two years, and Chen Mo and his team traveled to more than 30 cities across the country.
Tens of thousands of applicants were selected from art schools, dance studios, folk choirs, and even online cover song sections. After three rounds of auditions and a year and a half of intensive training, ninety-nine trainees were finally selected to participate in the show's recording.
The competition format of this show is completely different from traditional talent shows.
Ninety-nine trainees face the dual challenges of live audience and online voting through stage performances. The bottom few are eliminated each episode, and the audience ultimately selects nine members to debut as a group.
All the training, assessments, and ranking fluctuations were recorded on camera. The contestants' daily lives in the dormitory, their sweat and breakdowns in the training room, their tension before going on stage, and their tears in the post-interview room were all edited into a complete narrative, which was broadcast twice a week without interruption.
After the first episode aired, the buzz on social media was like water being poured into a pot of boiling oil.
Four of the top ten trending topics on Weibo are related to "Starry Dream Factory". #StarryDreamFactoryPremiere# is at the top, followed by a dark red "hot" character.
The photos of the ninety-nine trainees were widely circulated by marketing accounts, and the comments section was flooded with messages from fans of each trainee.
"Investing in Su Nianqing, the all-around ace, is a sure win."
"Lin Luyin is beautiful and has a sweet voice, check her out!"
"Give Shen Yuetang a chance, and I'll give you a surprise in return."
…………
These uniformly crafted sales pitches, coupled with meticulously edited nine-grid promotional images, created a hurricane that swept across all entertainment sectors on the night of the premiere.
The photos of the ninety-nine trainees were screenshotted and forwarded to various forums. Netizens began to spontaneously form groups and create promotional posts and support videos for their favorite contestants.
The viewership data reported by Hunan TV is also very impressive.
The first episode achieved a CSM national network rating of over 2.5, ranking first in its time slot by a significant margin.
The voting channel on Nebula Video officially opened after the premiere, and the rule that each mobile phone number could only cast one vote did not dampen the fans' enthusiasm.
By 8 a.m. the next day, the total number of votes had exceeded five million.
The top-ranked trainee is Qi Siyao, who is nineteen years old and majored in classical dance at the Beijing Dance Academy. A solo dance segment of "Fan Dance and Painting" from the first episode was edited into a short video and forwarded millions of times across the internet.
Su Nianqing ranked second. She has an excellent voice and her first performance of an English song showcased her outstanding singing skills. In addition, her mixed Chinese and French features made her highly recognizable, and her votes rose rapidly.
The votes for Lin Luyin, Shen Yuetang, and Ye Zhiqi were very close, with the three contestants repeatedly pulling back and forth between third and fifth place.
The data report for the premiere of "Starry Dream Factory" was delivered to Chen Mo's desk at 10:00 AM sharp.
Chen Mo flipped through the data report twice, making sure he hadn't misread any of the numbers, before leaning back in his chair and letting out a long sigh.
Two years ago, when he handed the proposal to Fu Yibai, he wasn't entirely confident.
The concept of idol development is so new in China that there is no data to support its commercial prospects.
While South Korea's trainee system is mature, the model of turning the training process into a variety show and giving the audience the power to decide the debut positions is unprecedented even in South Korea.
The data is there now, and the market has spoken for him.
He closed the report, picked up the landline on the table, and dialed the internal line to Fu Yibai's office.
"Mr. Fu, are you in your office?"
I'd like to report to you about my work.
"Yes, come up here."
Chen Mo hung up the phone, took the report, and went up to the 28th floor.
Zhang Xinyu ran into him in the corridor, nodded in greeting, and helped him open the door to Fu Yibai's office.
Fu Yibai was sitting behind his computer looking at reports on the summer seasons of League of Legends and Peacekeeper Elite.
"sit."
Fu Yibai pointed to the chair opposite him.
"Mr. Fu, these are the premiere data for 'Starry Dream Factory'."
"Star Factory?"
Fu Yibai looked up in confusion.
"Forehead……"
Chen Mo fell silent.
"It's the girl group show I told you about before."
"Oh, that one."
Fu Yibai only realized what Chen Mo meant after being reminded.
"Sorry, I was so busy I forgot about it."
The show has already aired?
"Yes, it aired yesterday."
This is the program's data report.
Chen Mo felt like crying but had no tears left, and pushed the report in his hand over.
Fu Yibai picked up the report and began to read it.
Ten minutes later, Fu Yibai nodded in satisfaction.
"The data is good. I didn't expect you to actually make it work."
How is the show's reputation?
"Polarization."
Chen Mo did not avoid the question.
"Young viewers are very enthusiastic, especially those aged 15 to 25. Their level of discussion and participation has exceeded that of regular variety shows."
However, viewers over 30 generally felt the pace was too slow, with too much emphasis on training and daily life, making the stage feel like an afterthought.
Fu Yibai nodded.
This feedback was exactly what he expected.
"Starry Dream Factory" was never made for an audience of all ages from the beginning; its core audience is young people who are willing to spend time and money on their idols.
It's normal that traditional television viewers aren't used to this narrative pace, but the commercial value of the program doesn't lie with them.
"What about the subsequent competition format?"
"The first round of performances is scheduled for next Saturday, with the competition narrowing down from 99 to 81."
The elimination rules are that on-site voting accounts for 60% and online voting accounts for 40%.
After the second round of performances, a position evaluation was introduced, grouping the contestants into four categories: singing, dancing, rapping, and overall performance, allowing the audience to see their abilities in different dimensions.
The third round is an assessment of original compositions. We have invited five top-tier songwriters in China to create original works tailored to the contestants.
The performances consisted of seven rounds, ultimately selecting eighteen contestants to advance to the grand finale.
"What's the format for the finals?"
"The final ranking is calculated by splitting the accumulated votes from the previous rounds and the live votes from the final rounds by 30/70. The nine members with the most votes will debut as a group called 'Star Dream Girls'."
After their debut, music production and performance management were led by Morning Light Music, while film and television resources were allocated from the artist management company.
The entire program will last fourteen weeks, with the grand finale expected at the end of October.
How is the player's mental state?
Ninety-nine people were locked in the training camp, and a batch was eliminated every week, so the pressure was considerable.
Don't let elimination cause any trouble.
"The psychological counseling team has been following up."
We have four mental health counselors at the training base, who each counselor has at least one one-on-one conversation with each athlete every week.
Chen Mo paused for a moment, then added another sentence.
"Actually, the contestants' emotional fluctuations are also part of the program content."
The audience becomes even more engaged when they see them cry, break down, and wipe away their tears to continue training.
The core of the "developmental" aspect lies here: fans aren't chasing a perfect idol, but rather accompanying a real girl as she grows stronger step by step.
Fu Yibai glanced at him.
"You have a very thorough understanding of this logic."
"I've been thinking about it for the past two years."
Chen Mo smiled.
"That's really good, the bonus has doubled this year."
"Thank you, Mr. Fu."
"Mr. Fu, I have another idea."
Chen Mo put the proposal into a folder and looked up.
"explain."
"I want to start the auditions for the second season now."
Fu Yibai raised an eyebrow slightly.
"The first season has only aired one episode, and they're already preparing for the auditions for the second season?"
Isn't this too hasty?
"It's because only one episode of the first season aired."
Once the idol training industry proves successful in the market, a flood of followers will rush in.
There are already discussions about similar program formats in South Korea, and it's impossible that the domestic platforms haven't noticed.
If we wait until the first season ends before starting the second season, there will be a gap of at least six months, which is enough time for competitors to replicate a similar show.
"you mean?"
"Take advantage of the current market boom to attract applicants for the second season with the success stories from the first season."
This meant there was almost no gap between the first and second quarters; before competitors could even replicate our strategy, we had already captured a significant market share.
Fu Yibai did not answer immediately; he picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.
Chen Mo's judgment was correct.
The barriers to entry for idol training programs are not high. The format itself is not protected by patents, and any platform with capital and resources can quickly replicate it.
After the success of "Idol Producer" in its previous life, several major platforms launched their own idol training programs in almost the same year, and the market turned from a blue ocean to a red ocean in just two years.
"Can."
Fu Yibai put down his teacup.
"Go ahead and do the auditions for the second season."
Regarding the budget, ask General Manager Zhao for approval. The scope of the auditions can be expanded to include more cities than in the first season, and the publicity can be started in advance.
"clear."
Chen Mo closed his notebook, stood up, and prepared to leave.
"There's one more thing."
Fu Yibai called out to him.
Chen Mo turned around.
"Prepare the operational plan for the debut group in the first season in advance."
Don't put together a team after the group has been formed; that would waste the popularity the show has built up.
The person in charge and the schedule for each segment, including albums, tours, variety shows, and endorsements, must be determined before the finals.
The company trains them to make money.
"Take advantage of their peak popularity and pave all the possible avenues for monetization."
"Understood, I will begin preparations immediately."
"Okay, you go ahead and do your thing."
After Chen Mo left, Fu Yibai picked up the landline on the table and dialed Zhao Qi's internal line.
"Mr. Zhao, Chen Mo is about to start the auditions for the second season of 'Starry Dream Factory,' so please give priority to approving the budget proposal."
In addition, have Lin Wei prepare in advance for signing a new batch of trainees. The quality of the contestants in the second season will be higher than that of the first season, and the signing terms should be more competitive.
"clear.
Also, Mr. Fu, Director Zhang's project approval documents for "Coming Home" have been submitted, with a total estimated investment of 60 million. I'll have Xinyu deliver them to your office this afternoon.
"OK."