Chapter 253: 253: He Is Changing the Market

Countless netizens across mainland China are streaming the American TV series “Prison Break” on their computer screens, while the television sets in millions of households still dominantly showcase domestic and Korean dramas. The new version of “Legend of the Condor Heroes” premiered in January, “The Golden House” followed in March, and “My Fair Princess III” began airing on various satellite TV channels starting from July…

These seem to be completely different entities. Many netizens, who had forgotten their childhood memories of American dramas or were first-time viewers of such series, have grown accustomed to watching costume martial arts dramas and large family feuds unfold over the usual 30 or 40 episodes of soap operas or TVB dramas. However, “Prison Break,” with its suspenseful and extraordinarily fast-paced narrative, was so satisfying that even viewers accustomed to fast pacing in America were thrilled. This novelty certainly caught the attention of the Chinese audience.

In fact, the production environments for TV series in China and America are vastly different. Chinese dramas integrate both production and broadcasting, and monopolistic television stations invest and produce their own content for airing, provided they pass the scrutiny of the broadcasting regulators. Genres and content such as “Prison Break” would never be approved. Once approved, the shows must be completely filmed before they can be broadcast consecutively.

American dramas, which operate without a legal requirement for separation between production and broadcasting, are generally purchased by commercial television networks from production companies, some of which also invest in the shows.

These production companies are usually subsidiaries of Hollywood film companies. For example, “Prison Break” is a product of Flame Television Entertainment, and NBC only bought the rights to its premiere. Given the show’s current blockbuster ratings, it will also be rebroadcast during the summer slot from May to August. If a show can maintain four seasons and accumulate around 100 episodes, the producers will sell it to local channels and other interested television organizations at a low price for a run of five episodes per week.

Therefore, a show will often strive to extend beyond four seasons, and if there’s international demand, the series will naturally be sold to other countries.

However, the biggest difference between the two lies not in the broadcast but in the production phase itself. Perhaps commercialization and competition decide attitudes, but the respect shown by investors towards creators and audiences, the balance of power, and the professionalism and seriousness of approach between the two cannot be compared.

Take screenwriting, for instance. A multi-episode Chinese drama is usually crafted by one or two screenwriters, with just one director and one producer. A Chinese drama screenwriter can write hundreds of TV series episodes in a year, while an American drama writer might not write that many over ten years. Moreover, it’s often the directors and producers who wield ultimate control; screenwriters are treated like accessories (unless the screenwriter is the main focus, which can lead to highly praised dramas such as “Soldier Assault,” “Wulin Outlaws,” “Lurk,” “Bright Sword,” and “Romance in Red”). Sometimes even investors who know nothing about the process will interfere.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that the storylines of these dramas are rife with childish naiveté, let alone presenting anything with enough professionalism. The quality is much lower in many regards.

It’s not just these aspects either. In the post-production phase of TV series, due to cost and time savings, Chinese dramas generally do not focus on color correction or lighting, resulting in a rough and inferior image. Not to mention the music, sometimes even the most important aspect – editing – is haphazard and incoherent because, aside from the producers, various satellite TV stations have their own editing rights. Naturally, this leads to a continuous emergence of muddled issues.

Problems pervade every stage, from pre-production, shooting, post-production, to the release of the program.

Of course, it could be said that the investment costs are entirely different too. The average cost for a Chinese drama is about 200,000 to 500,000 yuan per episode, while American dramas average 2 million US dollars per episode. The 10-episode “Band of Brothers” had a total cost of about 125 million US dollars, utilizing 8 directors, 11 writers, and 14 producers, spending 3 years on filming and production without counting time spent for research. In contrast, “Prison Break,” with 24 episodes, averaged 2.95 million dollars per episode, with 4 directors, 7 writers, and 13 producers.

But TV drama fans didn’t think much about these factors; they only knew that the American series “Prison Break” was very entertaining. Aside from netizens who genuinely disliked it or weren’t interested, most viewers were completely engrossed, caught up in the thrilling pace of “Prison Break,” and they enjoyed and engaged with the series even more than American viewers did, without noticing any plot holes.

Especially when they turned back to the TV screen and saw “My Fair Princess III,” hearing “Your Majesty” and seeing the shiny, half-bald heads, many felt a strong urge to vomit.

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“How could there be such a good-looking TV show?!” “Wang Yang is simply amazing!” “Michael Scofield is just too cool!”…

On forums like Tianya, QQ chat groups, and other community platforms, discussions about ‘Prison Break’ are everywhere, as if countless people have just discovered that America has television shows in addition to Hollywood movies. Excited netizens and enthusiastic fans of Wang Yang are eagerly recommending this new world to their friends and acquaintances. With the sustained coverage by media giants like Sina and Sohu, a spontaneous viral marketing campaign is rapidly spreading.

As ‘Prison Break’ continues to be broadcast, it’s believed that this viral marketing will wholly transform into a craze for American TV shows, sweeping across the entire Chinese-language internet.

“The Rachel McAdams of TV,” this is the new nickname the media has given Evangeline Lilly because of the explosive premiere of ‘Prison Break’, which garnered not just praise but also made the lead actors Wentworth Miller and Evangeline Lilly rise to become promising stars with skyrocketing popularity. With the help of NBC’s amplification, they’re drawing significant attention from TV and entertainment media.

Evangeline Lilly being called the next Rachel McAdams was due to the involvement of Wang Yang, both Canadian actresses, the latter was the lead actress in his debut movie ‘Paranormal Activity’, while the former was the lead actress in her screen debut ‘Prison Break’.

While studying at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Evangeline was discovered and invited by talent agent Jeff Palffy from Ford Modelling Agency to enter the modeling industry. Initially refusing, she eventually became a model due to tuition issues. Talking about her acting career, she only played a “girl at the cinema” in the second season of ‘Smallville’.

A nameless minor character, or rather, an extra, although it meant she was on screen, it didn’t make much difference.

“Lily, ‘TV Guide’ wants to do an exclusive interview with you and shoot a set of portraits, you’re lucky!” The excitement in Jeff Palffy’s voice over the phone was palpable as his extra actress suddenly walked onto the road to success. She could be seen becoming a regular on various “most promising star” lists in media magazines, which for an agent, would mean a crazy spike in both earnings and fame!

Thank you, Wang Yang! This guy is just too adorable! Thinking of how he could become a top agent alongside Evangeline Lilly, Jeff Palffy couldn’t help but laugh with joy. He was lucky, too! ‘TV Guide’ is one of the most well-known television magazines, with sales exceeding 2.4 million copies per issue, and Evangeline was even being called “The next Rachel McAdams.” He laughed out loud, “This is the most significant performance of your acting career, my God, it’s wonderful!”

“Yeah, calm down a bit.” Sitting on the living room sofa, Evangeline twirled her hair, also feeling a sense of surrealism. She still remembered Palffy’s ecstatic phone screams: “Wang Yang invites you to audition! Wang Yang invites you to audition! Wang Yang, Wang Yang, Wang Yang—!!” Being unexpectedly favored by the superstar director Wang Yang, she went through a whirlwind of auditioning, passing it, and starting shooting and then broadcasting…

She truly was lucky! Ever since she left her hometown, one bizarre twist in her life followed another. It was beyond her imagination that she would land the role of the female lead in a Wang Yang series. Recalling all this, Evangeline replied into the microphone, “Alright, I accept the interview.”

“Of course, you still want to accept it, don’t you?” Jeff Palffy let out a chuckle, as this was a rare opportunity. What was more precious was—he suddenly asked, “Did you thank Wang Yang as I suggested? How did it go?” Evangeline responded, “Yes, I thanked him, and he said it was nothing. We had a pleasant conversation.” Jeff Palffy ‘oh’ed, probably thinking she had botched it. He advised, “If you want to appear on the big screen in important roles, you should maintain a good relationship with Yang.”

Suddenly, he heard Evangeline’s lackluster response: “I don’t have any particular plans, I’m fine with the way things are now.” Jeff Palffy pressed his forehead; he needed to remind her of a few things. Evangeline was like someone living in a bubble, utterly unaware of popular culture, indifferent to entertainment, and didn’t even watch TV—preferring to spend her days alone in her room daydreaming. He wondered what was so great about staying in a room where she only had bought a television because of ‘Prison Break’.

“Wang Yang is the director who made ‘Paranormal Activity’, right?” She asked this in confusion when she first received the message from the company, joyously calling her with the news, at that time when ‘District 9’ had shocked the world.

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Jeff Palffy patiently persuaded the future gold mine, “Lily, you know this circle. You can be very fake or you can keep it simple, but people skills are very, very important! It doesn’t kill you to sweeten your words a little. I don’t know why Wang Yang invited you to audition for ‘Prison Break,’ but do you think you’ll get invited to audition for any roles in the films he directs or produces in the future if you don’t? What do you say?”

“I’m not Miracle Yang.” Listening to Evangeline’s indifferent tone, Jeff Palffy took a deep breath and continued, “Heterosexuals, homosexuals, Republicans, Democrats, whites, blacks, Jews, Asians, Hispanics, Protestants, Catholics… What does it mean to be well-liked? You know how to get along with everyone. Miracle Yang is a person who is very easy to get along with; he’s a big deal, understand?”

He said earnestly, “This is your opportunity. The fact that he personally invited you to audition shows he thinks highly of you. Such opportunities are rare, and you must seize them!” He said, getting a little angry, “I’m not your father, OK!?”

“Hey!” Evangeline suddenly felt angry. Why bring up her most respected father? She said sternly, “Don’t talk about my dad!” Jeff Palffy on the other end quickly apologized to the gold mine, “Oh, sorry, I just got worked up! You know there is a very good, very good path ahead of you, you just need better people skills.” Evangeline said helplessly, “I know. I said I called Yang, what more do you want? Annoying people all day, what for? Won’t he find me annoying?”

“Jeff, I don’t want to be embarrassed, I’m scared, OK? Let’s leave it at that, bye!” Having hung up the phone, she carelessly threw the handset onto the sofa. Evangeline sighed and muttered, “Miracle Yang, Miracle Yang…” Watching ‘Paranormal Activity’ back then was quite a shock. He was even six months younger than her and had already become such a big deal. She shrugged her shoulders, “Isn’t it great that I’m in ‘Prison Break’ now?”

Glancing at the brand-new TV, Evangeline picked up the cellphone from the coffee table and sent a text message to Miracle Yang, “Hey, I just got an interview invitation from ‘TV-Guide,’ so I wanted to say thank you! Since ‘Prison Break’ started, I haven’t really thanked you, but I really appreciate it.”

No sooner had she sent the message than her phone received a reply, “Haha, what you’re saying is exactly what I wanted to say to you. You made Sara incredibly freckled! But let’s not talk about that, enjoy your success!” She chuckled at the message. Miracle Yang had been on set several times and had given her this nickname off the set, “Freckle.” She smiled, “No wonder he’s so well-liked… Thank you.”

“Wang Yang spotted her from the crowd in a movie theater and then pulled her out,” read the draft of Evangeline Lilly’s interview for ‘TV-Guide,’ introducing how she got her role in ‘Prison Break.’ It went on to say, “His instincts for picking actors have never been wrong, and launching young popular female idols is his forte. Now, there’s one more! Evangeline has a bright future ahead of her, and she will accompany ‘Prison Break’ into becoming the new idol for the younger generation. Who will be next?”

Evangeline also expressed her gratitude, “Yang is a very kind person. It’s always a pleasure to talk with him. It feels like we’ve been friends for a very long time.”

But even with such good people skills, there are those who are dissatisfied with Miracle Yang, namely those who have been defeated in battle. Yet, the reasons for their defeat, as well as the reasons for their opponent’s success, are also points of admiration and learning for them.

“‘MIT-21-TEAM,’ ‘Prison Break,’ Wang Yang has targeted the group of geniuses, smart people. It’s not emotional dramas like ‘Good Will Hunting’ or ‘A Beautiful Mind.’ Instead, it showcases the smarts of these geniuses: ‘What knowledge do they understand, what can they do?’ The viewers enjoy it. They may not understand what those MIT students are saying, but they just feel that group is very charismatic,” said Barry Jossen, Executive Vice President of Touchstone Television and one of the producers of the first season of ‘Sex and the City,’ speaking to the media.

“We once thought the ordinary audience wasn’t interested in geniuses, only liking professions like special agents and police officers with traditional professional skills. We were wrong. Wang Yang has a very precise grasp of the market, and he is changing it,” he added.

“Everything has changed; we know everything has changed,” said Gary Newman, President of 20th Century Fox Television, in an autumn series report for ‘Variety’ with some resignation. “Prison Break has changed the market’s operational model. They’ve promoted like crazy, creating a crazy momentum for ‘Prison Break.’ I don’t know about the agreement between NBC and Firefly, but I would guess that at least ten million was spent on publicity.”

He explained, “That number for a TV series whose situation is not yet clear is terrifying and unprecedented. NBC just trusts Miracle Yang and ‘Prison Break’ too much; of course, they’ve now won this gamble.”

Variety magazine interviewed the renowned film critic Stephen Holden, who commented on the explosive debut of “Prison Break,” “CSI and 24 were two revolutions; they broke through traditional filming techniques and models. Now ‘Prison Break’ has carried out another revolution with its most innovative rhythm and form, pushing the audience’s expectations for the plot to new heights.”

“Creating TV shows in the future won’t be easy; everyone in television ought to hate Wang Yang,” he joked with a big laugh, then explained, “For suspenseful thrillers like this, viewers prefer a faster pace and look forward to cliffhangers and cool elements, just like ‘Prison Break’ or whatever. I mean, hopefully, Magic Yang won’t turn to sitcoms, right?”

“Magic Yang and sitcoms”—this keyword had been the focus of drama fans in the past few days. It stemmed from his interview with “TV Series” magazine saying, “I want to try sitcoms” and from the rumor spouted by NBC, “We want to order Magic Yang’s sitcom to take over after ‘Friends.'” Although it was only a matter of a few days, Wang Yang’s blog was already flooded with comments; fans were eagerly expressing their hopes for the rumors to come true: “Yang, give us laughter!” “MY, do you dare to succeed ‘Friends’?!” “I want new catchphrases!” …

In the spacious and elegant bedroom with dim lighting, Wang Yang was lying in bed with his arm around Jessica’s shoulder, staring at the ceiling while gently caressing her arm, suddenly said, “Jessica, I’m considering doing a sitcom.” Jessica, on the verge of sleep, opened her eyes in a daze and looked at him: “Hmm?”

Wang Yang repeated himself, saying he was actually quite interested in taking on the project because the timing wasn’t too tight, and the production models for single-camera and multi-camera sitcoms were quite different from drama series. Plus, everything was teamwork, and he would still be “relaxed.” But next year, he scratched his forehead, “But we’re about to get engaged…” Jessica rolled her sleepy eyes and interrupted him: “Yang, I’ll be a good wife, always.”

“Dear, I know,” Wang Yang reached for her soft spot and laughed, “So I’m letting you decide… wait a minute! This isn’t fair, you’ll definitely say yes, that won’t work.”

“So what should we do?” Jessica stopped his hand, fully alert now, her tired eyes wide open, “Baby, I really support you, support what you want to do. Don’t feel like being married means the family is holding you back, not at all! I will manage a warm, sweet home, and then wait for you to come back, okay?” She closed her eyes after speaking, grabbed his hand, and commanded, “Sleep, I’m dead tired! Don’t touch me.”

“Okay, let’s sleep.” Wang Yang leaned in to kiss her forehead and closed his eyes, “I’ve got an idea.”

The very next day, drama fans found a new blog post on Magic Yang’s blog. He wrote a lot of thanks for “Prison Break,” but what really got fans excited and anxiously gasping was the last paragraph: “Everyone’s enthusiasm and support have given me great confidence and interest in TV shows. If the third season of ‘Prison Break’ gets 20 million viewers, I will produce a sitcom…”

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PS: Today there was a tragic power outage of unknown cause, delaying the update by an hour, apologies to my friends! Also, congratulations to “I Used to Be a Bad Guy” for becoming our new lord. (