novelraw Chapter 7: Mentors Finalized, Trainees Selected
Chapter 7: Mentors Finalized, Trainees Selected
Inside a courtyard house in Beijing.
The little pig patted Zhou Yang, who then got up and went to the bathroom to wash up.
The little pig then took out a cigarette and lit it.
"Yangyang, I plan to shift my career focus to the mainland. A while ago, I was invited to participate in a variety show called 'Go Fighting!' on Dragon TV, and I'm still considering it."
"It's just that this show can't showcase my singing and dancing talents, and I don't know if there's a market for reality shows with a few older men."
Just as the little pig was struggling with his decision, his phone rang.
The little pig looked and saw that it was his agent, Xiao Shuang, calling.
After confirming that it wasn't a backup phone but a regular work call, Xiaozhu answered it without hesitation.
"Hey pig, I have some good news for you. You've been invited by Kuma Video, a subsidiary of Alibaba Group. They're preparing a girl group survival show and want to invite you to be their dance mentor. The salary they're offering is 50% higher than what they paid for 'Go Fighting!'"
"However, Produce 101 and Go Fighting! were recorded at almost the same time, so we could only choose one."
"Based on my assessment, KuMei's programs are perfectly tailored for you. Moreover, since KuMei was acquired by Alibaba, it now holds the largest market share. Therefore, considering the influence of its programs, I also recommend that you go to KuMei."
While the little pig was thinking, Zhou Yang returned to the room wrapped in a white bath towel, still in high spirits.
"Yangyang, it seems I don't need to worry about it anymore. I have a better option."
"I was invited to be a dance mentor for the first domestic girl group growth reality show, which aired on Kugou Music."
Zhou Yang was also happy that Xiao Zhu was able to get such a good opportunity.
"My little boy, congratulations!"
"Shall we celebrate?"
Zhou Yang blushed, untied his bath towel, and pounced on the little pig.
The little pig's charming eyes looked at his girlfriend, and he suddenly flipped her over and pinned her down.
"Okay, I'm going to Hangzhou to record a show next. We won't see each other for a long time, so let's relax today."
Apart from these two, all the other guests accepted the invitation from Coolcat immediately.
The next day.
Shih Yuan-yuan, from the artist management department, came to work with the feeling of going to a funeral, anxiously awaiting the replies from the agents she had contacted the day before.
However, to her surprise, all the invitations she sent out yesterday received positive replies today.
Little Pig agrees to join.
Huang Zitao has confirmed her return to China and will join the program.
Zhang Yixing also declined to join the show "Go Fighting!"
The remaining few people were basically just discussing contract details and decided to join the program.
Vocal instructors Zhang Jie and Chen Jiahua also accepted the invitation.
Shi Yuanyuan excitedly went to report the result.
Shen Jiamin, Liang Longlong, and the others were all dumbfounded; they hadn't expected the guest invitation to go so smoothly.
With the guest lineup finalized, the next step is to conduct the initial selection of trainees.
This time, a total of 101 trainees will be selected. As the show progresses, the trainees will grow and develop. Therefore, the requirements for this audition are only basic singing and dancing abilities. Of course, those with formal training are preferred.
In order to increase the efficiency of the selection process, another discussion was held on the selection plan for the contestants.
Shen Jiamin, Liang Long, Qian Xiaodong, and Tang Lou reunited.
Given Tang Lou's previous mentor lineup invitations and the insight and connections he demonstrated, he is once again being highly anticipated.
Before the meeting, Shen Jiamin gave it special praise:
"Tang Lou, you're something else. I heard that Dragon TV really is preparing a 'Go Fighting!' project, and they've actually already contacted Show Lo and Zhang Yixing. They were all ready to sign contracts, but we snatched them away. Yan Ming, that old bastard, is still cursing his mother!"
"Because of our poaching, the start of filming for 'Go Fighting!' will most likely be postponed, which directly eliminates a major competitor for us."
Upon hearing this news, Tang Lou smiled slightly. According to the filming and release schedule, it was originally scheduled to clash with "Go Fighting!", but now, because of his disruption, his biggest competitor's release has been delayed. It's truly killing two birds with one stone.
After all, the original "Go Fighting!" cast was a phenomenal variety show with an excellent reputation.
Having won a round before the battle even began, Shen Jiamin was naturally in a very good mood.
"Tang Lou, tell me your thoughts on selecting trainees."
Tang Lou didn't speak, but instead took out a piece of paper and wrote six characters on it.
Seeing Tang Lou's unfathomable behavior, Shen Jiamin and the others were somewhat bewildered.
"Fair-skinned, thin, young, beautiful, strong, and tragic!"
"Tang Lou, what's going on?"
Shen Jiamin was somewhat surprised.
"In this girl group member selection, character creation is crucial, so I set these six criteria, and three of them must be met."
"In particular, we should pay attention to the uniqueness and rarity of the persona labels; those contestants who generate buzz should be given top priority."
Tang Lou spoke eloquently, directly revealing the secret to the popularity of "Produce 101" in his previous life.
Of course, these selection criteria were also intended to ensure that Yang Chaoyue, whom they had placed their bet on, would be successfully selected.
Yang Chaoyue, a student selected by the sock factory, is the hope of the entire village. These kinds of characters are so rare and generate so much buzz.
Shen Jiamin and the others were immediately impressed by the script arrangement and character development approach of Tang Lou.
"What a six-word mantra! Tang Lou, you really are a genius."
"When the candidates are selected, if you have someone you like, you can give them a heads-up, and we'll let the preliminary judges take note."
After establishing Tanglou's guiding principles, Shen Jiamin and the others added some conventional approaches to personnel selection.
To improve efficiency, the program primarily relies on recommendations from talent agencies, but occasionally accepts personal suggestions from the production team.
For the initial ability assessment, all that is required is to demonstrate a complete dance and a cappella singing.
After discussing the preliminary selection plan, the production team extended invitations to the mentors, waiting for them to come and participate in the preliminary evaluation.
This also means that "Produce 101" has officially entered the filming and recording stage!
After the meeting, Tang Lou immediately called Yang Chaoyue, who was undergoing secret training in Hangzhou.
"The show will be officially recorded in a week, and I've already arranged everything for you. All you need to do is show up on time."
"As for the preliminary selection test, it will be a complete dance and a cappella singing. I will ask the teacher to give me some extra lessons."
Tang Lou directly leaked the exam questions to Yang Chaoyue, giving her a week of intensive training; there shouldn't be any major problems.
Next, Tang Lou explained to Yang Chaoyue in detail the characteristics of her persona that she had presented during the preliminary performance.
"When you introduce yourself, you can emphasize your image as the hope of the whole village and the village beauty."
"Although your dancing skills are weak, as long as you highlight your true personality, the unique character you create will definitely work."
Despite Tang Lou's encouragement, Yang Chaoyue still lacked confidence.
"Boss, I have to count the beats while I dance now, and I often make mistakes in my movements."
"I feel like I can't do it."
To give Yang Chaoyue greater confidence and motivation.
"In addition to the wages and subsidies from the sock factory, the production team also provides a salary during the competition. If you pass the preliminary selection, I'll also give you a bonus!"
"Remember, you're the person I, as the editor-in-chief and chief planner, brought in. You're the chosen one!"
Hearing that there would be two salaries and a bonus for being selected, Yang Chaoyue felt like she was doing great again.
"Okay, boss, I'll go practice right now!"