Chapter 709
is scheduled for release.
Jiang Yang answered patiently, his tone respectful yet firm: "Dear teachers, the new actors' contract certificates are all complete, and I have compiled them and placed them on the last page of their qualification certificates; the finished product consists of 10 episodes, each about 45 minutes long, and the total length meets the requirements. We have made corresponding modifications and treatments to the sensitive plots involved in the drama, cutting out overly explicit descriptions, and focusing on the reflection on human nature and the justice of the law. It will not promote negative values, and our script review comments also clearly indicate that the content complies with relevant national regulations."
The reviewers have checked the materials.
After confirming that everything is correct, copy the entire video to your computer and start watching.
The office fell silent, with only the sound of the computer playing.
Jiang Yang sat in the chair, barely daring to breathe, his eyes fixed on the computer screen.
I felt both nervous and excited.
He could clearly see the auditors frowning from time to time, and occasionally looking down to take notes. Every subtle movement made Jiang Yang's heart jump into his throat.
The first episode has finished airing.
The reviewer in the Zhongshan suit stopped the video, looked at Jiang Yang, and said in a serious tone: "Director Jiang, the narrative style of this drama is very distinctive, a Rashomon-style multi-perspective jigsaw puzzle, with a strong sense of suspense. However, in the first episode, the transaction mentioned by Chen Shufa, although it has been processed, is still a bit too specific. In addition, the plot of Fei Ke pretending to be the son-in-law of a high-ranking official to commit fraud may mislead the audience. Also, the character of Chen Jiajia, who was forced into a fake marriage by her father and subsequently died in a car accident, needs to have its foreshadowing improved to avoid being too abrupt."
Jiang Yang's heart tightened.
He quickly said, "Teachers, the questions you raised are very important. When we get back, we will immediately revise these plots, cut out the specific descriptions of the black mine transactions, keep only the general background, and highlight Chen Shufa's greed."
Regarding the plot where Fei Ke impersonates the son-in-law of a high-ranking official, we will add a hint to clarify that this is a fraudulent act, guiding the audience to establish correct values.
We will add more groundwork to Chen Jiajia's storyline, showcasing her struggles after rebelling against her father's authoritarianism and discovering Fei Ke's deception, making her sacrifice more impactful and believable.
The reviewer in the middle, wearing glasses, nodded.
He added, "Also, while the idea of having all villains in the drama is novel, we need to strike the right balance and not overemphasize the darkness of human nature. We need to highlight the theme of 'rebirth,' and the plot of He Shan letting go of the past and starting a new life should be carefully crafted to convey positive energy."
Additionally, some lines are too sharp, such as the dialogue between Cheng Hao and Fei Ke, which is somewhat too direct. It is suggested that these be revised to be more tactful.
"Okay, teacher, we will definitely make the necessary revisions."
That's how it is when it's submitted for review.
It always needs to be revised.
The focus is on the theme of new life, the ending of He Shan's story is carefully crafted, and positive energy is conveyed.
At the same time, the sharp lines were revised to make the dialogue more tactful and more in line with the characters' personalities.
The reviewer on the far right put down his pen, looked at Jiang Yang, and softened his tone: "Director Jiang, overall, the quality of this drama is quite good. The plot is tight, the suspense is strong, and the actors' performances are also very good. In particular, Huang Lei's portrayal of Cheng Hao vividly depicts the greed and pretense of a financial executive. Director Jiang, your portrayal of Fei Ke is also very nuanced, showcasing the mystery and complexity of a conman to the fullest. As long as you carefully revise according to our suggestions, the chances of it passing the review are still very high."
"Thank you all for your recognition and guidance. We will immediately organize our post-production team to work overtime to revise it. Once the revisions are complete, we will resubmit it for review as soon as possible. Thank you all for your help."
"Okay, go back now. Once you've made the changes, just come back to register." The Zhongshan suit reviewer waved his hand and said, "Remember, you must make the changes carefully and not just do a perfunctory job. We will review it again, and if there are still problems, you'll have to make more changes."
Jiang Yang thanked him again, picked up his briefcase and notebook, and turned to leave the review office.
He breathed a long sigh of relief.
The review just now, though seemingly strict, was actually quite lenient.
Because of funding from Nortel Films, and through connections.
For other films, it would be impossible to get a response so quickly, not to mention anything else.
Jiang Yang walked out of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television's office building. The autumn wind brushed against his face, carrying a slight chill. He took out his phone and dialed the number of the post-production team leader, his tone firm:
"Notify the entire team to meet at the studio at 8:00 AM tomorrow. We need to revise the final cut of 'New Life' based on the feedback from the reviewers. All issues must be addressed one by one, leaving no room for omissions. We should strive to complete the revisions as soon as possible and resubmit it for review."
On the other end of the phone, the post-production manager quickly replied, "Okay, Director Jiang, I'll notify everyone immediately. We'll definitely work overtime to finish the revisions."
After hanging up, Jiang Yang dialed Huang Xiaoming's number again.
As a senior artist in the industry, Huang Xiaoming has extensive connections. He provided Jiang Yang with a lot of help during the filming of "New Life". Now that the film is facing problems with the review process, the first person Jiang Yang thinks of is Huang Xiaoming.
The call connected quickly, and Huang Xiaoming's voice was cheerful: "Xiao Jiang, how's it going? Is the submission for review progressing smoothly?"
Jiang Yang gave a wry smile and said, "Brother Xiaoming, we encountered some problems with the submission. The reviewers have suggested several revisions, mainly regarding sensitive plots and lines in the drama, as well as some plot developments. We need to revise them and resubmit them for review. I'm a little worried that if the revisions are not done properly, it may be delayed or even rejected."
Use all the relationships that are available.
Once this one succeeds and opens up new avenues, the road ahead will be much easier.
Huang Xiaoming and Zhang Jun helped him.
Huang Xiaoming has a wide network of connections in the industry and his words carry weight. Zhang Jun, the president of Beijing Film Academy, is an authority in the industry, with high prestige in film and television education and great influence in film and television censorship and resource matching.
In the days that followed.
In the post-production studio.
The lights were on all night. Jiang Yang was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, his hair was a little messy, his eyes were bloodshot, and his face showed obvious fatigue, but he still stared intently at the computer screen.
As he reviewed the final cut, he instructed the post-production team: "Here, when Chen Shufa mentions the black market mining deal, we need to cut out the specific details of the transactions. Just say he's involved in the gray market, don't be too specific. Also, in the dialogue between Cheng Hao and Fei Ke, the line 'You're the one I want' is too blunt. Change it to 'You're just my type,' which fits the character's personality without being too harsh. For Chen Jiajia's storyline, at the end of the first episode, add a shot of her sitting alone in her room, looking at Fei Ke's photo, her eyes filled with confusion and struggle, along with her inner monologue 'I know he's a liar, but I'm powerless,' to foreshadow her later resistance and sacrifice."
The post-production staff nodded while quickly working on the computer, saying, "Okay, Director Jiang, we'll make the changes right away. Are there any other questions?"
Jiang Yang rubbed his eyes and continued, "Also, the scene where He Shan lets go of the past and starts a new life should be expanded to include a shot of her sorting through Fei Ke's belongings, finding Fei Ke's diary, tearing it up, walking out of the villa, and smiling in the sunlight. This will highlight the theme of 'new life' and convey positive energy. In addition, the trailer should be re-edited to include scenes of He Shan's ending, making the trailer more atmospheric and also conveying positive values."
"Understood, Director Jiang," the post-production staff said. "We will make all the necessary revisions and try to finish them by tomorrow morning before submitting them to you for review."
"Thank you all for your hard work," Jiang Yang said with a smile. "You've all stayed up a lot of nights during this period. Once 'New Life' is successfully broadcast, I will definitely treat you all well."
And so, Jiang Yang and the post-production team worked through three consecutive nights to finally complete the revisions to the final cut.
The revised final cut removed sensitive scenes and sharp lines, improved the plot development for Chen Jiajia, highlighted the theme of "new life," and polished every detail to perfection.
Jiang Yang watched the entire revised version from beginning to end. After confirming that there were no problems, he breathed a long sigh of relief and immediately contacted Huang Xiaoming to tell him that the revisions were complete and the film could be resubmitted for review.
Principal Zhang Jun immediately called the relevant officials at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television to coordinate the review process. Meanwhile, Huang Xiaoming also contacted an acquaintance at the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, asking him to keep a close eye on the review progress of "New Life" and expedite the process.
Early November.
Jiang Yang once again brought the revised final cut and related materials to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television for review.
This time, after reviewing the materials, the reviewers quickly began watching the final product. Because the revisions were thorough, the review process went very smoothly, and no further suggestions for modification were made.
A week later, Jiang Yang received a notification from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
"New Life" successfully passed the review and obtained a TV series distribution license.
As he walked out of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, the sunlight shone on him, warm and bright. All the fatigue and anxiety he had felt earlier vanished, replaced by joy and anticipation.
Obtaining the distribution license is only the second step.
The next steps, such as connecting with broadcasting platforms, setting a release date, and subsequent promotional work, are equally complicated and challenging. However, he is prepared to go all out to ensure that "New Life" can be broadcast smoothly and seen by more viewers.
Right now, we're negotiating the broadcast of "New Life".
These days, the main video platforms in China are Youku, iQiyi, and Tencent Video, each with its own advantages.
iQiyi's suspense dramas have a wide audience and stable viewership; Tencent Video has abundant promotional resources, which can quickly boost the popularity of a series.
Youku had a strong advantage in exclusive dramas, and at the time, Youku was heavily supporting suspense dramas and offered very generous terms.
Jiang Yang held talks with the heads of the three major platforms, providing a detailed introduction to the plot, main cast, censorship process, and highlights of the series.
The heads of iQiyi and Tencent Video both showed great interest in "The New Generation" and offered attractive viewing prices and promotional resources, but after careful consideration, Jiang Yang ultimately chose Youku.
Youku not only offered a higher broadcast price, but also promised to give "New Life" exclusive broadcasting rights and invested a lot of promotional resources, including homepage recommendations, pop-up ads, and trending search promotions. Moreover, Youku's audience for suspense dramas is highly compatible with the target audience of "New Life", which can better improve the show's viewership and reputation.
Mid-November.
Jiang Yang, representing the production team, signed an exclusive broadcasting agreement for "New Life" with Youku.
The agreement clearly stipulates that "The New Generation" will be exclusively broadcast on Youku on January 20, 2016.
Members can watch two episodes in advance.
Youku will invest no less than 500 million yuan in promotional resources for the pre-release publicity and post-release promotion of "The New Generation".
The production team needs to cooperate with Youku's publicity efforts and arrange for key members of the creative team to participate in various promotional activities.
The moment the agreement was signed, "Rebirth" was officially scheduled for release, and a huge weight was lifted from Jiang Yang's shoulders. However, the release date was just the beginning; the promotional work was the key to determining the show's popularity and viewership.
The promotion of suspense dramas should not only highlight the suspense to attract the audience's attention, but also convey the theme of the drama so that the audience understands the core content of the drama. At the same time, it should also make use of the main creative team and various promotional channels to expand the influence of the drama.
Moreover, the main cast of "New Life" includes veteran actors such as Huang Lei.
However, Yang Chaoyue, Tian Xiwei, Zhou Ye, Zhao Lushi, and others are all new actors with low profiles. They need more promotion to increase their popularity and thus boost the show's popularity.
To this end, Jiangyang established a dedicated publicity team and formulated a detailed publicity plan, carrying out publicity work in stages, from the initial warm-up, the mid-term surge, to the later continuous promotion.
Zhang Jun utilized the resources of the Beijing Film Academy to organize an internal screening of "New Life," inviting veterans of the film and television industry, media reporters, and some film critics to watch the finished film in advance, collect their evaluations, and build positive word-of-mouth for subsequent promotion.
On the same day, Youku's official Weibo account released the release date poster and the first trailer for "New Life". The release date poster continued the previous style, with Fei Ke, played by Jiang Yang, standing at the door of the isolated island villa, with dim lighting behind him and deep eyes.
The figures of the main creators, including Yang Chaoyue, Tian Xiwei, Zhou Ye, Zhao Lushi, and Huang Lei, are arranged in a staggered manner on both sides of the poster.
Each person had a different expression on their face.
Whether it's confusion, greed, or sadness, it perfectly captures the Rashomon-like theme of human nature in the series.
The first trailer is 1 minute long.
The most suspenseful scenes from the drama were edited together.
The trailer showcases Fei Ke's multiple identities, the accusations of the four victims, Chen Jiajia's innocent sacrifice, and the eerie atmosphere of the isolated villa.
The final line, "There are no absolutely good people, only endless lies," further piqued the audience's curiosity and made them eagerly anticipate the series.
At the same time, the personal Weibo accounts of the main creators, including Jiang Yang, Yang Chaoyue, Tian Xiwei, Zhou Ye, Zhao Lushi, and Huang Lei, also forwarded the release date poster and trailer.
The accompanying texts each have their own emphasis.
Jiang Yang captioned the video: [Two years of polishing, finally a new beginning. Premiering exclusively on Youku on January 20th, a battle of lies, desire, and revenge. Stay tuned.]
He also posted a solo poster featuring himself as Fico.
In the poster, he is wearing a black trench coat, his profile is stern, and his eyes are full of complex emotions.
Huang Lei's caption:
[Cheng Hao's greed, Fei Ke's revenge—a game with no winners. Join me on January 20th for Youku's "New Life" to uncover the truth.]
He accompanied the photo of himself playing Cheng Hao in the drama.
In the still, he is dressed in a suit and tie, wearing glasses, and appears gentle and refined, but his eyes hide greed.
Yang Chaoyue captioned:
[He Shan's pursuit, Fei Ke's secret, on the isolated island, the truth is revealed. "Rebirth" premieres January 20th on Youku. I'm waiting for you to unlock it together.]
In the still, she is wearing a simple white shirt, holding a notebook in her hand, with a determined look in her eyes, as if she is searching for something.
Tian Xiwei captioned:
[Zhang Xuan's vanity, Fei Ke's deception, a scam about love and money. Watch "New Life" on Youku on January 20th, and see how I portray a girl consumed by desire].
In the still, she is wearing a gorgeous dress and has exquisite makeup, but her eyes look somewhat empty.
Zhou Ye captioned:
[Behind Su Qian's betrayal, Fei Ke's exploitation, and embezzlement lies endless regret. Premiering January 20th on Youku, "Rebirth" unveils the downfall of a married woman.]
She was wearing a business suit, looked haggard, and her eyes were full of regret.
Zhao Lushi's caption:
[Chen Jiajia's innocence, her father's tyranny, the tragedy of a sham marriage—the most innocent person becomes the biggest victim in Youku's "New Life," airing January 20th.]
She posted a still from the show where she plays Chen Jiajia.
In the still, she is wearing a white dress, her eyes are confused, and her face is full of grievances.
Huang Jue captioned:
[Chen Shufa's greed, Fei Ke's revenge, a 20 million yuan scam—behind it all lies the darkness of human nature. Tune in to Youku on January 20th for "Rebirth," and see how I portray a mining boss destroyed by desire.]
In the still, he is wearing a black suit, with a dignified expression and greed in his eyes.
The simultaneous promotion by the main creators quickly boosted the popularity of "New Life".
The release date poster and trailer spread rapidly on Weibo.
#Newborn premieres exclusively on Youku#
The hashtags #NewStuntsFullOfSuspense# quickly became trending topics on Weibo.
This sparked widespread discussion among netizens.
"This trailer is so suspenseful! Who exactly is Fei Ke? What is the connection between the stories of the four victims? I can't wait!"
"Jiang Yang's portrayal of Fei Ke is very expressive; he really brings out the mystery and complexity of a conman."
"Huang Lei is actually playing a financial executive, and a greedy one at that. It's quite a contrast. I'm looking forward to his performance."
"The stills of new actors like Yang Chaoyue and Tian Xiwei look very high-quality. I hope they can give a good performance."
After the initial pre-launch publicity campaign began.
Celebrities such as Xue Zhiqian, Qiao Renliang, and Ben Xi also helped promote "New Life" on Weibo, as arranged by Huang Xiaoming.
First was Xue Zhiqian, who already had a high level of fame in the Chinese music scene at that time.
It has a large number of fans.
His Weibo posts are humorous and witty, and are very popular with netizens.
Xue Zhiqian posted a Weibo post with the caption: "Family, I'm recommending a suspense drama called 'New Life,' the new work of director Jiang Yang. The plot twists and turns non-stop, it's really amazing! I'm telling you, I watched a few episodes in advance and I couldn't stop watching! It will premiere exclusively on Youku on January 20th. You absolutely have to watch it, or you can come and hit me if you don't like it!"
There are three pictures.
The first image is the release date poster for "New Life".
The second image is a solo still of Jiang Yang playing Fei Ke.
The third photo is a picture of Xue Zhiqian and Jiang Yang.
In the photo, the two stand side by side with smiles on their faces. Xue Zhiqian makes a peace sign, showing that the two have a good relationship.
After this Weibo post was published, Xue Zhiqian's fans left numerous comments:
"A drama recommended by Qianqian is rare indeed! What's your relationship with Jiang Yang? I'm totally shipping you! I'll be watching on Youku on January 20th!"
"Looking forward to it, I've already got my little stool ready."
"Qianqian and Jiang Yang are old acquaintances; they met at the Mars Intelligence Agency."
……
Shortly after, Qiao Renliang also posted promotional content on Weibo.
His promotional copy was relatively mild, focusing more on the plot and themes of the series, with the accompanying text:
"I'd like to promote the drama 'New Life' for my good brother Jiang Yang. It's very profound, with twists and turns in every episode and a story for every character. There are no absolutely good people or absolutely bad people, only people's hearts driven by desires. I only have one request: let me act in the next drama."
There are also three pictures.
The first image is a group still from the film "New Life," showing the main cast and crew gathered at a secluded island villa, each with a different expression.
The second image is a still from the drama featuring Yang Chaoyue as He Shan. He Shan is standing by the window of a villa, gazing into the distance with a bewildered expression.
The third picture is of Qiao Renliang himself, dressed casually, holding a poster of "New Life".
Finally, there's Benxi.
Her Weibo posts have an artistic and refreshing style, which is perfect for promoting a profound suspense drama like "New Life".
The promotional copy is concise and poetic, accompanied by:
"Lies weave a web, desires trap hearts, on a deserted island, who can find new life? 'New Life,' a work about deception and revenge, greed and redemption, will premiere exclusively on Youku on January 20th. May we all find our own light in the darkness."
The accompanying image consists of two pictures. The first is a screenshot from the trailer for "New Life," in which Fei Ke sits on a sofa in a villa with deep eyes against a dark background, creating a strong sense of atmosphere.
The second piece is Benxi's own handwriting, which reads "New Life." The calligraphy is beautiful and full of artistic flair.
Comments below:
"Benxi's taste is always on point, this drama will definitely not disappoint."
"Finding your own light in the darkness fits the theme of the series. I want to watch it."
While the promotion on Weibo is in full swing.
Jiang Yang and his publicity team also began to connect with variety show platforms and arrange for key members of the production team to participate in the promotion of the shows.
The key variety show they were partnering with was "Happy Camp". (End of Chapter)