assistirfilmes Chapter 27 Being Half a Step Ahead of the Market
Chapter 27 Being Half a Step Ahead of the Market
"Brother Pingsheng, why don't you film movies about losers anymore?"
Bai Ke stared at the four words on the whiteboard, his face full of confusion. "We just became popular because of this, and our traffic is booming. Isn't it a bad idea to switch tracks?"
Xiao Ai nodded in agreement, "Yeah, there are still people in the comments section of 'Men's Diary' urging for a second season. Although we can't film a second season directly, we can change the title. Anyway, it's all episodic, the plot is new and it's not plagiarism."
Ren Pingsheng didn't rush to answer. Instead, he took out his phone from his pocket and opened Baidu search.
"See for yourselves."
On the screen, the search results for "loser" were densely packed with various related posts, news articles, and special features.
"Loser Culture: A Self-Deprecating Philosophy of Contemporary Youth"
"The Economics of the Underprivileged: Who Pays for the Consumption of the Low-Income"
A university professor angrily criticizes "loser culture": a form of spiritual self-degradation.
There are even guys selling health supplements with the slogan "The underdog's rise to success starts with tonifying the kidneys."
Bai Ke finished reading and fell silent.
"When everyone starts calling themselves 'losers,' the word becomes worthless," Ren Pingsheng put his phone away. "Go to Tianya or Mop now, and eight out of ten posts will have 'loser' in the title. Even Taobao stores selling socks have created 'loser' sections. What do you call that?"
"A tired trope," Zhang Yibo retorted.
"Yes, it's a tired trope," Ren Pingsheng walked back to the whiteboard, "and Alex will most likely push for the second season of 'Men's Diary'."
Da Peng scoffed, "What kind of crap could he possibly produce?"
"Whether it's good or not doesn't matter, what matters is that he knows how to make it," Ren Pingsheng said, looking at Da Peng. "Sohu has this IP in its hands, and it's impossible for them to just leave it unused. In the end, the streets will be full of losers, and the audience's threshold will only get higher and higher. We don't need to risk that."
Da Peng fell silent.
"What we need to do is always be half a step ahead of the market."
Ren Pingsheng drew a timeline on the whiteboard and marked several nodes.
"The aftershocks of the 2008 financial crisis haven't subsided yet, have you noticed? There are more news reports of layoffs this year than last year."
Bai Ke frowned. "A classmate of mine was recently laid off, supposedly due to a company strategic adjustment."
"Strategic adjustments, personnel optimization, and benign elimination—you'll hear these words until you're sick of them," Ren Pingsheng said calmly. "Large numbers of workers are being laid off, manipulated, and exploited. They're seething with anger, but in reality, they don't dare to yell at their bosses or overturn the table. Where can they vent this anger?"
"Post a message online to criticize?" Xiao Ai asked tentatively.
"What happens after you've finished venting? You still have to go back to work, you still have to humble yourself. Venting doesn't solve anything, but what if someone else vented for them?"
Ren Pingsheng turned around and used a pen to write the outline of "Report to the Boss".
[Spoofing Classic Movies × Workplace Satirism]
An episodic series, each episode lasting 12 to 15 minutes.
A newly started small business owner, with a few unreliable employees, was struggling in a dilapidated office.
The boss thinks he's a business genius, while the employees think he's a fool, but they can't live without each other.
"The structure of 'Report to the Boss' is to use the method of parodying classic movies to satirize the disgusting things that happen to people in the workplace."
"For example?" Da Peng became interested.
"For example, Titanic."
Ren Pingsheng scribbled a boat on the whiteboard. "Rose is the company's accountant and the boss's fiancée. Jack is the photographer. They developed feelings for each other while preparing for the dance performance at the annual party. Then Rose wore clothes bought by the boss and a necklace given to her by the boss and asked Jack to take pictures of her. What is the iceberg? It's the notice of the company's bankruptcy."
Bai Ke burst out laughing.
"The company collapsed, but the boss is still happy. Jack became unemployed, and Rose married another rich man and was scolded by her boss. Young people should learn to endure hardship and not think about taking shortcuts."
Da Peng slapped his thigh. "Damn, that's too ruthless!"
Zhang Yibo seemed thoughtful, "So 'Men's Diary' targets gender conflict, while 'Report to the Boss' targets workplace conflict."
"Yes, they are essentially the same thing, evoking the audience's emotions, just from a different angle." Ren Pingsheng put down his pen. "Moreover, the audience of 'losers' is mainly single men, but the workplace is different. Men, women, old and young, as long as they are working people, they can empathize."
He paused, looked around at everyone's expressions, and said, "A wider audience and a higher ceiling."
Dapeng sat on the cardboard, his mind already racing, and then asked a question:
"If Alex really does produce a second season of 'Men's Diary,' are we going to be competing against him?"
Ren Pingsheng leaned against the whiteboard, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Da Peng knew that expression all too well. Every time this guy showed that smile, it meant the trap had been dug.
"Peng, how do you think Alex will direct the second season?"
Da Peng thought for a moment, "He's a proud man, so he'll probably go for something high-end, hire some big stars to boost the production, and prove that he's better than you."
"Yes, he'll spend the budget on appearances, but he doesn't understand why 'Men's Diary' is so popular."
Ren Pingsheng did not continue speaking.
Some things don't need to be said too explicitly; everyone here is smart enough to understand.
The core of "Men's Diary" has never been high production quality; on the contrary, it is the rough, grassroots, and slightly offensive elements that resonate with the audience.
If Alex were to use Sohu's resources to produce a deluxe version of "Men's Diary" Season 2, it would be an elite show disguised as a "loser" show.
When "Report to the Boss" is released, what will netizens choose?
One is a "loser drama" that the boss spent a lot of money to make, but it doesn't look like a lowlife at all.
One is a workplace masterpiece made by a real loser, who curses his boss to no end.
This in itself is creating another conflict.
As for whether it was intentional to choose a show that satirizes stupid bosses, setting a trap for Alex to fall into with the second season of "Men's Diary," only to have netizens identify with him...
Don't ask, the answer is he's not worthy.
"Alright, stop listening to me and use your brains too," Ren Pingsheng clapped his hands. "Time is tight, so let's decide on the targets for the first three episodes. There's only one requirement: the movie has to be a classic enough that the audience can immediately recognize the original."
The atmosphere in the office became lively.
Da Peng was the first to speak up, "I think 'Infernal Affairs' is a good idea. It has many classic scenes, and everyone has seen the rooftop scene."
“Infernal Affairs works,” Ren Pingsheng nodded. “It’s a workplace spy story. The boss places his trusted confidants to monitor the employees, who secretly take on side jobs outside. Both sides are suspicious of each other, and in the end, they discover that the entire department is full of spies, and none of them are actually doing the work.”
Bai Ke's eyes lit up. "The final rooftop showdown was changed to two people standing on the company rooftop, pointing at each other and saying, 'You're the boss's man,' and then the security guards came up and said, 'You've both been laid off.'"
Da Peng laughed so hard he almost fell over, and slapped Bai Ke on the back of the head. "Not bad, kid, you've got a brain now."
Xiao Ai got excited too, "How about 'Kung Fu Hustle'? Change that scene where the landlady chases Ah Xing to HR chasing employees to sign voluntary resignation agreements."
"This is good," Zhang Yibo said, taking notes. "There's also 'A Chinese Odyssey' to play. I once had a sincere job offer in front of me, but I didn't cherish it. I only regretted it when I was working overtime. There's nothing more painful in the world than this. If only..."
Ren Pingsheng listened to the group getting more and more excited as they talked without interrupting.
When it comes to creating things, you can't do it alone; you have to involve the team.
Moreover, the movies they mentioned are indeed classic materials that can be parodied.
Movies like "Infernal Affairs," "Kung Fu Hustle," and "A Chinese Odyssey" require no explanation on the Simplified Chinese internet; viewers immediately understand what you're parodying.