Mysterious Assistant of the Washed-Up Queen-Chapter 542 - 344: The Voice Recording Starts_2

But now, with this matter, Chu Tian had effectively ushered him into another world.

"Think about it," Chu Tian began, "we invest so much in our show, what's the ultimate goal? Isn't it to select outstanding contestants and then turn them into stars?"

"If the contestants are indistinguishable from the masses, then what's the point of our show? A new batch every year, just passing through, simply for entertainment?"

"What kind of scenario would it be if our contestants could rise to the top and eventually become household-name singers, known to everyone?"

"By then, viewers will be thrilled, and contestants will continuously strive for fame, right?"

"But think again. If the singers we pick are all rule-abiding, even ending up homogeneous, like one imitating another singer, or someone being called the 'junior version' of someone else—do you think they could truly stand out with such labels?"

"Not to mention, if it's the same stage, the same routine, the same style, what entertainment value would that have?"

He then shared all his previous thoughts with Wei Liangxiao, who quickly understood the essence of the program.

Just as he finished explaining, Wei Liangxiao hesitated again.

"But... President Chu, we've already completed the semi-finals, and the finals are about to start. Isn't it too late now?"

At this point, the frustration on his face was palpable. After all, if the program was an exam, Wei Liangxiao originally thought he could score an eighty; at least passing was not an issue. But now Chu Tian had told him that there was an entire section of questions on the back he hadn't tackled. Looking up, he saw time was almost up—how could he not panic?

Chu Tian, however, appeared exceptionally calm.

"What's the problem? The finals haven't started yet, have they? Besides, who said completing the semi-finals was enough? We can add a revival round!"

"A revival round?! Right! We can have a revival round! Wouldn't that solve the contestant problem?"

But then Wei Liangxiao thought of another issue.

"But a large portion of our contestants are students, mostly university students, and school has already started. If we hold a revival round now, wouldn't many of them be unable to participate? In that case..."

To Wei Liangxiao's surprise, Chu Tian, after hearing this, casually handed him a form.

"This is what you need to learn," Chu Tian said. "Don't be afraid of problems; there's always a solution. But first, you need to identify the problems. To do something well, the most important thing is to think deeply; you must consider everything comprehensively."

After offering a few casual tips, he pointed at the names on the form.

"These are some contestants I picked out while watching the videos. I feel their voices are very distinctive, and their singing skills and musical foundations are good. First are the names, then their cities, and the last column shows their progress in the competition."

The so-called competition progress indicated how far each contestant had advanced; some were eliminated during the initial screenings, while others only made it to the semi-finals.

"Take this list back. You have the phone numbers for the contestants from various cities, right? Have the program team personally call to invite them. That should solve the problem, shouldn't it?"

Would there be any problem left? Chu Tian had already done so much. If Wei Liangxiao still didn't know what to do, he would be no different from a fool.

Compared to the previous needle-in-a-haystack approach, this targeted method undoubtedly improved efficiency immensely.

Moreover, if you just post an advertisement, people might see it but not necessarily come. However, if you personally call to invite them, these contestants, unless genuinely unavailable, would most likely agree to participate. This highlights the importance of your approach.

"President Chu, you're absolutely brilliant!"

"Alright, stop flattering me. Go back and arrange everything quickly, then hold the finals as soon as possible. Let me know once the time is set so I can make arrangements on my end!"

"Understood! The finals are set for October 10th, so there's plenty of time to include a revival round in between! I've decided to set the official recording time for around mid-October, planning to go full steam ahead and start recording right after the finals!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Tian pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

"The finals are fine, but the recording time is too rushed. Change it to the end of October."

Fearing Wei Liangxiao might not understand, he explained further.

"You should know, most of the contestants chosen are young people, even ordinary people. They lack the star aura compared to established stars."

"Plus, ordinary people, due to their regional background, living environment, family, financial status, and other factors, are bound to have various issues with their appearance and character."

"We need to allocate time to help them change! Clothing, makeup, fashion sense, hairstyles, stage presence—all these aspects require training."

"So, there really isn't enough time. It's best to allow more than a week to at least ensure these individuals appear polished and carry themselves with poise on the big screen."

"After all, who wants to watch a bunch of sloppy individuals performing awkwardly on stage? This is the top variety show in the country, even the world, not some rural talent show! What we need isn't to be down-to-earth, but to have high standards, understand?"

As Chu Tian spoke these words, a certain TV station's talent show flashed through his mind. Just thinking about their hairstyles made him want to gouge out his eyes. It had to be said that a particular TV station was always ahead in terms of viewership, but honestly, their taste really wasn't anything to write home about. To put it bluntly, that station's taste simply wasn't presentable. Even in later years, no matter how top-tier the network was, it couldn't escape a certain inherent tackiness. It's not that a rustic style is inherently bad—can anything be more rustic than a certain large eastern province? Did anyone complain about that? But if your brand is all about being trendy and fashionable, then producing something sloppy is just ridiculous, isn't it?

It had to be said, today's lesson taught Wei Liangxiao more than just a thing or two.

"How are things going with the production team?" After discussing the contestants, Chu Tian turned his attention to the production team's status.

"Stage construction is almost finished," Wei Liangxiao reported. "Here are some renderings and videos of the set. Take a look and let me know if you have any feedback."

Chu Tian took them and continued to inquire about other matters while he looked.

"How are things with the mentors? Are they all set?"

"Regarding the mentors," Wei Liangxiao said, "following your directions, we've managed to include representatives from the mainland, Hong Kong Island, and Bay Island. From the mainland, Teacher Xu is definitely the first choice. We also selected Teacher Sun Guoxiang. From Hong Kong Island, it's Zheng Qiuming, and from Bay Island, it's Xu Li."

"Tell me about these people." Chu Tian didn't even lift his head, his gaze still on his phone.

"Sun Guoxiang, from the 'national team' of singers, is quite amiable, humorous, and active. He's very good at livening up the atmosphere."

"Zheng Qiuming is a Veteran King of Singers. He's well-connected and talented, quite charismatic, and an idol to many. He reportedly gets along well with Teacher Xu."

"Xu Li is somewhat carefree. Given Hong Kong Island's more relaxed standards, she's quite open. She's also a grand slam Queen, still active in the music scene, and very suitable for the main MC role."

Chu Tian simply nodded after listening. He planned to check some things himself later, so he didn't have any comments for now.

The stage, built without sparing any expense by the industry's top team, naturally produced a surprisingly good result. He was very satisfied with it; now, only the contestants remained.

"Alright, let's leave it at that for now," Chu Tian concluded. "Arrange the mentors' schedules later, and make sure to have a backup plan. Proceed with other things as usual."

Wei Liangxiao nodded, left Chu Tian's office, and quickly set about a major overhaul of the program team.

Chu Tian was also busy; he had to handle matters concerning Xu Qingqiu. Because recording a variety show isn't something that can start at a moment's notice, Xu Qingqiu needed to free up her schedule, but her concerts couldn't be delayed. Both were important, so a careful balance had to be struck.

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of October. The initial semi-final selection yielded 64 contestants, and with an additional 28 from the revival round, the total reached 92.

For a talent show, this was a considerably large number of contestants.

As for how many would ultimately remain, it would depend on their individual performances.

According to the rules set by the production team, each mentor had 14 to 16 slots, which could be adjusted based on their needs.

Generally speaking, unless a mentor genuinely disliked all remaining options, they wouldn't allow their team to be short-handed.

「On October 28th」

Inside the Pear Garden Studio in the Capital, a dreamlike stage lay waiting.

With the early morning bustle, two buses entered the complex, and a total of 92 contestants disembarked.

"The Voice of China," Season One, officially began recording.