Text | Xu Yunze
Editor | Elio Qi Kevin
In early June 2024, a Magnolia Award Best Actor nomination rarely allowed the registered crew to respond in person, revealing the secrets of internal entertainment awards. The conflict between "traffic stars" and "actors" was crystallized at that moment, and it will probably still be brought up to the table of what is right and what is wrong many years later.
Ten years ago, on August 19, 2014, Lu Han forwarded a Weibo post from Manchester United in 2012. It was officially certified by Guinness as the "most commented blog post" with 13.16 million comments, becoming a Chinese social media The first published Guinness World Record. Originated from Lu Han, the concept of "traffic star" appeared in domestic entertainment. With its amazing energy in cyberspace, it parasitized on batches of idol stars, driving capital and market to explode.
If there is anything special about the year 2014, it is that the "post-00s", as a generation that grew up in the two major waves of globalization and the Internet, have reached the age of teenagers. Boys and girls have an increasingly powerful say in popular culture and the entertainment industry, and their enthusiasm, stickiness, and consumption power for entertainment products continue to impact the older generation of film and television singers. The other side of the coin is the destructiveness and instability that complement the fighting power of teenagers. In the past ten years, countless capitals have coveted this billion-level space. The multi-party games and grand melee between capital and capital, between capital and stars, between stars and stars, and between stars and fans are also destined to go down in the history of domestic entertainment. It leaves behind a chapter that is dense, complex, and at the same time still ongoing. "Entertainment Review" "The Changing Trend of the Top and the Ebbing of the Idol Era" in the "Generation Changing Pattern" article will provide you with an observation and interpretation of the ten-year traffic era. This article is the final article of the series of observations.
[1] Traffic stars have reorganized the entire industry, but traffic has become their "original sin"
Putting aside the contempt chain from aesthetics to values in the entertainment industry, traffic stars have run through the path of "fans-works-commercial value", and in many cases Over a long period of time, capital profits have formed a relatively stable closed loop. This is why in the past ten years, the industry and public opinion have repeatedly appeared in the "traffic star cancer theory", but it is still difficult to fundamentally shake this pattern.
When we count the traffic stars in recent years, especially the top ones among them, there is a saying among male stars "three generations in ten years": from the "four sons who returned to China" bringing back the gameplay of Japanese and Korean drafts, to the cultivation The three-person group tfboys has been cultivating fans for several years; in 2018, Cai Xukun debuted with the number one vote in the talent show "Idol Producer" and became the ceiling of the domestic entertainment talent show (Xinhua Entertainment Review), and the rice circle culture completed the local ization, domestic entertainment has completely taken root and grown; then in 2019, Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo became popular with "Chen Qing Ling", reaching the top of the class, as well as Li Yifeng, Yang Yang, Zhu Yilong, Li Xian, etc. who took turns to aspire to the top... As for female stars, generations are clearly differentiated into 85-year-olds, 90-year-olds, and 95-year-olds. Yang Mi, Liu Shishi, Tang Yan, Liu Yifei, and Zhao Liying continue to grow through the cycles. Yang Zi and Dilraba each lead the trend and have their own way. basic disk.
When talking about traffic stars, there are usually three perspectives: fans, works, and commercial value. Fans are the primary productive force. As long as their names appear, they will carry tens of millions of traffic data. On May 30, the 29th Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards announced the shortlist. The controversy over the Best Actor nominations caused a storm on the Internet for a week. According to media reports, fans of Wang Yibo believe that the TV series "Storm Chaser" starring Wang Yibo was shortlisted for the best TV series. However, as the male lead in the TV series, he was not shortlisted for the best actor. Instead, he was ranked third among the leading actors. Wang Yang was nominated. As a result, some fans began to protest on the Internet, and many people flooded the Weibo posts of "Storm Chaser", actor Wang Yang, director Yao Xiaofeng and related producers to curse, making the matter gradually get out of control and intensify.
This is a very familiar scene. The energy and will of the top fan groups once again shocked the entertainment industry. Subsequently, Wang Yibo himself, Wang Yang, the crew and producers of "Wind Chaser" all posted responses on Weibo.On June 5, the Weibo site removed more than 3,700 pieces of illegal content in accordance with the "Weibo Community Convention" and other relevant regulations, and banned 654 accounts in stages depending on the severity. In this public opinion turmoil, a large number of fake reviews emerged, and marketing accounts that relied on fandom traffic also triggered a large number of malicious behaviors that provoked disfavor and war. These "basic practices" surrounding the rice circle are by-products of the energy of the rice circle. To a certain extent, they are not part of the production mechanism of the energy of the rice circle. But this time, the fan's "rights protection" is Shang Fang's sword - how much the film studio relied on Wang Yibo, who "carried all the heat and topics" in the early stage, how unfair it was to abandon him in the awards.
Industry insiders and producers close to the matter revealed to "Entertainment Journal": traffic stars and Xiaohuaxiaosheng, since their birth, have attracted many forces including fans, and have actually always played a role in shuffling the entertainment industry. , the role of restructuring the entertainment industry and capital structure. In the past ten years of , we have witnessed too many protagonist cases that have emerged, and the market has been dazzled by the new blood. However, as a sudden rise, they can successfully get film and television projects approved with their huge popularity, but it does not mean that this popularity can be replaced by mainstream awards recognition for their acting skills. When Wang Yibo carries the label of "traffic star", meets a senior "uncle circle" like Wang Yang, and then encounters an authoritative award in the traditional sense such as the Magnolia Award, the only thing he can rely on may be his fans. them.
In 2024, when we re-examine the fandom culture and the top people defended by the fandom, many values need to be revalued. Just as Wang Yibo strives to break into the ranks of mainstream film and television actors, he tries to use his acting skills and works to get rid of the "traffic star" label. With little experience in starring in movies, he participated in Cheng Er's film "Unknown" and co-starred with Tony Leung Chiu-wai. He became an "intruder" in the Spring Festival, helping the box office of literary films to exceed 900 million. Wang Yibo was nominated for the 36th Golden Rooster Award for Best Supporting Actor with this film, but he was also criticized by the self-media as "desperately illiterate" because of his lackluster road show performance, which even affected many films of the same period. The top celebrities do not hesitate to gain notoriety, but also strive to move closer to the core of the film and television industry. In a sense, it is not only a check and balance on the rules of the game defined by capital for traffic stars, but also a insistence on how not to leave the poker table after reaching the top.
The "capital" of traffic stars varies from person to person, but the core remains the same: the popularity of popular dramas can be used for a while, but it cannot be guaranteed for a lifetime. 2024 In the first half of the year, Yang Mi, the leader of 85 Flowers, starred in three film and television dramas: "Harbin 1944", "Nothing That Can't Be Solved by a Hot Pot" and "Fox Demon Matchmaker: The Red Moon". Among them, there are serious dramas that promise to achieve transformation in acting, there are idol dramas adapted from comics that were in the comfort zone of big IPs in the past, and there are also topic-oriented genre movies customized for the current marketing environment. Three films in six months, none of them have become the "work" that Yang Mi posted on Weibo at the end of last year, "2024 Works Meet". The transformation has failed, the film has failed to break out of the circle, and it is even about to lose its basic base of ancient puppets.
A fan of a 90-year-old star told "Entertainment Review" that in fact most of the traffic stars have already spent a lot of money on the value of fans and traffic, but these traffic stars are still "bloody" and may be able to do more. Hold on for two or three years. Star chasing requires "expectation management". If follow-up resources are not available, it will affect the stability of the actor's popularity. 's blood is as thick as Yang Mi's, and it can't withstand the weight of "three consecutive attacks", let alone others. This is more obviously confirmed by the popular actors who have grown up in recent years. A big hit drama lasts for three to five years, and a small hit drama lasts for three to five months. If there is no high-quality work to continue, it depends on luck. His popularity will also be lost based on his ability. If the use of "traffic" fails to support the actor's subsequent resources during the critical period, then this traffic will do more harm than good. This is why resources, drama, and transformation have become the keys that fans of traffic stars care about most.
[2] Looking back on the ten years of traffic, popular single products have changed without changing the type.
In the years when the exchange value, revenue leverage and profit margin of traffic were maximized, the so-called "works" are actually not just Point to movies and TV shows. As analyzed in the first two articles of this series of interpretations, some traffic stars who debuted as idols in the talent show entered this circle by relying on their popularity. They will dabble in multiple tracks such as music, film and television, variety shows, and performances at the same time, choosing and disciplining each other.
In 2019, an audio platform launched an exclusive audio program "Yi Yang Qianxi: 52 Questions of Youth", and officially announced Yi Yang Qianxi as the spokesperson. After that, it developed young artists with fan bases such as Wang Yibo and Luo Yunxi. Audio products with fan-oriented and emotional value, such as audio diaries, audio dramas, and companion diaries, carry the repurchases and conversions of platform members. Mr. D, who once served as a celebrity producer, told "Entertainment Review": "Internet companies have a very clear set of 'playing methods' for traffic, data and corresponding interests. During that time window, it doesn't matter what products are developed, they are robbing people." is the key. "
Internet companies, platform gameplay, digital products, celebrities, fan base, and data traffic have formed an optimal pattern that is inevitable in history and difficult to copy. Correspondingly, film and television dramas have become the best targets for the long-form video platform’s full-link integrated operation from planning and project establishment to production and filming to publicity and distribution, and are placed in the most conspicuous position on the table of capital and traffic stars.
To this day, the dialogue between fan groups and public opinion has resulted in several confrontations. If there is a view that the famous "227 Incident" is an important symbol of the collapse of popular celebrities and fandom culture itself, the landmark event after this will probably be Yi Yang Qianxi's appointment at the National Theater, and being accused of relying on The privileges of celebrities compete with ordinary people. The aforementioned fan who was born in the 90s told "Entertainment Journal" that after 10 years of evolution and cleansing, the domestic entertainment fandom has obviously undergone great changes from when it first exploded in growth. As more and more information gaps are eliminated through personal participation in the industry and popular science reporting, the power circles that have gradually formed within the fandom in the past are now likely to be quickly deconstructed. On the one hand, there are continuous and stable high barriers and exclusive entry thresholds. On the other hand, even die-hard fans secretly complain, complain and criticize a few words while chasing stars, forming the current unique, weird and bizarre world. "Insult chasing fans". The platforms for star chasing are not limited to Weibo, but are more widely spread on Xiaohongshu, Douyin, and Bilibili. The Buddhist-style method that is different from the fan circle’s control, review, and investment style is gradually expanding. The only thing that remains unchanged is the attitude of public opinion towards traffic stars. Even the top celebrities will still be looked down upon with strong side eyes. Once traffic stars and fans are not satisfied with "enclosing their own cuteness" but overflowing outside the circle, they will all Get an education where the real world takes no mercy.
On the other hand, in 2019, the traffic empire created by platform capital has become a giant ship that cannot turn around. The first generation of top stars were once nicknamed as ppt monsters, which meant that as long as they simply put the words they participated in on the ppt of a film and television drama project, they could get the green light all the way to S-level. Platform capital puts market demand first, creating market demand first, and then works come out. The producer of the aforementioned audio platform recalled that at that time, a large number of manpower in the project team were actually doing the work faced by the artist's "data female workers", refreshing the check-in number of celebrity artists' Weibo Super Chat countless times every day. In addition to the number of fans, reposts, likes, Baidu index, etc., it is more accurate and directly displays the most authentic activity and popularity data of a star artist. By dividing the number of "super words punch-ins" by 5, you can basically calculate the artist. "How much can be sold for relevant works or products," Mr. D introduced.
A Shun, a producer who has produced the "Great Dad" and "Stray Elvis" series, told "Yujian": "There must be (quantitative indicators), whether it is Baidu, Xiaohongshu or Douyin platform All the data on the website will be consulted before making judgments, including how to do the project and how big it will be.However, these big data can only be auxiliary. It still depends on who the story is suitable for, the volume it can carry, and what direction it wants to be made. There are subtle differences between for dramas and movies, and it may have a greater impact on dramas, including the expected tonality of the negotiations between the producer and the platform and the company's own capabilities. A super large traffic of can make the project go smoothly. No effort . Nowadays, big data will definitely be referenced when casting, and it is a very important reference. I think it can be used as an auxiliary to provide a lot of judgment. Of course, it is only an auxiliary. The core of good quality of projects basically does not lie in the traffic . "
upstream companies control a large number of IPs, create high-viscosity artists through talent shows and variety shows, produce works through film and television companies, and invest in platform channels, forming a strong closed loop of the interest chain. This model relies on precise target users anchored on the basis of data analysis to maximize The fan effect has changed the production relationship and supply relationship of the film and television market in the past ten years. This has been explained in detail in the first two articles of this series, and I will not go into details here. Looking back on the past ten years, new traffic and hit dramas complement each other. , mutual achievement, you can clearly see the transformation route of its hit single product - "Tingfeng" CP Li Yifeng and Chen Weiting who started "Gu Jian Qi Tan" in 2014, "Tomb Robber Notes" in 2015 and Li Yifeng and Yang Yang/" "The Pretender", "Nirvana in Fire" and its derived Shuquan CP, 2016's "Addicted" with Huang Jingyu and Xu Weizhou, 2018's "The Soul" with Zhu Yilong and Bai Yu, 2019's "Chen Qing Ling" with Xiao Zhan and Wang Yibo, By 2020, "The Order of Mountains and Rivers" with Gong Jun and Zhang Xhan; after the delayed works were no longer available, BG Xianxia Ancient Puppet began to seize the top spot, with "Canglan Jue" in the summer of 2022 and "Saucer Love" in the summer of 2023 —— From the "must-hit" independent track of Dangai and male-male CP to today's BG Xianxia costume idol drama, no matter how the popular items change, there will always be one that becomes a traffic player in wading film and television works The main position of . And we still don’t know what the next hit item will be if the ancient idol track is one day saturated.
In recent years, there has been no shortage of "My First Half of Life" and "Thirty Only" in the market. Popular lifestyle dramas that are being discussed by the whole people, not to mention hit palace dramas such as "The Legend of Zhen Huan" and "Story of Yanxi Palace", as well as "Ming Dynasty 1566", "Bright Sword", "Wulin Gaiden", etc. have been excavated and recorded by the new generation of audiences. A popular classic. However, these non-traditional idol dramas have a natural disadvantage compared to idol dramas in their ability to create popular actors. Big hit lifestyle dramas can gain popularity for the leading actors, but it is difficult to attract fans for the leading actors. , turning the leading actor into a "traffic star". On the one hand, the market audience faced by the drama is different, and the formation of circles is not as fast as the younger generation who have been washed by the Internet and circle culture; on the other hand, in idol dramas, The perfect characters, the imaginative relationships between the characters, and the beautiful and gorgeous art props naturally provide convenience for the audience to project empathy to the actors themselves. Even "Hurry", which has become the highest-grossing film in iQiyi's history, is full of charm and tension. The distinctive Gao Qiqiang can only make Zhang Songwen become a front-line star, gathering a large number of drama fans, but it is difficult to form a traffic fan circle. Therefore, the shape of 's next hot item may have its own merits, but the next one can create a traffic star. Single products still cannot escape the "idol" path.
[3] "Getting rid of traffic" has become the current theme, and the way to create top-notch products is facing challenges.
In early 2023, a 39-episode anti-criminal investigation drama "Crazy" was released. There is no popular IP with tens of millions of fans, and there is no traffic star in the traditional sense. With its solid plot and careful production, "Kurst" has shouldered the title of the nation's "King of Dramas", but it has also been dormant for several years without any drama. Zhang Songwen of Zhihu, the famous acting answer editor on Zhihu, Gao Ye, the "newest sister-in-law in domestic entertainment", and even the actress Long Ni who played the supporting role of "Gao Qilan" have since had their names and have become popular with the public for their roles in the play. Familiar.
At the end of the same year, the TV series "Flowers" adapted from the Mao Dun Literature Award-winning work of writer Jin Yucheng was released.Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, starring Hu Ge, Ma Yili, Tang Yan, and Xin Zhilei, as well as a cast of powerful actors such as You Benchang, Dong Yong, Wu Yue, and Chen Long, the drama has soared from an opening score of 8.1 on Douban to 8.7. With the help of the short video platform, the first of 57 nostalgic interludes in the play became popular. In the two months of the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, "Stealing Heart" and "Annie" swept the entire Chinese Internet.
was also nominated for the 29th Magnolia Award. Yang Zi was nominated for Best Actress for "Sauvignon Blanc Season 1". Also nominated was Tang Yan who played the role of "Miss Wang" in "Flowers"; in terms of male actors, "Flowers" " also nominated Hu Ge for Best Actor. Some people say that Yang Zi's nomination has boosted the confidence of Guwu; some people say that they wonder how Yang Mi feels when seeing his former friend and "contemporary flower" Tang Yan being nominated; and some comments say that after being in the game for long enough, the traffic will eventually One day, he will become a powerful actor, just like Hu Ge. He made his debut in early fairy tale dramas and passed through multiple generational cycles of domestic entertainment. Until today, who can say that he is still the "top player"? What about "flow"?
The establishment and destruction of the fan circle, the starting point of traffic and the path to the mainstream, the comfort zone of hot products and the transformation of strength. These three pairs of relationships have always lingered on the "traffic star", and created the traffic star. The market structure and the capital of all parties involved in the interest chain have also reached the crossroads of self-reflexivity, transformation and reorganization. Senior producer Ah Shun told "Yujian" that if TV series and movies are compared, TV series are in great need of traffic : " is determined by the production and broadcast method of the series. The series is basically a platform Guidance and the platform determine the survival rate of the drama, whether the drama can be produced, what kind of actors to choose, investment budget, etc. ... Now the platform is too powerful, and it is basically decided by them. Now the producers are basically giving it to them. Come to work.” Compared with drama series, the movie market is much less affected by traffic stars. "First, in a film industry where the director is the mainstream system, the market appeal of celebrities and artists still cannot exceed that of directors; second, movies cannot yet be In a purely digital business, the audience votes with their feet. Compared with ratings and traffic, the real effectiveness of box office may indeed be higher. The main link that traffic plays a role in is publicity, but no matter how high the popularity is in the early stage, no matter how high the data is, Well, the box office will eventually see real results. "
"Kings of Drama" such as "Hurry" and "Flowers" have become popular, allowing the energy of short video platforms to completely take center stage in the entertainment industry. In the summer of 2023, Bad Monkey Pictures, the producer of "All or Nothing", released 41 video materials on its Douyin official account "Bad Monkey Theater", which received a total of 6.62 billion views. Among them, the Wang Chuanjun clip with the best data has more than 6 million likes . Judging from this collection of materials, it seems that the film studio did not focus on the actor Zhang Yixing as the focus of promotion. The facts also partially confirm this choice - the popular ones in "All or Nothing" include Jin Chen's makeup and Wang Chuanjun's amazing acting skills , and the unexpected surprise brought by the supporting actor Sun Yang. The Douyin platform launched a topic operation that is consistent with the theme of the film. For a while, Myanmar and anti-fraud became hot search topics.
In the era of short videos, amateurs’ overnight success and celebrities’ overnight collapse can happen at any time, and the traffic code of the short video platform that plays a role behind the two has powerfully rewritten the Internet traffic pattern. At the same time, it is like a huge black hole that has not yet existed. People can tell some laws about it. Mr.
d told "Entertainment Review" that by the time the traffic star products of the audio platform reach a certain level of 95 traffic users, they are no longer very popular; looking at the programs on the entire platform, the one with the best performance is Guo Degang's "Guo Lun" ", and Liu Mintao's original audio drama "Women's Illustrated Book of Ancient and Modern Times" is equally amazing. This album alone has received 54.926 million views on the platform. “These are good works that can really drive users to stay longer and effectively consume products."
Senior Producer Ah Shun also said that the hit drama that can successfully "get rid of traffic" has boosted the confidence of creators: "It will make more producers and film producers see hope. As long as the plate is coded well, it will be guaranteed. There are endless possibilities in making a good drama, and this is the most important thing for the film crew. Before many hit dramas without popular stars were produced or broadcast, people didn't think they would be popular. There are too many examples of this. It gives more producers a hope - if you do the trick well and do every link solidly, you may have a good profit. "
But Mr. D also said that to this day, it is still difficult to say that the entertainment industry has disenchanted traffic stars. After Zhang Songdi's "Hurious" became popular, he continued to have film appointments, and finally got out of the dilemma of being sidelined, but in terms of commercial value It is hard to imagine that Zhang Songwen’s endorsement will surpass the fan-work-commercial value of some small celebrities in the short term. If traffic stars have once opened up this winner-take-all interest chain with the support of capital, the closed loop will also be closed. It has caused the entertainment industry to update and iterate and create self-generated stagflation. After the residual value of the "top stream" has been paid off little by little, new links are still difficult to establish amid the gambling, gaming, wait-and-see, and lock-up of capital and forces from all parties. See the beginning. After Xiao Zhan, Wang Yibo, Zhao Liying, Yang Zi, and Dilmurat Dilmurat, we have yet to see a newer and more stable top-level film.
After the end of "Chen Qing Ling", Xiao Zhan immediately participated. The movie "Zhu Xian" only invested 50 million at the time, but it earned 400 million at the box office, allowing its producer to earn a net profit of about 100 million; in April 2022, Leroy submitted a listing application in Hong Kong , in its disclosed financial report, netizens found that the company's revenue basically comes from artist management, and the one with the greatest influence and highest commercial value is still Wang Yibo in the entertainment industry. I am afraid that the entertainment industry will not easily let go of the room of traffic stars. The elephant inside. Where will the next top trend be, and where will the next trend be?
Perhaps, there has never been an essential and clearly defined "top trend". It is meandering in the ten-dimensional space of the entertainment industry, flowing in different fields with a spectrum, a wave, or the gathering and dispersion of some particles, forming probabilities and constantly breaking them.
2024 is already here. More than half, according to statistics, at least 74 dramas will be broadcast this year in the ancient puppet category alone. We cannot predict when and how these carnivals from fans to capital will be launched. , coercing batches of traffic stars among them, as targets, as tools, as carriers of fame and fortune, and as real, complex, flesh-and-blood individuals, where will
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