A singing competition?
Tian Tian, who had placed great hopes on Lu Chen, never expected him to make such a suggestion.
If Lu Chen weren't her lifesaver and her best friend's boyfriend, she probably would have shot him a sharp look of disdain.
No way are you setting me up like this!
Even so, her expression betrayed a hint of awkwardness. "Uh…"
Chen Fei'er couldn't help but chide him. "A singing competition? Can you still make that work nowadays?"
She hadn't just participated in Singing China herself; before that, she had served as a judge on several other talent shows. She understood the current state of domestic singing competition shows deeply.
Especially in the common singing contests, the competition among TV stations was already fierce. If Tian Tian started her own media company and entered this field, there might not even be a scrap left to fight over.
Look at the ridiculous ideas you come up with!
Tian Tian hesitated for a moment before saying, "Actually… if we try, it could work."
In truth, she didn't mean it. She was just humoring Lu Chen to save his face.
Lu Chen, of course, understood exactly what they were thinking. He smiled. "Magic tricks anyone can do, but each has a different style. Singing competitions have the widest audience, but there's huge potential to innovate in terms of show format."
"Huh?"
Tian Tian, initially disappointed, now perked up again. If Lu Chen were this confident, he must have some good ideas.
Chen Fei'er glared at him. "Come on, stop teasing us and just say it!"
Lu Chen laughed. After carefully thinking through his concept, he said, "The singing competition I envision will have four production stages."
"First, the initial stage is Blind Auditions!"
Tian Tian blinked. "Blind auditions? Blind, as in blind?"
"That's right," Lu Chen replied. "This is the selection stage for contestants. The celebrity mentors judge solely on voice, unaffected by any other factors. We could design four high-backed spinning chairs, with the mentors facing away from the stage. If they like a contestant, they press a button to turn the chair around; if they don't, they remain seated until the singer finishes and the chair automatically returns."
Chen Fei'er's eyes lit up. "That sounds really interesting! It skips all the contestant introductions and avoids having to make up some story. Everything relies purely on talent. Great idea!"
Many current talent shows had devolved into story-driven competitions. Without a compelling personal story, contestants barely survived, and some would even do ridiculous antics before performing to get attention, leaving audiences cringing.
Chen Fei'er despised such forced theatrics. Lu Chen's idea avoided all of that, making the competition far more professional, a truly novel approach.
And the spinning chairs were far more fun than the usual light buttons!
Lu Chen continued, "This stage tests the contestants' singing skills while also challenging the judgment of multiple celebrity mentors. Of course, even if a contestant isn't selected at this stage, there's no need to worry, they can continue training in the boot camp and wait for the next opportunity."
"One mentor can choose up to 14 contestants, making a total of 56!"
Tian Tian absorbed this information and couldn't help asking, "What happens next?"
Lu Chen, confident, said, "Next comes stage two: Mentor Decisions."
"Once the four celebrity mentors have selected their own trainees, they will provide specialized training. Eventually, the trainees will perform on the same stage. Who becomes an outstanding contestant will depend on which mentor's students manage to fully realize their potential during their training period."
"This stage will have head-to-head battles to narrow the contestants down to the top 16!"
Lu Chen's plan became increasingly clear in his mind, as related memories kept surfacing.
"The third stage is Mentor Battles. This tests the 'teaching ability' of the four celebrity mentors. After the same period of training, whoever's students perform better will be decided on stage."
"In this stage, all four contestants under each mentor compete in a big showdown, ultimately producing the top four!"
Lu Chen continued without missing a beat: "The final stage is the Annual Gala. All mentors and contestants will participate in a large-scale concert. At this gala, contestants will face the challenge of performing on a big stage for the first time, and their musical talents will be judged by all the viewers."
"The champion? That will be decided at the Annual Gala!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The moment Lu Chen finished speaking, crisp applause immediately rang out.
The two enchanting young women's eyes sparkled, and they clapped in unison, applauding him, applauding his creativity!
As Lu Chen had just said, tricks anyone can imitate, and formats vary, but even if a TV show shares a similar theme with other productions, the storyline can create a unique distance.
Singing competitions are a dime a dozen, and the problem of homogeneity is severe. That's why creating a fresh and innovative format within this genre can immediately catch the audience's attention, and success will be within reach!
Lu Chen continued, "In a program like this, after the open auditions, the number of contestants entering the first stage doesn't need to be large, but we must ensure their skill level. The approach is to focus on high-quality, boutique selection."
Tian Tian couldn't help but say, "And the mentors, you two absolutely have to serve as mentors!"
Lu Chen's idea made Tian Tian see the possibility of success. If they could get these two stars involved, failure would be almost impossible, so she had to hold on tightly.
"I'll register the company when I return to Hangzhou. You two must take shares, or I'd rather not do it at all."
Tian Tian's thinking was simple: this idea came from Lu Chen, so he shouldn't have his effort wasted. Giving just a tiny share wouldn't be satisfying, they needed to go big.
In the show business community, it's common for celebrity artists to take stakes in media or entertainment companies. In most cases, it's a win-win collaboration.
Invest in Tian Tian's media company?
Lu Chen and Chen Fei'er exchanged glances. The latter nodded and hugged Tian Tian. "Alright, Chairman Tian!"
Tian Tian rolled her eyes at her, reaching out playfully to grab Chen Fei'er's sensitive spot. "Then you'll be the chairman's little secretary, and sleep with me at night!"
Chen Fei'er countered: "Sure! Let's see who's afraid of whom!"
The two of them immediately burst into playful laughter, their slender arms and fair legs brimming with springtime energy, completely ignoring Lu Chen beside them.
Lu Chen didn't know what to say, so he cleared his throat twice.
Tian Tian snapped back to reality, blushed as she straightened her clothes, and quickly changed the topic, asking Lu Chen: "So… what should we call this singing competition?"
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "Let's call it The Voice of China."
The Voice of China?
Both Chen Fei'er and Tian Tian's eyes lit up, what a perfect name!
(End of Chapter)
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