Boring content? Later cut? "Hua Shao 4" frequently attracts controversy
Chief Director Li Chao: Young audiences have new demands, and 8-year-old IP needs to break through
As one of the classic IPs of domestic variety shows, "Flowers and Teenagers" launched its first season in 2014. Many famous scenes of "sparkling" were born in the show, which made netizens ponder, talk about, and even derive from it over the years. A set of so-called "flower science".
After five years of absence, Zhang Kaili, Liu Mintao, Yang Mi, Li Sidani, Zhao Jinmai, Han Dongjun, and Ding Chengxin served as regular guests, and the fourth season of "Flowers and Teenagers" with the theme of camping (hereinafter referred to as "Flower Shao 4") The return, the "resurrection" of the classic variety show IP, has given the show a high degree of attention.
However, after "Memories Kill", the response of "Flower Shao 4" was not as good as expected, and related questions such as "boring content" and "later evil cuts" were endless.
Right now, the show has been broadcast to the 8th issue, and the guests' journey has come to the second half. Li Chao, the producer and chief director of "Flower Shao 4", said in an interview with the Yangcheng Evening News and other media that compared with previous seasons, this season's show is more popular. One of the biggest features is that "contradictory conflicts between characters require more brewing and incubation time".
How difficult is it to restart the show? 10 days to finalize all artists
Yangcheng Evening News: Did the program restart smoothly?
How did the show team bring these guests together?
Li Chao: The preparation time for "Flower Less 4" was less than a month, and the rhythm of guest invitations was also very fast. It only took us nearly 10 days to get all the artists together.
We were able to invite these artists so smoothly, thanks to the attractiveness of the "Hua Shao" IP, and thanks to all netizens and some artists for their expectations of us.
Yangcheng Evening News: Building a reasonable lineup of guests is the key to the success or failure of a reality show. What are the considerations for the current lineup?
Li Chao: First of all, we think that after the restart of the "Hua Shao" IP, there needs to be a familiar character from the past, so we chose Zhang Kaili to return as the sister of "Hua Shao 1".
The most important reason for inviting Han Dongjun has been fully reflected in the show-he is a boy with very strong life skills, whether it is driving, cooking, or travel planning, he has a lot of experience.
As for Zhao Jinmai, as a popular post-zero actress, she can consider this trip to Hua Shao as a graduation trip, which can also be considered as fulfilling her own wish.
Yang Mi is in a middle age position among the guests in this season. Zhang Kaili and Liu Mintao may be her in 20 years. Zhao Jinmai and Ding Chengxin may have the shadow of Yang Mi when she was younger. She can connect the life stages of different guests.
Yangcheng Evening News: Which guest and the program group expected the biggest contrast?
What was the biggest surprise during the recording of the show?
Li Chao: The theme of this season's program is the camping season. The biggest accident during the entire recording period is the weather. This is really unpredictable, and we also lack prediction.
This caused Liu Mintao to be exhausted and overwhelmed in the first 3-5 days, coupled with the unfamiliar environment and interpersonal relationships, which led to her depression, collapse and tears. She is different when she sings "Red High Heels".
In fact, each guest has changed a lot in this whole trip.
For example, Yang Mi, the head of the group, mentioned that when she participated in the show, she valued the relationship between people. She was not so curious about nature, but in fact, in the second half of the trip, Yang Mi's love for nature Curiosity is on full display.
Yangcheng Evening News: Right now, Yang Mi and Zhang Kaili have handed over and successfully resigned as the head of the group. What do you think is the difference between Yang Mi and the head of the previous seasons?
Li Chao: Yang Mi is a person with very high emotional intelligence. She fulfilled her duties as the head of the group very well. In very severe weather conditions, she was able to mobilize everyone's enthusiasm and handled the relationship between all the characters well.
Malicious editing to create topics? Real presentation in exchange for resonance
Yangcheng Evening News: After the program was broadcast, there were many controversies on the hot search, such as #花小4boring#, do you have any response to this?
What was the biggest pressure and challenge you faced when working on this classic IP?
Li Chao: The audience's feedback on the show reminded us that young people today need more relaxed content, and their needs for watching points and laughing points are more intensive and more frequent.
The biggest challenge of operating the "Flower Shao" IP is that, after all, this is a program model from eight years ago. From the perspective of the project itself, there should be a breakthrough in the program model.
But in fact, we haven't made too many adjustments to the program mode. We still focus more on presenting the relationship between people during the trip, hoping to retain the original flavor of Hua Shao.
Yangcheng Evening News: Judging from the response, netizens have a preference for conflicting programs. During the production process, will you guide the conflict?
In addition, netizens ridiculed that each trailer is full of "mango flavor". Some netizens raised questions about malicious editing. How do you respond?
Li Chao: We did not magnify or guide the contradictions, but just recorded the problems that occurred during the trip and presented them to the audience.
Including Han Dongjun and Zhang Kaili's "driver's seat dispute", Yang Mi and Liu Mintao's discussion on "whether you should trouble people around you", these are all real happenings, and we hope everyone can find out from the communication and collision between these people A sense of resonance.
As for the "familiar mango flavor" that the audience ridiculed, it is actually the program team's control over the presentation rhythm of the key points and laughing points of the content. I think this is an objective requirement for content production.
Yangcheng Evening News: The official main focus of this season's program is "intergenerational communication". Do you think the audience has experienced this?
At present, the show has already aired in the 8th episode, and there is still relatively little discussion about intergenerational communication on the Internet. Is it because the audience did not sink their hearts to feel it or the content of the show was not highlighted enough?
Li Chao: Frankly speaking, not only "Flower Shao 4", but also several slow variety shows broadcast at the same time this year, will face such problems.
This also reflects some of the viewing habits of the post-90s and post-00s viewers - program producers may no longer need to tell viewers "what kind of story I want to tell", and viewers no longer want to be indoctrinated with concepts, they want to independently explore What he wants to see is just like a young man doesn't want others to reason with him.
Therefore, starting from the third issue, we have also made overall adjustments in editing, hoping to meet these new needs of the audience.
Is the overall atmosphere too harmonious? Conflict exposure takes time
Yangcheng Evening News: This season's show focuses on camping elements, but it seems that it is not easy to make a camping variety show a circle?
Li Chao: At the beginning, the guests lacked awareness of camping, and because of the weather, they were in a hurry, so most of the show was in a state of panic.
However, after the transition from Changde to Zhangjiajie, the weather gradually improved, and the beautiful part of camping was gradually discovered.
Yangcheng Evening News: The behind-the-scenes scenes of reality shows are often more exciting than those in front of the stage. Are there any clips in the show that are reluctant to cut into the feature film?
Li Chao: There is no content to give up yet. This time we broadcast on both satellite TV and the Internet. Except for the feature film on Friday, there are also advanced easter eggs and updates every Thursday and Saturday. Basically, all the content is as it is. presented to everyone.
Yangcheng Evening News: Many viewers feel that compared to the first three seasons of the poor travel, the guests in "Flower Less 4" are too relaxed.
Some critics say that the current domestic entertainment stars are unwilling to endure hardship and their cooperation is low.
What do you think?
Li Chao: The life of outdoor camping this season is not very easy. In the first two stops (Changsha and Zhuzhou) of the trip, due to the heavy rain and the lack of camping experience of the guests, they suffered a lot.
The later journey became smoother and easier, just because they were gradually familiar with camping, and they were prepared and experienced accordingly.
Yangcheng Evening News: This season, Hua Shao's members love each other too harmoniously, which is a huge contrast with previous seasons.
What do you think of the character relationships of Hua Shao Tuan this season?
Li Chao: This is what I think is the most different from the previous three seasons in "Hua Shao 4" - the sudden weather conditions in the first two stops made everyone have the common enemy of heavy rain, so the overall relationship between the characters quickly became closer. , love each other naturally.
During the later trip, the guests gradually broke out some conflicts because of their different personalities, ways and angles of looking at problems.
Therefore, the generation of contradictions and break-in points in "Flower Shao 4" is a gradual accumulation process. It is different from the contradictions exposed by everyone as soon as they come in in the previous three seasons, and there is more time for incubation and incubation.
Is it difficult for travel variety shows to explode? Audience preferences need to be reconsidered
Yangcheng Evening News: At present, the slow travel variety shows on the market are not as hot as before, and you must have observed the audience's aesthetic fatigue.
Li Chao: Indeed, this year's travel variety shows have not appeared "explosive" until now. Not only that, but from the perspective of various data, the completion rate of all variety shows is decreasing year by year.
The audience's content requirements and needs for 90-minute or 120-minute long variety shows are changing, and we should re-observe audience preferences before making shows.
Yangcheng Evening News: Under such circumstances, does the IP of "Short Flowers" have advantages that cannot be replicated by similar programs?
Li Chao: It can’t be said that it cannot be replicated. It can only be said that for the team, the delicate presentation of interpersonal relationships, the understanding of the concept of reality show production, and the core IP of “Hua Shao” are all assets worthy of continued exploration. .
Yangcheng Evening News: What is the essence of the "Flower Less" IP?
Some people think it's watching handsome guys and beauties travel the world happily; some people think it's the rules of strangers' social interaction; some people think it's watching stars put down their reserved disputes and conflicts.
What is your point of view?
Li Chao: I think there are two core elements in the essence of the IP of "Short Flowers": the first is to let the audience see some longing and beautiful scenery through travel; the second is more important, that is, to truly present the relationship between people How do they get to know each other during their travels, and how to deal with each other's relationships and conflicts.
Yangcheng Evening News: As a show veteran who has accompanied the "Hua Shao" IP along the way, do you think the previous seasons were fun or this season?
Why?
Li Chao: For me, the mental state during the filming of each season is very tense. Looking back now, it is hard to say which season was happier, but it can only say which season brings you more memories.
Perhaps the one that touched me the most was when I went to Rome to shoot in the first season, which left more memories.
Yangcheng Evening News: Will there be a 5th season of "Hua Shao"?
Do you have any ideas for continuing this IP?
Li Chao: After all, "Hua Shao" is an IP that has lasted for eight years, and the overall model is not new.
If there is a next season, we will spend more thought and energy on new explorations in the mode.
In addition, we will take into account the audience's new perceptions and new needs for variety show content, and strive for new changes in production time, volume and perspective.
Reporter Ai Xiuyu intern Hou Ying