Chapter 72 The First Rehearsal for the Spring Festival Gala
Chapter 72 The First Rehearsal for the Spring Festival Gala
On December 15th, Zheng Hui went to CCTV's Studio One, which was only put into use for last year's Spring Festival Gala.
This wasn't a formal test run; it was called a live-line test.
To put it simply, it's about letting the performers come over in advance to familiarize themselves with the stage, and for the directing team to check how the footage looks and if there are any adjustments needed.
The car stopped at the entrance, and Li Zongming handed over an ID: "Take this and go inside. I'll wait for you outside."
Zheng Hui nodded and got out of the car alone.
Security at the entrance was very strict; they only let him in after verifying his ID and his identity.
There weren't many people in the studio; they were scattered in twos and threes in various corners, and they all looked like staff members.
A young director wearing a headset saw him and quickly walked over.
"Mr. Zheng Hui, is that right? Please come with me."
He led Zheng Hui to the side of the stage: "Today we're just going to rehearse our positions, test the lights, and then sing the song in its entirety. No need for makeup, casual clothes are fine."
"Okay," Zheng Hui replied.
"Please wait here for a moment, there is another teacher ahead of you."
Zheng Hui found a place where he wouldn't get in the way and stood there, looking at the center of the stage.
He recognized the singer; it was Zhang Ye, and he was singing "Entering the New Era."
She didn't put in much effort, singing casually, occasionally exchanging a few words with the director in the audience.
"The light here is too harsh; it's making my face look patchy, with white and black marks."
"Okay, lighting technician, adjust it again."
A few minutes later, Zhang finished singing, waved to the audience, and went down from the other side.
The young director waved to Zheng Hui: "Mr. Zheng Hui, it's your turn."
Zheng Hui walked onto the stage, and the stage in Studio One was even bigger than he had imagined.
He stood in the center of the stage, and dozens of lights instantly focused on him, making everything in front of him white and almost impossible to see what was happening below the stage.
The director's voice came through the loudspeaker: "Mr. Zheng Hui, can you hear me?"
"I can hear you."
"Okay, you stay where you are now, this is your main position. When you sing the second verse, take three steps forward, yes, that's the white dot on the ground, see it?"
"I saw it."
"During the climax, you are free to move around, but do not go beyond the yellow line at the front edge of the stage."
"clear."
"Alright, prepare the music."
After the director finished speaking, the set fell silent.
A few seconds later, the piano prelude slowly flowed from the speaker.
Zheng Hui closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.
This year's Spring Festival Gala requires all singers to sing live, which is a considerable challenge for many singers who are used to recording studios and lip-syncing.
But he wasn't afraid; the breath control the system gave him was even more terrifying than that of the top singers.
"My country and I are inseparable—"
As soon as he opened his mouth, his voice clearly resonated throughout the entire studio.
That gentle, breathy singing style is completely different from Zhang Ye's bold and expansive style just now.
In the control room, the chief director Liu Tiemin and several assistant directors were staring at the monitors.
On the screen, Zheng Hui's close-up shot was very steady.
His expression was relaxed, without any strained shouting, as if he were humming a tune in his own backyard.
"This kid's on-the-spot skills are pretty good," Huang Haitao said, nodding.
Chen Yulu looked at the screen and said, "Look at his eyes, they are very clean and pure, and his expression is relaxed. He has a good image, which is a big plus for the audience."
Liu Tiemin didn't speak, he just listened quietly.
A song was sung quickly, and we waited for the last note to fade away.
The director's voice came through the loudspeaker: "That's enough, Mr. Zheng Hui, the effect is very good. You can go back now and wait for the notification for the final rehearsal in January."
"Okay, thank you, director."
Zheng Hui bowed and walked off the stage; the whole process took less than ten minutes.
As he walked out of the CCTV building and got into his car, Li Zongming immediately handed him a bottle of water.
"How is it?"
Zheng Hui unscrewed the bottle cap and took a sip: "It's over. They'll tell you to wait for the joint testing notice in January."
Li Zongming breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good. Next, all that's left in Beijing is the signing ceremony with Wahaha and the photoshoot for their purified water."
"The casting team is already looking for the female lead for 'GG'. They'll send over a batch of photos for you to look at in the next couple of days. If you see one you like, you can schedule an audition."
December 18th, Beijing Hotel, banquet hall.
The signing and press conference for Wahaha Pure Water's endorsement deal was held here.
The backdrop at the event featured the Wahaha Pure Water logo and a promotional photo of Zheng Hui.
In the photo, he is wearing a simple white shirt, his hair is blowing in the wind, and he has a clean smile. This is a special outfit he put on to match the product's image.
Below it was written: Wahaha Pure Water, the one we love.
Dozens of media outlets had already set up their cameras and microphones, and the reporters were whispering among themselves, waiting for the press conference to begin.
"Have you heard? Wahaha's endorsement fee this time is said to be astronomical."
"Absolutely, Zheng Hui is incredibly popular right now. I cover music, and last week I went around to various radio stations, and half of the top ten songs on the charts were his."
"Songs like 'Ten Years,' 'Thank You for Your Love 1999,' and 'Single Love Song' have been chart-topping. Add to that the inspirational songs from his first album, and he's now appealing to all ages."
"That's right, they're just as popular as Richie Jen was last year."
"When Wahaha released its 'Very Cola' drink, it reportedly sold like hotcakes. Now that their purified water is on the market, it's expected to sell like hotcakes again."
The press conference officially began at 2 PM.
After a brief opening by the host, Wahaha's Marketing Director, Director Liang, along with Zheng Hui and Li Zongming, walked onto the stage.
The flashbulbs went off instantly, and the clicking sound was incessant.
Director Liang first spoke enthusiastically about Wahaha's brand philosophy and future plans, and then announced the official signing of Zheng Hui as the spokesperson for the purified water.
Under the watchful eyes of all the cameras, Zheng Hui and Director Liang signed their names on the contract, then stood up, shook hands, and exchanged contracts.
Next, it will be time for reporters to ask questions.
A male reporter was the first to stand up: "Director Liang, I am a reporter from the Beijing Times."
We all know that Mr. Jing Gangshan, the previous spokesperson for Wahaha Pure Water, and his song "My Eyes Are Only On You" were very popular. Why was Zheng Hui, a newcomer, chosen this time?
This is a very official question, but it's also one that everyone wants to know.
Director Liang picked up the microphone and replied, "Mr. Jing Gangshan and his songs are certainly classics, and they are also a very important part of the growth of our Wahaha brand."
But times are changing, consumers are evolving, and brands need to inject new vitality.
"Mr. Zheng Hui represents the vigor, vitality, and pure spirit of today's youth. His music and his image are highly consistent with our core concept of pure water's purity."
We believe that his joining will allow more young people to learn about and love our products.
Another female reporter followed up with a question, this time directed at Zheng Hui.
"Hello Zheng Hui, I'm a reporter from Music Weekly. From the inspirational rock of 'Stubborn' to the urban love song of 'Floating Life,' your style has changed a lot."
Does this endorsement of purified water mean that your future career path will lean more towards a sunny, clean-cut idol image?
This question is a bit of a trap; if you don't answer it well, you'll easily be accused of changing your style for money.
Zheng Hui picked up the microphone and replied, "I don't think this is a change in style; I prefer to see it as different aspects of life."
"When I was eighteen, I felt that life was about striving, venturing, and flying higher, so I wrote 'Stubborn'."
Now, having experienced some things and seen some people, I feel that life, besides striving, also needs love and emotional comfort, which is why I wrote "Floating Life."
"Music is a record, and so is endorsement. I endorse Very Cola because I think young people need happiness. I endorse Pure Water because I think maintaining inner purity is equally important in a complex society."
"This has nothing to do with the idol route; it's just that I wanted to express different things at different stages."
His answer was flawless, both elevating his own reputation and promoting the product.
The reporters in the audience nodded and quickly took notes in their notebooks.
Another reporter stood up.
"Hello Zheng Hui, I heard you composed a new song for this bottled water endorsement, the one called 'The One I Love' that was played during the signing ceremony. Could you talk about the inspiration behind this song?"
"The inspiration for this song actually came from the feeling I get from pure water."
Zheng Hui spoke candidly: "When I took my first sip of Wahaha purified water, I felt it was very sweet and straightforward. It's like the feeling of liking someone; it doesn't need too many complicated embellishments, it's just pure love for you."
"So I used an R&B style, hoping it would sound light and sweet, and that it would bring everyone a good mood while they were drinking water."
The atmosphere was very harmonious throughout the Q&A session.
The reporters' questions all revolved around the product and its spokesperson. Everyone had been paid to come, so naturally they had to help promote it.
The press conference concluded successfully.
After giving brief interviews to several television stations backstage, Zheng Hui left through a special passage escorted by Lin Dashan.
On December 20th, Zheng Hui stayed in his hotel room reading.
Li Zongming pushed open the door and came in, carrying a large brown paper bag.
"The candidate has been chosen."
He placed the paper bag on the table and poured out a large pile of photos.
The photos are of young girls, about twenty or thirty in total, all of them youthful and beautiful.
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"These are the candidates selected by the casting team from hundreds of applications. They are all promising newcomers from the Beijing male entertainment circle and film and television schools. Take a look and see if any of them catch your eye."
Zheng Hui put down the book and picked up the photos, flipping through them one by one.
Most of them are artistic photos, with exquisite makeup and professional poses.
Some are charming and graceful, some are aloof and elegant, and some are pure and lovely.
Zheng Hui flipped through the pages quickly; he didn't feel anything for these generic beauties.
He stopped halfway through flipping the page.
The girl in the photo wasn't wearing heavy makeup, just a light touch.
Her eyes were big and bright, like a spring of water, and she just looked quietly at the camera.
Gao Yuanyuan.
Zheng Hui picked up the photo; next to it was a card with her basic information written on it.
Born in 1979, she acted in the movie "Spicy Love Soup" and mainly played male roles.
She didn't yet have the aura of the "Hupu Goddess" she later became.
Within the industry, people still perceive her as just a somewhat famous male model.
Although "Spicy Love Soup" gave her some exposure, the film was an ensemble piece and didn't generate much buzz for her.
"How about this one?" Zheng Hui handed the photo to Li Zongming.
Li Zongming took it and looked at it, then compared it with the other photos on the table.
"She's quite clean-looking, but she doesn't seem to be very famous. There are several others here who have played supporting roles in TV dramas and are more famous than her."
Li Zongming's idea was to use someone more famous to increase GG's popularity.
"No need." Zheng Hui shook his head: "The female lead in 'GG' needs charisma, not fame."
"She's the one." Zheng Hui pointed to Gao Yuanyuan in the photo: "I think she matches the temperament of pure water perfectly."
Li Zongming looked at Zheng Hui and, seeing his resolute attitude, said no more.
"Okay, I'll contact the casting team right away and have her come for an audition tomorrow."
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