"Godfather" Guo: How to create a burst of "youth" products

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From writer to magazine founder to director. In the business judgment system, Guo's every identity is successful. Guo knows how to run his own advantages, how to start a magazine from a famous writer, with the advantage of his audience, and then make one of China's most successful series of commercial films.

Guo knows what his audience wants, and he knows what kind of products to build for his audience.

His product, called "Youth"

Guo is very clear about the complexity of the audience taste, "you have no way to meet all the people at the same time, can not ask the 20-year-old girl and the 40-year-old male audience of the same aesthetic, so the service of your audience will be good, business type film is like this," Guo said.

He hopes to be able to achieve both artistic and commercial Christopher in the future, as British director Nolan James Nolan, "but I would choose one end of the business if I had to choose."

From the writer to the director, from the director to the businessman, businessmen to product managers, Guo's three metamorphosis, also completed a "youth" of the cultural products of the standardized experiment. His this will be the standardization of the product of youth experiments, but also in the ever-changing Chinese film culture industry has a very benchmarking significance. The rise of several major U.S. film companies and cultural industry groups, are in the "Product standardization" on the road of successful creators, such as Disney, DreamWorks and so on, which will also be the scale of China's film and television industry.

His first full-length "Magic City" was written all night in a college classroom, in January 2003, once published in the literature and art books sales list in the top 3, just a few months to 500,000 volumes, to become a writer Guo He was a junior student, million, and then the "Grand track", " Sadness upstream into the river, and other works of the circulation is not lower than millions.

His novel "The Age of 10 percent paper" was published in 2008, and it took only 2 months to get to the top of the year's annual literature bestseller. May 4, 2008, the United States "The New York Times" did a report titled "China's Pop Fiction", Guo was named "the most successful writer."

In his "Shanghai Most World Culture Development Co., Ltd." (hereinafter referred to as "the most culture") inside, colleagues and subordinates more call him "Guo Zong". Although the most worldly culture in the eyes of the outside world has been falling outside his own aura. But December 1, 2013, China Policy film and Television announced 180 million yuan to buy the most cultural 26% of the equity, but also by the external projection of the company nearly 700 million yuan valuation.

Guo's film "The Little Times" series also has a very strong personal style, according to Guo's own saying, "It is difficult to find a film in the history of Chinese movies and the" Small time "similar. ”

Indeed this sentence by more people read different meaning, from the first to the third, also did not stop the controversy, but the "small time" the first three cumulative box office has reached 1.3 billion yuan, the box-office undeniable proof of commercial success.

Guo has always been aware of the market's operating rules, from a business point of view, he is actually a good product manager, understand the 15~25岁 young people need the spirit of what is, so no matter what kind of media products, he can succeed. But like all successful product managers, it is not enough to understand the user, in order to make products that can be accepted by the user, Guo also has to undergo a lot of pressure, even metamorphosis.

From a writer, a director.

In the last 2010, Guo never thought to be the writer and director of his own work, and he sold the film adaptation of the "Small Time" series to many companies.

The right to film adaptation in the age of 10 percent paper was sold to Zhang Qiang, who was still deputy general manager of China Film company, Zhang Qiang has dug up the "Chinese partner", "to our eventual lost youth" and many other projects, very understanding of the "small era" series tens of millions of readers hidden market potential.

Zhang Qiang is the "small era" of the copyright recommended to force Chen Guang International Cultural Media Co., Ltd. Chairman Lili, Lili is the investor, has invested in a number of film and television companies, in the "Small time" copyright, the investor's thinking let him quickly on the commercial return to make a decision, "at that time, the youth theme films," The Small era Products clearly positioned among 16~25岁 teenagers, have decided to make at least 30% profit.

2010, Zhang Qiang also suggested Guo as director, but at that time Guo also wrote "Small Age: The time of the Golden Age" with the progress of tens of thousands of words a month, energy can not be balanced, he had to find many directors and Guo talk about adaptation, but each person can not grasp the "small time" flavor.

In 2012, Lili started the project again, and reconstituted the cast, and invited his partner, An Xiaofen, to be the producer, as well as the Chai, who produced the TV series "Meteor Garden", the film "Those years we chased together".

In August that year, An Xiaofen, Chai, Guo and the investors met in Beijing, where Chai had been looking for writers in Taiwan, but after reading a few scripts, Chai was dissatisfied. The meeting, An Xiaofen know Guo University during the director of Professional, An Xiaofen said: "Why do you not guide it?"

In fact, the film "Small Time" in the future who can not see, but An Xiaofen and Chai has a wealth of production and distribution experience, which gave Guo many confidence, and the plot and characters have been in his mind for 5 years. "If he's a director, it's possible to succeed," Lili said.

Guo and Lili had a 4-hour long talk, and Lili's impression of Guo was, "he is not only a star writer, he understands the commercial operation of the film and knows how to control the cost."

Sundance was the best friend of Guo University, and he followed Guo to become the vice president of the world culture, Sundance said, "Guo is very good at learning, in learning, he will always low posture, from the university to the present has always been."

When they were still in freshman year, Sundance bought a repetition machine to learn English, Guo used his own discman to change the Sundance repetition machine. At that time Guo just arrived in Shanghai, he bought a theory of Shanghai dialect tapes, with a repetition machine to learn Shanghai dialect. A year later, Guo began to talk with his classmates in Shanghai, not speaking, but insisted, he said, "What I said is wrong, you correct me."

After deciding to be a screenwriter and director, Guo needs to write two scripts in 3 months, during that time, he did a lot of homework, read a lot of writers, photography, narrative language books, also saw a lot of screenplay, imagine if he is the director of how to deal with, and then go to see the film, movie documentaries and tidbits. Guo said, "in order to film" small time, spent nearly half a year to make up his knowledge, "in those months he slept only three or four hours a day.

But in the film field, Guo is very strong control desire. Zhang, the CEO of LE-see film, said he had the impression that "everything can be discussed, but everything has its own insistence".

Lili always remembers the role of "Tang like" in "The Little Times". Lili and Chai all think "Tang like" actor Sheilin performance is too exaggerated, not suitable for the film language, but Guo has been insisting. After the audition Lili angry to leave the venue, Guo but chase out to Lili said, "Li always you have to believe me," small time "every person in my mind deep deeply five years, she is tang like. You can change anyone, you can't replace Sheilin. After watching the sample later, Sheilin's performance was very impressive.

In the filming scene, Guo often in with photographers, lighting, fine arts and other staff to explore what kind of lens with what kind of equipment to perform best, but he is very clear what he wants, Lili many directors, know what they want not every director has the ability. "I wrote almost every shot in the script, and I was very graphic when I wrote the script," Guo said.

Taiwanese idol drama producer Chai is called "Sister Chai" in the circle, cooperation with the new Director has always been a strong side, but she met Guo also made concessions, the executive director for Guo's arrangement finally only played the role of Deputy Director, production completely let go, Respect Guo's style.

In the "director" under the identity, Guo is more like a whole trader, which investors will bring what kind of resources, the latter part of the publicity to promote each step in what kind of node, Guo are highly involved. Guo introduced the concept of "twin Flowers" at the beginning of the "Little Times", and nearly a year later, "Little age 3" started filming, and he launched posters and stills on Weibo, each drawing fans to look forward to the next message.

As a director of Guo, as a friend of many years Sundance not surprised, university, they belong to the Department of the director, Guo once put his own short story into a short film, by Sundance, Guo for color distribution, ultra-high speed machine and other words are not unfamiliar, he described himself as "film and Television Arts and technology graduate of engineering students ”。

From the director to the businessman

Now Guo in the eyes of many people, is always the efficient, targeted, people who control the whole world, like the "McCully" in the "Little Times" series, Amber once said, "with a director, you can give it all to him, he makes people feel at ease," but he is from a difficult time to emerge from the present.

The world culture in Shanghai Jingan WuDing Road No. 940, no obvious signs, usually the iron door closed, here was Wang Jingwei's former residence, is a few years ago bought by Guo, the value of hundreds of millions of yuan, which is three townhouse, the most outside a secondary building is the most cultural library and can accommodate 20 people about the small cinema.

This is the most cultural office address in the world, Guo is also his own villa, the first floor will be the living room is Guo's own design of decorative style, dark-colored European furniture and flooring, crystal chandeliers peripheral inlay a circle of ruby, Kenzo coffee table has more than 20 functions of different cups, respectively, for Coke, red wine, sparkling water and champagne, Small sculptures and objects in the room are worth everything.

The predecessor of the company was the Shanghai Ke Ai Culture Communication Co., Ltd., established in 2006 by Guo (hereinafter called "The Ke ai Culture"), the office is also located in an office building in Dalian Road in Shanghai, the youth magazine "the most novel" by eight or nine people's team, the monthly publication, Guo in the writer, is also the company president.

In the year when the company was first established, Guo in his novel "Sad Countercurrent into the river" on the "most novel" serialized, tens of thousands of words a month, that time Guo days to run the company, the evening to write, often written to the early morning, sleep two hours, and then busy day company.

He also injected "Guo" 3-word brand value into the "most novel" platform, with their own appeal to cultivate the author's brand, just a year, the ebb and Flow, Anthony, seven years have become the popularity of youth literature writers, they also become a platform for another heavy appeal, the brand continues to replicate, the company also began to a virtuous circle.

Guo's core team is more of his own friends, 3 years ago, Guo and Sundance were both students of Shanghai University, and Guo told Sundance, "We can make a platform for ourselves by meeting friends on the Internet or seeing several good writers on other platforms."

Guo also founded his first studio "island" on his 21 birthday, began publishing the literature bimonthly "island" for student groups, the 5 people who originally created the studio, except Sundance, were their alumni, and Hansey, Ching and the friends they met at the forum. "Island" studio by the Spring Breeze Literary Publishing house to provide ISBN and distribution, while Guo and several friends organize topics, planning and design.

Their life was like a picture in "Little Times", several young people rented a three-bedroom apartment near the Zhabei school in Shanghai, three girls lived in a large bedroom, Guo and Hansey two boys lived in two other small bedrooms and the living room was used for office. At that time, apart from going to school classes, all the time in the apartment to do the design, selection, make version, it is a "utopian" general time, at that time, no one can think of three years after the division.

The 2007 Ke Ai culture only royalties income gains 11 million yuan, the company expands unceasingly, but also in that year, Guo also encountered the pioneering process the most difficult paragraph.

After the establishment of the KE ai culture, Guo began to try to change from the past emotional management to the norms of the system, his friends also encountered the bottleneck of the running-in period, "the most novel" design director Hansey, the signing of the author is due to and Guo's idea of conflict and how to get along with the way the Nearly half of the original team left.

When he left the editorial office, he said: "At work he is very perfectionist, and from a friend to become a subordinate relationship, will be under great pressure." Of course, there are factors in the market environment, 2007, the market has begun to appear with the "most novel" of the same type of youth literature, "most novel," The team is also some peer publications dug away.

During the period when the team ran away, Guo was unable to find a suitable person to replace he worked almost every day for more than 10 hours or more, originally responsible for the interior page design Sundance can only replace Hansey to do cover design, "that period of time is like a feeling that things will never be done, every day to see more than 10 hours of computer screen."

During that time, Hansey in the media publicly criticized Guo, Guo also faced many outside criticism. Sundance said, "to be able to see his condition is very anxious, that time he has been around the obvious depression," but he did not do any response, only on his blog mentioned once.

After six months of persistence, "the most novel" only found the appropriate design, and a year later, Hansey and downs also because of their respective reasons to return, Guo and back to persuade the team to accept their rejoin, he actively adjusted the mode of cooperation, so that Hansey as an independent designer to cooperate with the company. "He is very good at persuading others", the trace now mentions all has been feeling in his reason.

But now, after 7 years of space and time, Guo has seen very light, "the system is inherently conflict with the emotions, this is inevitable through the running-in process, and now go back to see, adapt to my way of leaving, do not adapt to leave, this is a normal thing for every company."

Until the 2010, the development of a stable ke ai culture, "the most novel" has become a distinctive personality of the youth literature brand, Guo will be the "most" word refined out of the unification of the name of the enterprise and culture, the original company changed to "Shanghai's most Cultural Development Co., Ltd.". Business scope is also in the journal and published outside the film and television drama, copyright and peripheral product development.

Now the most culture company's internal structure is very flat, Guo is very control of the company, Sundance, traces, and so on each operation of a business unit, most of the key decisions are made by Guo, but Guo said, "Until last year, the most culture has become a company with a sound management system."

Sundance after more than 10 years of work with Guo, Guo has some things seem to have not changed. Sundance often said Guo is "perfectionism plus obsessive-compulsive disorder", in the "Island" and "the most novel" early, there is the author talk about creative thinking, he will be planning whether serialized, specific column settings, or even the final promotion way, each process Guo will participate. Each issue, Guo on each cover design and every page of the page design requirements, and even accurate to the "cover text needs to be raised a centimeter" such details.

Guo's communication with employees is very direct, will directly point out that some jobs are missing, but he is very able to give employees a sense of security, "he has accurate business judgment, not worried about the economic crisis, we will be collective unemployment, he will block out a lot of things and pressure, we can be at ease to do what we are good at." The Downs and the whistle every time appears in the Conference, always smiles at Guo's side.

From businessman to product manager: Youth is a product that can be standardized

Guo's conversion from self-expression to product output began with a publication, but no matter how the product was upgraded, he was sticking to his own interpretation of youth.

The first 10,000-word novella, "The City of Magic," was written in his approach to the college entrance examination, when he himself was in the fantasy film, animation, games of youth life. But from the "island" to the present "most novel", Guo and the most worldly culture is in the spirit of youth around the core, the construction of a set of standardized assembly line, to create youth products.

Guo's attitude to the youth group has been for many years, he said, "every generation, regardless of the social environment how the changes, their youth lost and lonely, the Longing for friendship, love, the pursuit of dreams are interlinked, these are the value of youth." Like the social environment in any case, young viewers still like the story of the Pure Love of "Twilight".

Now the most culture has 75 signing authors, more than 30 illustrator and more than 10 designers, their works are mainly in the form of youth love, science fiction, but each author has its own coverage of the readership and and good writing field. Now the trace in charge of the writer's brokerage says, "we choose between authors to set a clear market position for them."

The top 9 books have been written on campus literature full of girlish feelings, and then tried the "leftover" series. And the Descartes is positioned in the literary and artistic serious literature, the author Baoshu also become many masters of science fiction writer.

The NEXT "Literary new" competition, which is chosen by many contract writers, is available every year in the world culture. Trace introduction, "Every time the new author will be in the" most novel "Platform on the continuous serial and exposure, and then signed with the author, more than 8 years contract period, the company for each author has a long-term packaging and promotion.

Over the years, they have been through a variety of channels to understand the reading preferences and habits, the "most novel" Platform through micro-blog and micro-letter to do online questionnaires, and the audience interaction, and the use of Third-party research institutions to provide research data.

But in meeting the needs of young audiences, "most novels" have been doing to guide the audience. "Teens may not know what they like, but you can tell them that you like it," Sundance said.

Guo has a wide range of topics and is very good at selecting valuable points from various content. He likes watching "Hunger Games", "The Difference", "Twilight" and other films, from a variety of American dramas, novels, draft and other variety shows to understand the ideas of young people now, learning the lens of the United States and the use of music language.

In the 2008, the novel "Small Time 2.0 false copper era" is still in the creative stage, Guo has tried to learn from the American drama, while writing on the "most novel" serialized. He wrote once a month, but also by the "most novel" serial platform and readers to maintain a strong interaction, "readers will tell me who they like, do not like who, like which plot, dislike which plot." Every time I write a plot, I know what will be written in the next issue. ”

The film is more like this, Guo said, "all films are products." But he does not want to call his own movie a fan movie, "The concept of the fan movie is too narrow," he defined the film "Small Time" series as "the standard business type for teenagers." He is very aware of his audience positioning, "if the film is not known to whom to see, it is very easy to go wrong."

Guo looked at the combination of significant data and accurate data, during the movie release, Guo will be concerned about the topic of the film discussion, Baidu Index, and the number of clicks on each site. But when he went to different cities to do publicity, also wear masks, hats into the cinema, "I want to listen to the audience's laugh and cry point where, if there is a carefully decorated smile, the audience did not laugh, then I will make improvements in the back."

After the release of the first two "little Times" and "Little times: The time of Aoki", Guo received a lot of comments and criticisms, and before two, he made a list of how to improve it. "What are the technical problems that can be changed from the technical level and the creative level, which is from the script to adjust."

In the latter two, he cut out many long sentences that were difficult for ordinary audiences to understand, becoming more straightforward and more use of the lens language. But in artistic aesthetics, he has always insisted on his own style. Zhang's fan advice on the video platform concludes that "fans need a little time" more like ' little Times '. Guo also preserves the elements that the audience likes and reinforces them.

Guo was very clear about the complexity of the audience's taste, "You have no way to meet all people at the same time, can not ask 20-year-old young girl and 40-year-old male audience of the same aesthetic, so serve your audience is good, business type film is like this", Guo hope the future can be like the British director Nolan ( Christopher Johnathan James Nolan), to achieve both art and business, "but if it is hard to choose, I will choose one end of the business."

He turned his company into a youth factory, the spirit of youth highly standardized, the introduction of magazines, novels, painting, and extended to the film, like Taiwan once the record industrial assembly line, signed a variety of styles of artists, the introduction of precision production of spiritual products.

Sundance's new friend always asks her, "Does your boss have any background?" She always has to answer once, "No, he is ordinary family background, from scratch, he came now, more diligent."

During the movie release, Guo's daily schedule is full, every time to go to a city, do activities, leave, and then go to the next city. Guo has long been accustomed to this full load of life. From Shanghai, Guangzhou to Xi ' An, "little times 3" went to the last stop of propaganda, Guo also in one months, completed the 40 cities Roadshow, almost every day one stop.

On the day of Xi ' an, his throat was a little mute and he looked tired. He took the staff to buy the largest cup of coffee, quickly into the working state, leaning on the sofa, skilled and very logical answer to every question, for a variety of promotional language recording requirements, is a pass.

2003 Guo was a college student, "Magic City" after the publication of Monday to Friday he was in school, the weekend to the city to do the signing, weekly to two cities. Spring Breeze Literature and Art publishing house former editor Shixiangxian recalled that section of life, "every city, is into the hotel, the signing of the sale, eat, leave."

Guo has no vacation for more than 10 years, there is no so-called private space, if one day did not arrange work, he will be very anxious, for him, "work is the process of charging." People are happy to discuss his skin care needs 10 processes, but few people mention that he was in the filming every day unkempt, completely a director of the state.

Sundance jokes, "Now Guo is at the top of Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, into the stage of realization of self-worth, money, security, and is no longer his most urgent to get."

Now every meeting has a teenage girl screaming for him, just like more than 10 years ago, in Xi ' an last event, a male fan to Guo said, I like you for 7 years, I made a special trip to Shanghai for you, a girl has just opened her mouth has choked words to say.

Many people are full of contempt for his work, there are still many girls in the "Small Age 3.0 Golden age" of the show Hall tears, until the final "with my ten years of youth to you 10 years of the" subtitle.

It is easy to criticize Guo, it is difficult to defeat him.

On an interview show, Suan Tao once asked Guo: "How do young people grow up?" He replied: "There will be new young people coming in, this is the market." ”

Source: Business Value