Lesson 23 : F4 and the Media

F4 are artists and as long as they are in showbiz, the media will follow their every move...

I don't know about other media sources, but when it comes to the entertainment media, there are two types - those that distribute news and those that find news. Comics, Fu Long are like all other production companies, when they have news to disclose, they will prepare articles, photos and distribute that to the media. For example, when the Fantasy 4 Ever album was being released, what we read in all papers and magazines are virtually the same. Or when, ZZ and Da S were filming MG2, the pictures we saw are almost identical, this is because Comics released them.

Angie Cai and her influence on the rumours surrounding MG2:

- Due to contract with Da S had problems, the rumours about not being able to complete Mg2 started flying.
- When she needed 'mian4 zi1' , she would gather all the media for a 'celebration' as she did on the first day of broadcast of Mg2.
- When she wanted to distract everyone's attention away from MG2's low ratings, AC Neilson's report about MG came out.
- When she wanted the audience to support Ye Sha's character, the news about Michelle getting award in Singapore was released.
- When she wanted everyone to accept the possible ending that SC and DMS might not be together, Da S and Jerry's rumours of not getting along began to spread.

The problem is that she would focus all the efforts on herself and Comics, when it came to concerns about Jerry or F3, she wouldn't use the same methods. When Jerry attended the solo press conference and he was on the verge of collapse, that was arranged by her too...you didn't think that Jerry would have rang up every reporter and then hired a hotel room for this did you?

When Things Go Wrong!

During the Fantasy Concert in Mainland China, every stop had its problems. If Comics didn't provide the information for the media, then they would prepare it themselves. If the press conference weren't organised right or Comics didn't know about promotional activities, then there would be misunderstandings and rumours would spread like wild bushfire. So you can't exactly blame everything on the media, they report on what they see and sometimes add a bit more...For example, when F4 appeared for interviews, they didn't look well, or only answered 3 questions, then they would be 'tall poppies' but in actual fact, it's because F4 or Comics didn't even know about the interview and wasn't prepared. Who's to blame in this case?

So careful planning is involved, if you don't know what is going on..then things will go wrong!

The Media Has Heart:

What about those reporters on the search for stories? There are good and bad ones. Good ones are like: Xiao Yan Jie, Taozi Jie. They are unlikely to be those that read scripts, they ask you what they think and give you an opportunity to answer. At the same time, they wouldn't reveal everything that they righteously know is private and personal stuff. They disclose enough to get audience interested but leave the rest to 'behind the scenes' material.

As for the bad...there are many. They all have one ask - for the news to be 'du2 jia1'. Whether it be true or false...it doesn't really matter. If they have 'DU JIA' on the headlines, it will sell like hot cakes. So, please do not believe those stuff and decide for yourself what is true and what is not. For example, the issue with Vanness, seriously...we all know Vanness is Christian, so rumours about him staying at Vivian's place for a whole night not leaving...that's not nice and bad to the ears...

What I'm trying to say here in this lesson is that F4 will be in the business for a while, they need friends in the media, when rumours start flying they need a place to reveal the truth and somewhere that will report truth. In the recent Pepsi Concert, during that time, the media's focus was on F4 not getting along, but TVB showed just the opposite in their press conference after the concert. So TVB did them a big favour...by releasing those clips...if they didn't...well you know what I mean...

Jerry often says that the media never asks him about things and just write from the top of their heads, hence he is unhappy. But to be fair, has F4 given the media a chance to ask? So...to be critical here, the four babies, should learn to arrange opportunities themselves to talk to the media, be active, don't wait for the managing company to arrange it for them, sometimes they should help themselves! Like the saying, "GOD HELP THOSE THAT HELP THEMSELVES!"
I'm sorry if I'm being too critical or sound too harsh here...and if I bored you - sorry! But I really hope that F4 will realise this...because I don't want them to be unhappy due to bad rumours....

Ok...class dismissed!


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Lessons were translated by Lilian of OnlyF4 and posted with her PERMISSION.