FYN Chapter 29: The Prelude to Promotion and Publicity
Chapter 29: The Prelude to Promotion and Publicity
The post-production process was much faster than the initial recording, which was entirely due to Xie Anran's exceptional talent.
In the recording studio, Zhang Songyu looked at Xie Anran beside him and couldn't help but ask, "Do you have perfect pitch?"
"What is that?" Xie Anran blinked, her face full of confusion and bewilderment, completely unaware of this professional term.
Seeing this, Zhang Songyu chuckled in realization, thinking to himself, "He's still just a kid, how could he understand these intricacies of music?" He then softened his tone and patiently explained, "It's about having an extremely precise innate ability to distinguish between high and low pitches. You don't need any tools; you can pinpoint the pitch accurately just by listening."
Xie Anran tilted her head, looking innocent and obedient, and casually replied, "Well... I think I do have some."
A deep sense of envy flashed across Zhang Songyu's eyes. This kid not only possessed extraordinary talent in music theory, but his innate musical perception was also far beyond that of ordinary people. The incredibly fast arrangement and mixing efficiency this time was entirely due to Xie Anran's precise control over the melody and rhythm. His sensitivity to rhythm was practically superhuman; even a seasoned arranger like himself couldn't help but admit defeat. If Xie Anran weren't still unfamiliar with the professional recording studio equipment, the album's production speed would have been even faster.
After finishing the final recording and recording process, Zhang Songyu skillfully completed all the finishing touches, carefully made double backups, picked up a cassette tape labeled "sample," and handed it to Xie Anran: "Here you go, this is the complete finished album, and also your first truly exclusive album in your life."
Xie Anran looked down at the small cassette tape in his palm, a subtle feeling welling up in his heart. In his previous life, he was just a complete novice who knew nothing about music. In this life, he was reborn and became a singer who released albums at a young age. The contrast in his circumstances was truly amazing.
"Thank you, Teacher Zhang." He solemnly accepted the cassette tape and thanked her sincerely.
"Don't mention it." Zhang Songyu waved his hand and joked with a smile, "Maybe in the future you'll become a big star, and I'll have to ride on your coattails and get some fame."
"Teacher Zhang is too kind," Xie Anran replied modestly, her demeanor composed and unlike that of a child her age.
Zhang Songyu patted his arm with a smile. After spending so much time together, he no longer regarded Xie Anran as an ordinary child. This kid was insightful and his thinking logic was comparable to that of an adult, but he would occasionally reveal the fresh and childlike innocence that a child should have.
For example, right now.
Suddenly, the little girl, Xixi, rushed over, grabbed Xie Anran's neck, and snatched the cassette tape he had just gotten his hands on.
"Anran, I want to listen to it first!" With that crisp sentence, Qianqian clutched the cassette tape, turned around, and disappeared in a flash.
Xie Anran froze on the spot, completely bewildered. He looked down at his empty hands, then at Qianqian's small figure running away, feeling both helpless and annoyed.
"This girl really has no sense of boundaries at all," he muttered under his breath, annoyed.
Zhang Songyu couldn't help but laugh out loud, secretly thinking that this was probably a case of one thing subduing another; even the most composed little genius couldn't control a lively and boisterous little girl.
With the album recording and production successfully completed, the next step is to handle styling, promotion, and other follow-up matters. The group moved to the meeting room, where Manager Zhang, who had only appeared once during the early stages of album recording, had been waiting for a long time.
After listening to the finished album just once, Manager Zhang showered Xie Anran with praise, his tone exaggerated to the extreme: "Fantastic! Xie Anran's talent is simply amazing. It would be an injustice if this album didn't become a hit!"
Xie Anran felt a chill run down her spine as she listened, and thought to herself: We're not related, why are you praising me so enthusiastically?
Liu Xiaoli and Zhang Yun, who were accompanying them, also felt extremely awkward. The way Manager Zhang treated people always gave people an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
Only Sisi looked unhappy, and she tugged at Manager Zhang's sleeve resentfully, reminding him in a coquettish tone, "Uncle, what about me? You haven't praised me yet."
Manager Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then quickly added with a smile, "Qianqian is also exceptionally talented. An album you two collaborate on will definitely be a huge hit, and you'll both become famous!"
Upon hearing this, Sisi immediately went from being annoyed to delighted, her eyes crinkling with laughter: "Uncle has excellent taste!"
Manager Zhang chuckled and smoothly transitioned to the main topic, discussing the upcoming work arrangements: "The album production is now complete, and the next step is to start filming the music video. Online promotion will also follow simultaneously. There's a children's talent show in Jiangcheng recently, and I'm planning to have Anran and Qianqian perform together. This will allow them to gain stage experience and leverage the show's popularity for pre-show promotion. What do you and Ms. Liu think?"
"Is Mr. Zhang referring to that children's talent show?" Liu Xiaoli immediately realized that Lin Zhe had mentioned the show to her before, but the registration opened in April, and the preliminary rounds had already ended. Xie Anran and Qianqian were originally scheduled to participate, but they missed the registration deadline because they were focused on recording their album.
"That's right, it's this program." Manager Zhang nodded in agreement. He knew that the promotional power of local TV programs was limited and far inferior to the resources of the central station. But everything should be done step by step. First, let the two children get used to appearing on stage and build up an audience base, and then they could gradually be promoted to higher-level platforms.
"But I heard the show has already entered the main competition stage. Can I still register now?" Zhang Yun asked with concern.
"It's alright, our company has direct entry slots for the main competition," Manager Zhang explained calmly with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yun and Liu Xiaoli instantly understood and tacitly remained silent. Given the size of this entertainment company, it must have sponsored the program, making securing a few direct entry slots to the main competition a piece of cake.
Xie Anran listened quietly throughout, without uttering a word. This program, seemingly just a simple children's performance, directly impacted the sales of his subsequent album, so he dared not be careless. He was constantly thinking about the system's mission: once he reached the 100,000 sales target, he could unlock the third stage mission, and completing the third stage would refresh the Rebirth Wish Ranking. His core goal was to acquire a talent related to strengthening his body, thereby overcoming his innate weakness and achieving longevity.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing to arrange in advance." Manager Zhang changed the subject and continued, "Next, we'll take a full set of promotional photos for the two children. After the official launch of the promotion, we'll most likely be going to multiple cities for roadshows and promotions. The company will provide a dedicated team to follow up attentively throughout the process."
Upon hearing that the trip would involve traveling to various places and had a packed schedule, Zhang Yun immediately looked worried and hesitated before saying, "Manager Zhang, An Ran's health is weak, he can't withstand such a strenuous journey..."
"Ms. Zhang, please rest assured, we have already considered this thoroughly," Manager Zhang quickly interrupted to reassure her. "Even though there are many things to do, we will make reasonable arrangements to ensure that the child's rest is not delayed and that Anran is not overworked."
"That's good. Thank you for your trouble, Manager Zhang." Zhang Yun was relieved and replied politely.
The negotiations went very smoothly, and all subsequent travel plans were quickly finalized. In June, they would first go to Jiangcheng TV Station to record a children's star program, while simultaneously shooting a music video. Once all this work was completed, they would begin nationwide album promotion, and the schedule would be adjusted in real time based on the promotional results.
Xie Anran listened silently to the entire arrangement, secretly calculating in her mind. At this pace, it would take at least two to three months to see concrete feedback on album sales. In this era, the speed of information dissemination was far slower than in later years. Unless it was a top-tier hit or a super hit song, it was already quite difficult for ordinary songs to promote and break out of their niche, and their rise to fame was much slower.
"Anran, we're going to be on TV!" Xixi whispered excitedly as she moved closer to him.
"Oh... um, it's fine." Xie Anran replied indifferently and without much interest.
"Hey, Anran, don't be so gloomy!" Qianqian hugged his arm tightly, smiling sweetly and acting coquettishly. "Cheer up, give me a smile!"
"I was already quite happy... Let go of me, stop pinching my cheeks." Xie Anran struggled helplessly to push her away and said irritably.
"Haha, Anran is so cute like this!" Qianqian laughed heartily in her childish voice.
Xie Anran's lips twitched helplessly, and she thought to herself, "How can this girl have so much energy every day? She's practically a little superhero!"