A total of 84 young candidates perform on We Are Young, a popular online variety show. They have been selected from more than 3,000 contestants from nine countries, including South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Russia. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
What could have been an extremely embarrassing moment actually turned out rather well. Novelist-turned director Guo Jingming will remember the moment in Changsha, Central China's Hunan province, for some time.
During a video call to discuss the country's cinemas reopening on a live-streaming program for China Central Television Channel 6, some youngsters suddenly showed up behind him. They waved their hands, pulled funny faces and even yelled excitedly.
But it was not a case of bad manners or crashing an interview. It was just a misunderstanding: The youngsters, candidates of variety show We Are Young, where Guo served as a mentor, had thought that Guo was shooting a video blog for fun and tried to play a trick on him.
Guo's interview with CCTV-6 was ruined but he was not annoyed. Instead, the 37-year-old mentor admired their talent and actually helped them to get more media attention.
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Hashtags about the event have earned 220 million views on the popular micro-blogging platform Sina Weibo, with many fans hailing their favorite contestants.
The online variety show, We Are Young, that was released on the streaming site Youku on July 3, has gathered 84 young candidates－Chinese or with Chinese origins－from over 3,000 contestants in nine countries, including South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United States and Russia.
Contestant Zuo Linjie (right), 18, from Shanghai, who has gained many fans via the show, performs onstage. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
All candidates had been trained intensively in singing and dancing for two months in a Changsha hotel with professional musicians, says Yu Han, the show's executive producer.
"We want the show to help the youngsters to realize their dreams, no matter where they are from or if they have been educated in music schools," says Yu, a veteran in the showbiz industry.
Aside from Guo, the show has also invited other "mentors", including singer Hu Yanbin, Cheng Xiao from South Korean-Chinese pop group Cosmic Girls and veteran street dancer Han Yu. Also joining the show are singer Zhang Yixing as a producer, award-winning actor Yiyang Qianxi and Hong Kong singer Jackson Wang as guest mentors.
Yu says these selection shows have developed rapidly as a popular genre, propelled by phenomenal hits ranging from Produce 101 to Idol Producer, and the viewers love to vote for their favorite contestants. "The audience experiences all the joys and sorrows of their favorite contestants throughout the stressful selection process," says Yu.
Novelist-turned director Guo Jingming is a mentor on the show. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
The winners will establish a group, getting support from streaming sites, which finance and produce the shows. They will experience the trappings of fame, release albums and be interviewed by top fashion magazines.
Contestant Zuo Linjie, a Shanghai native, seems to be going through such an experience.
In recent weeks, the 18-year-old winner has seen the number of his followers on Sina Weibo rising from a few thousand to nearly 281,000.
Before taking part in the show, Zuo trained for about 18 months with a South Korean entertainment company, FNC Entertainment.
"When I watched a music video by Zhang Yixing at my junior school, I was fascinated by his performance and since then dreamed of becoming a singer like him," says Zuo. "I was excited when I found Zhang has also joined the show to guide us."
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Yu says that Zuo is shy and quiet, "but is hardworking and talented". "I remember that he was the last contestant to leave the training venue on the eve of the first performance. He gets up early every morning to jog, no matter how late he goes to bed the night before," Yu says.
Du Yan, the show's chief producer, says candidates have their unique characteristics. "It's exciting to see them improve day by day," she says.
The final episode will be released in late August and the winners will establish an all-boy pop idol group.
