TV and Filmmaker Jean Zhou: From Small-Town Dreams to Blockbuster Stories

Summary

Chief Change Officer Podcast Summary
Episode: TV and Filmmaker Jean Zhou: From Small-Town Dreams to Blockbuster Stories
Release Date: December 1, 2024

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Introduction

In the latest episode of Chief Change Officer, host Vince Chen delves into the inspiring journey of Jean Zhou, a prominent TV and filmmaker from China. Ranked among the Global Top 3% podcasts on Listen Notes and leading in the Careers and Business categories, Chief Change Officer aims to empower growth-progressive individuals striving to craft their unique career paths. This episode highlights Jean Zhou's transition from a small-town girl to a successful producer, showcasing her strategic maneuvers within the highly competitive entertainment industry.

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Jean Zhou’s Background

Jean Zhou’s story begins in a modest small town in China. She pursued her higher education in sociology at Shanghai before transferring to Indiana University, Bloomington, where she added accounting and finance as her second and third majors (04:35). This multidisciplinary academic background laid a robust foundation for her diverse career trajectory.

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Career Transitions and Journey

After graduating, Zhou embarked on her professional journey as a financial analyst at Cummins, an engine manufacturing company, where she worked for three years. Her pursuit of further education led her to Chicago Booth for an MBA, during which she interned with several venture capital firms, including SQL Capital, China Innovation Works, and Capital Today (04:35).

Post-MBA, Zhou joined iReader Technology, a digital reading company, managing strategic investments and rotating through various business departments such as app product design, operations, and copyright sales. In 2019, she founded Wind Entertainment, marking her significant shift into the entertainment industry. Under her leadership, Wind Entertainment has produced both movies and TV series, including the widely distributed sequel to "Ashes of Love," titled "Stereo Love" (04:35; 09:07).

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Overcoming Challenges and Building a Track Record

Transitioning from finance to entertainment posed significant challenges. Zhou emphasized the importance of establishing connections within the industry despite lacking direct experience. She strategically utilized her business analytical framework to understand and navigate the complexities of content production (11:23). Her proactive approach involved:

• Building Relationships: Zhou actively engaged with writers, directors, and actors, fostering meaningful connections that were crucial for project success.

• Focusing on Content: Recognizing that content is king, she dedicated considerable effort to crafting high-quality scripts and development plans, ensuring that projects met both artistic and commercial standards (13:39; 14:35).

Zhou’s dedication culminated in her role as co-producer for "Stereo Love," which was released on four TV stations in China and distributed to over 30 countries. This project not only solidified her reputation but also expanded her professional network significantly (09:07).

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The Chinese TV Industry: Past, Present, and Future

When Zhou decided to leave her stable career to pursue her passion for TV production, the Chinese entertainment industry was already facing challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. She described the industry’s evolution over the past decade as a shift from speculative investments driven by "hot money" to a focus on quality content and technological advancements (16:53).

Zhou highlighted the rise of micro drama series—a format featuring a high volume of short episodes with a freemium model, allowing viewers to access initial episodes for free before introducing a paywall (19:04). This strategy has proven effective in monetizing content while catering to changing viewer habits.

Despite initial setbacks, Zhou remains optimistic about the industry's future. She notes that advancements in technology and heightened audience expectations are driving the creation of higher-quality projects, attracting passionate creators who prioritize excellence over quick profits (16:53; 18:04).

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The Role of AI in the Industry

Addressing the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Zhou noted that while AI is in its nascent stages within China’s entertainment sector, it holds promise for post-production processes, such as enhancing special effects. However, she believes that AI's influence on scriptwriting remains limited due to the inherently creative and nuanced nature of storytelling. According to Zhou, AI-generated scripts currently lack the depth and originality required for commercial success, making human creativity indispensable (21:23; 22:23).

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Future Plans for Wind Entertainment

Looking ahead, Zhou outlined Wind Entertainment's strategic directions for the next two to three years, focusing on three main areas:

1. Social Issues and Human Relationships:

   • Developing narratives that explore complex social topics and human ethics.
   • Example themes include mental health, forgiveness, and the intricacies of personal relationships (23:33).

2. Love and Cultural Narratives:

   • Creating content that juxtaposes ancient and modern love stories, reflecting China’s rich cultural heritage and contemporary societal changes.
   • Expanding into related merchandise such as diary books and live concerts to enhance revenue streams (23:33).

3. Feel-Good Shows:

   • Producing inspirational stories about individuals overcoming obstacles to achieve success, thereby fostering a spirit of entrepreneurship and resilience among viewers (23:33).

Zhou emphasized that these strategic areas not only align with market demands but also allow Wind Entertainment to contribute meaningful and impactful content to society (23:33).

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Notable Quotes

• Jean Zhou (06:47):
  “I have a goal to start my own business one day. So in my family we have a travel company and also running a medical company. So that's how we have such a tradition.”

• Jean Zhou (11:23):
  “I focus on the key of the projects. So the key in the producing projects is content. We all agree that content is the most important element in the trends if you spend a lot of time in the content.”

• Jean Zhou (19:04):
  “It's like one made for one episode. There are like 100 episodes for an entire series. It will be circulated among many people and they can watch the first three or 10 episodes for free. But for the 11th one they need to pay.”

• Jean Zhou (22:23):
  “AI is the summary of past material. So the results of many AI projects are like a kind of Wikipedia introduction outlines. It has great discrepancies with fully developed script.”

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Conclusion

Jean Zhou’s journey from a sociology student to a successful TV and film producer exemplifies the power of adaptability, strategic networking, and a steadfast commitment to quality. Her insights provide valuable lessons for anyone looking to navigate significant career transitions and thrive in competitive industries. By leveraging her diverse educational background and embracing her passion for storytelling, Zhou has carved out a niche in the Chinese entertainment landscape, paving the way for future success and industry innovation.

For more inspiring stories and transformative insights, subscribe to Chief Change Officer on LinkedIn, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Transcript

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[Vince Chen]

Hi everyone. Welcome to our show. Chief Change Officer. I'm Vince Chen, your ambitious human host. Our show is a modernist humility for change. Progressives in organizational and human transformation from around the world. In today's episode I'm Thrilled to interview Jin Zhou, a TV and filmmaker from China. Filmmaking is a multi billion dollar industry that relies on the art and business of storytelling. And for a show that shares stories from characters all around the world, how could I not feature someone who has mastered the craft of telling profitable stories? Jin's journey is nothing short of remarkable. From a small town girl to a sociology major, she later transitioned into accounting and even moved to the US to work as an accountant. But that wasn't the end. She went deeper into the business world earning an MBA from Chicago. Bull, an honorable private took her into venture capital and then back to China where she built her network and credentials from scratch in the entertainment industry. Jin has written books, scripts and produced both movies and TV series. How did she achieve all this? And more importantly, why? It all started with a simple childhood dream which is a love for TV series. That passion transformed into a devoted career. Let's listen to the story of a storyteller.

[Host]

My name is Jingzhou and I start I stayed in a small town in China until 18 years old and for college I went to Shanghai. I studied sociology and when I was a junior I transferred to Indiana University, Bloomington in America and picking up accounting and finance as my second and third majors. And after my graduation I became a financial analyst in the engine manufacturing company called Cummins and I did the financial analyst work for three years and went to Chicago booth for my MBA and during my MBA I did some venture capital internship including in SQL Capital, China, Innovation Works and Capital Today and after my graduation of MBA I went to a pre IPO company called IReader Technology. It's a digital reading company and I was in charge of strategic investment. Meanwhile I was rotating among several business departments overseeing app product design operations, writer relationship and copyright sales. In 2019 I started my own company called Wind Entertainment is my current company. First we incubated writers and later on we several best novel awards. In 2020 we entered drama series area and wrote our first script which was released last year on four TV stations in China and distributed to more than 30 countries. The name is the Starry Love. Every year we have two to three projects under development right now and we will start our first movie in a quarter and it's about gambling and crime. Above is a listing of my transitions. So when I look back I figured I never planned all these because I just couldn't plan from a financial analyst in the engine manufacturing company to a producer.

[Vince Chen]

Tell us how you made through this transition.

[Host]

I got into sociology in Shanghai and first I just didn't Know what I should deal with. So when I picked up accounting and finance as my second and third majors, I figured one day I need to know more about business, know more about entrepreneurs. I choose to intern in all these venture capitals in China. I wanted to know how the entrepreneurs what they are thinking about every day and how they run a business. Because I have a goal to start my own business one day. So in my family we have a travel company and also running a medical company. So that's how we have such a tradition. So I formed this kind of goal when I was very young. So in Chicago booth I set a framework for the business analysis and the accounting and the finance helped me understand the business knowledge. And through the venture capital, I learned how entrepreneurs how they swim in competitive world and how they run their companies. So this is a foundation set up for my future plan. Later on, I find that sociology helped me open my world to the world and also know more about people. So the help of the sociologists, the business world is finally a world between people and people. The understanding on the social mind and thoughts will finally help understand the rules in the business world and the essence of the business. And the second help of sociology for me right now is designing, choosing story tests the maturity and the insight of the producer, especially on her knowledge of the society and the human heart. So it's actually a lot of help. That's what I didn't figure out before, but I really appreciate it now.

[Vince Chen]

Despite your passion for TV series, how did you build your track record? How did you grow your network in the entertainment industry and eventually launch your first TV series?

[Host]

When I was very young, like 6 or 7 years old, the TV programming always broadcast to 10pm in the night, But I was forced to go to bed at 9pm so that program is the early impulse for the decision to finally become a producer. So in 2018, after I watched a TV series called Ashes of Love, I feel like it's just the best thing in the world to do such a project and once in life we need to try. So I looked for the producer of that drama crazily and I applied my writer resources and I kept showing my passion. So I convinced him to be the co producer of the sequel to the Ashes of Love. The sequel is called the Stereo Love and that was the one that was released last year on four TV stations and distributed to 30 countries. I was their co producer in the content area of that sequel. So through this project I built my network and I accumulated my reputation as the co producer in terms of Convincing business partners. I think the first thing is you really need to have previous projects or previous relevant experience. And you need to have splendid scripts on your hand and you need to have a detailed development plan, distribution plan and of course potential great directors and actors. So that's how we can accomplish this.

[Vince Chen]

It's the classic chicken and egg dilemma. From your experience, how did you overcome this challenge to take that crucial first step? How did you gain recognition early on so as to build momentum and eventually move up and accelerate your career?

[Host]

I think the first thing is definitely you need to first establish some connection with this industry. This is a must. But it doesn't mean that you need to work three or five years in the industry to prove that you have the experience. Like for example, in my cases, I only worked in upstream chain of this entertainment industry. I worked in Arida technology. That company is not an entertainment company or it's not a drama series, movie company or producing company. But that company has a lot of connection with the copyrights. So that's how I entered entertainment industry, from the resources. Because I got connected with a lot of writers and the writers later on they become a very key resource in the producing. In this area, I think I have a business analytical framework to analyze all problems. So in this industry, after taking a close look, you will figure out that the most the core thing is accountant. So from the very beginning I focus on the accountant side and I communicate with writers, which I didn't do that a lot 10 years ago, but I started and I learned to communicate with all the creators, the writers, directors, actors. I tried to understand how to, how to make the content look best. So that's the first thing. And the secondly, I know the business language, the entertainment industry, the TV drama or the movie, it's a very capital intensive industry. So on the producing side, on the business side, you need to manage the business by managing cash flow and managing all the numbers on your balance sheet or on your four forms. Because I come from the business background, I can translate all these elements into all tools that I need to use. So I am aware of all the risks and all the opportunities.

[Vince Chen]

Absolutely, yes.

[Host]

After you establish connection with the industry, you may take the risk to do a whole project to show that you will have further experience. But that step is definitely very hard. But you can focus on the key of the projects. So the key in the producing projects is content. We all agree that content is the most important element in the trends if you spend a lot of time in the content. For example, I spent a year Writing the book, the light of the story so I analyzed many elements in the story. I figured out some ways to draft a great story, and that's the resources and that's the the skills that investors would value in the entire chain.

[Vince Chen]

From what I've gathered, there's no such thing as pure luck or magic behind success in today's social media driven world where people make overnight success seem real. But the truth is, every success story is built on a lot of groundwork. You shared how writing a book became a learning journey for you. Similarly, it's about getting closer to the right circles, meeting relevant people, learning from them, letting them get to know you, and fostering relationships. That's how opportunities start to align with your interests. Even if the first step is more like taking an unpaid job, it gets you in the door and builds momentum. But I remember you mentioning that when you decided to leave your previous job to pursue your passion for tv, the industry wasn't exactly booming. It was already facing challenges. And then Covid hit making things even harder. Yet you still took that leap, perhaps partly for educational purposes. So I'm curious, what was the state of the TV industry in China when you decided to make that transition? How did the pandemic reshape things and what's happening now in the industry?

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10 years ago everybody was looking at this industry and people from all kinds of industries they wanted to come here to make quick money and speculators on how money they actually in the past 10 years they gradually left this industry at the beginning of 80 drama TV projects. It's really hard to get money right now and we have micro drama series impacting our industry the situation, it's just hard. But the good thing is the technology and the content. The bar is getting higher and higher and the audience demands more and more and they are willing to pay more. So therefore there are more and more great projects right now. If there are people still in our industry, they are just people who really love this industry. They love a great work and they have passion for great projects. The best writers and best projects, they make more money than ever before. I will just say for quality creators, they are getting better.

[Vince Chen]

So you were saying there was a flood of hot money, short term, speculative, opportunistic investment driving the entertainment industry 10 years ago. Then came the rise of social media and the Internet which opened the floodgates to content of all kinds. With that surge, naturally came a lot of junk, low quality and poorly produced material that overwhelmed the industry. You mentioned something interesting. Micro drama series. This format seems to have gained traction in China. What exactly is a micro drama series in the Chinese context? How does it differ from traditional format and what's driving its popularity?

[Host]

It's like one made for one episode. There are like 100 episodes for an entire series. It will be circulated among many people and they can watch the first three or 10 episodes for free. But for the 11th one they need to pay. And people pay a lot on this kind of series.

[Vince Chen]

So you're saying that these micro drama series are essentially a volume driven strategy by tech companies. They invest in creating content such as hiring writers to craft stories and shooting short series. The initial episodes are free, drawing in viewers and once the audience is hooked, they introduce a paywall starting around episode 11. It sounds like a clever subscription model. And I imagine they also monetize through advertisements. Your industry in the Chinese context is people focused and people driven. Engaging with so many different parties is essential to getting things done. But in the US for example, the launch of OpenAI and other AI driven tech companies, industries like media, news and Hollywood have felt significant ripple effects. We've seen things like strikes in Hollywood over concerns about job losses, with AI potentially replacing roles like script writers, producers and others in the production process. What about China? AI is a hot topic there in your industry. Have you seen AI being integrated yet? Or maybe it's already causing some tension or discussions about its potential impact compared with us.

[Host]

China is still at the very early stage of applying AI, but I know it's very helpful for the post production. It will generate higher efficiency in some special effects for the movies and TV dramas. It's getting cheaper and getting more efficient. However, I think it's the impact on the writing on the screenplay is very limited because scripts are tailored arts and the essence of the content is beating expectations. But AI is The summary of past material. So the results of many AI projects are like a kind of Wikipedia introduction outlines. It has great discrepancies with fully developed script. So if a writer submits the work as is, the script with this quality might not be purchased. I think in China people are not quite worried about this at this moment.

[Vince Chen]

Speaking of AI versus Human, I have to bring up your book Light or Story is in Chinese, not yet available in English, but is more than a guide on how to tell stories in TV and film. It's also about using stories to create both commercial and social impact. One phrase from the book really stood out to me. Translated into English, it says human nature remains unchanged, but people's hearts are changing. That feels so true and philosophical, perhaps influenced by your sociology background. So given your understanding of the past and the future of the entertainment industry in China, what are some of your future plans for your company?

[Host]

For the next two to three years we are planning on several runners. So the first runner we will be developing will be in the social issues and social topics and focusing on small figures and their comic and tragic experience. And small figures with inciting incidents to perform add character art to generate themes in social mind and human nature. For example, mentally harmed people when they hurt other people, whether they are guilty or not, with family and friends if they have secrets, whether they could be forgiven. So we hope to dig into people's reflection and showcase ethics in human relationship. This is our first roundup. The second track is continuing focusing on the love sector. Ancient Love and Modern love China has very extensive and profound culture. It will make the ancient love topic more extreme in the background in the history for the modern love. It will showcase under the fast growing economy the fairness and freedom of the love relationship. It fills audiences with trust and aspiration for love and good life. To note that the derivatives of ancient love stories are always the best sellers. So they will have diary books, eyeshadows, live concerts and those things make more money than the drama project itself. Right now. The third direction is about feel good shows. It's about individuals dreaming big. It records stories on how the protagonist strives for success. For example, a farmer takes a small workshop to ipo. A nobody intern becomes somebody in the end it's more about the entrepreneurship, spirit and tenacity. And this will encourage audience to face obstacles positively. And it's always a necessity in the market. And we are mostly focusing on these three areas in the following years.

[Vince Chen]

Thank you so much for joining us today. If you like what you heard, don't forget, subscribe, to our show. Leave us top rated reviews. Check out our website and follow me on social media. I'm Vin, your ambitious human host. Until next time, take care.

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