Comment: The days of escaping the perfect idol

Source: China Youth Daily

It is also singing. Tan Shanshan, 25, wants to sing as a real "person".

She once provided sound and movements for a virtual digital idol. Now, she and the popularity of the market are related to the market and face the audience with a real image.

This choice is costly.

Tan Shanshan lost his flawless appearance, professional team and unable to count, and was laughed at his appearance and questioned.

But she insisted that "leaving 'leather cases' and traffic are the beginning of real life."

Not long ago, she performed on stage.When she was a virtual idol, she lived on the Internet, and the audience she saw was the "barrage" passing by the screen.This time, she could clearly see the shiny teeth of people under the stage.

Scan a product, and then optimize it

In the impression of Tan Shanshan, the "distortion" behind the virtual idol is comprehensive. More precisely, virtual idols are artificially created characters.It is closer to the "project" than people.

The two -dimensional image created by digital technology is the "leather case" of this character; Tan Shanshan is the "man" given the character sound and movement.Operating, venue, art, modeling, editing and many other staff to operate this role together, it also needs to be evaluated and optimized in time.

The virtual idol group served by Tan Shanshan is the "top flow" of this field, consisting of 5 girls with different images."They" have participated in the Winter Olympics theme concert and sang songs written by Fang Wenshan, a well -known term author in Taiwan. In 2021, the online broadcast of only network created a "gift" revenue worth 24 million yuan.The professional team will wipe out the appearance of the "people in the middle" such as Tan Shanshan, edit their character, and use live broadcast to closer their distance from the audience to make fans like it.

The content of the live broadcast is carefully designed, and the real and fiction is reconstructed proportionally.Two -dimensional girls on the screen will talk about new pets, dinner and movies.Tan Shanshan remembers that the name of the pet is true, but dinner is usually not.Even if she eats food, she can only be said to be a "friend" experience in order to avoid her identity.Tan Shanshan talked about two newly released films. In order to accumulate live materials, she spent half a day watching.

At night, the operating team will guide these "people in the middle" sensation and say something "heart -hearted", because "users are easy to be sad at this time."

The company's ideal situation is that virtual idols can maintain mystery and prevent fans from realizing the existence of real people behind.Most friends in Tan Shanshan do not know what she does.She and her colleagues went out for dinner and rarely sat in the hall.Because of her distinctive voice characteristics, the agent always reminded her "a little bit".

The "custom" idols on these screens should be debugged according to user feedback every other time.As long as the code is entered, the hair can be long, and the waist circumference can be reduced.The person behind the idol must also face the evaluation system. Tan Shanshan remembers that the company's plan will evaluate her, just like scanning a product, and then getting optimization opinions:

"Poor performance of true feelings" means that I can't cry when I cry.

"The scale is not natural" means that the real life and fictional content in her live broadcast are not balanced.

In the past, Tan Shanshan and colleagues were generally broadcast live at night, and the longest time was 4 hours.Before the live broadcast, they will rehearse many times, and after the end, the live broadcast effect is required.The two -dimensional girls on the screen seem to be randomly talked about, chatting games, and playing with skirts. Each move was born in the character setting.

Outside the screen, in the closed room, Tan Shanshan and colleagues wore action capture equipment, received the instructions of the staff with the headset, quickly executed, the camera was connected to the computer, they moved, and the virtual image on the screen moved.

In the past live broadcast, Tan Shanshan will open with a sweet voice to introduce his place.The city name is virtual, and the character of the character is also virtual.

"Real idols only exist on the stage and have a strong sense of distance, and virtual idols can really accompany me." Said Liu Le, a fan of Tan Shan Shan.At that time, Liu Le spent 10 hours a week with the "her" played by Tan Shanshan."She" will interact with Liu Le and other fans through live broadcasts. Some fans have a difficult work through the barrage. She will comfort and talk about the life of riding an electric car to get off work.

Liu Le remembered that once, the "her" peripheral products were sold online. At the moment of the end of the countdown, he clicked on the purchase link to see the system prompt of "18,000 copies of the sold".

"My mother knows that I am through the official video account"

After leaving the virtual idol for 1 year, Tan Shanshan sometimes woke up at three or four in the morning, and then insomnia for a long time.She believes that her body still maintains the inertia of the past."The moment I fell asleep, I felt that I was still working, but I was too tired to rest for a while.

Tan Shanshan has always been eager to be seen. In the five or sixth grades of elementary school, she took her partner to dance Korean women's group dance at the door of the supermarket.In college, she studied popular music singing, often hosted the school's literary performances, and participated in the song and dance competition and animation exhibition.She said that she was "crazy", once wearing pajamas, shaking red hair, and dancing downstairs in teaching.

In 2020, Tan Shanshan delivered resumes to many acting positions. In addition to receiving the hire notification of the virtual idol "people", she also passed an interview with a "national style female idol" performing arts team.The family and friends advised her to choose the "big factory" of the Internet, "it sounds formal than those small performing arts companies."She also believes that she is about to appear on a larger stage.

Tan Shanshan feels that he is considered lucky by many people: a student of a second college in Zhoukou, Henan, entered the Internet "big factory" as soon as he graduated and became a top idol.

But she also knew that traffic, wealth, and even the favorite two -dimensional girls did not belong to her. She was only part of the entire project, similar to technical equipment.

The virtual world is also supported by the rules of reality. Tan Shanshan should drive the emotions of the audience when working, and respond to the problem of the barrage as much as possible and connect the "stalk" thrown by netizens.If the device suddenly occurs, the two -dimensional image in the screen deforms, she should put the deformed back behind her.During the live broadcast, she was standing most of the time, and she should pay attention to preventing light -character underwear also has a corresponding computer model.

Tan Shanshan imitated the character tone of the Disney cartoons and found that there is a sense of distance from the audience.She also refer to the reference idol, benchmarking the "neutral style" star artist.

Each virtual idol has the setting of primitive characters. The "she" played by Tan Shanshan is "cool handsome" and "high cold". The shape does not highlight the gender characteristics.She said that the role of the inside of the circle is called "yin horn", and "just don't like to express herself."

In fact, the real Tan Shanshan's voice is thin and sweet, and the personality is not only "high -cold" but also "sticky".In order to fit the person, she deliberately spoke in the live broadcast and deliberately lowered the voice.

In the "awkwardness" of self and characters for a long time, the number of characters played by Tan Shanshan is the least in the group. She is very stressful, physical and mental, and often shows unconfident.The news of receiving a friend will reply for a long time, "My mother knows that I have passed the official video account."She recalled that the live broadcast consumed her emotions, and it took a few hours to return to calm after the broadcast, "even the strength of typing."

Now thinking about all this, she said with a certain mockery, "I really have become a corner."

Take a few hours to learn, and then forget

In May 2021, Tan Shanshan asked for leave to return to school to prepare for graduation.At the end of the performance, the schoolmates and sisters have sent blessings.They did not know that her work is now "circled" by her reality stage.

When packing the dormitory, Tan Shanshan turned out the hand card and program list used to host the event when reading, and participated in the prizes and certificates of the song and dance competition.On a handwritten song list, there is a series of "positive" characters behind the song name, marking the number of times her practice.

These specific records, Tan Shanshan took a photo with his mobile phone and told himself: "I am also a very good person." When returning to work, she no longer deliberately pretended to be "deep"Instead, try to show his true voice and personality. The effect is good." Cold and inside the inside "has become her" cute point "that attracts fans.

In order to make the "leather case" more fit with the real person, Tan Shanshan suggested that the virtual image adds her habitual expression, such as crooked mouth.

Some fans who were interviewed said that Tan Shanshan played the most "two -dimensional" role, but "a strong sense of truth."Compared with other members, she is always "not so obedient."Some fans recalled that in the Live broadcast of the Qixi Festival, in order to create a private atmosphere, the names used by other members and the audience were "you", and only the role played by Tan Shanshan still called "you".

Popularity and traffic gradually began to care for her.The birthday meeting of 2021, the virtual character played by Tan Shanshan gained 12,000 "captain" (Bilibili video website recharge and reward digital gifts, a "captain" priced at 138 yuan -reporter's note), became the note), became the note), became the note), became the note), became the note), and became the note).The fourth "Wan Ship" anchor on station B.After ending the live broadcast, she and the staff were excited to cry together.

Tan Shanshan contributed to the most popular singing video named red high heels, with more than 8 million playback volume.

She must know that these "love" did not completely belong to her.The letters and gifts sent by fans have no right to save, and she can only take pictures secretly.When the performance is successful, the colleagues will applaud her from the capture room, and the operator will embrace her.But those celebrated words are all the names of virtual idols. "Everyone knows, this is for the project."

But she depends on the praise and encouragement of fans."I found the beautiful me in their eyes. It turned out that I was quite cute. It turned out that I was so handsome." Tan Shanshan often looked at the fans' comments, the negative content of the screenshot, and also took the number of private messages to scold her by multiplying.With 10, do the corresponding number of sit -ups.

She ordered the fans' personal homepage to see what kind of song they like, and learn to sing by herself.Seeing the character picture of the fan, she saved it to the album.She also secretly purchased the peripheral products of that character.

At the same time, Tan Shanshan also witnessed that someone wrote a long text the day before, "confessing" her, and fell in love with new idols."This kind of enthusiasm will soon be projected on the next person. They rely on constantly changing idols to get fresh."

She knows that she is part of the product, and accepting the essence of fans to "see different thinking" is "consumer purchase emotional value".These fans will also like other virtual anchors on station B (personal operation account, generally 2D image, only need facial capture -reporter's note)., Wear exposed clothing.

In order to keep the audience's love, Tan Shanshan and colleagues need to live high -frequency live broadcast and continue to launch new programs.She often spent a few hours to learn a dance for the live program, and then immediately forgot, "like an assembly line."

She is getting busy, and she wants to go to the concert, so she grabbed the ticket and a "psychological comfort".She had acute pharyngitis and damaged vocal cords. She couldn't say a word after the broadcast.Not only her, the busiest time, the programmer in the team pulled the bed to the computer equipment.

Tan Shanshan is also increasingly unable to find the significance of work. Those who worked hard to get the traffic data became new shackles and brought her endless competitive pressure.

As a student, she wrote "I want to work happily ... I can see the sky in the sky" in her diary, and there are many photos of clouds in the album.

"There is no sky in the catcher room." Tan Shanshan said that the black curtains were closed and the real life was hidden behind the scenes.Most of the time, she was rehearsed or practiced in the interior. Generally, she went out to buy coffee to "renew her life", or rushed to the next rehearsal location.She is no longer in the mood to watch the sky.

In the Spring Festival in 2022, Tan Shanshan did not go home to celebrate the New Year, but practiced dancing in the dance room.In the next month, her face, thighs, and arms were scratched with passive arrest equipment.She showed photos to reporters, but she never sent these pictures to the public platform.She wrote overtime and injured in a private account dynamics with a number of fans 0.

Subsequently, Tan Shanshan and the company did not reach an agreement on the new contract.Some fans picked up her social account and saw her "injury", "overtime" and "insomnia" experience, and once tried to help her "protect their rights" through the Internet.On May 14th of this year, Tan Shanshan and the company terminated the contract in advance.The company announced the "dormant" of her virtual role, and the group poster withdrew the two -dimensional image.

This year, the company launched a new member. Like the "her" played by Tan Shanshan in the past, she smiled and read the barrage in the live broadcast, and smiled very "standards".

In the field of virtual idols, "people in the middle" are not uncommon.Known as the virtual idol circle "the Emperor of the Emperor" and the Japanese virtual idol "stumbling love", it is also due to the "people in the middle" and the company's disputes, and eventually enter the dormant.After leaving, some "people" choose "reincarnation", that is, playing new virtual characters, and some choose to disappear.According to statistics, the average life expectancy of virtual anchors is only 2-3 years.

Tan Shanshan who resigned is inseparable from the stage.She was a live broadcast and held a concert for the first time.Her Weibo account sent a personal photo for the first time.When she lived, she also spoke swearing, and she announced the romance and broke up quickly.

She is getting closer to a flawed ordinary person, and the slightly different thing is that she is still inseparable from those gaze eyes.

"We can create her"

More than a year ago, Liu Le participated in the virtual idol "rights protection" incident. He was also the administrator of Douban.com's character fan group.

The fan war caused by Tan Shanshan's resignation has affected the popularity of other virtual idols in the team, and their fans are very dissatisfied.Liu Le was accepted Tan Shanshan out of the "leather case", but in private, she hoped that she would not open her personal live broadcast immediately, hiding on the limelight, and not misunderstood "intentionally dismantling the team."

But Tan Shanshan still opened a live broadcast. Although she did not show her face, she was still pouring into the live broadcast room, and some people made her real -life photo in the comment area into an emoji package.Liu Le clicked and exited, and never watched it again.

"She knew that she would be scolded, but she couldn't let it go, and she wanted to get the likes of others." Liu Le is difficult to accept extreme opposition between fans and fans.Someone praised his idols, and turned his head to scold Tan Shanshan in the dirtiest words.Liu Le also looked uncomfortable.

He is very clear that what he likes has always been the perfect virtual idol, not Tan Shanshan, who is as disadvantaged as ordinary people.In the past, he felt lonely or unhappy, just look at the live broadcast of that virtual image, without following the rules of "rice circle", and no need to worry about the idol collapse of the house. "She can only show the best side."

In addition, Liu Le also enjoyed the process of participating in the growth of virtual idols, such as witnessing that a platform fans rose from 2000 to 500,000, such as the popularity from the bottom of the group to being recognized.

Leaving that "growth script", Liu Le admits that "filter is broken"."Singing and dancing is more better than her, and she looks more better than her."

Seeing the real Tan Shanshan under the "leather case", some people said that the contrast with her imagination was too great, and she changed from love to disgust.Wei Xuan was a college student of computer. When Tan Shanshan first left, he wrote a program script for her, blocking the words and pictures of her personal attack on the webpage.

In the past, Wei Xuan never thought of the difference between "people in the middle" and virtual characters. "The sense of boundary is not so strong."Later, Tan Shanshan opened a paid fan base on Weibo and was criticized for "love money". Tan Shanshan explained that it was wrong.In order to help Tan Shanshan, Wei Pan query through technical means and found that she had adjusted the amount of entry to 200 yuan by herself.

Wei Xun couldn't accept it, "there is no truth in her mouth."

Tan Shanshan explained that Jianqun was indeed slippery, and the amount of entering the group was also comes with Weibo.After finding an error, she sent a red envelope to the fans who entered the group and returned the money and dissolved the group."He has his opinion on me, and I can't interfere. But even if I really build a group, it is reasonable and legal."

Although I don't like Tan Shanshan, Wei Xuan still couldn't let go of the original virtual role.Later, he had a girlfriend and thought of another perfect "her" when he was "dissatisfied with her".

Now, there are fans who miss the virtual character. They use ChatGPT to train a text -to -voice model based on the corpus of the virtual character in the past live broadcast, trying to "resurrect" the role.

Some people continue to support Tan Shanshan, who shows their true appearance.A fan is only one month older than Tan Shanshan, but claims to be "Mom Pink".He claimed that in the lonely time of studying abroad, the virtual character accompanied him, he was grateful.Now he has no requirements for Tan Shanshan's future career, and only hopes that she can be happy and do what she wants to do.

There is also a high school student who is allegedly depressed, treating Tan Shanshan as a sister.He said that because there was no friend in life because of the suspension, he would tell her the most privacy distress. He was cured by listening to her singing. "It seems that most of the memory in life is related to her."

Tan Shanshan has not so good -looking photos. Some fans will help her in the comment area. In order to make her happy, she can boast her beautiful look.

Tan Shanshan relying on the attention and love of others, and also endured the other side of this relationship.

More than a year ago, before and after she left, someone found her phone, address, social software account, and even half of the photos in the software repair software.Someone used Alipay to give her 1 point of money to show her humiliation, and some even followed her to the elevator.

In order to get rid of the harassment call, Tan Shanshan held a new mobile phone card and received a text message just as soon as he used it: "Change the phone number, baby, this is also found by me."

"In the Internet era, everyone can be detectives and Judge Cyber." On a social platform for discussing Tan Shanshan's private life, a comment wrote.

Life is not to accumulate materials, but to be a happy person

Knowing that he was "stared", Tan Shanshan would still do something "not so smart."She likes cartoons Qiqi and Titi: The rescue commando, the protagonist said: "If because of fear of taking risks and fear of going the wrong way, I dare not do anything, this is the biggest risk."

In August last year, Tan Shanshan posted personal photos on Weibo for the first time, and did not repair the picture.Because it was shot by backlight, her eye makeup looked dark.Compared with the virtual "leather case", her skin is dark, her body is not thin, she has muscles. When she smiles, the apple muscles are rising and very friendly.

She was "black" therefore."I don't want fans to have too much expectations for me." She explained, "Some people think that I should have a halo because my last profession is an idol." She loves to wear fluorescent green socks and is laughed at;Also laughed at.She doesn't disgust because of this: "I am an ordinary person in my life, just lazy, bad aesthetics, and not good -looking. Girls are not papermakers in the second dimension."

She has a distinctive voice, and has received suggestions from friends in the industry, don't show her face, "fans need fantasy."But she feels too tired, she has no energy to create fantasy with her skills, and she is afraid to "lose herself" completely.

After the personal account was dug out, her B station account quickly rose more than 100,000 fans, and she reached 200,000 after leaving.In order not to be found, she changed her nickname many times.She was expected that real people debuted and became big stars, "hand torn" a former company.But she knew that her strength was limited, and her body and mind did not fully recover. "I can't bear so much attention and expectation."

In the "Public Opinion Vortex", it is difficult for her to fully control her life and still rely on "love".

Now, Tan Shanshan will sit on the sofa for 1 hour every day at noon, chatting with fans while eating.The topic is boundless, from the thoughts of insomnia, the newly bought clothes, to the embarrassment during fitness.

Under the lens, she keeps her posture and smile. She will close her eyes and smell it when she eats, and she will shake her body slightly.Before the broadcast, she would tell the fan lunch break intimately and kissed her mouth.

Almost every day, Tan Shanshan will randomly reply to some fans' private messages. Because of the offline performances, she can say where many people come from, what little things in her life, and what songs have been recommendedEssence

In April this year, Tan Shanshan was exposed to fans in love with "List One" (the most gift) fans.This incident caused huge controversy. Many people accused her of "love money" and no longer paid attention to her.In panic, Tan Shanlshan lied to say that he was a blind date with a boy, and repeatedly emphasized that fans were more important.Later, her boyfriend and fans contradicted that she broke up with her boyfriend more than a week later.

Tan Shanshan explained the behavior at the time, saying that he was too fragile and "what needs to be caught."The other family's family conditions were good, and the family advised her to give up the fans to "live with that man."My boyfriend also hopes that she will retreat, "I can afford you if you don't work."Fans who leave also think that it is the optimal solution without breaking up.

"But if you must choose one between your boyfriend and fans, fans are more important." She announced breaking up with her boyfriend.

When she can't sleep, she will turn over the fans' private messages, and she will take leave with fans when she is not broadcast.Most fans do not want her to sign the company again, "they are afraid of being a grass platform."

Her fans have more after 00, expressing their feelings straightforward and passively.Some fans sent her private message, "My emotions make me very painful, I want to monopolize you."There are also fans who like to tease her in a yellow paragraph in the live broadcast and watch her blush.She said, they expressed their favorite ways like"Primary school boys", "I want to build a closer relationship with me."

After the current live broadcast, fans will still give her reward, and her economic situation is still stable.

The mother had persuaded her to take the qualification certificate for the teacher, and then she knocked on the side and suggested that she take the exam or postgraduate entrance examination.A friend introduced her part -time job and served as an interim actor at a long exhibition for 200 yuan.She used the best cosmetics, bought new clothes of 500 yuan, and took a taxi venue.At that time, the stage was very simple, and no audience knew her, but she said that she was very happy. "Only standing on the stage is the most free."

She prepares an offline concert alone and does not accept tickets. One person is responsible for programming, venue communication, and clothing shapes. The day before the performance is still receiving props express delivery.Calculated, she spent 150,000 to 200,000 yuan for the performance.Family and friends said that it is better to pay the house to pay the first payment.

But Tan Shanshan thinks it is worth it.In the background lounge, she saw the walls on the wall full of singers and band programs who came here, among them well -known artists.She never thought that she could stand here and feel the temperature of the spotlight.

On the stage, the real sound waves and shouts came over.The fans shouted "I love you", and she immediately picked up "I love you".The fans shouted again, she took it again, and the same words were thrown away.

She couldn't help thinking of the past. Through the screen and "leather case" interaction with the fans, the network speed and equipment sensitivity limit the emotional revealing, "like across the river bank."Tan Shanshan was used to the delay of 5-8 seconds during the live broadcast. She would think about what to say during this time, "All the words I say are to let them respond."Her virtual image has no expression of "crying" and will not cry.At the end of the real performance, Tan Shanshan cried.Someone coaxed her, some called her "small crying bag", and someone handed paper towels.

That performance brought the hope of Tan Shanshan, she wanted to regain her life and feel those subtle and beautiful moments.Now she is actively trying new things, such as learning to fight drums and paintings.On the way to class, she saw Qiuta yellow in the breeze, and the fruit of ginkgo was covered with the ground.As she shook slowly and leisurely, the sunset hit the white hair of the old man in the front.

She said: "The past life was for live material, and now to become a happy person."