Searching for a star

On the morning of Feb 10, I broadcast a livestream online from the Beijing Film Academy, focusing on the large number of applicants and the crowds that had gathered to watch them as they waited to take the school's entrance exam.

The belief that it's easy to become a film or pop star has become a hot topic in China, as evidenced by the upsurge in the number of young people applying to gain places on performing arts majors.

When I arrived at the campus, I was surprised to see many other members of the media were also streaming the event live, making sure they included lots of shots of the crowd.

Most of the fans appeared to have attended simply to catch a glimpse of their idol, Wang Junkai, an 18-year-old singer and performer in a band called TF Boys, which has had great success in the domestic market.

Wang, who has applied to study at the academy this year and took the entry test later in the day, wasn't the main focus of my broadcast: my mission was to dig into the reasons behind the rise in the number of young people hoping to follow their dreams of becoming movie or singing stars.

Once I started my live broadcast, the reason for the large crowd became apparent immediately - more than 90 percent of the people who contacted me online were only interested in Wang. They implored me to find him and provide lots of footage as he mingled with the other applicants.

In less than five minutes, the number of people watching my livestream had soared to 300,000, and by the end of the 20-minute broadcast, the number had hit more than 2 million.

Clips and footage provided by video news platforms usually attract 50,000 to 100,000 viewers, so my broadcast attracted a record audience for a China Daily broadcast. However, I cannot take any credit for that; instead, I attribute it to the power of the fans and the public's enthusiasm for stars.

The media reports on every aspect of stars' lives, including their work, incomes, lifestyles, love affairs and families. Thanks to the internet, these young people can gain huge fan bases very quickly, bringing them fame and fortune at an early age.

Influenced by this apparently effortless rise to the top, many people believe that it's easy to become a star and earn vast fortunes.

While that is true to a certain extent, not everyone is able to realize their dream.

I interviewed several students who had already taken the entry test. They were not shy at all - they spoke fluently and performed effortlessly and naturally in front of the camera.

When I asked why they wanted to be actors or actresses, most said they want to experience different lives by playing a range of characters.

I guess they are still too young to know that most people's lives are already tough, rich in incidents and long enough to experience almost every reality.

Many of the netizens who contacted me online asked about Wang's whereabouts and demanded to know why I wasn't searching for him.

Some viewers defended my actions by pointing out that I was conducting a live news broadcast about a social phenomenon, not a paparazzi video shoot.

In the end, I concluded my first live broadcast without having located Wang, although I must admit that I didn't try too hard to find him. Instead, I was more focused on interviewing regular students, their parents, teachers and campus officials who were attempting to identify potential casting choices.

My colleagues believe that the large number of people who viewed the livestream meant my broadcast was a huge success. However, I find it hard to accept that view, mostly because I don't know how many people watched the broadcast because they wanted to learn more about the "easy fame" phenomenon rather than simply hoping to see Wang. I just hope some of them enjoyed it.

Wang Junkai, a member of TF Boys, performs at the Beijing Film Academy.Provided To China Daily