Tan Guoqi, Staff Reporter; Li Sange and Liao Junpeng, Special Correspondents

Recently, the “YOUNG COLOR” Campus Female Idol Audition, co-hosted by Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Internet Radio and Television Station, caused a sensation throughout Sichuan. With its exciting competition format, the full support of a diverse array of celebrity guests, and the spectacular program production have unleashed a powerful entertainment tornado across the Southwest entertainment scene. This has completely transformed the image of the entire Southwest entertainment industry, brought about a qualitative leap in overall program quality, and propelled Southwest entertainment to new heights.

On the evening of December 15, 2016, the grand finale of the 2016 YOUNG COLOR Campus Female Idol Audition was held as scheduled. A reporter from this magazine decided to go and see for themselves, to experience the charm of all the contestants in Southwest China’s first original talent show—the “2016 YOUNG COLOR Campus Female Idol Audition”—and to witness this unprecedented entertainment extravaganza.

That evening, a reporter from this magazine accompanied relevant officials from the Department of Culture to the grand finale of the 2016 YOUNG COLOR Campus Female Idol Competition right on schedule. The venue was packed with people, and a comprehensive security team ensured the event ran smoothly. The contestants were outstanding representatives from major universities, competing in artistic performances on behalf of their own and other schools, along with numerous figures from various sectors of society and big names from the cultural, entertainment, and arts circles. The competition kicked off with the event’s theme song, “YOUNG COLOR,” and the contestants radiated youthful energy. Spanning three months, the competition selected 42 finalists from over 10,000 contestants at six of Sichuan’s most visually striking universities to form four teams. Each team showcased its artistic prowess through round after round of intense competition, drawing waves of applause and cheers from the nearly 1,000 spectators, The on-site atmosphere rivaled that of a concert by today’s top-tier singers. Each team’s dance routines were meticulously choreographed, blending creativity and technical skill. The celebrity mentors for each team also took the stage to cheer on their contestants with solid vocal performances and superb dance skills. The grand finale concluded to the singing of Mr. Li Xize, CEO of Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd., and the company’s vice presidents Zhang Jie and Yu Jiali. Family members, friends, and fans in the audience spontaneously stood up and applauded to express their respect and best wishes for the spectacular show. This grand finale of the “Young Color” Campus Female Idol Audition has revolutionized perceptions across the entire entertainment industry in Sichuan, creating a visual spectacle that epitomizes the province. After the show concluded, our reporter contacted Mr. Li Xize, CEO of Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd. This young chief director, with his extensive experience in the entertainment industry, is one of Sichuan’s leading figures in the field. Known within the industry as the mainland’s “Wang Weizhong,” he is hailed as the “godfather of variety shows.”

The next day, as scheduled, the reporter arrived at R&F Plaza, located on one side of Tianfu Square in downtown Chengdu. The headquarters of Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd. is on the 6th floor of the mall. The entire office environment was simple and elegant, yet still exuded a sense of grandeur. Mr. Li Xize and the company staff gave the reporter a warm welcome. Led personally by CEO Li Xize, the reporter and the delegation toured the company headquarters, including the performance hall, recording studio, and training room. All facilities necessary for the performing arts were well-maintained and fully equipped, with staff members showcasing their talents in their respective roles. The company’s employees are all highly qualified, well-educated professionals, including many responsible members of the post-90s generation. The overall office atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, and every employee appears both courteous and well-mannered. From a management perspective, this is a team that is managed with great rigor and order. After touring the headquarters, the reporter began an exclusive interview with CEO Li Xize.

Asia News Weekly:Mr. Li, after seeing the live broadcast of this grand finale and touring your company’s headquarters, we feel that your company not only has very professional management but also a highly skilled team. It’s clear that this is one of the few outstanding teams in the entertainment industry in the Southwest. Could you tell us a little more about your company?

Li Xize, CEO of Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd.:Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd. (chengducolttxentertainment) is the first entertainment company in Southwest China to integrate a pan-entertainment platform, traditional media broadcasting and promotion channels, and professional production and operations. Our company has established strategic partnerships with mainstream television media outlets, online platforms, entertainment companies, and arts universities both domestically and internationally. We boast the finest faculty in the Southwest for the new generation of talent, featuring top industry instructors from China and abroad, as well as renowned domestic artists serving as celebrity mentors to guide and support our performers.

Asia News Weekly:People in the industry often say, “President Li, you’re very young, yet you’ve been working hard in the entertainment industry for so many years. You’ve directed and participated in numerous large-scale events, such as the 2014 *China’s Got Talent* Chengdu regional competition, the 2016 “Super Girl” Sichuan Regional Competition, and serving as the executive director for the 2016 Campus Female Idol Selection Contest. So, what do you think sets this YOUNGCOLOR competition apart from previous talent shows held in Sichuan? Could you give us a brief introduction?

Li Xize, CEO of Chengdu Color Factor Co., Ltd.:Yes, in terms of age, people might think I’m quite young to be in a leadership role in this industry, but in terms of my time in show business, I’d say it’s been quite a while. I entered the entertainment industry before graduating from college, and since then I’ve been working in the entertainment and cultural sectors. Over the years, I’ve participated in numerous large-scale entertainment events in Sichuan and have been constantly learning from my mentors, but I still have many of my own ideas and insights regarding these programs and events. I hope to combine what I’ve learned with my own ideas about entertainment. Over the past few years, I’ve been constantly reflecting, learning, exploring, and improving. My mentors are all top-tier figures in the industry, both nationally and internationally, and they’ve all been guiding me. I’m very grateful for their guidance. I’ve always believed that by working diligently, and acting with sincerity—only by creating excellent work can we truly win people over. Over the years, we have consistently released music and video productions. As a result, our company has attracted the finest young musical talents from Southwest China to join us in building this venture, working hard together, and striving collectively for the advancement of China’s music and cultural industries. Since its founding, the company has introduced over 100 entertainment talents to the industry and provided more than 1,000 artistic talents to the Southwest’s entertainment and cultural sectors. Meanwhile, our talent placement rate within the industry stands at 120%, and we have supplied tens of thousands of entertainment professionals to numerous national satellite TV stations and major web portals. You all witnessed the “Campus Female Idol Grand Finale” in person. I believe it was a meticulously organized event with formal procedures, rigorous selection, and high standards. Everyone agreed that the performers and singers on stage were of a very high caliber, and the judges were top-tier national-level industry heavyweights. It truly would have been a shame to eliminate any of them, but it couldn’t be helped. After more than two months of competition, over 40 contestants made it to the Grand Finale. Ultimately, only 16 could be selected to represent Sichuan at the national level and join our “City Star-Making Program.” You all saw my final performance—I was moved to tears. In front of such a large audience, everyone—whether the 16 selected contestants or those who didn’t make the cut—was deeply moved. We hugged each other and cried together—it was deeply moving. Organizing such a large-scale event independently is truly difficult, but we pulled through. As the producer and executive director, I didn’t want any of them to be eliminated, but the selection process itself is inherently brutal—we had to uphold the criteria, standards, and principles, because they represent the pride of nearly 100 million people in Sichuan, and we hope to showcase the highest level of Sichuan’s entertainment industry to the nation. Throughout these past two months, hardly anyone on our team has had a full night’s sleep. But we all feel that the effort was worth it and very meaningful. We’re truly delighted that this competition has earned everyone’s recognition. Chengdu Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd. and Sichuan Internet Radio and Television Station will continue to produce this project every year to select more young musical talents for Sichuan and contribute to the province’s entertainment industry.

Asia News Weekly:Mr. Li, we can truly relate to what you just shared, and we’re delighted by your success. Some of the moments you described even moved us to tears. Your achievements are truly commendable. What kind of business does your company primarily engage in? Could you tell us a little about it?

Li Xize, CEO of Chengdu Color Factor Co., Ltd.:Our company does more than just organize these events. Our organizational structure is as follows: we have established and brought together numerous entertainment brands in Southwest China, such as the electronic music brand METRODJS, the video production brand KIWI, the graphic design agency BBS, and Da Sheng Gold Medal Entertainment—a hub for aspiring artists. Our business operations include artist training programs, the planning and execution of large-scale events, music production, video production, electronic music promotion, and other entertainment-related services. Our goal is to build a comprehensive entertainment platform where young people with dreams can realize their aspirations within our company.

Color Factor Entertainment Co., Ltd. primarily focuses on the development of entertainment talent. Our flagship agency, COLOYX, also offers customized artist development programs, aspiring artist incubation, trainee selection and placement, artist management, and large-scale entertainment industry partnerships. Our company aims to provide extensive venue and talent support for the entertainment and cultural sectors in Southwest China, including the filming and production of large-scale events, the provision and training of performing arts talent, and publicity and coverage of public welfare activities.

Asia News Weekly:President Li, you and your team have accomplished a great deal since the company was founded. How has the government and the relevant universities been supporting you?

Chengdu Color Factor Co., Ltd.:In this regard, it must be said that our company has received tremendous support from the government and all sectors of society throughout its development. I would like to take this opportunity, through the platform of *Asia News Weekly*, to express our company’s gratitude to the cultural departments of Sichuan Province and Chengdu, as well as the relevant government agencies, for their support. In addition, we would also like to thank the major art colleges and universities in Sichuan for their support of our company and for forming strategic partnerships with us. Through our official partnerships with these institutions to establish art talent training bases, we have created a new model for cultivating emerging artistic talent by jointly developing training programs for art students and building a collaborative platform.

As a leading entertainment company in Southwest China, we will vigorously develop the music and cultural industries in accordance with relevant central and provincial policies and requirements, produce a large number of outstanding musical works and nurture talented musicians, and strive to make a positive contribution to Sichuan’s cultural, artistic, and entertainment sectors.