Page 23 - CTI82_EN

C

“When I am in a peaceful 100 might be enough. But they suggest- I USED 41 DAYS TO FIGURE THIS OUT.
ed 500,” Lawrence recalls. On the first
The video was played over one million
mood, I am very happy day of sale, he held his phone tightly and times in two days, bringing tens of thou-
stared at the final sale, worried if he sands of new followers. Even many peers
to savor a cup of coffee, would let Saturnbird down. “At the end, voluntarily shared his video, making

instead of just drinking it.” all the badges sold out in five minutes. Lawrence feel very touched.
That was a big surprise to me.” From
At the very beginning, he hesitated
this experience, he learned the support between photography and music. Wish-
and behavior of his followers. “I thought ing to present good visuals and sound,
only those who often interacted with he finally chose music. Worried about
me would pay for the event. I prepared the suitability and difficulty of copy-
to stay close to them. I realize, however, righted music, he made a bold move this
99 percent of followers do not comment time: making an album himself. With 12
on every post and like every video. They years of band rehearsal and experience
just follow you silently. But when we of making music for Hennessy’s new-
have such a physical mark of friendship year ads last year, Lawrence, a dedicated
or we need to prove our intimacy, they travel vlog maker, convinced Saturnbird
will be there.” of his music DNA.
Since then, he carries on the Though the video is only 23 min-
self-media journey with firmer steps, utes and 27 seconds long, it actually
T his July, Lawrence Lue, a Ties Knot with Saturnbird urnbird to a stage of “growing together”. interpretation of 41 days as shown in its
involves over 100 hours of footage, a real
and evolves his cooperation with Sat-
for Three Years
slash youth adding indepen-
They jointly promote how to brew lyo-
title. As Lawrence said, he used his ex-
dent director, photographer
and voice actor to his cool Coffee has a humble role in Law- philized instant coffee, and engage more perience in producing reality television.
Two cameramen were invited to conduct
consumers into the environment-friend-
career jumble, embarked on his third rence’s daily routine. Maybe “mindful”, ly recycling campaign. Then, they start 4K filming with only two independent
summer of “we media”. Though his room- a phrase to describe men, can be applied to think about what other issues can cameras. With no microphones or hid-
mate and kitty-cat Xiaoqi took a jump to the drink as well. “When I am in a interpret tastes. den cameras, all the recorded people
ahead of him and became the first laurel peaceful mood, I am very happy to sa- Lawrence’s answer is music. He automatically forgot the existence of
holder of “BILIBILI POWER” [1] in their vor a cup of coffee, instead of just launched his album “Taste the Sound”, cameras, ensuring natural action with
place, Lawrence caught up in the very last drinking it.” He allows himself to have and explained his creation in the video no intentional performance.
month. His music video cooperating with a “cheating trip” to new cafes and es-
Saturnbird goes viral online with more cape from the buzzing life, meeting
views than his voice-over work I’M A CAT different baristas and enjoying a chat
AND I MAKE MY FIRST VLOG for Xiao- while waiting. More often, coffee is a
qi, getting listed as one of the top three “wake-up” dosage for him. Sometimes,
played videos on the Bilibili homepage. In his instinct drives him to buy a new cup.
the video, Lawrence’s reverie of coffee is “Starbucks, Luckin and whatever brand
woven into a pleasant lyric. can give me the ‘force’. I just want it to
For Internet-powered streaming be convenient.”
media, a heavier dependence from audi- In 2019, when the Saturnbird
ences has come with the epidemic. During carried the convenient cutely-canned
the boring days, even the information instant coffee to him, Lawrence build a
which used to trigger no interest becomes cooperative relationship with the brand.
“readable”. The slightly narrower gap be- Back then, he hadn’t shifted to full-time
tween audiences and self media takes video making yet, and was a producer
“unfamiliarity” away from creators, as for large TV programs in Tencent. With
video topics, filming sites and framing are fewer than 50,000 followers across so-
alike and cause aesthetic fatigue. Crossing cial media, he didn’t make a bold deci-
the boundary may be a way out, and the sion for the co-branded badge. “I sug-
video is a a handsome try by Lawrence. gested not making too many at first, and

24 25