A year and half ago, Chai left a steady job as the producer of the variety show Super Sunday to produce a new kind of "teen-idol" show, Meteor Garden. The media's reaction to her departure was less than favorable, with some even declaring disparagingly that she had crept away, her creativity sucked dry. But Chai remained indifferent to the criticism, secure in the knowledge that she had in fact left of her own volition.

"Over ten years in the entertainment world have made it clear to me that chance and creativity are the biggest factors in success," avers Chai. Recognizing that creativity endures but chance is fleeting, when opportunity knocked she took the bull by the horns, seizing that which could potentially take her life to the next level.

The glimmer of opportunity

Here's the scoop on how Angie Chai broke out of the variety show circuit to become a producer of TV dramas.

Her employer at the time was producing shows for the 9:30 p.m. slot on Wednesdays and Thursdays for Chinese Television System. As the shows were plagued by poor viewer ratings, CTS was in favor of canning them and allowing another company to produce new shows to replace them. Chai was asked to plead with the CTS director.

"You've had your chance. If ratings are continually low then it stands to reason we should let some other folks have a go at it," said the station director unsympathetically.

"Well, how about letting me personally produce a replacement program? I'm sure you all can trust me on this, right?" Chai exclaimed excitedly.

"Hmm, well if you're going to be in charge, then I'm sure there's nothing to be worried about," replied the director with a smile and then said no more.

Chai had figured that the director was merely being polite and was surprised when CTS's programs division called her up not long afterward to ask, "Why haven't we received your proposal for the new show?" Only then did she realize that her suggestion had indeed been taken on face value.

"Back then CTS's Wednesday program was a variety show, and Thursday was drama night. Someone else was covering the Wednesday show, so I had a chance to try my hand at something entirely new," she comments. Due to the confines of a busy schedule, she had no recourse but to step down from her position as the producer of Super Sunday.

Out of the ordinary

As Chai made her transition from variety shows to drama, many in the dog-eat-dog world of entertainment regarded her with interest, no doubt musing to themselves, "Just what kind of program is this variety show woman going to put on, anyhow?"

Chai states that her experience with variety shows helped her become finely attuned to the world of popular culture. By analyzing the overall composition of TV audiences in Taiwan at that time, she ascertained that adolescents comprises the largest viewing group; however, few shows were specifically targeted at this youthful audience. In addition, no new male teen-idol groups had emerged since the Little Tigers, forcing Taiwan teens to redirect their youthful affection to groups in Japan and Hong Kong.

As a result, devising a program for Taiwan youth and creating a new teen-idol group became the twin focal points of Chai's new production. She decided upon Meteor Garden, a Japanese comic that, in addition to possessing all the ingredients necessary to achieving her goals, was furthermore the most frequently rented book in Taiwan's book lending stores. After securing authorization from the Japanese owners, she adapted the script and found actors who were suited to portray the members of F4, the group of Adonises that are the show's main characters. With everything set to go, they began shooting right away.

"The story has to be believable, but you can take liberties with the setting. That's the appeal of TV drama," maintains Chai. With this in mind, she didn't bother to convert the Japanese names that the main characters had in the original comic, which provided an exotic tinge. The comic book feel was also preserved in the show's lighthearted style.

Switching entertainment genres gave her the advantage of a new perspective. Moreover, she could still rely on the contacts she had developed while working on variety shows. For instance, when a limited budget made developing original theme music impossible, she was able to call upon her old network of colleagues at a record company to obtain music free of charge, so long as she agreed to a reduced percentage on the soundtrack sales. At first the record company were cautious at Chai's unorthodox approach; but in the end the outstanding performance of the show and the soundtrack left both parties thoroughly satisfied.

Nevertheless, the unfamiliarity of TV drama provided its share of headaches.

Generally speaking, variety shows in Taiwan are generously financed for the first couple of shows in the hope of making a stir, thereby attracting a large audience. Afterwards, the budget is then gradually cut back. Chai had already settled on this kind of format; little did she realize that producing a TV drama was a whole new ball of wax-you simply can't start off strong for the first couple of episodes and then let things slide.

"We depleted almost half our total budget just making the first five episodes. In the end there was nothing I could do but pay the difference out of my own pocket, and console myself with the fact that I could always make some money by selling rights to the show overseas," she recalls. CTS had allotted NT$700,000 per episode, but Chai had to spend an average of NT$1 million.

"Making a teen-idol group show is about presenting an image," declares Chai. Her work philosophy consists of trying to create something that she would want to watch herself-ultimately people should be attempting to surpass themselves, otherwise what's the point of working so hard in the first place?

The price of success

For some, this kind of transition would be a hassle, but Chai has continued to reap benefits.

"I really dig this line of work, so I'm enthusiastic about everything," she says.

A graduate of Chinese Culture University's Drama Department, Chai's enthusiasm has brought her success, a step at a time. Her first job was as a scriptwriter for soft-core adult films. Later she joined a production company for which she was writer and executive producer for the variety show The Diamond Stage, and produced a host of other variety shows such as A Good Omen, Weekend Fireworks, Weekend Studio, and Super Sunday. Now manager of a teen-idol group and widely acknowledged as a first-rate producer, Chai epitomizes the experience of those in the TV industry who have climbed the ladder of success one rung at a time.

She believes that in the mercurial world of film and television, in addition to being enthusiastic, one must also constantly and ungrudgingly seek self-improvement. Without any how-to guides to refer to, one is therefore compelled to make use of one's imagination and powers of observation.

"I'm the kind of person who likes to have a good time, and for me, my work is just like playing video games. There are plenty of challenges to overcome, but you're having so much fun in the process that you just can't stop playing," she says, referring to the kind of mentality that allows her to find so much joy in her work. For instance, during the time that she was working on variety shows, in order to improve her ability to write clipped, witty dialogue, she went out and purchased the complete recordings of crosstalk comic dialogue masters, Wei Lung-hao and Wu Chao-nan. She listened to the recordings everyday and studied them assiduously.

"In addition to studying, I was able to crack up at the performance of these cross-talk masters," Chai says, fondly recalling the experience.

Looking back on things, there was a mix of hardship and pleasure. The joy derived from the sense of accomplishment in the finer points of the work, and the headaches were brought on by endless days and nights of labor, and by all the small nuisances and frustrations that surface in the workplace.

Chai is one of the few beauties behind the scenes, and in the male-controlled industries of film and television, sexual harassment is an obstacle that a beautiful woman cannot entirely avoid.

While producing variety shows, Chai experienced a brush with harassment. One of the station's male directors had taken a fancy to her, which at first manfested itself as late night telephone calls and unexpected visits to the film studio. One late night while she was still in the middle of a shoot, the director asked her to step outside to chat.

The two of them made their way over to Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, and in the darkness, Chai felt a creepy sensation settle over her. The director finally said, "Things between men and women needn't be so restrained. When there's something there, people ought to just go ahead and savor the moment."

The quick-witted Chai wanted to give him a severe tongue-lashing, but was worried about potential repercussions in the workplace, so, in a burst of inspiration she countered, "I take matters of love very seriously and am quite possessive! When I have my heart set on somebody, if I can't have him, than I would rather that we both die!"

Her comments struck fear into the heart of this Don Juan, and he didn't pursue matters further.

Nowadays, harassment within the workplace has subsided, only to be replaced by a new nuisance: the prying public, which has taken an interest in many facets of the beautiful producer's life, from her marital status, to her love life, to her financial habits. To be more specific, her picture has appeared in the tabloids just as frequently as the members of her teen-idol group. As far as the prying eye of the public is concerned, she says nonchalantly, "After all this time in the field, there's nothing new about any of it. Even more important than remaining cool in the face of public gossip and comments is that no matter what else you do, you have to be true to yourself."

Not just a flash in the pan

Many attribute Chai's successful transition to blind luck, regarding the rise of F4 as yet another flash in the pan. However, Nien Chang-yu, senior entertainment reporter for the United Daily News, feels that Chai's uncanny success is a result of "feminine grace, discretion and good judgement, and accurate information."

Chai holds that being acutely aware of the popular culture atmosphere and understanding the needs of youth are supremely important. For instance, in selecting actors for F4, she felt that acting skill was subordinate to star-like charisma and presence.

"A teen-idol group exists to satiate people's fantasies," she says. Accordingly, from the very get-go she established physical criteria for prospective F4 candidates: a minimum height requirement of 180 cm and exceptionally handsome features.

A peculiar aspect of Taiwan TV and film is the tendency to exploit new ideas to the point of exhaustion. Following the success of Meteor Garden, 50 teen-idol dramas have been filmed. "It's hard to blaze any new paths in the Chinese-language market with the teen-idol drama. I would like to be able to control a certain percentage of the market output; that way I could at least vouch for the quality of a certain amount of the shows," confides Chai. Her plan for the next year is to shoot over 200 hours of footage, which translates into at least ten shows.

"I'm not saying that my own shows are necessarily superior to others, it's just that sticking around in this business makes you develop a sense of mission. Just take a look at how in Korea the industry has the support of the entire state apparatus, and how rigorously they market their entertainment industry abroad. Things in Taiwan, on the other hand, look bleaker all the time," she observes. The filmmaking environment in Taiwan is such that even a 40-episode 8:00 p.m. serial has to begin slashing the budget within three months. Under such conditions, how can one make a decent show?

Accordingly, Chai feels that she has to take an active role in improving show quality, cultivating new directors and actors. To this end she channels her earnings into making new shows. "At any rate, I've been in the biz this long, so the thing to do is to keep at it. You've got to think of the big picture-first concentrate on quality, and the money will come in time," she says.

Now, Chai's sundry roles as TV show writer, director, producer, and manager of teen-idol actors have gradually crystallized into a composite career. What especially amazes people is that, after leading the male idol group F4 to fame, she has followed the model of the Japanese idol group Johnny's Studio and established a teen-idol incubator, Comic Kids, through which she can produce her own core of stars-to-be.

"The focus of Johnny's is on cultivating stars, whereas I'm more concerned with the show itself," avers Chai. Although many recording stars have appeared on the show, she's able to exert more control when she can handle developing a core of actors herself. As to whether playing the role of a manager causes her to spread herself too thin, it's not her major concern-she's even gone as far as to delegate part of the responsibility of managing F4 to other people.

Beauty is forever

Though she has a radiant appearance and finds pleasure in her work, during many excruciating nights as a superwoman producer she has shut the door, overwhelmed by self-doubt. Especially during the time when Meteor Garden was all the rage, every day was an endless stream of announcements and invitations. Severely sleep-deprived, Chai had thought to herself: as a worker behind the scenes, I'll never be any more famous than I am now, and besides, I really don't make as much money as people think, so what's the point of spending my youth slaving away like this?

Around that time she received a letter. A mother wrote in to thank her for producing Meteor Garden. This particular fan's autistic son had never spoken before, but when Meteor Garden appeared on TV each day he ecstatically called out the names of its stars.

"Even though his first utterance wasn't 'Mama,' it was as important to me as if it had been," read one part of the letter.

After Chai read the letter, all her self-doubt was dispelled instantly; it turned out after all that in this cold and desolate world, a person's work is nonetheless capable of bringing warmth to the hearts of others.

"Enthusiasm, 100% pure, unmitigated enthusiasm is my approach to work," says Chai. No matter what circumstances she encounters that may make her feel upset or ambivalent, she'll keep on smiling and being the beautiful, confident woman she is.

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Angie Chai, "TV's most beautiful director," was selected by the American periodical Business Week as a "Star of Asia" in the innovation category. The teen-idol show she produced, Meteor Garden, has become a hit throughout Asia, earning her both fame and fortune. (courtesy of Angie Chai)

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Angie Chai's (back row, far left) show Meteor Garden not only propelled the group F4 to fame, the series' sequel has earned the support of the well-known director Hou Hsiao-hsien (back row, second left). (photo by Chou Ching-hui)

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Angie Chai, who won Golden Bell Awards for best variety show three years in a row, has been known to make appearances on variety shows herself. Weekend Fireworks (above) and Get Rich Tonight (below) are two shows that were often graced by her presence. (top photo by Chung Hau-jih)

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Chai (third from left) established her own company. Its members are both young and vibrant, and standing in their midst, Chai takes on the appearance of "The Queen of the Children." (photo by Lien Chen-li)