Actors (from left) Li Chen, Lin Gengxin, Sheng Yilun and Zhao Lixin appear in Clash Bots.

For instance, in Clash Bots, though stars like actress Angelababy and actor Li Chen are featured, Chen says they are there only to introduce the audience to robot fighting.

"They do not get any special treatment.

"And while they may laugh and joke at first, just like in any other entertainment show, they have to become serious and display teamwork."

For his shows, he also likes expansive backdrops.

So, for Hot Blood Dance Crew, another reality show produced by him, featuring street dance, which went online on March 17, the production team set up a futuristic city neighborhood set in Shanghai.

And, in the pilot episode, given his penchant for treating celebrities like ordinary mortals, the four stars who turn up thinking they have to tutor the participants like in other shows suddenly find that they have to perform and be rated by the audience first.

Speaking about his unusual format, he says: "Typically street dancing programs are more like talent shows. So, we decided to go for a more complex structure."

And, in another unconventional move, some storylines will be added later according to viewer response. So, by the time the pilot episode was released, the last four episodes had not yet been recorded.

Chen, who does not like being restricted by established models, is not a native of the internet industry.

The director, who was once a senior program producer at Zhejiang TV in Hangzhou, was, however, responsible for creating The Voice of China, a four-season singing competition reality show, based on The Voice of Holland, a Dutch reality television competition.