Chapter 16 Reveals the Director's Identity
The 20-second trailer is extremely fast-paced, glossing over the specific costumes, props, and sets, and not including any special effects or grand scenes, but it still tells all the plot points that need to be told.
The opening shot cuts directly to a close-up of the female lead's son, Xi Liling, lying on the jade bed. His lips are pale, and a drop of bright red blood from his heart is dripping onto his pale lips.
Sensing the familiar presence, he suddenly opened his eyes and cried out, "Mother!" But from his bewildered gaze, it was clear that the entire spacious room was empty.
The scene then shifts back a thousand years, where the female protagonist, Ling Che, is playing with her son in a garden. A satisfied smile graces her face, and she wears only a simple jade hairpin in her hair.
A huge rock fell from the sky, the screen suddenly went black, and when she reappeared, she was standing on the stone steps in front of the sect, wearing the coarse linen clothes of an outer disciple.
Lingche stared blankly at his hands. Amidst the mockery and shouts of the other disciples, a few seconds later, his hands were once again tightly clamped by a bamboo curtain torture device, the joints bruised and swollen.
Within seconds, all viewers witnessed the protagonist transform from a popular female cultivator into a fifteen-year-old cleaning disciple a thousand years in the future, and then, following the plot, noticed that she was now suffering humiliation and being looked down upon by others.
The trailer ends with a shot of the female lead's right foot stepping back into the school after the mother and son are reunited. The voice-over is very calm, conveying a sense of tranquility before a storm.
“Lingling, Mother is back…”
Unlike the large canvas still that flaunted the cost and investment, the entire trailer consists almost entirely of close-up shots of the characters, and the main characters are dressed in relatively simple and elegant styles. However, the details are meticulously crafted, which is completely different from the rough filming set that was previously revealed.
The release of this trailer has reignited the heated debate that had subsided slightly in the past two days.
[Wait, I have a feeling that Giant Entertainment is actually quite something.]
[It's not just a little, it's a lot... The pair of white satin embroidered shoes with auspicious patterns that appeared in the last scene were handcrafted by a master. Apart from the Ancient Blue Star Folk Museum, I have never seen the gold thread technique so exquisite.]
Although the editing only gave it a two-second shot, the jade hairpin on the female lead's head was definitely of jewelry quality.
The comments section is full of nonsense about post-processing and photo editing. I work in this industry, and I know better than you whether it's possible to achieve this level of quality through post-processing alone.
[...Here comes another overhyped video. Can't you come up with a different excuse? With so many close-ups and close-ups, how can you not see the problem? Cutting to a wide shot would definitely expose it in a second. Only these short, one- or two-second flashbacks are easy to edit and save on costs.]
[Isn't anyone going to talk about the plot? I absolutely love the idea of the popular ancestor returning to the starting village; I just watched it without thinking.]
[We've been arguing about this for almost a week now, and I'm starting to have some doubts...]
The bizarre LED screen is real, and the shoes and hairpin look real too. Can anyone tell me how good this show is?
[Are there any employees from Giant Entertainment who can come forward and share their experiences? I really want to know if Brother Fang really has some talent.^^]
[The special effects are so bad. Can you guys please stop using your brains when watching trailers? The post-production team at Giant Entertainment must have gone blind from editing frame by frame.]
[It's only been five days since the behind-the-scenes video was released, why are people in the comments section still so suspicious? Is it already history books? Don't let the marketing guys mislead you, okay?]
[Just kidding, at least the trailer looks pretty good, looks exciting.]
[+1, if the final product is of this quality, I'll probably watch it, at least until the part where the female lead reveals her true identity.]
[The mountain gate background that flashes by at least 14 seconds is clearly a real scene; the lighting, perspective, and figures all match. Giant Entertainment must have some resources. I personally lean towards the idea that the so-called behind-the-scenes video is just a publicity stunt.]
As expected, the trailer sparked huge discussions across various platforms. Unlike the previous overwhelming mockery, this time the comments section was even more heated.
Some passersby thought the props looked surprisingly good, while others insisted they were all photoshopped, and some professional content creators even went live to analyze the post-production effects frame by frame.
Less than 24 hours after the trailer was released, several research videos with millions of views have already appeared on long-form video platforms, and even the bullet comments are full of discussions.
Fang Zhuo orchestrated this controversial trailer, something he had anticipated.
Good for him to argue; he actually hopes the public debate will become even more heated.
The more people research whether the props are real or fake, the more interested people become in the show itself, which is equivalent to giving the show free publicity.
What the entertainment industry fears most is not controversy, but rather fading into obscurity and being ignored.
Ideally, the two sides should engage in a back-and-forth battle, which would both lower Ruan Zihan's guard and maintain the popularity of their short drama before its premiere, like a perpetual motion machine.
The crew still has one day left to wrap up filming. This trailer was roughly edited by their own staff based on the existing footage. No special effects were added during the editing process, and they went to great lengths to avoid those exaggeratedly beautiful scenes.
Fang Zhuo looked at the list; he needed to finalize the post-production company within the next two days.
This short drama is now renowned in the post-production industry, attracting not only public attention but also speculation within the special effects industry about who will ultimately win the contract.
Today alone, more than a dozen small special effects companies sent him promotional emails, all offering extremely low prices and employing only about ten or twenty people.
He ignored all the emails and instead contacted FlowlineIC, a company widely recognized as one of the top film-level visual effects companies in the industry.
He was drawn to FlowlineIC not only because of its extensive track record of successful commercial films, but also because the company was renowned for its fluid effects such as water mist, smoke, and explosions, which perfectly suited the needs of fantasy dramas.
He glanced at his watch; there were still ten minutes until his scheduled meeting with FlowlineIC's business department.
Meanwhile, a dozen or so employees had gathered in the tea room directly opposite the conference room to watch the commotion. They were drinking coffee while casually casting curious glances their way over.
"Is he really the boss of Giant Entertainment? He's so handsome, why doesn't he debut as an actor himself..."
"What is he doing here? Is he just posing for photos or putting on a show? Or does he not know our company's pricing? Looking at their film set video, the total cost of filming the series is probably only around 100,000 yuan. They could just hire a few college students to do some special effects and get by."
"Isn't everyone saying that they even used green screens for props in the early stages? It must be because other companies didn't dare to take on the project after seeing the raw footage."
"Everyone online says that although he doesn't have much money, he's a super marketing genius. Maybe he'll just sit here today, and tomorrow the marketing accounts will start spreading rumors that Giant Entertainment really hired our company to do special effects."
"Hey, I actually saw their stills and trailers. If anyone could make it look like this purely through post-production, I'd call that person my dad. Anyway, I don't believe the whole set was made of green paper."
"Really? Which account posted the trailer? Let me see it too."
A business department liaison officer, carrying a stack of folders, rushed in. Colin smiled helplessly at his colleagues who were gossiping in the break room, and adjusted the glass of the conference room to opaque mode before entering.
"Hello Mr. Fang, I am Ke Lin, the head of the business team at FlowlineIC."
"We have a media player here. Could you please show us the original film first? This will help us make a preliminary quote based on the number of lenses."
Receiving a business negotiation invitation from Giant Entertainment was truly unexpected; the industry generally speculated that they would ultimately choose a small, cost-effective startup special effects company.
Opinions on this short series are currently divided. Two hours ago, Colin specifically organized his team members to watch the trailer carefully.
The film analysis progressed more and more slowly, and in the end, everyone came to the same conclusion—judging from the twenty seconds shown, the pre-production shooting must have cost a lot; the headdress, shoes, and backgrounds could not have been achieved purely in post-production.
That's why he came to receive Fang Zhuo in person today.
But guessing that the other party is not short of money is one thing, whether they can afford their company's all-inclusive post-production price is another matter entirely.
FlowlineIC is not only known for its cutting-edge technology, but also for its single-lens reflex cameras that cost more than gold.
As a rough cut of the short drama played on the big screen, no one spoke in the entire conference room except for the sound of the video audio.
For over an hour, Colin didn't even drink water, focusing intently on the screen the entire time.
Even laymen who don't usually watch dramas can tell that the production quality and pacing of this short series are ridiculously good; some people would believe it if it were a commercial film heavily invested in by a top development company.
Even without any special effects, based solely on the large-scale scenes filmed on real locations, he felt that this drama would definitely become a hit across the entire internet.
After the playback ended, the team members were stunned for a long time before starting to whisper among themselves.
Everyone had some guesses about the quality of the negatives, but no one expected the final result to be so luxurious.
It wasn't until he received the demand list from Fang Zhuo that Colin snapped out of his shock. He quickly scanned the list and offered a very favorable price:
"Mr. Fang, this film has more than a thousand special effects shots, and the main feature is about 180 minutes long. If we do the movie-level special effects you require, the total price including editing and post-production will be 86 million."
"The total production cycle is about one week, and there is a schedule of about three weeks before production officially begins."
Fang Zhuo frowned slightly.
The Star Federation has advanced technology, and the production time for finished films has been reduced to one-twentieth of that on Earth, but this cycle still doesn't satisfy him.
He needs ten million to live a day, and waiting for the waiting list is a waste of both his life and money.
Seeing that the other party did not immediately agree, Colin smiled gently.
For small and medium-sized enterprises that are just starting out, this turnkey contract price is indeed frighteningly high.
Colin has worked with many founders of these small entertainment companies and offered his honest advice:
"If Mr. Fang has any concerns about the budget, I can recommend Mimage FX. That company has been providing us with outsourcing services for a long time, and their technology is very reliable. Their quote is less than one-fifth of ours."
The other person's fingers were loosely clasped together, clearly not having taken his suggestion to heart. Just as Colin was beginning to wonder, Fang Zhuo spoke:
"It's not a matter of price, it's a matter of time."
Time? What's wrong with the time?
Their company has over a thousand employees, and apart from being a bit pricey, no client has ever complained about their inefficiency.
Even if they couldn't afford it, there was no need to make up such an excuse. The expressions of the other team members gradually became serious, and everyone had already assumed that this deal was going to fall through.
Fang Zhuo: "I'll add another 20 million as an expedited fee. I hope to get the finished film within 72 hours."
Colin was stunned for a moment, not expecting that the other party was actually being picky about the timeframe. He explained, "President Fang, we don't only take on orders from Juyu."
"Our technical staff are working in three groups, and all three groups currently have other movies and TV series in production. It's really not a matter of money..."
Hearing what the other party said, Fang Zhuo knew that it really was a matter of money.
He continued bidding: "Sixty million."
The business team members in the conference room stared wide-eyed.
Colin stood up first and shook hands with Fang Zhuo: "Okay, Mr. Fang, the total package price is 140.6 million. We will deliver the first version of the film to you within 72 hours after receiving the complete negatives. The contract will be sent to your personal computer later."
Yi Dian Dian witnessed the whole thing: [It's been a long time since I've seen such a spectacular face-changing performance!]
Fang Zhuo: [If you give me enough money, I guarantee I can change my attitude even faster than him.]
Yi Dian Dian said somewhat shyly, "[Host, although I can't give you cash directly, I have the authority to issue you a small loan. A little tip: your loan limit will increase after this repayment!]"
Fang Zhuo coldly declined Yi Dian Dian's offer: [Thanks, but I don't really need it. Press T to unsubscribe from the loan sharking scheme.]
The conference room door opened again, knocking over two employees who were eavesdropping at the door. The number of people gathered in the break room had increased, and everyone witnessed Colin, who was usually serious, bowing uncharacteristically to welcome Fang Zhuo out.
“Every time Team Leader Ke comes out of the meeting room with that fawning expression, I know that we lowly laborers are about to start working overtime again.”
"What do you mean? Our company really accepted Juyu's short drama project?"
"No way, they'd hire us to do post-production for that lousy show? Xiao Li, weren't you in there just now? What's going on?"
"Don't ask me... I'm too rich, too rich. There are so many rich people in the world, why can't I be included? The express delivery fee is almost as much as the regular production fee..."
"??? I've really gotten a piece of the pie? Damn, if Mr. Fang had either his money or his looks, I could have half of him."
On the night of the signing, Fang Zhuo had several gossip bloggers in the entertainment industry release the censored version of the contract through their alternate accounts.
The online discussion about the quality of the short drama was already heated, and this ambiguous contract has made the controversy even more confusing.
The debate on various platforms quickly escalated, with the two sides sticking to their own versions of events to the point of making bets and vows against each other.
Passersby on both sides were waiting for the day the show would officially air to prove the other side wrong, and this sentiment reached its peak when Giant Entertainment officially announced the premiere date.
[Stop arguing, everyone. My great-grandmother will be released on the Giant Short Drama app tomorrow. Even if I'm nailed to a coffin, my grandson will burn a shrine for me to see.]
[I support FlowlineIC and Professor Zhang Kaigang in filing a lawsuit for defamation. Things have gotten this far; they're sure to win.]
[You said you'd win if you sued, so the fact that neither side has sent a lawyer's letter proves that Giant Entertainment really is cooperating with them, right? At least the contract looks legitimate, exactly the same template as the contracts FlowlineIC signs with other film distribution companies.]
[...Do you believe your FZ (Fan Zhengfei) invested 300 million to make a short drama, or do you believe I am Qin Shi Huang?]
[Those in Pink Giant Entertainment don't need to wait until they get old; they can start selling their health products now. You may lose your IQ, but I'll still have sales figures.]
[The live stream starts tomorrow at noon, can the comments section be a little quiet?]
Before noon, the hashtag #TheShortDramaGrandmaPremiere had already firmly occupied the top spot on the trending topics list.
Not to mention web series, even big-budget movies released during the New Year's Eve season don't generate this much social attention.
At 11:30 a.m., at the crucial moment when everyone was eagerly anticipating the short drama, Zhang Kaigang's official account, which hadn't been updated for over six months, suddenly posted a message—
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