Chapter 18 Chapter 18 Mr. Shao is in a bad mood today!!
The phone buzzed twice, and a message came on WeChat. After reading it, Shen Zhuo raised a big smile.
Li Yaqi asked her if Guan Siyu had any schedule in the second half of the year, as she wanted to schedule him between September and November. With such a long schedule, she knew he had secured the male lead role in "Fog Lights."
She had been waiting anxiously for the past few days, but now that the good news had come, she was too lazy to think about irrelevant things. For her, work was the most important thing.
Chen Zhuo replied eagerly and immediately arranged to meet in the afternoon so the two leads could get to know each other. He then notified Bu Fan and Guan Siyu one after another to meet with the producer that afternoon.
Guan Siyu replied quickly and simply: "Thank you, Sister Chen Zhuo."
At 2:30 in the afternoon, Chen Zhuo booked a table at a Chinese-style restaurant, which offered afternoon tea and private rooms.
She arrived early with Guan Siyu and ordered some limited edition spring teas and desserts. Soon, Bu Fan and Li Yaqi also arrived.
A few people first introduced themselves to each other and then Chen Zhuo turned the topic to "Fog Lights".
Seeing that the tea in Li Yaqi's cup was almost empty, Chen Zhuo picked up the teapot and carefully filled it for her. He smiled and said, "Sister Yaqi, now that you have met them, do you think they are a good match for the roles?"
Li Yaqi smiled and said, "Bu Fan and I worked together ten years ago, no problem. Seeing Si Yu today, I feel more at ease."
Shen Zhuo curled the corners of his lips.
"However, 'Fog Lights' is a very challenging play. We have also discussed it with the director. The tone of the whole film is cold and the emotions are very restrained. It not only requires the actors' skills, but also tests the entire production team." said Li Yaqi.
Speaking of directors, Guan Siyu, who had been sitting next to Shen Zhuo and remained silent, suddenly raised his eyes. He straightened his body and asked, "Sister Yaqi, can I ask who the director is now?"
Li Yaqi replied: "Qiao Xinyue, I don't know if you have seen the movie 'Four Leaves' that he filmed two years ago. It's quite good."
"Shouldn't the screenwriter of this film be the one directing it?" Guan Siyu's tone was light, and there was almost no emotion on his face, but it sounded like he was eager to know the answer to this question.
Chen Zhuo frowned at this. Most domestic films have different directors and screenwriters, so Guan Siyu wouldn't ask such a stupid question. "Siyu, it's normal for the director and screenwriter to be separate. Director Qiao is also very experienced, so we can be confident working together." She didn't want Li Yaqi to think Guan Siyu was a clueless idiot, so she quickly tried to smooth things over.
Li Yaqi replied, "I bought the script, but the screenwriter is still overseas and can't come back. So, do you know the screenwriter?"
"No, I don't know him." Guan Siyu lowered his eyes. "I just think Director Qiao's style may not match the temperament of this film. Generally, original screenwriters may know the desired effect of the film better."
Shen Zhuo glared at him and almost kicked him in the shin.
When will it be his turn to weigh in on the director's choices? He directly rejected the opinions of the producers and investors. Does he still want to be the male lead? If he really upsets Li Yaqi, he might not even see the fog in "Fog Lights," let alone the male lead.
Shen Zhuo coughed lightly and signaled him to stop with his eyes.
Fortunately, Li Yaqi didn't show any displeasure and smiled slightly: "I can see that Si Yu read the script carefully. The director had some concerns about accepting this script before, but he also likes it. Now we have time to review the film and find a suitable style. I will arrange for you to meet with the director when I have time later so that we can have a good chat about the roles."
In one sentence, it not only resolved the embarrassment, but also gave the actors enough face.
Shen Zhuo finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Li Yaqi was indeed a producer who had been working on the project for so many years. She simply agreed, "Si Yu is actually the kind of actor who pays special attention to the content of the script. Before joining the crew, he must have done his homework in advance. Hey, Bu Fan, you may not know this, but Si Yu knew you were the female lead, but he begged me to help him get the script. He said he wanted to work with you and learn from you. If he couldn't play the male lead, a supporting role would be fine."
"Really?" Bu Fan, who was sitting opposite Guan Siyu and had been replying to messages, suddenly raised her head. She smiled and looked at Guan Siyu with a meaningful look in her eyes. "I really didn't know about this."
Guan Siyu smiled politely: "Well, Sister Fan is the top actress in domestic art films. It is my honor to work with her."
Bu Fan stared at him and smiled, without saying anything else, but his eyes kept drifting over intentionally or unintentionally.
Suddenly there were two knocks on the door. It was Bu Fan's assistant coming to remind her to prepare for the next trip.
Bu Fan said, "I'm sorry, I'll be leaving now. Let's find time to have dinner before I join the group."
Chen Zhuo and Li Yaqi said together: "Okay."
"Then I'll leave. Bye." Bu Fan looked at Guan Siyu again, "Siyu, see you next time."
Guan Siyu smiled and waved at her, "Okay, bye Sister Fan."
After Bu Fan left, Guan Siyu sat and chatted for a while before leaving. Only Chen Zhuo and Li Yaqi were left. They discussed the pay of the two leading actors in detail. However, both parties were very interested and the talks went smoothly.
"I'll draft the contract and send it to you when the time comes," said Li Yaqi.
"Okay, no rush." Chen Zhuo smiled. "If there's any role you haven't found the right person for, you can still come to me. We have a few good kids in our company."
"I heard that after Gao Yuan was no longer needed, Xinghan also had some artists interested in me, but I stubbornly pushed them back." Li Yaqi raised her chin at her, "I'm definitely on your side."
Shen Zhuo smiled and thanked him.
Li Yaqi sighed: "In fact, Guan Siyu and Bu Fan are the kind of actors who can never make mistakes. They may not break out of the circle or become a big star, but I believe I will definitely be satisfied with the finished film."
"Not to mention you." Li Yaqi smiled, "You are now a core executive of the company, and you personally lead people. Maybe you can bring out another movie star. So I'll take a gamble."
Chen Zhuo listened and twitched his lips slightly. "I do have confidence in them. But opportunities are really too few right now, so I don't want to miss out on a good script. But whether they become popular in the end or not, my say doesn't count. It's really a gamble."
Li Yaqi nodded. "I understand your feelings. Sometimes when you come across a good seedling, you really want to help them and let others see the good things in them that you have already seen."
"Yeah, you understand me." Shen Zhuo smiled.
Li Yaqi leaned back in her chair and smiled: "Then let's each bet on our own. You bet on others, and I bet on you."
*
At the same time, the atmosphere in Dreamora's large conference room was extremely serious and depressing.
Both sides of the long table were filled with people, including the heads of almost all core business departments, from marketing to product development, from legal affairs to brand strategy.
There are two key topics in today's meeting. One is to finalize the final candidates for cooperation with the artists, and the other is that Shao Chengzhang proposed to develop film and television projects at the beginning of the year.
Shao Chengzhang is ambitious. He doesn't just want to build a trendy toy company; he wants to create a kingdom, just like Disney. Therefore, developing popular IP into a film series is the first step. Currently, a subsidiary has been established, the filing has been approved, and a filming license has been obtained.
The first topic went smoothly. Shao Chengzhang gave everyone little time for extra discussion. He calmly and coolly relayed the content that Shen Zhuo had analyzed with him the night before, accurately and clearly. After a few brief comments from each department, they quickly reached a consensus: try to contact the current most talked-about traffic star team.
But when the topic entered the second part, the whole audience fell silent.
No one acted rashly. This was all thanks to the reminder Chen Hang sent in the group ten minutes before the meeting: "Mr. Shao is in a bad mood today!!!" The three exclamation marks were enough to illustrate the seriousness of the matter.
This makes everyone feel even more cautious today.
When Chen Hang entered the company early this morning, the lights in the CEO's office were already on. He had a bad feeling: the boss came in a little early today.
As expected, after the routine arrangements were reported, the entire office fell into an eerie silence. Shao Chengzhang sat with his eyes cast down, his brows cold and expressionless. A faint gloomy haze shone through his eyes, as if he hadn't slept at all the previous night.
The progress at work is progressing steadily, which means the problem is not in the business, it can only be a personal matter.
Although the boss was young, he was very demanding at work. For example, a product manager had previously been planning to launch a new IP with a design style that was "more childish" to appeal to a wider children's market. However, Shao Chengzhang interrupted him and scolded him profusely. Over a month's worth of work by two design teams was effectively wasted.
In the conference room, everyone exchanged glances cautiously, and no one dared to speak first.
"Evelyn, you speak first." The person Shao Chengzhang called upon was the director of the strategic investment department.
"Oh, okay." Evelyn projected the PPT onto the big screen and briefly explained the feasibility report.
When filing for selection, Shao Chengzhang made double preparations. He submitted two story outlines for animation film and feature film respectively. Finally, the investment department believed that they could start with the feature film, redesign the character IP, partner with popular actors, and release it during the Lunar New Year holiday.
After listening to this, Shao Chengzhang glanced around and asked, "Any other opinions?"
No one in the conference room was sure of Shao Chengzhang's attitude. He had a calm face, showing no emotion, and no one knew whether he agreed or disagreed.
"What does the content department think?" he asked.
The head of the content department said, "We think it's better to make an animated film first. The benchmark, 'The Adventures of Hey Hey,' already had a broad fan base before the big movie. The film cost 48 million yuan, grossed 370 million yuan, and revenue from derivative products exceeded 80 million yuan. The data shows that it is feasible."
"But the film-making cycle is too long, the capital recovery is too slow, and we have to consider a purely animated film. Will all the IP characters of Dreamora be involved, or will only one be promoted as the first image?" Evelyn asked.
The head of the IP management department continued, "We don't recommend having all characters involved. This would involve redefining the IP image, which would mean starting over with peripheral development, licensing, and the original setting. This is too risky and could easily backfire on the OC."
"But new IPs don't have fan support. How can audiences buy into live-action films right from the start?" the content department insisted. "It's equally risky to make a live-action film if the IP doesn't have a mass base. Animation is more suitable for establishing that first wave of emotional connection and image recognition."
Several departments held their own opinions, and the scene reached a stalemate. Despite the obvious differences, everyone was waiting for the final decision.
"Let's start with a live-action film this time," Shao Chengzhang finally said. "Consumers buy our products because they believe they provide emotional value. We're undoubtedly superior to the market average in terms of fashion, design aesthetics, and triggering consumer desire. However, our weaknesses are also obvious—the IP lacks a storyline and, naturally, lacks sustainable cultural heritage. I'll give you two weeks to assist the subsidiary in finding a creative team that's familiar with the company's core values."
The conference room was silent.
"Is there a problem?" His tone was calm, but with an oppressive tone that could not be refused.
Everyone then responded: "No."
After Shao Chengzhang said the meeting was adjourned and walked out of the conference room, everyone sighed like eggplants hit by frost.
Shao Chengzhang returned to the office and turned on the screen saver of his phone to find WeChat messages. He quickly unlocked the phone to check, but found that they were all work or social messages. The dialog box with the red dot was blank.
He clicked on the dialog box of Chen Zhuo that was pinned to the top of the page. The last message was from the night Chen Zhuo moved in a few days ago.
Aunt Chen should have told her that she left the car keys, but she didn't say anything? He swiped up the page, as if to reveal new messages, but the chat page remained silent.
For some unknown reason, he clicked on her profile picture and found that she had updated her Moments, so Shao Chengzhang clicked on the page.
Chen Zhuo posted a picture of afternoon tea half an hour ago with the caption: Eating desserts really makes you feel better~
She also shared the name of the store in the comments and strongly recommended the limited edition yuzu yogurt.
Shao Chengzhang pursed his lips, locked his phone, and threw it on a pile of documents. He dialed the intercom number and asked Chen Hang to prepare him an iced Americano.
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