Entertainment from Divorce

On a September afternoon in Beijing, sunlight streamed through the glass curtain wall of the dazzling entertainment office building, casting long shadows on the eighth-floor corridor.

Tan Yue sat behind his desk, having just signed the last business cooperation agreement for the "Starry Dream Camp," his fingertips still slightly cool from the ink.

He raised his hand to press his temples, organized the documents on the table into a booklet, and pressed the button for the internal telephone.

"Xiao Ye, come in and send these documents back to their respective departments. The overseas distribution department's box office profit sharing details should be sent to the finance department first."

Chen Ye's crisp voice came from the other end of the phone, and a moment later, the office door was gently pushed open.

Chen Ye walked in carrying a folder, quickly sorted and put away the documents on the table, and then handed over a cup of freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea.

"Mr. Tan, this is freshly brewed chrysanthemum tea with goji berries. Please soothe your throat. The meeting has been going on all morning without you taking a break."

"Thank you." Tan Yue took the teacup, took a sip, and the sweet chrysanthemum fragrance spread in his mouth, relieving some of his fatigue.

"Oh, right, put Lin Qingye's editing progress sheet on my desk. I'll go take a look at it later."

"Yes, Mr. Tan." Chen Ye turned and left with the documents in his arms, closing the office door gently behind him.

Tan Yue looked at the goji berries floating in the cup, his gaze drifting out the window.

At this moment, Qian Tao should be leading his team to polish the storyboard script for "The Three-Body Problem," which is a crucial step in the project's progress. He needs to go and check on the progress.

Picking up his coat from the back of the chair, Tan Yue got up and left the office.

As the elevator descended to the seventh floor and the doors opened, I could hear voices of discussion coming from the hallway, mixed with the faint sounds of mouse clicks and printers.

The TV drama department's office area is open-plan, with dozens of desks arranged in a staggered manner and a huge whiteboard hanging on the wall.

The desk was covered with character design sketches and scene sketches from "The Three-Body Problem." Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the desk, making the Red Coast Base and the Three-Body game interface on those sketches even clearer.

As soon as Tan Yue entered the office area, several employees who were drawing storyboards with their heads down immediately looked up and greeted him with smiles: "Hello, Mr. Tan!"

"President Tan is here."

"Please have a seat, Mr. Tan. We just finished drawing the first storyboard sequence for the Red Coast Base."

Most of these employees are long-term employees of the company.

We've been with Brilliant Entertainment since its inception. Some of us worked on the script for "The Truman Show," while others were in charge of the pre-production for "Interstellar." We're as familiar with each other as family.

Tan Yue smiled and nodded in response, then patted the shoulder of a young designer next to him: "Xiao Zhou, how's the storyboard for the nano-blade you were asked to research coming along?"

Xiao Zhou quickly turned his laptop around. On the screen were storyboard sketches for Operation Guzheng, with the scene of the nano-blades cutting the "Judgment Day" ship broken down into more than twenty frames.

From the silhouette of the ship in the distance to the sharp, sculpted lines in the foreground, the details are meticulously marked.

"Mr. Tan, I have referred to the physics data you provided and marked the cutting speed of the flying blade and the trajectory of the ship. I have also discussed with Director Qian and adjusted the rhythm of the camera."

"Well done." Tan Yue looked at the screen carefully, his finger pointing to one of the images.

"The camera here could be zoomed out a bit more to highlight the sheer size of the Judgment Day and the slenderness of the nanoblades, creating a visual contrast that would further enhance the awe-inspiring nature of the scene."

Xiao Zhou quickly jotted down Tan Yue's suggestion, his eyes filled with admiration: "Yes, Mr. Tan, I'll revise it right away."

At this moment, Qian Tao walked out of a private office deep in the office area, holding a stack of storyboards in his hand, with a tired but excited smile on his face: "President Tan, what brings you here? I was just thinking of sending you the first draft later."

"I came to check on the progress and also to work on the storyboard with everyone."

Tan Yue followed Qian Tao to his office, where a thick stack of manuscript papers was spread out on the table, along with several tablet computers, all displaying storyboard sketches for "The Three-Body Problem".

"How's the progress going? Have you encountered any problems?"

"Everything is going smoothly, even a little faster than expected." Qian Tao poured Tan Yue a cup of tea and pointed to the manuscript paper on the table.

"Old Li and his team were responsible for the storyboarding of the core scenes, while we were mainly responsible for the storyboarding of the characters' dialogues and everyday scenes."

"The first draft of the first episode has been completed, all the storyboards for the Red Coast Base have been drawn, and the interface storyboards for the Three-Body game are about 80% complete. We are still communicating with the special effects team about the visual presentation of some sci-fi scenes, but there are no problems that cannot be solved for the time being."

Tan Yue picked up the storyboard from the first episode and began to carefully review it.

The lines on the manuscript paper were smooth, and the shot size, angle, and duration of each shot were clearly marked, with accompanying dialogue and sound effect descriptions.

For example, the scene where Ye Wenjie first enters the Red Coast Base.

From the distant deep mountains and dense forests, to the radar antenna in the mid-ground, and then to Ye Wenjie's eyes in the close-up, the scene unfolds layer by layer, vividly showcasing the mystery of the setting and the character's state of mind.

"Old Li's skills are still so solid." Tan Yue put down the manuscript, his tone full of admiration.

"However, the confusion in Ye Wenjie's eyes when she sees the Red Coast Base in the first close-up shot could be a little more pronounced. She had just experienced a major change in her life, and her fear of the unknown Red Coast Base should be more of a fear than a curiosity."

"You're right, I'll have Teacher Li Ran adjust it right away." Qian Tao quickly took out his notebook and wrote it down.

"If there's anything else that needs to be changed, just let us know, and we'll fix it today."

"No rush, take your time, quality comes first." Tan Yue waved his hand, walked to the workbench next to him, and picked up the graphics tablet.

“I’ll also draw a few scenes, and I’ll take this opportunity to think about the first scene of Wang Miao entering the Three-Body game.”

He sat at his workbench, his fingers gliding lightly across the graphics tablet. A blurry outline quickly appeared on the screen, and as the lines were drawn, the chaotic era scene from the Three-Body Problem game gradually took shape.

Under a dark red sky, the cracked earth was covered with the shadows of huge planets, and Wang Miao's figure stood in the lower left corner of the picture, appearing small and lonely.

Tan Yue adjusted the color tone of the image, making the red of the sky darker, and added a few fine cracks to the shadows of the planet, instantly filling the entire scene with a sense of oppression.

"Mr. Tan, your drawing is absolutely amazing!" The designer next to him leaned over to take a look and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "The atmosphere of this chaotic era is even more in line with the original work than we imagined. Oh no, it's more in line with the description in the script."

Tan Yue smiled and continued to refine the visuals: "The scenes in the Three-Body game should emphasize chaos and despair, so that the audience can immediately feel how harsh the living environment in the Three-Body world is, and only then can they understand the Three-Body people's motivation to immigrate to Earth."

And so, Tan Yue stayed in the TV drama department for more than an hour.

One moment he'd be discussing shot composition with the designers, the next he'd be helping adjust the pacing of the storyboard, and occasionally he'd take out his phone to pull out astronomical data he'd previously consulted to confirm the accuracy of the details in the science fiction scenes.

The atmosphere in the office was warm and focused. No one felt awkward because of the boss's arrival; everyone was immersed in refining the storyboards, working hard to create a perfect sci-fi drama. It wasn't until 3 PM that Tan Yue left the television drama department and returned to his own office.

He leaned back on the sofa, picked up the chrysanthemum tea on the table, took a big gulp, and felt instantly overwhelmed by fatigue.

This hour-long dedication made him feel as if he had returned to the days when he first became a director, working with his team every day to polish the script and draw storyboards. Although it was hard work, it was full of creative joy.

After resting for a while, Tan Yue picked up his phone, unlocked the screen, and saw a string of red numbers pop up in the upper right corner of the Weibo icon, indicating that there were thousands of unread messages.

He opened Weibo and went to his homepage.

The latest Weibo post on the homepage was published half a month ago, announcing the good news that "Interstellar" had surpassed 100 million in overseas box office revenue. The comments below have exceeded one million, and after scrolling through a few pages, most of them are messages from fans urging for more updates.

"Director Tan! I've watched Interstellar ten times already, when is the new movie coming out? Can you give me some spoilers!"

"Director Tan, have you forgotten you even have a Weibo account? Come out and say something, and let's see if you have any new projects coming out!"

"We've been waiting from spring to autumn, when is Director Tan's new film finally coming? The kids are going crazy with anticipation!"

Looking at these enthusiastic comments, Tan Yue couldn't help but smile.

He can feel the expectations of his fans and understand their recognition of him. This recognition is the driving force for him to continue creating.

Currently, however, he is focusing most of his energy on the preparation of "The Three-Body Problem" and the management of his company, and there are indeed no plans to shoot a new movie in the short term.

Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, lost in thought.

The new movie is probably not expected until next year or even the year after. After all, the filming period for "The Three-Body Problem" is not short. After the TV series is finished, there will be post-production work, plus the company's daily management, so there is very little time left to make a movie.

Fortunately, the Three-Body Problem is a substantial work, and once it is released, his own work will remain in the public eye, so people won't have to wait too long.

He put down his phone, walked to his desk, took out a blank sheet of paper, and began to think about the director and actors for "The Three-Body Problem".

This is the most critical issue at present, and also the one that gives him the biggest headache.

The first thing is choosing a director.

As a hard science fiction TV series, "The Three-Body Problem" places extremely high demands on the director. He not only needs to understand science fiction, but also needs to have sufficient skills in cinematic language to perfectly present the science fiction scenes and characters' emotions in the script.

Lin Qingye was the first person he thought of. After all, Lin Qingye had just finished filming "Time Tick-Tock" and had a deeper understanding of cinematic language. Moreover, he had worked with Tan Yue for many years and was very familiar with Tan Yue's creative philosophy.

There are a few directors in the industry who are good at making science fiction films, but most of them are film directors and may not be able to grasp the pacing of TV series accurately.

Furthermore, whether their style aligns with the tone of "The Three-Body Problem" requires further consideration.

Some people suggested that Tan Yue direct the film himself.

However, he knew in his heart that the preparation and filming of "The Three-Body Problem" required a lot of energy, and coupled with the company's management work, he simply could not direct the entire process.

At most, one can serve as the general director, controlling the overall creative direction.

As for the new director, Tan Yue thought he would have to continue to observe him.

Next comes casting, which is even more difficult than casting the director.

The characters in "The Three-Body Problem" are complex and have distinct personalities. Each character requires a skilled actor to portray them, especially the core characters.

Wang Miao is a physicist with a refined and scholarly personality, yet he demonstrates unwavering resolve in the face of the Trisolaran crisis.

This role requires the actor to possess both the temperament of an intellectual and the ability to portray the character's inner struggles and growth.

Tan Yue had a few suitable candidates in mind.

Shi Qiang is a policeman. He has a rough appearance and speaks bluntly, but he is actually meticulous and has a keen insight.

This role is a highlight of "The Three-Body Problem," and the actor needs to portray it with a blend of roughness and subtlety.

The actor must portray both the character's roguishness and his wisdom and sense of responsibility.

Tan Yue thought of several actors who could portray tough guys, but they either lacked the nuances of the role or their acting skills were not up to par. So far, he has not found a perfect fit.

Ye Wenjie is one of the most complex characters in "The Three-Body Problem". Her life is full of tragedy. Her disappointment with human civilization led her to make the decision to bring the Trisolarans to the world. Her heart was full of contradictions and pain.

This role requires the actor to have a strong ability to control emotions and portray the changes in the character's mindset at different ages, from the innocence and kindness of youth to the indifference and despair of middle age, and finally to the repentance and relief of old age.

Such actors are rare in the industry, especially among young actors.

Tan Yue even considered inviting veteran actors to play the elderly Ye Wenjie, and young actors to play the young Ye Wenjie, which might allow for a better interpretation of the character.

Other roles such as Shen Yufei, Evans, and Luo Ji also require careful casting.

Tan Yue wrote down the names of each character on a piece of white paper, with the casting requirements noted next to them. The more he wrote, the more he realized how difficult it was to cast the characters.

He knew that casting was the key to the success of a production, and that he couldn't rush it; he had to slowly screen and find the actors who best fit the roles.

Before I knew it, the sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, and the golden afterglow shone on the desk, turning the writing on the white paper into a warm yellow.

Tan Yue put down his pen, rubbed his sore wrist, looked at the notes on the paper, and had a preliminary plan in mind.

First, Qian Tao compiled a more detailed list of actors, covering actors of different ages and styles, and then he selected them one by one and arranged auditions.

Picking up her phone, Tan Yue sent a message to Qian Tao: "Send the compiled cast list to my office tomorrow, categorized by role, and indicate the actors' representative works and availability."

Soon, Qian Tao replied with a "received" emoji, along with the message: "President Tan, we have already sorted out part of it. We will work overtime tonight to finish it and send it to you first thing tomorrow morning."

Tan Yue smiled and shook his head, replying, "No need to work overtime, take a rest, just give it to me the day after tomorrow."

Putting down his phone, Tan Yue got up and walked to the window, looking down at the bustling street below, his heart filled with anticipation.

The storyboard for "The Three-Body Problem" is progressing steadily, and preliminary directions for the director and actors have been established, bringing us one step closer to the official start of filming. (End of Chapter)