Entertainment from Divorce

Chapter 1610

a few days later.

Tan Yue sat in his office, having just finished signing the last commercial cooperation agreement for "Starry Dream Camp".

When he handed the document to Chen Ye, he suddenly remembered that five days had passed since Lu Chuan took over the directing work, and he figured that the kid should have a preliminary understanding of the script.

"Xiao Ye, go to the conference room in the TV drama department and call Lu Chuan over." Tan Yue leaned back in his chair, rubbed his temples, and spoke with a relaxed tone.

"Remember to have him bring his notes on the Three-Body Problem script as well."

"Okay, Mr. Tan." Chen Ye took the documents, turned around, and quickly walked out of the office.

Tan Yue got up and walked to the window. He opened the window, and a cool autumn breeze blew in, dispelling the aroma of coffee in the office and relaxing his tense nerves a bit.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the TV drama department's conference room was as heated as boiling water.

The long conference table was full of people.

Storyboard designers, art directors, and script assistants huddled together, a thick first draft of the storyboard spread out in front of them.

Lu Chuan stood in front of the whiteboard, a black marker in his hand, pointing at the sketch and speaking eloquently: "I think the exterior shots of the Red Coast base should be shot from a low angle, combined with the gray-toned lighting of an overcast day. This will achieve both..."

Sitting to the side, storyboard designer Li Ran nodded, pushed up his glasses, and added, "Director Lu's idea is excellent. The shot I designed before was a level shot, which did lack emotional tension."

"The scenes in Operation Guzheng, such as the nano-blades cutting the 'Judgment Day' ship, cannot be too gory. They should be shown through the cracking of the hull and the twisting of the metal, emphasizing the coldness and shock of science rather than violence."

Lu Chuan pointed to the sketch on the other side of the whiteboard, his eyes shining with excitement. Clearly, he had read the script over and over again no less than ten times in the past few days, and had figured out every detail.

Just as everyone was having a heated discussion, Chen Ye knocked on the conference room door and poked his head in: "Director Lu, President Tan wants you to go to his office and bring your script notes."

As soon as he finished speaking, the conference room fell silent. Lu Chuan's smile froze instantly, and the marker in his hand fell to the table with a "clatter".

He hurriedly bent down to pick it up, his fingertips trembling slightly. It felt as if a heavy stone had suddenly been placed in his heart.

He looked up at Qian Tao, his eyes filled with tension and doubt: "President Qian, President Tan suddenly called me over. Is it because I did something wrong? Or is there a problem with the storyboard design?"

Seeing his flustered state, Qian Tao couldn't help but smile, patted his shoulder to comfort him, and said, "Don't overthink it, relax. You've done a great job lately, and President Tan has seen it all. He definitely won't make things difficult for you."

Other team members echoed this sentiment.

"Director Lu, don't be nervous. President Tan is very easy-going. We're just chatting about work."

"Your understanding of the script is so thorough, it will definitely satisfy Mr. Tan."

Lu Chuan forced a smile, but his anxiety remained undiminished.

He hurriedly picked up the notebook on the table.

Those were his notes on the Three-Body Problem script, which he had been working on for the past five days, filled with his understanding and thoughts on the characters, plot, and science fiction settings. He even marked the micro-expression designs of each character.

His fingers, gripping the notebook so tightly they turned white, took a deep breath and followed Chen Ye out of the conference room.

The corridor from the conference room to Tan Yue's office was only fifty meters long, but Lu Chuan felt like he had walked for an eternity.

His steps were hesitant, his mind racing as he repeatedly reviewed his work over the past few days to see if he had overlooked anything. He even went over every word he had said during the storyboard discussion, afraid that he might have made a mistake that would displease Tan Yue.

After all, "The Three-Body Problem" is a key project for the company, and it is a script that Tan Yue has poured his heart and soul into. As a new director, he is already extremely lucky to have such an opportunity.

If I mess things up because of my own negligence, not only will I be letting Tan Yue down, but I might not even have the chance to establish myself in the industry.

When Lu Chuan reached the door of Tan Yue's office, he stopped, wiped the sweat from his palms, and gently knocked on the door, his voice trembling slightly: "President Tan, it's me, Lu Chuan."

"Come in." Tan Yue's gentle voice came from inside the office, without the slightest hint of sternness, yet it made Lu Chuan's heart beat even faster.

He pushed open the door, lowered his head and walked in, not daring to look Tan Yue in the eye. He stood obediently in front of the desk, holding his notebook in both hands, like a student waiting for a teacher's reprimand.

Tan Yue couldn't help but laugh when she saw Lu Chuan's nervous expression.

He pointed to the chair opposite him and said in a relaxed tone, "Sit down, don't stand. I'm not a man-eating tiger, why are you so nervous?"

Lu Chuan sat down carefully, his bottom only touching a third of the chair, his back straight, his eyes fixed on his knees, and even his breathing became soft.

Seeing this, Tan Yue didn't immediately get to the point. Instead, he took out a tablet from his desk drawer, opened a video file, which was Lu Chuan's science fiction short video "Stardust".

“I watched your film ‘Stardust’ again, and I have to say, you really have a talent for cinematic language.” Tan Yue pushed the tablet in front of Lu Chuan and pointed to the images on the screen.

"Especially the long take of the astronaut talking to his daughter in the space capsule, which didn't use any special effects, but conveyed its beauty through the actor's micro-expressions and the space scene in the background."

Lu Chuan was stunned for a moment, then looked up at Tan Yue, his eyes full of surprise.

He didn't expect Tan Yue to suddenly bring up his short videos, and he was even more surprised that the other party remembered so many details, even analyzing the camera design so thoroughly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know how to respond, so he could only stammer, "Thank you... thank you for the compliment, Mr. Tan. I just filmed it based on my feelings."

"The most difficult thing is to shoot based on your feelings." Tan Yue shook his head.

“I also watched your previous film, ‘Deep in the Old Alley.’ The film handled the realistic subject matter very delicately, capturing the everyday life of the old city and the emotions of the characters.”

"I originally thought you were good at realistic themes, but I didn't expect you to handle science fiction so well. This shows that you are very adaptable to different themes and have your own thoughts and understanding, which is the most important quality for a director."

Hearing Tan Yue's words of praise, Lu Chuan's nervousness gradually dissipated. His previously tense shoulders relaxed, and he even dared to look Tan Yue in the eye. Looking at the sincere praise in Tan Yue's eyes, a warm feeling welled up in his heart, and his previous unease and anxiety were replaced by a strange sense of emotion.

He knew that Tan Yue, as the company's CEO, had to handle countless affairs every day, yet he still managed to find time to look at his work and even remember so many details. This attention touched him deeply.

"Actually, when I was filming Stardust, I also drew inspiration from some of the cinematic language in your Interstellar film."

Lu Chuan mustered his courage and continued, "Your presentation of space in 'Interstellar' is not just about showing off your skills, but about using the grandeur of space to highlight the preciousness of family affection. This gave me a lot of inspiration, so when I was making 'Stardust,' I also tried to avoid overusing special effects and instead focused on emotional expression."

"Being able to draw inspiration from other people's works and then integrate it with your own understanding is itself a form of growth." Tan Yue nodded with a smile, finally steer the conversation to the main topic.

"Alright, let's not talk about anything else. Let's talk about 'The Three-Body Problem.' You must have read the script many times in the past five days. Tell me about your understanding of the script, as well as your views on the core of the story and the characters."

Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan took a deep breath, opened his notebook, and his initial nervousness was replaced by professional thinking, his eyes becoming firm.

"Mr. Tan, I think that although 'The Three-Body Problem' is a hard science fiction script, its core is actually about people."

He pointed to the notes in his notebook and continued, "Take Ye Wenjie, for example. She is the beginning of the whole story. Her experiences made her disappointed with human civilization, which is why she sent a signal to the Trisolaran world. But she is not completely cold-hearted. Her later hints to Luo Ji also show that she still has a glimmer of hope for humanity."

"Therefore, when I was creating this character, I didn't portray her as a simple villain, but rather I wanted to highlight her complexity, her tragedy, and her inner conflicts."

"And then there's Wang Miao, who is the perspective character in the story. From an ordinary scientist to being involved in the Trisolaran crisis, his psychological changes are an important thread in the story."

Lu Chuan became more and more engrossed in his speech, discussing everything from character analysis to plot structure and the presentation of science fiction settings.

"As for filming science fiction scenes, I don't think we should sacrifice the emotional core of the story in pursuit of visual effects. For example, the focus of the Red Coast Base scene isn't on how magnificent the base is."

He spoke for nearly twenty minutes straight, during which Tan Yue did not interrupt him, but listened quietly, nodding occasionally, with increasing admiration in her eyes.

“Very good, your understanding is spot on, even deeper than I expected. I was worried that you would focus on the science fiction special effects, but I didn’t expect you to grasp the core of the story, which shows that you really understand ‘The Three-Body Problem’.”

Hearing Tan Yue's affirmation, Lu Chuan finally felt relieved and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

Tan Yue looked at him and encouraged him sincerely, "Lu Chuan, you need to have confidence. You have talent and ideas, and more importantly, you have a thorough understanding of the script, which is something many veteran directors cannot do."

"Although you are a newcomer and lack experience in directing large-scale productions, this is not a disadvantage. On the contrary, it can help you break out of your established mindset and bring a different way of presenting 'The Three-Body Problem'."

“I know you’re under pressure and worried that you won’t do a good job and will let the company down.”

Tan Yue continued, "But pressure can also be a driving force. Stick to your creative philosophy, believe in your abilities, and don't be influenced by external voices."

Lu Chuan nodded vigorously, his eyes slightly warm, his heart filled with gratitude.

Tan Yue's words were like a shot in the arm, making his previously wavering confidence firm.

He clenched his fists and silently told himself that he must make a good film adaptation of "The Three-Body Problem" and live up to Tan Yue's trust and expectations.

"In addition, regarding the assistant director, I have already had Qian Tao decide on Zhang Jingshan, a senior sci-fi director in the industry. He has directed three sci-fi films and has a wealth of experience."

Tan Yue then changed the subject and brought up the arrangements for the assistant director.

"I appointed him as assistant director mainly to provide you with technical and experiential support, such as the scheduling of large-scale shooting and the coordination of special effects shots, which are his strengths."

"But you must remember that he is the assistant director, and your role is the director-in-chief. The final decision-making power for the entire series' creative direction, character development, and cinematography rests with you. Don't be afraid to stick to your own ideas just because he is a senior."

“I understand!” Lu Chuan replied immediately, his eyes full of determination. “Director Zhang is a senior, and I will learn from his experience, but I will also stick to my own understanding of ‘The Three-Body Problem’ and will not compromise easily.”

"Very good, that's the right attitude." Tan Yue smiled with satisfaction.

"Zhang Jingshan will be reporting to the company tomorrow. You should have a good talk with him then, tell him your filming ideas, listen to his suggestions, learn from each other, and cooperate with each other."

"Yes, Mr. Tan, I certainly will." Lu Chuan stood up and bowed respectfully to Tan Yue.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity, and thank you for your guidance and encouragement. I will definitely do my best to make 'The Three-Body Problem' a great film!"

"No need to thank me. Opportunities are earned through your own abilities." Tan Yue waved his hand and said with a smile, "Go back and get back to work. We need to speed up the production of the storyboard and strive to enter the pre-production stage as soon as possible."

When Lu Chuan walked out of Tan Yue's office, his steps were as light as if he were walking on clouds. His original tension and unease had disappeared without a trace, replaced by full of energy and confidence.

He clutched the notebook in his hand, repeatedly thinking about Tan Yue's words, especially the phrase "stick to your own creative philosophy," which further solidified his resolve.

He knew that directing "The Three-Body Problem" would not be easy and would involve countless challenges and difficulties, but he had the confidence and courage to face them.

Back in the conference room, everyone curiously gathered around, asking all at once, "Director Lu, what did President Tan say to you? Did he praise you?"

"Has the assistant director been chosen?"

Looking at the expectant eyes of the crowd, Lu Chuan smiled brightly and raised the notebook in his hand.

"President Tan affirmed my understanding of 'The Three-Body Problem' and told me that the assistant director, Director Zhang Jingshan, would be reporting for duty tomorrow! Next, we need to speed up the production of the storyboard and strive to enter the filming stage as soon as possible!"

"Great!"

Cheers erupted in the meeting room instantly, everyone's emotions were stirred up, and the already enthusiastic discussion became even more heated.

The setting sun streamed through the conference room windows, casting its light on Lu Chuan and his team members, outlining their focused figures.

The sketches on the whiteboard gradually became complete, and the details of the storyboard became clearer and clearer. The pre-production work for "The Three-Body Problem" was progressing step by step in such a passionate and focused atmosphere.

(End of this chapter)