The film and television city starts from the courtyard

That day, Zhao Shucheng yawned, holding a water cup, and came out of the editing room. He saw Luo Shuquan walking towards him with a beaming smile.

"Shuquan, what brings you here?"

"How did I get here? Of course I came to find you. You've been missing for the past few days, so I had to come to you."

"I've been busy in the editing room lately, what do you want from me?"

As he spoke, Zhao Shucheng yawned, looking like he might fall asleep at any moment.

"No, what have you been up to lately? You look like you haven't slept for days."

"Didn't I say I'm busy editing videos?"

"So, you're all alone? Where are the others? Are they staying up all night with you?"

"Of course not. They work in two shifts, and I'm the only one holding on. After all, we film during the day and can only come to the editing room at night to review the footage and make edits."

Luo Shuquan looked at Zhao Shucheng in surprise and asked, "No, are you planning to ascend to immortality or something?"

"This isn't the end of filming, and the film is almost due for delivery, so we naturally have to keep a close eye on it. Especially for the first shoot, we have to watch it over and over again, and quickly modify or reshoot any parts that are not suitable."

After saying that, Zhao Shucheng looked at Luo Shuquan and asked, "You still haven't said what you're here for."

"You really forgot? I'll tell you again, I'm getting married in three days, having a wedding ceremony, and you have to be there, as my best man. So you need to start preparing the day before, got it? Do you want me to get it engraved on your body?"

Zhao Shucheng was taken aback for a moment, then said, "You mean this? I remember, there are still two days left."

"I was worried you'd forget because you were so busy. Luckily, I came to check on you. Otherwise, you might have missed it because you were so busy."

"Okay, don't worry, I'll definitely be there!"

This was actually a month after Luo Shuquan got his marriage certificate, and Zhao Shucheng's side had already finished filming.

During this period, apart from Mo Xiaomin who often accompanied Zhao Shucheng during filming, the others did not appear much. After all, they all knew that this was very important to Zhao Shucheng, and it was not appropriate for them to appear or disturb him.

Even Shanli, as an investor, did not appear on set except for the day filming started. It seems that she had discussed with Mo Xiaomin not to disturb Zhao Shucheng during filming.

As for her previous mention of finding an agent for Zhao Shucheng, she didn't bring it up again, as if everything would have to wait until Zhao Shucheng finished filming.

After Luo Shuquan finished speaking, he left excitedly.

Watching his retreating figure, Zhao Shucheng also hoped that the other person would have a happy life. He hesitated for a moment, feeling that he didn't need to force himself like this. It just so happened that the last scene had been filmed yesterday, and the filming of the crew was officially over, and the production was finished.

The next step, naturally, was Zhao Shucheng and the crew's behind-the-scenes work, including post-production editing, music composition, dubbing, and the final submission for review.

So Zhao Shucheng simply gave the crew a day off, and took the opportunity to rest himself. He then called Shanli and asked her to meet with the agent she had mentioned.

Afternoon, coffee shop.

When Zhao Shucheng arrived, he saw that Shanli had already arrived, and there was a girl sitting next to her, who should be the manager she mentioned.

When Zhao Shucheng approached and saw the girl's face, he was visibly taken aback. The face was familiar, yet she shouldn't be here; she wasn't even in the original storyline.

Thinking of the name Mo Xiangwan that Zhao Shucheng had mentioned before, and seeing her face, Zhao Shucheng realized that he had come to a combined world again.

Mo Xiangwan, the future director of Qili Culture's talent agency, is a well-known ruthless agent in the industry with strong business skills. She is the female lead in "You Are So Beautiful".

The drama tells the story of the Golden Tripod Awards ceremony, where two of the top artists under the management of top agent Mo Xiangwan are nominated for core awards. However, behind the glamour lies a hidden crisis: due to a poor decision, Mo Xiangwan is betrayed and leaves her artists.

Mo Xiangwan sensed the craftsmanship and passion lacking in popular celebrities from veteran actors, which prompted her to change her career path. She resolved to start with herself to change the prevailing atmosphere, cherish her time, stay true to her original aspirations, and create excellent works. Therefore, after leaving Qili Culture, she regrouped, founded her own agency, and eventually partnered with several other companies to build a brand new business.

However, looking at the other person's obviously youthful and beautiful face, Zhao Shucheng knew that all of this was happening many years later. He could say that he had arrived a bit too early, or rather, he didn't know if he would have the opportunity to participate in the plot in the future.

Seeing Zhao Shucheng lost in thought, Shanli asked, "Xiaobai, what's wrong? Are you unable to move because of a beautiful woman?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Of course not. I just didn't expect the agent you introduced me to to be so young and beautiful."

"Let me formally introduce you. This is Gu Xiaobai, a new director, but he has many of his own ideas about filming. This is Mo Xiangwan, the agent of Qili Culture."

"Director Gu, hello!"

"Hello, Ms. Mo, it's a pleasure to meet you."

As he spoke, Zhao Shucheng looked at Mo Xiangwan again. She was wearing a small suit, but it wasn't flashy; she had a shrewd and capable air about her.

Zhao Shucheng knew very well that a good agent was like your right and left hands, able to help you solve a lot of work, saving you time and effort. Although Mo Xiangwan was still a newcomer and not the top agent from the original story, Zhao Shucheng believed she could do a good job.

Mo Xiangwan was also sizing up Zhao Shucheng. Although she was only a newcomer who had been in the industry for a few years, she had already achieved some success. Otherwise, Shanli would not have recommended her to Zhao Shucheng.

But she never expected that Zhao Shucheng was actually quite good-looking. If he hadn't become a director but instead acted in movies, he probably would have achieved good results.

As someone with no background or qualifications who had to work hard to become an agent, Mo Xiangwan had suffered a lot and could naturally see that Zhao Shucheng had great potential.

Initially, Mo Xiangwan hesitated when Shanli suggested she sign with Zhao Shucheng. After all, being a director's agent isn't easy. While the workload might not be heavy, there would be a lot of networking involved when filming was required. Of course, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Mo Xiangwan. If Zhao Shucheng's project succeeded, she would attract many people who would curry favor with her, bringing her a wealth of connections and benefiting the artists under her management.

Zhao Shucheng asked, "Miss Mo, Shanli should have already told you about my situation. Since you're here, you must be interested in cooperating with me. Can you tell me what you can offer me if we cooperate?"

Mo Xiangwan said, "Extensive technical experience, and the agent's professionalism... cough cough..."

Mo Xiangwan suddenly realized she might have said something wrong, and a blush crept across her pretty face. She quickly composed herself and said:
"Director Gu, I know you're not only a director, but also an excellent writer. We can definitely market that. If your work is successful, we can promote your transition from a well-known writer to a director, and then market it accordingly. You should quickly become a household name as a star director. After that, you won't lack investors for your films, and your works will be known to more people. The film will also have a successful opening. If the quality is good, then..."

Zhao Shucheng nodded after listening to Mo Xiangwan's words and said, "Although it's not perfect yet, there are a few things you said that resonated with me. I'm willing to cooperate with you, but I don't want to sign a contract with your company; I want to sign a contract with you personally. Because I don't want to have too much involvement with entertainment companies, and I don't want them to affect my filming and casting. Can you do that?"

"Of course, I can guarantee that."

"Does your company mind if you take on outside work?"

"No, if the company knew I'd signed with a director, they'd be overjoyed. Why would they try to stop me?"

“But as I just said, I won’t let you or your company interfere with the casting process.”

Mo Xiangwan smiled confidently and said, "I understand that, but if the conditions are roughly the same, Director Gu would probably give priority to artists under my management, wouldn't he?"

Zhao Shucheng smiled, neither saying yes nor no.

“Ms. Mo, I have another question. As you know, I'm planning to use a studio model, but I'm currently lacking connections. If you come here, I can focus on filming while you handle the other work. So, have you considered switching jobs and coming to work with me?”

"No, Director Gu, although your suggestion is very attractive and I am optimistic about your future development, you also said that your focus will be on directing. As far as I know, directors in the industry are generally considered to be hardworking if they shoot two films a year, and it is common for well-known directors to shoot one film a year, or even one film every few years."

“I still want to achieve something, so it’s not appropriate for me to just be your agent. I still want to stay with my current company, even though I may earn less money, it will fulfill my career plans.”

"That's a pity. I was hoping to be a hands-off manager, but it seems I'll have to find someone else. However, our cooperation remains unchanged, and I hope that one day, if Miss Mo wants to leave her current company, she can consider cooperating with me."

"Will do!"

Mo Xiangwan didn't think that day would come. After all, he was very confident that with his own abilities, he could find suitable artists and become a top agent. At that time, Zhao Shucheng would just be a director, and even if he worked all year round, he would not be able to meet the needs of the artists under his management.

More importantly, Mo Xiangwan didn't believe that Zhao Shucheng's company could develop to the level of her own company.

Of course, the two of them wouldn't settle everything as soon as they met. Even if they were to sign a contract, Zhao Shucheng would need to have it reviewed by a professional lawyer before signing.

Zhao Shucheng knew that there were many contract traps in the entertainment industry, and he didn't want to end up working for someone else for free and even losing money because of his carelessness.

After Mo Xiangwan left, Shanli looked at Zhao Shucheng and asked, "Xiaobai, are you really planning to open a studio?"

Zhao Shucheng nodded and said, "That's right. I will definitely be shooting movies and TV series frequently in the future, and it is inconvenient for me to do it on my own. Besides, I also want to find a fixed team instead of temporarily finding some crew members and having to re-establish the team. So the studio model is more suitable."

Shanli nodded and said, "You're right. After all, many big directors also have their own teams and well-coordinated staff. It's just that they're not permanently stationed in the company; they only regroup when needed."

“I know, that’s why I’m setting up a studio. After signing contracts, they can go out and film when I’m not working. But if I have plans, they will need to cooperate with my work.”

Zhao Shucheng was quite confident in retaining these people. Putting aside everything else, the film and television projects he was preparing to film were all excellent. Even if they didn't receive high salaries, being part of the crew would be a valuable experience, potentially leading to better treatment in other productions.

"Now that you've said something, I'm relieved."

Zhao Shucheng looked at Shanli and said, "However, I was serious about what I said before: if my studio becomes big and successful, you're welcome to help me. You can consider it."

Upon hearing this, Shanli chuckled and said, "What, unable to persuade Mo Xiangwan, you're starting to try and poach me?"

"Of course not. Mo Xiangwan is the agent and can also take care of the studio's daily work in the future. But you are an independent producer with your own unique vision. You can help select scripts and screen suitable directors."

You mean the director?

"Of course, you don't think I'll really just run a small studio in the future, do you? Once I have a certain status and reputation, I will naturally expand the scale and cultivate the next generation."

"I never expected you to have such thoughts."

Zhao Shucheng smiled, knowing he wouldn't tell Shanli that he was just being cautious. He knew that while TV dramas and movies were currently dominant, in a few years, web series and short dramas would become incredibly popular.

By then, Zhao Shucheng will have achieved great success and become a renowned director, so he certainly won't venture into web series and short dramas. However, knowing that it can be profitable, he can't just sit idly by. Therefore, the assistant directors and new directors he has trained will have a chance to shine.

If they can achieve success in web series or short dramas, then they can gradually be introduced to movies or TV series, allowing the company to have greater development.

"Alright, since you've made up your mind, I'll naturally support you."

Zhao Shucheng smiled and said, "Alright, everything's settled, let's go back!"

"Okay!"

After Shanli and Zhao Shucheng returned home, Shanli suddenly asked, "By the way, Xiaobai, I heard from Xiaomin that your good friend Luo Shuquan is getting married. Have you decided who you want to go with?"

Zhao Shucheng said, "Is there even a question? Of course, all of you will go."

Shanli was stunned when she heard this; she hadn't expected Zhao Shucheng to give such an answer. (End of Chapter)