Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1759 Sitcom
"So you guys are really going to make a movie, and you're not just asking me for a small favor?"

“It’s true that we’re going to film it,” King Yi Mo of Joseon replied. “I heard from the Emperor that there’s a panoramic photography studio available for rent in Alexandria, which is why I contacted you, Lord Shang Tian—otherwise, why would I have given you a price quote in the first place?”

That would change things. Shang Luo thought he was going to spend 200 million to gain recognition, and he couldn't accept that money. He wasn't short of money now, and taking it would make things look bad for him later.

However, if there is indeed a business need for this, he doesn't mind earning extra funds. As long as the money is spent appropriately, there won't be any favors involved.

"However, this involves the issue of costs."

"Is it too much or too little?"

"Mostly less, but it depends on the type of film you're shooting." For example, the Wang Lingguan series of films cost more than 2 million—of course, that's the price in the past. In the past, the production team was extremely large, and they had to pay for everything from food and drink to sanitation, and they also had to hire Tianyi Guiren to create special effects; that's where the money was mainly spent.

The panoramic photography studio is indeed much cheaper than this, but Shangluo doesn't need to save him money; he can just buy it at the market price.

"So, you're going to shoot a movie with lots of special effects? That might cost more than this."

"Special effects? There are no special effects, it's a sitcom."

"Sitcom???" Shang Luo was taken aback. "Don't you have film studios in China? You could easily film a sitcom in an inn or a kitchen, why come here?"

Using a panoramic studio to shoot a sitcom is a complete waste of its potential. Sitcoms have fixed actors, fixed sets, and even fixed camera positions. This means that the sets can be made however is convenient. For example, a guesthouse with a second floor could have a completely fake second floor, and the rooms could be built elsewhere, since there's no panoramic shot of the guesthouse anyway.

Meanwhile, regardless of how many rooms are on the second floor, as long as they are all designated as guest rooms, only one room needs to be filmed. The camera can be positioned at a specific angle and location within that specific room. For example, if a room is the innkeeper's room, the camera should be aimed at the bed. If it's to be used as a guest room, the camera should be aimed at the table.

Why spend a fortune on special effects when a simple photo studio could solve the problem?
"Because we are filming a very important subject, we need to pay extra attention to it."

"Wait a minute, so you're going to shoot a movie 'made like a sitcom'?"

This is even stranger.

A scenario refers to a specific situation in a particular context, such as the setting of a character's activities in a literary work.

A sitcom is a comedy with a relatively fixed scenario—fixed shots, fixed actors, and fixed scenes, all of which together constitute a fixed scenario. The sitcom art form itself is designed for filming television dramas because it facilitates the creative process.

On the one hand, screenwriters are essentially creating a semi-structured script, because they only need to combine fixed scenes and actors, and the story will often unfold naturally. As for anything else, they don't need to write it down; they can simply convey it through dialogue. For example, if an actor is absent, they can say, "He went out to hire a car"; or if a fight scene is difficult to film, they can simply cut to another room and play the sound.

On the other hand, while writing is easier for screenwriters, directing is also easier. Because the camera angles are fixed, directors save a lot of work when conceptualizing. They can more intuitively visualize the finished shot in their minds and spend more time personally guiding the actors' performances to ensure their presentation matches their vision. But making things easier for screenwriters and directors isn't just about saving costs; it's also about creative convenience. Because the core of a TV series is "companionship," it needs to consistently accompany viewers during its designated time slot. Sitcoms are often very long, ranging from dozens of episodes to years of continuous creation and broadcasting until all the main creators can no longer keep going.

Such lengthy works often have to be filmed in the form of sitcoms. Otherwise, the screenwriters wouldn't be able to finish writing the script, and the directors wouldn't be able to finish filming it—there simply wouldn't be enough time.

While easy to write and film, sitcoms are also limited by fixed scenarios. They can't express very complex content and can only avoid it. Even leaving a small alleyway becomes quite difficult.

This is why Shangluo felt it unnecessary to use the sitcom format for filmmaking. Audiences come to the cinema with expectations about the quality of the film. Sitcoms, no matter what, only have a few cameras and a few people. Even if the script is phenomenal, it's difficult for audiences to feel their movie ticket was worthwhile.

Even classic sitcoms try to use cinematic shots when they are adapted for the big screen—so why did the King of Joseon insist on making the movie into a sitcom?

"For laughs. Making this movie like a 'makeshift crew' was one of my goals."

"???" Shang Luo asked in surprise, "What are you up to?"

"Here's what we'll do, Mr. Shang, I'll send you a copy of the script to take a look at."

Shangluo received the script sent by the King of Joseon.

The film is titled "The Retirement King, Are You Alright?". It is based on a true story.

If we were to describe what politics was like in Joseon during the Jeongdeok era—it was about keeping the dead alive.

In 1506, the first year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Jungjong Rebellion (Kujeetta) broke out in the Joseon Dynasty. Yeonsangun was deposed, and King Jungjong (Yi Yeok) ascended the throne, ending his tyrannical rule. Yeonsangun was exiled to Ganghwa Island, but died there shortly afterward.

To prevent the Ming Dynasty from perceiving this as "regicide and usurpation," the ruling Shilin faction lied to the court, claiming that "Prince Yeonsan abdicated due to illness," and honored him as the "King of Retirement"—as long as he was alive, the court would not bestow a posthumous title. Without a posthumous title, one could not be enshrined in the ancestral temple. As long as one was not enshrined in the ancestral temple, the opposing meritorious officials could not overturn the verdict of the coup.

To their surprise, when a court envoy visited Korea the following year, he inquired about the matter. The envoy's question, "Is King Yoro well?" sparked a massive, elaborate scheme to deceive the emperor throughout Korea. Of course, the dead cannot rest in peace, but people could pretend he was still "at peace."

This marked the beginning of a large-scale reality show that lasted for 40 years.

Audience: One envoy

Actors: All citizens of the Joseon Dynasty
"???" Shang Luo put down the script. "What do you mean? You've kept it a secret for 40 years?! You guys have some patience. Pretending to be 'safe' for a year is one thing, but after 40 years you're still 'safe'? Still 'safe'?"

(End of this chapter)