Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 79 Changes in the Film Company

"Okay, thanks for reminding me, K."

After ending the call, Liu Shishi wanted to call her boyfriend again, but then remembered that Song Ci was probably in class, so she sent a text message instead.

“Honey, I’ve already talked to Sister K. I’ll be reporting to the ‘My Own Swordsman’ set tomorrow.”

Song Ci was indeed in class. After feeling her phone vibrate, she checked and found it was a text message from Shi Shi, which she replied to immediately.

"Okay, I'll pick you up when filming wraps up."

He pressed the keyboard repeatedly, saying, "Sister Jing, Shishi is going to the 'My Own Swordsman' set tomorrow. Please say hello to the crew and ask them to look after her."

Thinking that it was Liu's first time going to the film set alone, Song Ci was still a little worried, so she sent another text message to producer Wang Jing to remind her.

Wang Jing quickly replied, "I know, boss, I won't let your little sister suffer!"

Just as Wang Jing was calling Shang Jinjin, the director of "My Own Swordsman," to express her concern for Song Ci's love interest, Zhang Zhao, the newly appointed general manager of Tengda Culture, was having a meeting with two vice presidents.

Zhang Zhao graduated from a prestigious university, studied in the United States, and worked as a director and producer. He has extensive experience in the film and television industry. After a personal interview, Song Ci entrusted him with an important task, appointing him to succeed Wang Jing as the head of Tengda Culture.

Two weeks after taking office, Zhang Zhao had already thoroughly organized Tengda Culture and gained a good understanding of his two deputies.

Jiang Tiantian, the vice president, is a veteran of the company. She was the secretary of Wang Jing, the group's former and current chief operating officer. Both of them have strong backgrounds and connections, and Jiang Tiantian probably needs to rely on her to carry out her work smoothly in the company.

Another vice president, Yu Xin, recently joined the agency of actress Gao Yuanyuan. He is adept at social maneuvering and has a smooth personality. It is said that he has some connections with Donghai TV.

"President Jiang, President Yu, let's arrange the division of labor like this. I will report it to the group afterwards." Zhang Zhao had a rather stern face, and his words carried a strong sense of pressure.

The three of them have just agreed on the division of labor. He will be responsible for the company's project investment, film and television production, and publicity; Vice General Manager Jiang Tiantian will continue to manage administration and logistics; and Yu Xin will be in charge of advertising planning and artist management.

Jiang Tiantian nodded in agreement. In this group reorganization, she was only promoted by half a level. Her position changed from assistant to vice president. However, Song Ci mentioned to Wang Jing that her salary would be raised by one level, considering that Jiang Tiantian still helped him with some personal matters on a daily basis.

Yu Xin, who was standing to the side, said with a smile, "No problem. I'm new to the company and still in the learning stage. You can make the decision, Mr. Zhang."

He volunteered to take charge of the two areas of work. He had just joined Tengda Culture and hadn't yet established himself properly, so he didn't want to take on too much power for the time being.

Yu Xin had been following Tengda Culture's developments since the celebration banquet for "So Young". When he learned that Tengda was recruiting a vice president, he took the initiative to apply. With his excellent resume and some personal connections at the TV station, he successfully switched jobs to Tengda as vice president.

Zhang Zhao breathed a sigh of relief. He had taken charge of the company's most important film and television production and distribution, but he was also worried that his deputy might be a troublemaker. In daily work, it would be best if everyone could cooperate sincerely, and at the very least, they shouldn't go against him.

It's not that Zhang Zhao is a dictator; after joining Tengda, he said he had never fought such a lucrative battle before.

Tengda Culture has an integrated production team, distribution channels, and even special effects and theatrical distribution. It has ample funds and a solid foundation.

With the backing of an internet group, he is confident that he can develop Tengda Culture into one of the top three private entertainment media companies in the country within five years. However, all of this is contingent on the film and television production and distribution proceeding according to his plan.

After the division of labor was finalized, Zhang Zhao politely asked Jiang Tiantian, "President Jiang, are there some matters concerning the company that you could advise me on?"

Seeing the top leader's attitude, Jiang Tiantian naturally couldn't put on airs. "Please speak, Mr. Zhang. I will tell you everything I know."

Zhang Zhao slowly voiced some of his doubts: "Some things in the company are strange. 'My Own Swordsman' is a TV series that the company exclusively invested in and produced. Apart from our top star Qiao Zhengyu, none of our own artists participated."

The company only has a few artists, yet Wang Kai and Wang Luodan are unemployed and have no roles to play, while Lü Yi went to act in a Tangren production. This is rather baffling.

Jiang Tiantian sorted out her thoughts, "Mr. Zhang, you may not know this, but when 'My Own Swordsman' was first launched, the company only had one artist, Qiao Zhengyu. The other artists joined later."

However, the roles had already been decided at the time, and considering the company's reputation in the industry, President Wang did not force a change of actors. In addition, they were about to start filming "My Old Classmate", so he let Wang Kai and Wang Luodan stay at home and prepare.

As for Lü Yi's acting outside the company, that's through her own connections; the company doesn't prohibit its artists from taking on acting roles outside of the company.

Zhang Zhao had a general understanding of the situation. Although he didn't quite agree with Wang Jingwen's approach, he thought, "The company has already spent money, what's there to worry about if we want a few roles? There are countless cases of people scrambling for roles in the entertainment industry."

But since Wang Jing is now a leader in the group, he couldn't say much.

“I see that the company has a lot of scripts in stock, including the Youth Trilogy, the Zhenhua Trilogy, and other projects. It’s too inefficient for the company to film on its own, so we can sell the scripts to other companies for co-production. 'So Young' did very well, so I think other companies will be willing to buy them.”

Jiang Tiantian's expression was a bit strange. She hadn't expected Zhang Zhao to be so radical, so different from Wang Jing's style.

"Mr. Zhang, the works you just mentioned are either adapted from the boss's novels or screenplays he wrote himself, especially the two trilogies. The boss wants to make these six works the company's representative works and will not collaborate with other companies."

Zhang Zhao was immediately struck by that handsome face. He was amazed by his boss's talent, but he was also puzzled. He wondered what his boss was thinking. It was such a waste to write so many excellent scripts and not make them!

"President Zhang, President Yu, President Song didn't manage things much before, and now that Tengda Group has been established, he probably won't be involved in company affairs even more. But we should still follow the plan that the boss originally set out." Jiang Tiantian was a supremacist, so she specifically reminded Zhang Zhao and Yu Xin of this.

Zhang Zhao neither agreed nor disagreed with Jiang Tiantian's suggestion. Wang Jing, being an editor by training, had only a superficial understanding of film and television production and needed to make steady progress through trial and error. He, on the other hand, was a producer with extensive experience.

Tengda Culture's current operating model results in a very low efficiency in producing film and television projects, with only two or three productions a year. When will the company be able to grow bigger and stronger? The only way out is to share risks and collaborate with other companies on filming projects.

I need to have a good talk with the big boss. Once Tengda Culture achieves success, I might be able to compete for a position in the group's core senior management.

Although Zhang Zhao had some thoughts in mind, he didn't show it on his face. "The company's next plan is to prepare for the filming of 'My Old Classmate.' The male and female leads will be Wang Kai and Wang Luodan. President Yu, please tell them to prepare well."

“Yes, Mr. Zhang,” Yu Xin replied loudly.

After the meeting, Zhang Zhao sat quietly in his office, pondering. He felt that Jiang Tiantian was hiding something from him about the company, and for the time being, he could only proceed step by step and take things one step at a time.

On the first day of April, Liu Shishi declined her parents' and Song Ci's offer to pick her up and took a taxi alone to Feilong Film and Television Base in the suburbs of Pinggu, Beiping. This was the filming location for Tongfu Inn, a major scene in "My Own Swordsman".

Traveling alone to the film set, Liu Shishi felt somewhat uneasy and apprehensive, but thankfully everything went smoothly. After explaining her purpose, the staff led her into the film set.

"Pass!"

As soon as a scene was finished, the assistant director took advantage of a break to approach him and said, "Director Shang, the actress who plays Zhan Hongling is here." Shang Jin raised an eyebrow, showing interest in the actress whom the investors and producers had specifically asked to speak to.

"Oh, bring him here, let me see who he is."

After sending text messages to her parents and Song Ci to let them know she was safe, Liu Shishi followed the assistant director to the film studio.

From afar, you can see a person wearing a baseball cap and holding a walkie-talkie sitting in front of a monitor. Although the brim of the cap obscures their face, there is no one else sitting here at this time.

She stepped forward and greeted Shang Jin politely, saying, "Hello, Director Shang, I am Liu Shishi, here to report for duty."

Shang Jin looked away from the monitor and glanced at the girl in front of him. She looked pretty and gentle, which was suitable for playing Zhan Hongling.

Without putting on airs of a big director, he nodded to the girl and directly instructed, "Xiao Liu, you rest for a while. After these two scenes are filmed, go with the production crew to get your makeup done and change into your costume."

"Thank you, director."

The arrival of a supporting actor was just a minor interlude for Shang Jin. After making the arrangements, he focused his attention back on filming, picked up the walkie-talkie, stared at the monitor, and gave orders to the crew: "Attention all units, prepare for the next scene."

Liu Shishi glanced around at the busy crew and, not daring to disturb them, walked out of the studio alone. She happened to notice the male lead, Qiao Zhengyu, and excitedly ran over to greet this senior from the same school.

"Hello, Senior Brother Qiao, I am Liu Shishi."

Qiao Zhengyu was temporarily out of action and busy memorizing his lines when he was suddenly interrupted by a female voice. He looked up in confusion and saw a girl he didn't recognize.

Then she realized that she had just called him "senior brother" and asked with a look of doubt, "Um, hello, are you a newly signed artist of the company?"

Liu Shishi shook her head, revealing two dimples, and replied with a smile, "I am a student at the Beiping Dance Academy, so I call you senior brother, but I am not an artist under Tengda."

Upon hearing that she was a junior from the same school, Qiao Zhengyu immediately became much more friendly, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "So you're a junior. What role do you play in this drama?"

The TV series "My Own Swordsman" requires a large number of actors, excluding the main actors and important supporting roles. With so many people coming and going, those who come to the set at this time must be making guest appearances.

Liu Shishi, full of energy, said, "I am Zhan Hongling, the number one female constable in the world. I hope you will give me more guidance in the future."

Qiao Zhengyu humbly replied, "I wouldn't call it giving pointers; we're just exchanging ideas and improving together." Zhan Hongling is the white moonlight of Bai Zhantang, the male lead he plays, and the two have many scenes together.

"Is the actress playing Zhan Hongling here? Come with me to the dressing room," a stagehand called out when she had a free moment.

"Yes, I'm here! Senior brother, I'm going to change first." Liu Shishi followed the voice, turned back to wave to Qiao Zhengyu, and left with the stagehand.

Looking at the boisterous Liu Shishi, Qiao Zhengyu couldn't help but chuckle. Comparing her to another fellow disciple, Lü Yi, he felt that the one in front of him was more lively, while Lü Yi was more reserved.

However, both of them are outstanding in appearance and temperament. I vaguely remembered that my old classmate had mentioned the "Two Beauties of Beijing Dance Academy", which seemed to refer to Lü Yi and Liu Shishi. I never expected that the two most beautiful girls from Beijing Dance Academy would enter the entertainment industry.

Upon arriving at the dressing room, Liu Shishi politely greeted the makeup artist and stylist, then sat quietly, letting them arrange things for her.

She was very polite and courteous to these behind-the-scenes staff. That's how it is in the entertainment industry. Nobody knows anyone on set. Being polite is never a bad thing. Being sweet-talking and gentle will naturally help you avoid being taken advantage of.

Even if you have a powerful background, there's no need to act arrogantly and pretend to be a big shot, offending people for no reason.

More than two hours later, Liu Shishi finished her makeup, changed into her ancient costume, and returned to the studio to have director Shang Jin take a look at the makeup and costume effects.

Liu Shishi wore a black cloak, and the bright red ribbon on her head fluttered in the wind. Her face was beautiful and dignified, and her brows exuded a heroic spirit.

Shang Jin nodded and couldn't help but applaud, praising, "Great look, so heroic! You are indeed suitable to play Zhan Hongling. The producer recommended a good actress to me."

Shang Jin's approval made Liu Shishi beam with joy: "Thank you for the compliment, Director Shang."

"How's your memorization of the lines?"

"I've already memorized it." Liu Shishi didn't want to embarrass Song Ci with Tengda's performance, so she prepared thoroughly, having memorized the script perfectly before coming to the set.

Shang Jin smiled broadly, increasingly satisfied with the young girl's professionalism; he liked this kind of ambitious actor.

He waved to the female lead, who was not far away, and said, "Yan Ni, come down."

Dressed in a theatrical costume, Yan Ni swayed gracefully as she approached Shang Jin and asked with a grin, "What is it, Director?"

Shang Jin pointed at Liu Shishi and said, "Little Liu, you will play Zhan Hongling. You will act out a scene with her, specifically the scene where Zhan Hongling goes to Tongfu Inn to find Bai Zhantang and the two meet for the first time."

Yan Ni, ever quick-witted and shrewd, asked, "Zhen Jun, what's this teacher's name?"

Liu Shishi was a complete newbie, so she dared not let the female lead call her "teacher". She quickly said humbly, "Teacher Yan, you flatter me. My name is Liu Shishi. You are the senior. You can call me Xiao Liu or Shishi."

While others treated her with politeness, Yan Ni was naturally warm and friendly. "We're all from the same production crew. I'm a few years older than you, so let's call each other sisters, Shishi."

"Alright, alright, stop being so polite. Hurry up and perform a scene. After the show wraps up, you can chat all you want. Get into the mood and start now," Shang Jin urged, then stepped back a few paces, leaving the space to Liu Shishi and Yan Ni.

Liu Shishi took a deep breath, silently encouraging herself. She needed to adjust her state before the audition.

Yan Ni, on the other hand, didn't need to at all. During this time, she had already become one with the character of Tong Zhanggui, so a small audition was no problem for her.

This scene shows Tong, the innkeeper, doing her makeup in front of the mirror. Then, Yan Xiaoliu leads Zhan Hongling to the inn, and the two look at each other across the distance, their silence speaking volumes.

Yan Ni made a gesture with one hand, performing a natural act without any props, and stared at Liu Shishi with lively and expressive eyes.

She perfectly captured the competitive spirit between women, while Liu Shishi, expressionless and with vacant eyes, made Shang Jin frown.

(End of this chapter)