Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 75, Section 74: The Power of Money
August 20th, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, is Qixi Festival.

Inside the conference room of the Beijing Film Studio's administration building, the atmosphere was even more intense than the summer heat outside the window.

The fifth preparatory meeting for "Harmony in the Family Brings Prosperity in All Things" was held here.

Wang Sheng sat in the main seat, with the final version of the script, storyboard, shooting schedule, and a thick stack of reports from various departments spread out in front of him.

Assistant director Huo Jianqi sat to his left, wearing glasses, intently looking at the materials in front of him, occasionally making notes with a pen.

Production manager Zhou Wei, cinematographer Zhao Xiaojun, lighting technician Qian Weiguo, art director Yu Lan, and heads of various departments including sound recording, makeup, and costume sat in a circle, each with a teacup and notebook in front of them. The meeting room was filled with smoke, but it also exuded a serious and focused atmosphere before a battle.

"Dear teachers," Wang Sheng looked around and said in a clear and strong voice, "to make a long story short, today is the last meeting before filming begins. We have only one goal: to finalize all aspects and fill in any gaps."

He first looked at the production manager, Zhou Wei: "Director Zhou, you go first, regarding the overall progress and support."

Zhou Wei opened the folder and reported in a clear and organized manner: "Director Wang, Director Huo, the final version of the shooting plan has been confirmed. Filming will begin on September 12th and wrap up on September 30th, a total of 19 days."

Regarding the location, the main interior scenes, 'Daughter's Home' and 'Daughter and Son-in-Law's Home', were built in Studio 2 of the factory. The art director, Mr. Yu, has already inspected and approved them without any problems.

There are seven outdoor filming locations, including parks, streets, and kindergartens. Coordination letters have been sent to all of them, and filming permits will be in place by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

"The actors' schedules have all been coordinated. Contracts for teachers Zhao Benshan, Guo Da, and Song Dandan have been signed, and the initial payment of their fees has been made as agreed. Contracts for teacher Fan Wei and other supporting actors have also been finalized. All actors have confirmed that they can attend the script reading tomorrow." Zhou Wei paused and added, "The actors' accommodations are arranged at the factory guesthouse, and transportation has also been arranged."

Wang Sheng nodded: "Okay. The food and lodging standards will be as we set beforehand. We can't skimp on everyone's needs. Especially for Teacher Zhao and Teacher Guo, who are coming from out of town, we must make sure their logistical support is up to par."

"Understood," Zhou Wei replied.

Wang Sheng turned to Yu Lan, the art director: "Teacher Yu, the scenes and props."

Yu Lan took out several large-format renderings and photos and handed them to Wang Sheng and Huo Jianqi: "Director Wang, Director Huo, these are the final renderings for the two main scenes. The old man's house is old but clean, with many old objects, which suits the identity of a retired worker."

The son-in-law's family is rather modern, with a bit of a nouveau riche vibe, but not overly ostentatious. We distressed 'Grandma Yu's' outfits, especially those ill-fitting floral dresses and headscarves, to make them look stylish without being too fake.

She then took out a prop list: "This is the main prop list. Everything from small items like teacups and ashtrays has been prepared. We can start setting up the scene tomorrow."

Huo Jianqi looked at the renderings carefully and nodded, saying, "Teacher Yu, you've put in a lot of effort. The color tone and texture are excellent, with a strong sense of everyday life, yet it also has a touch of exaggeration that's necessary for comedy. The balance is just right."

Wang Sheng also expressed his satisfaction: "Teacher Yu worked hard. The details of the props are very important, as they directly affect the authenticity of the play. Especially the 'Grandma Yu' characters, they are key to the humor, so they must be done cleverly."

Next came the photography and lighting.

Zhao Xiaojun and Qian Weiguo reported on the final camera position layout and lighting design.

In response to Wang Sheng's request for "warm tones and a lifelike feel," they designed multiple plans to ensure that the lighting at different times and under different moods could serve the plot. Zhao Xiaojun pointed to several key shots on the storyboard: "Director Wang, Director Huo, for example, the shot of the old man going out in drag for the first time, we plan to use a medium shot with a slightly upward angle, which will highlight the character's comicality without being too over the top. The background will be blurred, and the focus will still be on the character's expression."

Huo Jianqi added, "The rhythm is very important here. The camera can follow the characters slightly to add a touch of awkward realism."

Wang Sheng listened attentively, occasionally offering minor suggestions for adjustment.

His requirements for the images were extremely specific; he even knew the size of the light spot in a certain shot and the speed of a certain transition. This surprised the two veteran craftsmen, Zhao Xiaojun and Qian Weiguo, who were secretly amazed that this young man was truly knowledgeable.

The recording, makeup, and costume departments also reported one by one, and resolved several minor issues discovered at the last minute, such as a plan to avoid potential noise sources at a certain outdoor location and confirmation of the actors' specific makeup and costume photos.

The entire meeting was efficient and pragmatic. Wang Sheng led the pace, smoothly handling the raising of questions, discussions, decision-making, and note-taking.

Huo Jianqi provided a great deal of professional advice on artistic details and technical implementation. The two worked together seamlessly and complemented each other perfectly.

Finally, Wang Sheng picked up the final version of the script and looked at Huo Jianqi: "Director Huo, is there anything else that needs to be adjusted in the script?"

Huo Jianqi pushed up his glasses: "Mr. Wang, I've read the script many times. The structure is tight, the humor is natural, and the character arcs are clear. Especially the character 'Juanjuan' played by Teacher Song Dandan, the scenes with several emotional shifts are very well written and layered. I personally think it's already very mature and can be filmed directly."

Wang Sheng nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone present: "Since Director Huo has said so, then the script is finalized. Do any of you teachers have any questions? This is the last chance."

The meeting room fell silent for a moment. Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.

The preliminary work was thorough enough; we considered almost everything that needed to be considered.

"Alright!" Wang Sheng closed the script, leaned forward slightly, and said in a resolute tone, "Then I hereby officially announce: the pre-production work for 'Harmony Brings Prosperity' is now complete!"

A sigh of relief and hushed conversation filled the conference room. Smiles appeared on everyone's faces as their nerves, which had been tense for many days, could finally relax a little.

Wang Sheng smiled, but his expression immediately turned serious: "Dear teachers, the preliminary work is just the foundation. The real battle will begin the day after tomorrow when filming starts. This is the first TV series of our Shengying Media, and it is also the highlight of Beijing Film Studio's New Year's film season this year. We can only succeed, we cannot fail! Everyone in the studio is watching us, and there are many people outside waiting to see us fail."

He paused, then raised his voice a few decibels, with an undeniable determination: "If everyone works together to film well and finish the shoot, you won't be shortchanged by a single cent in your red envelope, don't worry!"

Everyone's expression tightened, and they all sat up straight.

“One last arrangement,” Wang Sheng said, looking at production manager Zhou Wei, “Director Zhou, please inform all the main actors that tomorrow, August 21st, at 9:00 AM, in the Beijing Film Studio conference room, we will have the first full script reading of ‘Family Harmony Brings Prosperity.’ All actors must be present on time and may not request leave without special circumstances.”

"Understood, Director Wang. I will personally notify them after the meeting," Zhou Wei solemnly replied.

(End of this chapter)