My wife is the stand-in.

“That’s enough.” Spielberg nodded. “I already have the outline of the story. Let my team take over.”

"Um... I think we need to discuss this further," Amanosaki managed to say.

"What? You're unhappy that I changed your script? Then don't come to me. Just go to Hollywood and find some lousy director to help you with the shots!"

Amanosaki rubbed his nose, exhaled two puffs of cold air, and remained silent.

Although the translator paid great attention to tone, Amanosaki still recognized those words that started with F and D.

He knew the old man was cursing him, but he couldn't lay a hand on him.

At this moment, Lin Shuyu, who had disappeared at some point, walked over with Kanna in her arms. She approached the two of them with a smile that was as gentle as a spring breeze. She pointed behind her and said in a soft, foreign language, "Amanosaki didn't mean that. In fact, it's not just you. The investors also feel that this script is a bit petty, so we all plan to discuss how to revise it."

"Look, everyone's here. We're just waiting for you to say a few words to them."

So the ambitious Spiegelberg then composed himself, straightened his clothes, and asked Karenina if his attire was appropriate and how he looked. After receiving affirmation from the mature woman, he glanced at Amanosaki:

"Stay close to me. The director's techniques are something an outsider could never figure out in a lifetime."

As soon as the two entered the cabin, a lively chorus of praise erupted. Lin Shuyu came over and helped Amanosaki roll up his sleeves and button them up, while Kanna helped Amanosaki straighten his tie. Li Junzi, who was watching from the captain's cabin, thought to himself that even his own teacher would only describe the scene as a happy family of three.

So he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Big Brother is truly the best! The harem is harmonious and orderly, that's awesome!"

But the two weren't being affectionate; instead, they were having a serious discussion.

"After we finish discussing and drawing storyboards on set, is there enough time? Do we need the screenwriter's help to turn it into a script?" Lin Shuyu's palms were sweaty, and when she brushed against Amanosaki's wrist, she felt a damp sensation.

Amanosaki flipped two gems with his fingers: "As long as the government and Spielberg don't argue, I can finish the storyboard in thirty minutes. What about you? Are you confident that you can learn the techniques from him? He said that a director's skills are not something an outsider can learn. So much equipment, the ability to control the scene, arranging actors, setting up camera positions, it's very troublesome."

Lin Shuyu smiled faintly, covering her mouth with the back of her hand to hide her teeth. Her delicate eyebrows arched like green mountains, and her eyes curved into crescent moons, shimmering with a gentle light.

"What's so difficult about that? No matter how difficult the scheduling is, can it be more difficult than the construction site? Can it be more difficult than the distribution of supplies and combat configurations for fleets of all sizes? Can it be more difficult than negotiating with seven or eight branch offices at the same time? Camera positions and actor arrangements can be memorized in a few days. It's inspiration that's hard to say. That's not something that [Celestial Man Form] can learn. It still depends on you."

Amanosaki smiled upon hearing this, but compared to Lin Shuyu's restraint, his expression was much more unrestrained, revealing two rows of neat teeth:

"What I have in abundance is inspiration."

If we're talking about the most popular genres in Japanese anime since the millennium, then after 2012 it's definitely isekai (another world). Anime like Ainz Ooal Gown, Rimuru, and The Rising of the Shield Hero are all on the list of most popular new anime series each season.

But before 2012, superpower series, especially those with superpower themes, were the true kings.

Code Geass, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zreo, Kara no Kyoukai, A Certain Magical Index, Full Metal Panic!...

Amanosaki's imagination of anime and manga could practically create a new world of gods and demons in a chaotic dance.

Besides, if Japanese anime isn't enough, we can copy Chinese anime, American comics, and American movies.

Anyone can plagiarize. He could make a Marvel movie series for several years.

That's genuine Armenian positive energy!

"Nozaki, it seems they've finished talking inside."

Kanna, her hands still wet with sugar water, tugged at Amanosaki's collar, her perked-up little ears twitching a few times, helping to complete the eavesdropping.

Lin Shuyu pinched Kanna's small nose and praised her cutely, "Kanna is so amazing! She could hear clearly even through the cabin?"

"Mere steel is no match for a dragon!"

Kanna imitated the adults, crossing her arms, tilting her little head back, and shaking her head:

"Kanna, you're amazing!"

Amano Saki bent down and leaned close to Kanna, their noses touching lightly: "Then please tell me, Kanna, what did these people say?"

"Then turn your ear to the side, and I'll whisper it to you."

Chapter 160: The Allure of Otherworldly Art and Magic

After Amanosaki entered the cabin on the first floor, he found that the layout had been completely changed.

The most noticeable feeling is that the space has become more open.

This place was originally a lounge or meeting room, set up for marine police officers on patrol or on duty to take a short break or hold brief meetings.

Now, all the sofas, chairs, water dispensers, and plants here have been cleared out. A group of middle-aged people, looking calm and amiable but exuding an extraordinary aura, sit around a table made of several large cardboard boxes with a hardened spray paint coating, listening to Spielberg's rambling.

"You've come at the right time; I've already gathered everyone's opinions."

Spiegelberg walked over excitedly, patted Amanosaki on the back, and kindly led him into the crowd.

The director was completely excited, his mind was filled with the script, and he didn't care at all that he had been "kidnapped" to be there.

Amanosaki was being directed by a foreigner, and he and the Chinese people around him looked at each other in bewilderment.

"This person is from the publicity department. He is conveying the department's message, hoping to promote the power of China in the film."

"This person is from the military. He means that he hopes to showcase the military's strength and technical level more, and it would be even better if there were some exciting scenes of military weapons fighting against the Queen Fish. If you agree, the military forces of the Dongting and Huangshan branches can provide machine support."

"This is from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education. They hope that the film can adhere to its consistent policy and bring positive energy to the audience."

Positive energy... When Amanosaki heard the familiar words, he looked up, exchanged an awkward glance with the representative opposite him, and smiled at each other.

'This foreigner is really stupid. You and your secretary are the only ones here who don't speak Chinese. What are you even doing here? Are you just creating extra work for us?'

The most outrageous thing is that these representatives are not officials, but companies and conglomerates that have signed contracts with Amanosaki. Some of the representatives sent this time were the same people who met Amanosaki at the last meeting at the bathhouse.

Come to think of it, with so many films made in China every year, even if this one is directed by an internationally renowned director, it's still not as important as carrying out the extermination order.

These people came on behalf of their own companies and conglomerates, and also to convey the will of various government departments. But Spiegelberger mistakenly believed that he was being given considerable importance and had established a deep connection with the Chinese state apparatus.

Out of consideration for face, everyone remained silent, and no one wanted to shatter his illusions.

After rambling on for a while, Spielberg finally shut up, smacking his lips and reassuringly saying, "Do you think it will be difficult to integrate? Don't worry, we'll help..."

Spielberg, who had been rambling on excitedly, suddenly had his voice abruptly raised as if he had been choked, and then fell silent.

Because Amanosaki has already started working on a completely new storyboard.

He took out a pencil from his pocket, broke it into five pieces, sharpened the lead, took out the agate stone, and carefully pieced it back together.

Spielberg watched as circuit board-like lines emerged from Amanosaki's hand, spreading down to the agate and pencil before settling.

Amanosaki placed the mechanical pen, now engraved with the magic spell, on the paper, then turned to Spielberg and asked, "Any other requests?"

"Um...that's all for now."

"it is good."

Amanosaki smiled slightly, "Wait a moment."

As he spoke, he stood up, and Lin Shuyu turned the tablet sideways. Amanosaki stared blankly at the various requirements she had recorded.

"Can you handle this? Your demands are too high. How about we discuss reducing some of them?"

"No, that's perfect, I've already thought of that."

Amanosaki unleashed his magic, and the five pens began to move in unison.

"Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid" is indeed difficult to carry the grand narrative of the main theme.

If positioned as a commercial film, adopting the narrative mode of Chinese mainstream films entirely would appear somewhat rigid.

However, the active commercial competition on Earth has led to the creation of film genres with their own cultural characteristics in various countries.

When it comes to the most ruthless integration of cultural propaganda into movies worldwide, we have to look to the Americans and popcorn movies.

The pencil strokes drew lines and created shadows, attracting everyone's attention.

It was a cluster of buildings sketched in pencil, covering half a mountain, filled with the rough, hard smell of metal and concrete. A huge white dragon, aided by a helicopter, projected a bright light onto the Kuroshio River.

Facing off against the white dragon was a colossal kingfish and a school of four-clawed scaled fish resembling a tidal wave.

The countless parallel lines vividly depict the confrontation between humans and monsters, dragons and kingfish.

The same scene unfolded on five sheets of paper, while Amanosaki, the creator, was holding a tablet and listening to Lin Shuyu, who had recorded all the client's requirements using the "Tenjinsō" (Heavenly Man Image) device, repeat and correct them, without paying any attention to the storyboard.

The ability to materialize what is in one's mind is something that ordinary people can do through writing, drawing, or performing. Therefore, using extraordinary power to "imprint" images from a user's mind is not magic, but rather a form of magic.

Yes, it's not painting, but copying the image in my mind.

In fact, using magic to materialize images in one's mind is much cheaper than "teaching" a magic pen to draw and then creating the artwork.

The difference is roughly the same as the difference between a photocopier and a smart AI drawing machine.

Even so, this is still an extraordinary ability for Spielberg.

He looked intently at Amanosaki, growing more and more fond of him the more he looked.

In his eyes, Amanosaki was no longer a person, but a combination of multiple things.

That's a computer that runs special effects; it's a self-propelled team storyboard creation machine.

Especially after Spielberg asked others around him and saw Amanosaki's uniquely styled, aesthetically pleasing character illustrations and short stories on their phones.

Amanosaki's position in his heart rose to an unparalleled level.

For a director, someone who can turn what everyone is discussing into a mature storyboard on set, reduce expenses, and even use 'physical' means to improve the film's effects is more useful than any superpower.

He rubbed his hands together, squatted down and carefully examined the storyboard, determined to bring Amanosaki into his team.

Because he directly manipulated the five magic pens, the actual time spent creating the storyboard was not 30 minutes; Amanosaki completed the second version of the storyboard in about ten minutes.

“Please take a look, everyone.”

Amanosaki and Lin Shuyu laid out the storyboards on the hardened cardboard box according to the page numbers. The first thing the investors' representatives saw was three bold characters.

Around the Yangtze River.

It needs to depict a giant dragon battling a queen fish, showcase the strength of the military, highlight China's power, and subtly incorporate the brand of capital.

Amanosaki abandoned the idea of ​​revising "Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid" and instead adopted a more commercial script based on the American film "Pacific Rim," set in the near future and with a city as its base, heavily influenced by Japanese anime and tokusatsu such as Ultraman and "EVA."

The only difference is that the "monster hunter" has been replaced by Kanna, and the monster has been replaced by a four-clawed scaled fish.

"If the city is used as a backdrop, the advertisement can be directly inserted into the city's neon lights, showcasing the city's scenery in slow motion for a few seconds while simultaneously inserting the advertisement."

Amanosaki spoke to several representatives of the investors who were requesting advertising.

Their demands are not excessive. The advertising needs are based on the original contract, which was agreed upon in exchange for additional investment. They do not need hard advertising like that of Shuhua Milk in "Transformers".

Amanosaki took a large sheet of kraft paper from Lin Shuyu and held it upright. Five pens floated in the air and quickly sketched a city night scene with a cyberpunk feel. Dense landmark buildings stood side by side, and shadows of varying depths marked the lights. Several billboards stood among them, each with its own characteristics, highlighting the city's dazzling lights.

The delegates nodded slightly. They may not understand film and art, but they thoroughly enjoyed Amanosaki's intuitive on-site drawing, the service that required no waiting, and the high-quality output.

It's a feeling of having everything under control, but the waiting time means uncertainty, and design plans are reworked because a satisfactory solution cannot be obtained on-site.