I really don't want to make bad movies!

The set construction for "Arrival" was completed in ten days.

For a film with a budget of 96 million, the assembly speed of ten days can be described as very efficient.

Yang Xianghua sent the complete cast and crew list to Xia Ming and informed him to meet at the outdoor shooting base in the suburbs of Jinghai in the afternoon.

Xia Ming glanced around and saw that the entire crew consisted of more than 120 people.

Twenty of them are from Ju Jingyi's studio alone.

Aside from the essential positions of main and deputy agents, personal assistants, administrative assistants, financial advisors, legal advisors, and publicity planners, what are the remaining dozen or so people doing?

The sedan chair bearers?

Xia Ming was puzzled and could only find out by going to the film set.

He packed his luggage and went downstairs, where he saw a beautiful figure standing at the dormitory entrance.

The December winds in Jinghai were biting cold. Jiang Xixi was wearing a long, light blue woolen trench coat, with a white scarf fluttering in the wind.

She would occasionally brush her hair behind her ear, revealing her ears that were red from the cold.

Xia Ming pulled his suitcase and walked towards her under her silent gaze.

"What brings you here today?"

After filming wrapped on "The Swindler," the two didn't see each other for a while.

Jiang Xixi wears glasses without a prescription in winter, saying that the cold wind hurts her eyes.

With her square-framed glasses, her aloof features exuded an intellectual beauty.

"Have you taken on a new film crew?" Jiang Xixi asked, seemingly changing the subject, her gaze fixed on Xia Ming's suitcase behind him.

"Yes, it was invested in by iQiyi."

Xia Ming glanced at his phone; he didn't have time for idle chatter.

Jiang Xixi could also tell that Xia Ming was in a hurry. She reached into her coat with her left hand and pulled out an exquisite paper bag.

"This is for you."

Xia Ming took the sealed paper bag, pressed the edge, and couldn't feel what was inside.

"Scarf, it's getting cold."

"It's from a polar bear, please don't be disgusted."

Jiang Xixi wrapped her coat tighter around herself, but Xia Ming could still see that she was only wearing pajamas underneath, as if she had rushed over.

How did she know I was going to the film set today?

Xia Ming felt that he was being monitored, and his whereabouts were always exposed to the public.

"Thanks."

Xia Ming smiled and stuffed the paper bag into his bag.

"Um--"

Just as Xia Ming was about to leave, Jiang Xixi spoke up again.

"What's wrong?"

"After 'The Swindler' became a hit, LM Women's Suit approached me to be their print model. They said I perfectly embodied the image of a 'laid-back yet sophisticated' new woman."

Xia Ming looked her over and couldn't help but admire the high-end brand's eye for choosing models.

Jiang Xixi does indeed give off the feeling of "a polar bear lying on the ice in a daze when the temperature reaches its highest point".

She appears strong, but deep down she's just an ordinary girl.

"Isn't that great? How's the pay?"

"Hmm... 300,000 a year, and at least one print shoot every month."

"Not bad!"

You earn 300,000 a year, and if you're lucky, you might only have to work one day a month.

For a sophomore, this compensation is quite generous.

"But, but..." Jiang Xixi gripped the buttons of her coat with both hands, "The styles of suits change every month, and the models have to be on standby at all times, available whenever needed."

Is there a problem with the contract?

Xia Ming frowned, glanced at his phone again, and said, "I still have some time: I'll take a look for you."

Jiang Xixi shook her head: "The contract is fine, it's just—"

"Once I took this job, I had no other time."

"I...I want to act in a movie with you..."

The wind grew stronger, but her voice grew softer and softer.

As she spoke, Jiang Xixi lifted her scarf to cover her chin and lips.

Xia Ming knew that Jiang Xixi's family was of modest means, and an annual salary of 300,000 yuan was a rare treat for her.

Compared to actors, models have more stable incomes.

Moreover, brand endorsement opportunities are extremely rare, serving not only as a channel to gain fame but also as a way to quickly establish a personal image.

Many A-list celebrities rely on their company's resources to secure opportunities; missing out on such opportunities may mean never having another chance.

Xia Ming smiled, but the wind was too strong, so he had to raise his voice: "My current production crew is worth eight figures. If you don't use a name tag to boost your status, you won't even be able to get into my crew."

Jiang Xixi's glasses slipped down to the bridge of her nose, and her eyes looked over the black frames at Xia Ming.

Holding her scarf in both hands, unable to adjust her glasses with a free hand, she looked up at Xia Ming and said softly, "Oh, okay..."

Xia Ming waved and turned to leave: "Bye-bye, see you after the New Year."

"Okay, goodbye."

"Click-clack—"

The suitcase wheels screeched against the uneven pavement, making a piercing noise.

Suddenly, the sound stopped.

Xia Ming stopped and turned around, seeing Jiang Xixi still looking at him, her glasses still half-hanging.

He smiled, pointed to his earlobe, and exclaimed, "Earring, very pretty!"

Jiang Xixi raised her scarf higher, nodded emphatically, and then waved goodbye to Xia Ming.

After Xia Mingyuan left, she pushed up her glasses, and her hair, hanging from the temples, fell down, covering her bright red ears.

……

When I arrived at the film set by taxi, there were already two buses parked outside the shooting base, surrounded by a large crowd.

Yang Xianghua stood outside the crowd. As soon as he saw Xia Ming get out of the car, he walked over and led him into the crowd with a smile.

"Everyone, please be quiet and get to know each other. This is your director, Xia Ming!"

Xia Ming greeted everyone with a smile, which drew a murmur from the crowd.

"Is this a director or a college student here to get an internship certificate?"

"I heard it's with a new director, but I didn't hear how new he is?"

"Haven't you seen 'The Swindler'? That director is quite talented."

"Wasn't it said that 'The Swindlers' was well-made because producer Jiang Wen was strict in his supervision?"

"..."

A few whispers occasionally reached Xia Ming's ears, but he didn't pay much attention to them.

We'll see how good they are when filming officially starts tomorrow.

Xia Ming took out a printed execution sheet from his bag and gave each group a copy of the guidance sheet.

Having honed his skills on the sets of "Let the Bullets Fly" and "The Swindler," he has fully mastered the processes of a commercial film crew.

The execution schedule is of paramount importance; it's impossible to smoothly coordinate hundreds of people just by having the director give verbal instructions.

The director of photography, production manager, art director, sound director, executive director, and assistant director all put away their joking attitude after reviewing the schedule.

The script they received was only a first draft, and they couldn't discern much content from it.

However, this meticulous execution plan is enough to demonstrate the director's skill.

The first scene tomorrow will be filmed on location. Xia Ming has drawn up a complete scene plan and camera setup for them, and has also made preliminary plans for the lighting and mechanical equipment.

As long as you follow the instructions on the schedule, you can definitely complete the set design within a day.

"Don't judge a book by its cover!"

"No, it's 'young and promising'!"

"Director Xia, you've got something!"

The instructors put away the execution sheets and told their subordinates to pack up the equipment.

Xia Ming looked around and noticed the number of people was incorrect. He asked Yang Xianghua, "Where's the cast?"

"The staff are all from Jinghai, so it's convenient to gather them, but the actors are all out of town, and some are even abroad. They won't be back until tomorrow."

The film crew was set up rather hastily, which Xia Ming could understand.

Tomorrow is the day for setting up the set, so it won't matter if the actors arrive a day late.

Although the lead actor was not present, the extras, supporting actors, and stunt doubles were all there and were able to complete the blocking design.

"What does the contract say?"

Yang Xianghua chuckled: "I was just about to tell you about this. The QuanQuan platform has also invested."

"Their investment of fourteen million is a real lifesaver!"

Xia Ming raised an eyebrow: "Fourteen million? Are you sure?"

"Of course, the contract is right here, it's written in black and white."

Yang Xianghua produced a contract that clearly stated that the QuanQuan platform would invest 14 million yuan in the film "Arrival" and receive a 6% share of the profits.

Ju Jingyi's studio brought its own funding to the project, investing 20 million yuan, and then claimed a 14% cut based on the perceived traffic benefits.

The main investor, iQiyi platform, bears the greatest risk and receives 20% of the revenue as the first investor.

Xia Ming, as the director, has a fixed salary of three million yuan, and receives three percent of the profits as a technical advisor.

As the sole producer, Yang Xianghua made concessions, accepting only a salary of one million and a one percent share.

The remaining 56 percent goes to theater revenue sharing and film bureau taxes.

Xia Ming looked at the financial statements and did a rough calculation in his mind.

The key is that Ju Jingyi doesn't have a fixed salary; otherwise, even 30 to 40 million wouldn't be enough to cover her appearance fee.

With 96 million in funds, after deducting 4 million in salaries for himself and Yang Xianghua, the other employees were paid on a daily basis.

With the help of kiwifruit, there are discounts available for venues and equipment. By being frugal, the daily cost can be controlled to around 400,000 yuan.

If we conservatively estimate the filming time at fifty days, the operating cost of the production team would be approximately twenty million.

There are still 72 million left, enough to seriously polish a science fiction movie!

The main selling point of Arrival is its science fiction philosophy; the visual effects create an atmosphere and evoke a Cthulhu-like sense of oppression from aliens.

The color palette of Akira Kurosawa is used to create a gray atmosphere, and Hitchcock's suspense techniques are used to depict alien creatures.

Finally, the dialogue was polished using Jiang Wen's linguistic artistry, and the humanistic philosophy was explored.

Xia Ming just hopes the actors won't underperform.

Or rather, even if the actors are terrible, he will still whip them to perform with all their might.

For his first big-budget film, Xia Ming didn't want the quality to decline in the slightest.

Xia Ming flipped through the report and froze when he saw the section on actor salaries.

He carefully checked the male lead's salary figures, counting the zeros following each one.

One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand, million...

"Ten million?!"

Xia Ming suddenly looked up and stared at Yang Xianghua: "Which emperor did you hire? A ten million yuan fee?!"

Yang Xianghua shrugged: "Wasn't it written there?"

Xia Ming frowned, shifted his gaze, and looked at the male actor's name.

Those two simple words made him want to curse in his mind.

you**?!