I live my life in Tokyo

No life left.

Literally.

Kaede Sakakibara took out a bento box from the refrigerator, which she got from yesterday's part-time job, and skillfully put it in the microwave to heat it up.

Today is Friday, and four days of filming have passed. He has had no more scenes since the end of the second day. After all, he is not the leading male role, but just an insignificant third male role. Kitahara Hiroshi has finished all his shots in the first episode.

As for the Daily Life of Our High School Students, this TV series will be broadcasted at 10 o'clock in the prime time on Friday night. This time period is the traditional strong time of the TBS channel. It focuses on youth and male and female themes, and most of the actors used are young actors.

STARS still has money.

He put the warm chicken fillet into his mouth and chewed it, while checking the newly issued work arrangements.

Today is Friday and the plot has come to the second episode, but there is still no role for Sakakibara Kaede. His role was invisible in the early stage and he only needed to show up on Monday.

"Ding ding ding."

The sudden vibration startled Sakakibara Kaede, and he almost dropped his phone into his lunch box.

The caller couldn't be Hiratsuka-sensei...

Sakakibara Kaede frowned slightly. He was originally a hidden gem and was transferred to Sakai Yuichi. There was a crucial clause in the signed contract that he was a free agent at other times and only needed to return to school for on-campus tests.

"Hello, Hiratsuka-sensei?"

"Teacher? Haha, Sakakibara-kun, you got the wrong person. I'm your manager Iida."

A familiar and hearty laugh came from the other end of the phone. Kei Iida leaned back in the Herman Miller office chair, holding the phone between his shoulders, his fingers rapidly tapping on the keyboard, "Are you free today, Sakakibara-kun? There's a job I think would be a good fit for you."

He paused, then began to introduce, "A soda brand wants to shoot an advertisement, and came to STARS. I think your qualifications are quite suitable. Are you interested?"

Upon hearing this, Sakakibara Kaede straightened up immediately. The contract he signed was based on a commission system, which meant that the more work he did, the more yen he could get.

This month's salary has not been paid yet, not to mention this month's minimum guaranteed salary. He is not even the leading actor in this TV series, so he probably won't get much money.

So we need to rely on extra income.

"Iida-san, I'm free today, where is my work location?"

"It's quite close to your residence, near the Chiba City Public Library. Wait a moment, I'll send you the address."

"I'll call you again when the work is almost done, Sakakibara-kun."

After waiting on the tatami for about two minutes, Sakakibara Kaede received an email from Iida Kei with the address and detailed information attached.

It’s not far from the rental house and can be reached by bus.

After replying an email to her agent Kei Iida, Sakakibara Kaede put on her clothes and went out.

This is the job of an agent, to find job opportunities for his/her artists and, during their free time, to let their artists go out to gain work experience, so that they can grow quickly and get on the right track.

A biting cold wind blew in his face, and Kaede Sakakibara blew a breath into his palms. His hands warmed up briefly, and he quickly put his hands into his pockets to keep them warm so that the temperature would last longer.

Thinking of Sakurajima-senpai's special car to pick her up, Sakakibara Kaede quickened her pace. She would feel much more comfortable after getting through this winter.

Walking is healthier and helps digestion.

I was riding the bus and browsing Bluebird for a while, and unexpectedly saw the news from my company.

“Youth is an eternal and unchanging tone. Everyone has only one youth that belongs to him, whether it is sweet, sour, slightly bitter, or spicy... Everyone’s youth is completely different.”

"When entering high school, the kind-hearted Nanbu Jin became a study committee member, but he had no interest in studying. He clashed with Dong Liuli, who was a study committee member, many times. What kind of sparks were created behind their daily bickering?"

Did they hire a voice actor to dub the character? The rough, slightly excited voice of an old man reminded Sakakibara of the school's physical education teacher.

"——The dull nerd Kitahara Hiroshi is childhood sweethearts with the popular class member Nishida Orange. What? They are childhood sweethearts who haven't seen each other for several years? This reaction is too cold, Kitahara Hiroshi!"

The humorous description and Kitahara Hiroshi's yawning face in front of the camera made Sakakibara Kaede's mouth curl up. Such a relaxed and free-spirited narration can easily arouse people's interest in the drama, or at least make them want to watch it. It seems that STARS has really worked hard in promoting this.

"This Friday evening at 10 o'clock, we will meet there as high school students."

"What does your youth taste like?"

Sakakibara Kaede clicked the like button out of habit and found that the number of likes had exceeded tens of thousands.

The comment and repost section was equally lively. Mai Sakurajima's account reposted the tweet, and there were a bunch of fans asking about her well-being and looking forward to Mai Sakurajima's appearance.

I silently gave a thumbs up to several other actors who forwarded the post. The gap between the actors was instantly revealed. Sakurajima Mai worthy of being the one who debuted the longest and had the best data. Kashima Yu, who played the male lead, and Higuchi Madoka, who played the female lead, followed closely behind.

As for the second male and second female roles, there are not many people behind them. After all, these two are artists discovered by STARS themselves, and this is their first appearance on the screen, so naturally the attention they received is less.

As the bus arrived at the station, Kaede Sakakibara put her phone back into her pocket, rubbed her hands together, and walked off the platform.

The filming location is not far from the station. According to Iida Kei, this spot was specially provided to STARS, otherwise he might have to compete with artists from other agencies, and the scoring point would naturally be acting skills.

This job is perfect for him as a newcomer.

It is still rare to find an agency like STARS that trains artists and uses them to film movies. Most agents in agencies contact the demanders or investors when looking for jobs, and only after confirming with the filming company will they spread the artists out like a wide net.

The firm represents the image of a middleman, but STARS has money and wants to be both an investor and a middleman.

Walking into the familiar shooting scene, Sakakibara Kaede glanced around and then stopped on a middle-aged man holding a manuscript with a sign hanging on his chest.

"Hello, I'm Sakakibara Kaede, an artist from STARS."

"Oshima Hide, Dentsu Advertising Company, advertising director, also responsible for some TBS TV programs." Oshima Hide has a short beard and gold-rimmed glasses. He looks very serious, but he is easy to talk to. "You are the third male in our daily life of high school students, right?"

Sakakibara nodded hesitantly in confirmation.

Oshima Hide saw Sakakibara Kaede's confusion and explained, "We high school students usually stay in TBS's prime time on Fridays, so I know that. Besides, Iida recommended you to me, so I decided to use you with a try-it attitude."

"Like Iida said, Sakakibara-kun, you have been in the industry for a short time?"

"Yes, it's only been about a week at most."

Oshima Hide hummed, "You have good talent and a lot of room to learn. It seems that we will have many opportunities for cooperation in the future."

He handed the manuscript to Sakakibara Kaede. This was an advertisement for Almighty Soda, and the content of the advertisement was indeed very simple, or the story was obvious.

"This is the biggest difference between movies, TV series and commercials." Oshima Hide took Sakakibara Kaede into the backstage. What appeared before their eyes was a sophisticated studio, as well as a suggested set of scenery and furniture configurations, such as a study.

"The job of a film or TV director is to tell the story, and the focus is on telling the story in a complete and exciting way. The job of an advertising director is to present information to the audience in a short period of time, and they pay more attention to the picture and rhythm, so they attach great importance to the picture."

Kaede Sakakibara nodded. The story in the manuscript in his hand was very simple. Tired from working all night, he lay down on the table and wanted to sleep, but after taking a sip of soda, he immediately revived.

To be honest, it looks a lot like the Pulse commercial. Come back anytime.

Chapter 20 Young people have a narrow path

Advertising focuses on the picture.

Kaede Sakakibara was lying on the desk like a sleepy boy, and the gentle breeze blew her soft black hair.

This scene could make anyone feel sleepy. The boy looked so peaceful with his eyes closed that waking him up would be a heinous crime.

The boy groaned, rubbed his eyes, and fumbled on the table unconsciously, his fingers brushing over the book he had been studying all night, the ink-filled pen... Then he grabbed the soda on the table.

This handshake was like a traveler who had been lost in the desert for a long time finding an oasis, or like a white-collar worker who had been holding back his urgency for a whole day finally finding a chance to go to the toilet.

"呲-"

The boy opened the bottle of Almighty Soda, put the bottle mouth to his lips, and poured the pure liquid like sweet spring water into his mouth. His white Adam's apple moved up and down, and his blue eyes opened wide.

A long-lost vitality appeared in the tired young man. He straightened his body, his eyes were clear and bright, the tiredness of the night dissipated, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

He stretched his body and seemed to hear his friends calling outside the window.

The boy waved toward the window, picked up the baseball glove on the bed, quickly opened the door, and his excited figure disappeared around the corner.

"CUT!"

Oshima Hide hummed, and the filming crew around him relaxed and took a short break.

He nodded slightly to Sakakibara Kaede who was walking towards him quickly, then turned his eyes to the screen and looked at the details frame by frame attentively.

"You've captured the details very well." He pointed at the scene where Kaede Sakakibara was sleeping, and praised her. "Sakakibara-kun, you've mastered this half-asleep, half-awake state to perfection."

He left his words unsaid, and seeing that Sakakibara Kaede was listening attentively, he continued, "Because I like your acting as Kitahara Hirotoki, I fell in love with you at first sight."

"Let's not talk about that for now. Your performance here needs to improve."

Oshima Hide gestured as he spoke, "Sakakibara-kun, you've just started in the industry, right? Advertising shooting is similar to film shooting, both of which tell a story that satisfies the audience within a limited time. Compared to the long narrative techniques of movies, advertising is usually only a dozen seconds long, and it is not easy to express the content in such a short time."

"And in these few tens of seconds, the primary goal is to catch the attention of all the audience."

"Watch this."

He pointed at the screen, and Sakakibara Kaede turned around and picked up the baseball glove, leaving behind a handsome back.

"You have to pay attention to the camera here. Although the perspective is zoomed out and focused on the soda, you are still within the camera range."

“Watch this commercial.”

He took the phone handed to him by Oshima Hide, clicked on the link, and an advertisement began to play on the screen. The protagonist was none other than Mai Sakurajima.

In other words, it was Mai Sakurajima in junior high school.

She was wearing coats of different colors and shapes, constantly changing her look, her indigo eyes were smiling, staring straight at the camera, capturing everyone's attention.

"I have worked with Sakurajima-kun several times before, but that's not the point. You have to pay attention to the direction of her face." Oshima Hide paused and continued, "There were at least six cameras when shooting this children's clothing advertisement, but Sakurajima-kun was able to perform very naturally regardless of the direction or facial expression."

Oshima Hideo concluded earnestly, "Remember, the leading actor never turns his back to the camera."

Sakakibara Kaede thought for a moment, his eyes moving back and forth between the four cameras, as if thinking about something.

Oshima Hide said hello and pointed at his watch, signaling the filming crew to get ready. Although the problem with the last shoot was not serious, there were still some flaws, so it would be best if they could be corrected.

The boy, half asleep and half awake, held the Almighty soda in his hand. He drank the bubbling liquid down his throat, wiped his mouth, and smiled at the camera outside the window.

Turning sideways, picking up the baseball glove on the bedside table, the boy stretched his limbs, stepped out of the door frame, turned around and closed the door.

"CUT."

Sakakibara Kaede had no concept of the camera before. He was not the protagonist in the TV series, so the camera naturally could not revolve around him - even when he was acting opposite her, the camera would mostly stay on Sakurajima Mai, not him.

But Oshima treated him like a leading actor, so the requirements were naturally different.

When playing the leading role, the camera does not focus on the actor, but the actor actively shows his face towards the camera.

Besides, he has been filming in STARS's own studio so far, and the competition is not fierce because they are all from the same family. Once he meets artists from other studios, fierce competition is inevitable. If he wants to stand out, he must find this feeling.

The two discussed the details of the plot, and Oshima Hide nodded in praise of Sakakibara Kaede's natural acting. In his opinion, the fact that a new artist could achieve this level exceeded his expectations, and the filming progress was smoother than he had imagined.

He also put forward several requirements, such as Kaede Sakakibara's movements had to be exaggerated in order to attract the audience's attention in a short period of time.

Appearance is equally important in advertisements, but it is just a glimpse. The key is to be able to attract the audience's attention with exaggerated movements or expressions.

One clip was shot three times. During the filming, Sakakibara Kaede went to the toilet because he drank too much soda. He couldn't help burping during the filming, and the scene was finally passed.

Oshima Hide gave Sakakibara Kaede a box of Almighty soda, and the latter came to the lounge area while drinking the drink and found a shrewd and capable middle-aged man typing on a thin laptop at the dining table in the lounge.

"Oh? Sakakibara-kun, you've worked hard." Iida Kei waved at Sakakibara Kaede and motioned him to look at the big screen in the lounge. "I saw your performance clearly. Oshima-san was full of praise for your acting skills."

Sakakibara Kaede sat on the cushion without any hesitation, opened the energy bar on the table and put it into his mouth to chew.

“How does it feel to work this time?”

Iida Kei stopped typing and turned his gaze to his only artist now, saying in a serious tone, "If you think it's good, I can find more similar jobs for you next time."

Sakakibara Kaede leaned back without any image, as if he had no bones in his body, and muttered, "Iida-san, I like food advertisements. I think they are more suitable for my future development."

"Food ads? Young man, don't narrow your path." Iida held his eyes and advised earnestly, "Artists need to show a variety of talents. Even if you can cook..."

“——I can’t cook.”

Iida pointed at Sakakibara Kaede and said, "Let me tell you, many food advertisements require artists to cook on the spot. Can you do it?"

Sakakibara Feng patted his chest and laughed contemptuously, "I can eat. Whether I'm running to school with a piece of bread in my mouth, opening a beautifully packaged bento in the classroom at noon, or wolfing down a midnight snack before the exam at night, I can eat vividly."

"..."

Iida was silent, he wisely skipped the topic and tapped the table with his fingers.

"Does Sakakibara-kun run Twitter?"

“I have a private account.”

Iida Kei snapped his fingers and said, "Create an artist account. You are one of the main actors in this drama, so you have to contribute to the popularity. If you can finish this, it will make your future career as an artist much easier."

Sakakibara Kaede came and sat next to Iida Kei. He usually used this kind of artist account, but the account was ultimately managed by STARS agency.

For example, you cannot forward porn videos or make random comments on this account, which are clearly written in the regulations. Forwarding cooperation matters, tweets and advertisements are the basis of the basis, and uploading some selfies and sending some positive energy messages are the icing on the cake.

Sakakibara Kaede has seen Sakurajima Mai's Twitter account. In addition to forwarding necessary tweets, she also uploads some trivial things in her daily life. She manages her Twitter account very well and deserves to be called a senior.