diymy Chapter 2 Xinghan Pictures, Xinghan Literature Network
Chapter 2 Xinghan Pictures, Xinghan Literature Network
"Crazy...Crazy Stone?" Ning Hao frowned, repeating the name unconsciously, with an expression that said, "This name is too corny and weird."
"This...will this work? It sounds a bit..." He couldn't find the right words for a moment.
"Rustic? That's exactly right!" Ling Yuan slapped the table and laughed. "Down-to-earth! Energetic! It even has a touch of absurd comedy to it! And..."
Ling Yuan winked slyly: "Calling it 'Stone' is much cheaper than calling it 'Big Diamond'! We can save a lot on prop costs! Of course, we won't film a real stone, we'll call it jade! Jade is more of a gimmick."
Actually, this name wasn't Ling Yuan's idea; it was Ning Hao's own creation in later generations. The final script was also quite different from the current one. Ling Yuan's acting was quite good, and he completely fooled Ning Hao.
Ning Hao was speechless for a moment, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
However, upon closer examination, it does seem to make sense, so I couldn't help but give it a thumbs up.
"Also, your script has a good story framework and a good idea for multi-narrative storytelling. But there are a few parts that could be polished," Ling Yuan continued to comment.
"For example, the punchline isn't crisp enough! Go up one page... and then another. Yes, right here! Look at this part, three bumbling thieves sneaking into the factory in the dark. It should be a lot of laughs, but the pacing is a bit slow. We need to add a few little gestures or a few particularly 'awkward' lines to heighten the comical feeling of their frantic, accidental mishaps! Like one of them being startled by his own shadow and falling on his butt, or two of them reaching for the 'gem' at the same time and bumping their heads together with a 'thud'?"
Ling Yuan spoke while gesturing, making it very vivid.
Ning Hao agreed wholeheartedly, nodding repeatedly. He then quickly typed in his notes, adding his boss's comments, and would refine the text carefully later.
"The threads are also a bit messy."
"These storylines you've laid out—Bao Shihong's predicament, Dao Ge's gang's theft, the factory manager's conspiracy, and Xie Xiaomeng's romantic storyline—are a bit scattered in the early stages, which can easily confuse the audience."
"We need to find a more subtle and natural way to tie them all together. For example, could Bao Shihong accidentally find a key prop that Dao Ge dropped? Or could the girl Xie Xiaomeng is pursuing happen to be related to the factory manager? We need a powerful 'hook' event to pull all the seemingly unrelated people into this 'stone' vortex!"
Ning Hao's fingers flew across the keyboard, creating a loud clattering sound.
Ling Yuan would speak for a while, then pause, waiting for Ning Hao to finish adding annotations before continuing.
"Well, the ending was a bit lacking! Who ended up with the real gem? How was it dealt with? The audience needs an explanation, even if it's an absurd, unexpected one! It feels a bit abrupt now; leaving the audience wanting more is good, but it can't leave them confused. It needs a more interesting ending that fits the film's dark humor tone!"
……
Ling Yuan spoke clearly and eloquently, which enlightened Ning Hao, who immediately admired Ling Yuan greatly.
I thought to myself, "They really are something else. Although they're young, their professional knowledge, logical thinking, and market insight... are far superior to mine."
No wonder he can become a boss at such a young age!
"Then I'll go revise the script." Ning Hao couldn't wait and stood up to put away his notebook.
Ling Yuan's company is newly established and doesn't have many employees yet. They also have a lot of rooms, so they arranged a separate room for Ning Hao.
Although Ning Hao is currently unknown, he still needs to be provided with a private office. He won't care about that anymore once he becomes successful.
After taking only a few steps, Ning Hao slapped his forehead and turned back: "President Ling, look at my temper, I'm too hasty... Um, how much are we planning to invest in 'Crazy Stone'?"
As he spoke, he became more cautious, lowering his voice considerably.
Ling Yuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "How about 150 million? Also, the director's fee is 2, and you can sell me the copyright to your script for 5, while still retaining the credit. After the film's release, we'll give you 8% of Xinghan Pictures' net profit. I'll be the producer. What do you think?"
His company is small, just a makeshift operation right now, and Ling Yuan doesn't want to hire a professional producer. He's familiar with that; in his previous life, he worked in Hollywood and had relevant experience, so he can handle it with ease.
It's just that life in America is tough, and it's even tougher for Chinese people there. In their forties, they were suddenly "killed off".
Fortunately, he was reborn. In this life, Ling Yuan is determined to establish his base.
"Thank you, Mr. Ling!" Ning Hao excitedly pumped his fist. This treatment was really generous for someone like him who was novices!
Ling Yuan had just returned to his office when a tall, slender girl came in to report on her work.
"Mr. Ling, the Xinghan Literature Network website is ready, but there aren't many authors yet. Should we post on various forums to let them know?"
The girl was wearing a white T-shirt on her upper body and light blue skinny jeans on her lower body. She had her hair tied in a neat high ponytail. Her name was Mu Jing, and she was also a graduate of a prestigious university, majoring in Chinese Language and Literature.
"You decide for yourself. Oh, by the way, I saw a novel on Huanjian Book Alliance called 'Zhu Xian,' it's pretty good. Go contact the author and ask them to publish it here. Then, um, tell them I'm interested in buying out all the copyrights, and my asking price is... 10! If they're interested, they're welcome to come and discuss it in person."
Ling Yuan pondered that since Zhu Xian was only being serialized and not yet finished, and given its huge IP and his own strong liking for it, he naturally wanted to buy it.
At that time, Huanjian Book Alliance was one of the early online literature platforms, and it did not have the exclusive authorization or VIP revenue-sharing agreements that existed later. The industry practice at that time was mostly "free publication + retention of authorship rights," and the platform did not pay royalties or advocate for copyright.
However, since Ling Yuan comes from the future, he naturally wants to implement a revenue-sharing model, and he will sell his favorite novels at a high price.
These days, most writers aren't well-off; a few tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan can be spent on a project.
If it's not enough, just add a little more.
"Okay, Mr. Ling." Although Mu Jing hadn't read the novel, since the boss recommended it so highly, it was naturally excellent, so he quickly went out to get busy.
In fact, Xiao Ding was really struggling at this time. He didn't even have a computer. "He wrote on paper with a pen during the day and entered and uploaded it to an internet cafe at night." He wrote more out of love than for profit.
Mu Jing was indeed quite resourceful; after a few twists and turns, he added Xiao Ding on QQ.
I managed to contact him late at night while he was working overtime, because Xiao Ding wasn't online during the day and only went to internet cafes at night.
Mu Jing was preoccupied with the tasks his boss had assigned him, so he spent all day sitting by the computer.
"Huh? Xinghan Literature Network, Xinghan Pictures? A buyout for 10? The terms are negotiable?" Xiao Ding was a little dizzy, feeling happiness knocking on his door, but also a little reluctant. Yet, he couldn't resist it.
"Well then, where are you now? If it's convenient, come to Beijing. Our boss would love to meet with you. He's instructed that if you come, he'll reimburse your round-trip travel expenses and accommodation. And just between you and me, he's a big fan of yours!"
Good heavens, how can Xiao Ding possibly hold on any longer? He's only just started serializing his work, and he doesn't have many fans yet. Not to mention any big spenders.