funbook-pk Chapter 63 is about to premiere.
Chapter 63 is about to premiere.
The preview screenings of "iPartment" went very smoothly.
In those days, television stations purchased dramas by the number of episodes.
To increase prices, padding out or, as the industry calls it, "enriching the storyline" is a mandatory course for every production company.
Extending a 30-episode script to 40 episodes, or a 40-episode script to 50 episodes, is a basic practice.
The second season of "Princess Pearl," starring Xiao Yanzi, was initially planned to have 30 episodes, but it became 40 episodes halfway through filming, and then 45 episodes after filming was completed.
Even CCTV's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" did something similar.
In the end, the official team intervened and forcibly cut the original 60 episodes to 48 episodes, with the overseas version having only 39 episodes.
In this context, Lin An's "iPartment," which was not padded but compressed, brought an unparalleled shock to Tomato TV.
Three days after signing the contract, Lin An, who was rushing to finish his manuscript on set, received a call from the headquarters of Tomato TV.
While finalizing the follow-up investment of 500 million, they subtly inquired about the actors.
Lin An looked somewhat resistant: "The script has already been finalized, I'm afraid I can't add it."
On the other end of the phone, Director Pang asked persistently, "Not even one?"
Lin An refused, saying, "The plot involves romantic relationships between three men and three women. Adding one would require a major overhaul of the entire script."
He said, "If we want new actors, we have to increase investment, rewrite the script, and extend the filming time."
Upon hearing that more money was required, Director Pang fell silent.
Their television station is now pursuing a market-oriented approach, and return on investment is a top priority in their annual report indicators.
Let alone adding money, it would be good enough if he could just pay the final payment to Lin An on time.
After exchanging a few more casual words, Director Pang hung up the phone.
……
……
Tomato TV, office building.
The office door at the end of the corridor was ajar.
Director Pang sat behind his desk, his phone just tossed onto the table, the screen not yet completely dark.
"He refused?"
A middle-aged woman with round glasses and short hair spoke up.
Director Pang nodded and said with a wry smile, "I guess they guessed someone would plead for them, so they won't give us any chance unless they offer more money."
"That's certainly tough enough."
The woman said with a half-smile, "No wonder he dared to challenge Ye Daying; those people are probably in for a headache."
Director Pang leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped in front of his abdomen:
"I still don't understand. Ye Daying is a well-known director, why would he bother fighting with a little kid over something?"
Even rabbits don't eat the grass near their burrows; Ye Daying, who comes from the same school, isn't ashamed at all.
The woman scoffed, "Those people used to rely on their connections in high-ranking positions to manipulate censorship at will. They're used to having a field of influence in the industry. What's a little bit of grabbing a signature?"
She paused for a moment, then continued her barrage:
"Now that censorship has been relaxed and filming permits have been delegated to private capital, those old tricks no longer work. I guess they're thinking of making a quick buck."
Director Pang reminded her helplessly, "Ms. Chang, your screenwriter Hai and director Zhao from Hairun are also from the Beijing circle."
The woman, referred to as Ms. Chang, slightly pursed her lips, but did not refute it.
"In short, I have delivered the message."
She stood up, picked up her purse from the sofa, and said in a calm and unhurried tone:
"As long as that little guy is willing to back down, I can act as a peacemaker. I personally admire him."
Director Pang glanced at her and couldn't help but ask curiously:
"What if your side loses?"
The woman smiled slightly and said meaningfully:
"Then he needs me, the peacemaker, even more."
Director Pang fell silent.
……
……
Time flies.
At the end of December, a cold wind swept south from Siberia, blowing into Beijing without any obstruction.
As the New Year's bells rang, the film market entered its settlement period.
With total box office revenue of only 8.6 million yuan for the year, the film and television industry has reached a critical juncture of "survival or death".
In an effort to save themselves, some regions have reduced movie ticket prices to 5 yuan, and the government has broken the monopoly of distribution companies on screening rights by selling movie copies to cinemas separately.
At the same time, film and television investment has been compressed to the limit, with investments exceeding 300 million yuan being collectively referred to as "big productions".
Even a politically correct film like "Yixi Zhuoma" only cost 500 million to produce, and that was with the overseas market in mind.
Compared to the decline of the film industry, the television drama market is flourishing.
The TV series "The Eloquent Ji Xiaolan" premiered on Beijing TV and its ratings soared, making the "Iron Triangle" trio a hot topic of conversation.
The third installment of "Kangxi's Private Visits" followed closely behind, with Zhang Guoli playing two roles, switching seamlessly between the emperor and a commoner.
"Palace of Desire" has also garnered a large following among "literary youths".
Each episode of the series cost hundreds of thousands to acquire, and the production company made tens of millions in profit from the entire series, making a fortune.
Major production companies, envious of this, have turned their attention to television dramas.
—It was against this backdrop that "iPartment" entered the Tomato TV channel.
In the editing room, which was converted from a factory building, the radiators were burning hot, and a layer of white mist condensed on the windows.
Lin An sat at the editing table, holding a cup of coffee that had gone cold, staring at the last frame frozen on the monitor.
The camera pauses on a panoramic view of the living room in "iPartment":
The sofa, coffee table, and floor lamp, along with the art illustration on the wall, gleamed softly under the warm yellow light.
"It's all done."
The editor stood up from his chair, stretched, and his spine cracked a series of crisp sounds.
He saved the last edited version, took the tape out of the machine, put it in a plastic case, and turned to hand it to Lin An.
"All 12 episodes have been edited and the subtitles have been added."
Lin An took the cassette tape and weighed it in his hand.
The editor looked at the tape, hesitated, and said:
"I can guarantee that the picture quality will be smooth and the camera transitions will be seamless, but you know, movies and TV shows need promotion."
Lin An remained silent.
He understood what the other person was saying.
In this day and age, even the best wine needs advertising; without promotion, even the best drama may finish airing quietly and then disappear just as quietly.
Ying's Media's "Internet Addict's Diary" is backed by the Beijing entertainment circle. The press conference for its launch was attended by most of the media in the entertainment industry, and the coverage was overwhelming.
On his side, there wasn't even a decent promotional poster, let alone a press conference.
"Let's take it one step at a time. If it really doesn't work, I'll think of something else," Lin An said.
The editor shrugged and said nothing more.
Stepping out of the editing room, a blast of cold air hits you.
Lin An stood on the steps by the door, looking at the broadcast schedule in his hand, and muttered to himself:
"Everything depends on the results next week."
……
……
No. 15, Wanquanhe Road.
The office at the end of the corridor.
Ye Daying sat behind his desk, the Sina website scrolling continuously on his computer screen.
"Internet Addict's Diary" is predicted to have a 15% viewership rating!
Below is a lengthy analysis article, listing points one by one, from director Yingda's experience in sitcoms to the ace combination of the screenwriting team, and the guest appearances of Beijing celebrities, with reason and evidence.
Ye Daying's lips slowly curled up.
Nothing unexpected will happen.
"Director Ye."
Tan Lin's voice came from the doorway, tinged with a cautious probing.
Ye Daying didn't look up; her gaze remained fixed on the screen. "Speak."
Tan Lin walked in, holding a cup of freshly brewed Longjing tea, and gently placed it on the edge of the desk.
"The schedule for Tomato TV has been released."
Ye Daying's mouse wheel stopped for a moment.
He raised his head and looked at Tan Lin with a cold gaze.
Tan Lin cleared his throat: "iPartment aired on the same day as us, also with two episodes airing every night, but not during prime time."
Ye Daying pursed his lips, then sneered:
"Then let's give it a try."