Depressive Screenwriter

With a crisp snap, a bright red handprint appeared on Kiyota Sanji's face.

His handsome features swelled instantly.

Looking at his uncle, Akasaka Yoshitoki's, serious and slightly terrifying face, Kiyota Sanji didn't even dare to express a hint of anger.

“This slap is to tell you, before your abilities have grown, don't be presumptuous. The television industry isn't as simple as you think.

If your forced script changes hadn't caused 'Kiyokaze' to lose its reputation, even if 'Kiyokaze' hadn't achieved the number one spot for online dramas, I would have found a way to return Kosekida Aya and her group's 'Ancient Love Song' script back to the online drama market.

Without competitors, 'Night Sakura' could have received a B-level drama investment of 27 million.”

Akasaka Yoshitoki said in a cold tone.

“Including that screenwriter Su Yan, whom you've always been dissatisfied with. As long as we don't give him a chance, no matter how capable he is, he won't be able to make waves.

Once the heat of the Rurouni Kenshin drama series subsides in a few months, his scripts will never have a chance to be broadcast on television in the production department meetings.”

Kiyota Sanji's eyes trembled slightly, and he didn't dare to say a word.

Although he was unconvinced, he couldn't find a reason to refute.

“Now, the originally planned B-level drama investment for 'Night Sakura' has been downgraded to a C-level drama. The 'Ancient Love Song' script has received the funds lost by 'Night Sakura' and has gained the opportunity to be broadcast on television.

You must remember that the biggest contributor to 'Ancient Love Song' being able to pass the production department meeting and be broadcast on Sakura Television next season is you.”

“If that rookie screenwriter Su Yan can really make a name for himself in this industry one day, the biggest contributor is you... you gave him this opportunity to rise.” Akasaka Yoshitoki said.

Kiyota Sanji walked out of his uncle's house in a daze.

His face still burned with pain.

But he only blamed his uncle Akasaka Yoshitoki for 10% of this slap.

The other 90% was attributed to Su Yan.

Akasaka Yoshitoki calling him over was definitely not just to slap him.

But to tell him many secret things.

The 'Night Sakura' project was actually planned before 'Kiyokaze'.

It was just waiting for the funding to be in place, and then Akasaka Yoshitoki could rely on his strong connections to assemble a cheap but luxurious production team.

Akasaka Yoshitoki's original goal was to make 'Night Sakura' aim for the top five in seasonal viewership during the autumn season.

But now that the funding had been cut by tens of millions, there was no way around it, the scheduled creative team lineup could only be scaled down.

The originally planned near-first-tier popular actresses and actors could only become second-tier actors.

Many famous actors might agree to participate in 'Night Sakura' for a reduced fee out of respect for Akasaka Yoshitoki, but there was also a bottom line. You couldn't use an insulting fee, far below the market price, to get people to participate.

With such limited production funds, Akasaka Yoshitoki couldn't do anything about it.

Including the director and the configuration of personnel at all levels in the production team, there were more or less cutbacks.

But no matter what, relying on the script 'Night Sakura' sold to him by the retired former gold-medal television screenwriter Jia Yisheng, and with Akasaka Yoshitoki's connections,

an investment of 15 million could still get many people to lower their salaries and choose to join the 'Night Sakura' crew.

Akasaka Yoshitoki's current performance expectation for 'Night Sakura' was at least in the top ten in viewership ratings for the three major television stations' broadcast dramas next season.

And his expectation for Kiyota Sanji was that he would grow into a genius screenwriter like Zuo Yuhan of Zhongxia Television and Wen Yutong of Shanghai Television, who each produced a phenomenal hit drama last year, after making his debut as the main screenwriter for three to four dramas.

The dramas were hits, and the two beautiful female screenwriters themselves were equally popular. Even a year later, there was still a large group of their fans continuing to follow them.

This situation really made Sakura Television lose face.

Rival television stations had such talented new screenwriters emerging, showing a vibrant and thriving prospect. What about us?

The board of directors was dissatisfied, and the people below had to use their brains.

That's why Akasaka Yoshitoki invested tens of millions in Kiyokaze last season to produce an online drama, and was able to smoothly obtain project approval from Yoshiaki Shigeo.

Supporting young people is normal, even if it's a little unconventional.

And the reason why 'Ancient Love Song' and 'Night Sakura' were approved for projects at the same time this season was because the head of the production department, Yoshiaki Shigeo, also saw Su Yan's potential.

Approving his Ancient Love Song project was also to see how his full-length drama would perform.

If Su Yan's new drama could perform unexpectedly well in a time slot like Sunday midnight, then the television station's higher-ups might consider whether to support Su Yan next.

After all, Su Yan was also young and had a better image.

The television station most likely only wanted to support one talented new screenwriter, and who it was didn't matter.

So this opportunity for rapid advancement, between Su Yan and Kiyota Sanji, only one person could obtain.

Of course, at this stage, Kiyota Sanji, with Akasaka Yoshitoki's help, still had a huge advantage.

Standing on the street, Kiyota Sanji clenched his fists, and resentment and dissatisfaction welled up in his eyes.

“What genius? I don't believe that a new script from a rookie screenwriter will be better than 'Night Sakura,' created by retired gold-medal screenwriter Jia Yisheng? Will your production team be stronger than the 'Night Sakura' production team assembled by my uncle? And the broadcast slot...”

Thinking of this, Kiyota Sanji's resentment flowed smoothly.

Will the “Saturday at ten PM” time slot lose to the “Sunday midnight” time slot?

Heh...

The advantage is on my side!

Once Sakura Television decides to approve a project, the speed at which the production team is assembled is absolutely fast.

Because the major capital behind Xia Country's film and television dramas is a group of television stations, they usually employ a large number of film and television production-related personnel. As a producer, Ayami Shinozaki can directly call upon whoever she wants.

Of course, as a producer, she inherited many connections from her old mother. She knows very well who are the slackers and who are the capable ones among the employees employed by the television station.

Even if the television station doesn't have personnel for certain types of work, there are a large number of entertainment, film and television, and equipment companies that cooperate with Sakura Television.

However, the cost of hiring external personnel and filming equipment also depends on the relationship between Ayami Shinozaki as a producer and others, and her understanding of the market.

As for the filming location, the film and television filming base outside Shanghai was originally built by the three major television stations as the main investors, so the procedures for renting and other things are simplified.

For two consecutive days, Ayami Shinozaki got up at five or six in the morning and didn't return home until eleven or twelve at night, constantly negotiating and coordinating with various parties.

Photography, art, lighting, sound effects, makeup artist, costume designer, editor, special effects artist, script supervisor, logistics support...

Even with three assistants to help her with her work, it was still extremely complicated.

But the more she worked, the more excited she became.

It was the first time she had come into contact with a drama with an investment of 15 million.

A producer in her twenties decides how to use this money, and accepts the flattery and sycophancy of various categories of personnel in the film and television production industry. Her decision may give many capable people in this industry an opportunity to turn their lives around and become famous.

This feeling is indeed quite good.

Of course, she wouldn't really get carried away. She knew very well that this kind of power was only temporary. If 'Ancient Love Song' couldn't achieve a result above expectations, she would soon be swept out the door under Akasaka Yoshitoki's operations.

The real core of this drama is not her, but the screenwriter Su Yan.

Previously, Su Yan independently created the scripts for just four episodes of Rurouni Kenshin, so naturally she wouldn't say anything.

But Ancient Love Song...

Although Su Yan said that the subsequent plot was still being conceived, it was at least a drama with thirteen or fourteen episodes.

In Ayami Shinozaki's view, he should at least hire a few assistant screenwriters to help him create and reduce the pressure.

Most film and television dramas are created by a team of screenwriters. The main screenwriter can be understood as the writer of the outline of the work. The scripts for the main episodes must be written by the main screenwriter, but the scripts for some minor episodes will be distributed to other screenwriters in the team to write according to the requirements of the main screenwriter.

Otherwise, no one has three heads and six arms, and their inspiration will explode when creating. What if the plot is really stuck? The television broadcast can't stop.

However, Su Yan firmly refused, and bluntly stated that he didn't need anyone else to interfere with his creation, otherwise it would be counterproductive and slow down the progress.

“If I ever delay a script once, then even if I am replaced as the main screenwriter, I will have no complaints.”