Depressive Screenwriter

Su Yan received a message from Ikumi Shinozaki.

The "Rurouni Kenshin" project has been approved by the TV station, and the investment will be allocated within two days.

The investment amount of 1.2 million was a bit lower than he imagined, but for a work of only four episodes...

Save a little.

Don't hire any well-known actors, don't think about hiring any successful directors, and don't think about hiring any famous musicians to create background music or insert songs.

Then lower the requirements for costumes and props.

Actually, there wouldn't be much of a problem if it was filmed.

The more Su Yan thought about it, the more angry he became.

At this time, a group of people in the writing department surrounded Kiyota Yamaji again.

"Congratulations, Kiyota Yamaji! Your web drama has received an investment of ten million. You are the first in our station to receive such treatment. It seems that the script for 'Qingfeng' is indeed very satisfying to the higher-ups!"

"Maybe Kiyota Yamaji will soon become another genius young screenwriter in Xia, and his work will be even more successful than Wen Yutong of Shanghai TV and Zuo Yuhan of China TV..."

"What's the point of comparing him to those people? Kiyota Yamaji's goal is definitely not just limited to the scope of young screenwriters. He may soon be able to compete with those well-known gold medal screenwriters in the history of Xia TV dramas in terms of achievements and popularity."

After a round of flattery, Kiyota Yamaji couldn't stop smiling.

It was clearly a script jointly created by Kanzaki Yusuke and Kiyota Yamaji.

But only Kiyota Yamaji received everyone's praise and accolades. As for Kanzaki Yusuke, he was like an outsider, standing aside and smiling silently.

After all, he knew very well who "Qingfeng" was approved because of?

Who was the ten million investment because of?

He wouldn't try to steal Kiyota Yamaji's limelight.

At this time, Kiyota Yamaji looked at Su Yan and said with a light smile.

"Su Yan, your work has also been confirmed to be broadcast on Sakura Online in July, right?"

Everyone in the writing department also looked at Su Yan.

"That's right," Su Yan nodded in response.

"Then we all have to work hard. After all, we are both newcomers in the station's writing department, and we are both producing our first works as the main screenwriter, and they are being broadcast at the same time... I hope everyone can achieve good results and encourage each other," Kiyota Yamaji said in a gentle tone, jokingly.

"I also have to work hard to write the subsequent scripts, and strive for the work to achieve good results after it goes online, and not lose to your... what was it called... a ronin drama."

"It's 'Rurouni Kenshin,'" Su Yan said calmly.

"Yes, yes, yes, 'Rurouni Kenshin.'"

"Kiyota Yamaji, you really should work harder to polish the scripts for the subsequent episodes."

"Otherwise..." Su Yan looked at Kiyota Yamaji.

"You will really lose."

The scene was silent for a few seconds.

Then many people present suddenly laughed.

Su Yan's deadpan delivery of the cold joke was too effective.

Deliberately saying such words to make others laugh, pretending to be a clown, this is another clever way of flattering!

Among them, Kiyota Yamaji laughed the loudest.

He was sure that Su Yan wasn't pretending to be naturally dull, he was really dull.

TV dramas are an industry dominated by capital, and the quality of the drama completely depends on the amount of investment.

Moreover, with Kiyota Yamaji's uncle overseeing "Qingfeng," the promotion will definitely be full when it goes online on Sakura Online.

As for "Rurouni Kenshin," considering that it is a drama invested by the station and the investment amount of one million, they will just give it some promotion.

How can this compare?

"Understood, understood. We all have to work hard," Kiyota Yamaji said with a smile.

The next day, the last day of May.

Ikumi Shinozaki, wearing a black dress and black stockings, found Su Yan and handed him a contract.

They are all employees of Sakura TV. When there are no projects, they receive a basic salary.

But once a project is approved and starts filming, it's different.

First of all, the script for "Rurouni Kenshin" gave Su Yan a usage fee of 5,000 Xia coins per episode. This number will increase or decrease depending on the total investment of the TV series.

If it is a famous Xia screenwriter, not to mention the copyright share of a drama being made into a TV series, selling the script alone can sell for millions or even more.

Then, if "Rurouni Kenshin" is profitable after broadcasting, Su Yan, as the screenwriter, will receive a certain amount of project bonus.

Furthermore...

Su Yan, as the screenwriter, owns 5% of the copyright revenue of "Rurouni Kenshin."

But this revenue will be calculated after deducting the TV station's investment in "Kenshin."

For example, the current viewing fee for dramas broadcast on Xia's online platforms is about 1 yuan per episode, but the sales split is 50/50 between the platform and the production company.

Although the broadcasting platform Sakura Online also belongs to Sakura TV, it is a subsidiary company and is not managed by the production department or the writing department. They each earn their own money.

Therefore, for most web dramas, they can break even as long as the average number of sales views per episode is close to one million.

However, because "Rurouni Kenshin" has a relatively low investment, its break-even point is also relatively low.

If "Rurouni Kenshin" has an average of one million sales views per episode, four episodes would be four million in sales, and the production team would receive two million.

Deducting the investment of 1.2 million, 5% of the remaining 800,000, which is 40,000 yuan, is Su Yan's copyright share.

Of course, for Ikumi Shinozaki, the director and producer of "Rurouni Kenshin," there is a similar copyright fee split.

Even the main creative team, such as the lead actors, will have a certain copyright share, but the share will be much lower.

In the Xia industry, screenwriters, directors, and producers belong to the top tier of the crew. Actors will not be as outrageous as in the previous life.

In the era of television stations, traffic is in the hands of the TV station, and no actor can hold the TV station hostage and demand exorbitant prices.

After Su Yan signed the contract, Ikumi Shinozaki also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Teacher Su Yan, now, we are definitely on the same boat," Ikumi Shinozaki's lips curled into a smile.

"We have been since the day you came to find me," Su Yan said.

"But now, the station's funds have been allocated, but how to use the money and how to build the crew, to be honest..."

"Of course, Teacher Su Yan doesn't need to worry about these things," Ikumi Shinozaki brushed her hair behind her ear.

"The most important thing for a producer is relationships and connections."

"I have already contacted an old director, a friend of my mother's from Shanghai, named Shi Peihua. She used to be an employee of Sakura TV, but she retired five or six years ago. You don't have to worry about her directing ability."

"Now the most important issue we need to focus on is casting," Ikumi Shinozaki looked at Su Yan.

"First of all, the male lead, Kenshin Himura, is a handsome and cool character. It is very difficult to find an actor who can play a fifteen-year-old boy, can fight, and is also handsome, and such martial arts actors are expensive. If there are any suitable ones, our budget may not be able to afford them."

"Then there's the female lead, Tomoe Yukishiro... It's easy to find an ice beauty. There are plenty of beauties in Shanghai's film academy, but I don't think it will be that easy to portray the stunning temperament in the script after being on camera."

"Also, Kenshin Himura has many fights in the drama. Fortunately, most of the enemies are masked and have no requirements for appearance. We can hire some martial arts performers to participate..."

The Reminiscence arc actually only has two characters throughout, Tomoe Yukishiro and Kenshin Himura.

If any actor is chosen incorrectly, the effect will be completely ruined.

The more Ikumi Shinozaki spoke, the more problems she found.

"That..." Su Yan interrupted her at this time.

"I have no idea about the selection of the female lead."

"However, I actually already have an idea who can play the male lead."

Hearing this, Ikumi Shinozaki's eyes lit up.

"You have an ideal candidate? Do you have his photo? Send one to my phone for me to take a look."

Su Yan didn't keep her in suspense and directly pointed to himself.

"It's me!"

Anyway, there's no money to hire any big-name martial arts superstars. Instead of hiring some unknown and inexperienced people to play Kenshin, it's better for Su Yan, who has been instilled with the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū swordsmanship by the system, to act in person.

Others are acting out Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū, Su Yan is fighting in a realistic style. There's no need to act, it's just him.

"?" Ikumi Shinozaki.

From the appearance, Su Yan is tall, handsome, and indeed very handsome.

But Kenshin is not an idol drama! He has to fight!

You?

"You know, after my middle school exam, I didn't go to a regular high school. I went to a film and television directing school. I'm only twenty years old now. There are also acting courses in the school, and my performance class grades are considered good. I'm not saying my acting is great, but with some makeup, I think it's not a big problem to play a fifteen-year-old cool teenager like Kenshin..." Su Yan explained.

"And I used to learn some martial arts and swordsmanship. Actually, I created the Kenshin in the script based on myself as a template... I can actually do the actions and fights about him described in the script myself."

Ikumi Shinozaki's expression was strange. She wanted to say something, but she thought about it.

Wouldn't it be too hurtful to say that?

Do you really think that the you in your imagination is comparable to the Kenshin in the script?

Su Yan saw her doubts and thought for a while.

"Then Miss Shinozaki, please step back a little."

"Why?"

"I'll show you a little bit and you'll understand what the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū swordsmanship in the script is like in reality."

Note: It is difficult for the protagonist's income as a screenwriter to be so high in China in reality.

But in fact, it can reach this level in places like Europe and the United States.

But reality is already miserable enough.

When writing a novel, I will write according to the standard that the protagonist can earn a little more.

After all, it's another world!