Actresses

Chapter 10 Shortcut

Shi Jiahe looked troubled: "Sister, where did you get this inspiration from?"

He Yuran shrugged. "I saw a writing program on Xiaohongshu that supports new screenwriters. Selected screenwriters receive subsidies for their works, but the initiators all seem to be old fogies, always serving as judges and attending events. Do they really have that much time to read scripts? I just don't believe it. Besides, none of these people are actually involved in filmmaking or production. I think we should just organize our own original novel or script competition. If the story is suitable, we can buy it and start filming immediately. What do you think?"

Shi Jiahe initially thought her sister was talking nonsense again, but after listening for a while, she actually began to fall into deep thought.

At first it seemed absurd, but the more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed!

"Sister Ran, holding the contest in your name will definitely not be a problem in terms of publicity. But I'm worried that if any problems arise—even small ones—it might backfire and affect you. Besides, we might not be able to handle it immediately."

"What problems could there be with a script submission?" He Yuran stared wide-eyed.

Shi Jiahe sighed. "Ran Jie wasn't usually this impulsive. Her current haste shows she's blinded by her eagerness for the new drama. We'll definitely need to consult a lawyer about the specifics, such as whether relevant permits and licenses are required, tax compliance, confidentiality of organizational and personal information, and review standards. But as far as I can think of, there are concerns like being accused of hype, plagiarism, unprofessional and opaque judging, and being held jointly liable if the submitted script contains plagiarism, copyright infringement, or AI-generated content. Also, if the selected script involves any sensitive or controversial content, it will affect your reputation and could potentially dredge up old controversies."

"Is it really that complicated?"

"It will only be more troublesome than I imagined," Shi Jiahe said gravely.

"Okay, fine, you're right, it's dangerous and troublesome! So, according to you, we don't need to do anything. I'll just keep waiting every day until the earth's core is completely destroyed, and then it'll all be over."

After finishing her sentence, He Yuran walked to the window, curled up in the recliner again, and stopped talking.

"No, no, no, sister, actually you reminded me. What I meant was not that we should do nothing, but because of those concerns we just had, we should do things more vertically, more lightly, and more specifically. I still need to think about how to execute it." This time, it was Shi Jiahe's turn to follow and squat down next to the recliner.

He Yuran tilted her head, not even looking at her, and just snorted through her nose.

Shi Jiahe leaned closer, speaking as gently as possible, like coaxing a child, "Sister Ran, let me explain first, and then I won't stop you from getting angry. Think about it this way: you're not some nobody who can just post anything and nobody cares. You're a film queen! Every move you make is being watched by the entire industry. Anything you do is a milestone, isn't it?" Shi Jiahe was going all out; she knew Sister Ran like a mule that needed to be stroked. At times like this, you had to coax her. She'd say whatever came to mind, and it would definitely work. "But, we can't rule out the possibility that when you're in the spotlight, there might be a few bad people in that sea of ​​people. What if someone complains? Wouldn't all your hard work have been for nothing?"

He Yuran didn't speak, but cleared his throat and turned to look at Shi Jiahe.

Shi Jiahe, her eyes brimming with anticipation, added, "Sister, don't you think so?"

He Yuran snorted through his nostrils. It seemed to have worked.

Shi Jiahe continued calmly, "Therefore, let's not go through the indiscriminate casting of a wide net approach. Let's focus on precise targeting within the established creator circle in the industry. This will not only simplify the process and improve efficiency, but also avoid the trouble of being judged by netizens in the public sphere."

"That's a good description, so how do we do it? Don't you have a lot of concerns?"

"Yes, that's why we need to narrow down the scope and not publicly solicit submissions." Shi Jiahe paused, "I just thought about it, and it should be possible to talk to a long-form video platform that we are most familiar with or that you trust the most. Through their channels, we can directly communicate with all the screenwriters in the platform's creative system and say that there is a project of this type in preparation, and that if you have a suitable script, you can come and talk immediately. The platform can also act as a guarantor for both sides."

"You mean you want to find the platform's senior executives? I know all those bosses. Are you going to contact all of them, or just one?" He Yuran said casually, fiddling with his hands.

"You can't ask the CEO about this; you have to ask the production studios under the video platform. These producers have a lot of screenwriters."

"I don't understand what you mean." He Yuran looked up. "The platform is a top-down system. If you don't talk to the bosses, it will be a problem for projects to get approved in the future."

"Aren't we soliciting scripts now? To ensure the quality of the scripts themselves, we definitely need to find people who personally work on the ground and deal with scripts every day. The bosses of each platform are all very busy. How many of them actually read the scripts themselves?" Shi Jiahe stared wide-eyed.

"Oh...that's true. That CEO X from XX platform is always taking the actors out drinking; he's incredibly busy." He Yuran didn't press further, knowing Shi Jiahe was telling the truth. But she still didn't understand how this was supposed to work. "These video platforms have so many studios and producers; you're not going to go find them all one by one, are you? Even if you met one a day, it would take months!"

"Who said I had to meet them one by one?" Shi Jiahe's face revealed a sly expression. "Now I have to praise myself. I did one job well over the past few years."

Shi Jiahe took out her phone, opened the notes app, and waved it at He Yuran. It was covered in tiny, densely packed text.

He Yuran narrowed her eyes and held out her hand. "Let me see."

"How about I project it onto the TV for you?" Shi Jiahe said deliberately.

"No need!" He Yuran sat up, grabbed the phone, and started scrolling through it carefully.

The top section lists the names of studio heads and producers from various platforms, followed by a list of dramas produced in recent years and projects in development. The most interesting part is the notes: "She once reposted Ran Jie's beautiful pictures on Weibo; she checked in on Ran Jie's supertopic on her alternate account; she posted a series of Ran Jie's pictures on her WeChat Moments; she spontaneously booked out a screening for Ran Jie during the promotional period of the movie 'xxx'..."

In summary, this list of producers from industry platforms has a natural affinity for He Yuran.

He Yuran watched as her brows furrowed and then relaxed, her expression gradually shifting from surprise to a sudden burst of laughter. "You're terrifying. If you ever quit being a manager, you could go into intelligence work. Even the slightest mistake will be written down in your little notebook and you'll assassinate me."

"I spent a lot of time and effort collecting these, and you're saying this to me? Then don't look at them!"

Shi Jiahe tried to snatch the phone, but He Yuran wouldn't let her. She curled up and turned to the side, hiding the phone in her arms. "No way, this watch was made for me, I have to see it."

The two of them started shoving and dodging at each other, making a huge fuss. After a while, He Yuran finally shouted, "Okay, okay, I'm done playing. Here, take it."

Shi Jiahe was too lazy to even pick up her phone, and panting, she slumped down on the recliner. "Are we going to get back to business?"

"You can say whatever you want. I've already read it all."

"Yeah, I'm planning to go directly to these people on the form. Those who already have a good impression of you might be more proactive in helping us find scripts, which is better than us trying to win them over."

"But does it mean they like me just because they reposted my picture on Weibo?" He Yuran frowned. "If they really liked me, why haven't I seen them come to you to hand over scripts or discuss collaborations, or even just have coffee with you?"

"Sister, this involves a very subtle psychology of professionals in the industry. People in the film and television industry, especially producers, generally don't like to post about other celebrities on their personal Weibo accounts, except for those they've worked with. Otherwise, they're easily mistaken for fans, which makes them seem unprofessional. So, from my observation, if these people are willing to share your news on social media, it's because they genuinely like you. As for never showing goodwill to the artists' teams, it's because they don't know you're now willing to act in dramas. It also proves that they simply like you and don't expect us to buy their favor. I think producers with such pure intentions are more worthy of working with."

"Your explanation sounds reasonable at first glance," He Yuran said, looking Shi Jiahe up and down. "But I've always made movies before. I never knew you were so forward-thinking and had such a keen eye."

"I... had just become your manager back then. Since you take a long time to polish a project, I couldn't just do nothing during that waiting period, so I did some preparatory work..."

Shi Jiahe stammered and was sweating profusely as she explained, but fortunately He Yuran didn't press her for more details.

"Alright, I'm not the one who does the work myself anyway, so you should hurry up and make the appointments. As always, the studio will cover all expenses related to these people, whether it's dining or entertainment." He Yuran waved his hand.

The fact that she could say these things proves that she fully approves of this matter.

"Okay, sister." Shi Jiahe breathed a sigh of relief.

He Yuran thought for a moment, then said, "But there's one thing: no matter how you guys get together, don't invite me. I won't cooperate. You've got enough of handling platform producers."

"Don't worry, boss, I know what I'm doing. How could I possibly trouble you?" Shi Jiahe naturally understood He Yuran's meaning and continued, "I'll also do another round of screening among these people. After all, not all the types that platform studios specialize in are suitable for us, and what I need are their screenwriting resources. Through them, I can make targeted invitations to professional creators who understand the entertainment industry. This round will filter out non-professional submissions and reduce the workload of the review process. Moreover, in the screening process, we can prioritize those leading ladies whose temperament is more suitable for you. Then, as the acting team, we can talk to the creators about the follow-up polishing matters to ensure that the creators are not kicked out. After all, many creators worry that the investors will bring in a new screenwriter halfway through the script. So, from the perspective of the leading lady, we can ensure that she stays in the game and is not replaced. To some extent, ensuring a complete participation process and credit is more attractive to creators than cash."

He Yuran nodded, "Okay, I only care about the result anyway. Since you've thought it through, I'll wait for your script."

"Yes, no problem. But..." Shi Jiahe changed the subject and said solemnly, "There's one more thing that needs your personal attention, Sister Ran."