Chapter 781 - 771: Director Yang the Fast Man

Chapter 781: Chapter 771: Director Yang the Fast Man

The person who arrived was Yang Jia, the director of "Arrogance," who was naturally very enthusiastic after knowing that Su Qing, an investor, would be coming today.

It was Yang Jia’s first time directing a film, so it was impossible not to be nervous, especially since he wasn’t a professional director but came from a screenwriting background.

He’s quite young, just over thirty, and younger than Wang Fan by a fair margin.

Although the crew’s budget was limited, just ten million, considered very low-budget, he still put in his best effort to shoot the film.

After all, this was his first step in transitioning from screenwriter to director. If he could create a good result, the next time he would secure at least double the funding, definitely better than this time.

Moreover, Su Qing had already added 2 million, which was quite a good start for him, so he was highly motivated.

At this time, the two had not yet entered the area crowded with film crews in Hengdian but were in a nearby town instead.

Because of the film city here, it’s developed into a sizable county, with hotels, restaurants, and various facilities all readily available.

This area not only attracts a large number of extras but also the star-studded consumer group, and in recent years, many people have even come here just for tourism, which has led to a prosperous economy.

In a decent restaurant, a group of people sat around a table: "President Su, sorry if the hospitality is lacking, but this tastes alright, please be considerate!"

Yang Jia said a little awkwardly.

By rights, as Su Qing was the biggest and only investor, they should have pulled out all the stops for his visit.

However, given the tight budget of the film crew, they couldn’t afford to splurge, and every penny had to be spent carefully.

Fortunately, Su Qing didn’t mind. Before coming, Wang Fan specifically talked to him, and even though he was thousands of miles away, Yang Jia was already aware of the events surrounding Su Qing’s visit to another crew a few days ago.

After all, Su Qing had invested in three projects, with one already wrapped up, leaving only his and another crew. If anything happened, it would naturally make the news.

So this time Yang Jia didn’t bring a large group, just two lead actors and the action director.

The starring role was Xie Miao, who plays a blinded character, and the female lead, whose entire family was killed, was a newcomer that Su Qing didn’t know by name. The remaining middle-aged man was the action director.

They were a small crew; there were only a few main roles, easily countable on one hand. The rest were extras who came and went as needed.

Having fewer people had its advantages, at least there weren’t as many issues, and Tang Nan’s assigned crew members weren’t present either.

"I just came over to take a look since I was free. Director Yang, don’t worry about it!" Su Qing said with a smile.

He had a pretty good impression of Yang Jia. The narrator had hinted at the possibility of continued collaboration, indicating Yang Jia was competent and worth interacting with, at least worth his investment for now.

"President Su, what are you talking about? Oh right, let me introduce you. Lao Xie, this is our investor, President Su. He specifically asked for you to play this role!" Yang Jia hurriedly introduced to Xie Miao.

"Hello, President Su, thank you for giving me this opportunity!"

Su Qing shook hands with him, smiling broadly: "No need, I’ve grown up watching your films, and now I finally get to see you in person."

Xie Miao, born in the 80s, debuted as a child star, is nearing forty now. While considered one of the best among the current crop of action stars, he isn’t very popular due to the industry’s climate.

Su Qing then shook hands with the lead actress and action director as well, exchanging greetings before sitting down to eat.

Compared to Director Deng’s crew, this one was impressively straightforward. Su Qing didn’t have the urge to audit the accounts. After all, the total budget was just ten million, accounting for cast salaries, extras, props, staff wages, and meals. Handling all of that was already a challenge.

In this crew, extras were practically recruited daily unless they had lines, in which case they’d stay a bit longer. If the role didn’t require extras, they’d just run off to another crew, much like takeout deliveries.

From the director down to the extras, everyone ate boxed meals, even the lead actor Xie Miao, given everyone knew the crew’s struggles.

This also led to Su Qing, despite being known as an internet celebrity, being given great respect rather than disdain, as financial backers are always welcome everywhere.

"Director Yang, how is our filming schedule going?" Halfway through the meal, Su Qing couldn’t help but ask.

"Don’t worry, President Su, we’re almost halfway through. If all goes well, we should be on track to finish by the end of this month," replied Yang Jia casually.

Su Qing was surprised: "So fast?"

After all, a few days ago in the capital, Xiao Hu reported filming was only about thirty percent complete. Yet now, it was almost halfway?

Yang Jia scratched his head, embarrassed: "Frankly, President Su, we’d love to take our time, but the budget doesn’t allow it. We initially planned to complete filming within a month and spend the rest on post-production and promotion."

Hearing this, Su Qing glanced at Director Wang. Could such rapid progress mean shoddy work?

Could his influence have caused a mishap? After all, even "Wandering Earth," without considering pre-production, took several months to film. Hearing this quick pace did make him uneasy.

Seeing this, Wang Fan smiled and explained: "Brother, it’s different. Low-budget film production requires a swift pace. Honestly, a month isn’t short, especially when the buildings are already here. We only need to shoot. It’s a lot to feed and care for so many in the crew. A small crew can’t sustain it."

Su Qing nodded, realizing it was true that you learn something new every day.

Having been through financial shortages as a director, Wang Fan understood the crew’s expenditure all too well.

"Here’s the deal. If you guys finish filming, let me know during promotion. I can lend a hand."

"That’s great! With your support, President Su, I can rest easy. I was worried we wouldn’t be able to promote it," Yang Jia said excitedly.

After all, Su Qing was a multi-million follower influencer and had connections with Tang Nan. Having someone like that help with publicity would be perfect.

His original plan included making some posters and short clips for Xie Miao to post on social media, as they didn’t have many options.

"It’s only natural, after all, I’m the sole investor in this film. There aren’t others. It’s an easy task since I truly believe in your project. If this film achieves good results and you want to shoot a sequel or something else, I’ll increase my investment," Su Qing said, smiling casually.

He wasn’t a saint, but with him being the only investor, albeit on a limited budget, there was no interference from other companies, which he preferred.

Compared to the other two projects, he would have more say in this crew.

It seemed like expanding in this direction was the way forward, as collaborating with multiple companies always felt cumbersome.

The meal, though simple, felt relaxed for Su Qing, as the people there had no hidden agendas, talking openly about work matters.

They also confirmed Su Qing’s visit to the set tomorrow. Today, the crew ended work early because of his visit.

Wang Fan also contacted some friends, planning to meet up the next evening to introduce some friends to Su Qing.

Meanwhile, far away in Jiang City, Old Wang suddenly received a call from subordinate Xiao Zhao.

"What’s up, Xiao Zhao?" Old Wang was having dinner with his girlfriend, Feng Yan, when he heard Zhao Lei on the line, anxiously saying:

"Brother Wang, you should check Su Qing’s...no, I mean President Su’s account backend!"

"The account backend? Why, has someone come up wanting to collaborate again?" Old Wang replied indifferently.

After all, during this period, under his high output akin to a sow’s, Su Qing’s account had regained vitality. The number of people asking for collaboration was countless, with some offers even making Old Wang envious.

"Not that, a piece of news just broke online about Da Huang and President Su, just check it out and you’ll know!"

"Alright, I’ll check it out!"

He hung up and browsed through the account backend, his face turning solemn, followed by a sigh.

"What’s wrong, did something happen?" Feng Yan asked.

Feng Yan was quite invested in Su Qing’s affairs since it was her who discovered Su Qing for their department. She was also the first to uncover Su Qing’s connection with President Shen.

So she’d long advised her partner to maintain a good relationship with Su Qing. While there wasn’t much career advancement, being in charge of managing Su Qing’s accounts meant some benefits.

At least, their income had increased significantly as the couple prepared for marriage, a commitment requiring considerable finances.

Old Wang nodded: "There’s news online that’s quite big, related to little brother Su. Though, I’m not sure if it’s just a publicity stunt. I’ll investigate, and if it’s true...he’ll have to decide what to do then!"

...