novellhall Chapter 53, 6 is 6
Chapter 53, 6 is 6
Over the next few days, Chen Nianbei's life became unusually regular.
Aside from classes he had to attend, he spent almost all his time in his dorm or library, typing away on his laptop.
The document title on the screen gradually changed from "Story Concept" to "Take My Brother Away Script Outline".
Using his memories from his past life and his understanding of the script's structure in this life, he gradually transferred the story about sibling affection and fantasy from his mind into the document.
He emphasized the key figures:
Shi Fen, a brother who is stubborn but soft-hearted, always teases his younger sister but silently protects her;
Shi Miao, a sister who appears irritable but actually depends on her brother;
And that "wish" setting that changes everything.
A week later, only he and Zhang Lei were in the dormitory one evening.
Wang Hao went to drama club rehearsal, while Li Xiang went on a date.
Chen Nianbei closed her laptop, rubbed her slightly sore neck, and turned the computer screen towards Zhang Lei, who was organizing his shooting notes.
"Lei Zi, take a look at this."
Zhang Lei leaned closer, adjusted his glasses, and his gaze fell on the document title:
"Take My Brother Away? That's an interesting title."
He started scrolling the mouse wheel, initially just browsing casually, but soon his eyes became focused.
The only sounds in the dormitory were the clicking of a mouse and the faint sound of campus announcements coming from outside the window.
Chen Nianbei didn't disturb him. She got up, poured herself a glass of water, leaned against the desk, and waited quietly.
About half an hour later, Zhang Lei let out a long sigh, leaned back in his chair, and looked at Chen Nianbei with a gleam in his eyes and a hint of disbelief.
"Nianbei... did you write this? In a week?"
"The framework is there, but the details still need polishing."
Chen Nianbei nodded. "How did it feel? From a director's perspective, was it well-made?"
"Not bad!"
Zhang Lei sat up abruptly, his voice excited, "The core of this story is captivating! It's about sibling love, a light fantasy setting, with both humorous and touching moments, and the budget is relatively easy to control!"
The scenes are mostly schools, homes, and ordinary streets. The special effects only need to handle the key points of "making a wish" and "disappearing". With a little ingenuity, it won't cost too much money.
The characters are also believable; the siblings Shi Fen and Shi Miao, when portrayed well, easily evoke empathy!
He rattled off a bunch of professional analyses, getting more and more excited as he spoke:
"The key is that there is a gap in the market for this kind of subject matter! It's not the kind of melodramatic art films, nor is it a purely funny, cheesy comedy. It's a heartwarming fantasy comedy that can truly touch ordinary people!"
Nianbei, what's wrong with your brain? You're a great actress, and you're also so creative when it comes to writing scripts?
Chen Nianbei smiled and said, "If you think it's okay, then it's okay. Now, let's move on to the most practical question."
If we want to film it, using the most streamlined approach you can think of that still delivers decent quality, how much would it cost?
When money was mentioned, Zhang Lei calmed down a bit. He pulled over a piece of paper, picked up a pen, and started writing and drawing as he thought.
"Let's break it down item by item. First, the equipment, such as cameras, lighting, and recording equipment, would be a huge expense if we relied entirely on renting them."
However, if one can use the school's connections to borrow or use teaching equipment at a very low price, a lot can be saved.
"I estimate that even if we try to cut costs, we'll still need to prepare a few hundred thousand in reserve, just in case."
"For the location, you can find a friend's house or rent a short-term apartment for the family interior scenes. If you can coordinate to shoot the school scenes at the school or a nearby middle school, you can also save money."
The cost of outdoor street scenes isn't high, as long as the permits are approved. Let's say this miscellaneous area costs around 200,000.
"Actors' salaries,"
Zhang Lei glanced at Chen Nianbei and said, "As you said, putting aside the main actors' salaries for now, we should at least set aside some money for the extras, featured actors, and other supporting actors, even if it's just a token amount."
There are also basic labor costs, meal allowances, and transportation expenses for the crew members; these are fixed expenses, and even with frugality, it's still easily three to five hundred thousand yuan.
"Post-production, editing, color grading, sound, music, and a few simple special effects."
Collaborate with experienced but not yet famous studios or studios run by senior students; you can discuss cost-effectiveness.
"Without a million, it's difficult to produce a decent quality piece like this."
"And then there are taxes, insurance, emergency reserves, and the production of basic promotional materials..."
Zhang Lei scribbled on the paper for a long time, then finally looked up, his tone serious.
"Nianbei, this is based on the most streamlined approach, using whatever resources are available and saving wherever possible, while still ensuring the film's basic industrial standards are met."
A preliminary estimate suggests that at least six million needs to be prepared.
This is already the limit; any less, and the quality will be hard to guarantee, and it might really turn into student homework.
Six million.
It's more than what he said before, "four or five million is barely enough to turn things around," but it's a more comprehensive consideration.
Chen Nianbei remained silent for a moment. His bank account contained the earnings he had saved from filming "Battle of Changsha," "Brotherhood of Blades," and "Swords of Legends," totaling approximately 2.3 million yuan.
For an average sophomore, this is undoubtedly a huge sum of money, but it's still far from six million.
"I can probably come up with around 2.3 million."
Chen Nianbei said calmly.
Zhang Lei was somewhat surprised: "Wow! Nianbei, you've been hiding your true abilities!"
He then realized that this wasn't the point, and his brows furrowed again.
"That's still nearly four million short... that's a significant gap."
"Does the school have any programs or funds to support student creative work?"
Zhang Lei thought for a moment:
"Yes, there are, but the competition is fierce, and the funding is usually not high, at most 100,000 or 200,000. Moreover, the approval process is long, and they may not even approve commercially oriented projects like ours that are not purely graduation projects. However..."
His eyes lit up. "We can go to the teachers in the department, especially those in charge of equipment and facilities."
If we can secure equipment support and filming permits from the school, or even help coordinate some free or low-cost locations, the savings will be substantial! It's practically an investment!
"Let's start here."
Chen Nianbei made the decision, "I'll go with you tomorrow to talk to some teachers we know and sound them out."
The next afternoon, when they had no classes, Chen Nianbei and Zhang Lei went to find Teacher Li together.
After listening to Zhang Lei's enthusiastic presentation of the project concept and script highlights, and then his cautious mention of the current financial difficulties, Teacher Li adjusted his glasses and pondered for a long time.
"I just skimmed through the script, and it's quite interesting. It's better than many things that students come up with on a whim. It has a business sense and an emotional core."
Teacher Li gave them affirmation first, which put the two of them at ease.
But then, Teacher Li changed the subject: "However, it's difficult to get a large amount of cash support from the school."
The school's creative funding tends to favor experimental and artistic works, while yours is clearly more geared towards commercial genre films, making it difficult to secure funding and limiting the amount available.
Seeing the disappointment on their faces, Teacher Li smiled:
"However, the school does support students' practical experience."
Regarding equipment, if your project proposal is well-prepared and the shooting schedule is reasonable, I can help coordinate so that you can use some of the school's photography, lighting, and recording equipment at low cost or even for free under the guise of teaching practice.
The school's photography studio and some on-campus spaces can be used upon application, as long as it does not interfere with normal teaching, and the fees can be significantly reduced.
This is undoubtedly good news!
Equipment rental and site fees are the biggest expenses; if these can be resolved, the budget pressure can be significantly reduced.
"in addition,"
Teacher Li continued, "I can help you vet some reliable post-production studios and introduce you to a few with reasonable fees."
Also, if you need, I can be credited as a producer or art director, which will increase credibility when we're seeking investment.
This was already more help than they had expected. Chen Nianbei and Zhang Lei quickly expressed their gratitude.
As Zhang Lei emerged from Teacher Li's office, he excitedly pumped his fist:
"There's hope! Nianbei! If we can save on equipment and venue costs, our budget will be under much less pressure!"
Let me recalculate; maybe I can get it down to under five million!
Chen Nianbei nodded, his mind racing with calculations.
The school provided support to resolve some of the hardware issues, but a cash shortage still exists.
His two million was his start-up capital, but it wasn't enough.
"The script still needs further refinement, and the storyboard also needs to be prepared."
Chen Nianbei said to Zhang Lei,
"We'll work on two fronts simultaneously. You continue to refine the directing preparations and optimize the budget. I'll figure out a way to handle the funding."
"What connections do you have?" Zhang Lei asked curiously.
"Not at the moment, but I can ask."
One must take things one step at a time.
At least, the project has transformed from an idea into a feasible plan with a script, a preliminary budget, and some resource support.
Back in her dorm, Chen Nianbei turned on her computer and looked at the document titled "Take My Brother Away."
The sunlight streaming through the window fell on the screen, reflecting his calm yet resolute gaze.
The first step has been successfully completed.
Next comes the more realistic battle of securing funding, and the possibility of turning this story on paper into a reality.