Chapter 56

Self-driving trips are great,

but I don’t want to do it again!

After driving for five consecutive days, Yongshan Naoki didn’t feel it much on the road,

but on the second morning after returning home, he felt a sore back and aching all over.

And he’s still a 19-year-old young man. Who knows how the former self-driving enthusiast managed to stick with it for a whole month!

......

They had agreed to meet at 9 at Ido Shuichi’s photography studio, so Naoki brought a small gift and went over.

The studio was temporarily unused. Since deciding to take fewer GG jobs, the place was no longer as bustling as before, with only occasional regular customers still borrowing the venue.

Ido Shuichi was still sitting in the office, head down, reading a stack of manuscripts.

“What are you reading, Shuichi-san?” Naoki pushed the door open and walked in directly.

“It’s the script someone sent, as mentioned before.” Ido Shuichi had already seen the visitor through the glass window.

“Oh? What kind of script?” Naoki said, handing over the bag he was carrying, “Shuichi-san, these are the hot spring buns from Bessho, try them.”

“Arigato~” The small buns had patterns pressed on the outside and were filled with red bean paste and egg yolk, quite delicious.

Naoki picked up the script on the table: “Samurai of the Fields? A jidaigeki (period drama)?”

He flipped through it briefly. It was a story about a secluded family being killed, and a passing samurai seeking revenge.

Such storylines were not new to Naoki. After all, revenge stories were overused. Even the clichés of discovering the enemy’s hardship, falling in love with the enemy’s daughter, finding out the enemy is the biological father, or a war god returning to find his wife and daughter wronged, and ordering the enemy’s entire family to be slaughtered... he had seen it all. What could surprise him now?

“A typical jidaigeki~” Ido Shuichi said while eating the hot spring buns, “The script was sent by the investors, and it’s quite complete, enough to make about 20 episodes.”

“Such a jidaigeki... isn’t that a trend from ten years ago? Does anyone still watch such TV dramas now?”

“There are still some, especially older people who still enjoy them.”

“Such a TV drama...” Naoki couldn’t think of how to describe it.

“It’s quite mediocre, isn’t it.” Ido Shuichi smiled bitterly, “But for a director like me who started late, such an opportunity is rare.”

Ido Shuichi was already 32, close to the age when he would be laid off in the future. It wasn’t easy to switch to TV drama directing at this age. Being able to get such a script was thanks to his previous work in GG. After all, a lot of younger directors were waiting for resources.

“But if you start with such a script, you might end up always shooting similar scripts.”

First impressions are hard to change, especially in the entertainment industry.

Jidaigeki has a loyal fan base, but the directors specializing in this genre are usually in their 30s and have already shot five or six series. Their networks and status in the audience’s mind are firmly established.

For example, the blind swordsman in “Zatoichi” was played by the same director and actor for over 20 series.

If Ido Shuichi entered this field, it would be very difficult to stand out. He might end up shooting obscure small scripts and being an obscure small director, unless he had connections....

“But... there’s no way~” Ido Shuichi looked helpless, “Without investors, I can’t shoot other styles of TV dramas.”

Unlike shooting GG, long TV dramas require a certain amount of initial investment. Producers and funds are essential. Many directors in the future would spend the income from their previous ten years to shoot a series or a movie.

Before becoming famous, no other investors would bring good scripts to a “new director” like Ido Shuichi.

“There’s nothing we can do...” The industry is complex, and Naoki couldn’t help Ido Shuichi much.

Ido Shuichi sighed, “The GG I shot before, if made into a TV series or movie, would probably be quite popular.”

“Indeed, although they were short, the plots were solid, and many people enjoyed them~” If it were in the era of short video explosions, such a low-cost short series could attract thousands of fans.

Low cost, short series, plot... episodic series....

Episodic series are common in children’s programs and animations, like Ultraman and Doraemon, with a small story in each episode.

They are also common in foreign comedies like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory,” and in suspense series like “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Twilight Zone.”

These popular episodic series have a common feature: they are long-running~

Naoki thought of the long-running Japanese series “World’s Most Mysterious Stories,” which has been running for over 30 years. Major production companies like Toei, Daiei TV, Toho, and Nikkatsu have all participated in its production, and many stars have been involved.

In the future, if a Japanese star hasn’t appeared in “World’s Most Mysterious Stories,” they can even use it to self-deprecate~

If this series were to be produced now....

“Shuichi-san, have you studied episodic series?” Naoki suddenly asked.

“Eh? Episodic series? Like Ultraman?” Ido Shuichi was a bit confused.

“Something like that. Have you seen ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’?”

“I’ve seen a few episodes. It seems quite scary.”

Naoki thought for a moment and said to Ido Shuichi, “Shuichi-san, why not try shooting such stories?”

“Strange, suspenseful, and warm short stories. I’ve already seen your directing skills in emotional storytelling. Such short stories would be well within your capabilities.”

“The scripts provided by the investors are already a set pattern and template. For Shuichi-san, it’s a waste of talent and doesn’t show your skills. Moreover, it won’t attract many young people, and it will be hard to stand out after shooting.”

“If it’s an episodic series, the cost is controllable, and you can even shoot it in one take. The plot is flexible, and you can change it based on the previous episode’s effect. The shooting time is short, and you might be able to shoot an episode in one or two days.”

Ido Shuichi felt Naoki’s seriousness and thought carefully, “Naoki-san, shooting short series does have many advantages, but if it doesn’t attract the audience, there’s still no future.”

Although Naoki clearly knew how popular “World’s Most Mysterious Stories” would be in the future, he couldn’t explain it now.

But....

“Shuichi-san, even if it doesn’t attract the audience, it’s just a few weeks of time and a bit of cost.”

Yes, the cost of trial and error is very low, especially after they received a transfer fee.

Ido Shuichi also thought it through, “Hahaha, Naoki-san, I almost got stuck in a rut.

Let’s try shooting a few episodes first. I’ll go find someone to write the script!”

“Shuichi-san, I have two small stories that might work~”

Naoki remembered the most popular stories from “World’s Most Mysterious Stories.”

“The Beauty Jar” and “Grandma”....

......

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