Storyboarding

Shelly Ovitz watched Irene leave the coffee shop, then sank deep into the couch. That girl was no ordinary talent.

After spending ten minutes analyzing the situation, he pulled out his phone. He nearly searched through his entire contact list before finding the name he wanted, then called.

"Hey, sweetheart. Where are you keeping busy? I'm at the coffee shop by the Fox Building. Have time to join me for a drink?" As he spoke, he gestured for the server to clear away the cup Irene had used.

"How could I? I don't even have a singer on my roster. What could I possibly need you for? I just thought we could chat. You've been married for two months, and I haven't seen hide nor hair of you. I wanted to bask in the glow of your happiness." The smile at the corner of Shelly's mouth stiffened slightly.

"Sure, I'll wait here, then. What would you like to drink? I'll order it for you."

He noted down the drink the other person wanted and handed the order to the server. After a few more compliments, he hung up, then rubbed the corners of his stiff smile. He hoped Irene really had something special to offer. Otherwise, all that smiling would have been for nothing.

After leaving the coffee shop, Irene wandered around for a while, bought two bestselling novels at a bookstore, then took a cab back to the estate.

She had barely stepped inside when Shelly Ovitz called.

"Sir, what can I do for you?"

"Listen, my girl. Tomorrow at two in the afternoon, meet me outside Jive Records. From here on, it's up to you." Irene couldn't help glancing at the clock on the wall. Less than two hours had passed since she'd left. Had he already pulled it off?

"You're even more impressively efficient than I expected."

"It's just an opportunity to meet them. Remember to dress professionally. In principle, the music video director position is yours, but if you make a terrible impression, I won't be able to save you."

"Thank you very much for your support." After hanging up, Irene squealed with excitement and ran into the living room, throwing her arms around her mother, Eleanor. "Mom! I got my first job! Hahahaha! I got my first job!"

Then she rushed upstairs, hoping to find Francis in his study, but her father wasn't home, so she couldn't share her happiness with him.

Others might not understand why she was so excited. It was just a music video director's job. Coming from a family of directors, why would she care about such a small assignment?

Only she knew. At seventeen in her previous life, she'd suffered a devastating blow. At seventeen in this life, her glorious future was only just beginning.

It was another beautiful, sunny afternoon.

Irene wore the suit her mother had prepared for her and carried a briefcase as her father personally drove her to Jive Records.

Shelly Ovitz was already waiting there. Compared with the day before, he looked less exhausted. He still wore a black suit, but his hair was now neatly in place.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ovitz." Irene smiled as she walked toward her future manager.

"Good afternoon, Miss Coppola. And good afternoon, Mr. Coppola." Shelly greeted Francis with his trademark fake smile.

The legendary director had come along in person, which was proof enough of how much Irene was doted on at home. He'd never heard of Sophia Coppola bringing her father along when she went to work.

"I'm still curious. How did you manage to persuade them in less than two hours?"

"Miss, as you said, it's a skill every good manager has to learn: making something out of nothing. I may not have much faith in you, but serving my clients is our job as managers." Shelly looked at Irene, his eyes shining with confidence that he would prevail.

"You don't have much faith in me?"

"What about you inspires anyone's confidence?"

"I'll show you in a moment."

In the largest conference room at Jive Records, the staff hurried to set a cup of coffee at every seat.

The meeting had originally been scheduled in an ordinary room with no windows and no coffee. Fortunately, the receptionist recognized Francis Coppola, so they'd quickly moved the meeting to the main conference room.

As soon as they entered, the people already seated in the room stood up. Shelly Ovitz introduced them first. "Jerry, this is Director Coppola."

Jerry immediately extended his hand, visibly excited. "Jerry Nelson, but just call me Jerry. Director Coppola, I never imagined you'd come in person today! I've watched The Godfather more than ten times!"

Francis reached across the table to shake his hand, his tone calm. "You don't need to focus on me. Today I'm just a father concerned about his younger daughter. I know nothing about your work, so please keep your attention on the young people."

"Of course, of course! We'll take this meeting very seriously." Jerry Nelson laughed heartily. Those who knew him marveled at his acting. After all, he was known around the company for being demanding and dour.

Shelly seemed unable to watch him force the smile any longer and interrupted the performance. "The young woman beside me is Irene Coppola, the most promising female director I mentioned."

The producer, Carl, spoke first, blunt and without any small talk. He wasn't in the film business, so there was no need for him to be so obsequious.

"Shelly, we appreciate your recommendation. But we have to be frank: handing such an important project to an inexperienced newcomer is an enormous risk. We need compelling reasons to justify it." Several executives beside him nodded.

Just then, the conference room door creaked open. Britney poked her head inside, an eager but slightly timid look on her face. "Hey, everyone. Mr. Nelson said I could sit in?"

Nelson gave a slight nod to invite her in. Britney sat down carefully. She knew exactly what this music video meant for her career, and she was much quieter than usual.

When she saw Irene, her eyes widened. She covered her mouth to keep from crying out, and could only send her friend an excited, disbelieving look. Irene returned a confident smile.

The executives were a little surprised by Britney's arrival, but it didn't distract them. Their attention soon returned to the heart of the meeting. Carl looked at Irene. "All right, Miss Irene. Time is precious. Let's see what made Shelly vouch for you so strongly."

They might have expected flashy slides and a résumé.

But Irene chose the most basic and powerful approach. She opened the folder of materials she'd worked through the night to prepare and laid the sketches, storyboards, and costume designs out on the polished conference table, one by one.

"Gentlemen," she began, her voice a little low, but soon steady, clear, and firm. "I understand your concerns. This is Britney Spears's debut, and everything has to be perfect. That's exactly why my concept doesn't rely on flashy, complicated effects. Instead, it goes back to emotion and visual symbolism."

First, she showed them the iconic costume design: a white tied-up crop shirt, a gray pleated school skirt, a loose tie, and the knee-high boots that would soon inspire imitators around the world.

"This isn't just a school uniform," Irene explained. "'Youth,' 'rebellion,' 'desire,' and 'confidence'—the song's core emotions—will all be expressed through this outfit. It has to be distinctive, striking, and easy to imitate, so that every girl wants to be her."

Next came the storyboard sketches:

In a dull classroom, Britney tapped her fingers on the desk in boredom, her gaze full of longing as she looked out the window. Light illuminated half her face.

The school hallway transformed into a dazzling dance stage. She led the dancers through sharp, powerful moves, while the low-angle camera shots emphasized her strength and command.

Irene used one storyboard to mark the camera movements and emotional peaks in detail. "Here," she said, pointing to the sketch, "it isn't sadness, but an intense release of emotion. This is the climax of the song. The camera should circle around her, drawing the audience completely into the moment."

The final image showed Britney looking straight into the camera, her eyes a mixture of innocence and flirtation, as if she were speaking to the whole world.