Storyboard

Shelly Ovitz watched Irene walk out of the coffee shop, then sank deep into the sofa. This girl was truly something else.

After spending ten minutes analyzing the situation, he pulled out his phone, scrolled through almost his entire contact list before finding a name, and dialed.

"Hi honey, where are you busy at? I'm at the coffee shop in front of the Fox Building, do you have time to grace me with your presence for a drink?" He said, signaling the waiter to clear away the cup Irene had used.

"How could that be? I don't even have a single singer under my management, what could I possibly need from you? Just chatting. You've been married for two months and I haven't even seen a shadow of you; I just want to bask in the glow of your happiness." The smile at the corner of Shelly's mouth stiffened slightly.

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

He noted down the drink the other party requested, passed it to the waiter, and hung up the phone while offering compliments. He rubbed his stiff, smiling face, hoping that Irene really had something to offer; otherwise, all this fawning would have been for nothing.

After leaving the coffee shop, Irene wandered around aimlessly, bought two bestselling novels at a bookstore, and then took a taxi back to the estate.

The moment she stepped through the front door, Shelly Ovitz's call came through.

"Sir, what are your instructions?"

"Listen, my girl. Tomorrow at two in the afternoon, meet me at the entrance of Jive Records. From here on out, it's up to you." Irene couldn't help but turn to look at the clock on the wall; from the time she left until now, it hadn't even been two full hours. It was already settled?

"Your efficiency is far more astonishing than I imagined."

"It's just a chance for an interview. Remember to dress professionally. In principle, the position of music video director is yours, but if you perform too poorly, even I can't save you."

"Thank you very much for your support." Hanging up the phone, Irene shrieked 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!"

After saying that, she rushed upstairs to Francis's study, but unfortunately, her father wasn't home, so she couldn't share this joy with him.

Others might not understand why she was so excited—it was just a music video director position, after all. Coming from a family of directors, how could she care about such a small job?

Only she knew that in her previous life at seventeen, she had faced an unbearable blow; but in this life at seventeen, a glorious life was only just beginning.

It was another beautiful, sunny afternoon.

Irene wore the suit her mother had prepared for her, carried a briefcase, and was driven by her father personally to the entrance of Jive Records.

Shelly Ovitz was already waiting there. Compared to his exhaustion yesterday, today, although he was still in a black suit, his hair was meticulously kept in its proper place.

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

"Good afternoon, Ms. Coppola, and Director Coppola." Shelly flashed his standard fake smile and greeted Director Coppola.

Having this legendary director personally oversee things was enough to prove how doted upon Irene was at home; he had never heard of Sofia Coppola bringing her father along while working.

"I'm still very curious, how did you manage to convince them in less than two hours?"

"Young lady, as you said, one of the skills a good agent must learn is called creating something out of nothing. Although I don't think much of you, serving the client is our duty as agents." Shelly stared at Irene, his eyes flashing with a look of certainty.

"You don't think much of me?"

"Is there anything about you that makes one think much of you?"

"I'll let you know right away."

In the largest conference room at Jive Records, the reception staff was busy delivering coffee to every seat.

The original meeting location was just an ordinary conference room without even windows, and they didn't even provide coffee. Fortunately, the front desk was sharp enough to recognize Director Coppola, so they hurriedly moved to this main conference room.

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

The other party immediately reached out, looking very excited: "Jerry Nelson, just call me Jerry. Director Coppola, I really didn't expect you to come in person today! I've watched The Godfather at least ten times!"

Francis shook his hand across the table, his tone calm: "No need to focus your energy on me. Today, I am just a father concerned for his young daughter. I know nothing about your work, please focus your attention on the young people."

"Of course, of course! We will all take this meeting seriously." Jerry Nelson let out a hearty laugh, making those who knew him secretly marvel at his acting skills; one had to know that he was known in the company for being picky and stern.

Shelly seemed unable to bear watching the other party force a smile any longer and interrupted this performance: "The person beside me is the most promising female director I mentioned, Irene Coppola."

The producer, Carl, spoke first, his tone direct and devoid of pleasantries; he didn't work in the film industry, so there was no need to be so sycophantic.

"Shelly, we appreciate your recommendation. But we must be blunt: handing such an important project to a newcomer with no experience is extremely risky. We need a truly convincing reason." The several executives beside him nodded one after another.

Just then, the door to the conference room was pushed open gently. Britney poked her head in, a look of timid anticipation on her face: "Hey everyone, Mr. Nelson said I could come and listen?"

Nelson nodded slightly to signal her to come in. Britney sat down cautiously. She knew very well what this music video meant for her career, and she seemed much quieter than usual.

When she saw Irene, her eyes widened instantly, and she covered her mouth to keep from screaming, only able to convey the message to her good friend with an excited and incredulous look. Irene responded with a confident smile.

The executives were slightly surprised by Britney's appearance, but they didn't lose focus, and their attention quickly returned to the core of the meeting. Carl looked at Irene: "Alright, Ms. Irene, time is precious. Let's see what makes Shelly vouch for you so strongly."

They were perhaps expecting a flashy PowerPoint and a resume.

But Irene chose the most primitive and powerful method. She opened the folder of manuscripts she had worked on all night, spreading the sketches, storyboards, and styling designs one by one onto the polished conference table.

"Gentlemen," her voice was slightly low at first, but it quickly steadied, clear and firm, "I understand your concerns. This is Britney Spears's debut moment, and everything must be perfect. Precisely because of this, my concept does not pursue flashy or complex special effects, but returns to the shaping of emotions and symbols."

She first displayed the classic styling image: a white short-sleeved shirt tied in a knot, a gray pleated school skirt, a loose tie, and those long boots that were about to trigger a global trend of imitation.

Irene explained: "This is not a simple school uniform. 'Youth', 'rebellion', 'longing', and 'confidence'—all the core emotions of the song will be visualized through this outfit. It must simultaneously possess recognizability, impact, and imitability, making every girl want to be her."

Next were the storyboard sketches:

In a dull classroom, Britney taps her fingers boredly on the desk, her eyes looking out the window, full of longing. Light illuminates half of her face.

The school hallway transforms into a dazzling dance stage; she leads the backup dancers in precise and powerful movements. The camera uses a low-angle shot to highlight her power and sense of dominance.

Irene used a storyboard to detail the camera movement and emotional climax: "Here," she pointed to the sketch, "it's not sadness, but a kind of ultimate emotional release; it's the climax of the song. The camera must move around her, letting the audience be completely immersed in it."

The final image: Britney looks directly into the lens, her eyes a mix of innocence and provocation, as if she is speaking to the entire world.