Preparations

Throughout the meeting, the production representatives' initial scrutiny gradually gave way to rapt attention as they leaned forward.

Some even picked up the sketches, which were meticulously annotated with shot durations, transitions, and lighting suggestions, and studied them closely.

Francis felt prouder than ever. Irene had performed ten, even a hundred times better than he had expected.

"How will you manage the wide-angle shot of the group dance in the hallway?" Director Nelson suddenly asked. His tone was still stern, but there was now a hint of curiosity.

"I've planned out all the blocking in advance and drawn inspiration from the group choreography in several classic musicals. I want to balance dynamic beauty with a sense of depth and space." Irene calmly pulled out another blocking diagram she had prepared earlier.

To be honest, she'd watched this music video at least twenty times in her previous life. Even without her "Intracranial Cinema," every frame was already etched in her mind.

"What about the costumes..." another executive mused.

"I don't think that should be difficult for a renowned company like Jive. These kinds of outfits are common. Even an assistant costume designer could easily handle them." Irene answered without missing a beat.

Britney, who had been watching nervously, was now completely absorbed by the sketches.

She couldn't help grabbing Irene's arm, her voice full of excitement. "Oh my God! This is just... It's exactly what I picture in my head when I sing! I love this look so much! Can I really dance in it?" Her enthusiasm and approval became the most powerful catalyst in the room.

Producer Carl finally smiled for the first time since the meeting began. He looked at Nelson, who gave an almost imperceptible nod.

"Miss Coppola," Carl said, his tone softening, "you've not only shown remarkable creativity, but also a deep understanding of the project's importance and an astonishing eye for execution. You've convinced us."

He turned to Shelly. "My assistant will contact you tomorrow morning to discuss the contract details. We need to move into production as soon as possible."

The somber atmosphere in the conference room lifted, replaced by lively discussion.

The meeting, originally scheduled for forty-five minutes, lasted nearly two hours as everyone enthusiastically discussed how to bring every detail in the sketches to life.

Afterward, Britney hugged Irene excitedly. "We're really going to work on something together!"

"That's right. For you, this is your debut music video, so it's incredibly important. For me, it's my first project, so it means just as much. Let's make a great start together!" Irene hugged her tightly in return. This time, she would help Britney win the Best New Artist award she had missed out on before.

Shelly watched them thoughtfully, then spoke quietly to Nelson, who was the last to leave. "Looks like I made the right bet."

Nelson stopped and glanced back at Francis, who was carefully gathering the sketches as if they were priceless treasures. Then he said quietly to Shelly, "You might really have a superstar on your hands this time. You know what I mean."

Shelly looked at the two friends still chatting excitedly and pondered. "Maybe there'll be two. Is Britney still under contract with you?"

"Then we'll have to talk about that some more."

Listening to her friend's cheers and gazing at the bright sunshine outside the window, Irene felt that her first step had been a steady one.

After the meeting, no one lingered. Britney especially had training to get to. With the music video shoot approaching, she needed to master the choreography as soon as possible.

Once they were back in the car, Irene's tense nerves finally relaxed a little. She might have seemed calm and confident earlier, but she'd been just as worried and scared inside. She'd only been putting on a brave face.

Now that it was just her and her father in the car, she could finally let out a breath.

"I never knew you were so good at drawing storyboards." Francis sounded proud and relieved, though a hint of disappointment lingered beneath it.

"I'm still nowhere near as good as you two." Irene had seen the boxes of her father's sketches when she was little. Some had been used, while others had been discarded.

"You're much better than your mother and me at seventeen. By the time you're our age, you'll probably have accumulated far more sketches than we have."

Irene couldn't help leaning over to hug her father. "That's because I have you two. You're my greatest source of confidence. I was so afraid I'd embarrass myself in front of you just now."

"You won't, sweetheart. These"—Francis weighed the document folder in his hand—"these are what give you real confidence. If you can prepare this thoroughly, or even better, for every project, success will come much more easily."

"I will, Dad. Isn't that our family tradition?" She thanked God for bringing her into this family and giving her the chance to make up for the regrets of her previous life.

The next morning, before ten o'clock, Shelly Ovitz showed up at the Napa Valley Estate.

In the garden, his sharp suit and energetic air seemed completely out of place.

"You're looking as handsome as ever today." Irene handed him a cup of black tea with little sincerity.

"You can save the insincere compliments for another time. Your directing fee is ten thousand dollars." Shelly took out the contract he had negotiated with Jive. "Since you don't have any hands-on experience yet, the company will pay you five thousand dollars upfront and the remaining balance once the music video is complete."

Irene knew this was standard practice. "That's fine with me."

Shelly then went over the director's rights and responsibilities one by one. Irene wouldn't need to take part in the specific preparations at first. She only had to come in once the locations and personnel were all in place.

After all, she was only an outside director, and this was just a music video. Jive's own team could handle all the preliminary work. All she had to do was wait at home for the call.

Irene looked through the contracts Shelly had brought, one by one. The last was her management contract with CAA.

Neither of them made a point of raising any objections. Irene was satisfied with Shelly's efficiency, and he recognized her talent as a director, so there was no need to wait until the music video aired before signing.

The Coppola family's lawyer would review all the contracts later. For now, she just gave them a general read-through before setting them aside.

Shelly didn't stay long after finishing his tea. He was also planning to negotiate with Britney, who would be a much tougher nut to crack. Her parents were far harder to deal with than the Coppola couple.

Once the lawyer had reviewed the contracts and confirmed they were in order, Irene insisted on going to Jive every day, even though the company hadn't asked her to.

It might only be a music video, but it was her first job. She wanted to witness its creation from beginning to end.

In just ten days, the cinematography, set design, lighting, costume, makeup, and art departments had all been staffed. Most of them were professionals who had worked with Jive for a long time.

The team then chose a filming location together: a small school building at the Warner Film Base, often used for low-budget youth productions.

Before filming officially began, Irene rented a small apartment in Burbank for a month. It would serve not only as a temporary base for preparing Britney's music video, but also as a creative space where Irene could refine the script and draw storyboards.