Chapter 1693 - 828: One Link Follows Another

Chapter 1693: Chapter 828: One Link Follows Another

The screenwriter of "Deskmate" is Ren Suzhi, a thirty-year-old woman, divorced, raising a child on her own.

She came out to meet today and brought her child along.

So, the choice of venue was quite limited, and they finally chose this Western restaurant. This Western restaurant has a child-friendly area where kids can play, with two staff members to entertain them.

Ren Suzhi sat in a position where she could see her child, chatting with Zhou Lan.

"I often feel that if a screenplay can convey just 5% of what the screenwriter wants to express, it’s already a great achievement."

She is a very elegant and serene woman, with a style of dress to match. From her appearance, you wouldn’t guess she’s the screenwriter who writes intense emotional conflicts and stories of harsh adolescent growth.

"Don’t you often see news online? About an actor wanting more scenes, or an investor wanting changes, things like that," Ren Suzhi said, "actually, these are all very basic, or should I say, unresolved issues. Many people treat screenplays as complete works. You can say that, but in my eyes, it’s a flawed product. If the screenplay isn’t filmed, then it’s a flawed product."

Zhou Lan was very surprised inside.

Because the screenwriters she had interacted with before all cared a lot about their creative independence, emphasizing that they should not be influenced by others and that their creativity should be respected.

But Ren Suzhi was talking very calmly about the commercial aspects of screenwriting.

"Actually, when someone pays you to write a script, you’re getting paid to do a job. You propose what direction to write in, what kind of story, and what kind of characters. If you make a request and I can meet it, I’ll write; if I can’t, I can’t take the job. During the creative process, anything can happen. If midway someone wants to add an actor, you have to give them a role, or a big star is secured, turning a single lead into two leads, not only adding another lead but also ensuring they have enough significant scenes, shining moments, and dialogue, it’s a meticulous job."

Zhou Lan nodded.

"Teacher Ren, you are very rational."

"Not really, it’s just that I’ve had the right attitude from the start," Ren Suzhi said. "I never saw myself as an independent creator. A screenplay is something many people need to work on. Of course, I’m not a god; not everything can be added. The screenplay still needs to have basic logic, a structure of beginning, middle, and end. If the requirements aren’t professional or reasonable, I can only ask them to find someone else because I don’t have the skill or capability to handle those requests."

Zhou Lan laughed.

"Of course."

Ren Suzhi said, "I know why you’re here, but I’ve already signed seven contracts, promising to write seven movie scripts for others. I don’t have time for the next three years."

Zhou Lan was taken aback, a little dazed, then laughed, nodded, "Teacher Ren, it’s alright, I guessed you would be busy. ’Deskmate’ achieved over a billion in box office with such a small budget. Everyone must be eager for your scripts. I personally really liked this movie, so I wanted to meet you, not necessarily to sign a script with you."

Ren Suzhi looked at her in surprise and said, "I thought you were here to help Zhou Yun get a script. Actually, if I had the time, I would love to write a script for her."

"Of course, it would be great if you could tailor a script for her. I’d love to see you both collaborate, but that’s not the purpose this time," Zhou Lan said. "I just wanted to meet you. Of course, if we could arrange for a script, that’d be ideal, but I know that’s quite difficult."

Ren Suzhi asked, "Is Zhou Yun still filming abroad?"

"Yes," Zhou Lan nodded.

Ren Suzhi said, "She is one of my most admired actresses. I often hear from colleagues about her, saying she’s the actress screenwriters most want to work with. She almost never unreasonably demands script changes. Once she accepts a role, she performs according to the script without causing any trouble. It’s said that as long as she’s on set, the screenwriter can relax because no other devils or demons dare to act out, making everything very peaceful."

Zhou Lan laughed.