Chapter 20: An Open Casting Call for the Entire Public
“Quick, call me the beautiful and kind Lady Jiang!”
At his computer, Cheng Cheng received a message from Jiang Nan.
He immediately straightened up, opened the chat window, and asked, “Did you convince your father? Did he agree?”
Jiang Nan sent back a smug cat emoji and replied, “Of course! When Lady Jiang takes charge, she’s worth two people!”
Cheng Cheng scrolled through his stickers and sent a dynamic bowing emoji:
Among a group of simple stick figures bowing, one bowed far faster than the others—over ten times their speed, leaving afterimages. An arrow pointed to it with the caption: Me.
Jiang Nan laughed happily, “Get up quickly, I, Lady Jiang, accept you as my little brother~”
Cheng Cheng said, “Beautiful and kind Lady Jiang, you’re my sister, my only sister!”
Jiang Nan: “Hehe~ Good little brother~”
Cheng Cheng: “What did your father say?”
Jiang Nan: “We’ll do it the way you suggested. You handle the filming, my family handles marketing, with a 30% share. Just come to the company tomorrow morning to sign the contract. Call this number and say you’re Cheng Cheng.”
Cheng Cheng sent a crying emoji: “I’m so grateful I’m moved to tears!”
—
The next morning, Cheng Cheng went to Vance Studios to sign the contract. It was exactly as Jiang Nan described, no discounts whatsoever.
Cheng Cheng expected to meet Jiang Nan’s father, but he didn’t even show his face. Jiang Nan was also absent. Cheng Cheng only spoke briefly with Jiang Wang’s secretary, discussed some details, and then signed the contract.
The contract was simple, only specifying quality requirements for the film. Everything else was left open.
If the film’s quality fell below grade D, the maximum marketing resources granted would be five million yuan.
For films rated between D and C, the maximum marketing budget was thirty million yuan.
For films rated between C and B, up to one hundred million yuan could be allocated.
For films rated B and above, even up to grade A, the marketing budget could reach three hundred million yuan.
What do the grades A, B, C, and D mean in terms of film quality?
They correspond to four tiers based on box office potential. Below grade D means box office less than ten million yuan, essentially no potential and not even qualifying as a decent commercial film.
Grades D to C correspond to box office estimates between one hundred million to five hundred million yuan. Between C and B is five hundred million to one billion yuan.
Above B means over one billion yuan, which represents a truly excellent film, of which only a handful are produced each year.
Of course, the marketing resources are subject to adjustment depending on specifics like release schedule, number of competing films at the same time, and whether there are strong rivals in the same period. Nothing is set in stone.
The contract signing was so quick, perhaps not because Vance Studios was generous, but because they didn’t take Cheng Cheng seriously at all. When leaving, Cheng Cheng still awkwardly asked Vance Studios for a film crew, highlighting that he was just starting out and taking everything he could get.
—
After leaving the Vance Studios building with the contract, the secretary walked into Jiang Wang’s office.
Jiang Wang asked, “So, what do you think of him?”
The secretary replied, “I chatted with him about the script creation process, like inspiration, creative approach, character profiles, and so on. He answered fluently. From my observation, the script really seems to be his own work.”
Jiang Wang was a bit surprised. “Oh? He really wrote it himself? I’ve heard about his reputation. Could it be that after all his ups and downs, he’s truly turned over a new leaf?”
“But, Director Jiang,” the secretary said with a strange look, “just like the rumors, he does seem to have some mental issues.”
Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
The secretary said, “While waiting in the office, I came in and found him talking to himself, pointing at the air as if seeing something invisible. It was quite eerie to watch.”
She then showed a worried expression and continued, “Director Jiang, are we really okay working with someone like this? He doesn’t even have a film crew and is asking us for one. Besides the script, he’s truly a complete newcomer.”
At that moment, even Jiang Wang’s expression grew uncertain.
He walked to the window, drew aside the curtain, and looked down.
Of course, he couldn’t actually see anything from the eighteenth floor, but it didn’t stop him from pretending to see Cheng Cheng’s figure and saying mysteriously,
“It doesn’t matter if he’s mentally ill or a newcomer. Honestly, I don’t expect him to succeed, but I don’t mind giving it a try.”
—
“The script is ready and approved, the funding is secured no matter the cost, the marketing partner is found, even the crew is assembled. Now all that’s left is to find the actors!”
Though Cheng Cheng had never directed before and the crew hadn’t worked together, “All In” was no empty promise. He had all the creative memories, with every frame of the film etched in his mind. Once filming started, he would simply replicate it shot for shot, no technical difficulties at all.
Now, he just needed to find actors with some acting foundation.
How to find them?
Where to look?
Cheng Cheng pondered for a while, then an idea came to him.
He opened Weibo and posted a screenshot of the script’s approval, along with a lengthy message:
“All In,” Genre: Crime.
Produced by Myth Media Co., Ltd. and Vance Studios.
Director: Cheng Cheng; Screenwriter: Cheng Cheng.
Initial budget: 100 million + 200 million yuan.
Now publicly casting across society.
Role One: Male Lead 1, age 22–27, height 175–180 cm, clean and handsome appearance, must have formal acting training or experience as a supporting actor in a film/TV series, or no acting experience but with educational background.
Male Lead 2, age 18–22, height 175–180 cm, sunny and handsome, same requirements as above.
Female Lead 1, age 22–28, height 165–172 cm, tall and beautiful, same requirements as above.
Female Lead 2...
...
Plus more than 30 roles with lines.
How to participate:
Please send your resume by email, including your personal introduction, acting experience, and contact information;
Attach samples of your talent (audio recordings, photos, videos, etc.) showcasing your acting skills and charm.
Email: casting@AllInMovie.cn
Benefits:
Opportunity to work with well-known directors and actors, gaining valuable acting experience;
Outstanding performers may be signed by our company, opening broader career prospects.
Schedule:
Registration deadline: July 10;
Review period: We will review all applications and respond within 48 hours, announcing those who advance to the next round of auditions;
Audition time and location will be announced later.
The opportunity is right in front of you. Don’t miss your chance to become a star! Act now and let’s create brilliance together!”
As soon as this Weibo post went live, netizens across the web couldn’t sit still!
Everyone was stunned!
Cheng Cheng is making a film?
What kind of ridiculous joke is this? Are you sure it’s not a mistake?
“Number one!”
“Huh?”
“I can tell just by the timing, it’s Cheng Cheng’s time to lose it again.”
“Your Cheng Cheng is always on schedule with these episodes.”
“Can someone check? Is this for real? This has to be a joke, right?!”
“I went to the National Film Administration’s website to check—this is real! It’s actually real!”
“Hello, Director Zhang from Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital.”
“Comrades, I’ve learned one thing: you can doubt a mentally ill person’s mental state, but you cannot doubt their execution power. Their execution is really strong! / Facepalm and tears”
“‘Must have formal training or experience as a film/TV supporting actor, or no acting experience but with educational background.’ I’ve never seen such a contradictory requirement. If you don’t need it, why mention it?!”
“Opening casting to the whole society? Can’t find actors to play in your film?”
“Initial budget 100 + 200 million yuan, I’m pretending to believe it.”
“This is what happens when an actor can no longer act—they turn to directing. But you have to be realistic; directing is not a job just anyone can do.”
“Can someone tell me what path Cheng Cheng is taking now?”
“Mental illness path (confirmed).”
“So many points to roast, I don’t even know where to start.”