Future Pet Shop

Chapter 193: Why Not Let Sun Qian Sing the Theme Song

Director Kong placed great importance on this promotional video, or rather, on Hah’Er. Just a few days after returning to Xiangjiang, he had already taken care of his miscellaneous affairs, brought a massive film crew to Yunzhong City, and immediately began shooting.

Just as he had said before, there was no script prepared. Instead, they took Hah’Er to some of Yunzhong City’s most iconic scenic spots and let it do as it pleased. All he had to do was use his camera to capture Hah’Er’s most dazzling moments and the shots that best showcased the local scenery. Compared to shooting other promotional videos, this was much more relaxed.

But this didn’t mean Director Kong was unimportant. Hah’Er could perform the same action, but the effect captured on film could be vastly different depending on the angle and method used. Only a director as experienced and aesthetically sharp as Director Kong could capture the perfect shot.

Moreover, selecting the most suitable shots from the massive amount of footage for editing, deciding what aspects to focus on in post-production, and maintaining a stable rhythm—these were not tasks an ordinary person could handle well. More importantly, a promotional video needs to be broadcast after it’s made, right? With a well-connected industry insider like Director Kong to help, Yunzhong City could formulate the most cost-effective promotional strategy and secure the most favorable prices.

"Focus the shot on the orange Hah’Er is holding. We need to highlight the advantages of the Yunzhong Orange first," Director Kong instructed calmly. Shen Yibin watched quietly from the side. In front of them, perched on a tree branch, Hah’Er was hugging a big orange with a silly smile on its face.

Beside them, a lift raised the cinematographer and camera high into the air as the lens slowly pulled back. After post-production, the effect of this shot would be a golden, plump, and delicious-looking orange appearing in the center of the screen. The camera would then slowly pull back to reveal Hah’Er hugging the orange. Hah’Er would wave to greet the audience at home, then turn to the side, leading the viewers’ gaze across the magnificent scenery of the hundred-thousand-mu orchard.

This was a shot that transitioned from small to large, and the effect would be absolutely stunning. Of course, the difficulty of filming and post-processing was also high. However, Director Kong’s film crew was full of veterans who had followed him for many years; a small challenge like this wouldn’t stump them.

During the shoot, Director Kong never rushed Hah’Er. Instead, he waited patiently on the sidelines, quickly capturing the shot only when Hah’Er naturally made the move he wanted.

This also earned Shen Yibin’s goodwill. He couldn’t stand the thought of someone bossing Hah’Er around. He himself could never bear to treat Hah’Er that way, so how could he allow anyone else to?

"Alright, we’re done shooting the orchard scenes. Leave one camera team to keep an eye on Hah’Er and see if we can get any better shots. The rest of you can take a break," Director Kong ordered with satisfaction.

Although he couldn’t direct Hah’Er, the panda was a natural in front of the camera. He achieved the desired effects with almost no effort, sometimes even far exceeding expectations. As a result, the shooting progressed much faster than Director Kong had anticipated.

"Bin, after dinner tonight, let’s find a place for some tea. I’d like to chat with you about some of my ideas," Director Kong said, extending a warm invitation. He had recently come up with a rough outline for the movie. ’This is an absolutely fantastic story,’ he thought. ’I’m sure I can use it to convince Shen Yibin to let Hah’Er star in this film.’

"Okay, I’ll have to trouble you then, Mr. Kong." ’Director Kong really is a man of culture,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’His tea-brewing skills are quite impressive. The same tea leaves taste so much better when he brews them than when I do. It would be good to watch and learn a thing or two.’

"Bring Hah’Er along, too. I’ve prepared some Xiangjiang-style snacks for it to try." Director Kong had witnessed Hah’Er’s foodie nature. He knew it was different from other pandas and was quite interested in foods other than bamboo, so he wanted to use this opportunity to win Hah’Er’s affection with food.

To this end, he had specially sought out a Michelin-starred chef in Xiangjiang to create some tea snacks with a long shelf life. If he weren’t the top director in Xiangjiang today, an ordinary person wouldn’t have had that kind of pull. He had even called in a few sizable favors for these snacks, but as long as he could convince Shen Yibin, the price was entirely worth it.

Sure enough, when they had tea that evening, both Shen Yibin and Hah’Er loved the snacks, helping themselves again and again. "Heh, Bin, look how much Hah’Er enjoys these. After we finish filming, bring Hah’Er and come visit me in Xiangjiang. These aren’t even the best; they’re only really delicious fresh out of the oven."

"They’re definitely much more delicious than what I make. I’ll have to go and try them sometime." Shen Yibin wondered, ’Since Hah’Er likes them so much, should I buy some ingredients and go back to research how to make them?’

"Great! You have to call me when you come." If anyone else had said that, Director Kong would have thought they were just boasting. How could an ordinary person compare to a Michelin-starred chef? But Shen Yibin truly had the skills. Director Kong had tasted his cooking before. With that level of talent, he could definitely be a head chef at a major hotel in Xiangjiang.

"Alright, have some tea and relax. Let me tell you about my idea for the story." Director Kong wasn’t in a hurry. He slowly began to tell Shen Yibin about the story he had written. The story wasn’t complicated; it followed the typical commercial formula of Hollywood. In the story, Hah’Er was conceived as a panda from a mystical valley, possessing magical abilities. A beautiful woman stumbles into the valley by chance and brings Hah’Er to the big city, leading to a series of adventures.

The story had an adorable panda, a beautiful female lead, a nefarious villain, and the magnificent, majestic landscapes of China. Of course, it also wouldn’t be complete without cool special effects. If he could pull it off, it would definitely be infinitely better than the National Preceptor’s *Great Wall*. With a bit of luck, it might even be able to compete with a Marvel superhero movie.

Shen Yibin quite liked the story as well. Although he didn’t agree on the spot, he did engage in an in-depth discussion with Director Kong. Director Kong now understood: as long as the script could satisfy Shen Yibin, this collaboration could move forward.

After tea, Director Kong was so preoccupied that he didn’t even have time for his female assistant, heading straight to his room to continue revising the script. Shen Yibin, on the other hand, took Hah’Er back to the shop.

As soon as he opened the door, he heard Sun Qian and Cheeky singing a duet inside. Listening to the melody, he recognized it as the folk song he had played for them the other day. ’Huh, the two of them are actually pretty good,’ Shen Yibin thought. ’They’re way better than the original singer. Maybe I can introduce Sun Qian to Director Kong and have her sing the theme song for the promotional video?’