章節 71: Into Uncharted Territory
Silence hung in the air, and Xia Zilan felt a wave of anxiety creeping into her mind on the other end of the call.
"Um-"
"Let me make sure I understand this correctly."
Unknowingly interrupting Xia Zilan, Miaoyi sat up on the hotel bed, expressing her bewilderment. "You're saying that the film crew for a romantic movie wants to hire an electronic music producer for the theme song?"
What kind of convoluted prank was this?
Tang Miaoyi found herself dumbfounded by the situation she had stumbled into.
First and foremost, it was too early for a movie score! She had only released a total of four songs, including an unfinished one and an instrumental version of another. That left her with a portfolio of just two songs! She hadn't even released "Levels" yet, despite having mostly completed its production.
Making things even stranger was the reason they reached out to her in the first place. They wanted a theme song?
A theme song? For a movie? Seriously?
It almost sounded like some Chinese author had run out of ideas...
And to add insult to injury, it wasn't even a movie where a theme song or an electronic producer would make sense! In her previous world, electronic producers were common in the film industry. She distinctly remembered when Daft Punk produced the soundtrack for "Tron Legacy," and such collaborations were a regular occurrence.
However, most of those films shared a common genre: Science Fiction.
Electronic music and Sci-Fi were a perfect match due to their similar themes. Electronic music was designed to sound futuristic, and Sci-Fi aimed to depict a futuristic society or advanced technology.
In other words, they complemented each other.
But this genre was the complete opposite.
When it came to the least suitable film genre to pair with electronic music, romance took the crown.
Putting aside the theme song, wouldn't their styles clash anyway?
It seemed that Miaoyi still held remnants of her old mindset because she didn't hesitate to accept the movie deal. Her initial thoughts went to those massive blockbusters, superhero movies, space-based sagas, or car films centred around family dynamics. She never considered that it could be a romantic film...
Otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed so readily.
"Are they expecting the movie theatre audience to start dancing while the main characters kiss?" After pondering for a while, Miaoyi could only conjure up that image as a description.
It did sound quite amusing.
But she couldn't envision any other outcome for such an unlikely collaboration!
If she could turn back time, she would give her past self a stern talking-to!
Honestly, things had become quite complicated.
Not to mention now, even in her previous life... Miaoyi had never seen a director dare to use electronic music to score a romantic film.
There was simply no compatibility.
On the other end of the phone, Xia Zilan also felt a tinge of embarrassment and cautiously chuckled. "Actually, we did consider this issue within our crew. We even discussed it with the investors and the management team. But that was all before they heard your work, before everyone listened to 'Closer.' After that, all doubts vanished."
"So, even you had doubts?" Miaoyi's face froze upon hearing this. She couldn't help but raise her hand and massage her temples.
It seemed they had more faith in her than she had in herself.
Unfortunately, Miaoyi harboured a secret she had never disclosed to anyone and had no intention of ever revealing: the source of her creative ideas.
In a predicament like this, how could she employ the same process? In her previous life, she had never come across a director attempting such a drastic fusion.
Regrettably, there were no precedents. No material she could draw inspiration from.
"Why not just use 'Closer' instead? Wouldn't that be a solution?" Miaoyi couldn't resist making a sarcastic remark. She sat on the bed, her expression complex, unaware that her tone had reverted to its casual nature, unlike in the beginning.
"Well, if it were any other movie, acquiring the rights to 'Closer' would indeed be a good option," Xia Zilan chuckled. "But 'Counting the Seconds' is different. This film possesses specific characteristics, and there's also a requirement from the investors."
"What characteristics? What requirement? Tell me more," Miaoyi had no choice but to play along and inquire. After all, she had already committed, and it wouldn't be realistic to back out now. Additionally, her professional integrity as a musician was at stake.
What kind of situation was this...
"Well, it's a story about first love, and 'Closer' narrates the tale of two estranged lovers reuniting after a long separation. Therefore, 'Closer' is unsuitable as the theme song in that sense," Xia Zilan explained. "Furthermore, the investors happen to be a patriotic group of older entrepreneurs, and having an English song as the theme song is impractical." As Xia Zilan spoke, she carefully observed Miaoyi's reaction and demeanour. Finally, she smiled and summarized, "Hence, the influential investor insists on having a Chinese song as the theme song."
"..."
Now Miaoyi felt the impulse to end the call and forget about it.
They wanted Chinese electronic music centred around first love...
"Alright, let's discuss it later when we have the time," Miaoyi sighed, struggling to put her thoughts into words. "I'm currently in the capital and don't have the time or equipment to start working on these things. Let's meet and talk about it another time."
"The capital?"
Xia Zilan was taken aback but then smiled. "You should have mentioned that earlier. I live in the capital, so if it's feasible, I can fly back from Shudian in a few days. If you don't mind, we can meet and discuss it during that time. What do you think?"
Miaoyi was startled and quickly pretended that something urgent had come up. "Goodbye, I have something else to attend to. We'll talk later!"
"Uh, wha-? TMY? Sensei?"
Beep~beep~beep~
Miaoyi disconnected the call, letting out a sigh of relief before shifting her gaze toward the ceiling. She casually tossed her phone onto the pillow, watching it bounce twice on the mattress. Finally, she settled back on the bed, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.
'This is too difficult. How am I going to handle this? It's unbelievable. Just when one wave subsides, another one rises...'
"Did you settle it?" An Qiuying, who was nearby, cast a glance at her.
"Not at all. I wish it were that simple..." Miaoyi's eyebrows knitted together, her beautiful face wearing a bittersweet smile. She explained, "In a nutshell, it's a romance film. It's posing quite a challenge for me."
"Lacking confidence?" Qiuying was intrigued. It was the first time she had seen Miaoyi so troubled by a musical matter. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, "What happened? What did the other party say? Please tell me."
"Sure, there's nothing to hide," Miaoyi replied, filling Qiuying in on the situation.
Qiuying had been by Miaoyi's side from the beginning, so there was no need to keep anything from her.
Well, except for the things she needed to keep from her...
As Miaoyi spoke, Qiuying gradually grasped the entire situation.
However, in comparison to Miaoyi's worries, Qiuying didn't perceive it as a significant obstacle after hearing the explanation. "You're the most talented person I know. You've created two new genres and are working on a third. If anyone can do this, it's you."
As she uttered these words, a soft glow sparked in An Qiuying's eyes, accompanied by a soft smile. "I believe in you, Tang Miaoyi."
Ignoring the rising temperature, Miaoyi continued, "I guess I could give it a shot. The movie is called 'Counting the Seconds,' right? So I'll create a tailor-made song specifically for them. Let's name it 'Countdown.'"
Finally, she was going to make her first original song. She was stepping out from under the shelter and battling the rain alone.
There was no proof of concept, no safety net, only her raw skills, knowledge, and creativity.
If she failed, she only had herself to blame.
...
..
.
That sounds too scary.
"Though... since this is so different from everything else I've done, I'll need a lot of help..." Miaoyi said, her voice sounding more gentle than usual.
"I thought you'd never ask."
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