Chapter 10, Temporary Workers~

After a cursory glance, Rinto Chihara felt quite satisfied. He is currently unknown and, as a newcomer, securing such a contract is already commendable. It is likely that the emergence of new satellite channels has led to a shortage of screenwriters, and he appears to possess some level of skill. Thus, under the strong recommendation of Iori Murakami, the committee decided to give this outsider a chance.

After speaking, he filled in his name, age, address, bank account, and other personal information on the document in succession under the direction of the man in the suit. He then signed and stamped it, effectively selling himself temporarily to Jiang Zhimaru, who then rented him out to Tokyo Broadcasting TEB for work

The contract was successfully signed, and the two men in suits warmly shook hands with him, leaving him a copy of the contract before promptly packing their things and departing

Murakami Iori was taken aback, then came to understand that while Chihara Rinto was indeed young, he was genuinely a good person. He joked, "Should I thank you for your planning? Alright, Chihara-san, no need to be polite; we still have days ahead where we will take care of each other. Let's work hard together!"

As for ordinary staff, such as assistant directors, script assistants, continuity supervisors, cameramen (who may join the creative team if they are of a masterful caliber), sound engineers, prop masters, costume designers, and miscellaneous assistants, they are part of the working group, receive a fixed salary, which is drawn from the film production budget, and do not participate in copyright revenue sharing

Qian Yuan Rinto took the document and opened it for a closer look, discovering that the salary conditions negotiated by Murakami Iori were better than expected

To find a job so smoothly and to break into this circle, Murakami Iori deserves at least half of the credit. He took a significant risk, and this is something that must be acknowledged—although Murakami Iori was also thinking of his own future, both parties are essentially using each other. However, as the biggest beneficiary, he should also be aware of what is right and wrong.

This place is like an ordinary company, a large cubicle space, with nearly a hundred people busy in their cubicles. Murakami Iori placed Chihara Rinto in a cubicle reception room, and then went to invite two suited men from the legal department back.

It feels like a memorial service, has someone worked themselves to death?

Murakami Iori pondered for a moment and said gently: "I once filmed a morning drama, but you might not have heard of its name. It seems that the premiere did not go well, and there were some issues with the continuity of the plot in the middle, ultimately it did not gain traction..."

Even if it becomes a complete hit and various merchandise is produced, any aspect related to copyright still retains his 2%, although such situations are quite rare

The primary responsibility of the Audit and Supervision Department is, quite literally, to review whether broadcast content complies with laws and regulations as well as moral standards. However, since many television programs are live, it is impossible to conduct prior reviews. Therefore, the main task of these individuals is to monitor television programs closely, identifying any discrepancies and promptly cutting off the signal to switch to advertisements in order to mitigate potential adverse effects.

He asked with great interest: "What works has Director Fujii made in the past? How were the viewership ratings?"

It is essentially just a temporary worker, after going around in circles, I still cannot escape the production company

Indeed, television dramas are only popular during their current season, and the number of broadcasts will significantly decrease afterwards, yet they still provide a steady stream of income—this is protected by copyright law for a duration of twenty-five years

Qian Yuan Rinto understands that during the Great Depression, there is a fear of supporting idle individuals everywhere. He currently has no reputation, and his abilities are ambiguous. Tokyo Broadcasting TEB likely fears that he is merely a silver-plated wax gun—appearing impressive at first glance, but ineffective when truly needed. A long-term contract would only be possible if he achieves results. Being given an opportunity to prove himself is already quite good. If it weren't for the special circumstances, the production bureau would still prefer to cultivate their own screenwriters.

I see, then there is no problem. Chihara Rinto nodded repeatedly, as the filming difficulty of "Tales of the Unusual" is quite low. As long as the director is professional, there are no high demands for talent, and he has no objections

If harmful programs are discovered but not stopped, resulting in a serious broadcasting incident, those responsible will also be held accountable, and in some cases, it can be difficult to determine whether a broadcasting incident has occurred

However, this novice producer, new screenwriter, and struggling director clearly indicate that Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) has low expectations for the program. It seems that with the increase in channels, there is a temporary shortage of programs, and they only intend to fill a time slot, which is quite similar to the original situation in the world

In addition, it is also possible to produce CDs and videotapes, whether for rental or sale, from which he earns 2% of the copyright revenue. Over time, this can accumulate to a significant amount, akin to the adage of gathering sand to build a tower

Murakami Iori glanced in the direction he pointed and, unfazed, remarked: "They are performing the Gassho ritual"

Murakami Iori was somewhat worried that Chihara Rinto might be dissatisfied. As he led him outside, he comforted him, saying: "As long as Chihara-san proves his abilities, a long-term or even lifetime contract will definitely not be a problem. However, for the time being, this is all we can do, so please do not take offense."

As for exclusive copyright, one should not harbor any illusions; without financial investment from the television station, there will be no broadcasting channels. No matter how good the script is, it is merely worthless paper.

Murakami Iori wore a beige trench coat today, but still added thick shoulder pads—if only she were 1.6 meters tall, she would likely give off a rather imposing impression

Murakami Iori, acting as a tour guide, was pointing out the locations of various departments at the Tokyo Broadcasting Headquarters, such as where the Legal Department is, where the Human Resources Department is, where the radio station is, and so on. However, after walking just a few steps, Chihara Rinto noticed a group of people standing in a corner of the courtyard bowing and couldn't help but ask Murakami Iori: "What are those people doing?"

In other words, he is just a failed director, and his work has been forcibly censored.

He smiled and said, "Please do not worry, Miss Murakami, I think the contract is excellent, thank you for your efforts." After a pause, he sincerely added, "Thank you very much, Miss Murakami"

After listening, Qian Yuan Rinto was not particularly concerned about the contract; rather, he was more interested in what kind of person the director was. Most of the time, the producer, director, and screenwriter are the key figures that determine the quality of a production, with the actors being secondary.

Although Qian Yuanreng is young, he still understands these matters, after all, he returned in 2019 as an "expert in obscure knowledge on the internet". He smiled directly and said, "No problem, I will sign it right away"

Soon, she brought Chihara Rinto to the Legal Affairs Department

She exchanged a few polite words with Chihara Rinto, then led him inside, laughing as she walked: "Today, there are mainly two things to do: one is to sign the contract; the other is to meet Director Fujii and get to know each other. What do you think, Chihara-san?"

But that's acceptable; one cannot have overly high expectations at the beginning. Chihara Rinto looked around and did not find any major issues. Just as he was about to sign, Murakami Iori beside him asked, "This is a standard contract; is there any problem, Chihara-san?"

However, the only drawback of this contract is that it is not signed with Tokyo Broadcasting TEB, but rather with a production company called "Enoshimamaru". This means that he was temporarily hired by "Enoshimamaru Production Company" and then dispatched to the headquarters of Tokyo Broadcasting TEB to work as the lead screenwriter for "Tales of the Unusual"

Qian Yuan Rinto nodded in understanding, which means that the first work has failed, with very poor viewership ratings upon its premiere. Despite efforts to improve, the ratings may have actually declined further, ultimately leading to its abrupt cancellation, leaving it unfinished. It didn't even make it to the video tape market, essentially resulting in a significant loss.

The director has already been found. This is one of the advantages of the Japanese production bureau system. Once the program plan is approved, it becomes very convenient to find people and resources. At least the individuals under the production bureau can be considered colleagues, which fosters a higher level of mutual trust and a potential tacit understanding developed through long-term collaboration, eliminating the hassle of bargaining.

The share of each individual is variable, depending on their qualifications and contributions, and the circumstances of different projects also vary. This serves to encourage everyone to work diligently and strive to produce commercially successful works, with bonuses of a similar nature.

For instance, if a baseball game is too intense and has not concluded after three hours, exceeding the scheduled time, the decision to cut the broadcast and proceed with the next program must be made by this department. If fans are not allowed to watch the entire game, they will undoubtedly write letters in outrage. Meanwhile, viewers waiting for the next program, who find themselves waiting indefinitely, are also likely to become extremely upset, and may even write to the television station questioning whether they are toying with the audience's emotions. Therefore, this task is not as straightforward as it may appear.

Japan is indeed a remarkable place; even in television stations, which are institutions of the new era, feudal superstitions can still be propagated, which is quite impressive

Qianyuan Rinto felt that his horizons had been broadened; it was quite novel. However, for Murakami Iori, this was something seen every day, utterly unremarkable. As they continued walking towards the main building, she introduced him to the surroundings—she wanted to build a good relationship with Qianyuan Rinto, after all, they would be working together for at least three to four months.

It is now 8:30. Before the shift change, the personnel from the Audit and Supervision Department will visit Tokyo Tower to pray for no broadcast accidents today

While he was thinking, he continued to listen to Murakami Iori speaking, "However, I heard that it is not his problem; it is more about the selection of materials and the script not being quite right. He does have genuine skills, especially his excellent ability in coordinating on set. After his unsatisfactory performance in his first work, he was assigned to shoot television shopping ads for two years. This time, when I submitted the proposal, the committee recommended him. I spoke with him after I finished the call with you yesterday, and I felt he was quite good, but he mentioned that he wanted to meet you before making a decision"

If the premiere ratings are particularly good, selling for 200,000 or 300,000 yen per episode would also be normal, and at that time, the 2% copyright revenue would multiply several times.

Signing fee of 300,000 yen, a temporary employment period of four months, ending in early April next year, with a fixed monthly salary of 225,000 yen—this is quite good, especially for a recent university graduate, as the current monthly salary for graduates in Tokyo is around 180,000 yen

"What does it mean?" Qian Yuan Rinto did not understand

In addition, it was agreed that all copyrights and derivative rights of his works during this period would belong to Tokyo Broadcasting System (TEB), but he would be entitled to 2% of the copyright revenue

Taking Japanese television dramas as an example, they are generally funded and produced by television stations, with external funding accounting for a very small proportion. Consequently, the television stations naturally take the majority of the copyright revenue, typically ranging from 70% to 90%. The remaining 10% to 30% is distributed among the members of the production and creative teams, including producers, directors, assistant directors, lead screenwriters, episode screenwriters, leading actors, supporting actors with significant roles, as well as composers, special effects artists, editors, and other post-production personnel

This department is nicknamed the "scapegoat hero"; they fear playback accidents more than anyone else and hope that the program can be broadcast smoothly according to schedule. This is understandable, but engaging so openly in superstitious activities seems to have been going on for quite some time... it has become almost traditional.

She did not want to keep exchanging thanks, as it seemed too formal, so she quickly changed the subject, "Mr. Chihara, next we should go meet Director Fujii, as he insisted on seeing you before the official establishment of the production team."

She noticed that Chihara Rin was looking at the name "Ejanomaru" and reminded him that temporary contracts are like this; they are not targeting him specifically. Moreover, this is already the best condition she could secure for Chihara Rin—Tokyo Broadcasting TEB, as a major television station, is not afraid of disputes or lawsuits. After all, the people from the cooperating law firm and legal department are not just there for show. However, it is better to avoid having names appear in court if possible; these are considered customary practices, and temporary contracts are like this. Furthermore, this is already the best condition she could secure for Chihara Rin—Tokyo Broadcasting TEB, as a major television station, is not afraid of disputes or lawsuits. After all, the people from the cooperating law firm and legal department are not just there for show. However, it is better to avoid having names appear in court if possible; these are considered customary practices, and temporary contracts are like this.

Qian Yuan Rinto naturally has no objections, and it is likely that the incompetent director is also worried that he is a fool, insisting on seeing it with his own eyes before making a decision

As they were conversing, they entered the door. Murakami Iori assisted Chihara Rinto in registering, and Chihara Rinto happened to greet the on-duty Kenichiro Maekawa. Finally, he stepped into the premises of Tokyo Broadcasting TEB for the first time.

2% may not seem like much, but it cannot be considered insignificant either. It's akin to a film being completed, and Tokyo Broadcasting TEB airing it themselves, which naturally incurs no costs. However, selling it to local television stations within the same network or to overseas stations does generate revenue. Typically, each episode is priced between 50,000 to 100,000 yen, which includes the 2% for Chihara Rinto. If we calculate based on 50,000 yen per episode, he would earn 1,000 yen for each episode aired. By the end of a season, that amounts to 12,000 yen. If around 30 to 40 local television stations air it, the total revenue would reach approximately 450,000 yen. Generally, each episode is priced between 50,000 to 100,000 yen, which includes the 2% for Chihara Rinto. If we calculate based on 50,000 yen per episode, he would earn 1,000 yen for each episode aired. By the end of a season, that amounts to 12,000 yen. If around 30 to 40 local television stations air it, the total revenue would reach approximately 450,000 yen.

This is also a characteristic of the Japanese production bureau system

The two suited men, one tall and one short, were both very enthusiastic. They sat face to face with Chihara Rinto, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then one of them handed him a contract, politely saying: "Teacher Chihara, this is your contract, please take a look."