Chapter 452: Studio

Chapter 452: Chapter 452: Studio

"I originally thought it was just an ordinary assembly-line action movie, but I did not expect to be sweating in my palms the whole way through. There were no superfluous plots, and every single scene served the main storyline! This director really has some skills!"

"I heard this director is a completely rookie director, so there is no showboating from industry veterans. Not only are the fight scenes clean and neat, but the father-daughter bond inside is also very sincere, and the motivations are pure enough that you can completely understand all of the protagonist’s choices."

"The fight choreography is too stunning! No fancy flourishes, just clean and crisp—this is how a real agent should fight. After watching too many special effects blockbusters, this realistic style is truly refreshing."

Many media film critics invited to the scene also exchanged views in low voices, and everyone generally reached a consensus: Taken had found the most balanced template for commercial action films. Relying on its extremely compact narrative, solid action choreography, and full emotional core, it completely had the opportunity to break out in the May box office.

Pierre Morel, sitting in the creator’s seat, heard the rising positive reviews all around him. His long-tensed shoulders finally relaxed, and he turned to look at Irene beside him, his eyes filled with unbelievable surprise. Irene slightly nodded, knowing in her heart that the box office charge belonging to Taken was officially underway from this moment on.

After the premiere of Taken came to an end, the full-house applause, the audience’s continuous high praise, and the enthusiastic response without a single cold spot throughout the venue allowed Irene to completely set her mind at ease.

This seemingly lightweight and conventionally themed hardcore agent film, relying on its extremely compact narrative rhythm, realistic and hardcore action design, and sincere, profound family affection core, had already firmly established its reputation foundation. Subsequent high box office returns and long-term popularity were only a matter of time.

After the premiere ended, a large number of media reporters swarmed and blocked the theatre exit, aiming their cameras and long lenses completely at the departing creators. They vied to capture Irene’s footage and book exclusive interviews, hoping to dig out details of the film’s creation, subsequent project planning, and summer blockbuster layout ideas from her.

Facing the enthusiastic siege of the media, Irene politely raised her hand to decline all interview invitations.

Today, she no longer needed to rely on premiere heat and media exposure to elevate her own and the film’s popularity. The solid quality of the finished film and audience word-of-mouth were far more convincing than any press releases or interviews.

After briefly bidding farewell to the creative team and instructing them on the subsequent publicity and distribution rhythm, she quietly left by car, heading straight to Los Angeles International Airport to take a private flight to New York overnight.

Right now, a brand new heavy-hitting career layout was waiting for her to land and promote.

In May, Taken, and in June, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End would be released back-to-back, with the summer box office war poised and ready. Meanwhile, her ace variety show The Voice US Season 1—which she spent months preparing, personally planning the format, polishing the competition system, and building the team—was finally welcoming the critical stage of official recording.

Early the next morning, after simply resting, changing clothes, and sorting out her state, she drove straight to Disney’s large headquarters studio located in New York’s core business district. This was the exclusive recording venue for Season 1 of The Voice US that she and her team finally finalised after multiple rounds of on-site inspections and layer-by-layer screening.

This was Irene’s first time visiting this top-tier studio in person.

As one of Hollywood’s veteran Big Six Studios, Disney had deeply cultivated the media industry for decades, possessing profound heritage and abundant resources. This headquarters studio perfectly demonstrated the absolute strength of a top-tier media company.

The entire studio was magnificent in scale and open in space. Inside, it was built with a full set of industry-leading professional audio, lighting, and recording equipment. The sound-reception system had precise noise reduction, the lighting system was rich in layers, and camera positions were fully covered.

The supporting post-production control room, editing room, and sound effect control room were all fully equipped, pulling the hardware configuration to the industry’s top-tier standard.

On weekdays, it mainly undertook the recording work of Disney’s self-produced film and television segments, ABC television’s ace weekly programs, live variety shows, and interview galas, producing screen content at the forefront of US ratings year-round.

Its standardised, industrialised, and specialised recording system was mature and complete, perfectly adapting to the high-intensity, long-cycle recording demands of large-scale reality variety shows.

Whether it was the live broadcast texture, picture presentation, sound pickup effect, or on-site stage design and construction conditions, they all far exceeded ordinary commercial studios.

Irene slowly walked through the spacious and tidy studio hall, her gaze slowly sweeping over the precision professional equipment, regular venue layout, and open stage area, nodding inwardly.

Just a subsidiary studio of the headquarters possessed such complete and mature industrial support without the need for additional large-scale rectification of basic hardware.

The profound heritage and industry confidence deeply cultivated by The Big Six Studios for decades were indeed well-deserved, and by no means something that emerging media companies could easily compare with.

Exactly because of this, could this place perfectly host the premiere specifications of a nationwide talent variety show like The Voice US.

The staff had already arrived at the scene in advance, orderly carrying out early reconnaissance, site marking, and equipment debugging work, making foolproof preparations for subsequent stage art renovations, mentor seat construction, and contestant stage decoration.

Just as the team was preparing in an orderly manner, movement came from the entrance of the studio. Britney, dressed in simple casual attire, travelling light with a fresh, bare face, arrived at the scene first.

Compared to Irene, who was stepping in here for the first time, this magnificent Disney studio was, for Britney, an old place engraved with the regrets of youth and carrying the dreams of youth, an incomparably familiar battlefield of the past.

During her youth, Britney had once held the purest stage dream, coming here alone to participate in the Disney Channel’s "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" national talent competition.

At that time, she was gifted with outstanding talent, a nimble voice, and extremely strong stage presence. She stood out among the competing teenagers and amazed all the judges on site, but was ultimately unfortunately eliminated by Disney officials due to her young age and failure to meet the age requirement, brushing past this debut opportunity.

After decades of time turning around and the changes of the world, the green girl who was once shut out of the stage had long since counterattacked and grown into a pop diva sweeping the United States and popular across the globe, standing at the top of the pop music scene.

Meanwhile, the Disney studio that was once high above and held the screening power had now become the cooperative venue where she participated in top-tier variety show recordings and served as an ace mentor.

The last time she came, she was picked by others, but this time, she was picking others. Revisiting the old place, the conversion of identity, the reversal of life encounters, and the magic of destiny made Britney feel endless emotion deep in her heart.

Irene understood the myriad of emotions in the depths of her eyes. Without needing many words, she gently raised her hand and patted her shoulder, silently empathising with this legendary journey of chasing dreams in youth and finally reaching the peak.

From a dream-chasing girl eliminated by a talent show to a star mentor sitting in command of a top-tier variety show and leading the younger generation of the music scene today, Britney’s counterattack was inherently the most touching model of the American Dream.