Chapter 11. I Want it All
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Yes, the production budget for "Phantom Blood" is indeed very low.
In Pucci's previous life, the production budget for each episode of the "JOJO" series, represented by "Phantom Blood," couldn't compare to the budget for each episode of something like "Fate/stay night [UBW]," which was at least two or three times higher than other anime budgets.
Even among other animations with average production costs of 10 to 16 million yen per episode, the budget required for "JOJO" was on the lower end. It was even lower than most light novel adaptations.
Despite this, "Phantom Blood" brought David Production over 20,000 BD sales, an impressive feat even some well-produced, popular manga adaptations couldn't achieve!
With such a foundation, even in this parallel world, Pucci intended to reshoot the story of "Phantom Blood" as a fully immersive work. However, it was difficult to justify spending much more on this project.
After all, the actor's fees, which should have been the most significant expense, dropped significantly when Pucci hired new actors like Dio. As for the cost of special effects...
The effects for Ripple, which involved simple lightning and flashes, were technically straightforward. Additionally, the data templates for vampires, European castles, and 19th-century England used in fully immersive devices were readily available due to the popularity of vampire themes.
Pucci and his team didn't even need to create or commission these templates. They could simply purchase them from related websites and make slight modifications for use in their fully immersive device.
"So, even if I ask you to spend more budget, you wouldn't know where to spend it?" Jolyne Cujoh said with a grim expression.
She never expected that she would end up shooting herself in the foot.
"Actually, President Cujoh, if you really want to spend the budget, there are still places to do so..." Pucci said after a moment of silence.
"Really, where?!"
Jolyne Cujoh, who thought she had missed the opportunity to lose money and exploit the system, looked at Pucci with shining eyes.
Like a capitalist who would rather pour milk down the drain than sell it at a lower price to starving workers, Jolyne Cujoh, determined to ensure "Phantom Blood" would be a financial loss, felt pain at not being able to squander the budget or directly tell Pucci and his team to embezzle.
Now, finally, she could challenge the system's weaknesses!
"Well, it's the OP, or rather the production of the theme song visuals. When deciding to shoot 'Phantom Blood,' I considered creating an OP that would resonate with our plot instead of just using original content half-heartedly..."
Pucci's voice grew quieter, "But making the OP I envision requires a lot of budget... Forget it, President Cujoh. Let's save this budget and see if there's anywhere else in 'Phantom Blood' that needs improvement..."
This was why he hadn't brought it up initially. Spending a lot on an OP might seem foolish to others, especially in an era where people often skip OPs. An insert song during a key plot point could have more impact than a meticulously crafted OP.
But this was precisely what Jolyne Cujoh wanted! Spending a lot on an OP only to find it useless was the best way to lose money!
Pucci, you truly are my prodigy! You even thought of such a method to lose money!
"Forget it? No! We won't just forget it; we'll do it!" Jolyne Cujoh decided with a wave of her hand, "And Pucci, use that method you mentioned as well!"
In summary, she wanted it all! Any method that could help her spend money and lose more in the end was a good method!
However...
"By the way, how do you plan to make this OP?" she asked cautiously.
Would you need a famous singer to compose and perform, or a top-notch studio to produce the visuals?
Although making an OP seemed like a way to lose money, thinking it over, it was akin to hiring a high-profile star. However, unlike celebrities, this could leverage the singers' influence to attract more traffic while ensuring the final product's quality—a win-win situation.
So, having realized this, Jolyne Cujoh asked the question. If Pucci intended to use this tactic, she would definitely cut the budget, making Pucci's plan fall through!
"A famous singer... Um, I can't say if they're famous, but the theme song could be written by me."
Strictly speaking, it was something he had plagiarized. However, showing people from another world what a small Earth could achieve was a tradition for transmigrators.
"But the studio I have in mind... I guarantee it has top-notch global technology!"
Pucci said this while opening a folder on his computer labeled with a video marked "Kamikaze Studio."
Then...
"Hehehe, are you angry?"
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