Chapter 181: The Self-Nominated Collaborator

The agency representative introduced: "Lady He Ben, this is Michael Viner. He was originally a film producer and record producer. In 1985, he founded Dove Recording Books, a remarkably excellent new company in the audiobook industry."

"This is Ms. Deborah Raffin, Mr. Viner's wife. She is also a Hollywood actress and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in her role in 'Touched by Love' in 1981."

Lady He Ben warmly shook hands with Mr. Viner and exchanged a cheek kiss with Deborah Raffin, who was also an actress, to show her intimacy.

Once both sides were seated, the coffee Henry had arranged beforehand was served. But Michael Viner could not wait to take out the documents from his briefcase, spreading them almost all over the table.

Michael said, "Lady He Ben, regarding the radio drama-style audiobook you mentioned, I actually discussed a similar form of expression with my wife quite some time ago."

"Simply put, it is a story within a story, using this framework to compose the content of an audiobook. For the second layer of the story, we plan to adapt the work of Ms. Mary Shelley."

"Stories available for selection include excellent works previously adapted into Disney animations, such as 'Sleeping Beauty' and 'Beauty and the Beast'. There is no issue with the copyright; Disney's copyright coverage does not include audiobook adaptations of the original works."

"We plan to select four to five stories, including the storytelling itself, and edit them into content lasting about an hour. Moreover, we will add background music, rather than letting the narrator be the sole protagonist."

"Although this approach raises concerns about distracting the narrator, I believe Lady He Ben will not mind such small matters and will agree to this richer form of expression to make this audiobook even more excellent."

Audrey He Ben asked curiously, "It sounds like your plan is quite good, so why was it not produced before?"

Michael smiled bitterly and said, "In the past audiobook market, the literary work itself still occupied the position of the protagonist. Some people did not even care who the narrator was."

"And my approach further weakens the importance of the narrator, so I could not find anyone willing to cooperate. As for the small actors who could be hired cheaply, their line delivery skills did not reach the level I wanted."

"This plan was therefore shelved until Lady He Ben you proposed such a special audiobook requirement, hoping to express it in a form similar to a radio drama, at which point we saw such an opportunity."

Audrey He Ben looked at the documents on the table. The last stack, placed right in the center, had the title 'The Magic Fairy Tale of a French Lady' on its cover. She asked, "Is this... a script?"

Michael explained, "This is a line script conceived by my wife and me, then polished by others. The content depicts a French lady recalling her childhood, when the composer Mr. Maurice Ravel visited her home and told her a story."

"If the lady is willing to participate in the production of this audiobook, the protagonist will be changed to you, with you performing in your own persona. Oh, of course, you only need to record your voice in the studio; it will not bring you too much burden."

Lady He Ben's physical condition was already a semi-public secret. After all, even her work as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF had been suspended; anyone who wanted to know the reason would naturally find out.

If a publishing company required the lady to cooperate with promotions, hold book signings, and so on, such a company would have been rejected long ago and would not appear on the list of partners the lady could choose from.

For a moment, the only sound at this table in the café was the rustling of turning pages.

For Audrey He Ben, who loved reading, she certainly would not be like a bunch of famous stars with dyslexia, requiring someone to explain the script and then guide the famous star to memorize the lines through oral instruction.

Lady He Ben's reading speed was quite fast, and this was not the time to carefully ponder the text content; she was just getting the gist. If one had to speak of difficulties, it was still the problem of presbyopia; using it to read the standard font of a typewriter was slightly strenuous.

Nevertheless, the lady finished reading the entire script in one go. She praised, "This story is already very complete. And the planned background music is 'Mother Goose Suite'?"

"Yes. This is also a work by Mr. Maurice Ravel," Michael replied.

"How do you plan to express the music part?"

Michael said, "If we can cooperate with Lady He Ben, then I plan to find a symphony orchestra to collaborate with. We must ensure that every aspect is done to perfection."

"There is no need to deliberately seek those famous symphony orchestras; there are many excellent teams in Hollywood. Oh, the lady is also from Hollywood; I believe in this regard, you will know better than me."

Audrey He Ben did not deny this statement. She took out a pen from her handbag, pointed at the script in front of her, and asked, "Is it convenient?"

"Please, please. No problem," Michael said with a beaming smile.

Lady He Ben then discussed certain passages in the script with Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Deborah. Since Deborah was also one of the original conceptions of the script, she had quite a few ideas to offer.

However, these contents were basically discussions that would only occur upon entering the production phase. But now, even the contract signing had not yet taken place.

Judging from Lady He Ben's attitude, cooperating with this couple was almost a certainty. She did not even think about waiting for other publishing companies to propose plans to see if there were better opportunities.

In fact, this is a quite realistic aspect of the entertainment industry; there is no fair competition, only who comes first. And those who are prepared will definitely have more opportunities than others.

However, today was ultimately the first meeting, and the documents in front of Lady He Ben could not yet be considered a final draft, so the discussions between both sides were kept to a point. To serve as a true production proposal, the Michael couple still had many things to revise.

Therefore, for the upcoming contract negotiations, Lady He Ben prepared to follow her past habits and have her agent handle the negotiations with the other party.

However, some conditions could be discussed face-to-face. So the lady said directly, "I hope the revenue from this audiobook can also be donated for public welfare purposes. Of course, this refers to the portion after deducting costs."

The agent asked, "Lady, do you intend to donate it to UNICEF?"

"Hmm, I think the amount of this part will not be too large, and it is long-term income. Donating to UNICEF is also fine, but do you have any other suggestions?"

The audiobook market is neither big nor small. But compared to the fundraising banquet Lady He Ben held in New York for UNICEF, this income is really not conspicuous...

It was then that Ms. Deborah Raffin said, "Lady He Ben, if you are willing to donate to other public welfare purposes, how about the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)?"

"Their headquarters is also located in New York, aiming to 'provide effective means to prevent animal cruelty throughout the United States'. Established in 1866, it has a considerable history."

He Ben nodded and said, "Then I will trouble the young agent to also investigate the content regarding this ASPCA for me, and I will make a decision later. As for the negotiations, I leave them to you." Having said that, the lady stood up, preparing to take her leave.

The people present also stood up to see Lady Audrey He Ben off. Henry, this seemingly transparent little assistant, followed closely behind.

(End of this chapter)