Chapter 488

A legitimate film crew is a complex entity. Beyond the actors, it includes producers, production managers, directors, executive producers, planners, art directors, cinematographers, and more. Beneath them are production assistants, makeup artists, set designers, lighting technicians, prop masters, and logistics and accounting staff. It is easy for the headcount to exceed a hundred, and several hundred is not uncommon. The crew of *A Chinese Ghost Story* is relatively small because the cast is limited, but all essential roles must be filled. Excluding the dozen or so members from Lu Chen Studio, most of the crew were dispatched by Jiayang. A portion of these staff members were hired temporarily by Jiayang and are not permanent employees of the company. This is standard practice; otherwise, even large film companies could not afford to keep such a large staff on the payroll. Most production houses exercise strict control over their permanent employee numbers. In the film and television industry, specialized talent agencies exist to solve this problem. When a film company launches a new project and needs personnel—whether actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, sound technicians, or even directors—they can be hired through intermediaries, saving significant costs.