America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 141: Chapter 141: Creating Surprise

In the producer's office, Martin met Susan Levin.

Because her prodigal fiancé had turned over a new leaf, the female producer beamed with joy.

Martin had also heard some news and intentionally asked, "When will I be attending your and Donnie's wedding?"

At the mention of this, Susan was overjoyed, "We just started planning, it won't be until at least next year."

Martin added, "Don't forget my invitation."

"How could I possibly forget you, I will invite you in advance." Susan had a good impression of Martin, not only because he too was a reformed bad boy but also because he had helped the crew avoid trouble in the past.

That kangaroo really did injure Mene, and the financial loss alone would have been substantial.

Susan then asked, "Have you finished shooting your new movie?"

"Just got back from Mexico." Martin handed over a lucky totem and pointed at the newspaper he was holding, "Recently, Paris has dominated entertainment media, and I'm somewhat worried."

Playing with the lucky totem, Susan reassured him, "Don't worry, she has had bigger scandals, and this bit of scandal will only increase her exposure, which might not be a bad thing for the movies she's in."

Martin understood the meaning behind her words; the crew would love it if Paris had even more scandals, and continuing with her idea, he asked, "Has the crew made any related publicity plans?"

Susan shook her head with a smile, "No, she's too unpredictable." Though she had independently managed fewer than five films, her capabilities were beyond doubt, and she turned to Martin, "What about you, do you have any ideas?"

Martin stated, "Lately everyone around me has been talking about Paris, after her second arrest and jail time, she's been all the rage."

Susan had been following along, "And that assistant she had on the set, what's her name…"

"Kim Kardashian." Martin reminded her.

Susan nodded, "Yes, Kardashian. She spills the beans on Paris every week, making Paris hotter than 'Spider-Man 2'." She added regretfully, "Unfortunately, Paris is a completely uncontrollable factor."

Martin got to the point, "What if Kardashian could be controlled?"

Susan looked up at Martin, "You're not joking with me, are you?"

Martin spoke cautiously, "My manager, Old Cloth, whom you've met, he's on good terms with Kim."

Susan suddenly laughed, "Martin, you're really full of surprises." She examined him more closely once again, "I finally understand why Louise appreciates you so much."

Martin didn't pick up on that comment and instead said, "If the movie performs better, all of us key creatives will benefit."

Susan took Martin's words seriously, "Tell me your thoughts."

Martin shared, "I asked some neighbors before, if they wanted to see Paris killed off in a movie, would they be interested? Their opinions were remarkably consistent, indicating they would cheer loudly."

Susan understood this mentality, "Ordinary people want to see more scandals from this heiress to affirm their belief that all rich people are rotten; yet, they despise the scandals and can't wait for the disgusting rich to die."

"Like me." Martin couldn't hold back, "Just like any average American, I think any pig could sit in the White House, no problem, but if the pig caused issues..."

Susan laughed again, "I feel the same way." She quickly became serious, "You contact Kardashian's side, I'll initiate a sampling survey."

As for Paris, since another scandal broke, the financiers involved were quite unhappy.

Susan made several calls, and with the professionalism of a producer and the anticipated profits of the movie, she quickly persuaded them.

......

On the secluded beach of the Seaside Hotel in Satellite City Venice,

Kim twisted her waist and ran towards the ocean.

Though not as exaggerated as later on, it was still quite pronounced among normal people.

Bruce, wearing a floral shirt, was a true gentleman.

The ringtone of his phone went off, and after talking with Martin for a few sentences, he called out, "Kim, come here."

Kim trotted back, taking a seat next to Bruce, and asked, "What's up?"

Bruce had already grasped her focus, "Do you want to appear in more media and have more people notice you?"

"Of course!" Kim was eager, "But my personal ability and resources are limited."

She scooted towards Bruce, turning like a grindstone, "You've got a plan, haven't you?"

Mixing truth with falsity Bruce said, "A producer from 'House of Wax' called me, asking if I was close to you, knowing we were close on set."

Kim sensed something, still not fully understanding, "The movie that Paris invested in and starred in? The crew is looking for me to help promote it? But I stand opposite Paris, and there's no possible reconciliation in the short term..."

Bruce said, "No reconciliation needed, the crew will collaborate with the film's distributors to put more media resources on you, following the rhythm set by the crew for your revelations."

Knowing that Warner Bros. was behind "House of Wax," Kim almost immediately agreed without hesitation, "I have no issues with that!"

If the crew and Warner Bros.' media resources were invested in her, the publicity effect would be several, even ten times better than currently.

Bruce stood up and headed back to the hotel, "Let's go back and get ready, in just a few days, someone will come to talk to you in detail."

Kim deliberately walked in front of him, twisting her waist, and turned back to throw a flirty glance, "Old Cloth, you'll always have my back, right?"

Bruce's gaze focused intently on a single point.

......

At Warner Bros. Studios, in the post-production studio.

Marketing Director Parker was dealing with the agents of Martin, Eliza, and Paris.

The three agents were in a heated dispute over the placement of their clients' names and images in the opening and closing credits and promotional posters.

Even though the contracts had stipulations, there was still room for maneuvering in the specifics of those placements.

Eliza's agent demanded that the promotional materials must highlight Eliza individually; not only did she require the central position, but her image had to be at least twice as large as the other main actors.

Thomas, of course, disagreed. He believed that Martin's role was on par with Eliza's, hence his image could only be slightly smaller than hers, and while his name could follow Eliza's in the movie's opening, the size and color should remain consistent.

Paris's agent demanded that Paris be treated on par with Martin.

Further arguments ensued over the color and style of their clients' images on promotional materials.

All three agents were intransigent; there was no sense of genteelness or harmony in the production team; whoever appeared weak would end up being the unlucky one.

Eliza's position as the female lead was unshakeable, and Thomas's goal was to secure for Martin treatments nearly as favorable as the female lead's across the various materials.

In the end, in the opening credits, Martin's name was listed separately, appearing just after the female lead Eliza's in the next frame, and Paris Hilton's name was likewise listed separately, following Martin's, with the words "Special Appearance" added.

In the main poster, Eliza still occupied the central position at the front. Martin's portrait was one-third smaller, placed to her right; Paris's was a further third smaller, positioned to her left.

On the poster, Eliza and Martin's names were prominently placed above their respective images, while Paris's name was singled out to the left of her portrait.

Additionally, Martin and Eliza would have a special twin showdown poster.

For media events involving the female lead Eliza, Martin would attend as well.

As for Paris, she couldn't temporarily leave jail.

"It's a pity that Eliza and Martin broke up," Parker said with regret, "It would have been a great promotional point."

Thomas and Eliza's agent Victor had been at loggerheads just moments ago, but now exchanged a meaningful look.

The latter put it bluntly, "Should we get them back together?"

This was one of the most standard promotional tactics in the industry. Thomas himself was not opposed to it, citing that this year, with the release of "Spider-Man 2," the media was abuzz with Peter Parker and Mary Jane.

In fact, Tobey Maguire had managed to snag the daughter of Warner CEO Barry Meyer.

Thomas raised a key issue, "I can persuade Martin, on the condition that the female side does not force Martin to become a vegetarian."

Parker immediately picked up the phone and called Susan for a routine report.

Susan replied, "No need, our key promotional point isn't that. Parker, are the negotiations on your end settled? Come over for a meeting right away."

Parker concluded the meeting on his end.

As Thomas left, Paris's agent Steve approached him.

"How about this, what if we set up a romance between Martin and Paris?" Steve considered quite thoughtfully for his client, "Martin could draw attention through Paris's popularity."

Thomas said, "Is Paris using a romantic affair to divert attention? To prevent further discussion of her scandal?"

Steve, knowing his peers were no fools, admitted, "It's beneficial for both sides."

Thomas couldn't make the decision alone, "I'll ask Martin for his thoughts."

Steve exchanged business cards with him, "I look forward to your good news."

...

In the director's office, Martin was chatting with Zomi Silla.

Having experienced that peculiar art party, Zomi and Martin had become friends, although perhaps not to the point of sharing everything.

As a first-time director, Zomi was feeling anxious, "The film is done, Warner internally screened it once, and the reaction was not bad. It will soon be sent to the MPAA for rating, and by mid-September, we should have the exhibitor screening, where we'll know how many theaters will show it on opening."

Martin said with a smile, "Your first time is much better than mine. My first theatrical film premiered in only eight cinemas on the opening weekend."

Zomi felt pressured, "Lately, I dream about the release, fearing failure."

Martin advised, "You need to unwind. How about going out for a drink tonight, with Wes, Aga, and Michel too. Wes knows a place that's great for sparking inspiration."

Zomi agreed, "A drink might be good, alcohol helps with sleep." He rubbed his temples, "If I mess this up, there won't be a second chance, and I'll have to go back to making music videos and commercials."

Martin joked, "That's not enough pressure. Let me tell you how much pressure a director can take. If a film flops at the box office, he can only tragically go home and inherit billions."

Zomi paused, then burst into laughter, "Martin, it's always fun with you."

Martin called around; Michel was busy preparing for film festivals and wasn't in Los Angeles, but Wes Craven and Alexander Aga were quite willing to come out and relax.