America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 291: Chapter 288: Seeking Sponsors for the Award Rush

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As February 2006 rolled in, the weather in New York began to warm up. With coordination between Warner Bros. and WMA, the crew overcame obstacles and were allowed to shoot on the streets of New York.

The first location chosen was Central Park, namely to catch Wollman Rink before it thawed.

Due to Martin and Aniston's relationship, the crew drew large numbers of media reporters who came to watch and follow the shooting.

"Limitless" temporarily had enough exposure, so there was no need to actively create more buzz.

The crew's filming proceeded as planned, and apart from some complaints about road closures, there were basically no other troubles.

Over the weekend, Martin took some time to visit Fifth Avenue.

Upon arriving at Tiffany's, after a quick look, he grandly announced, "This one, and this one, I'll take them."

Men highlight swiftness when shopping!

Straight to the target, no wandering, no dilly-dallying.

Martin went to swipe his card, and afterwards, he got a ruby necklace and a sapphire necklace, each shipped via the valuable goods line to Los Angeles and Atlanta, respectively.

These were for Louise and Kelly.

Afterward, he bought a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet set, all of which were also shipped to Atlanta for Elena.

There were still others to gift, and unlike the Bay Crocodile teeth and horn sculptures, Martin didn't plan to give the same brand, hence he went to Cartier and Chanel as well.

From the latter, he bought a necklace to give to Blake Lively when he would visit her on set in Louisiana on Valentine's Day.

He purchased an armband inlaid with pink diamonds from Cartier, which was intended as a gift for Aniston.

As for Jolie, Martin had put her out of his mind for the time being.

Jolie, on her journey of playing the Virgin Mary, had not looked back. After the DVD release promotional activities for "Wanted Order" ended, she flew to Afghanistan and other places to inspect refugee concerns on site.

Martin had called her, and Jolie's next role was also closely related to a mother and child, named "Changeling," directed by old cowboy Eastwood—a surefire bet for award seasons.

Jolie's future development plan was crystal clear: to become the modern Madonna.

For gifts to five people, Martin swiped over a hundred thousand US dollars.

When it was time to be generous, one absolutely couldn't be stingy.

This was a lesson Martin learned after consulting with Leonardo, who told him from experience.

What others said might not be reliable, but this devoted superstar, who had dated dozens of official and unofficial girlfriends, not only had none of them criticize him, but they continuously praised him instead.

To achieve such a reputation as a playboy was truly unique, even by Hollywood standards.

After completing the shipping procedures, Martin and Bruce, carrying several bags, got back into the car and returned to the hotel.

Bruce drove out of the parking lot and said, "You're really generous, not like the Martin I know!"

Martin replied, "Mainly because I had been ill before, and I never got it treated properly."

Bruce was puzzled, "How come I never knew you were sick?"

Martin explained simply, "Poverty sickness! When you only have a few hundred thousand US dollars to your name, who dares to spend tens of thousands on gifts for a woman? I'm not love-struck."

"That makes sense," Bruce began to see the reason and as he drove past an intersection, he suddenly realized, "Wait, something's not right here!"

He pierced through the thick fog of confusion, getting straight to the heart of the matter, "It was Heath Ledger who picked up your tab! He paid you 200 thousand US dollars!"

Martin countered, "Isn't the money he gave me, compensation for emotional distress, still my money? Am I not using my own money?"

Bruce couldn't refute that.

Martin asked, "What gift are you giving the Kardashian sisters?"

Bruce pretended to say, "Fang pendants and horn carvings, Joker style."

Martin simply raised his middle finger to his face.

Bruce told the truth, "Designer bags, one for Kim and Khloe each." He was a scoundrel with many schemes, "I asked Kim if I should get one for each person in her family. Kim said it wasn't a good time for that."

Martin finally understood, "No wonder I sometimes seem perverse; it turns out you've been influencing me without my knowing!"

Bruce scoffed, "Clearly, it's you who have influenced me!"

The two scoundrels discussed their scoundrel affairs and returned to the hotel.

Martin entered the suite and found that Aniston, who had been out visiting friends, had returned.

She changed into home clothes and came out of the bedroom with a gift box in her hand.

Then, upon seeing the Cartier bag in Martin's hand, she couldn't help but laugh, "Are we that in sync?"

Martin teased her, "It's not a gift for you, though."

"Sure, you have a girlfriend." Aniston didn't mind Martin's words, came over, grabbed his left hand, took off the watch on his wrist, and placed it on the nearby sofa.

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Martin asked, "Is this my Valentine's Day gift?"

Aniston unboxed the gift, "I have a little lover who pays me billions every day. Valentine's Day is approaching, and I feel I should give a little something back to my little lover."

Martin tugged at his sleeve.

Aniston pulled out a Patek Philippe men's watch and stuffed it into Martin's hand, "Take a look first, see if you like it." Stay connected via M V L

Martin discovered there was engraving on the back of the case. He flipped it over to read, and there indeed was a line of cursive English—Martin, Jennifer will always remember you.

Aniston took the watch, put it on Martin, and said at the same time, "Don't be too touched, we're just lovers, not boyfriend and girlfriend, and we definitely can't get married."

Martin felt helpless, "You can't let me fantasize for a few more seconds, imagining I married a billionaire named Aniston, and from now on, I wouldn't have to strive for anything, I could just lie flat every day?"

Aniston secured the watch, like the most caring big sister, and adjusted Martin's sleeve, "If you lie flat, the world would have one less billionaire."

"I'll take your word for it," Martin opened the Cartier gift box and took out a bracelet encrusted with pink diamonds, fastening it on Aniston.

The puppy had intentions, and Aniston was also happy, saying, "Actually, the gift you sent last time was very nice." She asked curiously, "Who's Lily Carter?"

Martin replied, "She's my sister in Atlanta, she has a great talent for carving, and this year she's preparing to apply for the California Institute of the Arts."

"Their sculpture department is pretty good," A woman in her thirties, when truly considerate, can take care of all aspects for a man. Aniston was getting hot and heavy with Martin, she took the initiative to ask, "Do you need me to write you a recommendation letter? I'm on good terms with Vice-Chancellor Dalienna of the California Institute of the Arts."

Martin responded eagerly, "Of course! Jen, you are the best lover in the world."

Although Mr. Jones next door would provide a recommendation, having extra reference letters from celebrities and famous figures certainly wasn't a bad thing.

But Aniston said, "Mainly because the stuff Lily Carter carves is quite good, very useful."

Martin had seen how Louise and Kelly used his statue, and he instantly understood what she meant.

"Want to see it?" Aniston opened a suitcase and took out a Joker carving.

Without another word, Martin pulled her into the bedroom.

Aniston's live performance in a movie—who, with any knowledge of Hollywood, wouldn't want to see it?

On the eve of Valentine's Day, the crew had specially taken a break, and dozens of people scattered.

Even Robert De Niro, the big shot, rushed home to produce his seventh gold-swallowing beast.

Martin first went to Atlanta, then flew from Atlanta to Louisiana, spending three days in travel and exploration before returning to New York, where he slept for more than ten hours, only then returning to his energetic state.

While giving out gifts, Martin also received four branded watches.

He couldn't figure out why women liked to give watches?

Martin specifically marked the watch boxes, noting who had given them, to avoid any trouble from wearing the wrong one at the wrong time.

He couldn't have everything go south over something like this.

A few days after the crew resumed shooting, Aniston finished all her scenes and returned to Los Angeles to deal with the termination of her contract with CAA.

Thomas once again came to New York, bringing with him WMA's and Warner Bros.' release plans.

Ari Emanuel, through his connections, saw a sample film of "Infernal Affairs" featuring Martin's role and confirmed the character exceeded the normal standards for award season by a lot, and he immediately had his staff start preparing an award season campaign.

"North American award season, in the early nineties, still began in December,"

In the suite, Thomas detailed the specifics, "But from the mid-nineties onwards, the traditional setup didn't work anymore. Now, to be precise, award season starts with the Toronto Film Festival as the kickoff point, and some films even start campaigning during Cannes in May, but European film festivals have a minor impact on the Oscars, you can ignore them, they're basically negligible."

Martin had also heard Louise analyze award season before.

Thomas continued, "Warner Bros. and Scorsese agree that the Toronto Film Festival is very suitable for the global premiere of 'Infernal Affairs.' Starting from the Toronto Film Festival, WMA will invest resources and deploy their network to build momentum for you."

"Be more specific," Martin asked for the practical details.

Thomas said, "Once Ali finishes dealing with Aniston's contract matters, he will personally negotiate with Warner Bros. and the crew to have the promotional and marketing budget for the crew appropriately invested in you as well."

He was well aware that without a contract with the company, there would be no actual investment, which was just an exchange of benefits, "Additionally, apart from media and connections, the company will also allocate one million US dollars for lobbying and PR."

Martin knew Oscar operations; funds were key. He said, "Do I need to raise some funds on my side?"

Thomas spoke truthfully, "Parties, lobbying, advertising, and gifts all need money. Without investing funds in the Oscars, there will be no returns. The Oscars are essentially not much about art but are a game of fame and profit."

Martin was prepared and even had a plan, "I talked to Coca-Cola about the Oscars, they said that as long as the endorsement works well, they are willing to sponsor my campaign."

Thomas was not surprised, since other stars' brands also pushed hard during their award campaigning.

His agent took the initiative, "I will communicate with the Coca-Cola Company."

Martin nodded, "I'll leave it to you then."

Thomas added, "Warner Bros. have set the date for 'Limitless,' releasing it at the beginning of next year."

He also mentioned a crucial matter, "I'm not sure about Leonardo's plans for the next award season, it's best to talk to him. You worked hard to build a good relationship with him, don't let something like this cause a rift."

Martin said, "The crew will soon finish shooting. As soon as I'm back in Los Angeles, I'll see Leo."