America's Top Player

Chapter 96 Advertisement
Miles avoided the topic while chatting and never dared to look Leon in the eye.

This is a sign of guilty conscience.

Li Ang lit a cigarette and leaned back. "I'll give you some time to think about it. If you're not interested, don't waste my time."

In his heart he cursed the greed of the movie companies.

On the surface, the film company seems to be making money easily when investors make the full investment, but it is just a matter of how much profit they make.

However, during the promotion period of the film, the film company will have to invest more or less resources.

Investors alone cannot do a huge publicity job.

In new media promotion channels, a high-quality marketing soft article costs more than $2000, and if it is written by a well-known film critic, the price will be even higher.

Traditional publicity channels, including but not limited to major online media, newspapers, interviews, offline movie roadshows, and offline advertising, are all money-burning jobs.

More than 10,000 cinemas across the United States have to prepare materials, and the cost of scheduling and ticket subsidies depends entirely on the PY transactions between producers and theater chains.

All of these require the resources of the film company to coordinate, and time and manpower costs are also costs.

Based on the above considerations, it is really difficult for the filmmakers to be interested in a gangster rap biographical film.

Miles is caught in a dilemma because the company's top management is making big moves recently.

They bought the copyright of the best-selling novel "The Hunger Games" and all the company's resources will be prioritized towards this big-budget movie in the next year.

Li Ang couldn't hide his disgust. "Alright, stop wasting my time. Director James and I will look for other production studios. I'm sure there will be plenty willing to work with us."

After saying this, Miles' attitude suddenly changed drastically.

"Are you talking about that Chinese kid from Australia, James Wan?"

"Yes."

"You mean, this Straight Outta Compton movie is going to be directed by James?"

"Yes, James is my friend."

This piqued Miles' interest.

The collaboration between the two parties, "Saw", created a return on investment of over a hundred times and remains Lionsgate's most successful project to date.

But the foolish Lionsgate executives pushed James Wan behind the scenes after the huge success of this movie.

This was the trigger that ultimately led to James Wan leaving Universal, and the executive who made the major mistake was fired within the next two years.

For Lionsgate, whether "Straight Outta Compton" succeeds at the box office is no longer important.

This would be a great opportunity to win back James Wan, the cash cow!

"That's great! James has a good relationship with Lionsgate, and our cooperation will be close!" Miles said excitedly.

Li Ang snorted coldly.

Intimate?

James Wan had already criticized this group of incompetent managers in front of him. These guys who wore suits and ties all day but knew nothing about movies were just a bunch of good-for-nothings who only knew how to sleep with actresses.

Since the other party was so interested, Li Ang went straight to the point and raised the core issue.

How is the box office divided?
In response to this, the experienced Miles directly used the "broken window effect" and asked for a 20% commission.

“Go fxxk yourself.”

Leon stood up and left without a second thought, while Miles stood up in a hurry without caring about the humiliation.

"Mr. Li Ang, these are all negotiable."

"I don't think there's anything much to talk about between us. You all know that Disney is filming the superhero movie 'Avengers'."

"of course."

The news that Disney launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe was known to everyone in the entire American film industry.

Disney, with its deep pockets, invested $2.2 million in the highly anticipated "Avengers."

Throughout the history of film, there are only a handful of such grand productions.

The Dark Knight produced by Warner and Iron Man produced by Paramount were both huge successes at the box office.

Therefore, big-budget and grand-scale superhero movies are considered to be the biggest trend in the current film industry.

"Do you know how much of the final box office revenue Paramount Pictures, which owns the screen images of Captain America and Iron Man, will get based on the current progress of negotiations?"

Faced with Leon's sharp questions, Miles lowered his head.

As an industry insider, he certainly knows better than the other party that the negotiations between Paramount and Disney have already taken place.

Although he knew the other party was feigning confusion, Leon knocked on the table and said solemnly, "Let me tell you, Paramount is currently offering a 10% share of the box office revenue, but Disney hasn't agreed yet."

"Paramount holds two heavyweight IPs, what do you have?"

"Don't waste my time, idiot! I suspect some weird virus from some actress' tunnel has ruined your brain."

Miles couldn't even raise his head after being scolded three times for his poor quality.

It was the first time for a highly educated elite like him to feel the care from street culture during a business negotiation.

Ultimately, Myers compromised, and the two sides drafted an agreement regarding Straight Outta Compton.

Li Ang served as the producer and fully funded the film, and the distributor Lionsgate took a 5% distribution agency fee.

This is the first step in the birth of a movie. The next step is to wait for Lionsgate to officially announce the film project.

The specific budget amount can only be obtained after discussion and actuarial calculation when the film project is established.

Miles will file a registration application with the Motion Picture Association of America as quickly as possible.

During this period, Li Ang had to resolve NWA's licensing and actor issues as soon as possible.

Then, a series of contracts are signed, including actor contracts, director contracts, distribution contracts, etc.

Back in the office, Li Ang didn't have time to rest for a moment.

He first called Kendrick and James Wan to announce the good news of "Straight Outta Compton".

At the same time, let Kendrick resolve Dre's authorization issue as soon as possible so as not to delay the official start of the film.

According to his idea, the shooting period of a biographical film without CG special effects, simple scenes and clear script would not be very long.

In order to recover funds, the shooting period must not be too long.

dong dong——

Li Ang was just about to stop for a cup of coffee when there was a knock on the office door.

"Come in."

Phil and Old Mike walked into the office under Bonnie's guidance, followed by a strange middle-aged woman.

"When did you two bastards get together?"

Li Ang joked while drinking coffee.

It is completely normal for Phil and old Mike to get together. These two people have exactly the same tastes.

They all had a disease, a disease that would kill them if they left women.

"Who is this?" Li Ang then noticed the mature woman behind the two men.

She was wearing a smart blue suit, with her blonde hair tied up and wearing high heels of at least eight centimeters, always with a charming smile on her face.

It was obvious that she was a beauty in her youth. Phil hurried over to Leon's bookcase, pulled out a bottle of whiskey, and poured a glass for everyone.

"This is the Ms. Kelly I mentioned to you before, the marketing director of Reckitt Benckiser Group. She is in charge of the Durex brand."

Li Ang finally realized that he had almost forgotten about this matter.

"Hello Ms. Kelly, welcome to Apocalypse Music."

"It's my honor to meet you! My daughter and I love your music!" Kelly looked around and said with a smile, "The environment here is simply amazing, full of a strong sense of life."

When talking about the "breath of life", Kelly obviously emphasized her tone, and it seemed like she deliberately omitted a prefix word - "sex".

There is a sex exchange downstairs from the company. Every day when I go to work, I can vaguely hear moans coming from next door.

How can such a "breath of life" be insufficient?
The subsequent conversation between the two sides was very pleasant. Kelly did not have the domineering temperament of Claire, the editor-in-chief of Sports Illustrated.

Having been engaged in an industry that can enhance people's sense of happiness for a long time, Kelly herself has become a happy woman.

During the negotiation, she was always sandwiched between Old Mike and Phil, whose big hands, one on the left and one on the right, were playing tricks on her taillights.

And all of this was seen by Li Ang.

"No wonder this woman is so easy to talk to." He said to himself in Li Ang.

However, after just ten minutes of negotiation, the endorsement fee increased from the initial US$50 per quarter to US$70.

From beginning to end, Li Ang never uttered a single curse word, and didn't even waste much time talking.

It seems that Old Mike and Phil have put a lot of effort into talking to Kelly these days.

The requirements for shooting are very simple. Li Ang only needs to pose in front of the camera and say a few slogans.

This money is easier to come by than printing money yourself.

Kelly took out a picture from her Chanel ribbed bag.

The picture shows a mouth, and you can tell from the lipstick that it is a woman's mouth.

The only bright spot was the Band-Aids on both sides of his mouth.

Li Ang understood what this meant almost immediately and asked tentatively, "So our theme is Size?"

"That's right! You will be endorsing our upcoming large-size specialty product. My colleagues and I agree that you are the best candidate!" Kelly's eyes gleamed as she spoke, and she unconsciously glanced at a certain part of Li Ang's body.

"Damn."

Ever since Kanye spent a lot of money to discredit Li Ang and flaunted his nickname "Brother Bai Ni" on the "Conan Show", almost all fans knew that Li Ang had a magical dick.

Therefore, he became the perfect choice in Kylie's mind to endorse plus-size specialty products.

"I shouldn't have to take off my clothes for the shoot," Li Ang asked bitterly.

"Of course not! Our marketing strategy has always been about creativity, not vulgarity!"

Li Ang breathed a sigh of relief.

Next, Kelly took out a stack of photos from her bag. The photos showed a group of dazzling beauties.

Li Ang spotted many familiar faces among them at a glance.

Adriana Lima, Karolina Kurkova and even Miranda Kerr
These are all famous Victoria's Secret supermodels.

Kelly pointed to the photos and said, "These are the actress candidates who have gone through the company's management routine and were finally decided."

"Considering that this is a specialty product focusing on plus sizes, we have defined the range of actresses from the very beginning."

Li Ang nodded in agreement.

It makes perfect sense for large-size products to go with large-size actresses.

However, he had trouble choosing among these blonde beauties who were at least 1.75 meters tall.

Phil also came over and offered guidance based on his experience with women. "I think Carolina is good. I haven't tried Eastern European women yet!"

Leon didn't even want to look at Phil, but this was indeed a reasonable suggestion.

Carolina from the Czech Republic has reached the top level in the modeling circle and is the most popular model in the Victoria's Secret show in recent years.

With a height of over 1.8 meters and a very Eastern European look, she won the title of "the sexiest woman in the world".

She has also worn the Victoria's Secret darling's dream bra twice, which is made of 2000 diamonds and worth $650 million.

Kelly smiled and said, "As the male lead in this commercial, your suggestions are crucial to us. Whether there's chemistry between you and the actress will ultimately impact the quality of the film."

Li Ang spent more time selecting actresses than negotiating contracts.

He finally realized that choosing a concubine for the emperor in feudal times was also an extremely time-consuming task.

Finally his eyes fixed on a photo.

This girl may not be the one with the best figure, but her appearance is indeed the one that best meets Li Ang's aesthetic standards.

The key point is that they know each other, so they will have a little more tacit understanding when cooperating with each other.

"Just Miranda."

"Miranda?" Kelly picked up the photo and examined it carefully. "I have to say you have excellent taste. She is indeed a sweet and pure angel."

Li Ang couldn't help but curl his lips.

Does the word "purity" have anything to do with the modeling industry?
Phil, however, smiled and whispered, "Aren't you afraid that Robbie will cause trouble for you?"

"It's just work. This world is either full of men or women." Li Ang said, spreading his hands.

In the subsequent conversation, Leon finally understood why Old Mike appeared here.

He has been appointed by Kelly as the director and photographer for this advertising shoot.

She has a high opinion of Michael, claiming that he is "the artist in the world who best understands the beauty of the female body."

It is not difficult to hear that Old Mike must have taken many artistic photos for Kelly.

After confirming all the contract details, Kelly took the information back with satisfaction.

In a few days, the two parties will sign the endorsement contract at Reckitt Benckiser Group's North American headquarters in New York, after which the advertising will officially start shooting.

It was early January, and Li Ang was sitting in his office chatting with Old Mike about the details that needed to be paid attention to in advertising shooting.

Apart from MV shooting, he has hardly participated in any other form of shooting, so he had to rely on the other party for additional guidance.

Just as Leon was about to ask Old Mike about Quincy Jones and Vibe magazine, Bonnie pushed the door open and walked in.

"The latest Billboard chart is out."

“Where does Demons rank?”

"'Demons' is currently in the fifth position. Our radio data and album sales have been very stable recently, so it shouldn't drop in the short term."

"Great, now who's number one? Katy Perry? Or Rihanna?"

"neither."

"Could it be Robbie?"

Bonnie sighed and said, "It's Adele. 'Rolling In The Deep' left everyone far behind."

"Rolling In The Deep" has been downloaded over 200 million times on streaming platforms and has topped the music charts in nine countries.

(End of this chapter)