Bab 53: Chapter 53: Priority Choice
Ethan had been busy at Supreme Creativity for several days. During this time, CAA agent Mike had been constantly sending him various music video invitations. However, every time Ethan saw the names of the artists, he had no desire to take on the projects.
"What's the point of shooting music videos for flop songs? No matter how good my video is, it would only raise their score from a 30 to a 70 at best," Ethan thought.
So he had not accepted any of the projects, which made Mike quite impatient. He eventually went to Ethan's home to confront him directly.
"Mike, what brings you here today?" Ethan asked, handing him a cup of tea. He didn't keep coffee in the house, only various types of green and black teas.
"Of course I have something to discuss..." Mike took a sip of the tea, frowning as if he wasn't used to the taste.
He put down the cup and said, "A lot of artists have been reaching out to you recently, Ethan. They all want you to direct their music videos. Did you know that?"
Ethan nodded, holding the teacup with two fingers. He blew on the floating tea leaves and said, "I know, Mike, but like I said, I've been busy lately."
"No, Ethan, you should strike while the iron is hot. This is the best opportunity for you," Mike urged. "The higher-ups are all watching your performance. If you keep delivering, not only will your package price go up, but your industry reputation will grow. You'll get even more and better opportunities!"
"Yeah, you're right, Mike," Ethan smiled. "But there's a condition, isn't there? I need to keep producing great music videos. Honestly, the artists you've brought me so far just aren't up to par."
"Thank God!" Mike rubbed his hooked nose. "At least you're not thinking about retiring. So I came over today to give you a list."
"Take a look." He pulled a document from his briefcase and slid it across the table to Ethan.
Curious, Ethan picked it up and realized it was a list of artists CAA had recently signed up for their packaging services.
"Where did this come from?" Ethan looked at Mike in surprise. He didn't expect him to be able to share such sensitive information. If rival agencies found out, there could be big trouble.
Sensing Ethan's thoughts, Mike explained, "It's not what you think. The artists on this list have already signed agreements. I wouldn't show you the ones still in negotiations."
"Ah, I see. So, you want me to pick someone from this list?" This was the first time Ethan had been given such a privilege. He hadn't expected that after just one music video, his status at CAA would rise so significantly.
"Of course. Although this is a personal decision on my part, I really believe in you. Who knows, you might move beyond music videos and become a full-fledged film director someday," Mike said, spreading his hands.
But Ethan scoffed internally. As if! If the higher-ups hadn't given Mike the go-ahead, there's no way he would've handed over this list.
It was clear whose side Mike was on, especially after he forced Ethan to work with Tony, despite knowing his ideas were subpar.
Did Mike really think he hadn't asked Nelly and Kelly about it?
Best director my foot.
Ethan even suspected that Tony had only gotten into CAA through Mike's connections, despite his awful taste.
But since Ethan was still under Mike's management, and since Mike valued him highly, there was no need to burn bridges. In the adult world, everyone smiled while secretly stabbing each other in the back.
As Ethan skimmed through the list, his mind raced, while Mike enthusiastically recommended the artists.
"Ford Lottito, country artist. His debut album hit number 40 on the Billboard charts. He's releasing a new album soon, and I think he's got a lot of potential."
"Martha Duffy, rock singer. Great voice. She's been hovering around the top 30 on the Billboard charts, and her new album aims to break into the top 10."
"Lettie McDonald, a British rapper. She's openly gay, but the higher-ups think her style has potential to attract a solid fanbase."
Mike kept rambling, but Ethan wasn't listening. His eyes were scanning the list until they landed on a familiar name and an attached photo.
"Avril Lavigne. What do you think of her?" Ethan interrupted Mike.
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Her? I think she's Canadian. She hasn't released an album yet, and she claims to be a rock singer. But to me, she seems pretty average."
Average? Ethan almost laughed. If only Mike could see a few months into the future, he would probably slap himself.
Avril would go on to release her debut album *Let Go*, which would take the world by storm. It would top the charts in New Zealand, reach number two on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., and rank third on the Dutch album chart, with global sales exceeding 16 million.
The following year, the album would earn Avril Grammy nominations for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best New Artist.
She was undoubtedly a rising star in the music world, outshining Kelly Rowland by a long shot.
Only Beyoncé, who would release her album in 2003, could rival her success.
So without any hesitation, Ethan said, "I'll go with Avril Lavigne."
"What? Are you sure?" Mike looked shocked. "Don't you want to consider the other artists?"
"No need. I've made up my mind," Ethan said, tapping the familiar image of Avril's smoky eye makeup and blonde hair with his finger. "It's her."
"I don't get it, Ethan..." Mike frowned, clearly unable to understand. "There are so many other big names. Why choose Avril?"
"I like the look of her. She'll be a star."
"What kind of reason is that?" Mike's eyebrows furrowed even deeper, but when he saw Ethan's determined expression, he shrugged and said, "Alright, I won't interfere. What role do you want to take, director or cinematographer?"
Ethan shook his head. "Why can't I do both?"
"What?" Mike was even more surprised.
"I said, why can't one person be both the director and the cinematographer?" This was something Ethan had been thinking about recently. Why bring in another person to mess things up and take a cut of his earnings? If he could make an amazing music video, neither the artist nor CAA would care about such details.
"You didn't hear wrong, Mike. I'm going to be both the director and the cinematographer. Just tell the higher-ups that."
Mike was utterly confused, but after thinking about the positive feedback from Nelly's music video, he started to understand Ethan's reasoning.
Luckily, Avril was an unknown artist, so this type of arrangement probably wouldn't cause any pushback from her management.
"Alright, alright, Ethan. You're so headstrong, but you've earned it." Mike stood up. "Just make sure this music video turns out half as good as the last one, and you'll keep getting to call the shots."
"Don't worry, Mike. I know what I'm doing."
Ethan smiled as he saw Mike out. But just as they reached the door, Ethan remembered something. "Oh, Mike, I've got two girls who want to be in the video. They just need small roles."
He was referring to Cindy and Kaden, the two customer service reps he planned to promote.
"It's up to you. You're the director, aren't you?" Mike had no objections and handed full control over to Ethan.
After Mike left, Ethan happily took another sip of tea.
See? It's all coming together. As long as he continued to raise his profile through CAA, he could take on more music videos or even films, and gradually get all the customer service girls in his company a chance to appear on screen.
Who knows, maybe one of them would make it big.
But for now, there was another task at hand. He needed Jimmy to register a new talent agency, independent of Supreme Creativity, free from Henry's control.
Ethan had high hopes for it. What should it be called?
"Angel Declaration Agency" would be a fitting name.
...
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