Chương 73: Chapter 73: The Battle for the Big Award
After his thoughts finished spinning, Ethan really wanted to whistle in celebration. However, under Edinson's gaze, he kept calm and continued reading through the agreement.
"Assistant cinematographer."
"That's right, Ethan. Although I would have liked to fight for the position of lead cinematographer for you, unfortunately, your portfolio isn't strong enough yet."
Ethan nodded, feeling that this outcome was already quite good. In major film productions like this, key roles such as cinematographer are typically chosen by the director or appointed by the production company.
Even with the use of CAA's package deal services, the production company still selects candidates based on their track record.
Being included in the crew for the movie Chicago was the best Edinson could do.
In comparison, the opportunity to shoot Eminem's music video now seemed much less appealing. After all, there were still plenty of other music videos from his new album that needed to be filmed, so missing out on this one wasn't a big deal.
Ethan quickly signed his name on the package deal agreement.
"And there's another one." But that wasn't the end. Edinson took out another agreement, this time for Avril Lavigne's new music video project.
Ethan would serve as both the director and cinematographer for the MV.
This had already been arranged. Since Avril's new song was so popular, her label naturally didn't want to replace the director. Conveniently, Ethan had been available recently, so the project was handed to him once again.
After signing all the agreements, Edinson smiled and extended his hand. "Good luck with the shoot, Ethan."
"Thank you, Edinson."
After feeling Edinson's firm handshake once more, Ethan turned and left the office. Once in the elevator, his slender fingers drummed rhythmically on the golden handrail, like playing a piano.
Since Edinson valued him so much, Ethan naturally had to reciprocate the favor. Besides, their goals were aligned, weren't they?
By choosing to switch agents, whether voluntarily or not, he had already become a target in Brady's eyes, someone bound to be suppressed sooner or later.
If Edinson failed to consolidate his position, his side's agents and contracts would inevitably be swallowed up by Brady.
However, it was Carl and others who should be more concerned about this. Ethan didn't need to worry much; as long as he produced enough work, leaving CAA wouldn't be an issue.
This meant Ethan was in an advantageous position, able to either advance or retreat as needed. He was already undefeated.
But one thing remained true: in America, you have to keep proving yourself to get better resources—this was true before, and it's true now.
If Ethan could dampen Brady's momentum, it would be exactly what Edinson wanted to see. It would also make Edinson more willing to invest resources in him.
So Ethan wasn't about to miss this opportunity. And that opportunity was Avril's new song.
Carl had already briefed Ethan on Joseph Carbin and his agent, Northin. Although it wasn't clear who had leaked the information, they knew that Joseph's new MV for Eminem was aiming for the MTV Video Music Awards.
The MTV VMAs were one of the most prestigious awards in the American music industry, annually recognizing the best music videos and directors. Many rookie directors had launched their careers from this award, quickly transitioning to directing feature films.
In the original world, Joseph had won Best Director for that very music video, gaining widespread recognition in the industry and beginning his foray into film.
Although his later films were flops, there was no doubt that this was an award capable of convincing investors and producers alike.
But now, everything was uncertain because Ethan had his eyes on that same award. —— Avril's new song was a rock track titled Sk8er Boi, which in the previous world had reached number ten on t00 year-end chart.
In comparison, Eminem's Without Me was much stronger, ranking second on the Billboard Hot 100 year-end chart.
And to be fair, the music video for Eminem's song was indeed well-made. It wasn't about technical prowess; the song itself was filled with clever references, and the music video matched this with a parody of American comic book styles, perfectly complementing the song's tone.
As everyone knows, memes and references can easily resonate and go viral.
So, to beat it head-on at the MTV Awards, Ethan would need a more innovative, powerful shooting style and even more eye-catching visuals.
As Ethan drove, he pondered this. At a red light at an intersection, he suddenly saw a child chasing a drifting balloon down the sidewalk.
Following the boy's path, he noticed the balloon floating between the buildings, blown by the wind until it hit a wall covered in graffiti and, for some reason, burst.
"Pop!" Although Ethan couldn't hear the sound, that scene ignited a spark of inspiration in his mind.
He had an idea for the music video! Excited, Ethan turned on the radio and, with rock music blaring, began refining his thoughts.
He planned to borrow the stop-motion animation technique from Coldplay's future award-winning MV for Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, combined with comic book-style visuals, explosions, fireworks, and a crazy concert in the streets of the city!
He was confident that this combination of styles would produce a result greater than the sum of its parts.
"Yes, that's it." Ethan pressed the accelerator, heading straight to the company, determined to capture his ideas while inspiration was still fresh.
Three days later, Ethan met with Avril and the production crew at CAA's office.
"Ethan!" Avril greeted him excitedly with a hug, not caring about the reactions of those around them. Luckily, her band wasn't present, or who knows what they would have thought.
She was still dressed simply in a white T-shirt, full of energy, her upbeat mood undiminished by the exhaustion of her tour.
After a brief chat, Ethan got straight to the point with the MV production meeting.
But calling it a meeting wasn't quite accurate—it was essentially a one-man show. Carl had already communicated with the crew, and they all knew Ethan's style through various channels.
The key point was that Ethan was both the director and the cinematographer, leaving the rest of the crew with little say in the matter.
Ethan pulled a stack of storyboard sketches from his bag and handed them out to the team before heading to the whiteboard to explain his creative vision.
"First, we'll start shooting in a cramped room, with a TV buzzing in the background, and a middle-aged woman sitting on a sofa..."
Ethan stuck the first sketch to the board, illustrating everything he was describing.
The team nodded, impressed by the clarity of his presentation.
"Then, this middle-aged woman..." Ethan methodically laid out each element of his concept.
The song's story revolves around a punk boy pursuing a ballerina, but the girl, due to the prejudice and arrogance of her friends, rejects him. Five years later, while feeding her child at home, she turns on the TV and sees that the boy has become a famous star, leaving her full of regret.
The original MV, while grand in scale with a downtown concert, didn't fully convey the story, resulting in a disconnect between the visuals and the song.
Ethan retained the best parts of the original while integrating the song's narrative, adding new forms and creative ideas to make it truly shine.
As Ethan passionately explained his vision to the team, the clock on the wall slowly ticked toward the number six. The hands moved steadily, not daring to slacken, finally reaching the six just in time.
"Wow!" Applause suddenly filled the room, as if celebrating the clock's achievement.
"Ethan, this concept is incredible!" Assistant director Jose began to the praise the concept.
After his praise, the others began to chime in as well.
"Yeah, Ethan, jumping out of a helicopter! Wow, that's crazy just thinking about it!"
"And the building exploding with fireworks—I'm already getting excited!"
"I can't imagine how explosive this MV will be once it's finished! It'll be like a movie!"
Avril also looked at Ethan with eager, excited eyes. Even though the MV hadn't begun filming, Ethan's words had already painted a vivid picture for everyone, and the innovative concepts he'd outlined were enough to send shivers down their spines.
But amidst the celebration, an awkward voice broke the harmony.
"But... what about the budget?" A timid production assistant with glasses raised his hand, looking a bit embarrassed.
"What?... Yeah, the budget is pretty high."
"That's right, can they afford this much?"
Carl looked around at the suddenly cooling atmosphere, then turned to Ethan, only to find Ethan staring back at him.
"Can you handle this?" Ethan had no intention of lowering the budget and asked directly.
"I… should be able to…" Carl hesitated. He knew the concept would be amazing once completed, but when it came to the budget, it wasn't up to him. He would have to report it and negotiate with the company.
"Great, then it's in your hands, Carl." Without hesitation, Ethan confirmed the task, not even considering any alternatives to reducing the budget. Carl opened his mouth to speak but then closed it obediently.
For the next two days, Carl ran back and forth between the two companies. Fortunately, Avril's label had already planned to increase the budget.
They saw the potential for big returns; Avril's first single had just debuted at number one on the Billboard charts.
As long as the second single made it into the top ten, album sales would skyrocket, with listeners opting to buy the whole album based on the quality of the two singles.
Therefore, after learning the news that the new MV was so creative, Avril's record company immediately invested a large sum of money.
So, the MV for the new song "Sk8er Boi" began filming smoothly, with the first scene shot in a closed studio.
The studio had been transformed by the art department to resemble a home environment. A TV stood alone in the green living room, surrounded by messy furnishings, tables, and chairs. The entire room looked chaotic and dark, making it clear at a glance that the owner was in a poor financial situation.
Avril, dressed as a middle-aged woman in a sloppy maternity outfit, sat on a red sofa opposite the TV, soothing the crying child in her arms while pressing the remote control.
"Jose, bring up the lights! Add another layer of paper—I want to create the feeling of sunlight!"
"Avril, lift your head! You need to look at the TV with regret in your eyes!"
"Art team, dump more trash in front of the TV! I want chaos!"
"Avril, hold your baby tight! Don't open your mouth! Your teeth will give it away!"
Ethan sat in front of the camera as usual, directing everything. His sharp attention to every detail made the crew members tread carefully.
But this was just the beginning…
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