"Well, that's it. Dismissed." Following Claude's announcement, the executives secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up and walked out.
"They seem to be scared." After everyone left, Adriaan, who was sitting at the head of the table, said half-jokingly. He didn't speak much during the whole meeting. Except for the necessary topics, it was Claude who adjusted, arranged, and criticized most of the time. No wonder he always gave people the impression that he was a figurehead.
"Most of them are just pretending." Claude waved his hand indifferently. "I didn't give them much pressure. They just want to show that they are working hard. You have to be able to tell who is really working."
"It doesn't matter. With you here, I don't need to think so much." Adriaan spread his hands, looking very proud.
"You …" Claude glared at him in annoyance, but in his heart, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself.
"Well, Krau, although there are some small problems, the overall start is very good. Although it is not enough to support you to make drastic adjustments to ABC, it won't take long," Adriaan said, pointing to his head. "There are still a lot of ideas that can be used here."
After taking the time to cast and produce, "Everybody Loves Raymond" was finally broadcast on ABC in mid-January 1996. Because of the publicity, Adriaan's gimmick, and the wantonly dissemination to ensure that the script did not appear in advance, the ratings of the first episode reached 10%, which meant that almost 12 million people watched it! Although this figure could not be compared to Friends, it was an unprecedented high for ABC in the past few years. Moreover, according to the feedback, many people liked this TV series because it was heartwarming, interesting, and humorous. It was suitable for the whole family to watch, so the second episode still maintained the same ratings.
This was undoubtedly a cardiac stimulant. Not only did the reorganized ABC executives rejoice, but also many critics began to be optimistic about them.
"Facts have proven that it was the right decision to be acquired by AC Media. In just half a year, it has begun to show signs of improvement. It may not be certain that it will continue, but it is undoubtedly a good start. If it were Disneyland, it would be impossible for ABC to see the light of day so quickly," an economics magazine wrote.
However, although "Everybody Loves Raymond" was a success that was expected, the "Survivor" reality show that aired at the same time was not as enthusiastic. There were quite a lot of people who signed up to participate, after all, after all, the winner would receive a handsome reward. However, the viewership ratings after the broadcast were very average, so it was not too bad for the few shows that were popular.
"A few people go out into the wilderness for a period of time, and if they can't complete their goal, they'll be eliminated. This idea is very interesting, but … I always feel like it's missing something," a member of the audience said in a survey.
"It sounds exciting, but it's different from what I imagined. So, if there's a better choice, I'll definitely choose another program." This was the opinion of another audience member.
"Adventure and excitement are the themes and highlights of this reality show! I don't know how you understand it, but from the first two episodes, this was not done at all. The scenery of the island is there, but what about the dangers of the island? What about the uniqueness? What about the exciting experiences of the adventurers? Only the part where the contestants are in a deadlock and need to be eliminated by voting is the best. I hope everyone can seriously think about what the audience wants to see in this. "This was one of the few times Adriaan spoke in the meeting just now.
He could not be sure that what he said was correct. Although he had taken the time to watch all the episodes of "Survivor" that had aired, his knowledge of the show in his previous life was limited after all. But it didn't matter. He would let the producers use this show to hone themselves. These professionals were very skilled, and all they needed was experience. In any case, the viewership ratings of "Everybody Loves Raymond" were not bad, and if there was a need, he could bring out even more exciting episodes. Building an elite reality show team was the most important thing. Otherwise, even if he brought out the show's ideas, they would repeat the same mistakes.
"Of course, we have Miracle Director. He is a powerful guy who can use movies to cause a political storm in a country." Claude laughed.
"Oh, come on, Krau, don't mention those clowns." Adriaan waved his hand helplessly. "Those guys are just putting on a show. Like all politicians, they want to use this opportunity to gain capital. In essence, they are no different from Clinton, who is running for re-election. At least Clinton has some achievements in the economic field, but they are just doing it for themselves. "
Not only did the motion regarding Scottish independence not be withdrawn after being condemned, it even gained the support of several members of the Scottish Parliament, even though they knew it was impossible. Coupled with the media adding fuel to the fire, the matter was blown out of proportion. Fortunately, most ordinary Scots were not interested in it, and the situation did not get out of hand.
Even so, Adriaan could be completely proud of himself. After all, the original version of "Brave Heart" had caused such a storm before, but it was not as eye-catching as it was now. This was all thanks to Adriaan's reputation. Unknowingly, he had already gained such a huge influence.
"Okay, let's not talk about this. But you seem to have a good impression of Clinton. Is the model of the president in" Brave Island "based on him?" Claude asked again.
"Of course not. I don't think any president would have such a feeling. Have you seen it?" Adriaan looked at his best friend curiously.
"Of course. It pushed Brave Heart off the top of the list when it was released, and it received so many good reviews. Why can't I watch it?" Claude spread his hands.
In the second week of "Brave Heart"'s release, "Brave Island" also held its premiere. Then, over the weekend, it swept away 28 million in the box office. With an imposing manner, it was normal for it to push "Brave Heart" down.
In any case, Americans preferred their own country's movies, and this movie was very popular and exciting. The scenes of General Hammer's ambush on the navy's arsenal, as well as the fierce battle in the toilet on the demonic island were all very classic and shocking. Adriaan still remembered that in his previous life, someone commented that if he were a soldier, he would also be willing to work under General Hammer, let alone an American full of hero complex.
In addition, the soundtrack was still composed by Hans Zimmer, and it was still as impassioned as ever. Hans Zimmer was a prolific composer, and since he was so prolific, it was inevitable that he would repeat his work. In fact, when Adriaan was collecting information about him, he found that the soundtrack of a movie last year had traces of the classic soundtrack of "Brave Island", so he did not interfere too much.
The performances of the three lead actors were also quite wonderful. Nicolas Cage was at his peak, and he had a great grasp of his character image. At times, he was full of temperament and fear, and at times, he was brave and fearless. At the same time, he had a special sense of humor. For example, in the end, the FBI director did not believe that Old Mason's body had been vaporized. He squinted his eyes and said seriously, "Yes, it was vaporized." His look of "I'm an expert, trust me" made people want to laugh.
Needless to say, Eide Harris and Sean Connery were both veteran actors, especially Connery, who was the first generation of Bond. With all these factors added together, it would be strange if the movie was not popular. Therefore, when the premiere came out, the Weinstein brothers were quite excited.
"If there are more movies like this, we might as well share some with them. After all, Miramax and New Line are different. It will make Robert jealous for a while." After talking about various aspects of "Brave Island", Claude said. Then, he thought of something and asked, "By the way, I heard that Sean Connery …"
"I didn't ask." Claude shook his head. "Maybe someone else asked, but I didn't hear it. You know, a lot of things are just talk."
What Claude wanted to ask was nothing more than the rumor that Sean Connery said, "If Scotland doesn't become independent, he won't go back." It was actually very boring. Many of the topics were just expressions or distorted by the media. It was not like Connery had not returned to England. If he said that he had not returned to Scotland, perhaps not many people would believe it.
"I'm just a little curious." Claude shrugged.
"You can be curious about it later. It's almost time." Adriaan looked at the time and stood up.
The two then left the conference room together and went to the parking lot of the building. They sat in the RV and waited for it to start before talking again.
"What do you think, Krau?" Adriaan asked.
"He is very capable. The company can have today's status not just because of him. So, if it's just him alone, it's not certain how much of a role he can play." Claude replied after thinking about it.
"But how do we recruit other people? Let's not talk about whether it will work or not. Our control will be weakened again, right?" Adriaan laughed.
Claude shrugged his shoulders to show his acquiescence and waited for him to continue.
"He alone is enough. He is the CEO and has the best grasp of the entire company's structure, and …" Adriaan adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable. "There's still me, isn't there?"
"Yeah, and you …" Claude suddenly sighed. He took out two cups from the car refrigerator and poured purified water into them. Without warning, he changed the topic. "I have acquired Victoria's Secret. Do you have any good suggestions?"
Adriaan took the cup and almost spat it out. He had long forgotten the advice he gave to Claude. Although Charlize would sort out a detailed report and send it to him every month, he always liked to let the female secretary sit on his lap and hold him in his arms to listen to the parts he wanted to hear. With such a ripple, it was inevitable that he would miss the news. But then again, even if he read the report, he might not have noticed it.
"You really acquired Victoria's Secret?" Adriaan coughed dryly.
"Of course. It just so happens that they are transforming and seeking cooperation with TV stations. We also have a broadcasting company like ABC. In addition, the parent company is not optimistic about their transformation, and it is a popular brand, so it didn't cost much to buy it. More importantly, this is your suggestion. " Claude said eloquently, as if he had no selfishness at all. He was thinking from the company's point of view.
Adriaan rolled his eyes. "When you acquired the game studio and animation studio, you weren't so decisive and decisive."
"Because I wasn't sure about your vision at that time. It's different now." Claude continued to say shamelessly, "Come on, Eide, tell me."
"What else is there to say? I've already said it last time. Any fashion brand is more popular at the beginning. What we need to do is how to upgrade it to a premium product. "Adriaan shrugged." Aren't they already transforming? Didn't they already hold a runway show? They signed a long-term contract with them. All the runway shows will be broadcast by ABC. First, they signed a few supermodels to endorse them. Then, they formed their own exclusive model team and made them famous. Finally, they will do public relations and strive to perform in the Superbowl. That's it. "
"That's easy to say." Claude didn't seem satisfied with this.
"Then what else do you want?" Adriaan spread his hands. "I'm not a professional, and neither are you. Tell these ideas to those people and let them worry about it. We just need to provide the necessary help."
"Okay, okay." Claude laughed. "I will let them handle this. I'm waiting to see your prophecy come true."
Soon, the RV drove into a high-end golf club. They got out of the RV and were led to a private locker room by a waiter. Casual clothes and golf equipment were already prepared. After changing their clothes, the two of them drove the battery-powered car to Area B. A middle-aged man in the same casual outfit was already waiting there. From time to time, he would swing his club and hit a white ball.
"Hey, Michael, you look really interested." Claude took the lead to greet him.
"Of course, I can't wait to teach you a lesson, Claude." The middle-aged man laughed and then looked at Adriaan.
"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Miracle Director." He reached out his hand. "I'm Michael Ovitz."
"Me too, Michael. Please call me Adriaan or Eide." Adriaan smiled and shook hands with the Disneyland CEO.
"Do you like golf?" Michael Ovitz looked at him with interest.
"It's not bad, but my skills are terrible, so I can only watch you compete today," Adriaan said calmly.
"Whenever you see him play golf, you'll think it's cruel to let him play, Michael," Claude said solemnly from the side.
"Well, then let's play a few rounds first." Ovitz didn't force the issue and made a gesture of invitation.
Just like most social events, the three began to play golf. From time to time, they would talk about a few interesting anecdotes, just like most social events. However, Ovitz didn't talk about the main topic. He didn't speak, and neither did Adriaan and Claude. At times like this, the person who spoke a step later had the upper hand. So, the three of them chatted tentatively. Adriaan was forced to play a few rounds. If it weren't for Ovitz's self-restraint, he would have laughed without caring about his image.
"Well, you two, I won't beat around the bush. Why did you extend the olive branch so many times?" When they sat down at the small table to rest again, Ovitz finally spoke. After all, he was an old fox. Looking at Adriaan and Claude's calm expressions, he knew that they had enough cards up their sleeves. So, it was better to talk openly and seize the initiative.
"Don't tell me you want to invite me to be the CEO? Isn't Claude doing well now? "he asked jokingly. This kind of direct and somewhat rude probing often had a miraculous effect.
However, Adriaan and Claude looked at each other and smiled. Adriaan spoke first. "We have a management company."
"A management company?" Ovitz's eyes narrowed, and he revealed a half-smile. "Did I hear that right? Are you saying that AC Media has a management company? "
"No." Adriaan smiled and shook his head. "We have a management company, not AC Media."
"Oh?" Ovitz raised his eyebrows.
"To put it simply, there's no problem in terms of the law," Claude added unhurriedly.
"Okay." Ovitz didn't care. In fact, several large management companies in Hollywood had this kind of thing. How could he not know, as he had single-handedly developed CAA?
"I think I understand why you're here. But why do you think I'll agree to it? You know, I don't want to do this anymore, "Ovitz said in a relaxed tone.
"Really, Michael?" Adriaan revealed a perceptive smile. "You really don't want to do this anymore? Or is it because your old buddies have left that you want to leave? Do you really think that you can do whatever you want in Disneyland? Do you really think that Eisner is willing to share his power with others? You've been the CEO of Disneyland for twelve months, right? I can guarantee that in at most six months, Eisner will make you step down. What he needs is a puppet, a spokesperson who can embody his will, not a talent with independent consciousness! "
Ovitz still maintained a calm expression. No change could be seen on his face, but he didn't reply either. So …
Adrian's lips curled into a smile. "You're a successful businessman, Michael. I've read about you in school, and I really like your tenacious and unyielding style of doing things. I know you have a good eye. You once proposed to Eisner to buy Yahoo, but he didn't agree. "
"That's normal. There's no hope for Yahoo to make a profit at the moment." Ovitz shrugged as if he wanted to salvage something.
"Even if he agreed, Disneyland can't buy it because most of Yahoo's shares are in our hands," Adriaan said softly. He finally saw a hint of surprise in Ovitz's eyes.
"We've been paying attention to the IT industry since 1991. We have the most detailed data analysis database and a few promising websites," Claude said.
"Oh?" Ovitz was even more surprised, and his calm expression began to change.
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