The sun rises slower on the West Coast than on the East Coast. Early in the morning, when the sky was still dimly lit, Lyman and George took a taxi and set off.
Last night, Paramount Pictures notified them that they wanted to discuss some issues during the film screening. The nature of this meeting was similar to a conference, facilitating communication between both parties and making appropriate adjustments.
Lyman and George entered the conference room at Paramount Pictures one after another. Lyman noticed that there weren't many people present. Apart from a few individuals who seemed vaguely familiar from signing the distribution contract, there were three unfamiliar faces. Judging by their seating positions at the conference table, their positions within Paramount were not particularly high, as the main seats were still vacant.
After exchanging pleasantries with these individuals and greeting them, Lyman sat next to George, calmly waiting for the meeting to begin.
"Mr. Shylock has a minor matter to attend to," one person from Paramount Pictures said softly. "He will be here shortly."
Lyman nodded slightly. "3 Idiots" was just one of Paramount Pictures' operational projects, not the kind that brought in the majority of revenue. It was like "someone else's child," and the executives from the other company couldn't dedicate all their time and energy to it. Lyman and George understood this principle well and sat in their seats, patiently waiting.
Given the proactive initiative to hold the meeting, it was highly likely that this was a result of the film's good performance after its release. As Lyman pondered aimlessly, Tony Selock walked in. He saw the representatives from EuropaCorp had already arrived. He walked towards the head of the conference table, smiling and nodding in greeting to Lyman and George.
"This is the head of Paramount Pictures' distribution department," George whispered to Lyman, sensing that his partner didn't know the person's identity.
"Ah."
At that moment, another person rushed into the conference room. He offered a brief apology, explaining that he had been delayed by something. Then, he took a seat in the position below Tony Selock, the head of the distribution department.
The meeting began.
Naturally, the discussion revolved around "3 Idiots", which had just started its limited release. They talked about some trivial and verbose matters until Tony Selock shifted the topic to the market analysis of the film's performance in recent days.
"After a day of limited release, "3 Idiots" grossed around $101,300 on 21 screens in 21 cinemas. The single-day performance per theater reached $4,820!"
The high-ranking executive from Paramount Pictures was clearly in a good mood, and his voice was particularly cheerful. "More importantly, the data collected from audience feedback yesterday indicates that over 90% of viewers gave the film positive reviews, with an overall satisfaction rate of 87%. There were very few negative reviews."
"Now, I invite Charles from the marketing department to provide us with a detailed data analysis." As Tony Selock finished speaking, the person who arrived last stood up.
"This is a report on where our target audience learned about the film and purchased tickets. The data indicates that for morning screenings, there were mainly four channels through which people learned about "3 Idiots". Approximately one-third came from print media articles and newspaper news, another one-third came from TV commercials and previews in Los Angeles, one-third or less came from word-of-mouth or online channels they learned about at Sundance, and the fewest came from those who decided to watch the film on a whim after seeing the posters at the cinemas."
"In the afternoon and evening, a small portion of the audience quickly became the majority. They were influenced by others' recommendations and specifically came to the cinemas to watch the film!"
"In other words, not only did the audience give the film high ratings, but they also became the most important promotional avenue for the film among the target market. That concludes my presentation."
It wasn't until Charles sat back down that Lyman, who was still perplexed, snapped out of his thoughts. What did he just say?
It seemed that the audience who watched "3 Idiots" were highly inclined to share this excellent film with others, unknowingly becoming the film's most significant promotional channel.
So, this is the power of recommendations and word-of-mouth?
Impressive!
The people in the conference room turned their attention to Lyman. Although the film was still a long way from generating all of its revenue, they had undoubtedly laid a solid foundation. The director's talent was unquestionably recognized by everyone.
With these data supporting them, Paramount Pictures had even greater confidence in the future of "3 Idiots".
Tony Selock continued, "Last night, I submitted an application to the company, and they approved it early this morning. We will increase the film's marketing budget by an additional $500,000."
Saying that, he looked at Bob, the person sitting next to Charles. "Bob, immediately notify the printing facility to make more copies. I want to increase the number of theaters screening the film to 200 by tomorrow morning."
Bob nodded. "I'll arrange it right away."
Lyman understood the meaning of this statement and knew that Paramount Pictures hadn't prepared many copies before the limited release. They had planned for a small-scale long-term screening, unlike EuropaCorp, which made a grand entrance from the beginning. In France alone, it opened in 1,500 cinemas.
But there was nothing they could do. Paramount Pictures had their own ideas, and they had acquired the distribution rights for the region. How they operated was up to them. Fortunately, profits have a way of captivating people's minds!
Now, they even had to prepare copies, indicating that expanding the screening was a very safe move. Putting himself in their shoes, Lyman could actually understand Paramount Pictures' cautious approach.
Before undergoing market testing, it would be a significant risk to invest heavily in marketing and distribution. Their intention was to compete for awards, so they needed to control the film's reputation. If they blindly expanded the screening and encountered a significant number of dissatisfied viewers, resulting in a decline in word-of-mouth, their plan to achieve both fame and fortune would be nothing but wishful thinking.
This industry is practical like that. Before seeing real-time market feedback, no matter how famous you are or how impressive your work is, it's impossible to let go and invest massive resources. Can we expect these profit-driven businessmen to suddenly have a change of heart? Is that even possible?
In a company meeting like this, Lyman, as a non-member of Paramount Pictures, had no right to speak. Even George, for the most part, was there to listen and rarely spoke.
Tony Selock appeared to have a mild working style, being polite and courteous, but in reality, he had a strong desire for power and control. He completely dominated the central topics of the meeting. Most of the time, he was giving orders while others listened.
"Charles..." Tony Selock's gaze shifted. "Get in touch with the local media in Boston. We're expanding the release there, so coordinate with them for promotional activities to create momentum for the film. Don't forget."
"I understand," Charles replied concisely. "I'll contact them shortly."
"Adam, stay in constant contact with the theater chains. Try to arrange the film's screenings in areas with high foot traffic in Boston."
"I'll do my best."
"It's not about doing your best; it's about ensuring it gets done. Do you understand?" Upon hearing this, Adam hesitated for a moment but nodded firmly.
One task after another was assigned by Tony Selock, and amidst the complexity, it seemed straightforward.
As the meeting concluded, Tony Selock finally remembered EuropaCorp's standpoint and asked as a formality, "Do either of you have anything to add?"
"No," George replied, and Lyman nodded in agreement.
"Then, that's it for today." Tony Selock stood up first. "Adjourned."
As the others started leaving, Tony Selock walked towards Lyman.
"Lyman, the director."
He stood in front of Lyman, extending his hand proactively.
Lyman smiled and shook his hand. "Mr. Selock."
"Call me Tony." He politely let go of Lyman's hand, seemingly using this form of address to convey his goodwill.
"Tony."
They exchanged a glance and smiled, but their thoughts were different. Tony Selock valued him, undoubtedly because "3 Idiots" had shown sufficient market potential, and Lyman's previous film, "Buried", had also brought Paramount Pictures a considerable profit, albeit less than what EuropaCorp had achieved.
Lyman was aware of this and guessed that they wanted to win him over. However, even so, he wouldn't let the sudden display of goodwill cloud his judgment. Aside from that, EuropaCorp had treated him well, and there was no need to rashly switch companies. Moreover, doing this in front of George, was the other party blind? Or was it intentional? He couldn't figure it out, but he maintained polite courtesy.
"It's not often we see such a young director like you," Tony Selock said, patting Lyman's shoulder gently. "Especially one as talented as you."
Lyman humbly responded, "I've just been lucky."
"After this busy period, I'll treat you to a drink," Tony Selock said sincerely.
Lyman naturally wouldn't agree to such a proposition. "Sure, I hope it will be a celebration of the film's success."
Both of them smiled again.
...
Lyman and George left Paramount Pictures' headquarters and returned to the hotel.
Lyman once again found himself idle, except for brainstorming the plot and story design for his upcoming film. Most of his time was spent closely following the latest market dynamics of "3 Idiots" through George's channels. Soon, a week had passed...