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Chapter 15: Ten Thousand Dollars
🕑 Added 2024-09-07 19:24:23 +0000 UTC"Ethan, good afternoon." Yesan was not wearing a suit at the moment; instead, he wore suspenders over his belly, making him look somewhat bloated.
"Good afternoon, Yesan."
Ethan greeted him and took a seat across from the desk.
Yesan's face looked a bit tired but he smiled as he said, "You don't need to call me 'Mr.' I'm not used to it."
"Alright, Yesan."
"That sounds much more friendly. Remember, Black people dislike the formalities between white people. Especially here, in North New York, this is Black territory."
"Got it, Yesan." Ethan nodded, acknowledging that he wasn't very familiar with the interactions between Black people. Although he lived in the Bronx, the most northern and predominantly Black area of New York, he wasn't well-versed in their social dynamics.
Yesan pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and then asked, "What do we need to prepare for the album cover shoot?"
"We need a closed room and some RGB color-adjustable light sticks."
"Simple enough. I know where to borrow lighting equipment; I can arrange that with a phone call. Anything else?"
"Just have Raymond pick a leather jacket and add a cross necklace."
"Easy. I'll take care of it now." Yesan acted swiftly, making phone calls in front of Ethan to get things sorted.
Then he suddenly asked, "You must have listened to Raymond's songs yesterday, right? Any thoughts?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Yesan was driving at. From the phone conversation, he vaguely guessed that Yesan didn't have high hopes for the album, so he answered half-truthfully, "I don't usually listen to hip-hop, but I thought the song 'Eight Hours Later' was quite good."
"Good?" Yesan exhaled smoke, revealing no clear expression. "Do you think it will sell well?"
"It's hard to say; I'm not an expert." Ethan avoided giving a direct answer because he knew very well that the album had little chance of becoming a hit. It would be a success if it didn't lose money.
It wasn't surprising that companies and DJs from places like Chicago and Los Angeles didn't buy into it. Raymond's rough voice, left uncontrolled, sounded like a beast's roar rather than hip-hop. Without a unique rap rhythm and with lyrics that were hard to understand, it was no wonder that listeners weren't interested.
"Alright, do you think it's necessary to make an MV for this song?"
Ethan realized that Yesan was struggling with this decision.
As he argued with the person on the phone, if only three MVs were to be made, choosing which songs to feature was crucial.
Ethan had a different perspective and said frankly, "Honestly, Yesan, if you're going to make an MV, it's best to put all the effort into just one song."
"One song?" Yesan frowned. "Why?"
"Because of cost." Ethan pinpointed his concern precisely. "If one song can make an impact and attract attention, and then you release the whole album, the sales might be higher than if you release the album directly."
Yesan pondered for a moment. "You're right. But how do we know which song the market will like?"
"I've mentioned it before, or you can ask the radio stations for their opinion."
"Alright, you're right. They deal with listeners every day and surely know their preferences." Yesan agreed with Ethan's suggestion.
"In fact, if you're in need of an MV director, I could be available as well." After setting the shoot time, Ethan brought up his own idea.
"Mv director?" Yesan thought for a moment. "How about we discuss this after we finish the album cover shoot?"
"Sure, no problem."
Ethan stood up to leave and suddenly said at the door, "Yesan, there's one more thing."
"What is it?"
"If I'm going to handle the album cover shoot, I need to ensure one thing: everyone must follow my instructions, no matter what I say or do. There should only be one voice on set, and that's mine. Is that alright?"
Yesan shrugged. "Of course, no problem. We respect professionals."
"Great, it's settled then." Ethan turned and left the office.
Yesan immediately called Faith.
"Faith, I've decided. We'll only shoot an MV for one song from Raymond's album."
"No, no, no, it's not that I don't like his album, but this will maximize our efficiency. We only have so much money, so it has to be spent in the most critical area."
"Listen to me. First, get a local radio station to pick a song, then we'll shoot the MV and release the single. If the market response is good, the album sales will naturally increase when it's released!"
"What? Beast Star? That song won't work!"
"Don't argue, Faith! You're starting again! Even though you're the boss, you don't understand music!"
"Bullshit, of course I understand! I've worked with so many singers!"
"FXXK, have you already told Raymond? You're really going to drive me crazy. Fine, fine, we'll release that horrifying Beast Star!"
"Release it immediately after finishing the album cover shoot! Don't even think about an MV; it's like throwing money away!"
Hearing the angry voices from inside, Ethan shook his head in amazement.
He had already left but suddenly remembered he hadn't asked about his payment yet. As he reached the door, he heard Yesan's furious growl again.
He wondered what kind of person Faith was to infuriate Yesan to this extent.
But it wasn't his concern. What mattered most to him now was to get the album cover sorted and receive his payment.
That night, Jimmy came to find Ethan and took him to Apollion's company.
It was called a company, but in reality, it was just a small studio, even smaller than Faith Music Company. Most of the time, these people didn't work at the studio; they were either working on set or partying at Apollion's villa.
The Domino's Pizza commercial shoot was also picked up by Apollion after the original director's ideas were deemed unsatisfactory and fired on the spot by Monaghan.
As for Scarlett, she was the originally cast actress and received the highest fee for the commercial.
Thus, Apollion, as the temporary director, didn't make much money, at least not as much as he would as a film's assistant director. But this was his first venture into the advertising industry, so money wasn't the most important factor.
He paid Ethan $4,000. Considering Hollywood lighting technicians typically earn a few hundred dollars per day, $4,000 for two days was already well above industry standards.
But that wasn't the biggest amount. Mr. Monaghan also paid them an additional advertising planning fee of $30,000.
Ethan's share was $10,000, with the remaining money going to others.
Honestly, this was the most money Ethan had ever earned. Previously, he only made a few dozen or a few hundred dollars at a time.
Now, he finally saw a four-figure sum.
Carmella was thrilled with the money and bought a lot of fruits and meats they didn't usually have, filling the fridge to the brim.
This meant they wouldn't have to worry about debts or living expenses for the next year or so.
However, Ethan quickly proposed buying a car.
In America, not having a car was a significant inconvenience. Ethan didn't want to endure the smell of urine on the subway every day.
Carmella agreed. It was something every young person in America faced, and she didn't want her son to spend time and effort cycling every day.
So they decided to keep $5,000 at home and use the rest to buy a used car and cover Ethan's expenses.
