American Entertainment 1982 - Chapter 175

Chapter 175 Art is priceless

Martin White sat on the back seat of a luxury car parked in the underground garage of the TV station, his eyes were constantly observing the surroundings, and he was holding the anti-wolf stun baton that Page left him when he got off the car, hoping that this stun baton would give him Bring some improvement in security.

“Those safety companies run by white guys must have been **** crazy to design a product with cerebral palsy! This thing can’t kill a mouse even if it runs out of battery power, and they advertise that it will bring women a sense of security. ? When a woman presses this thing in front of him, it is estimated that the pervert will praise her for being so interesting…”

After complaining that the electric shock rod in his hand was not lethal, Martin couldn’t help cursing Tommy Hawk, that bastard!

He said he would become an actor, who the **** would have thought of this kind of actor? It seems to be a tour concert in various black communities. With the cooperation of Page and others, he advertises to the local black people who have never seen the world at the bottom that he is a black big shot who wants to open a black TV station.

The actor in his imagination is acting in front of the camera, not in front of the gun…

When he was nervous, a middle-aged black man wearing a black and blue jacket, blue shirt, terracotta jeans, and Nike sneakers approached the car from a distance. He first checked that the license plate number was correct, and then opened the driver’s seat door, and sat up.

Although Martin felt that his heart was about to jump out of his mouth, he tightened his face at this moment, staring at the black man who got into the car seriously and fiercely.

“Mr. Martin Hart?” This middle-class black man first pushed the flat mirror on the bridge of his nose, and then greeted Martin Hart through the rearview mirror:

“I’m Stanley Jack, Compton Martin Luther King High School Anti-Campus Gang Honor Counselor, Compton Community College Youth Employment Advisor.”

“You’re Big Jack?” Martin tried to sound calmer and more commanding.

“No, I’m the second son of the Jack family. My elder brother Bernard is called Big Jack.” The middle-aged black man who called himself Stanley started the car and replied, “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Hart, until Your white employees told us about you, so we knew you were a master on the East Coast.”

“My white employee?” Martin was slightly stunned at first, and then there was a dissatisfied expression on his face: “They told you about me? Who has such a big mouth, Page? When I finish my work, I will definitely unplug this old guy full of teeth.”

Are you kidding me? He has all the magic on the east coast? He was born in this world for more than 20 years and has nothing to do with the word famous. The most glorious life experience is just becoming a barber.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you didn’t like people mentioning you.” Jack held the steering wheel, apologized sincerely, and drove Martin towards Compton.

Martin maintained the momentum of a black boss: “It doesn’t matter, I am always tolerant enough to people I meet for the first time, and I won’t leave an unpleasant impression with electric shock gloves.”

“Ah~ electric shock gloves, I know that thing, the Soviet product shipped from Cuba, right? They are very expensive in Los Angeles. If it is really made in the Soviet Union instead of Cuba, it will cost more than 400 yuan, CommScope No **** in Toton can afford a fancy toy like that, and I’ve heard of people out there in Miami playing bets on which glove would last longer in the shock.”

“What entertainment do the black people here have?”

“Dog fighting or boxing, blacks here are not as selective as the east coast. There are more than 700 black gangs on the east coast, and there are only more than 470 black gangs in California, but there are two biggest ones. Everyone can either join the blood gang alliance, Or the Crip League.”

“I’ve heard both names in Miami, so, which side are you on?”

“We don’t join the two major alliances. We are more like an African Star neighborhood mutual aid organization. If others don’t trouble us, we won’t take the initiative to cause trouble.” Stanley said with a gentle smile: “We are members of the black community. Moderate.”

“You do look very gentle.”

“Of course, I’m in the community banking business, I’m in education, I’m teaching, and I’ve never given up on charity work, providing employment or start-up funding to young people, whether it’s the Cripples or the Bloods.”

Martin listened to the other party enthusiastically introducing the situation of black people in Los Angeles like a tour guide, and the panic in his heart had completely disappeared. During the chat, he already knew that Stanley, who drove the car, graduated from a community college just like himself, and thought he wanted to be a part of this society. To stand firm, you must master a survival skill.

This gave Martin a lot of affection for Stanley Jack.

Stanley drove the luxury car into the African Star neighborhood in Compton, and then parked outside an ordinary residence.

After getting off the car, he opened the rear door himself. Martin straightened the buttons of the Armani suit and got out of the car with a straight face.

“How about going to **** mother’s cooking skills? Mr. Hart, I will give the video to my brothers and play it in the neighborhood bar for the **** to watch. Don’t worry, everyone will watch it carefully. After they finish watching, you can go over and talk to me.” They say a few words, there is no need to waste too much time, after all, there are too many people, and the smell inside will be very unpleasant.”

Martin nodded: “Very well, you can arrange it and take care of it.”

Stanley handed the video tape to a black child outside the door, smiled and took out the change and handed it to the other party, and said a few words. The seven or eight-year-old black kid immediately ran away with the video tape, and Stanley accompanied Martin into his own room. Home.

As soon as the door was pushed open, six or seven black women were sitting around a round table in the living room. They were skillfully handling the ten-pound packs of hemp on the table with sub-bags. Each small pack would be carefully weighed.

The leader was a bloated black old lady with kind eyebrows and kind eyes. When she saw Martin walk in, she subconsciously stood up and wiped her hands with her apron:

“This is Mr. Hart?”

“Yes, Mom.” Stanley finished speaking to the old lady and introduced to Martin: “This is my mother. Everyone calls her Mrs. Jack.”

“Hello, Mrs. Jack, I’m Martin, Martin Hart.” Martin said with a smile to the old lady.

“Hey, it’s time for you to go. Didn’t you see a distinguished guest coming to Jack’s house?” The old lady clapped her hands and motioned for a few women to clean up the hemp on the table: “Hurry up, don’t make me look like a drug lord here.” It’s like my lair.”

Several black women quickly put away the hemp, then pushed open the door and walked out.

“Uh… I thought it was Jack’s business.” Martin was relieved to see the women take all the hemp.

When he saw that scene just now, he was still worried that if the police appeared, they would arrest him together.

“Jack’s family doesn’t do this kind of business, it’s all the neighbors’ business. I just help them when I’m idle, and let them chat with me to pass the time. This neighborhood is full of warm-hearted neighbors.” Mrs. Jack said kindly to Martin smiled and said:

“Come from the east coast, I guess you must have never eaten Compton-style soul food, I will prepare one for you, Mr. Hart.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Jack.” Martin thanked the old lady, then looked at the empty living room, and said to Stanley next to him, “It looks pretty good here.”

Stanley nodded gently: “Yes, the neighbors here in Star of Africa are very kind and simple, which is why our family has settled here for fifty years. It also has another name…”

“Hey~~Stanley~Hey, mom, is there any rat poison? Can you give me some rat poison?” Just as Stanley finished his introduction, a young black man wearing a gold chain and dressed like a hip-hop singer pushed open the door Walked in, greeted him first, and then yelled at Mrs. Jack in the kitchen.

Stanley introduced to Martin: “My brother, Josh.”

Mrs. Jack dragged her fat body to the kitchen door: “Josh? We don’t have rat poison at home, but we have mouse traps, dozens of them.”

“Forget it, that guy’s intestines were all beaten out by Roger, isn’t it inhumane to torture him with a mousetrap? I’ll go to the neighbor’s house and ask.” Josh, the youngest brother of Jack’s family, muttered , turned and walked out.

Martin digested the conversation between the two, and then looked at Stanley who was sitting next to him: “What did you and your mother say about the neighborhood just now?”

“The neighbors here are warm-hearted, kind, and simple.” Stanley said to Martin.

Martin nodded: “That’s right, you’re so **** warm-hearted, so **** simple, do you think there’s another name for this neighborhood called Star of Africa?”

Stanley pushed his glasses: “Yes, and the name of our gang, Compton Executioner.”

…

In Tommy’s office, Rick lowered his head and said to Tommy with some guilt:

“Mr. Hawke, the cost of this one-hour trial recording of “Looking for Dad in America” ​​has reached 500,000 yuan. I have tried my best to reduce the cost, but there is no way. 500,000 yuan is the minimum. As far as I know, The cost of a reality show with the same theme is between 600,000 and 750,000.”

Not long after the first trial recording of “Looking for Dad in America” ​​was completed, Rick Luthor rushed back to the TV station from the Hollywood production company immediately after simply arranging the trial recording work for other projects, and pleaded guilty to Tommy.

According to the cost budget he made before, he thought that the first phase would only need 350,000 US dollars to complete, but when the recording actually started, he realized that the expenses were more expensive than previously imagined.

I thought that the post-production was similar to the post-production of small movies, but when I entered the post-production stage, I realized that everything was completely different from making small movies with vivid colors.

Although in order to control costs, BT Film and Television Production has not dared to entrust the TV program production departments of Columbia, Warner, Fox and other large companies to help with the production, but chose Casevina, who is in the second-tier echelon of the TV program production industry. independent company, but after the trial run of the project, overspending is still unavoidable.

For example, it is just a black starless reality show, and the other party actually arranged a post-production team including 17 staff members to help start the work in the post-production stage. This is completely unimaginable for Rick Luthor.

When the material is in full swing, after the material shooting is completed and it enters post-editing, there are only two employees working, and those two employees can complete all editing, modification, compression of scenes, design of cover, processing of sound effects and so on.

But here in Hollywood, there are seventeen employees, including editors who are responsible for editing materials, editors who are responsible for reviewing materials, editors who are responsible for reviewing and editing finished raw films, editors who modify details, special sound effects artists, and special visual effects. Teacher, dedicated subtitle teacher…

It’s not that Rick didn’t communicate with the production company of the other party, asking if they could streamline the post-production team, but the other party just told Rick that this is only a standard configuration in the process of Hollywood TV programs, and that manpower can be increased, but reduction is impossible.

Rick didn’t even dare to get angry, because as long as Rick quarrels, the other party can immediately breach the contract reasonably, not only do not have to work, but also get paid in full.

“We all know, Rick, that television is not an industry that can be opportunistic. You have to spend real money to produce high-quality programs in order to gain a foothold.” Tommy did not show anger at Rick at all, but comforted him calmly. Looking at each other:

“As I said, I will guarantee that BT TV’s weekly budget for program production and procurement will not be less than two million. We are for black people and for the sake of TV art. We must not pay too much attention to the cost! Believe that you are doing the right thing! Art is priceless!”

Hearing Tommy’s words, Rick immediately looked at his boss with admiration. No matter how unbearable this **** thought of black people before, at this moment, he is impeccable.

After all, this means that he has to take out 2 million a week, rain or shine, for BT TV station’s expenditure on program production and procurement.

Two million a week, eight million a month, and ninety-six million a year.

It sounds like a lot, but it’s actually not much. Based on the cost of a single episode of 500,000 yuan, it’s just enough to open four self-made variety shows a week, which can’t fill the seven-day prime-time period, and it’s impossible to spend two million yuan. All are used for self-made projects, and part of the funds must be used to purchase ready-made programs.

For example, buying some old dramas that were popular or with good ratings to fill up the playing time, and purchasing non-exclusive and non-first dramas cost much less than self-produced projects, such as buying the popular “Beverly Hillbillies” back then. “The three-year non-exclusive right to broadcast the comedy, a single episode only needs to pay 20,000 US dollars.

Nowadays, if you want to make your own comedies with the same theme, even if all the actors are not well-known stars, the cost of a single episode will not be less than 750,000.

The 280-episode “Beverly Hillbillies” only needs 5.6 million, and it can be broadcast on TV for three years, and if BT TV wants to make a 280-episode series, it has a large number of comedians The total cost of such a luxury comedy is almost astronomical. Except for the three major TV networks and those giant film companies, no other companies dare to plan such a large-scale project.

Therefore, two million, in Rick’s view, means that he has to use a cost of one million to help his boss design two self-made projects with enough ratings per week to be gratifying enough to quickly attract advertisers for blood transfusions. One million, but also in the TV program market to purchase a lot of classic dramas or variety shows to fill their own time.

As the owner of a new TV station, Tommy gives 2 million program costs per week, which has exceeded 90% of independent TV stations in the United States.

After receiving Tommy’s comfort and encouragement, Rick, who was about to go back to Hollywood and continue working, got up and said goodbye. No matter how unfriendly Tommy was to black people before, if he gave out two million real money every week, at least he was sincere to the TV industry. .

He was very curious about what kind of business his boss relied on to make money to support his TV dream.

It’s a pity that he left too early, didn’t see Sophia walk in, and looked at Tommy behind the desk expressionlessly:

“Jim said, if you want him to help you convince clients to come out with money, use the name of crowdfunding for you to squander, make TV shows, you call him yourself, and he said that even if black people in California are real weeds, they should Give room to grow.”

“Don’t fool black people in California, can black people in California afford two million dollars a week? I’m not telling you, let you tell him, fool those officials in Africa with some high-return bullshit, let them take out the United Nations Give them the aid funds and the banknotes you have embezzled and vote for us. We promise to double their investment within three years, and then give them some unrealistic sweeteners, such as arranging a travel agency for their families to travel around the United States. To trick their wives and children into helping them immigrate to the U.S., let them see the beauty of the U.S., and let them believe that we rich Americans absolutely don’t bother to cheat them of the money in the hands of poor Africans!” Tommy heard Sophia sat up straight in dissatisfaction:

“I am helping black people to produce programs. African blacks are the ancestors of American blacks. It is right for the ancestors to spend money to make some programs for their children and grandchildren. I help black people to produce programs. I have shown a friendly attitude without charging. They are blacks. Isn’t it natural to pay for the production yourself? What’s more, art is priceless!”

Second update~

(end of this chapter)

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