Chapter 844: Chapter 250: Before Step 2 No matter how lively an event is, it will gradually settle down over time, let alone the Oscars ceremony. Even if Sophie Marceau, as a French actress, won Best Actress, and even if the Miracle Director won Best Director and Best Picture again, it still cannot defy the rules. Of course, the relationship between the Miracle Girls and the Miracle Director always remains a hot topic of discussion and will continue to be discussed. Well, in fact, aside from some critics and filmmakers, people generally did not pay much attention to Adrian’s Best Director and Best Picture. Everyone knows he has created many miracles, everyone knows he is extraordinarily talented, everyone knows he has been a regular at the Oscars for years, everyone knows The Lord of the Rings trilogy—and the “poor” The Matrix trilogy, which the Miracle Director himself mentioned—has received an enormous response globally, with the vast majority of book fans believing the adaptation was very good, everyone knows he can produce any film… Winning Best Director and Best Picture isn’t a normal thing for him? As for the critics picking on the newly crowned Best Actress Sophie, oh, there’s always such commentary every year, just more this time around. Back then when they criticized Monica, did the Academy rescind the award? Just enjoy the excitement. So rather than discussing this, it’s better to discuss which Miracle Girl the Miracle Director will bring up next year, as that’s more meaningful. “Speaking of which, these people don’t seem to consider Nata as part of the Miracle Girls industry; is it because of the smoke bombs I threw out? It should be interesting by the end of the year,” Adrian said while browsing web pages with the mouse. “Isn’t this what you wanted to see?” Claude standing by the floor-to-ceiling window immediately replied, then waved his hand to pull the topic back: “Hey, have you seriously considered this, Ed?” “Did our opinions not reach consensus?” Adrian raised his head and spread his hands. “Of course not, without a doubt, Comcast is still more suitable to continue being its broadband provider, but…” Claude pursed his lips, “Do you think this is an opportunity for us?” “Do you want to acquire Disney?” Adrian couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “Why not? Eisner is about to step down, that’s without a doubt, even if he ultimately can prevent Comcast’s hostile acquisition,” Claude quickly said, “It was destined once he drove Disney’s last family member out of the board, even though Roy Disney is indeed not a competent businessman.” “So after we help them through the crisis, Eisner can’t help but turn a blind eye, right?” Adrian followed up, then frowned. Although AC Media suddenly snatched away the AT&T Broadband that Comcast had their eyes on a few years ago, it didn’t curb their desire to transform into a media group, so when Disney started having internal strife, they took the opportunity to want to make a hostile acquisition. Eisner certainly wouldn’t agree, but those in the board who were eager to move because of Roy Disney’s departure didn’t think the same, especially since Comcast offered a very high price. Comcast didn’t spend too much time and money on AT&T Broadband, and Disney, due to AC Media’s contention, had a smaller scale compared to its previous life; although it became more compact and efficient as a result, resisting Comcast wasn’t easy then, let alone now. However, advantages can turn into disadvantages, and when Eisner sought assistance from Redstone and Claude, they both agreed. In a previous life, Eisner considered using a merger to resist Comcast’s hostile acquisition; he didn’t need to actually do it, but just posturing was enough. But when he found Redstone, the latter explicitly rejected his proposal. At that time, Viacom had CBS, and Disney had ABC, and if they did such a thing, Comcast could make a big fuss over regulatory challenges. However, Disney’s ABC now belongs to AC Media, so this concern was gone, and then with Viacom and AC Media posturing, Disney naturally gained the confidence to keep Comcast out. No matter what, the world’s top-ranking media groups almost all started off in this field, including the young AC Media, so as Claude said before, Comcast is better off being a plain operator, which also represents a kind of collective antagonism. Adrian just didn’t expect that Claude really had the thought of taking Disney into possession. “I oppose it.” Closing his eyes to think carefully for a moment, passing many things through his mind once, Adrian gave his answer, “We don’t need it.” “Don’t need it?” Claude frowned; evidently, this answer did not match his intentions. “That’s right, Disney has what we have, Disney doesn’t have what we certainly do, so why do we necessarily need Disney?” Adrian spread his hands and said. Honestly, at first, he was indeed tempted; after all, the Disney brand alone was enough to attract him, let alone their not-so-bad operational capability. But everything has pros and cons, especially at this level of acquisition. Adrian, although relatively mediocre in business, has accumulated much experience over the years, and he can see the future. Therefore, he believes AC Media doesn’t need to acquire Disney now. “It’s simple, the market,” Claude immediately shared his view, “Disney occupies a considerable share of the children’s and teenagers’ market; they have an inherent advantage in this area. Although we’ve made many efforts and achieved good progress with your support, reaching their current level will take some time. Since that’s the case, isn’t it better to integrate them into our system? Moreover, Disney has quite a history.” Hearing the last part, Adrian couldn’t help but laugh; he roughly understood Claude’s thought. From a certain angle, it aligns a bit with his own reasons for being tempted. “I had someone analyze their financial situation in detail; indeed, if the acquisition succeeds, we will incur a lot of debt, but for us in good operational condition, the burden isn’t substantial, completely worthwhile,” Claude continued. “I believe this, Crow, since you said it, there definitely isn’t a problem, but my concerns don’t lie above this,” Adrian said, after organizing his words, “You know, our future isn’t there.” “Yes, yes, I know, our future is in networking, you’ve said it a hundred times, Ed,” Claude was somewhat displeased, “but this doesn’t conflict with acquiring Disney, does it?” “I remember, Eisner, while seeking help from us, also sent the same message to News Corporation, but Murdoch clearly stated they wouldn’t consider it,” Adrian paid no mind to his attitude, “I realize, although AC Media essentially ranks first in the media industry, News Corporation always closely follows, if we don’t diligently maintain momentum we’ll be surpassed by them. But, Crow, sometimes we should look more at the opponent’s mindset. Yes, acquiring Disney would allow us to once again expand our scale, but as the adage goes, a clever rat can easily be overwhelmed, and blind expansion can easily drag us down.” He paused here, carefully observing Claude’s expression before continuing: “Disney does well in the youth market, but we’re doing well too, and I already have several good ideas, so why rush to swallow this seemingly tasty cake urgently now? Our future is in networking; I’ve said it many times. Google has already confirmed they will go public this year, sure to become the most notable IT stock in years, not to mention Victor operates Facebook, YouTube, and the newly launched Twitter very well.” Claude showed a contemplative expression, which allowed Adrian to breathe a sigh of relief: “We’re ahead of other media groups in this aspect every time, it’s the thing we should most emphatically manage. Why focus solely on Disney? Let them appear as an independent media group to the public, better than us being on the forefront.” Finally, he stood up and concluded: “We are still young, Crow, that’s our greatest advantage, we—are already legendary!” This statement was what Adrian truly wanted to say. Just like most Americans subconsciously envy Europe’s history, Claude hopes the group can possess more seasoned companies. The most underestimated aspect of AC Media has always been its youth. From its inception as a small company to its current scale, it has been barely over ten years, and lack of heritage has become one of its labels — even future acquisitions of Universal and Polygram won’t change that. This is another important reason besides market factors for Claude wanting to acquire Disney. Adrian thought the same at first, but thanks to his experiences from his previous life, he knows that heritage can sometimes be an honor, and sometimes a burden. Just like people; when young, they are always passionate, impulsive, and daring. As they age, after seeing so much, they gradually become conservative. As a company, AC Media is still quite young, and as leaders, Adrian and Claude are similarly youthful — not even comparing with old figures like Eisner, Murdoch, or Redstone, even compared with these corporations’ front-facing CEOs, they are still quite young. So, why bother competing on this? Besides, as Adrian just mentioned, they are already legends. In just over ten years, Adrian and Claude have transformed from obscurity into some of the most influential individuals in the media industry, with the former being a renowned Miracle Director. AC Media has also grown from a small enterprise into a media group of significant influence worldwide, with its miraculous development journey becoming a staple in MBA courses across schools. Throughout history, one could count such rapid development with just two hands, calling it a living legend is not an exaggeration. In fact, Adrian’s grand plan is advancing towards this goal, of course, mostly for himself. “Alright.” Claude finally relented, “I will have someone reassess it.” He did not explicitly express giving up, implying he still has his own ideas, which is not surprising. Adrian fully understands, and he knows Claude surely has other demands. “However,” Claude did continue with a smirk, “you must ensure we make certain advances in the teenage market.” “Alright,” Adrian responded with mixed emotions, “I’ve mentioned I already have some ideas.” Adrian indeed has ideas, good ones. Without the ten-year burden of ABC, without conflicts and haggling with Miramax, although Eisner’s contraction strategy may make Disney’s scale seem smaller compared to other media conglomerates, it is still relatively expansive, and quite profitable overall. Hence, their internal strife will certainly be prolonged, at least longer than Adrian remembered, providing him an opportunity as he has discovered many interesting things. After resolving this matter, Adrian promptly shifted his focus to other areas. The Oscars are over, having secured a second Best Director statuette as a strong start, naturally proceeding to the second step of his plan, since he is a director and producer, not needing the constant exposure in front of cameras like a star. Thus, Adrian began his busy preparatory work for “Brokeback Mountain,” not just for the upcoming exterior filming in Montana — indeed, most of this film is shot on location — but also arranging a series of other tasks. Acquisition or assisting Disney need not be mentioned, as Claude hasn’t completely forsaken his view, requiring several more discussions. Adrian feels he might be overlooking something, during persuading Claude, an idea fleetingly surfaced in his mind; he couldn’t grasp it, and now it is elusive. Such situations are normal, though Adrian’s memory is good, it doesn’t mean he can recall anything at any moment. Besides, there is the post-production of “Walk the Line,” with the “Matrix” trilogy and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy now completed, he can invest more energy into making it more polished, despite spending limited effort on those trilogies. Moreover, some films or TV series require attention; for instance, Scarlett starring in “Garden State,” scheduled for release in late March during a lull season, while “King Kong,” directed and produced by Peter Jackson with Naomi as the female lead, also aims at this year’s summer block. Regarding the former, not much to discuss; Adrian glanced at it briefly. This film, themed “a slightly unhinged youth regains self through love and friendship,” is prevalent; “Garden State” doesn’t stand out particularly. However, compared to the original Natalie, Scarlett may lack in temperament but is more lively and quite endearing, suited for such roles. And though, such films might be clichéd, they always have a market, and as long as the plot is decent, the reputation wouldn’t tank, plus the low cost allows fetching some returns, making it perfect to retain Scarlett’s popularity. As for “King Kong,” how to put it, under Adrian’s intervention, this version of “King Kong” has improved significantly. At least King Kong, the protagonist, appears well before midway through the plot, pacing is decent, and the grand spectacle is edited well, yet… Peter Jackson is still better suited for purely fantastical films. His obsession with CGI remains, leading to overly rendered effects; although the island King Kong inhabits looks stunningly enchanting, the overly distinct hue gradients render an unreal feeling. In movies like “The Lord of the Rings,” inherently fantasy-based, this is fine, but within a reality-rooted film, it tends to feel out of place. Nevertheless, Adrian didn’t elaborate, preferring to let Jackson observe the market’s response once the movie releases. Seeing that he depicted Naomi so beautifully. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn N0v3l.Fiɾe.net Naomi’s portrayal in “King Kong” is extraordinarily captivating, especially in the opening scenes reflecting suffering during the Great Depression, presenting a tender, endearing vulnerability. Enough to evoke empathy from many, thus Adrian is delighted he employed some minor means to keep her by his side earlier. Originally intending to let her master some backstage or filming skills, yet that seems to require more time. His rationale for having Naomi handle the camera while filming “Cheating Wife” with Nicole was to gauge whether she might support him in the future. You know, from lighting to props to filming, it’s all under his charge, terribly inefficient. To date, he only accomplished the adult film “Betrayed Shakespeare;” though “Cheating Wife” completed shooting with difficulty, editing still requires time, which is among his current busyness too. Fortunately, Sophie is gradually getting comfortable with directing, maybe not as inherently talented as other female directors but satisfactorily decent. Letting her helm the camera, alongside his guidance, the results are surely better. Alright, Adrian might not have ulterior motives initially persuading Sophie into directing, yet he certainly does now, seeking to cultivate other women likewise. Having everyone gather and strive for a woman’s debut adult film, ah, that must be amusing, fostering better relationships and… tighter encirclement around him. Much like Naomi, as Adrian passionately intertwined with Nicole in front of the lens while suggesting payment could adopt a “VIP card” method, she privately hinted at wanting a “VIP card.” Adrian would certainly not refuse, after all following this year and the next, the pursuit for Best Actress is temporarily pausing; Naomi wishing for this facet would at least take three or four years, aptly implementing. Of course, time is needed, this year at least two women await processing, proceed leisurely, like teaching her camera operation or lighting similarly. This sums up what Adrian needs to do prior to preparing for “Brokeback Mountain” — oh, besides one latent scheme, long-planned. (To be continued. 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