Chapter 51: Promotional Tactics

Yesterday, being surrounded was unpleasant for William White, and he didn't plan to be a spectacle again. School wasn't much of a problem, but the crowd of reporters outside was extremely annoying. As his fame grew, this kind of trouble would only increase. Thus, a professional security team was necessary. His previous bodyguards, though loyal, lacked professional training. Fortunately, you can find any kind of bodyguard if you're willing to pay. In Texas, things were better. Reporters there wouldn't cling to you like a bad penny. His bodyguards in Texas were not professional but were extremely tough. If you got on their nerves, they wouldn't hesitate to shoot. When they talk about legal gun ownership, it doesn't mean you can carry guns on the streets. That's definitely not allowed. But Texas was an exception. The law allowed carrying guns, and some people even took guns to concerts. This is no joke. So, you better not lip-sync in Texas, or you might get shot. Los Angeles was different. At most, you could carry a taser. It's fine for dealing with weaklings, but not much help against big tough guys. There's a difference between cowboys and professional security. When an unexpected incident happens, the cowboy's first reaction is to draw his gun and shoot. If there's an attack, no problem, but if there's a misunderstanding, then it becomes a real mess. Even though there wasn't a Blackwater-like security company back then, there were plenty of similar small-scale operations. Since these people were outsiders, Fulton was naturally not reassured, so he added two of his own men. Thus, William White ended up with a five-person security team. Although having bodyguards was a bit inconvenient, it was worth it for his safety. The world has never been safe, and it was especially true in those times. Almost all spy-themed movies of later generations came from that era. There might be some fictional parts from authors, but some events were real. It wasn't until the end of the bipolar world order that spies, a historical product, began to decline. ... William White was in a good mood lately. Thanks to the Hunter family's efforts, his wealth increased daily, making money off his enemies was indeed very satisfying. Police Academy had already grossed over $150 million at the North American box office. Barring any major surprises, it was sure to be the top-grossing film of the year. Hollywood's bigwigs were understandably embarrassed, with the second-ranked film barely breaking past $50 million, and that's with the Oscar boost. Without it, it would have struggled to even reach $30 million. Everyone thought William White would shoot a sequel next year, but they were wrong again. While he did plan to shoot a new movie, it wasn't going to be Police Academy. People really underestimated his eccentricity. What they thought didn't matter to him at all. Is $150 million really impressive? Well, he just wasn't going to shoot a sequel. Hollywood had this problem; they would shoot two movies a year if they could, as long as there was money to be made, over-exploitation be damned. William White wasn't short on IPs, and he didn't want to over-exploit any of them. Home Alone was different; it'd go up to three parts max. Once the kid grows up, it loses its charm. The last one was kind of forced, just like Shirley Temple. Once she grew up, she wasn't so cute anymore. While Hollywood was still fretting over Police Academy, he had already started promoting his second movie. The promotion this time was quite shameless, starting with the fierce child actor competition, then talking about how tough it was for the mother, and finally discussing the director's harshness. The more tragic, the better. In short, the film was done by the original crew of Police Academy, and its comedy level was unparalleled. If you still couldn't laugh, they'd offer refunds. Hollywood was confused. How did a perfectly good movie turn into a TV reality show? Were they not doing trailers this time? Why only show behind-the-scenes footage? Did audiences really like this sort of thing? Turns out, the audience did like it. Little Kevin was absolutely adorable. The audience lambasted the strict director, and some even suggested that child protection agencies should be involved. If there's a kid on set, of course there are relevant agencies involved. No way could a director mistreat kids. If there were animals, even more organizations would be involved. You couldn't just kill a maggot during filming; these people were so idiotic. Best not to have a lobster feast in the movie. That lobster would have to be either electrocuted to death or drowned. In short, you absolutely couldn't kill it live, or the movie wouldn't go on. ... White Films' promotion strategy was clearly effective. It was a family-friendly movie, and if the timing was right, many people would want to see it, thinking maybe their own mischievous kid would learn a thing or two. After a child protection agency clarified things, Home Alone successfully cleared its name, and the film's reputation soared even higher. Hollywood couldn't understand this smear-and-clear approach at all. They thought it was a waste of time. Unfortunately for them, the tactic didn't irritate the audience at all but was well-received instead. Surveys showed Home Alone as the top pick for many families for the Christmas season. Who was the second choice? Turned out there wasn't even a decent competitor. Based on current analysis, Hollywood was about to take a hit again. If this movie became another blockbuster, they'd really have no dignity left to show. William White was busy with post-production. Although time was still ample, he couldn't delay any longer. Several versions of trailers needed to be prepared quickly, as advertising would start in October. ***** https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.