Chapter 12

After many twists and turns, Shakira finally saw the song.

The first time they contacted her, they had already specifically stated that the song was for an advertisement, needed urgently, and the price was negotiable. However, her agent didn't even check the email, making them wait for several days in vain. When Kong Yiji called to inquire, the agent even claimed that they hadn't received the email and asked for it to be resent, which almost made him kick the wall in frustration.

Only when they heard that the song was for a Motorola phone advertisement did the other side take it a bit more seriously. After all, Motorola was still a big brand, but their attitude remained arrogant, "If the song is too bad, our Shakira won't sing it."

They called in several professional musicians to evaluate the song and had a few minor singers try it out several times. The more they listened, the better it sounded, and they finally determined it was a rare classic. Only then did they hand it over to Shakira.

Shakira loved the song as soon as she finished recording it and wanted to buy the copyright to include it in her new album. Fortunately, Chen Tiandu was alert and had already registered the copyright in the United States, otherwise, if someone else had registered it first, there would have been no way to argue the case.

Chen Tiandu's original intention was to exchange the song's copyright for the right to use it in the advertisement, but now he changed his mind and not only refused to pay a penny but also wanted to sell it at a high price.

Actually, it was also Chen Tiandu's fault for not understanding the market. If they hadn't contacted the other side for an advertisement, no one would have paid attention to them. An advertisement means money, and anything involving money always gets more attention.

If an ordinary person wrote a song, they probably wouldn't make a penny. Nowadays, there are countless people recommending their own songs, and unless you have a reputation, you have to pay to get someone to sing it and send a demo to the record company's production department, where the producer decides whether to use it. If the situation were in China, it would be simpler because the domestic music industry doesn't have many producers, and they often need to buy works from unknown authors. But abroad, self-promotion is almost a dead end.

This lesson was profound, but fortunately, they eventually reached an agreement.

After the Motorola executives saw the advertisement, they were very surprised.

Although all the actors were Chinese, the style was entirely Western. The new song by Shakira as the advertisement's theme was a classic in every sense. Shakira is a significant figure in the Latin music scene, and for a small Chinese company to have this capability was truly impressive. The combination of the creative concept and the music was perfect, almost unbelievable.

Even if it were shown in Western countries, it would undoubtedly be a classic. However, when it was shown in China, they were concerned that the domestic audience might not understand the English phrase "Marry me" and that the advertisement wouldn't be widely accepted.

"This is an unreasonable assumption. The keyboard on your phone is all letters. Would someone buying your phone not understand those simple four words? English is already a required course in China's compulsory education, and very few people don't recognize those words."

Chen Tiandu rebutted bluntly, "Moreover, the bosses know the customers' mentality better than I do. The more they use foreign phrases, the more people will think the Motorola phone is high-end, and they will rush to buy it."

Of course, it was a success. Only a fool would be unmoved by the advertisement.

When the advertisement finally aired, it had been more than a month since the initial contact. When the new phone advertisement appeared in the media, many people were surprised.

"This advertisement... is pretty good, very impressive."

"Can a domestic advertisement reach this level? The more I watch, the more I enjoy it. The woman is stunning, but the male lead is a bit weak."

"The song is great. What song is it?"

"Hey, isn't the guy proposing the same as the toothpaste ad's 'toothpaste' and the old man playing the violin in the Pantene ad?" Someone recognized Huang Bo and was surprised that he had starred in three high-quality advertisements. Upon further inquiry, it turned out that all three advertisements were from the same company.

A classic is a classic, and true gold will shine anywhere. Chen Tiandu shot three advertisements, all of which were listed as classic cases and studied and emulated by major advertising companies.

This was February 1997, and the passing of the great leader Deng Xiaoping was the biggest event of the first half of the year. The biggest event of the second half would undoubtedly be the return of Hong Kong, which Deng had pushed for. Sadly, he wouldn't live to see it, as it was only a few months away...

The political world was too distant, but in the advertising industry, the emergence of these three advertisements was a memorable moment. Advertisers began to pay more attention to creativity, and advertising companies faced greater pressure. Ten years later, when the internet was highly developed, and enthusiasts selected the top ten classic advertisements, these three always made the list.

Yuan Quan and her classmates also saw the advertisement. Hu Jing exclaimed, "Wow, Yuan Quan, you look amazing. How did you achieve such an effect? You look like a real beauty."

"The key is the lighting, music, and the rain streaming down the glass, which makes Yuan Quan look very elegant," Zhang Zhiyi added, her eyes sparkling with longing, "So beautiful."

This beauty was different from the young girl in the Pantene ad, a rich Western style, sexy, hazy, and intellectual. Of course, the main reason was Huang Bo's funny proposal, which became a model for many men and women. Many people searched for information about the female lead online. Huang Bo, after starring in three classic advertisements, was no longer unknown, and some people would remember him as an actor.

"Should I treat my senior classmate to a meal? Zhiyi already did," Yuan Quan asked hesitantly, almost embarrassed. She also loved the image of herself in the advertisement, so beautiful that it didn't seem like her.

Mei Ting urged, "Treat him, and bring us along to meet him. Build a relationship with your senior classmate; maybe he'll consider us for future roles."

She was the only one in the class who had starred in a TV series before entering the school, but she didn't know that in a few months, she would have a conflict with a school leader over a TV series and drop out to act.

Where there are people, there is a江湖 (jungle). A few years later, the "principal" would be famous nationwide, and the Central Academy of Drama (Zhongxi) would be considered a holy place. Under the official-centric system, Zhongxi, a place of interest, was even more so. A few years later, when a performance teacher surnamed Huang's sexual assault scandal was exposed, and he was imprisoned, it would cast a shadow over the performance department.

This is a side story, and we'll leave it for now.

However, this dinner invitation was destined to fail. Kong Yiji informed them that Chen Tiandu was already in the United States.

As soon as he landed, he saw a middle-aged man holding a sign with his name. He walked over and deliberately blocked the man several times before the middle-aged man realized this young man might be the one he was waiting for.

"It's me," Chen Tiandu smiled and pointed to the sign.

"Are you Mr. Chen, Christmas Chen?" The middle-aged man was somewhat incredulous.

Chen Tiandu laughed, "If you're looking for a handsome guy, then yes, it's me."

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Chen. I'm Toby Hawkins. I originally thought that a Chinese person who could write so well about the Normandy landing would be a learned historian, but I didn't expect..."

"To be this handsome, right?"

Chen Tiandu shrugged, shook his hand, and said, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Hawkins. You can call me Christmas. I think Americans would like that name."

"Ha ha, yes, Christmas. Everyone loves Christmas." Toby Hawkins smiled, "Welcome to America, welcome to the 'Saving Private Ryan' production team. Your hotel is already booked, and you can contact me for any needs during this time."

"Thank you very much."

That's right, the first movie Chen Tiandu downloaded was 'Saving Private Ryan.'

With limited bandwidth, the quickest way to maximize benefits was to aim for the top. He was targeting the Jews. Since he was going to learn from them, following a big director would surely be more rewarding, even if it was just for the prestige.

He was now a screenwriter.

Screenwriters abroad and in China are quite different.

Chen Tiandu's phone couldn't browse real-time information about future politics, economics, etc., but some entertainment news occasionally leaked out. He remembered reading a report about the state of screenwriters in China a few years later:

In China, screenwriters' compensation only accounts for 5% to 10% of a production's budget. Generally, Beijing's film and television companies invest about 6% to 8% of the total budget in scripts, while the proportion in Shanghai is even lower. A mature screenwriter in Beijing earns between 20,000 to 40,000 yuan per episode, while in Shanghai, it's only 10,000 to 20,000 yuan. Only well-known screenwriters can receive a share of the broadcast profits, such as the famous screenwriter Hai Yan, who can get 20% to 30% of the total profit.

Of course, in 1997, the percentage would be even lower, and the television industry was far less developed than in later years.

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