Chapter 206: The Art of Public Relations

After finalizing the charity theme for the photography exhibition with Angelina Jolie, Ethan resumed filming Fifty Shades of Grey.

It wasn't until the evening that he finally had time to take portrait shots.

Angelina Jolie was very cooperative, exposing most of her skin and allowing Ethan's camera to scrutinize her.

Ethan couldn't help but think that if Brad Pitt saw this, he might punch him.

After all, Angelina Jolie's figure was undeniably breathtaking.

Luckily, Ethan wasn't shooting nude art. Otherwise, once the exhibition opened, he might become the public enemy of many Hollywood male stars.

Once the shoot was completed, Angelina Jolie left Toronto overnight.

Meanwhile, Ethan instructed Jimmy to start contacting the press to create some buzz.

In just three days, news of the Ethan Li Norton Art Charity Photography Exhibition had spread throughout Hollywood.

Everyone knew about it now—about how Ethan planned to donate seventy percent of the proceeds to help impoverished children around the world.

This not only changed many people's perceptions of Ethan but also sparked genuine interest in the exhibition.

Many Hollywood media outlets began covering the exhibition's content and speculating about it.

"Aphrodite: The Embodiment of Desire"—this is the theme of Ethan's photography exhibition. From the name alone, it's clear that his work focuses on the human form. Many celebrities have claimed they have already participated or will soon, and Julia even said in an interview that this was the boldest shoot she had ever done.

"So, it's not hard to imagine—this is going to be an exhibition featuring highly provocative photography, possibly even with nude images of celebrities."

The term highly provocative photography immediately caught the public's attention, making everyone perk up.

Take, for instance, Puchi and Madden, who were browsing a bookstore at that moment.

"Oh my god! Ethan is taking nude photos of celebrities!" Puchi shrieked in excitement, his voice high-pitched.

"Hey! Dude! Keep it down." Madden quickly covered his mouth, glancing awkwardly at the passersby who were now staring at them.

Puchi broke free and asked, "Aren't you excited? These are female celebrities—Ethan's photos!"

"Uh…" Madden hesitated for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "Of course, I'm excited! I can't wait to see these actresses showing their most seductive sides through Ethan's lens!"

"So we have to go! How much are the tickets?"

"No idea, but look at the gallery hosting it—Gladstone Gallery. That's a high-end gallery. If we want to see it, I bet it's gonna cost a lot."

Upon hearing this, Puchi tossed the photo book in his hands back onto the shelf. "Then I'm not buying this."

"Are you sure? That's your favorite Hot Angels photobook."

Madden hadn't expected Puchi to resist the temptation.

"Hot Angels is nothing compared to real actresses! Julia, Angelina Jolie, and even more curvy, sexy celebrities—I have to see them!"

"Wow, you're right! I'd better start saving up too."

"You guys talking about the photography exhibition?" A white guy nearby overheard their conversation and joined in.

"Yes! Ethan's exhibition! You have to see it!" Puchi shouted, barely able to contain himself.

Thanks to his enthusiastic recommendation, more people around them started paying attention to the photography exhibition.

And over the next few days, the news spread even further, even reaching Wall Street elites.

"Ethan, I've already contacted friends at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers, and other firms, inviting them to your exhibition," Angelina Jolie announced excitedly when Ethan answered her call.

"That's fantastic, Jolie. Looks like our exhibition is going to raise a good amount for those children."

Ethan was also thrilled. The participation of these people would undoubtedly help him find the right investors.

"And there's one more person coming—someone really big. You'll never guess who!" Angelina Jolie teased.

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Who? Bill Gates?"

"Hahaha… of course not. It's Jeff Bezos."

"Amazon?" Ethan was surprised—it was none other than the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos.

"That's right. He and Pitt are pretty close. Once he got our invitation, he decided to come take a look. Ethan, if your work impresses him, it could sell for a high price."

"That's really great news."

Since its founding by Jeff Bezos in 1994, Amazon had been growing alongside the rise of the internet, making huge waves in the capital market.

According to last year's financial reports, Amazon's annual net profit was three hundred million dollars. Though still young, the company had immense potential and was already one of the top emerging internet firms.

However, Bezos wasn't exactly the kind of investor Ethan needed. Acquiring United Artists was no small feat—it required massive financial backing.

Ethan was more interested in high-level executives from investment firms.

But since this was just the beginning of the publicity phase, many business tycoons were still unfamiliar with the exhibition, and Ethan wasn't expecting them to show up en masse to discuss investments in person.

In traditional art auctions, most high-profile collectors sent representatives to bid on their behalf. The real collectors only participated remotely, usually by phone.

But Ethan's charity auction was different from an art auction. It was more like a gala or networking event, which was a key reason why he was confident it could attract these influential figures.

Meanwhile, as Ethan was busy with preparations for the photography exhibition, Charlie Novan was waiting outside a high-end restaurant.

Dressed in a light gray suit and a white dress shirt, his hair was neatly styled, gleaming under the streetlights.

After waiting for a while, he glanced at his watch and saw that there were only two minutes left until the scheduled time.

"They should be here soon."

Just as he finished speaking, a black Lincoln sedan appeared in his line of sight and soon pulled up in front of the restaurant.

The doorman at the entrance swiftly stepped forward to open the car door, and an elderly gentleman with a dignified demeanor stepped out.

Charlie Novan immediately walked up with a big smile. "Mr. Chavez, long time no see."

Loych Chavez, one of the Academy Awards judges, was also the oldest and most respected among them.

"Capture the king first"—although there was no such saying in America, the concept was something Americans had always practiced.

"Novan, indeed, it has been a while. Weren't you at Miramax?" The old man looked puzzled. Recently, he had received many invitations, but Charlie Novan's had been the most sincere, even choosing the most expensive restaurant in Los Angeles for their meeting.

"I've already left Miramax..." Charlie Novan didn't mention which company he was with now, as saying it outright would seem too deliberate.

Such things were best understood without being spoken.

Loych Chavez nodded and walked into the restaurant with Charlie Novan. However, once they sat down, they didn't immediately discuss movies but instead talked about art.

This was one of Loych's greatest passions—collecting art.

Charlie Novan chatted with him about market prices and current trends before they started eating.

Loych Chavez ate slowly, but the fact that he ordered several extra dishes showed that he was quite satisfied.

Once they had almost finished eating, Charlie Novan finally spoke up. "Have you watched any movies recently?"

"Movies? Of course, they are my life," Loych Chavez chuckled and took a sip of red wine.

"What about Memoirs of a Geisha?"

"Oh, not yet, but I've heard about it."

"Then you've really missed out on a great film," Charlie Novan said in mock surprise. "Right now, all of Hollywood is talking about it."

"Is that so?" Loych Chavez wiped his mouth with a napkin and watched as Charlie Novan took out a few newspapers.

"Absolutely." Charlie Novan read out the headlines—every single one was about Memoirs of a Geisha.

"This film has been receiving great reviews. If you have free time this weekend, you should check it out at the theater."

Charlie Novan started his pitch, though his tone made it sound more like a casual recommendation between friends.

"Hmm..." Loych Chavez chewed his steak thoughtfully and nodded. "What's the movie about?"

"It's a story about a group of women, a tragedy of an era, much like the inescapable fate of humanity." Charlie Novan explained the film's core themes and a brief synopsis, emphasizing the female characters without revealing the exact plot and ending.

That was because very few people knew that Loych Chavez had a particular fondness for films centered on women.

His influence had played a role in Monster winning an Oscar.

After listening, Loych Chavez put down his knife and fork. "Sounds interesting. Spielberg always finds fresh perspectives."

"Yes." Charlie Novan didn't correct him—the director was actually Ethan.

But that didn't matter. Their goal wasn't Best Director anyway.

Given Ethan's age and standing with the Academy, winning Best Director anytime soon was unlikely.

So, there was no need to waste effort on it.

"Alright, I understand. I'll try to find time to watch it," Loych Chavez said cautiously, not giving a definite answer.

"You might even want to take your family along and enjoy a memorable weekend together." Charlie Novan handed him an envelope containing five tickets—exactly the number of people in Loych Chavez's family.

Loych Chavez placed the envelope beside him. "You're right."

Twenty minutes later, as Charlie Novan watched the sedan drive away, he finally let out a breath.

Since Loych Chavez had accepted the tickets, he would go watch the film. And if he watched it, then Charlie Novan's efforts had succeeded.

Because Academy members didn't have time to watch every nominated film. For veteran and elderly judges like Loych Chavez, their energy was usually only enough to remember one or two films.

So, securing their attention in advance was crucial.

The next day, Charlie Novan drove to his company.

The full name of the PR firm was Bernays & Co., named in honor of America's public relations master, Edward Bernays.

He was the pioneer of the term "public relations" and one of Charlie Novan's idols.

Upon arriving at his office, he gathered his team and listened to reports on their progress from the previous night.

"Mike Jones accepted the movie tickets and promised to take his family."

"Hank Wayne took the tickets but was noncommittal."

"Hancock Dale didn't take the tickets because he had already seen the film."

"Tom Ficks wasn't interested in the movie and declined our offer."

"Ficks again." Charlie Novan shook his head. "That guy must have already been won over by Weinstein's people."

"Yeah, he took the money and now he's untouchable. But if he keeps doing this, sooner or later, he'll be kicked out of the Academy."

"That won't stop him from making a fortune first, will it?"

After a few complaints, the team continued their reports.

When the final tally was done, Charlie Novan found that out of the first batch of 20 judges they approached, only seven had refused—an impressively high success rate.

"Looks like Spielberg's name really carries weight," he joked. "If only our boss had that kind of reputation, we wouldn't have to work so hard."

"Hahaha," the team chuckled.

"Good. Since things are going well, keep up the PR efforts. Our target is 130 judges. No matter what, we need to get their support. I want the new boss to see what we're capable of. Understood?"

"Got it, boss!"

"Don't worry, boss!"

"Boss, can we switch restaurants? I'm getting sick of the food there," one of the more overweight guys tugged at his belt.

"Get lost!" Charlie Novan laughed. "You eat more than the judges do. Next time, if you order too much again, I'll dock your pay."

"No! Please don't, boss!" He immediately raised his hands in surrender.

Once everyone left, Charlie Novan called Ethan.

At that moment, Ethan was shooting the final scene of Fifty Shades of Grey. When he saw the call, he immediately halted filming.

"Charlie..."

"Boss, our PR campaign is in full swing, but there's something I need to inform you about."

"What is it?"

"The Weinstein brothers have also started their PR campaign. They moved up their timeline as well."

"Do you know which film they're backing?"

"Probably Brokeback Mountain."

"Brokeback Mountain... Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Ethan fell silent for a moment. That film was indeed a strong contender, with a powerful story and high visibility. Compared to other films, it had a significant advantage.

But Charlie Novan's information didn't match Ethan's memories.

Because in his previous life, the Weinstein brothers hadn't been involved with Brokeback Mountain. Could this be the butterfly effect at work?

Either way, since Weinstein was pushing that film, it meant Memoirs of a Geisha had an even smaller chance of winning Best Picture.

Both films told tragic stories of their times, but Memoirs of a Geisha suffered from its Japanese background—a major disadvantage.

However, Ethan wasn't planning to give up the award. Instead, he was thinking about adjusting his strategy.

If Memoirs of a Geisha had little chance, he could switch to another film.

A small-budget movie—Crash.

This film had premiered in Canada in 2004, was released in the U.S. in 2005, and went on to win Best Picture in 2006.

A true underdog success.

Using Crash to compete against Weinstein's campaign for Brokeback Mountain gave Ethan a much better chance of winning.

And it would also establish Bernays & Co. as a powerhouse in Hollywood PR.

Just imagine—if three Best Picture winners all came from the same PR firm, what would people think?

Bernays & Co. would be the talk of Hollywood and beyond.

"Looks like I need to give Lionsgate a call."

Yes, Crash's distributor was none other than Lionsgate.

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