The Pulse is Connected

Trailers are one of the most powerful tools for promoting a movie. They captivate audiences, drawing them into cinemas. In fact, there are movies that are more renowned for their trailers than the films themselves. Therefore, the effort that major film companies put into their trailers is no trivial matter.

However, talent can emerge from anywhere, and video editing experts are not in short supply. Fans of popular movies, actors, and directors often take it upon themselves to create fan-made trailers in support of their idols. This is especially common with blockbuster franchises like Marvel Studios' Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man.

Until recently, this phenomenon was limited to top-tier movies. But now, some fans have crafted a trailer for Crazy Love. Whether it's because of the film itself or because of Renly, it's hard to say. However, it's clear that the movie has recently topped the North American weekend box office, which validates its growing popularity.

Renly's response to Jie left him stunned. Jie hadn't anticipated this at all. "But this video already has over 2 million views on YouTube. Isn't it an official trailer?" he asked. "If it's just fan-made, how can it have such impressive numbers?"

Renly couldn't help but laugh at Jie's confused expression. "The music in the video is the movie's closing song, and it hasn't been used in any previous trailers," Renly explained. "The trailer might look familiar, but the music is distinct, and that's how I recognized it."

Derek Doremus, the director of Crazy Love, had always loved the song "Be Sure," feeling that it perfectly encapsulated the theme of the movie. He poured all his emotions into it. However, the song also posed a risk of revealing too much about the film's ending, so it was intentionally excluded from trailers.

This decision caused a bit of tension between Drake and Focus Pictures. The studio wanted to include the song in the trailer, believing it complemented the film's tone.

"Oh," Jie said, now understanding, and turned back to the screen. The video had disappeared, and the logo for The Tonight Show had returned. However, the music lingered in his mind, stronger than the visuals. It was like a fragrance, its melody stirring memories of the scenes he had just watched. It was even more powerful than the movie itself.

"Wait," Jie continued, still processing, "You said the music is from the movie's ending and hasn't been used before. How did this netizen get hold of it?"

As Renly was about to respond, he suddenly hesitated, realizing Jie had caught him in a trap. He gave Jie a sly look. "To be honest, I don't understand either," Renly said innocently, spreading his hands in a mock gesture of confusion.

Jie, realizing he had been outwitted, laughed and dropped the pretense. "How did you figure that out?" he asked, no longer playing the detective.

Renly shrugged. "Now, just now," he replied.

The exchange had the audience completely baffled. They were left trying to piece together what was happening, not quite sure if they were watching a talk show or a quiz. But soon enough, the atmosphere lightened as Renly's playful banter brought laughter from the crowd.

Jie, turning to the audience, explained, "How many of you know that Renly is an excellent singer?" He looked around the room, waiting for a response.

About thirty or forty hands went up. In a room of 300 people, the answer seemed underwhelming. This was exactly what Jay had been expecting.

"So, how many of you know that Renly released a solo album?" Jay asked, pressing further.

This time, the room fell silent as the hands slowly lowered. It seemed that Renly was still more famous for his roles in Fast & Furious 5 and Crazy Love than for his musical talent.

Jay smiled, continuing, "The ending song of Crazy Love was written and performed by Renly himself... and not only that, Renly recently released an album called Don Quixote."

Jay paused, clearly excited. "And in my opinion, this album is one of the best of the 21st century—better than Norah Jones' Go Away."

Renly chuckled lightly, but quickly turned the tables. "Excuse me, was the trailer video you just showed edited by your program team, or…?"

Jay responded quickly, "That was edited by fans. It reached 2 million views in just three days, one of the hottest videos this week."

Renly grinned, "Well, that puts my mind at ease. At least Crazy Love's popularity is real."

Jay raised an eyebrow, sensing Renly was not going to offer any further explanation. "Aren't you going to tell us the whole story? The ins and outs of everything?"

Renly shrugged playfully. "You've explained it all. It's late, and I don't want the audience to fall asleep—or worse, turn off the show."

Jay laughed at Renly's candid response, while the audience joined in, enjoying the lighthearted moment. But Jay's curiosity about the album had been piqued. He now turned to Renly, "So, tell us about this album. Why name it Don Quixote?"

Renly took a deep breath, his tone shifting to something more serious. "The name reflects something bigger than me," he began. "There are many people with dreams, just like Don Quixote, fighting windmills with spears. To others, we might seem crazy, but to us, this fight is everything. The real credit for the album goes to a group of people—an old man, a girl, a bartender, and an old friend. Don Quixote is about them as much as it is about me."

Renly's words hung in the air, weighted with meaning. Behind the album Don Quixote were stories of passion and dreams—stories not meant for a talk show, but for real life, lived by people who pursued their ambitions against all odds.