King of Hollywood-Chapter 163 - : About the TV Drama

Chapter 163: Chapter 163: About the TV Drama

Every year at this time, countless predictions pour out as critics interpret the possible trends of the Oscars from their own perspectives, enriching the after-dinner conversations of Americans and pitting die-hard fans against each other over their favorite actors or directors. After all, the Oscars are a grand event in the film industry.

However, Adrian, as one of the subjects of debate, had no interest in making definitive responses. Even when surrounded by reporters at parties, he would brush them off with stock phrases, such as thanking the Golden Globe judges for awarding Best Picture to “Scent of a Woman,” or proclaiming that Pacino and Thompson merited their awards, that it was normal not to get Best Director, and so on. But he steadfastly refused to discuss anything substantive, like predicting the future of the Oscars.

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“They say he’s probably concocting a new movie; the title ‘workaholic’ isn’t given for nothing,” the media teased.

Indeed, Adrian was busy, engaging in work for the first time since resting for over a month. But this time, it wasn’t about films. Rushing to produce three different types of movies last year had been tough enough; he didn’t need to repeat that this year.

This time, he was occupied with a TV series. After Jennifer Aniston revived his memories of “Friends” at the party that night, he immediately had his company start gathering related information. Fortunately, the situation was ideal. There wasn’t a single similar TV script, so after providing the television department with a rough concept, he quickly had the screenwriters start writing the first episode.

Of course, Adrian didn’t get too involved. He simply kept giving feedback on the completed scripts and sending them back for rewriting, until he was satisfied. He wasn’t interested in producing a TV series, nor was it possible for him to remember all the contents of every episode. That responsibility fell to the television department’s team, so they had to thoroughly grasp the show’s themes and direction.

...

“The friendship between the six characters is key. They may have their quirks, and they may bicker over trivial matters, but once they’ve calmed down, each reflects and shows understanding for the others. That’s why the series is named ‘Friend,'” Adrian stated from the head of the long office table, scanning the staff on both sides.

Seeing them all listen attentively, he continued, “We all know a TV series airs one episode per week. To keep viewers hooked, there are mainly two ways—first, leaving enough suspense to make them curious about what happens next; second, making them laugh heartily so they want to continue feeling happy. ‘Friends’ used the second approach, but please note, ladies and gentlemen, the humor must be relatable, making viewers feel that the six main characters could be living right next to them, facing funny situations that they themselves might encounter at any time. It doesn’t need to be over-the-top. It should capture the essence of the characters. Do you understand?”

At this point, Adrian rifled through the folder in his hands and pulled out two scripts, waving them: “For instance, Zachary and Richard’s eighth episode—Ross might be stubborn and a bit rigid, but he’s not inflexible. On the other hand, Sergio, Allison, and Chiwetel did well in episode ten. Joey’s slow uptake, Phoebe’s neuroticism, and Rachel’s occasional ditziness were all spot on. You can compare and see; I’ve already noted my thoughts on them.”

He tossed the two scripts to Clark, the team leader on his left, who quickly flipped through them before passing them along. After everyone had a look and broke into several groups for discussion, Farmiga, the head writer, looked up cautiously at Adrian, “We’ll revise them as quickly as possible, Mr. Adrian.”

“Good, any other issues?” Adrian scanned the room again. Seeing no further comments, he waved his hand to signal the meeting’s end, “That’ll do. Casting can begin. Make a pilot as soon as possible and hand it over to the network.”

Although it took nearly half a month to finish roughly ten episodes of the first season, Adrian felt the TV department’s screenwriters had done quite well, especially since they had followed his directions closely for the first few episodes, with the last three left to their own creative devices. Apart from a slight mischaracterization of Ross in the eighth episode, the other two were done well. If the sample episodes could pass his review, he could entrust the series to them with confidence.

“If you hadn’t mentioned it before, I’d really have thought you were planning to produce a TV series,” Laverne muttered as he caught up from behind. Although he attended the meeting, he hadn’t spoken a word throughout.

“How could that be? Though I work like a maniac, I’m still just one person,” Adrian laughed, “Even though I produced three movies in one go last year, that was with the help of a team.”

With that, he patted Laverne’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Laver, the series will be well-received. You thought so too after reading the script, right?”

“Yes, so I am supportive,” Laverne shrugged, “To be frank, Ed, having you as a boss is both a blessing and a curse.”

“Because I can give you full trust and authority, but once I decide to do something, I’ll see it through no matter what, right?” Adrian smiled at him.

Laverne shrugged again without a word, and Adrian patted his shoulder once more. The two shared a smile; after two years of working together and the company’s growth, they had developed a strong rapport.

“Mr. Adrian,” an employee approached, “Mr. Dennis is waiting for you in your office.”

“Alright, I’m coming,” Adrian said, nodding to Laverne before leaving. However, after two steps, he turned back and added, “Oh, Laver, tell the HR director that I need a secretary assistant now.”

“A secretary assistant?” Laverne asked, puzzled.

“Someone who can be a secretary in the office and an assistant on set,” Adrian explained, “I need someone versatile, able to handle all the miscellaneous tasks.”

“Alright, I know, I’ll have them figure out a solution as soon as possible,” Laverne agreed.

Adrian nodded again and then walked towards his office.

“Hey Dan, sorry to keep you waiting.” As soon as he entered the office, Adrian saw Dennis, dressed in a light jacket, idly spinning in his chair and couldn’t help but greet him with a chuckle.

“Ah… Hey, Ed.” Dennis quickly pressed down on the chair and sprung up. Although he was very familiar with Adrian, he always instinctively maintained a respectful demeanor in the office.

“It’s alright, you have your own work to do,” Adrian said nonchalantly, waving his hand. “Besides, I’ve only been here for a few minutes.”

After a pause, Dennis curiously asked, “So, what are you busy with, a new movie?”

“Of course not,” Adrian suddenly sighed, “Why does everyone keep asking me that? Crow asks that, you ask that, is it so hard to believe that I’m working on something other than a new movie? Do I really look like a workaholic?”

“Probably because that’s how the media refers to you,” said Dennis trying not to laugh.

“It seems it will take a long time to change people’s perceptions of me,” Adrian said with a sense of helplessness, raising his hands and then sitting down behind his desk. “But it’s okay, I don’t have too many plans this year, and there aren’t many people to deal with either.”

“Sorry, Ed, it’s a pity,” Dennis said quickly, sitting back down.

“Pity?” Adrian looked at him, not understanding, but then he got it and shook his head with a mix of laughter and helplessness.

“It’s fine, I’m not taking it to heart,” said Adrian, waving it off nonchalantly.

The regret Dennis referred to was naturally about Kate’s departure. Adrian hadn’t deliberately publicized or concealed Kate’s departure, so those around him knew about it—fortunately, after the Golden Globe Awards banquet, he had been so busy inviting guests to the party that his plan to publicly reveal Kate’s identity as his girlfriend in front of reporters hadn’t been carried out. Otherwise, the media would surely be having a field day about it now.

“Really?” Dennis looked at him doubtfully, seemingly not convinced.

“Let’s talk about something else,” Adrian said, not wanting to explain further.

He indeed wasn’t taking it to heart; with Roger, his agent, he was well aware of Kate’s every move. If her departure had caused any trouble, it was that his life had become slightly disordered.

When Kate was still around, she organized most of the paperwork Adrian had at home, and now that she had suddenly left, things had become a mess. It took Adrian several days to categorize everything she had left behind. That’s why earlier he had asked Laverne to help him find someone who could be both a secretary and an assistant. During previous movie productions, he had a different assistant each time which always required an adjustment period, so Adrian decided to find someone who could do both jobs.

“I’m busy with a TV show, an idea that came to me because of your new girlfriend at the party. Of course, I’m just providing the concept and overseeing the beginning; the majority of the work is up to them,” Adrian described the meeting he had in the conference room, intending to steer the conversation towards “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” when Dennis, full of confusion, interrupted, “My new girlfriend? Since when do I have a new girlfriend?”

Adrian raised his eyebrows, “What, isn’t Miss Jennifer Aniston your new girlfriend?”

“How could Jennifer be my new girlfriend?” Dennis was more puzzled, “We’re just regular friends.”

“Regular friends? Then why on the night of the party did you…” Adrian was also confused.

“What about that night?” Dennis was still clueless.

Adrian’s mouth twitched, his hand tapped idly on the surface of his desk, and after thinking for a few seconds he looked at him and said, “Alright, talk about how you two met.” (To be continued, please visit www.qidian.com for more chapters and to support the author and legitimate reading!)