Hollywood Art: System of sunnys

The thick walls of the Lux Comics factory could be seen in the distance. His father had been anxious since the morning when he hurriedly woke him up. He put on his newest shoes, a dark blue suit with a matching tie. That could only mean one thing, there's something he doesn't know. Does he have an important business deal to close tonight? A business dinner, perhaps?

A smile spread across Mr. Carsen's candid white teeth. From the moment he smiled, it piqued his curiosity a bit more. He's not usually someone who smiles, nor just anyone. For some time now, WarnerMedia has been putting together different projects to compete against the ViacomCBS television network "Nickelodeon," which has been in the market since 1978, Disney Channel since 1980, and Fox Kids, which has already announced its new channel. The fight for television ratings is expected to intensify at the beginning of next year.

Anyone who lived through the 2000s and early 90s can happily acknowledge that the television series of that time marked a spiritual beginning for animation. From different perspectives, all television channels competed, whether through sitcoms or animated programs that left a lasting impact on childhoods with their wonderful comedies or pure entertainment value.

Now, Warner has set up some projects and channels to produce appealing series and revive some attractive programs for children. "The Flintstones," "Scooby-Doo," and "Yogi Bear" are part of their potential programming lineup, along with the Looney Tunes and some acquired programs from the MGM library.

The plan is to acquire the Hanna-Barbera animation studio to expand the animation catalog. Therefore, a police series and a basketball sports series have caught the attention of the board of directors as flagship products. The acquisition of these two copyright properties brings joy because under the leadership of Betty Cohen, the projection of the Cartoon Network channel would skyrocket. WarnerMedia would surpass its fierce rivals, who have years of advantage and a list of successes.

Thus, under the agreement of the board of directors, this meeting between the Comics company and Warner Network took place. With Betty Cohen leading the way, she saw the almost-abandoned warehouse and smiled. They were probably short on funds, but all they needed was a substantial sum for the film rights, and voilà, they would have a great IP for their programming.

She entered and saw the vast warehouse. It seemed like just the front, as the structure looked better than it appeared at first glance. The Lux Comics factory was organized, remodeled, and fixed up. The walls were painted, the floor was changed, and every corner was cleaned. Although it still seemed too big for so few people, the decision to purchase it was made under the premise of growth.

- Good morning, - greeted Anne, Billy's temporary secretary but overall administrator of the Lux Comics business.

-The Carsons will be here soon, please excuse the delay, - said Anne. - Follow me. -

They arrived at a large office filled with many drawings stuck on the walls. At first glance, one could see the quality of the artist. Betty Cohen, an incredible visionary, took her doubts to heart. Sometimes, it's better to polish these gems and give them an identity than to send them to the competition. If she manages to secure an exclusivity deal with Lux Comics, it's certain that for the next three years, Warner Network could become the biggest children's television channel in the United States.

- Would you like something to drink? - Anne asked.  - We have bottled water, coffee, Coca-Cola, and Sprite. -

-I'll have bottled water, - said Betty Cohen.

Anne's gaze turned to the two young men in the room.

-Thank you very much. - Bottled water sounds

A heavy team is assembled to negotiate with a 14-year-old who still attends high school. However, this is a critical point in the executives' careers. To establish themselves in the market, nothing can be left to chance. Sacrificing a few hours of sleep on the road to close a potential deal is nothing compared to the future benefits.

I saw a young man with blond hair and a hint of a three-day golden beard. His stylish suit and the way he walked made me think he was a manager or lawyer.

-Good morning, Mrs. Cohen. I apologize for the delay. I had a meeting this morning that extended until noon, - said Thomas.

- -don't bother about the wait, Mr. Carson. I've been waiting for ten minutes, and Miss Anne has ensured the comfort of me and my team, - Betty said.

-This is the logistics director and the person who will handle most of the issues between Lux Comics and Warner Media. And here is Paula Sullen, who is your direct contact, -  Betty said.

Introducing their companions.

-Nice to meet all of you, -  Thomas said.

An awkward silence fell as everyone took their seats at the round table, which had initially been thought to be large enough for some meetings but now seemed a bit uncomfortable.

-Great to see you all. This is my son, Billy Carson, and he is the owner of Lux Comics. He has been the behind-the-scenes artist for the series you are currently seeking, - Thomas said.

Betty's keen eyes focused on the teenager if he can be called that. Billy has the Carsen family's youth syndrome. At 14 years old, he looks like he's 12 with his baby-like features.

-Pleasure to meet you, Billy, - Betty said, leading the meeting from the end of the table, while Adam Robre and Paula Sullen, who took notes in a black spiral-bound notebook, backed up the executive director like a pack of wolves.

-It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss, - Billy said.

-Oh, what a polite young man, - Betty said. - Let's talk about the relationship that concerns us, - the deep voice interrupts Billy.

- Very well- the boy responded.

- I sent the contract to your lawyers. Have they informed you about the contract terms? -  Betty asked gently, with a grandmotherly voice.

- Not yet, but my lawyer is my father. He should already know the contract terms, -  Billy said.

-Ah, I see. We want to produce the series Slam Dunk and Ghost Report on our channels from Warner Media. The information is confidential, as stated in the contract, but next year, we will start a new era. We hope to launch a new animated channel, Cartoon in Network, by 1991. And we hope both productions can be done under the Warner label, - Betty said.

>>The initial proposal provided by Warner Media regarding the film rights for Slam Dunk and Ghost Report is a sum of one million dollars and 5% in royalties, including payments for advertising. This will be for 10 years, starting from the moment the TV series airs. The film rights include commercials, television programs, collaborations with other programs and movies. If the film is released in theaters, there will be a 1% box office share in North America, - Betty Cohen said.

-Is all of that correct, Mr. Thomas? -  Betty asked.

-Everything is correct, Miss Betty, - Thomas replied.

- So, Miss Anne has made it clear that you already have an established vision for the future of Lux Comics, - Betty said.

-Yes, Miss Betty. My idea is to turn Lux Comics into a massive animation studio. For that, I want to finish school and start my animation career at CalArts, - Billy said.

-Will that take a long time? For now, as a channel, we can help your studio earn some extra income that can be beneficial for your company's future, - Betty said.

- I understand that, but I still have two conditions. How can you guarantee the quality of the character designs and animation? It must be perfectly done because that's what will draw people to Lux Comics and captivate them, - Billy said.

-Don't worry, we will ensure the integrity of the work and the quality of the artwork. That matter is already addressed in the contract. There was a lengthy negotiation via fax regarding the details, - Betty said.

- Very well, - the teenager whispered.

-Lastly, I would like to have a special clause in the contract. I don't mind if you use the film rights for the series. I assume you already know about the agreement with Nike and the merchandising campaign, - Billy said.

They responded with a brief nod of agreement.

-I would like to have an option to purchase the program when it is discontinued. Those drawings mean a lot to me and my children, - Billy said.

-It's not possible to hand over the program for potential sale to another company, - Betty said.

-What if we establish that only I can use the rights of the discontinued work and it cannot be under the name of a third party? - Billy suggested.

-At what price would the work be valued? - Betty asked.

-Naturally, at half the transaction price, - Billy said.

-Impossible, - Betty said.

-Mrs. Cohen, in ten years from the program's premiere, we will be in the 2000s era, which means Warner Media will already have made some profit from the program. Besides, our interest is not just money. My son wants the film rights to continue the story with his own hands and not sell it to a major television network that would be his competition, -  Thomas said.

Knowing that we could negotiate the purchase of the film rights for the work. The purchase will be made at half the selling price. However, due to production costs, Warner Media will enjoy a commercial license for another ten years, - Mr. Carsen said.

- Hmm... that's interesting. -

- We'll buy the work once the ten-year period is over. We can use the commercial work to our advantage as long as the rights remain in our name and not with third parties for the next ten years, during which we'll share a commercial license, - Thomas said.

- I agree," Betty said. "A work that's over twenty years old can't be used anyway. Even famous ones like The Flintstones or Looney Tunes fade away with time and the demands of animated works. -

-Having said that, we'd like to invest the initial payment of $500,000 in the Ghost Report work, which is the one expected to be produced first, - Thomas said.

-Invest in the work? We'll accept depending on the terms, - Betty said.

-We'd like to invest our payment in the work to enhance our relationship with Warner, of course, all at a price that allows us to give visibility to our comic company. In the future, Warner's television channel can be used to promote us, and we'd also like Billy to be involved in the production process. -

>>You see, he's been wanting to make programs for children since he was seven, and if he can learn from Warner's company, he'd be more than thrilled, - Thomas said.

-Of course, that's easy to arrange. I'll take care of the arrangements, and Miss Paula Sullen will be kept informed of the entire process, as per your specifications discussed in writing, - Betty said.

She thought the request would be ridiculous, but promoting comics is something Warner can easily do, and the better one goes, the better the other goes. It's a win-win situation. And $500,000 for the producers at Hanna-Barbera to give drawing genius advice is an unforgettable relationship that will only help with the costs of this new channel. If everything goes well, little Billy has four more series in publication that could be produced by the Warner network.

-Very well, I'll draft the contract and the details discussed in this meeting. I hope the TV series thrive, - Thomas said, shaking hands with Betty Cohen.

He fulfilled Billy's wish to buy the TV program once the ten years are over or the work is completed. This means that both Ghost Report and Slam Dunk have a cost of $500,000 for ten years. It's not a bad deal if the purchase of these two series can be finalized.

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another chapter, I'm 24 chapters ahead. it's been complicated to write some parts, but nothing that writing over and over again helps.

I hope you like it; my idea is to generate some changes in the future because of the actions Billy has done, any ideas?