I am Hollywood

[Chapter 849: The Marvel Cinematic Universe Plan]

To implement a hunger marketing strategy, certain essential conditions were usually needed. The price offered had to be lower than that of similar products, or the demand for the product had to significantly exceed its supply.

The price of the Fireflyer could hardly be considered low; in fact, due to recent overwhelming demand, retailers had raised the price to over $350. Strictly speaking, the arbitrary price hikes by retailers wouldn't benefit the Fireflyer brand at all. Therefore, during discussions between Eric and the heads of Firefly Electronics, they determined that they needed to limit retail price increases to a maximum of $30, or they would halt shipments altogether.

At the same time, the price increases by physical retailers provided a favorable opportunity for Amazon to implement hunger marketing.

The proposed plan aimed for Amazon to receive a monthly supply of 50,000 Fireflyers, maintaining a sales price of $299, with online flash sales occurring every three days. This arrangement would allow for ten sales each month, spanning a total hunger marketing period of three months.

Fireflyer had already performed exceptionally well under traditional marketing strategies, which contributed to its vigorous sales once released. However, it was still a brand new electronic product, and many traditional portable music player users were still on the fence.

The execution of this hunger marketing not only allowed Fireflyer to maintain a strong buzz for an extended period but also helped solidify the brand's presence in people's minds. Furthermore, it could effectively stimulate the purchasing desire of potential users who were still indecisive. Additionally, Amazon could gain more traffic and users while expanding its e-commerce market beyond just book sales. Thus, the plan was expected to yield utmost benefits.

Throughout the afternoon, the four individuals discussed the detailed implementation of the plan. Finally, Jeff Bezos suggested, "Eric, I think three months seems a bit too short. In my view, even after three months, Fireflyer will still remain in high demand for quite a while. Why not extend this plan?"

Eric firmly shook his head; he did not want Firefly Electronics to become a company that could only thrive through hunger marketing. "While this strategy has shown obvious results, it can't be considered a traditional marketing approach. If we continued with it indefinitely, we would definitely trigger strong consumer backlash. Our focus should still be on better product development and brand building. If it weren't for this advantageous opportunity for both Fireflyer and Amazon, I wouldn't have even proposed such a plan."

Once everything was discussed, it was already evening, and Victor McNally and the others hurriedly left East Hampton without lingering.

...

After the lively birthday party for the kids, Eric headed to New York the next day to begin discussions with the Marvel Entertainment team about establishing Marvel Studios.

In a large conference room at the Marvel headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, all the upper management from various departments gathered for the meeting, even Stan Lee was present.

Marvel Entertainment CEO Avi Arad stood in front of the projector, personally explaining the story arcs of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that the creative team had conceptualized over a year. Initially, Eric provided a basic draft based on his memories from a previous life, which Marvel's creative department then fleshed out, ultimately leading to today's outcome.

At this point, Marvel had basically taken back the copyrights of all core heroes, even Spider-Man, who was once in a stalemate. Thus, the new Marvel Cinematic Universe plan was even more grand in scale than in the original timeline, featuring a richer cast of characters.

The storyline of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe also began with The Avengers, but it would then expand its scope across the universe, centering on major events and introducing the Guardians of the Galaxy and ultimately a team akin to DC's Green Lantern Corps through the six Infinity Stones.

Avi Arad took a full hour and a half to outline the general concept.

Seated next to Eric, Stan Lee showed excitement throughout Avi's explanation. Bringing Marvel's superheroes to the big screen was arguably one of his lifelong dreams. However, after Avi finished his presentation, Stan regained some composure and asked Eric with uncertainty, "Eric, this plan is indeed exciting. But don't you think it would be very difficult to implement? From what I know of Hollywood, no one can guarantee success with films consistently, let alone with such a massive plan involving dozens of films. If even just one or two films fail at the box office, the entire plan could fall apart."

Everyone in the room had clearly heard Stan's question and turned to Eric, their expressions a mix of excitement for the grand concept of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and similar concerns. After all, dreams were often beautiful, while reality was rarely kind.

Sensing the questioning and hopeful gazes around him, Eric smiled and explained, "I'm certainly aware of these issues. That's why Marvel Studios will be under my direct management for a long time to ensure that no execution issues arise due to differing opinions at higher levels. Secondly, if you look closely at this plan, it can be viewed as a serialized comic-style film initiative. This means the films will generally maintain a high degree of stylistic consistency. As long as the initial films in the plan achieve commercial success and are accepted by the audience, the following films will have a very low chance of failure as long as they don't abruptly shift in style."

Immediately, someone else raised a question, "Mr. Williams, with such a sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe plan, we will definitely need to work with many different directors, and each director has their own unique style. That seems like a problem we can't solve at all."

"We won't shy away from working with big-name directors; however, the prerequisite is that these directors need to adapt to the Marvel film style. Otherwise, we'd prefer not to collaborate, and there's no room for negotiation on this point. On the other hand, we will also strive to employ promising new directors, as these individuals will cherish the opportunity more and thus more easily align with the Marvel film style."

A buzz of discussion broke out in the conference room in response to this. Eric smiled as he sipped his coffee, anticipating the group's thoughts.

However, Stan Lee, unhindered by others' reservations, asked first, "Eric, if we rely heavily on new talent, I think it might be challenging to produce outstanding superhero films."

Eric didn't shy away from the question, nodding in agreement, "Generally speaking, according to critics' standards, that would be the case."

Once again, murmurs arose in the room.

This time, Eric didn't wait for them to voice their concerns and continued, "First, you should understand that the only goal for all films under Marvel Studios is commercial success. Other factors, such as critical reviews or the opinions of core comic fans, are irrelevant. It is only with this clarity that the entire plan can proceed smoothly.

Moreover, to ensure the Marvel Universe plan's implementation, we must sacrifice the diversity of film styles. Whether it's directors, screenwriters, actors, or producers, they can certainly have their own styles, but those can never overshadow the overall style of Marvel films.

To put it bluntly or cruelly, in the Marvel Universe plan, all actors, screenwriters, directors, and other creatives will merely be cogs in a machine. A machine can never function without its screws, but those screws can never wield control over that machine."

The room fell silent for a moment, before Stan Lee added, "Eric, but if that's the case..."

Eric proactively interrupted his question, saying, "Stan, we have two options.

One option is to chase film quality by using what we think is the best production team, allowing directors and actors the freedom to express their talents with minimal restrictions. But the outcome will be mixed: some films will succeed both at the box office and in reviews, some will only earn one or the other, and others might fail in both. This would mean some superheroes soar in popularity, while others would be left behind, resulting in a disrupted Marvel Cinematic Universe plan.

The other option maintains a consistent overall style for Marvel films. While we may not create classic films that become legendary, the risk of failure will also be very low. Thus, we can ensure the continued, smooth execution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe plan.

So, Stan, which would you choose?"

Eric then turned to everyone in the room and asked again, "Which would you choose?"

No one replied, but the answer was self-evident. Of course, if anyone opposed the plan, Eric would not hesitate to offer a severance package.

After discussing this issue, Stan Lee asked again, "Eric, what about the costs? As far as I know, Hollywood rarely makes it past a third installment of franchises, mainly because once a film is successful, the actors' paychecks also skyrocket?"

Eric realized Stan had clearly done his homework and his questions were quite on point.

However, Eric had also considered aspects like these, and quickly replied, "With actors, our approach is similar to that of directors. We won't refuse to work with A-list stars, but they must be willing to sign long-term contracts. As for salaries, as long as the film's box office performance is exceptional, we won't hold back, but we must agree beforehand on a deal that works for both parties. However, I personally favor using up-and-coming actors who are in the second or third tier, as Hollywood never lacks for talented actors. By employing newcomers, we can more easily negotiate packaged deals. Compared to A-list stars, who often introduce more uncertainties in continuation films."

Once Eric finished speaking, a wave of uncertain glances fell over the group.

If they were utilizing newcomers for direction and second or third-tier actors, what future did the Marvel Cinematic Universe truly hold?

Eric quickly picked up on this sentiment from their expressions and smiled as he said, "I understand your worries, but the success of a film has never primarily depended on whether the director or actors are famous. If you don't believe me, look back at Hollywood's history; not so much in the distant past, but even in the last ten years, there were countless examples of newcomer directors or unknown actors creating box office or critical masterpieces, such as Beverly Hills Cop, Three Men and a Baby, Lethal Weapon, Ghostbusters, Bad Boys, and The Matrix. These franchises, which once dominated the box office, started out with directors and actors who weren't particularly famous. Conversely, high-paid stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Kevin Costner have recently produced numerous flops that resulted in substantial losses for studio executives."

Following Eric's remarks, several attendees relaxed their expressions.

Having addressed the team's questions, and with no further inquiries from the group, Eric opened his notes and said, "Now, let's discuss some of my suggestions for your proposed plan. First, as I previously mentioned, the X-Men will be separated out as a standalone Marvel cinematic universe. However, I still noticed an excess of X-Men characters in this plan, and that must be changed..."

The meeting continued, and they only managed to cover a fraction of the topics by the time dusk arrived. The group would continue discussing various details over the next week, so Eric wasn't in a hurry. After the workday, he even invited Stan Lee to dinner at a nearby restaurant to hear the elder's extensive thoughts on films.

...

At nine o'clock in the evening, after dropping Stan Lee off, Eric got into his car and headed to a building near Central Park on Madison Avenue.

Taking out a birthday cake and a bouquet of flowers prepared by his assistant, Eric entered the building and took the elevator to a duplex penthouse on the top floor.

This was the residence Eric had arranged for Gisele and Alessandra. Over the years, he had bought numerous luxurious properties in both New York and Los Angeles. Aside from a few that he lived in, most were managed by a real estate company he owned, maintaining their value while also earning rental income. The apartment Gisele and Alessandrawere residing in was one of them. After gathering the two last year, Eric casually handed them a set of keys. Although the penthouse was just a block away, it still offered a great view of Central Park.

*****

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