madnovel Chapter 63 Two-pronged attack
Chapter 63 Two-pronged attack
After Zeke finished speaking, everyone in the conference room couldn't help but turn their attention to Amanda, who was sitting in the corner. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and silently took off her baseball cap.
A very short orange buzz cut was revealed, making her features even more sharp. Just as Zeke had expected, she bore a resemblance to the original female singer of "Sweet Dreams." Coupled with her icy expression, she had even more of that look.
Looking at her, Qi Ke almost couldn't help but laugh, and quickly lowered his head to cover it up.
Neil and several executives looked surprised; they had seen Amanda with her flowing long hair before.
"Wow, Amanda, you've really gone to great lengths." Neil stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over the buzz cut. "But this look definitely has a David Bowie vibe."
"You mean David during the Young Americans era?" Celcy chimed in, seemingly lost in thought. "That was in '75. Back then, everyone was criticizing him for betraying rock and roll to play disco, but that album became a massive hit."
“Yeah, he also proved that androgynous style works perfectly in disco, and this song really doesn’t suit Donna,” Larry immediately chimed in.
"The problem is that Amanda used to be a standard beauty," a PolyGram executive frowned at Amanda, "and this haircut has even changed the shape of her face."
Amanda coldly slammed her baseball cap on the table: "What, you guys also think I look terrible now?"
"Quite the opposite," Zeke finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, "David Bowie could successfully transform his image with disco, so can you. Amanda, believe me, this look is absolutely perfect for this song."
"Hmph, you better not be lying to me."
"Of course not, why would I go against my own royalties?"
"Alright, stop arguing. But Zeke, you've misunderstood." Neil waved his hand with a smile. "I'm not trying to steal your song for Donna. Giorgio Morodel is also one of the top electronic synthesizer masters right now. He just happened to be in Los Angeles, and Peter invited him to compose the score for the movie 'Midnight Express'."
"What I mean is, you can go to him and ask him about synthesizer issues, and use his equipment and experience to polish the song to the effect you want."
Zeke breathed a sigh of relief and nodded quickly: "Uh, I will. There's one more thing, Neil. I also designed the entire music video for this song, and I need the company to provide some support, such as a filming team and equipment."
"No problem, a piece of cake," Neil readily agreed. "I'll arrange a professional filming team for you, and all the equipment will be top-of-the-line. Where do you plan to film?"
Zeke secretly rejoiced, because these days it wasn't standard practice for American record companies to make music videos for singers, especially for an unknown band.
Only a few British singers and record companies would actively try this promotional method, and it was mostly used as an add-on to the promotion of the main single.
Neil's willingness to agree so readily demonstrates his high regard for the song and also indirectly confirms its potential, especially considering that even the currently wildly popular "YMCA" hasn't made a music video yet.
"We'll film in Los Angeles. For indoor scenes, we can just borrow the company's office and set it up simply. For outdoor scenes, we'll find the location ourselves. Any ranch will do, so it won't be too much trouble."
Recalling the original music video, Qi Ke planned to simplify the shooting process as much as possible, reduce the company's investment, speed up the shooting progress, and quickly produce the finished product to secure his funds.
"Larry, I'm leaving the filming coordination to you. Make sure you meet all of Zeke's requirements and get the music video done." Neil glanced at his watch, stood up, and said, "I have to go to Burbank. You can handle the rest later."
After saying that, he hurriedly left the conference room with several senior executives.
Zeke was completely relieved. Things went much more smoothly than he had expected. Joyce didn't suddenly appear, and there was no dramatic scene of her stealing the song.
It seems that my new song has indeed moved Neil. As for Larry, the benefits of the management position he offered were not wasted; he will need them sooner or later.
Spiders also agreed to this "insider deal." In a large company like Casablanca, newly joined artists without the backing of trusted executives are easily relegated to the sidelines and forgotten. Artists giving executives a share of their earnings is essentially buying their attention and priority, ensuring they receive more favorable treatment in resource allocation and crisis management.
As a core executive of the company and Neil's cousin, Larry's presence could shield them from internal difficulties, conflicts with Joyce, and underhanded tactics, while also shifting responsibility to the company. This would allow Zeke and the Spiders to distance themselves from the situation and focus on refining their work and resolving other issues.
After Neil and the executives left, Larry whispered in Zeke's ear, "Evelyn came to the company this morning and made quite a scene. I've already dealt with her for you and haven't revealed Judy's whereabouts."
"Thanks, Larry. Is Evelyn's emotional state stable?"
"I'm afraid it's not a good thing. I didn't give her a pleasant look. Just thinking about what that woman did makes me sick."
"Uh, then I'll talk to her in person in a few days..."
"Don't worry, I've redirected her anger towards the company and Neil; she can't handle that. By the way, how did your talk with Harry Finn go?"
Zeke's eyes darkened: "It's not good. Legally, it's impossible. There's no basis to stop Evelyn, and we can't apply for a change of guardianship. The only hope now is to find Judy's biological father."
"I can't help you with this kind of thing." Larry shook his head helplessly, then remembered something and added, "By the way, you said you wanted to set up your own copyright management company. How's the progress? I can have the company's legal department handle the copyright registration for 'Sweet Dreams' for you, saving you time and effort."
"I'll do it myself," Zik shook his head.
The copyright management company is related to all the revenue from his future works, and he must keep it firmly in his own hands. He cannot rely on Casablanca, nor can he let others interfere, not even Larry, whom he cannot completely trust.
Larry didn't press the issue and nodded, "Okay, then take care of yourself. If you need any help, feel free to contact me. I'll contact the film and television department to coordinate the filming and try to find you a good director."
Larry also got up and left, leaving only Zeke, Tino, and the members of the Spiders in the meeting room.
Zick felt somewhat helpless. Herbert had indeed made a big mistake by not discovering the loopholes in his contract with Jacques Morali, which meant he might not receive a single penny of the royalties from "YMCA".
But he doesn't have any other trustworthy lawyers right now, let alone someone with solid expertise in entertainment law who he can rely on. The swap deal with the Spiders was also negotiated by Herbert, and now he needs to finalize it.
Moreover, Herbert has always handled the process of establishing a copyright management company, and changing people now would not only be troublesome but could also delay the progress.
He turned to Tino, his tone serious: "Tino, contact Herbert's law firm, Grubman, Indursky & Schindler, and tell them about Jacques Morali's scam and the loopholes in the contract. Tell them to send someone to Los Angeles as soon as possible, along with Herbert, to help me complete the transaction and find a way to recover the royalties."
"Also, scare them a bit more. Tell them that if they don't resolve this quickly, I'll sue their law firm and go to the radio station to have a serious talk about how their law firm managed to lose the royalties from my phenomenal hit song 'YMCA'."
Although Harry Fein's consultation didn't solve any real problems, it gave Zeke a lot of inspiration on another matter: top lawyers and law firms value their reputation and word-of-mouth very much, as this is the foundation for their survival in the industry.
Herbert's mistake was certainly a dereliction of duty on the part of the law firm, and it's not unreasonable to expect them to clean up the mess. If word got out that "Grubman Indsky Schindler Law Firm lost out on the royalties of a phenomenal hit song," they would definitely become a negative example and a laughing stock in the industry.
Upon hearing this, Tino immediately frowned: "Why contact this rookie lawyer? I've always felt he's too young and inexperienced. We suffered such a huge loss because of him, and Joyce almost took advantage of us! No need for him, I can handle this myself. My friend can definitely take care of that bastard Jacques Morali and get the royalties back!"
"Do as I say, Tino." Zick's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation. "Didn't you and Colin not notice the problem with this contract before? Although Herbert lacks experience, his law firm is, after all, a professional entertainment law firm. They might be able to find some details and breakthroughs that we've overlooked, which is safer and more legal than forcing it. Of course, your friend's side should also continue working. We'll attack from two directions."
Tino was speechless for a moment, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on his face.
"Okay, I'll do as you say and contact his law firm right now. But I can't guarantee they'll take this seriously. Young lawyers are just expendable resources for big law firms; at worst, they can just fire Herbert."
"Don't worry, they'll take it seriously," Zik said confidently. "Even a family law titan like Harry Finn is extremely concerned about his reputation. I don't believe any New York law firm can really stay out of it."