Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

The promotion for Fifty Shades of Grey had spread rapidly from newspapers to television stations, filling Judy and her friends' vision within a week.

The film's release date had also been announced in advance—Valentine's Day 2006.

All the fans eagerly anticipated it, wishing they could watch the film immediately.

Although the release date was still some time away, Norton's Eye had already released the movie's trailer.

Judy was standing beside a video store with her friends, watching the TV screen in the window.

The trailer opened with the female lead meeting the male lead. When the two locked eyes on the street, the prolonged gaze immediately excited Judy and her friends.

"So handsome!"

"Yeah, Aaron is just too handsome!"

The male lead wore a white shirt paired with a dark suit. His tall and slender figure not only made the female lead on screen stare in admiration but also had the girls outside the screen utterly captivated.

Not far away, however, Milon and the boyfriends of the other girls were focused solely on the female lead, Leighton.

"Look at her, her body is amazing!"

"Wow, that outfit is great! Too bad my girlfriend's chest is too small, or I'd buy her the same one."

"Haha, if you don't mind, she can always pad it."

Hearing these blunt conversations about men and women, Milon couldn't help but blush a little.

His relationship with Judy had finally returned to normal, though it had taken a lot of effort.

At least Judy had forgiven him.

But watching his girlfriend and her friends drool over the male lead on TV still made him a little jealous.

Fortunately, the trailer was captivating enough that Judy and the others had no time to pay attention to their boyfriends.

On-screen, after the male and female leads met, a rapid sequence of intimate scenes flashed by.

The girls covered their mouths, their faces turning red from the suggestive images.

"Look at those abs! Oh my God, I want to touch them!"

"Doesn't your boyfriend have abs? Touch his."

"He does, but it's just one big slab. Honestly, though, he's pretty good in bed—better than my last few gym-rat exes."

"Really? Is there some kind of trick?"

"You should try it yourself."

"Hahaha, you little flirt!"

Judy felt embarrassed by her friends' conversation.

Luckily, no one noticed her expression.

After the steamy scenes, the story shifted to the male and female leads dealing with rumors and inner struggles.

The female lead seemed to experience an awakening. Slowly, she began trying to take control of the dominant role in their SM relationship.

When she finally succeeded in blindfolding and tying up the male lead, she said, "This isn't just your right."

The girls immediately screamed in excitement, thinking it was absolutely thrilling.

The next moment, the screen faded to black, revealing the release date and cast list.

"Amazing! I have to watch it!"

"I'm watching it twice!"

"Three times! And I'm buying the DVD!"

The girls were extremely satisfied with the romance in the trailer. The cinematography and subtle expressions struck the perfect balance, fulfilling their fantasies from reading the book.

Even some of the novel's iconic scenes were included—a dream come true for book fans.

After watching the trailer, they immediately started spreading the word, encouraging others to see the movie.

Many film studios, after seeing the announced release date, also adjusted their schedules, choosing to release their films either before or after Fifty Shades of Grey.

Although many saw Fifty Shades of Grey as just an R-rated film unlikely to achieve an outrageous box office performance, investors could clearly see the passionate enthusiasm of female fans.

Even during public demonstrations, some women were using slogans from Fifty Shades of Grey's promotional campaign:

"Sex is not just a man's right; it's a woman's right too."

This was undeniable proof of the film's influence, even if it wasn't a traditional mainstream movie.

However, the movie's promotion wasn't what Ethan was focused on.

What he cared about was his photography exhibition.

That's right—the exhibition was about to begin.

Ever since Ethan announced that the exhibition was for charity, many celebrities had taken the initiative to call him, expressing their willingness to contribute to helping children in impoverished areas.

As a result, Ethan quickly gathered the required number of photographs for the exhibition and sent them to the Gladstone Gallery for framing.

At the same time, news of the exhibition spread through industry channels, reaching the ears of collectors.

In the office of The Hollywood Reporter, journalist Berger was discussing the next feature story with his partner, Carrol.

"I think we can follow up on Brokeback Mountain, especially those two male actors. I don't think they were just acting," Carrol joked while looking at the film stills.

Berger laughed. "Come on, even if Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal really got together, they would still be top-tier actors in Hollywood. At most, they'd just have a new title in front of their names. Compared to a celebrity scandal or two, I'm more interested in this…"

As he spoke, he handed the newspaper in his hand over.

"Aphrodite: The Embodiment of Desire Photography Exhibition?" Carrol looked puzzled. "I remember this is Ethan's photography exhibition, right? What's so special about it?"

"There are many special aspects." Berger explained, "First of all, the theme of the exhibition is the human body, and the subjects of the photographs are all celebrities."

"You mean a bunch of big-name stars posed nude for Ethan's camera? Now that's unique. No wonder you're interested."

"Not only that." Berger spread his hands. "Secondly, it's a charity exhibition. On the first day, there will be an auction. If nothing unexpected happens, a lot of people who are rarely seen in public will attend."

"Like who?" Carrol's curiosity was piqued.

"For example, the CEO of Amazon, executives from Goldman Sachs and Morgan, and the head of Sony America. They will all be there."

"Really? How do you know so much detail?" Carrol was surprised.

Berger shrugged. "Because I've been keeping an eye on it. Plus, I have a friend at the gallery hosting the exhibition."

"No wonder. Capital and Hollywood—this means the exhibition will be packed with important people."

"Exactly."

Berger then pulled out an invitation. "I got this through a friend. This exhibition is private, and the guest list won't be made public. If we can get the scoop first, we'll have an exclusive story."

"You really are our ace reporter." Carrol grinned. "I can't believe you even got an invitation."

Berger, however, looked pained. "It cost me five hundred dollars. FXXK!"

"Hahaha, don't worry, Berger. I'm not paying you back."

"Screw you, Carrol."

Berger cursed, then picked up his camera. "Get ready. The exhibition is about to begin."

Two weeks later, Aphrodite: The Embodiment of Desire was held as scheduled at the Gladstone Gallery.

That afternoon, luxury sedans and sports cars arrived one after another at the gallery's parking lot.

Since Ethan had not invited the media, and today was not the publicly announced opening date, the scene outside the gallery was quiet, with barely anyone around.

Except for Berger and Carrol.

The two sat in their car, armed with long and short lenses, aiming at the gallery entrance.

Before long, they spotted familiar faces.

"It's Leonardo and his girlfriend,Ethan is personally welcoming them at the door. They seem pretty close."

"Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt—Ethan is greeting them, too. I think the charity fund for this exhibition was founded by Angelina Jolie."

"Spielberg. He's always admired Ethan. He even let him direct Memoirs of a Geisha. No surprise he showed up."

"Oh, look who it is—Tarantino. He's been keeping a low profile lately. Heard he's working on a new film."

"And this one—Clint Eastwood! He came too? Is he close with Ethan? Why is he here?"

"So many celebrities… FXXK, Carrol, look! It's Cameron!"

Carrol quickly adjusted his camera lens to focus on the middle-aged man with silver hair. "He just announced he's shooting Avatar. Didn't expect him to have time for Ethan's exhibition."

"Ethan sure has great connections. So many stars showed up—it's almost like the Met Gala."

Berger shook his head. "This is just the tip of the iceberg. Look—Miuccia Prada, Prada's head designer, just arrived."

"Fashion industry figures…" Carrol rubbed his chin. "They've always had a good relationship with Ethan, so that's not surprising."

"Yeah. But look at those unfamiliar faces. If they're attending this charity exhibition, they're either collectors or their representatives."

The two had been taking photos for over ten minutes when suddenly, another car pulled up to the gallery entrance.

"We've got a big shot arriving!" Berger's journalist instincts kicked in, sensing something unusual.

He zoomed in his camera lens, focusing on the car's front.

Sure enough, a few seconds later, a man's blurry figure appeared, escorted inside by security.

Even with just a few frames, Berger immediately recognized him.

"Holy—it's Antonio Villaraigosa!"

"The new mayor of Los Angeles?" Carrol was stunned. He hadn't expected a mere photography exhibition to attract political figures.

No wonder Ethan refused to publicize the date. If the media found out the mayor was attending, they'd swarm the place.

Inside the gallery, Ethan was also surprised to see Villaraigosa, who was accompanied by Angelina Jolie.

To be honest, when he first heard that the mayor would be attending, he had been quite shocked.

But American politics was more open. The mayor's presence here was simply to show his concern for impoverished children.

He wouldn't be staying long.

Still, having a political figure endorse the event was prestigious. Seeing the mayor's presence, the attending celebrities gained even more respect for Ethan.

As Ethan took the stage, all eyes turned to him.

"I'm honored that everyone could attend this exhibition I've put together," Ethan began. "To be honest, I originally only planned for a small-scale event, inviting a few friends from Hollywood, the fashion industry, and the investment world."

"My intention was simply for us to do what we could to help children in need."

"I never expected so much attention and support. Many people participated in my photography for free, just so these children could have an extra meal." Ethan bowed slightly. "I sincerely thank you all."

"Wow!" Applause erupted.

Ethan straightened up and continued when the applause died down. "And especially, Mayor Villaraigosa's presence is a great surprise. I believe that when the people of Los Angeles hear about this, they will be proud to have such a generous mayor."

"Wow!" Another round of applause. The crowd also turned their appreciative gazes toward the mayor.

"So, I'd like to invite Mayor Villaraigosa to say a few words for our charity efforts. Would you be willing?"

"Wow!"

As the applause continued, Antonio Villaraigosa nodded and stepped onto the stage, taking the microphone.

Meanwhile, Ethan stood beside Cameron, who had been invited by Jessica.

Similarly, Clint Eastwood was invited by Anne Hathaway.

Sofia Coppola was invited by Scarlett.

Ethan's women had contributed a lot to this exhibition.

He had deliberately chosen an inconvenient date so that none of them could attend.

Only Jessica Alba was present at the scene.

As the mayor spoke, Cameron absentmindedly studied the photos on the walls.

Seeing the artistic way light and shadow defined the human body, he commented to Ethan with interest, "Very creative. I like your control of lighting."

"Thank you for the compliment," Ethan replied modestly.

"What do you think is the next major advancement in film technology?" Cameron asked.

At this moment, he seemed more like a researcher, more concerned with technical progress than content.

Recalling future developments, Ethan answered, "I think the next big leap will be in image quality and viewing methods—such as 3D movies."

"That's exactly what I'm working on. I feel this technology hasn't been fully utilized yet. In fact, I've made groundbreaking progress in the lab. It's truly astonishing."

3D film technology had been around since 1848, but due to the high cost of filming and special viewing requirements, it never gained traction.

It wasn't until Cameron's Avatar that 3D cinema became a global trend.

Hearing this, Ethan realized he could start investing in 3D films early.

After Avatar's success, countless movies cashed in on the 3D trend. Ethan could easily get ahead of the curve.

Hmm… Fifty Shades of Grey in 3D?

Just the name alone would make fans scream.

As this thought crossed his mind, the mayor's speech suddenly ended, and the room filled with applause.

....

Hi For access to additional chapters of

Director in Hollywood (20 chpater)

MV Director (30 chapter)....

Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapter)

Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)

Join pateron.com/Translaterappu..