Chapter 100: The Press Conference

A room had been prepared for the press conference.

The PR Team chose one from the ground of Eros' Headquarter. They prepared a table panel, chairs and video cameras for the event. Only invited media representatives would attend. They made sure to pick a variety of them—and not just the biggest and/or most popular.

A light blue fabric draped across the room as a backdrop for the main speakers. Behind the audience's chairs, a food table had been set up. It provided snacks and drinks for the reports while 4 bottles of water had been reserved for the panelists. 

Eve sneaked a peek from behind a curtain. 

She walked around the perimeter and checked the venue. Security team gave her the green light. The videographers were on standby. Public Relations mingled outside with the guests. Some roamed the room, ready to usher or accommodate anyone who'd want more information.

Then, it started.

Reporters flooded the area and looked for their respective seats. A few decided to grab a bite early and snatched some muffins from the food table. Their chatter covered every inch of the place. The peace and quiet had vanished.

It was now time to do the talking.

Director Rowen was the first one to occupy the panel. As the casting director, she placed importance in character portrayal. Her burgundy hair easily stood out against the white room. She swept her gaze around the room, her dark eyes intimidating them. 

Some of the reporters gulped.

It didn't help that she had a face that resembled a hawk.

Beside her, Director Sam took the seat. His back and armpits sweated from nerves. He thanked the organizers for the arrangement. He loved how his beer belly was off-camera because of the table and cloth. The aqua wax on his brown hair reflected the lights. 

He gave the audience a nod and a shy smile.

Eve took a deep breath. 'So far, so good…'

The media behaved well. Their previous chatter had died down. They merely took notes and mumbled among themselves. They prepared their questions, reevaluating them. They removed what now seemed unnecessary and replaced them with new ones.

Then, Ambryan Hathaway stepped into the limelight.

Various reporters stood up and fired their questions. They hadn't expected to meet the CEO himself for this session. If anything, they figured they'd meet the studio heads. This went to show that Eros Productions took this matter far more seriously than anyone presumed.

One by one, they tried to outshout each other, hoping to be heard. 

One by one, they closed their mouths as a pair of violet eyes stared them down.

Ambryan paused behind his chair and looked at each reporter. His face wore zero emotions. He neither gazed with malice nor with kindness. Other than his secretary and the security team, the whole room seemed to be on edge all of a sudden.

The air had turned to ice.

Madison stepped onto the podium and waved. His approachable demeanor complimented Ambryan's cold one. He waved to the crowd and said, "Welcome, welcome. Sorry about that. It has been a hard day at the office as you can imagine."

A few people attempted awkward chuckles, trying to lighten up the mood.

Ambryan glanced at Madison for a second. The latter merely smiled. Ambryan shook his head and sat down next to Director Sam. He propped his elbows on the table and folded his hands together. Then, Madison occupied the last seat with arms resting on the table's edge.

The panel was complete. 

The President cleared his throat and addressed the audience once again. "I like to welcome you all once again to this conference. We'd like to start this session with an opening statement from the directors of the series. Directors, please take the floor."

Sam stayed still. His chest felt tight from the lack of breath. Cold sweat dripped down the sides of his head. He clawed his knees, trying to wake up from his nerves. His muscles felt numb despite the intense pressure and force. 

Rowen noticed this right away. She pulled the table top mic, moving its head closer to her face. Her foreign accent reverberated around the room. "We stand by our previous claims that the book's adaptation to a series instead of a movie is to bring its message justice. I find it rather unfortunate that the public read an unfinished script and judged it in its beginning process."

She squared her shoulders and continued, "Has anyone ever heard a song demo? Seen how it is written, produced and edited? There is no definite formula to how this works. Many finished works of art did not stay the same as when it was in its beginning stages."

A reporter raised his hand.

"Yes?" Rowen asked him.

"That may be true, director, but your case is slightly different. You already have a script in its pinnacle form in the book. One constraint of a movie is its limited run time so changes are inevitable. A series has less of a problem with this. So why is there a need to cut book scenes and change some of them? Is the project not well-funded and is forced to make measures?"

Rowen opened her mouth to reply but Sam beat her to it.

"I'd like to be very clear that only Eros Productions and Venus Investment had shown interest in this project. The budget is beyond my expectations. In return, we want to be wise with the money to bring satisfaction to all stakeholders."

"So you're saying that it's the studio who made these changes?"

"We are saying that we're on an experimental stage for a final script," Sam clarified, his blood boiling. These twists of words had reached deep into his skin. "For any narrative, whether written or filmed, one factor that is important is the story's flow. We had outlined the first season with an ending in mind. It's only a matter of utilizing the run duration while keeping the audience, readers or not, interested in the story."

He took a deep breath and reached for the bottled water. He hoped that the cool liquid would calm down the simmering fire inside of him. 

"Then, why not increase the runtime?" Another reporter raised up.

Rowen chose to answer it. "As mentioned, there is a budget to be kept in mind. This goes into several expenses and not just the runtime. If you wonder why we chose 45 minutes per episode, this is based on statistics. We cannot translate the novel to film word for word. We do want to keep the tone and aim to uphold it."

"There are many forms of narrative in the film industry as there are many forms in writing," Sam added. His voice had softened into a neutral tone. "As stated, we are in an experimental stage at figuring out which one would fit the series."

Murmurs echoed from the crowd. 

A reporter from the back stood up and raised her hand. "Now, that you have explained the circumstances. What is the next step? Do we simply let this pass and wait for when the TV series is out?"

Madison took the floor and explained the other side of the "Internally, we are investigating who is behind the leak. It had been done without authority and caused a misunderstanding. We will make a formal statement again once it's over."

She frowned at his words. "But fans have spoken about their opinions on the current script. Many of them are upset with the direction the studio is making. Do you have more to say other than stating that the series is at an experiment stage?"

"Moving forward…" Ambryan spoke up, his voice booming. Recorders and eyes pointed in his direction. "We want to avoid more misunderstandings with our intentions. The feedback reached our ears and they will not be in vain. This incident became quite an eye-opener. Certain measures will be implemented."

"What do you mean, Mr. Hathaway?" The same reporter questioned. Confusion clouded over the media present. What could the company have in store?

Eve leaned against the back wall. She silently watched all the events that transpired. A smirk curled at the corner of her lips. It was so like Ambryan to have something up his sleeve. This was the only moment she waited for. 

Whatever he'd say would turn the tide. 

Whoever tried to sabotage them would need to try harder.

"I am happy to announce that…" he paused. The silence stretched as listeners anticipated for his next words. A polite smile spread across his face. "With the approval of the author and the directors, we will be cooperating with a few fans and a few non-fans over the project."

As Madison hid his face, an uproar exploded from the reporters. His shoulders shook slightly. Everyone rose to their feet and yelled in reaction to the news. Sam's indigo eyes widened at the display. The outburst of energy had taken him aback. 

Rowen bowed her head and snorted.

Eve chuckled to herself. Her boss did not disappoint. Would she ever stop admiring the way his mind worked? Again and again, he always surprised others.

"Details are still being negotiated but there is one thing I saw during this incident," Ambryan's voice floated above the rest. He looked straight into the camera and said, "We are all on the same side so let's work together. Do cooperate with us."