"Look at this, look at this. This is Roger Ebert's review: 'What I really like about Paranormal Activity is that its silence and anticipation far surpass the crude cuts and blood splatters. It seems like nothing is happening, yet it instills a bone-deep fear.' Wow, that's great."
"Yeah, I heard Roger is usually very harsh on horror films."
"That's because he failed miserably as a horror screenwriter back in the day, so he became a critic instead."
"Roger is praising our movie, and you're still like this? Hmph. Anyway, look at this one from the Los Angeles Times: 'A seemingly minimalist, simple film that creates an unexpectedly terrifying effect.'"
"The Boston Globe: 'Low-quality visuals, rough production, like those boring home videos on YouTube.' Ugh, the Boston Globe. I'll remember this newspaper."
"Straight to the trash bin."
"Yep."
"Let's look at this one instead. The Hollywood Reporter—now that's an authority. 'An exceptionally remarkable experimental attempt. The first-person daily life of a young couple and the surveillance-camera-like footage create a very unique viewing experience.'"
"This one, the New York Times, also more authoritative than the Boston Globe: 'Venice Film Festival concludes, Takeshi Kitano's Hana-bi wins the Golden Lion, while the highly anticipated Life Is Beautiful leaves empty-handed.'"
"Huh? What does this have to do with our movie?"
"Ask yourself. You brought the Venice Film Festival news clippings too. But, I do hope we can attend Venice someday."
"Ha, I'm sure it'll happen soon. With Paranormal Activity getting such great media feedback, Daenerys will definitely push it hard. If it sells well, we'll have more opportunities for other roles."
"That's you. I'm just a small supporting character."
"It's fine, Jess. When I become famous, I'll hire you as my assistant and share some audition opportunities with you."
"Amy~ You're such a good sister. Hugs!"
"Ugh… Ah, you're choking me! Are you trying to kill me? Okay, okay, I'm sorry, I apologize."
In a hotel room in downtown Toronto.
After some playful banter, Amy Adams and Jessica Chastain continued flipping through a stack of newspaper clippings about Paranormal Activity. Amy had just gotten these from the New World Pictures team.
It was the day after the Paranormal Activity premiere.
In another room in the hotel, Danny Morris gathered a few staff members to discuss the film's subsequent marketing.
While the two girls could only browse some reviews, the New World Pictures team had already compiled a detailed media feedback report.
Although some negative reviews were inevitable, based on feedback from dozens of major North American media outlets, the initial estimate was that Paranormal Activity had an average media score of 8.3—a very impressive result.
With this in mind, the marketing team no longer needed to hold back.
Unlike Titanic, which still had three months before its release, Paranormal Activity had a tight schedule. Its release date was set for September 26, and today was September 14, leaving less than two weeks to build momentum.
Of course, everything had to stay within budget.
As an ultra-low-budget film, Paranormal Activity wouldn't have any expensive TV ads. The team had to find ways to generate buzz with limited resources.
Fortunately, the film had one advantage: support from Tingkebell.
Tingkebell's fall product launch was scheduled for September 27, the day after the film's release.
The two parties had previously agreed that if Paranormal Activity received positive feedback at the Toronto Film Festival, Tingkebell would promote the film during its globally anticipated fall product launch and subsequent marketing campaigns. Given Tingkebell's scale, this alone could generate advertising effects equivalent to tens of millions of dollars in marketing spend.
Now, with the film's average media score at 8.3, Tingkebell would undoubtedly step in.
However, before that, Daenerys Entertainment still needed to create as much buzz as possible.
"I think we should stir up some controversy. It's the most direct way to boost a film's popularity," one staff member said to Danny Morris in the hotel room, pulling out the Boston Globe review. "This review from the Boston Globe is clearly biased. It doesn't discuss Paranormal Activity's plot but attacks the film's rough production techniques using the iRec, claiming that Paranormal Activity isn't even a real movie. We can use this to create a debate."
"Sean is right, Danny. I've already thought of some counterarguments. If a film isn't considered a movie just because its visuals and sound aren't polished enough, then what about silent films? What about black-and-white films? If the debate gets heated enough, two weeks is plenty of time to make Paranormal Activity a household name across the U.S."
After this person finished, another chimed in: "I think we should be cautious. Paranormal Activity is an ultra-low-budget experiment, and we can't deny that. If the debate about whether iRec-shot films count as movies gets too heated, no matter the outcome, it might make many people think Paranormal Activity is too cheap to be worth seeing in theaters. So, the film's reputation should still be our top priority."
"That's not a big issue. We just need to frequently mention the praise from critics like Roger Ebert in the reviews we can influence."
"It's all about striking the right balance with the controversy. We can't overdo it."
"Also, the fact that this is the first found-footage film is worth emphasizing. Just that gimmick, combined with the film's quality, could convince many viewers to buy tickets if marketed well."
"My thoughts are similar to John's. We should highlight the found-footage genre as a new type of film, and also tie it to the horror genre. Danny, I've even thought of a tagline: 'A different kind of horror experience.'"
"..."
"..."
The lively discussion lasted an hour, and the team finally drafted a two-week marketing plan. It had two main components: first, using the Boston Globe article to stir up controversy and maximize public interest in Paranormal Activity in the shortest time possible; second, promoting the film as "a different kind of horror experience," emphasizing the found-footage genre as a new type of film.
Once the plan was finalized, execution began immediately.
By noon that day, an article rebutting the Boston Globe review appeared on the Igritte portal. On Facebook and various film forums, celebrities and influencers split into two camps, debating the topic. The discussion quickly climbed various trending lists.
Soon, the controversy spread from online media to traditional TV and print outlets.
Within just two or three days, the public became aware of a film called Paranormal Activity that was causing quite a stir in the media.
At the same time, while generating buzz, Daenerys Entertainment didn't forget to promote the "different kind of horror experience" angle, as this was crucial for establishing the film's reputation.
By Wednesday of the following week, renowned critic Roger Ebert appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to discuss the recent controversy and praise the film, declaring that Paranormal Activity had created a new genre of film.
As the buzz around Paranormal Activity grew, on September 19, another Friday, the film's trailer was officially released on YouTube. The 45-second trailer, using a montage of flickering footage, created a suspenseful, eerie atmosphere.
Upon closer inspection, the trailer didn't reveal much actual content. Instead, it visually brought to life the film's premise: a couple experiencing paranormal activity.
Even so, the trailer garnered significant public attention.
By 9 p.m. on September 19, just one hour after its release, the trailer had already surpassed 13 million views. By 9 a.m. the next day, 12 hours after its release, the trailer had accumulated nearly 70 million views, showcasing the success of the week-long marketing campaign.
Based on the trailer's YouTube views, the New World Pictures team even adjusted the film's opening weekend screen count, increasing it from the initial 1,200 to 2,000. Unlike Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which needed a gradual rollout as an art film, Paranormal Activity was a standard commercial film. With sufficient buzz, the goal was to maximize box office revenue in the shortest time possible.
---
Malibu, Dume Point Estate.
While the New World Pictures team was working around the clock to promote Paranormal Activity, Simon had been focusing on his three major goals during this time.
It was September 20, a Saturday.
At 9 a.m., three physicists arrived at the estate in a car sent by the Westeros family. As they stepped out of the car in front of the Shell Villa, Simon, accompanied by several women and children, greeted them.
The three physicists were Burton Richter, Steven Weinberg, and Leon Lederman.
They had one thing in common: they were all Nobel Prize winners in Physics.
Seeing Simon Westeros personally welcome them, the three elderly men, all in their sixties or seventies, were initially pleased. However, when they noticed the young man was accompanied not only by several beautiful women but also a little girl, they couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding.
It couldn't be helped.
After experiencing extreme disappointment in the past, they couldn't help but feel anxious when faced with potential disappointment again.
The story dates back to 1983.
Due to the development of atomic bombs and the ongoing Cold War, major powers on both sides of the Iron Curtain placed significant emphasis on particle physics research, investing heavily. Against this backdrop, the U.S. launched its first large-scale particle collider project in 1983.
In 1986, the Superconducting Super Collider (SSC) was designed, with a planned circumference of about 22.5 kilometers. This was the world's first large-scale particle collider project, predating Europe's eventual Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by over a decade.
Although the budget ballooned from an initial $4 billion to $11 billion, both the Reagan and Bush administrations strongly supported the project. Unfortunately, in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, the Cold War ended, and the global political landscape shifted dramatically. As a result, projects like the SSC and ITER, which required massive investments with uncertain returns, fell out of favor.
Finally, in 1993, after $3 billion had already been spent digging the foundation in Texas, the Clinton administration shut down the SSC project.
The physics community was devastated.
Now, several years later, the three leading physicists who had fought hard for the SSC project saw a glimmer of hope: Simon Westeros was considering privately funding a large-scale particle collider project.
Today was their first meeting.
On the small plaza in front of the Shell Villa, after greeting the three physicists, Simon introduced the people around him: the two Jennies, Emmanuelle Brant, who had been brought in as a science consultant, and his personal assistant, Aideen.
Finally, there was the little girl, Seattle.
When introducing his daughter, Simon smiled at the three physicists: "Mr. Lederman, my daughter Seattle recently read your book The God Particle. Mr. Weinberg, she's also read your Dreams of a Final Theory. Oh, and Mr. Richter, she's read some of your papers too."
Hearing this, the three physicists looked at the little girl, who appeared to be no more than four or five years old, with expressions of surprise and skepticism. They even wondered if Simon Westeros was playing a not-so-funny joke on them.
Simon didn't elaborate, instead gesturing for everyone to head inside.
They sat down by the glass wall of the Shell Villa, which offered a panoramic view. Simon got straight to the point: "Gentlemen, over the past few days, Emmanuelle has explained enough about particle colliders to me. Frankly, I probably understood less than my daughter."
As Simon spoke, Burton Richter, one of the three physicists, glanced again at the little girl sitting beside her father with a somewhat aloof expression. He couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Westeros, you're not joking with us, are you?"
Simon smiled and looked at his daughter: "Seattle, say hello to the gentlemen."
Seattle glanced at her father, then at the three men across from her. She tilted her head slightly, then hopped off the sofa and ran off without a word.
Watching his daughter leave, Simon shrugged: "Sorry, most of the time, I have no idea what my daughter is thinking."
Emmanuelle Brant, a tall redhead, chuckled: "Burton, it's true. Seattle seems to have inherited her father's genius. She has a high IQ and has read some of your works. I can vouch for that. She just doesn't like to talk much."
Burton Richter, a professor at Stanford University, had interacted with Emmanuelle, who was leading FusionTimes, and knew she held a Ph.D. in particle physics. Hearing her confirmation, and considering the miracles Simon Westeros had achieved, he began to believe it.
After Emmanuelle finished, Simon continued without dwelling on the earlier topic: "So, I don't need you to explain more to me. I just want you to give me an example I can understand to convince me to fund a large-scale particle collider project. And, as Emmanuelle and I have discussed, the 22.5-kilometer SSC project in Texas is a bit conservative. I'm willing to fund the construction of a 100-kilometer super-large particle collider."
Hearing the number "100 kilometers," the three physicists' hearts raced, like young men seeing a beautiful woman.
After exchanging glances, Leon Lederman was about to speak when Simon interrupted: "Oh, and Einstein's energy formula—Emmanuelle has already explained that to me. You'll need to come up with something else."
Lederman was momentarily stumped. He had indeed planned to use that example, as it was the easiest to understand and had already been proven and applied in practice.
The three physicists huddled together briefly, and then Burton Richter said: "Simon, how about a more sci-fi example?"
"As long as I can understand it."
"For instance," Burton Richter said, "the ultimate goal of our research in particle physics is to explore the fundamental rules of the universe at the microscopic level. Once we understand these rules, perhaps in the future, we could use this knowledge to achieve ultra-long-distance space travel. Not faster-than-light travel, but by understanding the fundamental rules, we could poke a hole in space itself, easily traversing millions of light-years to reach the far reaches of the universe."
"Like this," Richter continued, taking a piece of paper from his bag and rolling it into a tube. "This is space. The diameter of the tube is 10 million light-years. If we understand the rules governing this paper, then to travel from one end of the tube to the other, we don't need to cross 10 million light-years. Instead, we flatten the tube and poke a hole through it."
Simon watched as Richter flattened the paper tube and poked a hole through the center with a pen. He nodded slightly but pressed further: "How do you flatten space, and what do you use to poke the hole?"
Burton Richter smiled and replied matter-of-factly: "I understand the physical rules of this paper and pen, so I can flatten it and poke a hole. As for how to flatten space and poke a hole in it, Mr. Westeros, that's what you'd be funding us to research. But I can offer some hypotheses—for example, antimatter. By using matter-antimatter annihilation, we could burn a hole through space. Antimatter particles are precisely what a large particle collider would aim to explore."
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