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Chapter 88 - The Marketing
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 16:26:08 +0000 UTCThe next day, we all gathered at Carly’s house.
Carly, Freddie, Sam, Cher, Regina, Spencer, Laura, and I were spread out across the living room, still buzzing from the success of the premiere.
In my hands, I held a DVD.
"Alright, guys," I said with a grin, "let's see something funny."
I walked over and slid the disc into the DVD player.
The night before, I had handed the night-vision camera over to Pepper. She made sure it got to someone reliable—who knew how to edit it.
What we were about to watch was the final product: a highlight reel of the best—and worst—reactions from the premiere audience.
The video started with a grainy, night-vision shot of Cher and Regina whispering and laughing in their seats. Behind them, you could see Carly, Laura, and me sitting quietly, waiting for the movie to begin.
Then, the video cut sharply to the first scare.
Cher jolted in her seat and launched a handful of popcorn into the air, some of it raining down on her lap.
Another cut—this time Regina screamed, her hands flying up instinctively.
The next shot showed Laura clinging to me with her eyes tightly shut. In the same frame, Cher and Regina were doing the exact same thing, holding on to each other. And notably, there wasn’t a single bag of popcorn visible anymore.
By the end of the video, the room was filled with laughter. Everyone was cracking up—except Cher and Regina, who were laughing too, but with a hint of embarrassment.
As the credits of the reel rolled, all three—Cher, Regina, and Laura—playfully started pinching me from both sides, giggling.
“Payback,” Laura whispered, still smiling.
“So, what do you think?” I asked, still grinning. “You two were bugging me for not inviting you to the filming… how about I make this part of the movie's marketing?”
The three of them froze, looking astonished—and just a little conflicted.
I thought to myself—it’s a little embarrassing, sure, but nothing bad. And they'd be seen in actual TV commercials for the film. That’s not something most people get.
“Think about it,” I added. “I don’t want you three feeling uncomfortable, so take your time.”
“For me, it’s good,” Laura said quickly. She was an actress—this kind of thing was nothing to her.
“I want to cut some of my bad side,” Cher said.
“It’s a static camera,” Freddie murmured. “There is no other side…”
“And I want a bag as compensation,” Regina added, arms crossed but smirking.
“Okay,” I said with a shrug.
“A Louis Vuitton bag,” Regina specified.
“Still okay…” I replied, trying not to laugh.
Everyone turned to look at me, stunned—everyone except Freddie.
“You do realize a Louis Vuitton bag can cost three to four grand, right?” Laura said, raising an eyebrow.
“Wow,” Freddie murmured.
“Yes,” I said calmly. “I can give you three—one each. Oh, and Carly too, since she’s in the footage as well.”
"How about me?" Sam chimed in.
"You’re not in the footage," I said. "And you want a Louis Vuitton bag?"
"No," Sam said with a grin. "I want mine in snacks."
"I’ll think about it," I reply to Sam
Then I turned to the four who were actually in the footage. “Tomorrow we’ll meet with the person who edited this. Feel free to cut anything you’re not comfortable with. We can make alternate edits too if needed.”
Cher, Regina, and Laura immediately lit up with excitement, already talking about which moments they’d keep or maybe tweak just a little. Only Carly stayed relaxed, her expression indifferent as she leaned back on the couch.
Meanwhile, Cher and Regina were not only excited about the marketing idea, but also practically glowing at the thought of scoring a brand-new Louis Vuitton bag.
---
That week at school, Sam had developed her own brand of post-premiere mischief.
She took great joy in sneaking up behind the boys who had attended the screening and whispering a simple, but sharp “boo.”
The result sometimes was small jumps, wide eyes, and occasional yelp. It was a totally sitcom-comedy.
“Sam, seriously,” Freddie groaned after watching her startle yet another sophomore.
“What? I'm just keeping the hype alive,” she said with a wicked grin.
---
After a few more days, the film was officially released to the general public.
Unlike the original release, we launched in 1,000 theaters right from the start.
The first week’s box office was an undeniable realization, grossing $14.5 million. Thanks to our marketing and month-to-month success
Critics, however, were mixed.
Many praised the film for its ability to create genuine suspense and fear using the found-footage format. The use of time-lapsed footage, particularly of the couple asleep, was noted as a unique and effective way to build tension. Some reviewers, like those at The Guardian, also applauded the naturalistic acting.
But others weren’t so generous, citing unrealistic character motivations and repetitive jump scares in subsequent installments
Still, it didn’t matter much. What mattered was that we were making money.
---
A few days later, I was in the office with Pepper, going over the next steps.
“We’re going to increase the number of theaters showing Paranormal Activity,” she said confidently. “Our team estimates that with this expansion and the upcoming worldwide release revenue, we could surpass $120 million later this April.”
I just nodded, not really knowing what to say.
Pepper continued, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding has already wrapped and is now in post-production. We’re planning to release it in June. And Brokeback Mountain should be ready for July.”
She tapped her pen against the desk, then added, “Lost in Translation is looking like a September release. And with Paranormal Activity's success, we can move forward with the other horror projects—The Conjuring and Annabelle. Both will be significantly more expensive than Paranormal.”
Then Pepper shifted topics. “Now, about Marshmello. I’ve already secured the deal with singer Ellie Goulding. For the second one, we’re in advanced negotiations.”
“Good,” I said
