American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 97 Taking a Nap and Resting (Variety Show)

Craig Kalman is the president of Atlantic Records.

He entered the music industry as early as the 80s, initially working in Columbia, and in 86 he chose to go solo, creating his own label Big Beat Records, and then discovering the Jomanda group and Tara Camp.

The Jomandas were pretty awesome; they sang "Got a Love for You," which topped the Billboard Dance chart in 91 and was later included in "Give Him Love: San Andreas."

Tara Camp was no slouch either, with her best result being number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which was "Hold You Tight" in 1991.

Because Big Beat Records was so successful, Warner Music acquired them, and then founder Kalman joined Atlantic Records as an executive. To date, he has unearthed a host of celebrities.

For example, Sean Paul.

Kalman's outstanding performance led to his official promotion to president of Atlantic Records last year. As a result, with the rise of The Voice this year, Barry Mayer naturally handed over the position of music director of The Voice to him.

Let him watch the signing.

Uh……

To reiterate, Warner Music is not an important label in the eyes of true Warner employees, because the company with Steve Ross's death knell has always been Atlantic Records.

As long as Steve Ross's old guard remains in Warner Bros., they will adhere to the unchanging principle of ancestral laws, because doing so will easily secure the support of the heir apparent.

In the process of cooperating with Disney to operate "The Voice", Kalman's three favorite contestants were Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, and Lana Del Rey.

But now, Isabella has taken care of all three of them?

This……

"So we have to give up their dual contracts?"

Kalman looked at Nathan Bailey, who had come to deliver the order.

Nathan Bailey nodded.

“Yeah.”

Is there no possibility of change?

Kalman wanted to try.

Unfortunately, Nathan Bailey shook his head very decisively.

"Isabella came into being first, and then The Voice came into being."

"Okay."

Kalman understood.

With Kalman's acceptance, Nathan Bailey also returned to the company.

After telling Barry Mayer about Isabella's choice, Mayer, who was flipping through the summer blockbuster finale, looked up.

"All the people Craig had his eye on were chosen by Isa?"

"Yes."

"Did Isha watch those people's performance?"

"No. She didn't even ask us for the videotape."

"How was she chosen?"

“Uh…” Nathan Bailey paused for a moment, then said, “It’s supposedly based on intuition.”

"Feel?"

"Yes, it took less than two hours from when I handed the information to Isa to when she gave me the list."

Nathan Bailey said, "I was also curious about why she made her selections so quickly, and then she said... she only looks at two things on a resume, one is the photo, and the other is the annotation. If she thinks a guy looks good, then she can give him an 'okay'. If that guy is also a die-hard fan of hers, then she's even more 'okay'."

"..."

Maye was stunned.

The hasty selection process left him speechless, his mouth agape.

That's right!

Although Warner and Isabella are indeed partners, even brothers should keep clear accounts, right?
When discussing the details of developing the "The Voice" IP, Mayer asked Isabella to select contestants before the national competition began because he also wanted to gain more profits. Deep down, he was unwilling to give up this part of the profits to Isabella.

Even if we are allies.

But now...

Has divine judgment appeared?
What the hell is this?!
Taking a deep breath, Maye felt a headache coming on.

But after a while, he laughed again.

"If I remember correctly, the actress she signed... Margot Robbie? Isn't she also a fan of hers?"

"Yes."

"This girl doesn't seem to be doing very well right now, which shows that Craig can sometimes make mistakes in judgment."

"Uh... I think you're right..."

Nathan Bailey paused for a moment, then nodded with some difficulty.

When even bosses start resorting to mystical methods, Nathan Bailey is truly out of options!

To console himself about the 'potential rising star being chosen by someone else,' Barry Mayer actually said something like Margot Robbie wasn't all that great? What... what else could Nathan Bailey say?

His frustration made Maye laugh. Maye knew that her words were a bit outrageous, but wasn't this just making the best of a bad situation? Because they couldn't take him away from Isabella right now, so?

"Alright, let's not talk about things that can't be changed. Since the contracts are already signed, and their record releases will all be handled by Warner, then Isha can have them if she wants them..."

"Oh right, where did Isha go?"

"She's signing people so quickly... could it be that she wants to go out and have fun?"

In Mayer's original plan, Isabella would need to analyze the 150-person national competition roster for two to three days.

Because the selection process for singers is different from job interviews.

How can you know how well someone sings, or what their typhoon is like, if you don't listen to the demo or watch the recording?
But when Isabella can select people based solely on their resumes...

Could it be that she's tired of having too much work and is just doing whatever she wants?
“Yeah—” Nathan Bailey nodded. “She went out to play.”

"..."

Feeling that she might have guessed correctly, Maye shook her head, both amused and exasperated. "Where did they go?"

Disney.

Now that her work was done, Isabella naturally wanted to go on vacation.

Then, the group decided to make Disney their first stop.

The reason for choosing Disney is simple: both Katherine and Robbie wanted to go.

Catherine wanted to go because she loved Disney animation, or rather, one of the reasons she studied drawing was that she always thought Disney animation was quite fun.

Furthermore, their adoptive father had taken them to Disneyland in France when he was still alive.

The trip related to it made Catherine very happy.

Robbie's reason for wanting to go is simpler: no child can say no to Disney. If it weren't for the fact that Australia doesn't have Disneyland, only Warner Bros. Movie World, she would have gone long ago.

Since two of the four members of the team had a clear goal, Isabella naturally shouted, "Let's go, let's go!"
And after they arrived at Disneyland...

“Oh, Isa, Keisha? Mrs. Haywood? And Marg? Hello, I’m Matt O’Imet, you can just call me Matt. From now on, I’ll be your tour guide for this trip.”

"Just tell me where you want to go, and whatever activities you want to do, that's fine. As long as you have fun, that's my greatest honor. Please don't try to bother me, I'm serious."

Matt Oymet is the president of Disneyland.

He joined Disney in 89 and knows everything about the park.

Yes ~
Disney is all the territory of its own allies, so how could Isabella not call Iger while visiting?
Before leaving, she called Aiger;
Upon arrival, the park's president came to accompany him;

then……

There was no queue;

There are no restricted areas;

No attractions were closed or performances ended;

Isabella and her friends are like Mundo, they can go wherever they want.

“Isa, what you are seeing now is Main Street, U.S.A., the main thoroughfare of Disneyland. Its design is inspired by Walt Disney’s hometown of Matherine, Missouri, and its prototype can be traced back to a hundred years ago…”

"Oh—that's Sleeping Beauty Castle?"

Once on the street, Catherine excitedly pointed to the blue building ahead.

"Yeah~ That's a classic landmark in our Disneyland~ And the castle you see now is the only castle in the world that was personally supervised by Mr. Walt Disney."

Oymet smiled and said, "If you want to go, we can go now."

"But even if we go now, I still recommend that you come back at night, because our park has a fireworks show at night, and the viewing spots in Sleeping Beauty Castle are the best."

"..."

"This is Adventure World. Indiana Jones Jungle Adventure is a game I recommend. The design here was personally planned by Mr. George Lucas, and the game's videos were personally filmed by Mr. Steven Spielberg..."

"So do we have costumes?"

Before starting the game, Robbie pointed curiously to the game's promotional image in the display case.

“Darling—of course—” Oymette nodded and waved.

Soon, the staff brought over several sets of uniforms.

Light brown shirts, dark brown shorts, and each person wearing a cowboy hat...

Wow~
Indiana Jones's feeling came instantly.

Disneyland in California is really big. Although it can't compare to Orlando, there are countless attractions here. There's even an Adventureland next door. It took Isabella and her friends three whole days to visit all the attractions.

Of course, their "shopping" isn't just about stopping at tourist attractions and checking off a list. When they have the Pro Max version of the Super Green Pass in their hands, they'll go on and on to play any fun games they come across.

Uh……

That's actually why it took them three days to see all the sights.

At the same time, they also bought a lot... well, they got a lot of merchandise...

How dare you Disney take my money?
hee hee~
"Oh~ Keisha~ This blue Minnie Mouse headband suits you so well~ You look so cute in it~"

"Thank you, Margot. The Mickey Mouse head you chose suits you too."

"HeyHeyHey! Why aren't you guys giving me your feedback? Don't you think this duck foot headband I chose is pretty cool?"

“Oh—Isa—you look a little silly with that headband on…”

Catherine gave her younger sister a careful look and then commented.

Her words made Robbie nod wildly in agreement.

Seeing this, Miss Beaver's face darkened, and she turned to look at her mother...

"It's pretty stupid."

"But it suits you very well."

Vivian was wearing a Stitch headband.

As she nodded, Stitch, who was perched on her head, began to sway back and forth.

If I had to describe it, the Stitch on my mom's head would look like a woodpecker.

Grasping at the void, again and again.

The girl rolled her eyes at his doubly approving look.

"I don't bother with you."

"hahahaha~"

The group arrived at Disneyland on August 31st.

I said goodbye to Matt O'Mete, president of Disney theme parks, on the afternoon of September 2nd.

Since there were still 10 days until the official recording of "The Voice" variety show, Isabella and her friends went to Telluride, Colorado, and stayed there for a while.

Anyone familiar with the entertainment industry in Europe and America should have heard of Telluride, because there is a very famous film festival in North America called Telluride. Films such as "Mullanhurst," "Slumdog Millionaire," and "The King's Speech" were first screened at this film festival, which is held in Telluride, Colorado.

However, the film festival is not Telluride's only highlight. In addition to the film festival, there are ski resorts, concerts, mountain bike races, golf courses and more. Because of the abundance of entertainment activities, it has become a top choice for many people in the West to go on vacation since the 1990s. As for what this place was for before the 1990s?

Colorado was originally inhabited by Native Americans...

During the gold rush, placer gold was even discovered here...

"Oh~ Isa~ This shop is nice~"

That day, after finishing their bicycle ride, the group, feeling a bit hungry, went straight into the town to look for food.

They went to the most famous truffle restaurant in the area, sat for a while, and Catherine was immediately captivated by the local truffle chocolates. Vivian, on the other hand, thought the fig desserts were wonderful.

And these...

“Marg.”

Isabella looked at Robbie Jr.

"Ok?"

The little guy, who was eating his steak, raised his forehead.

What do you think of the food here?

"It's alright, the taste is quite good..."

"How does it compare to the food you ate when you were in England? How does it compare to the food from your hometown in Australia?"

"Uh……"

Robbie paused for a moment, then laughed: "The food here is delicious."

"See, that's the essence of things."

Isabella clapped her hands.

"..."

Catherine and Vivian were momentarily speechless, and then shook their heads, both amused and exasperated.

Indeed, in Isabella's eyes, isn't it normal for the British to find foreign food delicious?
Because the British people usually live a hard life!
Needless to say, Australia, as a former British colony, how could their recipes possibly be thicker than those of Britain?

Especially given Australia's unique geographical location in the Southern Hemisphere, far from densely populated areas, its interaction with the outside world is hampered by the ocean, hindering not only the development of its food industry but also the development of everything else.

After a week in Telluride, Isabella felt lighter.

This is not only because the town's environment is indeed quite nice—

It has a humid continental climate, and the highest temperature here in early September is only slightly over 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

More importantly, because there aren't many people in the town—

The town's original inhabitants number only a few thousand; all the facilities were built for tourists.

But early September?

With summer vacation over and winter break yet, it's the off-season for tourism, a time when school is in session and work is in full swing.

Even if there are tourists in the town, how many people could there be?

Right?

That's why Isabella was even a little reluctant to leave.

"Oh—time to start work again—"

She clung to her older sister like a rag doll, unwilling to leave.

Vivian smiled and said, "Isa, I think you should embrace your work with joy."

"Why?" Isabella didn't understand why her mother would say that.

Catherine and Robbie also cast questioning glances at Vivian.

Vivian cleared her throat, trying hard to control the corners of her mouth, and said in a serious tone, "It's very simple. Only when you feel extremely tired at work will you be able to taste more sweetness on vacation."

"So, if you want your future vacations to be fun, you need to keep yourself busy with work."

"..."

Isabella was stunned!

"Pfft..." Catherine and Robbie couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Isabella looked her mother over carefully for a moment, then said incredulously, "Mom! Are you possessed?"

"I'm your lovely daughter!"

"Why are you treating me like a beast of burden?!"

Hehehehe~~~

Vivian's mood improved even more at her youngest daughter's astonishment.

Well, she also likes Telluride. The relaxation of the vacation made her feel like she had lost all her work vibes. Uh... this isn't her showing off, but as an old mother, watching her daughter busy every day is also tiring.

Tired.

So, seeing that her daughter didn't resist working at all, she immediately picked up her handbag.

It was like a whip lashing Isabella.

"Board!"

Telluride has an airport, but there are very few flights. From here, you can only fly to Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, and Houston. But that doesn't matter because Disney has planes. Isabella and her friends came by private jet.

After a period of swaying and staggering, Isabella arrived in California once again. She spent a day lounging in her hotel room, and the next day, fully recovered and ready to get back to work, she met with the project team of "The Voice of China".

The location was the recording center at ABC in Burbank.

Everyone knew Isabella's status in the industry, so the radio station's vice president, producer, and director in charge of the project were as docile as cats in her presence. While reviewing the national competition plan, the host, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, arrived, greeted Isabella warmly, and then sat down in the conference room. And then…

“Oh, Isa~ We’ve finally met~ To be honest, I’m so happy to hear that our country has produced another musical genius… I’ve heard all your songs, and my favorite is ‘Love Story,’ that song is absolutely fantastic…”

"Oh, thank you~ Sir John, it's a pleasure to meet you~ I'm a fan of yours, I grew up listening to your songs..."

"Really? That's my pleasure. Oh, by the way, can you tell me which of my songs you like the most?"

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

"...You fake fan! That's a John Lennon song! I'm just doing a cover!"

"Hahaha~"

"..."

"Come on! Look who I see! Isn't this the rising diva Isabella Heywood? Oh my god! I've finally met Miss Beaver in person! Can I have her autograph?"

"Of course, Miss Kelly, but before I sign your autograph, I'd like to ask you something. Is that alright?"

"Hmm... okay... go ahead..."

What do you think of the song "Party in the USA"?

"Oh—I think this will be the best song of the new century—because it depicts the perfect American Dream—"

"really?"

"Of course!"

"Don't you have anything else to say?"

"Good for you, I'm here to give you a thumbs up."

"Hey hey hey~"

"..."

"Oh my god~ Princess Granger, I didn't expect you to be even more beautiful in real life than in the movies~"

"Thank you, Mr. Sting. You're more handsome than you are in the videotape."

"Oh~ You're the first person in all these years to say I'm handsome the moment they see me~ That makes me so happy~"

"Really? That shouldn't be the case."

"Of course! You can ask Elton and Maria if you don't believe me. The first thing people talk about when they see me is my hair."

"Because it looks like a bird's nest?"

"See, you can also grasp the key points."

"hahahaha~"

“Okay, it’s nice to meet you. I’m even more pleased with your invitation because I really like Love Story.”

"really?"

"That's right~~ because I really love Shakespeare. I once wrote a song called 'Nothing Like The Sun'... I believe you can understand?"

"My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun?"

“Yeah~ My inspiration came from the Sonnets.”

"..."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm the last one. My flight was delayed. I came all the way from New Jersey."

“It’s alright, Mr. Springsteen, we haven’t even started yet.”

"Well, I hope it's true, Isa. It's nice to meet you."

"me too……"

The show is about to start filming, so how could the mentors continue to remain invisible?
After sitting in the filming center for only a short while, Isabella spotted the 'Four Ancient Gods' who had been invited.

Like the staff at ABC, these people were very approachable.

Uh……

Ok……

A fool can't stay popular for decades.

And as long as they're not idiots, no one will put on airs in front of Isabella now.

Since Isabella doesn't plan to officially enter the music industry, she can't possibly travel the world promoting her albums like other singers because she has to film. Nor can she attend your concert today and go on your tour tomorrow because she has to film. So, after chatting with everyone for a bit, she steered the conversation to work and brought up the recording session.

The inspiration for "The Voice" came from Isabella, so she must be very familiar with the show's format.

but……

"Do I get to have an opening show too?"

After going over the process for a while, Isabella dressed up as an old man on the subway, frowning as she looked at her 'phone'.

"Yeah~ You had an opening show too~"

The director nodded and said, "Because you are the initiator of 'The Voice of China,' we designed a show for you. Or rather, many viewers came specifically for you. If you don't show up... the audience will be disappointed."

“Okay, okay, I don’t have a problem with the show’s arrangements, I just want to know… I don’t need to dance, right?”

"Of course not."

"Okay, then I'm all set."

Isabella breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew, of course, that a large portion of the audience for "The Voice of China" came specifically for her, so satisfying her fans was what she should do. What she feared, however, was dancing, because…

Because Isabella's resistance to dancing was written all over her face, everyone present looked curious after hearing her words. Kelly even asked, "Isabella, can't you dance?"

"Nope."

"How did you record the music video for 'Party in the USA'?"

Rocket Man Elton pushed up his glasses and said, "I remember there was a bit of dancing in that music video?"

"Oh, it's edited."

Isabella shrugged and started cosplaying LeBron James in Los Angeles.

"You all know what happened with that song, so..."

"All I can say is that I was filming Harry Potter in London at the time."

"I wrote the song in the early morning, recorded it during the day, and filmed the music video in the studio at night."

Because "Party in the USA" was presented as a promotional song for "The Voice," a music video was absolutely necessary. However, due to the extremely tight schedule at the time, the production of the music video became very industrialized.

After Isabella copied the song, Maye and Iger, upon receiving the news, had a project plan written.

Next, the scenes in Los Angeles, showcasing the city's glamour, the extras' leaps, and the energetic street performances, were all shot by Mayer and Iger's production team. The scenes belonging to Isabella in the entire music video, such as the scene of getting off the plane, swaying to the rhythm after getting into a taxi, finger dancing, and sitting in the car admiring the neon lights, were all filmed in London.

Then?

Editing magic is now online!
Her candid words made everyone laugh and shake their heads, and the girl's straightforwardness also brought everyone closer together.

After going over the procedures, the show officially began recording.

Because everyone had filming experience, the filming of the program went very smoothly.

When a person gets serious about something, time always flies by.

Almost in the blink of an eye, a week has passed...

(End of this chapter)