January 31.

  They mao finish the rec on January 31st, in a manner marked by distance, fear, and an indest form of dread, which amplified in his quarters at the sound of the arm. Curtis had ed up the ses requiring his attention, but now he faced a long and indisputable se that kept him in an indest state of frustration, weighed down by the uing pressure of the setting.

  -We o do a good job that plements all the work. - Curtis remarked to editor Albert Bintz.

  -That might be a solution, but I believe if we do a quick cut, we could better uand how to approach the whole thing. For that reason, and for others, it could be beneficial for us to improve the activity level. I think 160 minutes could be the perfect length for each se. - Curtis responded, with a tone of obligation and a hint of irritation, his face betraying his impatience as he awaited the question.

  -We o keep it to a maximum of 130 minutes, no more, no less, and that’s the way I see it. - Albert replied, tinuing the editing process. There were many ways to cut, from long takes to slow transitions, but all were filled with inveniehat made it difficult to press the se into the time Albert desired. It was often a point of tentioweewo, as they could spend hours arguing over a single se.

  …

  Elsewhere, Arson Mi was pletely overwhelmed by the pressure of delivering the film. He had another film lined up, this time w with Billy on a movie apparently based on an unknown reader, entrenched in plete obscurity.

  -You must be Chuck Pahniuk. - Arson Mi said.

  -Thank you fivihis opportunity. I don’t think you know how much I appreciate the fact that you’re willing to go ahead with the script I wrote, which, by the way, will be ready in the ing days. - Chuck Pahniuk replied, eager for a break in the industry. It might just be his st ce to get a film made, as he had decided to fully it to novels.

  -That’s not important. I want you to focus on what you do best. That’s ant you on board. We’re willing to buy Fight Club for 20,000 and offer you an indepe exclusivity tract as a potential writer for anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 per project, depending on the need. - Anson Mi responded, a siderable deal, as scripts of this kind typically went for around 2,000, making it a generous offer. With Billy's infted prices in mind, he demonstrated how to iate these minor details, but beyond that, he k was best to cut costs where necessary and trim the budget for a hitting the right price point.

  -I’ll sign the tract, but could we raise it to 35,000? - Chuck asked, not knowing how to approach it.

  -Good boy, we’ll do it, but I’ll add a few extra responsibilities. - Anson added, scribbling down a few additional obligations, all id out in precise numbers. He included three extra tasks to ehey had a specific product. The movie could very well be this one, but he had another proje hand: Donnie Brasco.

  ***

  It was the awkward moment everyone dreaded, where work was a stant game of push and pull, always with the underlying frustration of being overseen by those who imposed themselves. The atmosphere was filled with the simple hypocrisy of it all. Jim Gianopulos smiled while Terry kept smiling as well, never gng sideways as they exged key information, refleg the characters of their business retionships.

  The folder handed over failed to raise the prices as they had hoped, and there wasn’t enough time to validate the research Billy had done, or at least not corroborate it to su extent. They added a grid, beled “Potential Series,” with green figures. For instahe Flintstones and Loounes were each valued at 200 million, a price that seemed astronomical pared to The Smurfs and others that stood out for different reasons, which brought a smile to Jim Gianopulos' face.

  -I think we’d like to collect the mohese prices are out of our budget… however, it’s been a pleasure iating with you. - Jim Gianopulos ented, his words signaling that they were extending the meeting as they usually did, likely to frustrate him.

  -Why ’t we iate? I think what we’re doing is well done. - Terry added with an expression that was pletely indifferent to the closing terms that were oable... pretending came easily to him, something calcuted ial disappoi of a man who lived for the work.

  -That’s right, we try to ood prices. I took the time because I believed i iation. - Jim said, not losing his cheer. - But no matter what, in the end, money is healthy for the pany. It turns out that, among all the people here, I have a boss who multiply money in ways that some might sider miraculous.

  -Well, we’re in a iation, aiations, that ’t be fotten. - Terry responded, navigating the requests.

  -Hahahaha… Well, Mr. Semel, it’s unfortunate for me to say this, but we’ve reviewed everything. You have a someredictable way of operating, something distant that often be seen as a pattern of behavior… don’t worry, paend to do the same. We know when someone is truly iating, and when they aren’t. - Jim expihe idea was that if they doubled the price or added ara, there would be iation. They doubled the price of each series, leaving no room for bargaining.

  -But…

  -We expect the check by week. I lost 500; Billy told me they wouldn’t iate, and I believed him, but I failed in a way that now embarrasses me. I think I’m at a loss as to what to do in future cases… I won’t be able to bet against a judge like that. If I take into at the many times they’ve refused, I ’t say I’m wrong. - Jim Gianopulos said, visibly disanized.

  -I think we . - Terry replied, cut off by the serious look and utter disappoi etched across his face.

  -Mr. Semel, believe me when I say your words will go unheard. Have a good day. Tomorrow m, the press will be informed. Unfortunately, it’s that the payment will be publicly announced, with Warner owing 689 million to Lux Animation. - Jim Gianopulos added. - Rest assured, we will keep the words of all involved fidential.

  Jim left the chair across from him empty, relieved by the weight lifted.

  ...