Sharp! Keen!
Harry was now fully alert, with his brain working at full speed. Any figure appearing near Sound City was under his strict scrutiny.
Click, click, click.
Harry quickly pressed the shutter, but upon reflection, he realized he had no matching information in his mind. They could just be ordinary people with nothing special about them. However, Harry's intuition told him otherwise—
There are no coincidences in this world.
Yet, Harry's mind was blank, with no corresponding information. His knowledge of the music industry was still too limited.
After some thought, Harry pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
Ring. Ring.
The phone only rang twice before it was answered.
"Colin-Jones speaking."
Direct and to the point.
"Colin, it's Harry Percy. Got three minutes?"
"Oh, Harry, of course. You have my attention. Ben and Jennifer just walked into a coffee shop, so unless they're heading to a restroom stall for some 'alone time,' I should have three minutes."
"Hah, they sure do enjoy each other's company."
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
Since sparking a romance last November and after both broke up with their previous partners to be together, this couple had been highly public with their affection, almost as if they were glued together.
As mentioned before, the mystique around celebrities was gradually fading, but generally, people were still not fully ready to open up completely.
There were the elusive golden couple, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, the elusive lovers Leonardo DiCaprio and Gisele Bündchen, and the recent love triangle involving Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, and Penélope Cruz, which had been a media sensation.
This is why paparazzi are always linked with gossip, constantly digging up and exposing secrets while celebrities try to hide and evade.
However, Ben and Jennifer were different—remarkably high-profile, openly displaying their affection in front of the cameras, something unheard of at the time.
They even earned the couple's nickname, "Bennifer."
But, everything in excess becomes counterproductive.
In fact, their relentless public displays of affection were so frequent and ostentatious that the public had grown tired of them.
By the end of 2002, in an Entertainment Weekly poll, Ben and Jennifer were voted the most disliked celebrity couple in America, even surpassing Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton, who were criticized for wearing vials of each other's blood, a stunt that angered conservative religious groups.
Incredibly, more than 80% of the public expressed a desire for "Bennifer" to break up.
However, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were thoroughly enjoying the attention.
Paparazzi were well aware that it was all intentional, with their agents adding fuel to the fire, increasing their exposure.
Often, they would be walking normally but would suddenly start clinging to each other as soon as they spotted a paparazzo, creating a spectacle.
It was all just a performance.
Or rather, a business.
Whether the public liked it or not, "Bennifer" was providing a steady stream of content that sustained numerous paparazzi and gossip magazines, while also boosting both their careers.
On the other end of the line, Colin smirked.
"Honestly, I don't mind their high-profile behavior; it's easy to photograph. But you've already used up thirty seconds of your three minutes."
Harry wasn't surprised—
That's just how it is among paparazzi.
"I'm outside Sound City..."
"What? What are you doing there? Who's recording?"
Harry was a specialist in the film industry, while Colin specialized in the music industry.
This time, it was Colin who interrupted Harry.
Harry chuckled, "You owe me back those thirty seconds then; I'm getting to that."
Then, Harry described the two figures he had just seen.
Colin pondered for a moment, "Uh, I can't be 100% sure, but from your description, it sounds like Dustin Thorne and Mike Donovan."
"Which record label are they with?"
"Ward Records. I'll send you some details; you can confirm it."
"Okay."
"Harry, I've shared my insights, but you won't leave me hanging, will you? If I'm not mistaken, they've recently shown a lot of interest in that Anson guy. Then again, half the music industry is interested in him right now."
Paparazzi... they really do have a nose for news!
Harry chuckled, "Yes, it's about Anson, but I still need to confirm a few things."
"If it's about Anson, that's a major scoop. Who are you planning to sell it to?"
"I'm not sure yet; maybe I'll see who offers the highest price."
"These magazines are getting crafty. Be careful. The last time I gave a tip to Entertainment Weekly, they rejected it, only to send their own paparazzi to confirm it later, cutting me out entirely."
"But we don't have platforms of our own; what else can we do!"
"They're just taking advantage of us freelancers because we don't have a union. If we all banded together, they'd have to play ball."
Their exchange of complaints didn't go on for long as Colin's tone suddenly shifted.
"Bennifer is coming out. Talk later."
Click.
Colin hung up.
Harry sat in the driver's seat, lost in thought—
The thing is, whether it's Anson's news or Bennifer's, it's not just a one-time story; it's an ongoing series of updates.
Like right now, Anson being at Sound City, Anson preparing a new album, Anson possibly signing a record deal with Warner...
Each of these is a big deal, with more updates likely to follow.
They're out there on the front lines, working hard to gather this news, while the media and magazines sit back and reap the benefits, often giving them the cold shoulder.
So, is there a way for them to keep control of these exclusives and take the lead while also making money from their work?
The internet, the internet, the internet...
Harry's mind was racing, and then, a spark of inspiration hit him.
Why not create a website? A website dedicated to paparazzi!
First, they could fully utilize the convenience of the internet, updating with breaking news around the clock, gathering all the exclusives from the paparazzi.
Second, once traffic builds up, ad revenue would start pouring in, and they could set their own prices for exclusive news—
Paparazzi wouldn't undercut each other, reducing price discrepancies.
Third, if magazines like Entertainment Weekly wanted to reprint their exclusive stories, they would have to buy the news, credit the source, or collaborate with them. The control over the first-hand news would be in their hands.
Of course, Harry wasn't naive; he knew it wouldn't be that simple and that there would be plenty of challenges. But the more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Maybe Anson and Bennifer could be their opportunity?
Should he take a gamble?
With that thought, Harry didn't hesitate any longer. Trusting his instincts and inspiration, he quickly opened his laptop, staring at the domain registration page.
So, what should the website be called?
It can't be too vulgar or too bland.
Since most of their work takes place within about a thirty-mile radius in Los Angeles, symbolizing the area where Hollywood celebrities gather, why not call it "Thirty-Mile Zone"—
"TMZ."