The emergence of TMZ undoubtedly marked a significant shift, creating ripples and causing a stir in the existing Hollywood gossip news market.
Built around seasoned paparazzi Harry and Colin, their network of information truly found a unique path.
Of course, no one knows what will happen next, but at least for now, Harry is full of confidence as he envisions a different future for his career.
The key is that they need to seize opportunities and tightly grasp every exclusive story.
For instance, right now—
Anson.
Eighty percent of TMZ's initial traffic came from Anson and "Bennifer." The site's foundation is still too fragile to withstand any turmoil, so Harry must meticulously follow Anson's every move.
Colin used his connections to get information about a Warner Records contract. Since Anson doesn't carry much weight in the music world, it wasn't classified information. After some effort, Colin managed to see the original contract.
$800,000, 20% royalties, one album.
However, Warner Records holds the right of first refusal for the band's second album.
In other words, if the band releases a second album and decides to sign with another label, as long as Warner matches the contract terms, the band must sign with Warner, leaving no room for negotiation.
It's hard to say whether Warner or the band got the short end of the stick.
However, it's clear that Warner Records is accommodating the band. Without compromising their interests or hurting their bottom line, they didn't exploit the new band but showed enough respect.
Even Colin, a professional, found the contract puzzling.
It's not particularly advantageous to the band, but Warner didn't push their advantage either. Overall, it's... "fair."
Don't underestimate the word "fair"; it's incredibly rare for a new artist.
Because of this, Colin believes that once the news breaks, it will cause quite a stir, and TMZ should be able to attract some industry attention.
Harry, thinking ahead, teased the news on TMZ with some figures—
The signing amount was under seven figures, the royalties hit double digits; an additional clause had a "1" and a "2," bringing a surprising twist.
Ambiguous, unclear.
Finally, he set up a 24-hour countdown, promising to release the TMZ exclusive once it ended.
This move immediately captured the attention of netizens and industry media. Regardless of the news itself, TMZ had already garnered a wave of traffic.
Anson remains in the spotlight, with his popularity showing no signs of fading.
Even Colin agreed that they must secure exclusives on Anson. Now, other competitors are joining in, and the chaotic battle is becoming evident. The upcoming period will be crucial.
Every cell in Harry's body was on alert—
So, while the band is resting, where is Anson?
Either the band is isolating Anson, leading to internal conflicts before the album is even finished, or Anson has something else to handle.
Whatever the case, Harry had no time for "Entertainment Weekly."
"...That's how it is."
"Feel free to think it over and discuss it. You're welcome to contact TMZ anytime. I'll be waiting for your call. Thanks for your cooperation, and I sincerely appreciate your call."
He casually tossed out some formalities without giving it much thought, then hung up the phone.
On the other end, "Entertainment Weekly": ...
Beep beep beep.
Staring at the busy tone, the person on the other end stood there in shock, questioning life. Did that paparazzo just hang up?
However, Harry didn't have time to care about the fragile feelings of traditional print media. He pushed open the car door and walked over. Even though he resisted getting closer to Anson, there was no other choice, was there?
After all, Anson wasn't right in front of him.
Harry kept convincing himself as he prepared to deal with Conor and the others.
So, where is Anson?
Anson was answering a call.
To be precise, the band wasn't having a productive day in the studio. After being cooped up in the studio for so long, their mood had become strange—both repressed and frustrated, which was normal.
They had planned to take a 30-minute break to clear their heads and reset. Anson joined them, but before leaving the studio, he glanced at his phone and noticed three missed calls.
All from the same person.
Clearly, it was something important, but Anson, fully immersed in the recording, hadn't noticed his phone.
Since he saw it now, he decided to return the call during the break.
The phone rang for a while before finally connecting.
"Uncle Darren, sorry, I was in the studio just now."
The missed calls were from Darren Star. Whatever it was, Anson had to call back.
The person on the other end paused briefly as Darren's brain caught up, "Ah, oh yes, I remember now. You mentioned you were recording an album. God, I completely forgot. Looks like I'm getting old."
"Uncle Darren, your brain is filled with production details for your shows, and all the irrelevant stuff gets pushed to the side. That's the right way to do it."
With that tease, Anson successfully made Darren burst into hearty laughter, "Only you could put a positive spin on something so depressing."
"So, is the album coming along well?"
Anson let out a long sigh, "Step by step, it's a process. Honestly, we've hit some roadblocks in the past few days, making me wonder if this whole album idea was a terrible one."
Darren sounded surprised, "Why?"
Anson shrugged lightly, "It's just our first album, and we're already facing a creative block halfway through. It doesn't bode well."
"Haha." Darren laughed, "Or, another way to look at it is that you're rookies. Everything's new and unfamiliar, so naturally, you need to adjust and explore. Once you get the hang of it, things will flow smoothly."
Anson, "Hmm, that does make some sense."
Darren, "Of course. Look at those legendary artists—their first albums are often raw and incomplete. It's not until their third or fourth albums that they start hitting their stride. Otherwise, if you peak with your first album, it's all downhill from there."
"Ha." This time, Anson laughed, "Don't think I didn't catch that, Uncle Darren. You're trying to coax me into making more albums."
Darren didn't hide his surprise, "Wait, are you only planning on recording one album?"
Anson: …"One at a time. Let's get the first one done first."
Darren couldn't resist teasing, "Oh, millions of girls will be disappointed. Your performance in 'The Princess Diaries' was pretty good, after all."
Anson chuckled and scratched his head, "Uncle Darren, I'm guessing you didn't call just to tell me that, right?"
"Haha. Anson, I love your confidence, haha." Darren laughed heartily, "No, I called to ask for a favor. It's about a movie, and I was wondering if you might be able to help. Do you have time?"