ALL NOVEL 392. image.
December 14.
Richard Carson opened his eyes on December 13th, feeling joy for the first time in the year. His eyes sparkled like pearls as he surveyed the room. Helen took a deep breath, so profound that she had no air left to argue forcefully, and they both held each other's calloused hands, resting, their wrinkled fingers laden with the weight of shared years and life experiences. Billy, taciturn, greeted his flight, discussing everything that had transpired and sharing what was on his mind—from the development of his company, his life, the family discomforts, his mistakes, and, of course, his relationships. Whenever someone recounts their life, they do so with the hope of justifying their actions, the things they cannot change; these are perhaps the secrets we do not approve of.
Taking a break before his arrival, he received the news of a new sponsorship deal with Nike for $11 million for Real, all of which was invested in the production company for cards and machine upgrades. However, the trip was not without its solemnity. It was a short but exhausting journey, and Billy’s study of everything he needed to know about his upcoming film was a topic he could not shake from his mind. The cameras captured them boarding the plane, and gossip was already brewing.
His previously dark eyes were now illuminated in a hazel green. They were joyful; it was almost like a dream for everyone, who had harbored a bit of insecurity about Richard Carson's condition for a month.
—He broke his hip and, unfortunately, his leg in three places. It’s possible he may never be able to use his leg again, and from this moment on, he will have to manage for the first six months using a wheelchair and soon with a cane. My recommendation is a physical therapist, and the prescribed medications must be administered promptly —the doctor commented.
Thomas Carson nodded in agreement with a solemn expression while listening to his father utter green words about ladies. The embarrassment was evident on his face as he lost composure in front of the woman who, despite seeming to listen, maintained her professionalism through the change in her demeanor.
Not far away, Billy had already taken some photos with a few members of the medical staff and signed some comics; his face was now widely recognized. The moment Mónica appeared, it ignited the waiting room as everyone turned to see the greatest European love of this time. There was something magnetic about the woman with black hair, a nearly poetic allure that drove the woman beside her wild.
—Billy, call your girlfriend! —Richard Carson shouted, causing quite a stir. Thomas once again respected all the commotion caused by his father. The doctor continued recommending all the steps and treatments that needed to be followed regarding his father's care. Fortunately for Billy, technology was not advanced enough, to allow him some privacy; that privacy was a significant relief. Billy's exit and Mónica's entrance, though somewhat reluctant in the presence of the old pervert, were accompanied by Billy's hand resting on her hips.
—Thank you for all the details. I believe I will follow all the recommendations, miss. When can my father be discharged? —Thomas asked.
Billy organized his thoughts carefully… he sensed that his grandfather's condition was not good; he was at the end of his rope after the fall down the stairs. Mónica kissed Billy on the head during the ride home; they would leave tomorrow and return on the night of the 24th to await the 25th for a celebration.
***
Jim Gianopulus was experiencing physical weariness as the director of the entertainment department at Lux Animation. This made it essential for him to maintain a strong work ethic, especially given the private revenue streams that Lux Animation must follow for the proper production of a film, which felt like a just order.
Alongside this, the launch of the children's channel—a channel aimed at eight-year-olds—was approaching. The channel had produced content, but productions for children are typically quick and straightforward. Documentaries or other types of activities can be organized, but the multiple series in the producers' library and some licenses make it feasible.
—I believe if we adjust the launch of the children's channel from December 17 to December 23, it will allow us to better organize the production system. With the new children's production team in place, we can pause other new productions. We have Franklin and Bob the Builder completed from Lux Nation, Team 6, while Hit Studios is following the animation of Blue's Clues, as Billy ordered. Meanwhile, Lyrick Studios has continued the course of Jay Jay the Jet Plane with the new programs, along with the order for the Thomas & Friends series for the upcoming launch —Anna Washington commented. At Jim Gianopulus's request, she had conducted a thorough study of everything that needed to be followed, alongside the programs from Animal Planet that they have with the BBC and Discovery, leading to the birth of the Lux Kids channel.
—Thank you, Anna. Can you tell us about the management of the last two studios under our Lux Animation family? —Jim Gianopulus asked. Lost in thought, he had already taken it for granted that the children's channel would launch in November, and what concerned him were the opportunities for other series. For example, they had been financing various television series to add to their film library, such as the Polish series Kommissar Rex, Friends, ER, The Beatles Anthology, and other documentaries that presented good sponsorship opportunities and rights for reproduction on digital platforms and television, avoiding exclusivity. They had a total of 60%, 42%, 40%, and 50% respectively in the series they were producing against television companies.
—The broadcasting team is already set up on the third floor. We've acquired a digital signal from antennas, and the third floor can broadcast four channel transmission units. Three will be allocated for the company’s animated channels, and the fourth channel can be leased. However, it’s possible that Billy already has an idea of how to utilize that channel —Raimon, who was in charge of production licenses and managing all contracts with the cable television service, responded. He maintained a production setup for both satellite and digital, which is why he often stayed closely aligned with Lux Animation.
The designs were assigned to the previously established members of the Lux Animation guild.
—Let’s take into account the new contracts —Jim Gianopulus replied eagerly. Major studios typically have 3 to 5 television channels, but this was somewhat different. The two channels they had could be bundled together due to Discovery, totaling three channels that represented a good market share. The impressive animation channel of Luxtoons and now Discovery Channel, which is part of their channel package, could reduce costs by certain percentages due to the animated interest. However, the selection of channels is different from what is usually seen, and being positioned near certain channels is important. Therefore, they must negotiate a channel order if they want to be among the top channels in a well-placed group.
—I will take care of that. I will do everything possible to secure a good position in the company. But now that Anna is in charge of all production and channel management, we have neglected sponsorships... that falls to Wanda Franz, but she hasn’t had the strength to secure the right contracts. For now, we will use the trailers for the children’s movies that the company is producing and advertise some products from Mattel and Hasbro, which are reputable toy companies that appeal to children —Jim Gianopulus sighed.
Commercials and sponsorships have a peculiar function; sometimes, the space has different types of commissions or payments associated with the channel. For instance, commercials regarding the purchase of an item or service pay a fixed fee based on 100, 1,000, or 10,000 appearances, depending on the channel owner’s distribution rules, and the price is usually not high.
—We need to adhere to the protocols set by the National Television Commission. Many of them have prohibitions regarding prices, censored content, and different standards of integrity compared to what can normally be done in other programs —Wanda commented.
...