Everything surrounding the Oscars can definitely be described as full of ups and downs.
If someone believes that they've made an extremely outstanding film or played an extraordinary role, and that an Oscar statuette will naturally fall into their lap, they'll probably wait a lifetime and never get one.
Matthew has seen film companies vying for Best Picture even going after Tolkien, who died decades ago, just to hold back the strong contender, "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King."
There's also Charlize Theron.
Matthew learned about her unfortunate childhood from media reports.
It's possible that Charlize Theron's current contradictory personality, where she tolerates Stuart Townsend while presenting herself as independent and strong, is related to this.
In late January, the Academy announced the Oscar nominations.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" received five nominations: Best Actor, Best Makeup, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Sound Editing.
Johnny Depp received his first-ever Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
Matthew specifically called to congratulate him.
Johnny Depp was very happy but also very clear-headed, knowing that for Jack Sparrow, a Best Actor nomination was already the limit, and the chances of winning were negligible.
Additionally, Matthew received some good news: because "Pirates of the Caribbean" received five Oscar nominations, the organizing committee confirmed that the crew would be given a certain number of attendance slots, and as one of the film's lead actors, he would walk the Oscar red carpet.
Upon learning that Matthew would be walking the Oscar red carpet, Sean Daniel immediately came over to discuss how to maximize the use of the Oscars to promote "Dawn of the Dead."
Recently, the Oscar campaign has been in full swing, but "Dawn of the Dead," which is nearing the end of post-production, has been relatively quiet during this period.
Aside from leveraging the buzz Matthew generated for Disney Pictures, there have been almost no other promotional plans.
"Dawn of the Dead" itself had a low production budget, only a medium-scale investment, and even less for marketing.
If a large-scale promotion were conducted during the peak Oscar season, the effect wouldn't be much different from now, and not many people would pay attention.
Every year after the New Year, it's the season of awards and the Oscars, with Oscar news dominating most of the film reports.
"The Oscars are a huge stage, watched by tens of millions of people every year," Helen Herman said to Sean Daniel.
"This stage is indeed a good opportunity for publicity.
If something happens at the Oscars and the subsequent after-party, it will quickly spread across the entire United States."
Sean Daniel sat on the sofa and slowly said, "That's why I'm here.
Can we use the Oscars to help Matthew generate some news?"
Matthew reminded, "There are many big stars at the Oscars.
I haven't been nominated, nor am I a presenter.
It'll be hard to grab headlines, won't it?"
"Hmm, it is a bit difficult," Sean Daniel nodded.
"That's why we need to come up with a plan."
Helen Herman propped her chin, clearly thinking about a suitable strategy.
"How about this..." Matthew thought of Jessica Alba's brilliant performance and asked, "What if I fall on the red carpet?"
"No!" Helen Herman, having heard Matthew mention Jessica Alba's incident, immediately rejected it.
"Such a performance is only suitable for female actresses, and it severely contradicts your public persona.
It would only backfire."
Matthew started laughing because he was only joking.
His public image had always been one of steadfastness, wildness, and strength.
How could he fall on the red carpet?
He thought for a moment and added, "Our promotion during this period has been piggybacking on Disney Pictures' buzz.
"Pirates of the Caribbean" and your upcoming "National Treasure" have both brought some attention to "Dawn of the Dead," but the sensational effect that the Oscars can generate in the short term is incomparable to merely riding on existing buzz."
Clearing his throat, Sean Daniel continued, "There's also an extremely important point: the release date of "Dawn of the Dead" is very close to the Oscar awards ceremony.
Once you can create attention-grabbing news at the Oscars, coupled with the crew's promotion, it will definitely have a good promotional effect."
The reason he specifically came over was that the Oscar awards ceremony is at the end of February, two weeks before the North American release of "Dawn of the Dead."
As long as Matthew can generate hot news through the grand stage of the Oscars, the subsequent hype and buzz can easily extend to the film itself.
The crew still has a six-million-dollar promotional budget that hasn't been invested.
While six million dollars isn't a lot compared to a top-tier production, it can still achieve quite a bit.
Matthew knew that Sean Daniel was right, and doing so would not only benefit the film but also himself greatly.
The film and its lead actors are always intertwined; success and failure are closely related.
If "Dawn of the Dead" is a box office hit, even if he doesn't reach A-list status, his B-list position would become more secure, and he could demand a higher salary for his next film.
The problem is, how can he create news at the Oscars?
The Oscar awards ceremony is filled with big names; the media and public focus are on those A-list stars and winners.
An ordinary B-list star is just a very common participant at the Oscar awards ceremony.
Moreover, creating news requires choosing the right method; if it's not handled well, it could turn into a scandal... which would have the opposite effect.
Helen Herman remained silent, constantly thinking about what to do, until now when she finally said, "I have a plan."
Hearing her say that, Matthew and Sean Daniel both looked over simultaneously.
"We'll try to get Matthew a ticket to the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party," Helen Herman said calmly, as if discussing something as ordinary as drinking water or eating.
"There will definitely be plenty of eye-catching actresses at the party.
Matthew, use your specialty."
"What do you mean, my specialty?" Matthew was a bit displeased.
Helen Herman didn't answer his question, and instead said directly, "With your looks and methods, hooking up with an actress shouldn't be difficult.
Few actresses who reach the Oscars are conservative."
Sean Daniel immediately understood Helen Herman's meaning and added, "Preferably an actress who is currently popular or easily generates topic (topics/buzz).".
Matthew scratched his head a bit, "It might not necessarily succeed."
"I believe in you." Helen Herman adjusted her glasses, seemingly very confident in Matthew.
"There are plenty of actresses who are lustful; don't underestimate them."
She said to Matthew with a serious expression, "You'd best hook up with one that night and take her out to a hotel.
Sean and I will contact relevant media reporters to follow and photograph you."
Sean Daniel fully agreed, "That works."
Matthew didn't speak for a moment, instead pondering Helen Herman's suggestion.
Helen Herman then added, "The biggest advantage of this method is that whether or not it creates buzz, it won't turn into a negative scandal."
Matthew thought about it, and it was indeed true.
After his relationship with Jessica Alba quickly cooled down from being passionate, many gossip tabloids hyped up that he changed girlfriends faster than he changed clothes.
As long as he wasn't married and didn't have a formal girlfriend, fooling around with other actresses could only be considered a tabloid rumor, not negative news.
"Hmm... alright."
Since it wouldn't bring negative repercussions, Matthew no longer hesitated and said, "I'll do my best."
As far as he knew, Hollywood wasn't just male stars who liked to chase excitement and frequently change partners; many female stars changed male companions just as quickly.
Helen Herman's plan seemed like it shouldn't be too difficult.
Matthew was still somewhat confident in his appearance; although it might not appeal to everyone's aesthetic, it definitely aligned with the general public's taste.
Subsequently, the three of them gathered in Helen Herman's office to discuss some implementation details until Sean Daniel, satisfied, said his goodbyes and left as it was nearing quitting time.
Now that the strategy was decided, both the crew and Angel Agency would fully push for it.
For the film "Dawn of the Dead," aside from the gimmick of being a remake of a classic zombie film, Matthew could be said to be the biggest promotional point.
Others, such as Zack Snyder and Jessica Alba, lacked significant fame.
"If all goes well, once the relevant news breaks," Helen Herman said to Matthew, "I'll contact Anderson Martinez, who is in charge of the publicity for "National Treasure."
I believe they will also give it a push from behind, giving "National Treasure" an impressive early promotion."
Matthew had no objections, simply saying, "You handle these matters.
I'll be going to Washington with the crew for filming the day after tomorrow."
Before the Oscar awards ceremony began, he would rush back to Los Angeles to prepare for the ceremony.
He even allocated a budget of fifty thousand dollars for clothing, styling, and transportation for this awards ceremony.
Helen Herman said, "I'll stay in Los Angeles to handle the publicity and your red carpet affairs; I won't go with you to the set."
She remembered something and asked, "Have you found a new assistant yet?"
Matthew shook his head, "Not yet.
I'll use the person provided by the crew for now."
Helen Herman didn't continue the topic and instead said, "I've confirmed the news from Michael Bay.
He genuinely wants to shoot a film with profound humanistic reflection.
We don't need to risk transitioning with him.
After you leave Los Angeles, I'll decline this invitation using the reason of an unsuitable schedule."
"Okay," Matthew fully agreed.
As 2004 entered its second month, Matthew left Los Angeles and, along with most of the crew, took a chartered flight to Washington to begin filming "National Treasure."