[Chapter 12: Overseas Release and Graduation]
On May 26, the latest Billboard singles chart was released, stunning everyone as Numb topped the charts while Baby held the number two spot. That week, Baby sold 600,000 copies while Numb surpassed 1 million sales.
Both songs dominating the top two positions was an unprecedented record in the history of Billboard.
Major media outlets churned out articles, praising everything from Linton's talent to the quality of the songwriting, with others complimenting Linton's looks and voice, declaring that he was destined to become a superstar.
Linton felt a bit shy reading all the praise, but it helped generate publicity for him and his singles.
At this point, the promotional team's role had diminished significantly. The real goal was to engage with fans in various cities, allowing Linton to connect closely with his supporters, expanding his fanbase, and increasing their loyalty.
On this day, Linton advanced to the fourth level.
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On May 29, the promotional team finished visiting 50 cities and returned to Los Angeles, completely exhausted.
Daniel organized a brief meeting at Universal Music to wrap things up, disbanding the promotional team so everyone could return home.
Linton was set to participate in the graduation ceremony at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts on May 30 and 31 to receive his diploma.
After the meeting, Linton couldn't leave just yet as Daniel kept him back, stating, "Linton, we need to shoot the music video for Believer as soon as possible to coincide with the song's release. Believer is set to drop on June 11, so we're running out of time.
You're going back to school for the graduation ceremony tomorrow, so make sure you don't delay there. Get your diploma and come back quickly for the music video shoot. I'm already coordinating with Carson and Zack to prepare the Believer music video; we're just waiting on you."
"Got it, no worries. I'm focused solely on the music release right now," Linton replied confidently.
Since there wouldn't be any dance scenes, there was no need for choreographers. Everything was prepared, and Zack had already discussed the overall theme of the music video with Linton over the phone.
...
As requested by Linton, Believer was a high-energy anthem, expressing themes of staying true to oneself and bravely chasing one's dreams. Regardless of the obstacles ahead -- whether thorns or cliffs -- nothing could stop his pursuit of dreams.
The music video aimed to visually represent this intensity through various energetic scenes, such as Linton participating in adrenaline-fueled sports, vibrant city visuals, and even scenes reminiscent of blockbuster movies, like Linton riding a heavy motorcycle or a slick sports car.
Interspersed with footage of Linton singing, the music video sought a cinematic quality. It aimed to stir up excitement among the audience, so there was no need for a leading lady or many extras. Still, overall filming and editing remained challenging, especially with a tight schedule to start shooting on June 1st and finish within nine days.
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Daniel called Carson, Zack, and Linton to meet, emphasizing that the music video for Believer must be finished by June 9, so it could be sent to MTV in New York to air at 6 PM on June 10; there could not be any delays.
Additionally, Daniel shared some good news with Linton: both Baby and Numb had started their overseas releases. Just last week, they had been made available in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, South Korea, major European countries, and South America, with plans for even more countries to follow.
The company allocated a budget of $2 million for promoting each single abroad. Based on current sales performance, things looked very promising; both songs were well-received, and Linton's image was highly liked by overseas fans. According to preliminary reports, both songs had already surpassed 500,000 units sold internationally.
A three-member leadership team was formed for the music video project, with Zack introducing the preparations. Everything had been set up, just waiting on Linton, the lead.
The music video was to be shot according to Linton's specification, all scheduled to take place at Universal's studio. To ensure a cinematic quality, they planned to use film cameras similar to those used in movie production.
All the outdoor shoots had been completed in advance, making editing easier. After going over the shoot plans, they agreed to officially begin filming on June 1 at 9 AM.
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On May 30, Linton returned to the University of Southern California, where the campus was decorated festively, filled with laughter and excitement, showing no signs of sadness associated with departures.
Linton intended to quietly follow the school's procedures to collect his diploma and leave, but upon returning to campus, he was surrounded by enthusiastic classmates and alumni. Whether they had been close or not before, everyone suddenly became a good friend as they sought selfies and autographs, which Linton gladly provided.
However, the USC School of Cinematic Arts was indeed a great platform for all students; most graduates made it big in Hollywood.
Given its proximity to Hollywood, the school's teaching style was heavily influenced by the industry, focusing mainly on commercial aspects while also incorporating art.
USC graduates earned far more Oscars than students from other schools.
The list of notable alumni was extensive, featuring names like George Lucas, Kevin Spacey, Kevin Costner, Chris Rock, Ron Howard, and Robert Zemeckis, among others.
The school primarily offered programs in behind-the-scenes production, with no performance major, meaning most notable alumni ended up as producers, directors, or behind-the-scenes creators rather than on-screen stars.
Establishing connections with these alumni was necessary, especially since Linton's next goal was to make films. By leveraging these connections, he could easily assemble strong production and filming teams, and he silently noted this for the future.
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When visiting his professor Johnson, he expressed pride in Linton's recent achievements, but there was some regret that Linton was now famous in the field of music rather than film.
Nonetheless, Johnson was very open-minded and did not dwell on this, even inviting Linton to the next alumni meeting, introducing him to the USC alumni association.
The alumni association included mostly members from the School of Cinematic Arts, essentially the Academy Award judges.
Joining the alumni association meant having a group of natural allies within the film industry that would greatly benefit Linton's future career.
Touched, Linton felt he should give back to the school. After some careful thought, he decided that it would be more appropriate to donate money during the next alumni meeting.
As for now, he hadn't graduated yet, and while his singles were selling well, Universal hadn't paid him his royalties yet. He simply didn't have money for a donation right now and couldn't just start writing checks without funds.
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Over the course of two days, he successfully completed the necessary steps, received his diploma, strengthened relationships with a few teachers, and attended a couple of parties, where he began building his network at the school. During this time, Connie approached Linton wishing to get back together, but he paid her no mind.
*****
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