Sam blinked. The tension melted off his stature.
“Define Love,” he tested with his lips. He clapped his hands as the idea sank in. “I actually like it! It has the same ring as ‘Defying Gravity’. Well, it would be much closer if it was ‘Defining Love’ but I think it could work out well.”
Rowen gritted her teeth, playing with the title in her head. It did have the same implication. ‘Love’ as a concept had many elements to explore. People wrote about it in different mediums. Yet, they were still so much to write about. No words could thoroughly explain every part of its concept.
The reason why it became a series is because it opened doors to more elements and more possible scenarios. Any viewer could watch at any point and be able to hopefully relate. There could be one arc for many audience members.
“I will have to run it by the board but more names would also be welcomed,” Richard cut in, exhaling sharply. He wasn’t sure what they wanted but more titles meant more chances of one being approved.
“It would be much smoother if they explained what they want,” Rowen spat. “A short title would be easier to remember. If they demand a lot from the title, we might need to expand the word count.”
“But we can always just shorten it with a suitable word.”
“I think you forget not everyone has a wide vocabulary,” she continued. Her gaze bore into his steel gray eyes. “If they want a bigger range, the title must remain short and simple. The problem with it is it can’t convey everything. There are too many things to consider.”
Silence fell over the table.
No one dared to share another rebuttal but Richard remained doubtful. He couldn’t accept the new title either. It was only two words and both were generic. However, he could see Rowen’s point. It wouldn’t be good to overdo it.
It was a matter of balance.
“Unless you can come up with something better, I think it’s the perfect title,” Ambryan said, breaking the ice. Since nothing else came up, he proceeded to explain the reason behind his suggestion.
Richard scowled in his direction. “I know it connotes what the previous title conveyed but why is this is perfect compared to that one?”
Ambryan flickered his eyes to his right.
His gaze met a woman with cropped black hair and brown eyes. Her eyebrows scrunched at the laptop screen, oblivious to the stares on her. The typing continued even when they paused. She captured as much as possible before they faded away from her mind.
“Eve.”
The secretary stopped. Her fingers stayed on the keyboard as her head looked up. Several pairs of eyes observed her. She blinked. This wasn’t part of her tasks. Ambryan caught her off guard—apparently, the others were too.
Why would he do that?
Eve gulped, switching her focus towards her boss. “Yes, Sir Hathaway?”
“What do you think of ‘Define Love’?” Ambryan asked. He pressed a finger knuckle against his lips. A sly smile tugged the corner of his lips. “Give me your honest opinion.”
Cricket noises filled the secretary’s thoughts. They were blank so she could absorb the meeting’s discussion. If she thought too much, it would disrupt her typing. She bit her tongue and forced herself to compose a perspective on the subject matter.
Her eyes landed on the screen. For the meeting, she used an online program. The discussion usually went by quickly that she always forgot to save the document. This way, she wouldn’t need to worry about that.
“I think…” Eve began to say, staring at the header. “It sounds like something a person would type in a search engine.”
The word, ‘define’, reminded her of Andie’s questions. Her best friend preferred to ask her than an app or a search engine. The habit stayed no matter how many times Eve pointed out their existence.
Ambryan raised his eyebrows. He shifted his weight to one side, using the right armrest of support. A glint sparked in his violet eyes. “How many people do you think do that?”
“A lot?” Eve flinched. It sounded more like a question than an answer.
“So what happens then if we use that as a title?”
She pondered on the idea and mentally created a simulation. The search engine flashed in her mind. She saw the words ‘define love’ appear at the top bar. It led to a website composed of different links, articles and images.
Now, if the series had that title...
“It will come up in the list of search results.” Eve breathed out, admiring her boss’ brilliance. “People who aren’t even looking for the series would find it. If it contains what they are looking for, they’ll watch it.”
‘Who knew two words would have such an impact?’ she thought. The simplicity led to infinite possibilities. Advertisements would be versatile. The title also hit a person differently. A question would go straight to the mind.
A more direct approach would kindle the heart for answers.
“Precisely.” Ambryan praised. He swiveled his chair towards the center, addressing the rest of the group. “As opposed to ‘What is Love?’, the previous title is more likely to be said to another person rather than a search engine. People these days rely on the internet for many answers—particularly a word.”
The others stirred in their seats. His point slowly sank in. “Even when they asked someone, that person could use the engine in order to help provide a suitable response.”
Sam’s heart swelled. His outlook on the title changed—as well as his insight on the CEO.
‘No wonder he rose to the top. He saw a bird’s eye view on everything. He probably could defend the title at any angle,’ he applauded silently. That kind of caliber stemmed from not only brilliance but also time and effort.
“Sir Kingston, isn’t that what the board wants?” Ambryan folded an arm on the table. His friend was the person that needed the most persuasion. “If you try ‘Define Love’ in search engines, most results would be articles and books. Nothing about visuals. The series then would easily stand out, enticing them enough to be curious over it.”
Richard locked his jaw, maintaining eye contact. He did a quick statistical calculation based on his friend’s explanation. Millions of people used those engines. Instead of them reaching out, it would be the users that would find them.
It truly had a lot of potential.
“More than the title’s flair, it’s about how to reach our audience,” Ambryan finished. He could elaborate more but he wouldn’t unless necessary. They still had more to talk about. This was merely the first topic.
“I will… I will keep that in mind when I report it to them.” Richard cleared his throat. Somehow, he didn’t want to shower his friend with praises. He had seen this happen way too many times. It wasn’t surprising anymore.
‘Trust Ambryan to fix a problem in one sweep,’ he huffed to himself.
“How about Director Rowen?”
Rowen snapped her head up when she heard her name. She locked eyes with Ambryan and said, “As long as the title has the same essence, I am alright with it.”
Eros’ CEO merely nodded. His mind was already on the next agenda.
“Then, let’s move on to other matters.”
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The meeting lasted for two hours.
Sam and Rowen left first, rejecting the offer of a meal. They wanted to speed up their work so they had something better to offer Venus Investment. The first five episodes would be crucial, especially the pilot. They had to capture viewers’ interest right away—but it would be the next ones that would either make them leave or stay.
Richard and his secretary eventually stepped out. Ambryan had rejected the idea of a meal since the directors already left. Just like his previous display of reasoning, any persuasion from Richard was ineffective.
“Good job today, Eve.”
Eve stumbled a step.
The two of them walked down the hallway, heading for the private elevator. Workers stopped to show respect whenever they spotted the CEO. Others stayed inside their office spaces until he left. Security positioned themselves at a distance, keeping an eye at the surroundings.
“I didn’t put that much thought into it until you pointed it out.” She explained, realizing he meant the opinion on the title. The summary for the Minutes of the Meeting would be done in an hour. Her heart raced, remembering the panic she almost felt.
She considered it luck that she managed to hit a bullseye.
Ambryan sneaked a glance from the corner of his eye. His secretary stared straight ahead, oblivious to the significance of the situation. “Still, if you keep it up, maybe someday you’d lead your own department.”
Eve lifted her head towards his face. Even with heels, she only reached the middle of his neck.
“Me? As a head?” She gasped, unable to mask her shock. She’d thought about the possibility before but she couldn’t imagine what her work life would be like if she didn’t stand by his side.
“Why not? I don’t meet many people that have the same wavelength as me.” Ambryan stepped inside the elevator. Eve followed him inside. He pushed the button for the top floor. It only took her a few seconds to create an answer. It was also the one he looked for.
Properly trained, she might even be more innovative than him.
“If you take the initiative to voice out more ideas, you’d develop the leadership for a promotion.”
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