The High Note
Released: 16th January 2015
Pop Star Help Quest
Pop Star Help Quest
Main Characters / Extra Characters:
My Characters
|
Requirements / Rewards
|
Part 1
Samantha: We were born for the spotlight, Danny!
You find Samantha at the workshop, singing and practicing dance moves in a wall-length mirror…
Samantha: ‘In front of the cameras, on the TV! / Here in the spotlight is where I neeeeed to be!’ Hey, Danny! I just wrote that chorus. Pretty catchy, right?
Danny: Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. This week, Professor Hunt’s having us team up to manage a musical act… and I understand you have quite a bit of experience. You were a member of that pop group Maple Sugar, right?
Samantha: ‘That pop group’? We were the Canadian pop group phenomenon of 2012! Ten thousand albums sold a week! Five thousand radio spins a day! We were the country’s fourth biggest cultural export after Bieber, Drake, and The Band That Shall Not Be Named.
Danny: You mean, Nickelba--
Samantha: I said they shall not be named! I was living the dream, Danny… jetting from arena to sold-out arena, running for my limo through crowds of crazed fans screaming for autographs after the show… But then our producers broke up the group… and just like that, the dream was over. And it is waaay harder going solo than I thought it’d be. It’s like all my fans just disappeared!
Danny: Well, you’re in luck, Samantha. Because I’ve got the vision to put you back on the map. What do you say?
Samantha: In that case, what are we waiting for?
Time - 2 hours
Later, in class, you sit next to Samantha while Professor Hunt lectures on stage.
Thomas Hunt: If a song comes out and no one listens to it, does it make a sound? Yes. It makes an agonizing death rattle as it evaporates into oblivion! That’s why, whatever it is you do in this town, your fans are everything. Without people to appreciate what you do, it’s nothing. You could make the greatest movie ever, and if no one sees it, you’ll be left with nothing but perhaps a small salivating fandom writing slash-fic about you on Tumblr. Tust me, that’s personal experience talking.
Samantha: Um… what?
Thomas Hunt: Your assignment this week: break into teams to develop and manage a new musical act. Your goal: reach as many fans as possible. You’ve all worked hard at your craft. But now it’s time to practice getting a product out into the world… Where it will be mercilessly judged and likely forgotten by the whole of humanity. Good luck.
Danny: You know, if this professor thing doesn’t work out, Hunt’s got a bright future in motivational speaking…
Rewards
That evening, you and Samantha talk shop over lattes at a cozy cafe in Santa Monica.
Samantha: Oh, Danny! Look! That guy over there is staring at me! I bet he recognizes me from Maple Sugar! Oh, oh, he’s coming over!
The young man marches purposefully toward your table and offers his hand… to you!
Samantha: Um, excuse me?
The guy explains he recognized your work from Lisa Valentine’s music video and asks to take a selfie with you…
Danny: Of course!
You make a silly face for the selfie! The guy grins, thanks you, and takes off.
Samantha: That’s so sad.
Danny: Sorry, Samantha, I hope I wasn’t being rude--
Samantha: No, it’s sad that only one person in here recognized you. The fact that we’re even able to sit in some random cafe relatively unbothered means we’re basically nobodies! When I toured with Maple Sugar, we were way too big for autograph sessions or fan meet- and-greets or interviews. That’s what our producers said, so they handled all that stuff, selling merch and putting out press releases and everything.
Danny: Wait, really?
Samantha: Yeah! And that’s the level we belong at, Danny. I’m talking huge numbers! Not just getting a thousand Twitter favorites and a measly 150 revines…
Danny: Hey, that’s a good start--
Samantha: Ew, no, this is, like, Brian Dunkelman territory.
Danny: …who?
Samantha: My point exactly! But you’ve already got a rep at Hollywood U for having all the best ideas. So tell me… how do you plan to make Samantha a household name?
Danny: Well, let’s figure that out together. First, I want to know how you see yourself. Who is Samantha. From there, I can help you pick out the music, the looks, and the attitude to match! Let’s make your vision a reality!
Samantha: Um… my vision? How should I know? You’re my producer now. You decide all that stuff. That’s how it works.
Danny: You really don’t have any ideas for what you want out of this?
Samantha: Sure I do! I want lots and lots and lots of fans! Just tell me what to do to get them.
Danny: Well… if that’s how you want it. The one thing I know is that every celebrity can only be as good as the team behind them. So to start, we’re going to need the best…
Part 2
Danny: With our powers combined…
You text Ethan and Addison to meet up at Bar Selona, a swanky speakeasy downtown. They join you and Samantha at the bar…
Addison: I have a feeling this is about Professor Hunt’s assignment this week?
Samantha: Danny’s helping me reclaim my place at the top of the charts!
Danny: And I think the two of you can help us make that happen. Ethan, you have connections…
Ethan: You know, I have been trying to diversify into music representation. Plus I know some record producers that could zero in on a trademark sound.
Danny: And Addison, if anyone can come up with a signature look for Samantha, it’s you.
Addison: OMG, Samantha, I have so many ideas! Your ensembles will be even more iconic and daring than Lady Gaga’s! I am so in!
Time - 4 hours
You, Samantha, Ethan, and Addison raise a toast to your new project!
Ethan: Sounds like we’ve got some work to do. I’m gonna go make some calls.
Samantha: Hang on, Ethan, there’s one more thing we need first. No pop star gets on stage alone! I need backup singers and dancers!
Ethan: No sweat. I’ll put out some feelers to find some.
Samantha: Well, I think a few of them are right in front of me.
Danny: …you mean us?
Samantha: Totally! Every member just needs their own ‘thing’, right? In Maple Sugar, my producers had me be the sexy one with the dark past. Ethan, you’re suave and sophisticated, so you’re the classy, dapper one. Addison is freaking adorable, so she’s the innocent ingenue.
Addison: Hey, that’s… okay, fine, that’s accurate.
Samantha: Now, Danny… I can’t decide. You could probably pull off anything…
Danny: I want to be the hot one!
Samantha: You’ve definitely got the sex appeal, that’s for sure. Just try not to out-hot me!
Rewards
Ethan: Whoa now, let’s press pause for a second. It’ll be a cold day in L.A. before you get me to croon and shake what my momma gave me on stage.
Addison: To be perfectly honest, I might be… a teensy bit unsure about all this too.
Samantha: You guys just need confidence.
Ethan: Believe me, I’ve got confidence.
Samantha: Not like this. To make it in pop music, you need to be utterly shameless! And I know the best place to practice that…
Part 3
Samantha: If you’re nervous, you’d better shake, shake it off!
You, Ethan, and Addison follow Samantha down a carpeted staircase and find yourselves in a neon-accented basement. A small lovestruck couple belts out ‘Almost Is Never Enough’.
Samantha: Welcome to Aphrodite, the best underground karaoke spot in town.
Ethan: You want us to sing in front of everyone?
Samantha: Oh, Ethan. There’s only, like, 100 people here. That’s nobody! Now come on!
Samantha pulls the three of you on stage and shouts to the DJ.
Samantha: ‘Ice Cold’, by Maple Sugar, please!
The hit single by Samantha’s old group thumps over the speakers, and the lyrics start to scroll on TV monitors.
Samantha: ‘Why you gotta be so ice cold? Ice, ice cold, baby!’
You join in, as Ethan and Addison tentatively follow suit. The verse lyrics scroll up: ‘I’d follow you wherever you go, but you left me out in the snow!’
Ethan: ‘I’d follow you wherever you go…’
Danny: ‘But you left me out in the snow!’
Samantha: Nice, Danny! Keep it up!
Your groups sings on, but nobody in the bar is listening.
Samantha: Danny, quick, harmonize with Ethan on this next line!
Ethan sings the refrain, and you hit a different note! You sing a note a perfect fifth away from Ethan’s voice, harmonizing perfectly!
Ethan: Damn, that actually sounded pretty cool.
The song goes on, with Samantha’s powerful, seductive voice ringing out in the bar. One by one, patrons start to turn their attention to you…
Samantha: Here we go, the big finale! Really let ‘em have it!
Danny: ‘Ice… coooooooooold!’
The bar erupts in applause!
Samantha: Not a bad set of pipes on you, Danny!
You, Ethan, and Addison hop off stage as the entire bar claps for you.
Addison: I have to say, that was pretty fun! And Samantha, your voice is gorgeous!
Ethan: Okay, I’m convinced. We’ll be your backup. Just for this assignment, to help you get started. That was kinda epic.
Samantha: Trust me, that right there was nothing. A few dozen nobodies in a karaoke bar. Just imagine what it’ll be like in front of thousands of adoring fans!
Rewards
Samantha: So what’s the next step?
Danny: Ethan, reach out to your record producer friends, see if we can lock down a sound for Samantha. Addison, draw up some fashion concepts by tomorrow. We don’t have long to make this happen.
Ethan: You got it.
Samantha: Aw yeah! Danny taking charge! I like it!
Part 4
Samantha: Pop is where music and fashion collide!
The next day, your group meets bright and early at Hollywood U’s state-of-the-art recording studio on campus.
Ethan: Danny, Samantha, may I introduce Aditya, the hottest young beatmaker on the planet. Production credits on Miguel, Sam Smith, and Tove Lo tracks, and that’s just the beginning.
Aditya: Samantha, I love your voice. I think it’ll be perfect for one of my masterpieces-in- progress
Aditya jams a button on a laptop, and a series of samples play!
Danny: Which do you like the most, Samantha?
Samantha: Me? Why me? You know what gets fans, you should pick.
Aditya: Surely you have some insight. You were a huge star!
Samantha: Yeah, but I never decided this stuff. I was discovered on YouTube by these megaproducers. They just put me in a room with some other aspiring singers and said we were now Maple Sugar.
Danny: Maybe that’s how things worked before, but it’s important that you have some say in this. This is you we’re selling, not some completely fabricated personality.
Samantha: I don’t know… but I guess I’ve always really liked smooth, sweet music with a vibe that highlights my voice.
Danny: Then we should go with the R&B-flavored love song! Your voice is meant for an emotional track like this. People are gonna associate your sound with the greatest love they’ve ever known.
Samantha: Ooh. Now that’s the sound I like.
Addison: In the meantime, Berry and I drew up some ideas for Samantha’s fashion style.
Berry opens up a look book and leafs through the pages.
Berry: Inspiration really took hold of us. We came up with everything from classic looks to really experimental designs…
Danny: Well, Samantha? Do you have a preference?
Samantha: Whatever’s sexiest! That’s all I want.
Danny: Well, we have our criteria. Samantha will wear the skin-baring swimsuit. Let’s face facts, Samantha. You’re hot as hell. If you don’t play that to your advantage, you’re tying one hand behind your back.
Samantha: I work hard to look this good. It’s only right I show it off. I’m so excited I can’t even wait for my first show!
Ethan: Speaking of that, I’ve got some good news… I worked a little of my trademark Ethan magic and scored us a Friday night show at The Renaissance.
Addison: That venue off La Cienaga? That place is so cute, I love it.
Samantha: It’s cute because it’s tiny! There’d barely be more people there than at the karaoke bar! Why bother? We need to be reaching as many fans as possible, remember? Can’t we find something bigger? I mean, my first show with Maple Sugar was Montreal-Night- Long, in front of 20,000 people! This is pop! Size matters!
Ethan: Uh… I can try. Gimme some time.
Time - 6 hours
Later, just as Samantha finishes recording a take of a first single with Aditya, Ethan returns.
Ethan: Okay, so it took some finagling… and a promise that I’d get somebody’s son cast as a White Walker in ‘Game of Thrones’… But I managed to book us a ten-minute slot during the halftime show at a college football game. Thorne Field. 35,000 seats--
Samantha: Oh my god, no, you didn’t!
Samantha squeezes Ethan in a suffocating hug!
Danny: A stadium show? For our first gig? Well, we’ll need to go big and bombastic. We’ll need a lot more backup dancers…
Samantha: I’ll put you in touch with the guy who did the lasers for all my shows with Maple Sugar. I bet he can help! The comeback is officially on!
Rewards
That Friday, behind the curtains of a temporary stage in the middle of Thorne Field… Samantha and all of the backup dancers slip into matching outfits.
Addison: I didn’t realize we were all going to be showing so much skin on stage…
Ethan: Really glad I’ve been keeping up my 5 a.m. workout regimen right about now.
Samantha: I think we look hot!
Just then, you hear the stadium announcer thunder over the speakers: ‘And now, Maple Sugar’s very own… Samantha!
Samantha: That’s our cue! Don’t be nervous. Soon, we’ll be doing way bigger shows than even this!
Part 5
Samantha: Now this is more like it!
Samantha: It’s showtime!
Berry, Ashton, Alexandra, and the entire dance troupe run out from behind the curtain!
Berry: Wooo!
Ashton: This is the greatest moment of my life!
Alexandra: Pirouette, and stage-freeze!
Samantha emerges last, waving to the crowd!
Samantha: How’s everyone doing tonight?! Wait, what’s going on?!
You look around the stadium tiers surrounding your midfield stage… Sure enough, nearly all the seats are empty. Most of the fans are streaming up the aisles toward the bathrooms and concession stands!
Berry: Come on, Samantha, introduce yourself! The show has to go on!
Danny: Stay focused!
Samantha: Uh… thanks for, uh, coming out tonight! I’m… Samantha… and this song is called ‘Spotlight’…
The beat kicks in. You and all of the backup dancers flank Samantha and start a choreographed routine while an electric laser show crackles overhead…
Samantha: ‘I’m blowing through stoplights and into the spotlight! Nobody can eeeever stop meee!’
Ashton: ‘Nobody!’
Samantha: ‘And if I believe in myself—‘ No, no, no, I can’t do this!
Danny: Samantha!
Time - 8 hours
In the middle of your show at Thorne Field, Samantha starts panicking!
Samantha: There’s no one here! They don’t like me!
Danny: Keep singing!
Samantha: The stands are empty, Danny! They hate me!
Breaking down, Samantha flees the stage, sprinting across the field! The few remaining people in the stands start booing and throwing popcorn and empty beer cups at Samantha and the stage!
Berry: Oh, come on!
Ashton: If you’re gonna throw beer at me, can it at least not be so watered down?
Ethan: Danny, quick! We’ve gotta get out of here before this gets any worse!
Danny: Everyone, follow me!
Rewards
You and all of the dancers run off the stadium stage, chasing after Samantha into the locker room tunnel, all the while shielding yourselves from flying hot dogs and beer cups.
Alexandra: We made it. Any casualties?
Ashton: Maybe your current haircut. Unless you’re digging those new cotton candy extensions.
You realize Samantha is slinking further into the tunnel.
Danny: Samantha, wait!
Samantha: Leave me alone!
Ethan: Uh, Danny? Usually my advice to clients is to give pop stars time to cool off…
Addison: Then again, Professor Hunt’s assignment is almost over, and I don’t think we’ve done the best job at reaching fans just yet.
Danny: Gimme a minute, I’ll make sure Samantha gets it together…
Part 6
Danny: I have to get the band back together…
You jog down the tunnel under the stadium until you find Samantha sitting on a bench, staring at a phone with melancholy.
Samantha: Someone already posted a YouTube video of my freak-out. Eight thousand views and counting. Not bad.
Danny: Is that the kind of number you care about?
Samantha: You don’t understand, Danny. Numbers like that are my whole life. You know I was just 13 when I was plucked out of nowhere to be part of Maple Sugar? Each of us was chosen based on all this market research and focus grouping. My producers, they calculated everything. And they were right. We shot to the top of the charts… but they kept wanting bigger and bigger numbers. More ticket sales. More Spotify plays. More social media impressions. And then last year, we had a four-percent drop in sales. Four percent, that’s it. And they pulled the plug. They did more research, found new faces, started a new pop group… and I was nothing. So yeah, judge me if you want. But twenty thousand views on YouTube does matter… it’s all that matters.
Danny: And out of all those big numbers you got, how many of those fans are still around? How many care about what you’re doing now? They’re all gone. Because Maple Sugar meant nothing.
Samantha: What? You can’t say that to me!
Danny: You know it’s true. You said it yourself, the whole group was completely calculated. It was a cash grab, and as soon as the demand changed, they dropped you. But it was never really you to begin with. Your fans were never actually yours. The producers picked your personality, they wrote your press releases, they kept you from signing autographs. How many fans did you ever actually meet?
Samantha: …
Danny: You know which pop stars really make a mark? Which ones really last? The ones who are earnest. The ones who show who they really are. And maybe that means you don’t do Montreal-Night-Long numbers at your first shows. But the fans you make doing it the right way are yours for life. Because you were relatable and open and true. My job is to take you to the top. Not some manufactured, cloistered ‘ideal.’ Because I don’t do things that get forgotten. So I’m gonna ask you one more time… who is Samantha?
Samantha: I’m… I’m me.
Rewards
You and Samantha meet back up with Ethan and Addison by the limo outside the stadium.
Addison: So is that it? Are we finished?
Samantha: I understand if you guys want nothing more to do with me. I’d deserve it. Danny made me realize… I grew up thinking numbers were all that mattered… that, if I wanted those numbers, I had to be whoever my producers wanted me to be. But when it all came crashing down, I was left with the number zero. So now I know I have to really earn my fans, not be given them. And that’s what I’m gonna do, even if I have to do it completely on my own.
Ethan and Addison share a knowing look.
Ethan: Good. Because I don’t represent quitters.
Samantha: Ethan, about the Renaissance… any chance we could still get that gig?
Danny: You mean the small venue we booked at first?
Addison: I don’t know if they’d take us… I saw on YouTube--
Ethan: Leave YouTube to me. I could spin the freakin’ Sony hack into a good thing if I had to.
Part 7
Samantha: Not exactly the Hollywood Bowl… but I’ll take it.
The next evening, your group is backstage at The Renaissance. Samantha peeks out at the crowd from behind the curtain…
Samantha: …not all that many people out there tonight.
Danny: Yup. Not many more than were at the karaoke bar. But what’re you gonna do about it?
Samantha: I’m gonna make every single one of them a lifelong fan of yours truly. Oh, and here…
Samantha hands each of you a piece of paper.
Addison: What’s this?
Samantha: The song. I… changed the lyrics a bit on our ride over. Just follow my lead.
Minutes later, the curtains part, and you Samantha, Ethan, and Addison walk out onto the stage, waving and smiling. The crowd responds with tepid applause.
Samantha: Thanks for coming out tonight, everybody. I’m Samantha, and most of you don’t know me… and recently, I didn’t even know myself… but after tonight, you will.
Time - 10 hours
Samantha’s sonorous voice rises above the best flooding the venue.
Samantha: ‘Ain’t no price on love, I’m told… ain’t no weight of gold…’
Danny: ‘Got a second chance to do things right…’
Addison: ‘That’s why I’m here with you toniiiight.’
The crowd looks on, silent and still… But slowly, they begin to sway and dance with the groove! Samantha notices and winks at you.
Samantha: …
By the final chorus, the audience is singing along!
Samantha: ‘That’s why I’m here with youuuuuuu… toniiiiight.’
Rewards
A rain of applause follows you as your group sucks backstage after the show.
Addison: Samantha, they loved you!
Ethan: Looks like I might keep you on as my client after all. You’ve got some real potential.
Samantha: Thanks, Ethan, I--
Just then, Samantha’s phone buzzes…
Danny: What is it?
Samantha: Nothing… just a tweet alert. It’s Jenni, talking about Bianca’s music act, under the name ‘Bia Bia.’
Ethan: Does she not know what that’s short for?
Samantha: I doubt she cares. Apparently she has tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and Facebook, and even more song plays on Soundcloud. I’m so sorry, guys. I know the assignment was to reach as many fans as possible, and because of me, you couldn’t.
Thomas Hunt: I beg to differ.
Just then, Professor Hunt appears from the rear door.
Addison: Professor Hunt!
Part 8
Thomas Hunt: The week is over. That means it’s time for your grades.
Samantha: Oh… hi, Professor… I figure The Renaissance isn’t exactly what you had in mind when you were talking about getting as many fans as possible.
Thomas Hunt: This little place? It couldn’t even hold all the people who emailed me today for feedback on their garbage screenplays. But the fact of the matter is, when I asked you to reach your fans, I meant really reach them. Not with tweets or likes or views… but to connect with them. Too few in this town realize it, but fans aren’t a statistic to boost in a video game. They’re not a number to grind for. They’re human beings.
Hunt’s eyes move from Samantha to Ethan, to Addison, and finally settle on you.
Thomas Hunt: And only when you truly know them are you capable of creating something great. Something that makes a difference, that leaves a mark. That’s what makes a star. Without fans… you are nothing. They’re what it’s all for. And I think you made a lot of them tonight.
Hunt pushes open the rear exit to leave.
Samantha: Wait, Professor… you really think so? How could you tell?
Thomas Hunt: …call it a hunch.
He steps outside, and as the door swings open, you hear dozen of voices.
Danny: What’s going on out there?
Your team steps out into the alley… and a huge cheer goes up!
Samantha: What’s all this?!
Nearly the entire audience from the show is waiting out back, breaking out in applause at the sight of Samantha! They close in…
Addison: No way, I… I think they’re here for you, Samantha! They want autographs!
Samantha: Oh god… they want to talk to me… I was never supposed to talk to them when I was with Maple Sugar!
Danny: But you’re not with Maple Sugar anymore. You’re Samantha now. So what do you want to do?
Samantha: I… I want to meet some of my new fans.
Time - 12 hours
You watch as the mob surrounds your friend… hundreds of smiles, none brighter than Samantha’s.
Samantha: A selfie with me? Sure! Just make sure to tag me!
Some of the fans hurry over to you, Ethan, and Addison!
Addison: Us? We were just the backup singers!
Danny: Yeah, but we were pretty damn good at it!
Ethan: People want my signature? Hmmm… so this is how the other half lives.
Rewards
As the night goes on, Samantha spends time with each and every fan who stayed late. Finally, the last one thanks Samantha and leaves.
Samantha: Wow… that… that felt great.
Addison: Hang on a sec, I think you’ve got one more!
You realize that Hunt has been watching you from the sidewalk the entire time.
Thomas Hunt: Believe me, I am wholly uninterested in a selfie with you people.
Ethan: So, Professor Hunt… if we reached the most fans out of every group… that means we won, right?
Thomas Hunt: Don’t be ridiculous. Two hundred fans is still laughably pathetic, even if every single one of them was so moved that they stayed behind to meet you. Your journey, each of your journeys, is scarcely in its thumb-sucking infancy. The road is just beginning.
Danny: Wait. If it’s beginning… does that means we’re on our way?
Thomas Hunt: See you in class, Samantha. Danny.
Professor Hunt turns and walks off into the night.
Samantha: Why are you smiling, Danny?
Danny: You heard him. Our journeys are just beginning… And before we’re done, we’re going all the way to the top!
Samantha: We were born for the spotlight, Danny!
- Samantha
You find Samantha at the workshop, singing and practicing dance moves in a wall-length mirror…
Samantha: ‘In front of the cameras, on the TV! / Here in the spotlight is where I neeeeed to be!’ Hey, Danny! I just wrote that chorus. Pretty catchy, right?
Danny: Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. This week, Professor Hunt’s having us team up to manage a musical act… and I understand you have quite a bit of experience. You were a member of that pop group Maple Sugar, right?
Samantha: ‘That pop group’? We were the Canadian pop group phenomenon of 2012! Ten thousand albums sold a week! Five thousand radio spins a day! We were the country’s fourth biggest cultural export after Bieber, Drake, and The Band That Shall Not Be Named.
Danny: You mean, Nickelba--
Samantha: I said they shall not be named! I was living the dream, Danny… jetting from arena to sold-out arena, running for my limo through crowds of crazed fans screaming for autographs after the show… But then our producers broke up the group… and just like that, the dream was over. And it is waaay harder going solo than I thought it’d be. It’s like all my fans just disappeared!
Danny: Well, you’re in luck, Samantha. Because I’ve got the vision to put you back on the map. What do you say?
Samantha: In that case, what are we waiting for?
Time - 2 hours
Later, in class, you sit next to Samantha while Professor Hunt lectures on stage.
Thomas Hunt: If a song comes out and no one listens to it, does it make a sound? Yes. It makes an agonizing death rattle as it evaporates into oblivion! That’s why, whatever it is you do in this town, your fans are everything. Without people to appreciate what you do, it’s nothing. You could make the greatest movie ever, and if no one sees it, you’ll be left with nothing but perhaps a small salivating fandom writing slash-fic about you on Tumblr. Tust me, that’s personal experience talking.
Samantha: Um… what?
Thomas Hunt: Your assignment this week: break into teams to develop and manage a new musical act. Your goal: reach as many fans as possible. You’ve all worked hard at your craft. But now it’s time to practice getting a product out into the world… Where it will be mercilessly judged and likely forgotten by the whole of humanity. Good luck.
Danny: You know, if this professor thing doesn’t work out, Hunt’s got a bright future in motivational speaking…
Rewards
- 20 Cash
That evening, you and Samantha talk shop over lattes at a cozy cafe in Santa Monica.
Samantha: Oh, Danny! Look! That guy over there is staring at me! I bet he recognizes me from Maple Sugar! Oh, oh, he’s coming over!
The young man marches purposefully toward your table and offers his hand… to you!
Samantha: Um, excuse me?
The guy explains he recognized your work from Lisa Valentine’s music video and asks to take a selfie with you…
Danny: Of course!
You make a silly face for the selfie! The guy grins, thanks you, and takes off.
Samantha: That’s so sad.
Danny: Sorry, Samantha, I hope I wasn’t being rude--
Samantha: No, it’s sad that only one person in here recognized you. The fact that we’re even able to sit in some random cafe relatively unbothered means we’re basically nobodies! When I toured with Maple Sugar, we were way too big for autograph sessions or fan meet- and-greets or interviews. That’s what our producers said, so they handled all that stuff, selling merch and putting out press releases and everything.
Danny: Wait, really?
Samantha: Yeah! And that’s the level we belong at, Danny. I’m talking huge numbers! Not just getting a thousand Twitter favorites and a measly 150 revines…
Danny: Hey, that’s a good start--
Samantha: Ew, no, this is, like, Brian Dunkelman territory.
Danny: …who?
Samantha: My point exactly! But you’ve already got a rep at Hollywood U for having all the best ideas. So tell me… how do you plan to make Samantha a household name?
Danny: Well, let’s figure that out together. First, I want to know how you see yourself. Who is Samantha. From there, I can help you pick out the music, the looks, and the attitude to match! Let’s make your vision a reality!
Samantha: Um… my vision? How should I know? You’re my producer now. You decide all that stuff. That’s how it works.
Danny: You really don’t have any ideas for what you want out of this?
Samantha: Sure I do! I want lots and lots and lots of fans! Just tell me what to do to get them.
Danny: Well… if that’s how you want it. The one thing I know is that every celebrity can only be as good as the team behind them. So to start, we’re going to need the best…
Part 2
Danny: With our powers combined…
- Ethan
- Addison
You text Ethan and Addison to meet up at Bar Selona, a swanky speakeasy downtown. They join you and Samantha at the bar…
Addison: I have a feeling this is about Professor Hunt’s assignment this week?
Samantha: Danny’s helping me reclaim my place at the top of the charts!
Danny: And I think the two of you can help us make that happen. Ethan, you have connections…
Ethan: You know, I have been trying to diversify into music representation. Plus I know some record producers that could zero in on a trademark sound.
Danny: And Addison, if anyone can come up with a signature look for Samantha, it’s you.
Addison: OMG, Samantha, I have so many ideas! Your ensembles will be even more iconic and daring than Lady Gaga’s! I am so in!
Time - 4 hours
You, Samantha, Ethan, and Addison raise a toast to your new project!
Ethan: Sounds like we’ve got some work to do. I’m gonna go make some calls.
Samantha: Hang on, Ethan, there’s one more thing we need first. No pop star gets on stage alone! I need backup singers and dancers!
Ethan: No sweat. I’ll put out some feelers to find some.
Samantha: Well, I think a few of them are right in front of me.
Danny: …you mean us?
Samantha: Totally! Every member just needs their own ‘thing’, right? In Maple Sugar, my producers had me be the sexy one with the dark past. Ethan, you’re suave and sophisticated, so you’re the classy, dapper one. Addison is freaking adorable, so she’s the innocent ingenue.
Addison: Hey, that’s… okay, fine, that’s accurate.
Samantha: Now, Danny… I can’t decide. You could probably pull off anything…
Danny: I want to be the hot one!
Samantha: You’ve definitely got the sex appeal, that’s for sure. Just try not to out-hot me!
Rewards
- 20 Cash
Ethan: Whoa now, let’s press pause for a second. It’ll be a cold day in L.A. before you get me to croon and shake what my momma gave me on stage.
Addison: To be perfectly honest, I might be… a teensy bit unsure about all this too.
Samantha: You guys just need confidence.
Ethan: Believe me, I’ve got confidence.
Samantha: Not like this. To make it in pop music, you need to be utterly shameless! And I know the best place to practice that…
Part 3
Samantha: If you’re nervous, you’d better shake, shake it off!
- Karaoke!
- Spend 750 Cash
You, Ethan, and Addison follow Samantha down a carpeted staircase and find yourselves in a neon-accented basement. A small lovestruck couple belts out ‘Almost Is Never Enough’.
Samantha: Welcome to Aphrodite, the best underground karaoke spot in town.
Ethan: You want us to sing in front of everyone?
Samantha: Oh, Ethan. There’s only, like, 100 people here. That’s nobody! Now come on!
Samantha pulls the three of you on stage and shouts to the DJ.
Samantha: ‘Ice Cold’, by Maple Sugar, please!
The hit single by Samantha’s old group thumps over the speakers, and the lyrics start to scroll on TV monitors.
Samantha: ‘Why you gotta be so ice cold? Ice, ice cold, baby!’
You join in, as Ethan and Addison tentatively follow suit. The verse lyrics scroll up: ‘I’d follow you wherever you go, but you left me out in the snow!’
Ethan: ‘I’d follow you wherever you go…’
Danny: ‘But you left me out in the snow!’
Samantha: Nice, Danny! Keep it up!
Your groups sings on, but nobody in the bar is listening.
Samantha: Danny, quick, harmonize with Ethan on this next line!
Ethan sings the refrain, and you hit a different note! You sing a note a perfect fifth away from Ethan’s voice, harmonizing perfectly!
Ethan: Damn, that actually sounded pretty cool.
The song goes on, with Samantha’s powerful, seductive voice ringing out in the bar. One by one, patrons start to turn their attention to you…
Samantha: Here we go, the big finale! Really let ‘em have it!
Danny: ‘Ice… coooooooooold!’
The bar erupts in applause!
Samantha: Not a bad set of pipes on you, Danny!
You, Ethan, and Addison hop off stage as the entire bar claps for you.
Addison: I have to say, that was pretty fun! And Samantha, your voice is gorgeous!
Ethan: Okay, I’m convinced. We’ll be your backup. Just for this assignment, to help you get started. That was kinda epic.
Samantha: Trust me, that right there was nothing. A few dozen nobodies in a karaoke bar. Just imagine what it’ll be like in front of thousands of adoring fans!
Rewards
- 2 Diamonds
Samantha: So what’s the next step?
Danny: Ethan, reach out to your record producer friends, see if we can lock down a sound for Samantha. Addison, draw up some fashion concepts by tomorrow. We don’t have long to make this happen.
Ethan: You got it.
Samantha: Aw yeah! Danny taking charge! I like it!
Part 4
Samantha: Pop is where music and fashion collide!
- A Level 3+ Wardrobe Designer (Berry)
- A Level 3+ Composer (Aditya)
The next day, your group meets bright and early at Hollywood U’s state-of-the-art recording studio on campus.
Ethan: Danny, Samantha, may I introduce Aditya, the hottest young beatmaker on the planet. Production credits on Miguel, Sam Smith, and Tove Lo tracks, and that’s just the beginning.
Aditya: Samantha, I love your voice. I think it’ll be perfect for one of my masterpieces-in- progress
Aditya jams a button on a laptop, and a series of samples play!
Danny: Which do you like the most, Samantha?
Samantha: Me? Why me? You know what gets fans, you should pick.
Aditya: Surely you have some insight. You were a huge star!
Samantha: Yeah, but I never decided this stuff. I was discovered on YouTube by these megaproducers. They just put me in a room with some other aspiring singers and said we were now Maple Sugar.
Danny: Maybe that’s how things worked before, but it’s important that you have some say in this. This is you we’re selling, not some completely fabricated personality.
Samantha: I don’t know… but I guess I’ve always really liked smooth, sweet music with a vibe that highlights my voice.
Danny: Then we should go with the R&B-flavored love song! Your voice is meant for an emotional track like this. People are gonna associate your sound with the greatest love they’ve ever known.
Samantha: Ooh. Now that’s the sound I like.
Addison: In the meantime, Berry and I drew up some ideas for Samantha’s fashion style.
Berry opens up a look book and leafs through the pages.
Berry: Inspiration really took hold of us. We came up with everything from classic looks to really experimental designs…
Danny: Well, Samantha? Do you have a preference?
Samantha: Whatever’s sexiest! That’s all I want.
Danny: Well, we have our criteria. Samantha will wear the skin-baring swimsuit. Let’s face facts, Samantha. You’re hot as hell. If you don’t play that to your advantage, you’re tying one hand behind your back.
Samantha: I work hard to look this good. It’s only right I show it off. I’m so excited I can’t even wait for my first show!
Ethan: Speaking of that, I’ve got some good news… I worked a little of my trademark Ethan magic and scored us a Friday night show at The Renaissance.
Addison: That venue off La Cienaga? That place is so cute, I love it.
Samantha: It’s cute because it’s tiny! There’d barely be more people there than at the karaoke bar! Why bother? We need to be reaching as many fans as possible, remember? Can’t we find something bigger? I mean, my first show with Maple Sugar was Montreal-Night- Long, in front of 20,000 people! This is pop! Size matters!
Ethan: Uh… I can try. Gimme some time.
Time - 6 hours
Later, just as Samantha finishes recording a take of a first single with Aditya, Ethan returns.
Ethan: Okay, so it took some finagling… and a promise that I’d get somebody’s son cast as a White Walker in ‘Game of Thrones’… But I managed to book us a ten-minute slot during the halftime show at a college football game. Thorne Field. 35,000 seats--
Samantha: Oh my god, no, you didn’t!
Samantha squeezes Ethan in a suffocating hug!
Danny: A stadium show? For our first gig? Well, we’ll need to go big and bombastic. We’ll need a lot more backup dancers…
Samantha: I’ll put you in touch with the guy who did the lasers for all my shows with Maple Sugar. I bet he can help! The comeback is officially on!
Rewards
- 20 Cash
That Friday, behind the curtains of a temporary stage in the middle of Thorne Field… Samantha and all of the backup dancers slip into matching outfits.
Addison: I didn’t realize we were all going to be showing so much skin on stage…
Ethan: Really glad I’ve been keeping up my 5 a.m. workout regimen right about now.
Samantha: I think we look hot!
Just then, you hear the stadium announcer thunder over the speakers: ‘And now, Maple Sugar’s very own… Samantha!
Samantha: That’s our cue! Don’t be nervous. Soon, we’ll be doing way bigger shows than even this!
Part 5
Samantha: Now this is more like it!
- Anyone Besides Samantha (Berry)
- Anyone Besides Samantha (Ashton)
- Anyone Besides Samantha (Alexandra)
Samantha: It’s showtime!
Berry, Ashton, Alexandra, and the entire dance troupe run out from behind the curtain!
Berry: Wooo!
Ashton: This is the greatest moment of my life!
Alexandra: Pirouette, and stage-freeze!
Samantha emerges last, waving to the crowd!
Samantha: How’s everyone doing tonight?! Wait, what’s going on?!
You look around the stadium tiers surrounding your midfield stage… Sure enough, nearly all the seats are empty. Most of the fans are streaming up the aisles toward the bathrooms and concession stands!
Berry: Come on, Samantha, introduce yourself! The show has to go on!
Danny: Stay focused!
Samantha: Uh… thanks for, uh, coming out tonight! I’m… Samantha… and this song is called ‘Spotlight’…
The beat kicks in. You and all of the backup dancers flank Samantha and start a choreographed routine while an electric laser show crackles overhead…
Samantha: ‘I’m blowing through stoplights and into the spotlight! Nobody can eeeever stop meee!’
Ashton: ‘Nobody!’
Samantha: ‘And if I believe in myself—‘ No, no, no, I can’t do this!
Danny: Samantha!
Time - 8 hours
In the middle of your show at Thorne Field, Samantha starts panicking!
Samantha: There’s no one here! They don’t like me!
Danny: Keep singing!
Samantha: The stands are empty, Danny! They hate me!
Breaking down, Samantha flees the stage, sprinting across the field! The few remaining people in the stands start booing and throwing popcorn and empty beer cups at Samantha and the stage!
Berry: Oh, come on!
Ashton: If you’re gonna throw beer at me, can it at least not be so watered down?
Ethan: Danny, quick! We’ve gotta get out of here before this gets any worse!
Danny: Everyone, follow me!
Rewards
- 20 Cash
You and all of the dancers run off the stadium stage, chasing after Samantha into the locker room tunnel, all the while shielding yourselves from flying hot dogs and beer cups.
Alexandra: We made it. Any casualties?
Ashton: Maybe your current haircut. Unless you’re digging those new cotton candy extensions.
You realize Samantha is slinking further into the tunnel.
Danny: Samantha, wait!
Samantha: Leave me alone!
Ethan: Uh, Danny? Usually my advice to clients is to give pop stars time to cool off…
Addison: Then again, Professor Hunt’s assignment is almost over, and I don’t think we’ve done the best job at reaching fans just yet.
Danny: Gimme a minute, I’ll make sure Samantha gets it together…
Part 6
Danny: I have to get the band back together…
- Level Samantha
- Spend 1000 Cash
You jog down the tunnel under the stadium until you find Samantha sitting on a bench, staring at a phone with melancholy.
Samantha: Someone already posted a YouTube video of my freak-out. Eight thousand views and counting. Not bad.
Danny: Is that the kind of number you care about?
Samantha: You don’t understand, Danny. Numbers like that are my whole life. You know I was just 13 when I was plucked out of nowhere to be part of Maple Sugar? Each of us was chosen based on all this market research and focus grouping. My producers, they calculated everything. And they were right. We shot to the top of the charts… but they kept wanting bigger and bigger numbers. More ticket sales. More Spotify plays. More social media impressions. And then last year, we had a four-percent drop in sales. Four percent, that’s it. And they pulled the plug. They did more research, found new faces, started a new pop group… and I was nothing. So yeah, judge me if you want. But twenty thousand views on YouTube does matter… it’s all that matters.
Danny: And out of all those big numbers you got, how many of those fans are still around? How many care about what you’re doing now? They’re all gone. Because Maple Sugar meant nothing.
Samantha: What? You can’t say that to me!
Danny: You know it’s true. You said it yourself, the whole group was completely calculated. It was a cash grab, and as soon as the demand changed, they dropped you. But it was never really you to begin with. Your fans were never actually yours. The producers picked your personality, they wrote your press releases, they kept you from signing autographs. How many fans did you ever actually meet?
Samantha: …
Danny: You know which pop stars really make a mark? Which ones really last? The ones who are earnest. The ones who show who they really are. And maybe that means you don’t do Montreal-Night-Long numbers at your first shows. But the fans you make doing it the right way are yours for life. Because you were relatable and open and true. My job is to take you to the top. Not some manufactured, cloistered ‘ideal.’ Because I don’t do things that get forgotten. So I’m gonna ask you one more time… who is Samantha?
Samantha: I’m… I’m me.
Rewards
- 2 Diamonds
You and Samantha meet back up with Ethan and Addison by the limo outside the stadium.
Addison: So is that it? Are we finished?
Samantha: I understand if you guys want nothing more to do with me. I’d deserve it. Danny made me realize… I grew up thinking numbers were all that mattered… that, if I wanted those numbers, I had to be whoever my producers wanted me to be. But when it all came crashing down, I was left with the number zero. So now I know I have to really earn my fans, not be given them. And that’s what I’m gonna do, even if I have to do it completely on my own.
Ethan and Addison share a knowing look.
Ethan: Good. Because I don’t represent quitters.
Samantha: Ethan, about the Renaissance… any chance we could still get that gig?
Danny: You mean the small venue we booked at first?
Addison: I don’t know if they’d take us… I saw on YouTube--
Ethan: Leave YouTube to me. I could spin the freakin’ Sony hack into a good thing if I had to.
Part 7
Samantha: Not exactly the Hollywood Bowl… but I’ll take it.
- Danny
- Samantha
The next evening, your group is backstage at The Renaissance. Samantha peeks out at the crowd from behind the curtain…
Samantha: …not all that many people out there tonight.
Danny: Yup. Not many more than were at the karaoke bar. But what’re you gonna do about it?
Samantha: I’m gonna make every single one of them a lifelong fan of yours truly. Oh, and here…
Samantha hands each of you a piece of paper.
Addison: What’s this?
Samantha: The song. I… changed the lyrics a bit on our ride over. Just follow my lead.
Minutes later, the curtains part, and you Samantha, Ethan, and Addison walk out onto the stage, waving and smiling. The crowd responds with tepid applause.
Samantha: Thanks for coming out tonight, everybody. I’m Samantha, and most of you don’t know me… and recently, I didn’t even know myself… but after tonight, you will.
Time - 10 hours
Samantha’s sonorous voice rises above the best flooding the venue.
Samantha: ‘Ain’t no price on love, I’m told… ain’t no weight of gold…’
Danny: ‘Got a second chance to do things right…’
Addison: ‘That’s why I’m here with you toniiiight.’
The crowd looks on, silent and still… But slowly, they begin to sway and dance with the groove! Samantha notices and winks at you.
Samantha: …
By the final chorus, the audience is singing along!
Samantha: ‘That’s why I’m here with youuuuuuu… toniiiiight.’
Rewards
- 20 Cash
A rain of applause follows you as your group sucks backstage after the show.
Addison: Samantha, they loved you!
Ethan: Looks like I might keep you on as my client after all. You’ve got some real potential.
Samantha: Thanks, Ethan, I--
Just then, Samantha’s phone buzzes…
Danny: What is it?
Samantha: Nothing… just a tweet alert. It’s Jenni, talking about Bianca’s music act, under the name ‘Bia Bia.’
Ethan: Does she not know what that’s short for?
Samantha: I doubt she cares. Apparently she has tens of thousands of followers on Instagram and Facebook, and even more song plays on Soundcloud. I’m so sorry, guys. I know the assignment was to reach as many fans as possible, and because of me, you couldn’t.
Thomas Hunt: I beg to differ.
Just then, Professor Hunt appears from the rear door.
Addison: Professor Hunt!
Part 8
Thomas Hunt: The week is over. That means it’s time for your grades.
- Level 4+ Samantha
Samantha: Oh… hi, Professor… I figure The Renaissance isn’t exactly what you had in mind when you were talking about getting as many fans as possible.
Thomas Hunt: This little place? It couldn’t even hold all the people who emailed me today for feedback on their garbage screenplays. But the fact of the matter is, when I asked you to reach your fans, I meant really reach them. Not with tweets or likes or views… but to connect with them. Too few in this town realize it, but fans aren’t a statistic to boost in a video game. They’re not a number to grind for. They’re human beings.
Hunt’s eyes move from Samantha to Ethan, to Addison, and finally settle on you.
Thomas Hunt: And only when you truly know them are you capable of creating something great. Something that makes a difference, that leaves a mark. That’s what makes a star. Without fans… you are nothing. They’re what it’s all for. And I think you made a lot of them tonight.
Hunt pushes open the rear exit to leave.
Samantha: Wait, Professor… you really think so? How could you tell?
Thomas Hunt: …call it a hunch.
He steps outside, and as the door swings open, you hear dozen of voices.
Danny: What’s going on out there?
Your team steps out into the alley… and a huge cheer goes up!
Samantha: What’s all this?!
Nearly the entire audience from the show is waiting out back, breaking out in applause at the sight of Samantha! They close in…
Addison: No way, I… I think they’re here for you, Samantha! They want autographs!
Samantha: Oh god… they want to talk to me… I was never supposed to talk to them when I was with Maple Sugar!
Danny: But you’re not with Maple Sugar anymore. You’re Samantha now. So what do you want to do?
Samantha: I… I want to meet some of my new fans.
Time - 12 hours
You watch as the mob surrounds your friend… hundreds of smiles, none brighter than Samantha’s.
Samantha: A selfie with me? Sure! Just make sure to tag me!
Some of the fans hurry over to you, Ethan, and Addison!
Addison: Us? We were just the backup singers!
Danny: Yeah, but we were pretty damn good at it!
Ethan: People want my signature? Hmmm… so this is how the other half lives.
Rewards
- 4 Diamonds
As the night goes on, Samantha spends time with each and every fan who stayed late. Finally, the last one thanks Samantha and leaves.
Samantha: Wow… that… that felt great.
Addison: Hang on a sec, I think you’ve got one more!
You realize that Hunt has been watching you from the sidewalk the entire time.
Thomas Hunt: Believe me, I am wholly uninterested in a selfie with you people.
Ethan: So, Professor Hunt… if we reached the most fans out of every group… that means we won, right?
Thomas Hunt: Don’t be ridiculous. Two hundred fans is still laughably pathetic, even if every single one of them was so moved that they stayed behind to meet you. Your journey, each of your journeys, is scarcely in its thumb-sucking infancy. The road is just beginning.
Danny: Wait. If it’s beginning… does that means we’re on our way?
Thomas Hunt: See you in class, Samantha. Danny.
Professor Hunt turns and walks off into the night.
Samantha: Why are you smiling, Danny?
Danny: You heard him. Our journeys are just beginning… And before we’re done, we’re going all the way to the top!