243. who wants to be a millionaire?
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The reality show didn't offer many interesting tasks to perform. From CBS, it is understood that most of the time shows need to be captivating, and only a novel program can make people pay attention.

Jim Wait was overseeing all the procedures along with Jim Gianopulus, almost as producers. Since Sony acquired Columbia, Hollywood has turned its back on them and plays a distant game, a game that contradicts everything. All companies have always had solid unity, Sony's isolation, and the hand of a young man that extends like an olive branch for new productions. The same negotiation has allowed Sony to find new allies everywhere, from directors to small producers, and independent film production companies.

-Is it certain that the program will run by December 1994? - asked Daniel Jadd, the official producer of the series, who directed the behind-the-scenes intricacies of the entire organization of the -Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - program.

-Sure, with all the team presented by you, - said Jim Gianopulus. For the TV program, Thomas Carson's legal team was good; they drafted a forty-page contract covering all important topics, such as the game rules of the program. A program must be clear about how it works and what specific rules must be delivered.

  1. The program will be based on multiple-choice answers (A, B, C,      D). After answering the question, the host will ask if that is the correct answer.
  2. The participants must agree that, if they participate in the program, they cannot communicate with anyone from the audience outside the public and through technological communication devices.
  3. The participant has two opportunities to choose in the multiple-choice selection process. The correct answer has an estimated time of 30 seconds to choose the correct answer, once the host asks if it is correct.
  4. For the use of multiple-choice options, if one of their answers turns out to be wrong, the problem lies in the choice of their candidates.      For audience-based answer questions, and help for answers, the audience may not have the correct option.
  5. For the use of multiple-choice options, if one of the answers requires a phone call to a friend, they must request a maximum of three phones, to be dialed by a minimum of two available persons, if they do not have a phone available from their three participants, as a last option,      they can dial a number if no answer is found, they will lose the phone-a-friend help.
  6. There are lifelines and insurances; the money will accumulate until they answer correctly and reach the insurance, the insurance will be every five answered questions, in amounts of $1000, $32,000, and      $1,000,000.

...

The rules went on and were formulated repetitively, making it clear that each rule was completely rigid.

-So, let's be clear, for the call capture, we'll use some huge offices, and at least fifty calls will come in, we'll pick up the phones randomly, regardless of the number of calls, - said Jim, reviewing the call requirements and the people who must be selected.

-Yes, it was mentioned that we will make a public call at the end of the program, which will be live to capture the audience's attention. There must be a significant mystery in the program, for anyone to get rich, the members must be teachers, plant workers, builders, and even immigrants, we don't care about that. We want to generate a great commotion and get people to tune in after the morning news, - said Jim Gianopulus, questioning technical advancements, and more importantly, capturing attention, along with the application made by ID software of the computer game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" It had an algorithm of at least 60,000 questions, some of which were similar to those on the program, but after $32,000, the answers were unique to the program. The payment of the 9 advisers who created the questions and uploaded them to a website, on each special topic, was commendable work.

-We're working on it, but yes... we have a whole team to broadcast the signal live, - said Daniel Jadd.

Jim Gianopulus nodded; the program's headquarters would be set up in different locations, one in Los Angeles, and another in New York. Each location was close, from east to west. Some per diems would be paid, but most of the calls would be claimed from nearby places.

***************************************************************************

Billy was gazing at the Vienna skyline from a large square, watching passersby while Julie made some trips, buying souvenirs or enjoying some street artists.

Billy began to sketch the landscape, starting with a long view every week, a giant panoramic view in various ways. Sometimes he changed the outlines of the labyrinth, sometimes he arranged the closest houses and created a medieval structure, removing all modernity from the map, and improvising in some parts that he straightened.

-You're still at it, - said Julie.

-I do what I can but like to modify the whole design. Now I'm making it modern, maybe a thousand years ahead. What's up? Why do you look so serious? - said Billy.

-Well, it turns out I understand who you are very well. The press has been all over you for the past five days. I must say, I didn't expect you to have a romantic relationship with three other actresses, - said Julie, serious, and hitting Billy in disbelief.

Supposedly, he would arrive in San Jose in five days. Jim Wait had been calling constantly, but he didn't want to respond while he cleared his mind in the oasis of Vienna. The freedom he had enjoyed in the last few months was refreshing. He only took meetings on Thursdays and Fridays with important people. Without paying attention, the next meeting would be in two days, over the phone, and then he would arrive in San Jose and resume his duties.

-Hasn't your agent mentioned the situation? - asked Julie.

-I might have ignored my agent to seek some peace, - said Billy.

-Bill, you should be careful. If your agent calls you more than twice, it must be something important. Very irresponsible of you, - said Julie.

-All my calls are usually important, - said Billy.

Julie rolled her eyes as she took a seat next to Billy. She already knew the boy's humor, and it was best to keep quiet when he got into his petulant attitude, his hollow phrases, and his cold smile that spoke from the outside, not from within. Julie only commented that it would serve him well in interviews or in front of the paparazzi. She might be wrong, but the article mentioning a fortune of over a billion dollars was proof enough to say he was a brilliant businessman.

Billy focused on the newspapers, reading the press articles carefully. Every article in the press was important to him. It spoke about his private life, and his business life, and even mentioned answers about various activities he had already forgotten, like his relationships in middle school, teachers he didn't remember, and classmates he had never noticed.

-I think my days will be somewhat hectic. Have you ever experienced anything similar? - Billy asked.

-I have no idea. After all, I'm just an actress with some roles. I've tried to downplay my fame and not accept big productions. I prefer art, - said Julie.

...

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