Dreams of Stardom (Hollywood SI)

Chad Hurley, the current CEO of YouTube, could only gape at his friends Jawed and Steve as they witnessed the effects of the chain reaction started by one Troy Armitage.

Troy may have casually posted that video containing personal information about Trey Parker and Matt Stone about a month ago, but it triggered a series of unexpected events. People began to recognize the power of YouTube and online video hosting. Troy's video had amassed an astounding one million views, becoming the most-watched video in the small history of YouTube. It became international news, with almost every media channel reporting on it—most siding with Troy that [South Park] went too far.

The calls to boycott the show and Comedy Central became so massive that Comedy Central had no choice but to issue an unconditional public apology to Troy. They even promised not to air the middle segment of the episode in any future reruns. This marked the first time an episode of [South Park] had been censored for reasons unrelated to religion.

The most significant change for YouTube was the sudden influx of viewers on the website. Hundreds of thousands of people started visiting daily, a stark contrast to the traffic before Troy's video. What followed was a wave of celebrities creating accounts on the platform and posting their videos online. The first to follow Troy's lead was Rihanna, who created a YouTube account and began uploading covers of iconic singers like Madonna, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey.

Similarly, other young celebrities looking to remain in the limelight opened accounts and started posting videos. It wasn't just celebrities—ordinary people with regular day jobs began uploading a variety of content, from funny clips to music. It was as though YouTube exploded overnight, all thanks to Troy.

"Now I feel bad about selling 70% of our shares to him," Steve Chen noted sadly. "If this had happened before Troy's offer, we could have sold for five times what Troy gave us."

Chad agreed with Steve. Troy needed a platform to repair his image, and he would have used YouTube whether he owned it or not.

But nothing could be done now. All they could do was work harder and grow YouTube so much that their 30% would be worth far more than the 100% they had initially.

(Break)

November 2005, Leavesden Studios, London

"It's totally normal what you're feeling, Harry," Michael Gambon said in a soothing tone. "On the contrary, the fact that you can feel pain like that is your greatest strength."

I felt unbridled rage coursing through my veins when I heard that.

"Sirius is dead!" I shouted. "And all because you wouldn't tell me what I needed to know! I don't want to talk to you. I'm done with everything. The wizarding world, Voldemort, everyone! Just let me go. I don't want to be a part of this problem anymore."

Gambon lowered his head sadly. "I agree with you on that. It's all my fault. But I can't let you go until you hear me out."

I picked up a small glass trinket lying on the table between us and hurled it at the wall opposite us with all my might. The trinket shattered into hundreds of pieces instantly, but Gambon didn't react outwardly at all. He only raised an eyebrow, as if to say, 'Is that all you've got?'

Seeing his reaction angered me further, and this time, I grabbed the table between us and upended it, sending everything on it crashing to the floor. All of the trinkets, made unbreakable for the scene, scattered across the floor. If that wasn't enough, Harry's wandless magic kicked in as well. Using strings the production team had set up beforehand, everything in the office was scattered everywhere, some even breaking apart. CGI would later enhance the scene and remove the strings.

"Will you let me go now?" I asked again, panting slightly from the exertion of magic.

"You can continue breaking more of my stuff if that's what gives you peace," Gambon said calmly. "I wouldn't even be surprised if you attacked me. But I'll let you out only when you hear what I have to say."

I stared at him for a moment, feeling tired. I nodded slowly before reluctantly sitting back in the chair opposite him. I didn't bother saying anything.

Gambon summoned his Pensieve and played the memory of the prophecy as a projection. For obvious reasons, this would be added in post-production.

When the supposed memory ended, he looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Do you now understand the situation? Why I tried to protect you from it?"

I could only look at him with hollowed eyes, the weight of the situation finally landing on my shoulders. I didn't say anything, only kept staring silently, my anger drained from my body. He said more about Voldemort, me, and our connection, but I didn't react outwardly. That is, until I heard the magical words.

"Cut! Print. Check the gate," Rian Johnson yelled. "We did it, guys! We are done with the filming of [Order of the Phoenix]!"

Cheers erupted around the set, followed by applause. Despite the happy attitude, I could only manage a small smile. The last scene had been too emotionally heavy, and I hadn't fully detached myself from the role yet. Maybe in a few hours, I'd be back to normal, but right now, I didn't want to do anything.

Lately, I'd noticed a shift in my acting method. I wouldn't call myself a proper method actor, but I'd been getting influenced by my roles more and more. It had started during the shoot of [Perks], though that was partly because of my first breakup. It intensified during [Little Miss Sunshine], but since it was a comedy, it didn't affect me as deeply. [Order of the Phoenix], however, had been the most intense experience. Harry's detachment and loneliness throughout the film were emotions I'd unknowingly manifested in my real life despite having loving support from my family, and occasional visits from Rihanna.

"Are you okay, Troy?" Michael Gambon asked, stepping beside me. I looked up to see him and my assistant both staring at me with concern.

"I will be," I said with a small smile. "It was a little intense."

Tobias placed a hand on my shoulder. "You've got that promotion thing for [Echoes of You] this week. We can postpone it for a few days if you want."

I shook my head. "No. I think It'll help me to get in a better mood. It'll be fun."

Tobias didn't look fully convinced, but he nodded nonetheless. I was actually looking forward to this part of the promotions for [Echoes of You]. The entirety of the film had been shot to completion, except for the video of one song—'Sugar'.

We could have shot that song as well if we wanted to, but there was a high risk of it leaking to the masses before its official release, just like 'We Don't Talk Anymore'. After much deliberation, Evan had come up with a brilliant idea—one that could kill two birds with one stone.

And since there was a long break for me between shooting [Order of the Phoenix] and [Half-Blood Prince], it was the perfect time to implement it. The production wouldn't shut down, and the other actors would continue filming their scenes for the sixth film. I just wouldn't be available because of the promotions for [Echoes of You].

Let's just hope the new promotion strategy doesn't fall flat on its face.

(Break)

Samantha was beyond nervous. Every girl is on her wedding day, but it was doubly so when you're marrying so young. More than one person had asked if she was rushing into things with Tom, but she had been adamant. They'd been seeing each other for five years already, and this felt like the perfect time to tie the knot.

Everything on the wedding day went perfectly—almost perfectly. The pastor had turned out to be a drunk and nearly botched their vows, but aside from that small hiccup, the day was as good as it could be.

That was until her father escorted the newlywed couple to the middle of the hall during the reception. Samantha looked around curiously, hoping to glean something from the guests' reactions, but they seemed just as clueless. The abundance of cameramen at their modest wedding was strange, though. It wasn't normal for a low-budget event like theirs to have so many cameras.

"Okay, ready?" her father asked with a big grin as he guided them to the center of the room.

"What is it?" she asked, confused.

He simply raised five fingers and began counting down. Four. Three. Two. One.

At zero, the curtain in front of Samantha and Tom fell, revealing a teenage-boy standing on a makeshift stage, surrounded by a full band. As soon as the unveiling was complete, the boy began singing in a beautiful voice.

[Sugar - Maroon 5]

~: Your sugar

Yes, please

Won't you come and put it down on me?

I'm right here, 'cause I need

Little love, a little sympathy

Yeah, you show me good loving

Make it alright

Need a little sweetness in my life

Your sugar

Yes, please

Won't you come and put it down on me? :~

As soon as Samantha realized what was happening—or rather, who the surprise guest was—she let out the loudest shriek of glee imaginable.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Samantha yelled excitedly, her voice rising above the chatter of the crowd and even Troy's singing. As a massive Harry Potter fan, this was the best present she could have imagined for her wedding day. Overcome with emotion, she turned to her new husband (who seemed equally thrilled after recognizing Troy) and planted a big kiss on his lips.

By now, everyone had realized that the Troy Armitage was in their midst, serenading the couple with a lively song. Guests who had been seated moments before were now on their feet, fully engaged in the impromptu concert. The upbeat tune, seemingly tailor-made for a wedding party, had everyone dancing.

When the song ended, Troy transitioned into a soft love ballad called [All of Me]. The gentle melody gave Samantha the perfect opportunity to share her first dance as a married woman with Tom, all to the beautiful voice of her favorite actor-turned-singer. It was a moment she knew she would treasure forever.

(Break)

It was such a joy to be part of young couples' weddings, especially those who were my long-term fans. When the idea was first floated, I had insisted on prioritizing fans for this initiative. All the couples whose weddings we planned to attend this week had been carefully vetted by Tobias and the marketing team at Warner Bros, and the results spoke for themselves. The sheer joy, surprise, and disbelief on their faces couldn't be faked.

To top it off, my earlier serious and somber mood had vanished the moment I started performing at my first wedding.

This idea had come to me from the Maroon 5 video for the song Sugar in the original timeline. When I wrote the song, the memory of that music video came along with it—and what a video it was.

The first wedding I performed at earlier this year had been for Tobias' sister. I'd wanted to do more, but releasing the song prematurely was a risk we couldn't take. That's why we saved this project for just two weeks before the release of [Echoes of You].

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Tobias asked, his tone cautious.

"Seriously, man," I replied, shaking my head. "If I had a penny for every time you questioned one of my decisions, I'd be a billionaire by now."

"Just saying," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "People don't usually leak their own songs online. It doesn't make sense."

"It doesn't to you," I retorted. "Warner was hesitant too, but Alan Horn is a reasonable man—unlike Barry Meyer. Alan knows I own YouTube now, so he agreed with my request as long as the released video doesn't include the full song and isn't in high definition."

Tobias tilted his head in reluctant acceptance as I clicked the "post" button.

I could've assigned the task to someone else, but I wanted to do it myself for the fun of it. That's why we'd stationed a few discreet staff members at the weddings I performed at, armed with regular camcorders to capture the surprise. Meanwhile, a separate team shot proper footage that would be used in the film.

(Break)

"In recent news, Troy Armitage has taken the internet by storm with a one-of-a-kind promotional strategy for his upcoming film. While most teenagers opt for malls or schools to promote their films, Troy chose a different route—attending weddings across the U.K. and gifting newlyweds with exclusive, never-before-heard songs from his upcoming movie.

"We can't play the songs here due to copyright restrictions, but fans have already uploaded them to the video streaming site YouTube, and as of now, they haven't been taken down."

As the news spread across entertainment channels, Troy's dedicated fans immediately began scouring YouTube for the songs—but they didn't have to look far. Upon opening the site, the video for Troy's performance of 'Sugar' was prominently featured at the top of the homepage, followed closely by the trailer for [Echoes of You] in the second spot.

This strategy served a dual purpose: it not only promoted [Echoes of You] but also boosted YouTube's visibility as a premier video-sharing platform.

Then, a week before the film's release, Warner Bros. and Troy Armitage made an unprecedented move—they released the full HD video of 'Sugar' on YouTube, a song mostly filmed less than a week prior. A short turnaround, but more than enough time for Stephen Daldry to edit and polish the video to perfection. And what a video it was.

As soon as it was posted, it became all the rage with the people, be it old or young.

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