"Okay, she's Stella Adler. There are also short-term training courses for actors." Julia Taylor picked up her notebook and wrote down a number for Ronald: "Here's the phone number, you can go ask."
"What about the agent?"
"Doesn't Meg have an agent? You can ask her to call Eddie and try. You have to choose your agent." Julia Taylor wrote down the agent Eddie's phone number and gave it to Ronald.
"Thank you, Ms. Taylor."
Turning around, producer David Da Silva also came to find Ronald.
David Da Silva is a tall, middle-aged man. Most of his head is bald, and he has a small mustache on his upper lip. He wears a relatively rare pair of suspender trousers, which are very old-fashioned.
"Ronald, Alan wants me to sign an agreement with you. He wants to hire you as a casting assistant, in the name of driver and car rental, at $200 per day for one month. If the casting is not finished, it will be postponed."
"Thank you, Mr. Da Silva."
"But I have my conditions. Have you read the script?"
"I haven't."
"Here is the latest version of the script. Take it and read it carefully. All eight protagonists must be focused on. If any director Parker tries to choose an actor who is inconsistent with the script, you must notify me. Do you understand?"
Producer David Da Silva said to Ronald seriously.
"What?" Ronald thought, why is there so much ploy in this crew? When he was in New World Company, the crew was very harmonious.
"Remember who pays you, Ronnie. I talked to Julia and know that you are a smart kid."
David Da Silva threatened, and Ronald had no choice but to obey.
"Okay, Mr. Da Silva, I'll do what you ask. After all, I'm working for you, Sir."
"You're great. Let's sign the agreement. Take this check and remember to give me a copy of the receipt for the car." Da Silva took out a check for $6,000 and handed it to Ronald.
"Remember to buy a better car, Ronnie."
'Am I a double agent?' Ronald thought.
"Read the script carefully, Ronald." Alan Parker came over to guide him again.
"Remember your intuition. This movie is a realistic movie that reflects the real dark side of life in a performing arts high school. David should have told you his requirements."
"Yes, Mr.Parker. He asked me to be loyal to the script." Ronald hinted.
"You're great. I like dealing with smart people." Alan Parker understood.
"But always remember that the script is just a creation on paper. When the director selects actors, he must have imagination and rely on his intuitive judgment to imagine the actors and the final effect of the script. After all, the audience goes to the cinema to watch the film, not the script."
"So when casting, the director's judgment should be the standard, not the description in the script. Do you understand?"
"Okay, Mr. Parker, I will do it according to your requirements. After all, I am working for you."
'Am I a double agent now?'
Director and producer, who has the final say?
...
Ronald called to ask about the actor training class of Stella Adler Studio. One can participate even if you have no basic skills. The fee is $260/8 classes, which is not that expensive compared to the others.
Then, he contacted the agent named Eddie by phone.
Eddie was very talkative. After asking about the situation, he took the initiative to say that he could come to sign the contract tomorrow.
Ronald and the agent set a time, and then he went to the car market to buy a car.
Since the political turmoil in the Middle East caused the international oil price to soar, the price of gasoline at gas stations has risen by more than 50%. Ronald wanted to pick a fuel-efficient European car, just like the last Volkswagen Hare.
But at the newsstand next to the subway station, Ronald saw a back cover advertisement of Time magazine.
"Honda Accord, a new generation of four-door compact sedans, power steering, central control trunk switch, electric windows."
It seems that Japanese cars are not bad. He took the subway to the dealer and took a look: the four front headlights are very powerful. Although it is a compact car, the interior space is very large.
This is it. After negotiating the price to $5,600 for a light green Honda Accord, Ronald drove back to his apartment.
After parking the car downstairs, Ronald first wanted to ask Meg out for a date and then tell her about the agent and acting class later that.
But Meg also had her own plans. As soon as she saw Ronald, she started talking about her arrangements.
After a long phone call with her sister, Jennifer in Los Angeles used her connections to arrange a William Morris agent for Meg. They had arranged a meeting for tomorrow.
"This... you should have told me sooner. I asked Julia for advice and have found an agent named Eddie to come and discuss it in detail tomorrow."
"William Morris's agent is very famous in the industry. I have already agreed with them." Meg saw Ronald's face was not good while talking, "Are you angry? Ronnie, I couldn't find you at once, and I agreed when I heard the name of William Morris."
"I'm not angry. Your sister introduced you to a big company. It's just that I have to apologize to Eddie tomorrow for making the trip in vain." Ronald said.
"What about your acting training class?"
"Jennifer told me a lot of things. She said it's best to learn method acting. If it's in Los Angeles, she will introduce an acting teacher."
"Los Angeles..." Ronald frowned again. "
"In New York, she suggested that I go to the Actors Studio."
"I've heard of that place. Some people say it's the best." Ronald heard about them from Nastassja Kinski. "I'll take you to sign up when I'm free."
Seeing that Meg had taken care of everything, Ronald was not unhappy at all but just felt that he had not contributed much. 'It's a good thing that I didn't help her sign up for Stella Adler's training class.'
........
The next day, Eddie, introduced by Julia, came to visit his apartment as scheduled. Ronald invited Eddie in and apologized to him directly:
"I'm sorry, Eddie. I didn't know that my girlfriend had found a William Morris agent through her sister. It was my mistake. You made a wasted trip."
Eddie is a short man who looks very friendly, which is a great advantage in this profession.
"It doesn't matter, just call me Eddie. I represent a small independent agency. Actors often jump to William Morris after becoming famous. We are helpless. The law stipulates that we can only sign a maximum of 3 years' contract with actors."
"If a big company is willing to pay to buy the actor's contract in our hands, we have no objection. Because more famous actors need more powerful agents to fight for resources."
"Julia talked to me about you. I am more interested in you today."
"Me? I'm not an actor." Ronald said.
"But you may become a director in the future." Eddie was very frank.
"And directors are the scarcest resources in the industry. Even a TV commercial director is very important to us."
"I have a lot of young actresses who have just entered the industry. If you can help one or two of them in the future, it will be a huge help to our business."
"You seem to be too honest, Eddie." Ronald said with a smile, "There are very few people in this industry who expose their shortcomings."
"But if an antique dealer takes the initiative to point out the cracks on the bottom of his porcelain, won't it be more trustworthy to customers?" Eddie also smiled, "This is not a difficult secret to find out. I try my best to maintain my honesty."
Ronald felt that Eddie was a very interesting guy. He also represented some insert girls in men's magazines, but the business with actors was strictly separated.
After driving Eddie back to the office, Ronald bought a few new daily variety shows and a Hollywood Reporter on the way. Ronald is gradually developing a good habit of reading industry news every day.
"Rock n Roll High School was released in Georgia, but the box office was not good. It is another typical Roger Corman-style youth exploitation film, and it may rely on the East and West Coasts to gain more audiences. "
'Rock n Roll High School has been released?' Ronald called Gale, the assistant to the president of New World. "Gale, I heard that Rock n Roll High School has been released?"
"Ronnie, I'm glad to hear your voice."
"Yes. It did not perform well at the box office in Georgia and Arizona. Roger may cancel the release plan in California and New York."
"That's too bad. I was going to invite my family and friends to see it."
"It's not that there is no chance. It depends on the performance of the next few states. What are you doing now? Ronnie"
"I'm waiting for school to start, and I'm also working as a casting assistant for the new film directed by Alan Parker."
"That's great. Midnight Train, which he directed last year, was a big hit at the box office. He is a big director in Hollywood."
…
After hanging up the phone, Ronald began to read the script of "Hot Lunch" carefully and drew portraits of several protagonists in his dream. If he encounters it during casting, he can recommend it to Alan Parker.
The script of "Hot Lunch" is very interesting. Several clips in his dream were all singing and dancing, but this film is not an old-fashioned orthodox Hollywood musical.
The singing and dancing part has a plot. It's not the kind of musical where when a certain kind of music is played, a group of art students begins to dance spontaneously.
Old-fashioned musicals, such as "Grease", use singing instead of dialogue and dancing instead of movements.
The new generation of young people seems to be getting more and more,' I don't like the old-fashioned orthodox musicals, this form of performance.'
In real life, if a person doesn't talk but sings out what he means, doesn't walk but dances all the time. The younger generation thinks it is ridiculous and embarrassing.
.....
The next day, it was time to go to the New York High School of the Performing Arts to discuss the auditions with the school's top management. Ronald first picked up Director Parker and then drove to the performing arts school.
Margaret from the casting studio, Howard Fair, a partner of Fair and Lizelle Casting Company, and producer David Da Silva were already waiting in the large conference room.
Ronald took out his notebook and waited in the back row to take notes after the meeting started.
The door was pushed open with a bang, and the principal of the performing arts school and several teachers walked in.