Behind The Spotlight Chapter 4
Evelyn handed the paper plates filled with cut fruits to Wyatt and Collin with a gentle smile on her face. The young assistant director thanked the mature woman with a polite nod before turning to talk to Collin.
For some reason, Collin was staring at him intently, as if he had seen a ghost or something otherworldly. To be precise, he was staring above his head, as though something hovered there that defied logic and reality.
"Is there something wrong, Collin?" Wyatt asked curiously.
"N-No, I'm just thinking about some work-related stuff that suddenly came to mind," he stammered awkwardly.
Collin couldn't say that golden words were floating above Wyatt's head. That would be weird, beyond weird, it would be absurd.
He rubbed his eyes gently. He thought he was just hallucinating. But the words were still there, as vivid and surreal as before.
'What does this mean?' He asked himself in silent panic.
Wyatt Bray:
-- Comedy Scriptwriter Genius.
-- Master Director of Comedy.
The golden words expressed that Wyatt's forte was comedy movies, not horror, despite what his earlier project might have suggested.
When Collin was first introduced to Wyatt, he had watched his experimental film in a dimly lit screening room at the agency and concluded that Wyatt could become a director.
It depends on luck, opportunity, and connections whether Wyatt becomes famous.
But being a talent agent, it was Collin's job to create work opportunities and social connections for Wyatt, even when the odds were against them.
In the end, the biggest factor was luck. In this industry, although luck was a concept easy to understand yet hard to come by, it was considered heaven-sent and often the deciding factor between success and obscurity.
But what about talented people?
'There are endless amounts of talented people who remain unknown despite working hard for years sometimes decades,' Collin thought.
He knew some actors who were hardworking but failed to become famous personalities, no matter how many auditions they went to.
'But why... why is it golden? Why are the words floating above Wyatt's head golden...? No, the first thing I should ask is why am I seeing golden words above Wyatt's head in the first place? Oh God, am I really crazy? Did I lose my sanity because of overworking and constant pressure?'
Collin decided to throw away these thoughts like crumpled paper in a trash can... or else he might overthink until he lost himself, or worse.
"Wyatt, you said that you're not confident if Director Esteban will make you a permanent assistant or not... then, are you interested in making your first film under your name and your vision?"
"My debut movie?" Wyatt was confused by the sudden turn in conversation.
"That's right. We can turn your script into a movie and let the world see what you're capable of."
"But Collin... isn't it expensive to film a movie, even a small one?"
"It depends. In my opinion, we can make this movie with a budget of $100,000 if we manage the costs carefully. But we have to be conscious of our expenses. I've been in Hollywood for three years now. I have an idea of how much budget we need for a project like this."
For this project, they would have to hire unknown actors and actresses so they wouldn't spend a lot of money on casting fees. Many unknown actors and actresses were eager for exposure and grateful for any kind of break. They would happily perform even if they didn't have a salary, or only received meals and credits in return.
As for the crew members... Collin believed that 10 to 20 people were enough to keep the filming running smoothly, as long as everyone did their job.
"..."
Wyatt was speechless and slightly overwhelmed. He was just here to show a script that he wrote over the span of a week, hoping they could register it with the Writer's Guild and perhaps make money.
He didn't expect that Collin would offer him a different job, one so bold and life-changing.
"I'm not sure... I'm still a new graduate. I don't know if I can handle it without failing midway."
"This is your second movie and your debut film in Hollywood, which is a big step no matter how you look at it. Everyone starts somewhere. Don't think too much about it... I'm sure we can handle it together."
"What about the money? In the first place, I don't know if $100,000 is enough to make the film without cutting too many corners."
"... I'll contact someone to provide investment." Collin decided to see if this golden vision was fake or not.
"What about the production crew? Where can we find them in such a short time?"
"Pftt—haha, Wyatt, it seems that you don't understand my forte as an agent and networker. I'm good at finding the right people," Collin laughed.
"..."
Wyatt was hesitant. He knew that this was an opportunity that might be hard to come by again, especially this early in his career.
"Wyatt, I leave the decision to you. I'm your agent, and my job is to make sure that you will become a successful director. I'll respect your decision no matter what you choose."
Wyatt swallowed hard, the weight of responsibility settling in his chest.
"Do you have a reason why you want me to start directing a movie?" he asked curiously, his eyes narrowing.
"Well, let's just say I have a hunch that you're great at making comedy movies, a really strong hunch."
"Collin, you're a strange person, but strangely convincing."
Collin laughed out loud that filled the room for a moment.
"What do you think?"
"We will start the project once my job in Director Esteban's movie is done and I'm officially free of that contract."
He couldn't just leave his job because he had signed a contract with a binding clause that would cost him dearly if broken. He couldn't afford to break the contract not with his current finances.
"That's great to hear, Wyatt."
Collin smiled genuinely, feeling the start of something exciting. The two shook hands firmly, a silent agreement between them.