Behind The Spotlight Chapter 207
Being the boss of the film department, Salvador Manuel had a higher status than Collin, and it was because of his clients who consistently generated revenue for the agency.
Salvador had two directors, both of whom were good at their jobs.
One was an action movie director who had directed many box office hits that dominated both domestic and international markets.
The other was a TV show director who directed many game shows such as Who Likes To Be A Millionaire, Deal Or Don't Deal, and What's the Price?, programs that enjoyed long broadcast lifespans and positive ratings. If Collin was right, this director would probably direct the talk show unless there was another candidate.
On top of having two high-performing directors, Salvador also had three famous actors (two actors and one actress). They were celebrities who starred in many films and were quite famous. One of his clients was Shawn Jacob, a famous action star who was the face of the Fatal Trigger franchise, a movie franchise that already had five sequels.
Furthermore, Salvador was friends with many producers from different major studios.
Collin had nothing to offer Salvador because this veteran agent could get it anyway… except for one thing.
'My clients…'
The only thing Collin could offer was his clients. But doing that would be stupid, borderline self-destructive. His clients were the most important part of his career, the foundation of everything he had built.
He had no intention of transferring any contract to anyone. Not even Jennifer Randon, who currently had the lowest output in his lineup.
He discovered them and recognized their talents long before anyone else did. He wanted to be there when they reached success.
So now, Collin had to think of a way to convince Salvador. His brain slightly ached as he thought about it.
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Days passed.
Axel Gunner, Brody Paige, and Cross Pinger signed their contracts in front of many reporters, cameras flashing relentlessly.
The reporters took countless pictures, particularly of Axel and Brody, who were famous and drew the most attention. As for Cross, he was mostly just there in the background.
Aside from the three lead actors, CEO Berry Cruz was also present to handle the matters and sign contracts as the representative of Uni-versus Pictures.
Actually, the entire contract-signing event was just for show, nothing more than publicity, a standard industry practice. The actors had already signed the real contracts a few days ago, and those documents were much thicker than the ones placed on the table.
Still, the actors treated the event seriously and maintained professionalism. They shook hands with one another, then shook hands with CEO Berry Cruz.
The old man smiled and glanced around. He spotted Collin quietly standing in a corner, behind the spotlight.
Berry's opinion regarding Collin East had completely changed now that he knew more about him.
When Berry first met Collin, the agent was just a nobody. Back then, Collin and Wyatt held a screening in the auditorium at ANT to attract a distributor for their movie. Berry Cruz was the one who handled that negotiation, and The Accidental Wedding Crashers was distributed by Uni-versus Pictures. It was a good business deal, as both sides earned a substantial amount of money.
Since then, the two sides had many collaborations. It could even be said that Director Wyatt Bray was practically an employee of Uni-versus Pictures because he worked with the studio almost exclusively.
At first, Berry thought Collin's career would peak at being Wyatt's agent. Being a director's agent already carried high status in the industry, especially if the director had box office hits. Berry knew Collin had potential, but potential was nothing more than potential. It depended on whether Collin could fully realize it and go beyond.
Yet, Berry's expectations of Collin had long been surpassed. Even the potential Berry once envisioned had been exceeded by a wide margin.
Collin was no longer a simple talent agent. He was different from the man Berry Cruz met five years ago. Five years was enough to completely change a person's life.
Now, Collin was an executive at Apex Network Talent, one of the few who owned company shares and wielded real influence in the industry.
Berry stared at the man who kept a low profile despite his strong aura.
'Indeed, people can change.' He thought.
As the interview continued, Berry remained seated and answered questions from reporters. However, most of the questions were directed at the three actors. Berry was merely there as the representative of Uni-versus Pictures.
Most of the reporters at the contract signing were under Cumcast. As always, Cumcast owned news networks, TV stations, newspapers, magazines, and even tabloids. With a single command from higher-ups, they could promote Week On An Island all over the world.
"Mr. Paige, is your role in this movie just another handsome guy with no substance?"
Unfortunately, the first question came from a female reporter representing a newspaper that had no connection to Cumcast.
"Indeed, my role is nothing more than a handsome guy again. This is a comedy film, it doesn't need substance."
Brody Paige seemed to handle it well. He had already been briefed by the PR team. The actor glanced at Arnold, who was also standing in the background. Arnold nodded at Brody, assuring him that he would step in if things went south.
"Instead of choosing this kind of role, shouldn't you be looking for a serious and heavy role? Something that could elevate your status in the industry. Why did you accept this project?"
The female reporter pressed further. She was actually a fan of Brody Paige, but she was disappointed with his choice of projects. In her opinion, Brody had a chance to win at the Academic Awards if he pursued more serious roles.
"I chose this role because it's fun. My last role was a bit too heavy, and I wanted to take on something lighter to adjust my mentality."
"Fair enough," the female reporter accepted the answer and stopped asking questions, allowing the other reporters to continue.
Of course, the biggest reason Brody Paige accepted the role was money, simple as that.
The contract signing revealed nothing about salaries, and only those directly involved knew how much money had been negotiated.
The three lead actors continued answering questions to the best of their ability, carefully avoiding anything controversial.
Unfortunately, some reporters had no intention of keeping things civil. All they wanted was to see the world burn and cause trouble for everyone. All they chased were headlines.
And this time, a reporter aimed a troublesome question at Axel.
"Mr. Gunner, do you think Hollywood is fair to minorities?"
A trap question had arrived.
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[Author's Note:]
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