July 2, 2022
POV Larry Andersen
Early in the morning I got up, washed my face, combed my hair, and had breakfast. Nothing special, instant coffee and some eggs with bacon. I know, not exactly healthy.
I was already dressed two hours before the meeting with Owen Ashford. Clean, ironed shirt. Blue blazer, the one I used to wear back when people still thought I was competent. I looked at myself in the mirror. "You're not dead yet," I whispered. Though I'm not sure if it was a statement or a plea.
Since I had time, I turned on my computer and went on YouTube. In my subscriptions tab, I clicked on a channel called Second Take Films.
The first short, The Black Hole, had been uploaded in May. Almost two months old, and it already had around 384,000 views. The comments were overwhelmingly positive.
Several people in the short-film scene had reviewed it, on Reddit, on Twitter. Even a niche YouTuber had made a full analysis. Everyone said the same thing: the story was creative, fresh, and the lead actor did an impressive job in the few minutes he was on screen.
The second short, Paperman, had been a pleasant surprise for everyone who watched it. Uploaded on June 22, barely ten days old, it already had around 125,000 views.
Lastly, there was the trailer for Paranormal Activity.
A feature film, shot on a shoestring budget, that had just been screened at the Palm Springs Festival. The trailer lasted less than a minute, and had already racked up over 400,000 views.
It had been uploaded just over fifteen days ago. Quick math: more than 26,000 views per day.
That's not normal.
I've worked with independent actors and filmmakers for years. I've seen countless shorts, some worse than others, die with 5,000 views, maybe scratching 10,000 or 20,000 if lucky.
Independent feature trailers that barely reach 100,000 views after months, with budgets of maybe a million dollars.
This channel, which started with The Black Hole, is taking off like a rocket.
I think there are several reasons why.
First: the story. It's not more of the same. These are striking, creative narratives, with titles and thumbnails that hook you instantly.
Second: the acting. Owen doesn't perform like a beginner. He has this natural ease, this presence, that can't be taught. And his co-star, Sophie, is also operating at a very high level. In Paperman and Paranormal Activity, they're both far above what you usually see in the indie circuit.
Third: the direction. Matt Rogers, Owen's friend, does an excellent job despite being a first-time director with no notable credits before this.
Fourth: word of mouth, and a bit of luck, of course.
A Twitter user posted a review of The Black Hole. Another YouTuber picked it up and made an in-depth analysis. Then Short of the Week accepted it and published a positive review on June 23.
The same thing happened with Paperman, accepted on June 30.
Then Paranormal Activity received great feedback from people who saw it at Palm Springs, critics, YouTubers, influencers, many of whom made videos praising it. The film was well-received.
And I liked it too. It's not an Oscar-winning film. It's not the most groundbreaking story in the world, but it's very well made.
The performances are solid. The lead couple has brilliant chemistry. And the horror, it's psychological and restrained.
It's been a long time since I've seen a found-footage film executed this well, not since The Blair Witch Project.
That's saying something.
For all these reasons, I want to represent Owen Ashford. And I'm going to offer him a deal he can't refuse.
I used to be a decent agent once. Not one of the big ones, but I know how to recognize real talent, and it's rare to find someone with this level of acting, writing, and producing skill.
And the best part? He hasn't signed with anyone yet.
It's now or never.
I stayed silent for a few seconds.
Looked around. My apartment is small; the walls are damp. A few bad investments made me lose more than I could afford.
And after failing to close any decent contracts for over a year, I'm at the lowest point of my life.
I got divorced a few months ago.
My teenage daughter doesn't want to talk to me, and the actors who once trusted me, already have other agents.
But I've got one last bullet, and I'm firing it today.
I got up, took a deep breath, and dialed a number I hadn't called in years.
Debra Zane.
We met over a decade ago and used to be colleagues. We always got along well, though over time we drifted apart.
She kept rising. I got stuck.
Debra is a casting director. She's held that position on major films like The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011), Devil (2010), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Dreamgirls (2006), among others.
And now she's the casting director for a very big film.
The phone rang three times before I finally heard her voice. I felt relieved she answered. Yesterday, when Owen confirmed our meeting, I tried calling Debra, but even after five attempts, she never picked up.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Debra. It's me. Larry Andersen."
There was a brief pause, then a soft, genuine laugh.
"Larry! No way… how many years has it been?" she said warmly. "How are you?"
"I've had better days," I replied, trying to sound light, as if I weren't about to mortgage what was left of my dignity. "But I'm still breathing, which is more than I can say for most days lately. You're… still working like crazy, I assume?"
"Yes, well, you know how it is. There's always something. I'm in pre-production right now, doing castings for a huge project. I don't even know how I found the time to answer."
That's why she didn't pick up yesterday, I thought.
"A big project, huh? Then I called just in time."
"You're calling about work? Seriously? I thought you were retired or something. I haven't heard from you in years."
"I know, and I get why that's surprising. But no, I'm not dead yet. And yes, I called for something specific. I need a favor, a professional one. Just… hear me out."
"Of course. Go ahead," she said, curious.
"I'm working with an actor. Young. He's got that thing you can't teach. I discovered him through his short films and his first feature. His name is Owen Ashford."
"I think I've heard of him… what has he done?"
"Two short films on YouTube: The Black Hole and Paperman. Both were accepted by Short of the Week. And a feature-length horror film, Paranormal Activity, screened at Palm Springs, with just a $20,000 budget. He wrote all three. Starred in them. Produced them. He's gained real traction online. He's not just a promising kid, Debra. He's the real deal, talented, with presence, and a creator's mindset."
"Wow… how young is he?" she asked, clearly intrigued.
"Twenty."
There was a brief silence before she spoke again. "Is he your client?"
I couldn't help but swallow hard at the question.
"Yes… We just started working together, but you know how I am. When I believe in someone, I go all in. And I want your help getting him a private audition. I know you're casting for something big. There's still time to get him an audition for a strong supporting role, right?"
Debra stayed quiet for a few seconds. "It's not like you to ask for something like this. Are you that sure about him?"
"More sure than I've been about anyone in the last ten years."
I heard her exhale. Then she said, "Let me see what I can do. No promises, Larry. But for you… I'll consider it."
"Thank you! I just want him to have a chance to audition."
"Send me his reels, résumé, whatever you've got. Today, okay?" she said.
"You'll have it in less than an hour," I replied instantly.
"Good. Then we'll talk soon. And Larry…"
"Yes?"
"It's good to hear from you again," she said and hung up.
"I did it… step one complete," I murmured, exhaling a sigh of relief, though I couldn't relax just yet.
I quickly sent Debra everything about Owen. It was easy, I already had the short films and the Paranormal Activity trailer uploaded to YouTube, each with hundreds of thousands of views and positive comments.
Then I looked up Owen's profile on Backstage. I'd found it days earlier when I started keeping tabs on him. It was thorough: personal info, acting training, experience as a screenwriter and producer, additional audition clips, all in order.
I compiled everything into an email. Clear, without exaggeration.
I only highlighted what mattered:
—Young actor with formal, though incomplete, training in acting.
—Lead in three well-received projects.
—Strong on-camera presence.
—Able to create his own characters; writer of all his current projects, and he recently sold a script to A24.
I hit send and sat there for a few seconds, staring at the screen.
Debra knows how to spot talent. She always has. She's worked on massive projects.
And if there's an open supporting role, an important one, and Owen even slightly fits the profile, she'll give him the chance to audition, assuming contracts haven't been signed yet.
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