Hearing Eric Pohl say that, Matthew was slightly stunned. He remembered Martin Jackson, the previous director of Britney's MV crew, and secretly became vigilant. Does this guy also have similar special fetishes?
But then he thought, no, because he wasn't the only one here; his agent and costume designer were also present.
Sure enough, Matthew was overthinking it. What Eric Pohl said had nothing to do with special fetishes.
"The series will be filmed mainly in Europe, mostly in the UK and France."
Out of consideration for Helen Herman, Eric Pohl revealed a bit of information beforehand, "Before filming begins, all actors playing main military roles will undergo no less than one to one and a half months of military training in the UK. The training will be very strenuous and tough."
"No problem," Matthew said.
He was mentally prepared for this; he wasn't afraid of hardship or exhaustion.
Eric Pohl added, "Filming might last for over half a year, so you need to adjust your schedules accordingly."
Matthew first nodded, then looked at Helen Herman. By now, he also realized that Eric Pohl was saying all this purely out of respect for Helen Herman.
"There's one more thing, the most important!" Eric Pohl looked at Matthew and asked, "I remember your file shows that you're not a member of the Screen Actors Guild?"
Matthew scratched his head. Helen Herman interjected, "Not yet, but I've already prepared his application materials to join the Guild."
Eric Pohl urged, "Handle it as soon as possible. This is a Guild-registered project, and actors in major roles must be Guild members."
"Don't worry," Helen Herman pointed to her briefcase, "I have the materials with me. We'll go to the Guild as soon as we leave the studio."
Leaving the studio, Helen Herman called Matthew into her car and immediately took him to the Screen Actors Guild. Just as she had said in the styling room, she had already prepared all the necessary documents for Matthew to join the Guild. With Matthew's current resume, joining the Guild wouldn't be a problem, and Helen Herman also knew people there.
However, Matthew had to cover the cost of a little over three thousand dollars himself.
Accompanied by Helen Herman, Matthew completed the membership procedures and sadly realized that, including the cost of his phone and the second-hand TV and VCR package, his four-thousand-dollar salary from the "Sometimes" MV crew was essentially all spent.
If Lister hadn't given him a full month's attendance bonus, allowing him to receive a full month's pay from Red Penguin Company, his finances would be even tighter now.
After leaving the Screen Actors Guild, Matthew took Helen Herman's car to Angel Talent Agency. Besides needing to pick up materials for "Band of Brothers," Helen Herman also wanted to discuss the role with him further.
"Amanda…"
As they walked upstairs together, Matthew asked the girl beside him, "Do you know of any jobs that are quick and pay well?"
"Yes," Amanda immediately replied, "Robbing a bank or smuggling drugs from Mexico."
"Are you really short on cash?" Helen Herman, who was ahead, also heard this. "Have you paid the penalty?"
"What penalty?" Amanda asked curiously.
Matthew ignored Amanda's question and said, "They haven't sent me a lawyer's letter in a long time, so maybe they dropped it."
"Dropped it?" Helen Herman shook her head. "They're probably pursuing legal action."
She turned onto the second floor, and after Matthew caught up, she added, "If you receive a court summons, remember to notify me."
After thinking about it, Matthew felt Helen Herman's analysis made sense. Perhaps the other party really was pursuing legal action. He nodded, "I understand."
With Helen Herman as his agent, dealing with such matters would at least give him less of a headache.
However, he still held a bit of a Luck mentality, hoping that a small-time person wouldn't be unforgettable to others.
Entering the office, Helen Herman poured Matthew a glass of water and said, "Don't take on any other work recently. The upcoming audition is very important for you. It's best to dedicate all your energy to preparing for the role we're aiming for."
She gestured to Amanda, who opened a filing cabinet and pulled out a stack of documents about a foot thick. On top of the documents was a book, the original novel of "Band of Brothers."
"I specifically collected all these materials," Helen Herman said, sitting behind her desk with a cup of coffee. "Take them home and study them thoroughly."
She took a sip of coffee and continued, "The next audition is about a month away. Eric Pohl has no say in the casting for this role. The real decision-making power for the crew rests with HBO, Tom Hanks, and Steven Spielberg. I don't have a direct line to them."
When Matthew heard Helen Herman say this, his heart sank.
He knew his resume wasn't strong enough, his acting experience wasn't extensive, and he had only been in the industry for half a year. Compared to other actors, he had no advantages.
Originally, he thought Helen Herman's connections with the crew might be a key factor in swaying the audition, but now it seemed he couldn't harbor too many illusions in that regard.
"So," Helen Herman put down her coffee cup, "you must perform exceptionally well in the audition. Even if you don't pass, you need to leave a strong impression on the crew. That way, I can try to secure a slightly lesser role for you when executing the alternative plan."
Matthew took the documents Amanda had brought over, placed them on the nearby coffee table, and asked, "How many plans have you made?"
"Two," Helen Herman said, since she had asked Matthew to come, she was prepared to discuss it in detail. "Although we don't have the script yet, I saw a schedule at Eric Pohl's place that included the settings for main and secondary characters. I noticed a supporting role that could be very outstanding, and his screen time is also quite significant. This is our primary target."
Matthew picked up the original novel, flipped through the table of contents, and at the same time asked, "Which character? Can you tell me more specifically? That way I can focus on it when I read the book."
"Ronald Spiers!" Helen Herman seemed to have researched the character. "He is the fourth company commander of Easy Company, brave and decisive, sometimes even ruthless, a typical iron-blooded soldier. He's perfect for you."
Matthew touched his distinct, strong facial features. The character's description indeed matched his appearance well.
Helen Herman then added, "Besides being a tough guy, Spiers is also a typical war profiteer. In the character descriptions I've seen, this is one that's very easy to make shine."
"From what you're saying…" Matthew asked, "Ronald Spiers is a major supporting character, right?"
"Mhm," Helen Herman nodded, being direct. "I believe his screen time and character arc are both very significant."
Matthew lacked confidence. "Can I get such a role?"
Helen Herman looked at him. "How will you know if you don't try? Aren't you resourceful?"
"I…" Matthew was helpless and could only say, "Do you think I can connect with Steven Spielberg or Tom Hanks?"
Helen Herman shook her head. "No."
She cleared her throat and added, "If you can get this role, you'll be incredibly lucky, and your future development will be smoother; if you can't get it, it's not a big deal…"
Matthew pointed to the stack of documents. "If I'm eliminated, won't all our preparation be for nothing?"
"I haven't finished speaking."
"Can you just say what you need to say all at once?" Matthew was annoyed by Helen Herman's way of speaking. "Don't always drag it out."
Helen Herman completely ignored Matthew's last remark and continued, "The crew's casting method this time is a bit different. Since all the roles are soldiers, for the actors who are eliminated from the most important roles, the outstanding ones among them will be given some secondary supporting roles by the crew, depending on the actual situation."
Matthew understood. "So, you've made a backup plan?"
"Exactly," Helen Herman nodded in acknowledgment. "Eric Pohl has some say in these roles. As long as you can leave a deep impression on the bigwigs of the crew during the audition, with me and Eric there, we have some confidence in getting a secondary supporting role."
She rested her hands on the desk. "Of course, our primary goal is still Ronald Spiers. The setting for this character is far more brilliant than those secondary roles, and he will certainly receive more attention after the series airs."
Matthew closed the book but remained silent. Frankly, he genuinely lacked confidence in vying for such a role.
This kind of thing isn't something that can be achieved just by shouting, "I'm confident" or "I can definitely do it." Self-confidence needs to be backed by a combination of conditions such as opportunities, abilities, and a network of connections.
From every angle, he felt he lacked the confidence.
Helen Herman probably felt the same way, which was why she had a so-called backup plan.
"I'll do my best!" Matthew could only say that much.
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself." Helen Herman saw Matthew's young face constantly furrowed in a frown, so she decided to ease the pressure. "Our primary goal is to strive for it, but even if we don't get it, it's not a disaster."
Matthew smiled. "Don't worry, Helen. Pressure will only become my motivation."
Helen Herman waved Matthew off. "Alright, you go back and prepare." She saw Matthew pick up the stack of documents and added, "If you have any questions, communicate with me promptly. Don't act on your own initiative."
"I know," Matthew said, picking up the documents and turning to walk towards the door. "Mutual trust, right?"
He knew very well that this job opportunity was entirely secured by Helen Herman. This was Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg's crew. To truly get a significant role, even if it wasn't Ronald Spiers but a secondary supporting role, he would likely face intense competition.