Hollywood Director 1992

“Haha, Link, are you planning to move? Why didn't you hire a moving company?”

Sam Haskell walked into the living room and asked familiarly.

“It's just a few boxes, I can take them away by car.”

Link made two cups of tea and placed them on the low table to entertain Sam Haskell.

“News reports say that you went through a lot of hardship to make a movie. Seeing your place, it's indeed true. But the result is good. You have become the creator of a box office miracle, a dazzling genius director. You deserve all this.”

“Thank you! I just made a relatively successful movie, I can't be called a genius director yet.”

Link said modestly.

“You deserve it. In the past few decades, directors who created low-budget movie box office miracles when they were young have all had good development later. Director Spielberg, David Lynch, and James Cameron are all like that.

Link, the difference between you and them is that you became famous younger. I believe your future development in the entertainment industry will not be inferior to them.”

Sam Haskell paused, raised his head, and under the refraction of the sunlight outside the window, his dark brown pupils shone slightly.

“But becoming famous at a young age will bring a lot of trouble. You will be envied and targeted by many people, just like Robert Downey Jr. publicly accused you and didn't apologize afterwards. Later, the media exposed a lot of negative news about you. These are all open and secret attacks.

If you were our agency's client, we would help you deal with this kind of thing as soon as it came out, so as not to damage your public image.

I know you want to be a pure film director and make movies quietly, but this is Hollywood, a fame and fortune arena. No one here can stay out of it, and no one can gain honor as an observer.

Link, do you understand what I mean?”

“Yes, I understand and agree with your statement. However, I've heard that agencies like to interfere with their clients' work, causing clients to miss out on many good projects, or receive a lot of bad scripts, and even worse things. These things are the reason for my hesitation.”

Link spread his hands and said.

Sam Haskell picked up his water glass and took a sip, but smelled a faint scent of alcohol. He didn't care, put down the glass and smiled: "Link, this is not only the reason for your hesitation, but also the idea of many people before joining an agency. Everyone hopes to have a pleasant cooperative experience with the agency, rather than full of contradictions and constant disputes.

As an agency, if it wants to make a profit and grow stronger, it will not target its clients for no reason. Doing so will not only damage the relationship between the client and the company, but also affect the company's reputation and weaken the company's influence.

No company will easily try this kind of thing that is not good for the company's development.

Our William Morris Agency is the longest-established agency in Hollywood. Since 1898, it has represented the brokerage affairs of tens of thousands of stars. Among all the agencies in Hollywood, William Morris is not the most profitable, but its reputation is the best.

Very, very few scandals have been exposed in the past nearly a hundred years. You can find this out.

While CAA is powerful, it often interferes with the work of its clients, and the most conflicts have erupted. And ICM agency pays more attention to singers.

Link, as long as you agree to join WMA, we can state in the contract that we will not interfere with your personal film projects. For example, what movie you decide to shoot, what script you accept, what actors you use, all are up to you. We will not only not interfere, but we will not extract commissions from it.

We will only extract commissions from projects that the company participates in, including scripts that the company helps to get, crews that the company helps to build, and GG endorsements that are obtained.

That is to say, the company will extract as much commission as it works, and it will never get something for nothing for work that it has not participated in. This can be written in the contract.”

“Oh, you don't interfere with my personal film projects, and you don't extract commissions from this part. If all the movies I make in the next few years are personal film projects, WMA will not be able to obtain benefits from me. Then what's the benefit of signing me?”

Link asked.

“Haha, there are many benefits. First of all, you can make multiple movies in a row without relying on the company's help. This shows that you are very good at the job of director. Signing a client like you is undoubtedly an invisible asset.

Secondly, you are a member of WMA. When you want to make a movie, we can get the news in advance and recommend suitable actors to you. Of course, it's just a recommendation, and it's entirely up to you whether you use them or not. This is also a resource.

Finally, there is one more point. This is Hollywood, a fame and fortune arena. No one can ever work alone. The benefits of working alone are definitely not as good as those of group cooperation.

Now that you haven't cooperated with a company, you may doubt this. After you have cooperated with a company, you will definitely believe it. I believe you also understand this.”

Speaking of this, Sam Haskell paused, winked and smiled, “You are a very potential director. It's better for us to sign you than for a competitor to sign you.”

The last two points are the most important.

According to Sam Haskell's idea, as long as Link is in Hollywood, it is impossible for him to work alone forever.

The reason is that Link cannot guarantee that every movie will be profitable, nor can he guarantee that his work will be smooth sailing.

If the next movie, or the movie after that, loses money or the box office is lower than expected, Link will take the initiative to ask the company for help.

Or if Link wants to go further in his directing career, make blockbusters, get higher director salaries, win movie awards, etc., he will need the help of an agency.

Finally, signing Link is also a need for the development of the agency.

In 1A, it is the most powerful agency in Hollywood and the only hegemon in the agency industry.

The five frustrated agents under the 1A company, including Michael Ovitz, Ron Meyer, Martin Baum, William Haber, and Rowland Perkins, were angry at the WMA's internal rules for seniority among agents, and angrily withdrew from WMA and jointly founded CAA.

After more than ten years of development, CAA has become the most powerful agency in the world, with countless artists under its banner.

Especially after the death of the old head in 1986, WMA was completely crushed by CAA, and its clients suffered serious losses.

The company also needs to supplement some potential new clients to enhance the company's strength and influence.

Link, the director who created a box office miracle at the age of only twenty, is a very good target.

When the company intended to sign Link, Sam Haskell took the initiative to take on the job and came to sign Link.

At first, he thought it was a simple job. Faced with the solicitation of a large agency like WMA, many people would regard it as an honor and excitedly and quickly agree.

Considering that Link is only twenty years old, has a very ordinary background, and has no connections in the industry, this job should be easier.

But the result was that Link refused.

Faced with WMA's solicitation, Link did not show the expected excitement, and showed a composure and rationality beyond his age during the conversation.

Sam Haskell had to treat this matter with a serious attitude.

After discussing with the company, he found Link again and proposed more sincere cooperation terms, using this method to sign Link and prevent him from being snatched away by competitors.

Given Link's relatively calm and stubborn personality, Sam Haskell decided to impress him with sincerity.

“Link, joining an agency is definitely more beneficial than not joining. Even if you don't join WMA, I still think so. I hope you can reconsider WMA and let the WMA agency team escort your career.”

Sam Haskell stared at Link with his dark brown eyes, his expression very sincere.

“Mr. Haskell, what you said is very good. Please let me think about it and give you an answer within three days.”

“Okay, Link, I'll wait for your good news.”

After sending Sam Haskell away, Link continued to pack things up and move.