Chapter 3: Finding a Needle in a Haystack
After lunch, Aaron Anderson left CAA to run errands for clients and look for potential Hollywood stars in the future!
"Huh," Aaron came to the Santa Monica Pier and looked at the Pacific Ocean in front of him after delivering a check to a star living in Santa Monica. He felt very touched.
Los Angeles is certainly not hot now, and the temperature is even a little cold, but Aaron Anderson still wiped the sweat from his forehead.
In the previous mailroom trial, Aaron Anderson did almost all the miscellaneous work, but he didn't do anything related to "agent";
CAA only taught him one sentence, "Customer first!"
Now, Aaron Anderson's duty should be a talent scout, and he must find a few clients for himself as soon as possible.
"I need a used car," Aaron Anderson said, and he was ready to return to Koreatown to find a used car dealer to buy one.
In the following two days, Aaron spent $720 to buy a 82 Chevrolet Cruze at a used car store in Koreatown.
He no longer had to wait for the bus to go to work. Although the car was a bit old, it could at least be used as a means of transportation.
With the arrival of the new year, Aaron Anderson continued to run errands at CAA in the morning, and in the afternoon he went to various Hollywood studios, university film and television schools and other places to look forward to discovering good seedlings!
On this day, Aaron Anderson and Jack Wells came to the USC Film and Television School again.
Aaron exhaled a puff of smoke, "This kind of needle-in-a-haystack selection is just like buying a lottery ticket. The possibility is too small;"
"Believe in God, it is better to believe in yourself?"
Jack Wells was a little helpless, "What can we do? It's originally to cast a wide net, discover suitable newcomers and then find opportunities for them. We still have to expand our network of interpersonal relationships!"
Aaron frowned, "What about some marginal actors from New York? The probability will be higher, right?"
Aaron also looked forward to meeting a few guys who had memories of his previous life, but these few days, he wandered around Los Angeles every day, and didn't meet any of them?
"A few years ago, many actors who came from New York did not have professional agents, but there were many good opportunities."
Jack Wells shook his head and said, "But it's hard to find them now. More and more agents are casting a wide net. Even newcomers with some potential will often be poached by more experienced agents;"
"It's better to cultivate from the beginning, do a good job of planning and packaging customers, accumulate fame, and form a long-term cooperative relationship!"
CAA adopts a joint agent model for big stars, with several agents jointly responsible;
this is to prevent being poached, but many big stars are tied to their main agents, and poaching stars means poaching the other party's agent.
"It seems that we should focus on some foreign actors," Aaron thought, or look for some new directors' works. It's better to find people from the works than to look for a needle in a haystack.
"Okay, let's go for a drink," Aaron was too lazy to think about it. Anyway, as an agent, he mainly wanted to get to know more filmmakers;
producers, directors, actors and screenwriters are all the categories that Aaron focuses on.
At night, Aaron returned to his rental house and took out two Glock pistols from under the bed. After playing with the gun assembly for a while, he went out with the pistols.
Not long after, Aaron drove to an empty factory building on the outskirts of East Los Angeles and began to practice shooting on his own. The more he played with the equalizer, the more he liked it. Where had he had such an opportunity before?
"Bang, bang, bang..."
"I am really a shooting genius," Aaron couldn't help but sigh to himself when he saw his shooting level improve rapidly.
Then, he changed the magazine and continued to shoot before driving away!
Beverly Hills, CAA headquarters.
"Well, you want to go to the St. Denis Film Festival in Utah, why, want to try your luck there?"
Paula Wagner was a little surprised to hear Aaron Anderson's idea.
"Yes, go and have a look, maybe there will be some new independent directors that catch your eye."
Aaron did not hide anything, "Looking for clients aimlessly like this requires too much luck, it's not what I want!"
Paula Vagra shrugged, "But you are only 19 years old now, you haven't been to college, and your interpersonal relationships are extremely simple;"
"The St. Denis Film Festival is a platform specially prepared for independent filmmakers, are you sure you can find those good movies?"
The St. Denis Film Festival was founded by Hollywood star and director Robert Redford, and this year is the fifth session;
the current market and awards are still mainly dominated by traditional studios. Many people are calling for more opportunities for independent films, but the commercial market has its own selectivity.
"I want to give it a try," Aaron said, staring at Paula, "If I really find a good opportunity, then I need the support of the company!"
"That's inevitable," Paula Vagla nodded, then wrote a check for $3,000 and handed it to Aaron, "Your performance these days makes Tom and I very satisfied, take it."
"Well, thank you!"
Aaron took the check and saw the number, feeling pretty good, $3,000, Tom Cruise and Paula Vagla are quite generous;
Aaron's assets now only have more than $8,000 in cash, but soon the salary will be paid, and there will be almost $2,000.
It's worth it to help Tom Cruise book a restaurant these days and arrange for them to spend the New Year together!
The St. Denis Independent Film Festival will last for more than ten days in total. Aaron is just in time to go there. When he returned to his Koreatown apartment, he met the landlord.
"Hi, Aaron, the rent is due," the bald landlord, licking his lips and touching his belly, smiled and stretched out his hand to Aaron.
"Dear Raphael, you have always been so active in collecting rent!"
Aaron said, pointing to the wooden staircase at the corner, and said angrily, "It's too loud here, isn't it unsafe? And the lock of the door is often broken. You should find someone to repair it!"
"Oh, dear Aaron, the price here determines this condition," Bald Raphael spread his hands, looking helpless, really asking for a beating.
"Then you remind the neighbors, if there is a second party in the room that disturbs me, I will definitely let them know how serious the consequences of my poor sleep will be!"
"Well, I will remind them of this. You are not the only one who complained," Raphael decided to wait for the neighbors to come back and let them pay attention.
Now Aaron's temper has obviously become more irritable than before. He really can't stand things that he can't stand.
After taking out a prepared check for $150 and handing it to the bald landlord, Aaron opened the door and went into his room;
packed some clothes and prepared to go to the St. Denis Film Festival as soon as possible!
DING!
A chime echoed-not in the room, but within his mind.
"Cinematic Domination System initializing..."
Aaron's eyes flew open, but the room was gone.
He floated in a boundless space, wrapped in swirling shadows and soft golden lights that flickered like stars. He wasn't dreaming. He was conscious—fully aware. Yet, the space around him was surreal, otherworldly.
"System successfully awakened."
A shimmering interface unfolded before him, like a digital scroll unrolling in mid-air. Words glowed with gold-tinted light, impossibly crisp.
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END OF THE CHAPTER...