Chapitre 22: IA
Lucas answered the phone call, and he heard a deep voice saying, "Are you Mr. Lucas Knight?"
Lucas said, "Yes. I am Lucas Knight."
"Mr. Knight, I am an agent of William Morris Agency, and I personally reviewed your resume and headshot, along with the recommendation letter from Christopher Lloyd." The deep voice sounded.
When Lucas learned it was from WMA, one of the talent agencies he submitted his resume and headshot through mail, he was quite excited and also quite worried as well.
But even if he was rejected, there were still other agencies that Lucas had submitted his resume and headshot to. Until then, Lucas was still quite nervous about the result.
He didn't have to wait long, as the agent informed Lucas directly without much preamble.
"Thank you for your interest in WMA, Lucas. Unfortunately, your profile doesn't quite align with the actors we're currently seeking."
When Lucas heard that, although he was prepared, he felt deeply disappointed.
The agent seemed to be waiting for Lucas's response, staying quiet before saying, "If there is nothing else, then I'll end the call..."
Lucas didn't even notice the phone call had ended. He sighed in disappointment, then, after getting out of the taxi, he went straight to his small apartment.
Meanwhile, at the WMA Headquarters, the agent who just called Lucas snorted, "Hmph, even with a connection from that producer, Christopher Lloyd, it doesn't mean you can have your way in our talent agency."
The agent didn't use the same kind yet respectful words he had earlier when talking to Lucas on the phone.
The agent was Ryan Morris. WMA Agency was part of the "Big Four" agencies, and Ryan Morris, who recently reviewed Lucas Knight's profile, found from Lucas's resume alone that he had almost no experience as an actor, not even theatrical experience.
WMA wasn't part of the "Big Four" for nothing; it had a strong international presence and expertise in film, television, and music, with a significant presence in Hollywood.
What Ryan Morris didn't know was that WMA would become defunct in July 2009, being acquired by Endeavor Talent Agency and becoming part of the new "Big Four."
Back to Lucas, who was preparing his meal—a steak, egg, and some cheap wine he bought. For Lucas, this was a luxury.
He had spent some money to celebrate his "rejection day" today.
That's right, folks, Lucas was celebrating the fact that he had just been rejected by one of the major talent agencies in Hollywood, WMA.
Lucas pressed his hands together, and with teary eyes, he muttered, "I hope the next call from the talent agency will be positive!"
About to eat his meal, his phone rang, and Lucas hurriedly answered.
After a few minutes, Lucas sighed disappointedly; the phone call was a formal rejection from the United Talent Agency.
With a bitter heart, he finished his meal and slept for the night.
The sun rose, its rays gracing Lucas's face as he woke up groggily.
As usual, Lucas had his breakfast, took a shower, and went to work.
Days passed in this manner, with Lucas receiving rejection phone calls from various talent agencies. His last hope rested on Innovative Artists.
Lucas had "celebrated" his rejection, which cost him hundreds of dollars, but he still had around $7,000, the result of working in a restaurant and receiving tips. So, Lucas could still afford it, though he felt a bit of despair creeping in as talent agencies kept rejecting him despite the recommendation letter from Christopher Lloyd.
What Lucas didn't know was that most talent agencies informing him of rejection were already thinking highly of him despite his bad resume. These agencies wouldn't even bother calling someone with a similar resume as Lucas to inform them of rejection.
On June 2, 2009, as Lucas was losing hope that Innovative Artists wouldn't call, his iPhone 3G rang.
Lucas hurriedly answered, "Hello, this is Lucas Knight."
"Hi, Lucas. I am Vincent of Innovative Artists. Thank you for sending us your information, and I also read the recommendation letter from Christopher Lloyd."
When Lucas heard it was from Innovative Artists, he prepared himself, his nervousness bubbling inside. Although Innovative Artists represents established up-and-coming talent in theatre, film, and television, it didn't guarantee acceptance for him.
"We appreciate your enthusiasm. Based on your talent and dedication written in the recommendation letter, we believe you have the potential to go far. However, as you're still starting out, we recommend focusing on training and honing your acting skills. Consider participating in our recommended workshops and classes."
Lucas ignored that, having already gone through workshops and classes in his previous life, but he just go along the flow, "I understand your feedback; I appreciate it." Then, Lucas waited to see if he was accepted into the agency.
"That's great to hear, Mr. Knight. We'd love to be a part of your journey. Additionally, Mr. Knight can consider our developmental deal. You don't need to agree now; we can discuss it further later, and whether Mr. Lucas will agree or not will be based on his own decision."
Lucas's mind went blank for a second upon hearing that he was accepted into the IA agency. He confirmed, "You mean I'm part of IA now?"
Vincent, in his office, sensed Lucas's disbelief just from his voice and said, "That's right, Mr. Lucas. Welcome to IA."
Lucas joyfully exclaimed, "Thank you!"
"Haha, alright. Thanks for your time, Mr. Knight. We can discuss your developmental deal personally..."
"Can I decline that offer?" Lucas quipped. All he wanted was an agency that could provide him more opportunities. Although a developmental deal could offer financial support for workshops or classes and aid in audition preparation, and more assistance from the agency, it was time consuming and his commitment was needed, and also it usually doesn't guarantee good or important roles. Financial stability might still require additional work or outside support. Moreover, Lucas felt it would drag him down to attend workshops or classes, given his previous life's acting experience. Perhaps attending a few times would be no problem for him, and he might even discover future-famous talent. However, a developmental deal mandates commitment to workshops and classes, which isn't ideal for him.
Vincent, hearing Lucas decisively reject their offer, was a bit surprised. However, he understood that he couldn't force any young and new talent into the developmental deal.
The agency typically offered that deal in consideration of young talent. So, Vincent simply said, "Well, if that's the case, I couldn't force you." Vincent sensed that Lucas seemed a bit arrogant for thinking he could skip the basics.
After the call ended, Lucas felt excitement rushing through his veins. Even though his entry to IA was a non-contractual engagement, and he didn't yet deserve to have an agent and didn't even accept developmental deals offered to new talents, Lucas wasn't overly worried.
Lucas joined the talent agency with the goal of building connections with future or current famous individuals. Honestly, he felt a kind of relief upon joining IA, he knows the agency for it's up-and-coming talents in his previous life. Lucas speculated some actors and actresses he knew who is still starting out to be potentially part of IA, and he may meet them at film festivals, music events, or other gatherings, creating connections with directors along the way.
Moreover, the agency could provide Lucas with audition projects and, as mentioned, networking opportunities. Even without a contract or developmental deals, Lucas believed he could gradually earn the agency's recognition with his talent, work ethic, and positive attitude.
Besides that, Lucas can receive more convenient assistance from the IA agency for his plan to film a short film to add to his resume. IA could offer significant support, facilitating Lucas in connecting with potential collaborators within their network, including directors, cinematographers, editors, and even actors/actresses for other roles.
Chapitre 23: Indie Film
Filming a short film would at least have helped Lucas in building his resume.
And also, he can showcase his talent even more when he filmed an independent short film, that he directs and writes the script for himself.
And as Lucas is from the future, he knows some short films from his previous life. Lucas remembers the short film called "One Minute Time Machine." It was basically a guy trying to hit on a beautiful woman sitting on a public bench, holding a "time machine" device. Each time the guy ruined his chances with the lady, he'd return one minute into the past.
As the film played on, the plot twist was that the "Time Machine" was a suicide box. The guy was killing himself to go back to the past, or more accurately, he was actually jumping between different parallel realities that were one minute late to the reality he was in.
Lucas was eager to film that short film, but it would probably have to wait. He planned to visit the Innovative Artists office in New York, which caters to talents and houses internal lists of upcoming project auditions for films, TV series, theatre, and roles available for talents.
The headquarters of Innovative Artists agency is in Los Angeles and New York, with an IA literary office conveniently located in Lucas's area. This IA branch is situated in Manhattan, specifically on the seventh avenue between 28th and 29th streets, suite 2700.
As Lucas gazed at the building in the distance, he noted that even though Innovative Artists wasn't part of the "Big Four," it still held influence in Hollywood. Surely, there would be available projects for him to audition for.
Lucas recalled that some actors and actresses from his home country had signed contracts with Innovative Artists. IA's engagement with talents beyond the USA didn't imply any incapacity to handle the "Big Four" domestically. In fact, IA could domestically compete with the "Big Four" given their A-list rosters. The agency's decision to sign talents from other countries aimed at diversifying their unique talents for global projects, discovering fresh talent, and expanding their reach and influence.
While Lucas wasn't technically part of the IA agency yet, owing to his non-contractual engagement and the declined developmental deals offers, he understood that the agency had accepted him without a contract as part of an assessment. This assessment was based on Christopher Lloyd's recommendation letters to determine if he was truly worth nurturing.
Currently, Lucas had a prearranged appointment meeting with Vincent, an IA staff member who had contacted him before. The purpose was for Lucas to inquire about audition opportunities and access limited casting information relevant to someone in his position.
Entering the building, Lucas headed to the reception area, where he received a warm welcome from the dedicated staff.
"Good afternoon, and welcome to Innovative Artists. May I ask your name and who you're here to see?" inquired a woman receptionist, her voice chiming like a gentle breeze.
Lucas introduced himself formally, saying, "I am Lucas Knight. I'm here to meet Vincent Smith. I have a prearranged appointment with him."
The receptionist nodded in understanding, replying, "I see... You're here for Mr. Smith. I'll immediately inform Mr. Smith of your arrival. Please wait."
Lucas nodded to the receptionist with a warm smile.
After waiting for several minutes, Lucas observed the receptionist returning, accompanied by a man donned in a formal American suit. He appeared to be in his 30s, sporting a chin stubble, and his dark hair seemed slightly disheveled but arranged.
Lucas promptly stood up to greet the man formally.
The man looked at Lucas and inquired, "Mr. Knight?"
Lucas nodded in confirmation.
"Nice to meet you in person, Mr. Knight. I'm Vincent Smith," the man greeted Lucas formally, extending a handshake.
Lucas accepted the handshake and smiled, responding, "Nice to meet you, Mr. Smith."
Having exchanged formal greetings, Vincent led Lucas to his office.
Lucas and Vincent discussed potential roles for Lucas to audition for. As they talked, Vincent, looking at Lucas, said, "To be honest with you, Mr. Knight, you should seriously consider our developmental deals. Without them, you might face significant challenges as a new talent. Moreover, without notable progress in your career, the agency might not consider offering you a contract."
Vincent believed that Lucas was perhaps too prideful for his own good.
Lucas simply smiled and replied, "Thank you for your advice, Mr. Smith. I'll definitely take it into consideration."
Vincent glanced at Lucas, uncertain if the young man was genuinely considering his words. Nevertheless, Vincent led Lucas to an area where physical sheets of papers were posted on the board.
Lucas noticed a few people in the room, perusing the papers on the board.
Observing Lucas's curiosity, Vincent decided to provide some information. "This is one of the agency's boards to display projects. It's a hub for actors to explore opportunities."
Lucas nodded, feeling excited to see the array of papers representing opportunities posted on the boards.
In 2009, physical paper breakdowns remained the primary method for casting information dissemination in many agencies, including IA.
Vincent, noting Lucas's excitement, kindly reminded him, "Before applying for auditions, you should hone your acting skills in workshops. Otherwise, you might struggle in the audition process."
Upon hearing Vincent's insistence on the developmental deal, Lucas couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. 'Why is this guy so adamant about getting me into a developmental deal anyway?' After pondering, Lucas decided to ignore Vincent and instead focused on browsing some project sheets displayed on the boards.
As Vincent interacted with other actors along the way, he offered advice to Lucas who was engrossed in the board, saying, "I recommend you choose an easy role that you can handle. It's important not to be too ambitious. Develop your resume first with less demanding roles."
Lucas nodded in acknowledgment and replied, "I appreciate your advice, Mr. Smith. However, as an aspiring actor, I naturally want to choose roles that I'm passionate about."
While Vincent's advice might be reasonable for some new and aspiring actors, Lucas was not an ordinary young and aspiring actor. He had the experience of acting in his previous life. In that life, he portrayed roles with passion simply because he liked them, regardless of their level of challenge or complexity. The intricate acting skills and techniques were something Lucas forcibly learned in his previous life, yet after acquiring them, he still chose to prioritize passion over difficulty. Acting techniques, for him, were tools to assist rather than dictate.
Upon hearing Lucas's words, Vincent sensed that Lucas was exceptionally stubborn. Reflecting on it, he worried that Lucas might encounter stumbling blocks due to his obstinacy.
After Lucas clarified matters with Vincent, he could now peacefully choose the projects that interested him. Unsurprisingly, most of the projects posted on the board were independent films.
Private and closed projects weren't displayed on the board, featuring limited project role auditions and casting information. Presumably, those private and closed projects were exclusively available to the agency representatives.
As Lucas browsed, a particular project caught his attention. Upon reading more carefully, he couldn't help but grow excited. It happened to be one of the most well-regarded indie films from his previous life, the project known as "127 Hours."
The most notable role available for actors to apply was, in fact, the main character.
"This is it!" Lucas couldn't help but mutter as he directly picked the physical paper sheet from the board.
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