章 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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