hollywood melon man

Chapter 9 Packaging Service Policy
  Spielberg quickly handed over Little Gilbert's project plan, because Universal Pictures President Akio Tanishin decided to invest, and there was no doubt that the project would actually be approved.

This decent project plan can also be considered a psychological comfort to Universal Pictures. It feels that little Gilbert is quite reliable.

If the project plan is not good, it is estimated that Universal Pictures Vice President Lew Wasser will consider persuading Akio Tanii to change the director.

The project proposal was quickly approved by Universal Pictures, and Gilbert Jr. was notified and began negotiating a director's contract.

Negotiating contracts has always been done by agents, but the fledgling little Gilbert naturally doesn't have an agent.

But it doesn't matter. Now everyone in Hollywood knows that he is about to direct a movie. Although most people think it is impossible to succeed because of his youth, the potential is there.

This still aroused the interest of the brokerage company to some extent. If the big brokers didn't come, the small brokers of those brokerage companies were very interested in little Gilbert.

No, before negotiating a contract with Universal Pictures, Sheena Boone, a small agent from CAA, found out where Gilbert's address was and came directly to her door.

Little Gilbert was stunned when he saw a woman outside the door who was wearing a professional suit, a hip-hugging skirt, flesh-colored stockings and black leather shoes, with long dark brown hair and a typical Italian style.

"Who are you?" Little Gilbert remembered that he didn't date anyone today!
  The woman outside the door introduced herself: "Hello, Mr. Landrini, I am Sheena Boone, CAA's agent."

"Uh, hello..." Listening to the other party's self-introduction, little Gilbert probably knew the purpose of the other party's visit.

Sure enough, Sheena Boone directly explained her intention: "I learned that you are about to negotiate a director's contract with Universal Pictures and prepare a new movie project.

In the field of professional contracts, I think it should be left to professionals, so I volunteered to find them. "

Little Gilbert took a look at the apartment. It was messy and obviously not a place to talk about things.

So he said: "Let's go talk outside and find a coffee shop."

"OK……"

The two sat down in a street cafe and after ordering two cups of coffee, Sheena Boone started her own trick of deception.

"CAA's business has developed rapidly in the past few years. You must have heard of our president Michael Ovitz."

"Indeed, he is known as the emperor of the Hollywood entertainment brokerage industry." Little Gilbert nodded.

In the Hollywood talent agency industry, not knowing Michael Ovitz is as absurd as a movie maker not knowing Spielberg.

However, a big agent at that level would not pay attention to a nobody like little Gilbert, unless little Gilbert one day becomes famous all over the world.

Sheena Boone was just using Michael Ovitz's name to bluff Little Gilbert to increase her leverage in winning the agency contract.

In fact, she herself is just a young agent who just came out of the CAA mailroom, and she is as inconspicuous as many other CAA young agents.

Unlike other small agents who strive to become co-managers of some big stars and directors, Sheena Boone has her own set of theories.

She believes that instead of trying to curry favor with already-famous directors or stars, it is better to discover potential new stars herself, which will have more room for development.

After some selection, she noticed little Gilbert, who had become something of a joke.

Other CAA agents believed that Gilbert Jr. was a joke, a cannon fodder and a victim of negotiations between Spielberg and Universal Pictures.

But Sheena Boone doesn't think so. She thinks this is a good opportunity, because now all of Hollywood is paying attention to what kind of jokes this 21-year-old rising star director can stage.

But what if? What if what little Gilbert staged was not a joke, but a myth of success.

The louder the waves, the more expensive the fish.

Although Sheena Boone has never seen "Rush" thirty years later, she still understands the same truth.

So Sheena Boone decided to take a gamble by winning Gilbert Jr.'s management contract.

Sheena Boone introduced the advantages of CAA: “We have many clients under CAA, including Hollywood A-list stars such as Tom Cruise, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, etc.

Spielberg is also at CAA, as you must be aware of. "Little Gilbert waved his hand and said: "No need to say more, I know very well what CAA is like, so just tell me what conditions CAA can offer, right? "

Sheena Boone was well prepared. She took out a contract from her bag and handed it to little Gilbert. While he was looking at the contract, she continued: "Our CAA packaging service has been widely praised. Once launched, It is loved by many directors and star actors.

If you can join CAA, our latest packaging service policy will eliminate all your worries other than film production. You only need to make a good film. "

Hearing this, Gilbert Jr. closed the contract and returned it to Sheena Boone: "I'm sorry, I'm not interested in the package service policy. I don't think I can get along with CAA."

Sheena Boone was obviously taken aback. Normally, when other people heard about CAA, they would immediately get excited, but little Gilbert's reaction was very cold.

After hearing my introduction to the package service policy, I actually refused.

Didn't he know what he was rejecting? It’s CAA’s agency contract!

Sheena Boone quickly asked: "Can I ask why you refused the packaging service? This policy is very popular!"

Little Gilbert looked at Sheena Boone in a funny way and said, "You are new to the industry, right? Packaging services do bring a lot of convenience to film production, but they are not conducive to film companies, producers and directors controlling the crew.

I am a person who has a strong desire for control. It is enough to have a film company and a producer, but I don’t want an agent to point fingers at my head. "

Spielberg, who has a relatively mild personality, can accept CAA's packaging service policy, but James Cameron, the tyrant on the set, does not buy CAA's account at all.

Gilbert Jr., like James Cameron, disliked having extra people involved in making movies.

The so-called packaging service policy actually revolves around the film production process.

The agency promotes a package service policy to the film company, providing the film company with all personnel from directors, photographers, lighting engineers, art directors, costumers and makeup, and actors.

Through this kind of policy, brokerage companies can ask for higher commissions and commissions from film companies. Similarly, they can also strive for higher remuneration for their clients through packaged service policies.

As soon as this policy was introduced, it was very popular with many directors and stars in Hollywood, because the salary was actually higher due to this policy.

However, film companies hate this policy because the package service policy raises the cost of film production and makes it difficult for film companies to bear.

The promotion of the packaged service policy failed, and Sheena Boone's greatest weapon was gone.

Little Gilbert continued: "Actually, you can ask me to sign the contract, as long as you agree to a few conditions."

"You said, as long as I can make the decision, I will definitely agree." Sheena Boone said quickly.

"First, I will never accept package services, not at any time. Second, the agency must not interfere with my private life. I have no interest in being a puppet.

Third, the contract period should be short, I don’t want to be tied to one agency for a long time..."

As little Gilbert listed the items one by one, Sheena Boone's face became darker and darker.

According to Gilbert Jr.'s conditions, agents can only be in the most basic service provider position, which is inconsistent with CAA's consistent purpose.

Little Gilbert didn't care, many of the conditions were just words, and he was just paying back the money after asking for a lot of money.

But little Gilbert wanted to be clear about the most basic ones.

He is not a director or a star actor that CAA has worked hard to cultivate. Paying commission to a brokerage company only requires the brokerage company to provide necessary services.

Little Gilbert really has no capital now. If the other party feels dissatisfied, he can just turn around and leave.

Anyway, little Gilbert doesn't need to compete with other directors or stars for resources, he just needs a middleman.

It’s okay if you don’t have it. The worst thing is that you can talk about it yourself.

(End of this chapter)