Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 36: Top Screenwriters Are Valuable

"Well, from what you said, Aaron, 'Phone Booth' is a one-man show!"

Aaron Anderson holds Nicole Kidman in his arms while drinking with Nicolas Cage at a small bar in Barstow.

"That's right. The entire play is almost a solo performance by the male lead, which is a real test of his acting skills."

Aaron did plan to invite Nicolas Cage because he was such a perfect fit.

"Got a script, Aaron?"

"Yes, we'll talk about it after you finish filming Wild at Heart!"

Now, Aaron has to find a suitable director to direct "Phone Booth".

"Okay, call me when the time comes," Nicolas Cage smiled and clinked his glass with the two of them.

After a while, Nicolas Cage rushed into the dance floor to show off his dancing skills!
"This guy in the movie wears a snakeskin jacket and stands on the roof of a car singing Elvis Presley's famous songs. Does he really think he is Elvis?"

Aaron said with a smile to Nicole Kidman who was sitting in his arms.

Moreover, the 25-year-old Nicolas Cage is still an avid comic book fan and knows all the characters of DC and Marvel comics.
Nicolas Cage also likes "Batman", which was released this year and directed by Tim Burton and co-starred by Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger!

"Okay," Nicole Kidman pinched Aaron, "Aren't you going to develop your romantic film script 'Ghost'?"

"Of course we need to develop it, but the cost of that film is a bit high. Even if I look for investment now, I can't guarantee I'll find one. Even if I do, I won't have any say."

Aaron kissed Nicole Kidman in his arms, and said, "When the time comes, do you think I'll have the final say on the choice of male and female protagonists?"

“Look at this year, Meg Ryan became Hollywood’s sweetheart with When Harry Met Sally…;”

"Kim Basinger, a model who had appeared on the cover of Playboy magazine in her early years, also became a well-known sexy actress because of this Batman;"

"I have very high expectations for Ghost. It's a great script, I have to leave it to you!"

"Leave it to me," Nicole Kidman also smiled. "You're always so sweet. Are you sure there's a market for this kind of storyline in Phone Booth?"

Nicole Kidman felt that the script and scene were too simple.

"It should be fine. I have confidence in my vision. The simplicity of the setting and characters means that the cost of "Phone Booth" is low enough!"

In terms of setting and characters, Phone Booth is no less impressive than Sex, Lies, and Videotape.

The difference is that the main scene of "Phone Booth" takes place in a phone booth on the street, not in a house.

After spending a few days in Barstow, Aaron returned to Los Angeles and received his own set of bonuses and commissions from CAA;
"Sex, Lies, and Videotape", "Cinema Paradiso", "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", "Family Journey" and other works are all Aaron's achievements!

Including the money he had received before, Aaron has now become a millionaire and currently has nearly one million US dollars in his account.

Under pressure from Congress this year, George H.W. Bush also chose to increase taxes. Now the highest personal income tax rate has increased from 28% to 31%. In April next year, the tax payment under this situation will definitely add up to more than $30!

"Aaron," Jack Wells caught up in the CAA corridor.

"Hey, Jack, let's go for a drink tonight!" Aaron waved his hand. When you have money, you are domineering.

"Uh, okay!"

"By the way, I just came out of Mr. Harber's office and saw that screenwriter Joe Eszterhas didn't look well. What happened?"

You know, Joe Eszterhas is the screenwriter of movies like Flashdance and Bleeding Edge;
He is CAA's absolute trump card. One of his scripts can be sold for $125 million. The script is the packaging basis of a project. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas has many privileges in CAA!

"You might not know this, but Joe Eszterhas decided to find a new agent and leave CAA, and both Mr. Ovitz and Mr. Meyer tried to persuade him to stay," Jack Wells said, lowering his voice.
"A few days ago, he and Mr. Michael Ovitz had an argument in the office, and it was reported in the newspaper;"

"However, Mr. Michael Ovitz's main focus right now is helping Panasonic enter Hollywood. He's not too concerned about these things within CAA."

Aaron curled his lips. Joe Eszterhas had a rough face, a full beard, and a very bad temper. He was indeed difficult to serve.
CAA had already changed several assistant agents for him. Fortunately, Aaron Anderson and Jack Wells were both men, so maybe they would have been assigned to him to try.

"After last year's writers' strike, Hollywood writers seem a little lost!"

The Writers Guild launched a five-month strike to secure a share of video profits and television broadcasts for the writers.
The 1988 screenwriters' strike caused huge losses to Hollywood.

Aaron shook his head. Ever since the advent of package deals, script prices have seen a surge, with original scripts commanding bids exceeding millions of dollars.

Coupled with the influx of foreign capital such as Carlock, Sony, and Panasonic, not only the price of scripts but also the actors' salaries will see a surge in growth.

Jack Wells spread his hands and said, "Previously, more than 80% of Hollywood screenwriters came from the two major writers' guilds on the East and West Coasts;"

"After the strike last year, only 70% of Hollywood screenwriters are from the Writers Guild. This proportion is still declining, especially in the television industry. Now film and television companies prefer to use non-union screenwriters."

It is obvious that film and television production companies use writers who are not members of the Writers Guild to save costs. Compared with the Actors Guild, the coverage rate of the Writers Guild is indeed much lower;
However, the proportion of 70% is also very high. Aaron remembers that after the millennium, only about half of Hollywood screenwriters came from the Writers Guild, no more than 60%.

Many young screenwriters choose not to join a union in order to be able to get a job!
Hollywood doesn't really pay much attention to screenwriters. It seems that the Korean entertainment industry is the one that pays the most attention to screenwriters.

Among Hollywood screenwriters, those at the top of the pyramid are doing very well, and some above that are also doing well;
However, there are too many screenwriters in Hollywood, and many of them have to work other jobs part-time!

"Okay, I'm going to Propaganda Film Company. You wait for me at the bar tonight."

Nicole Kidman's salary for "Wild at Heart" was $10, of which she was paid $4;
Now that the filming is about to be completed, Aaron has to help her get the final payment.

After leaving the CAA building, Aaron bought a copy of the Los Angeles Times from a nearby newspaper shop:
“Thousands of people passed through the Berlin Wall!”

The countdown to the reunification of East and West Germany has also begun...

(End of this chapter)