Hollywood starts with an agent

Chapter 6: Speaking the truth requires a gun
As the St. Denis Film Festival came to a close, an independent film, "Sex, Lies and Videotape," which sold for $120 million, made headlines;

Miramax's Harvey Weinstein's incomprehensible operating methods have directly surprised other independent distributors!

At the same time, CAA newcomer Aaron Anderson, who facilitated the deal, also became famous within CAA.

"You kid, you're really amazing," Paula Wagner said in surprise in the office at CAA headquarters.

Aaron Anderson shook his head. "I kind of regret it now. I was impulsive back then. The price could have been a little higher. $150 million should have been about right!"

"That's pretty good! This has set a record for the Saint Denis Film Festival. A lot of people are saying Harvey Weinstein is crazy."

Aaron laughed, "Is Harvey crazy? This guy made money. In my mind, the box office of "Sex, Lies and Videotape" is at least more than 2000 million US dollars;"

"When the movie comes out, Miramax will definitely be a hit!"

"Twenty million dollars?" Paula Wagner gasped. "You're really audacious!"

"Well, Mr. Michael Ovitz has heard about your deeds. Go to his office."

Aaron nodded and left, heading towards the office upstairs.

There is no job classification among CAA employees, and office numbers only have names but no positions.

Aaron knocked on the door of CAA chairman Michael Ovitz's office.

"Please come in!"

Michael Ovitz, 46 years old, looks energetic and full of energy.

"It's amazing that I've done something so big right after my trial in the mail room," Michael Ovitz said with satisfaction.

"There are quite a few coincidences," Aaron said modestly.

"Haha, it's a reflection of your strength," Michael Ovitz said, handing Aaron a check.

"The original cost of Sex, Lies, and Videotape was $12, even though Steven Soderbergh wasn't with CAA yet, but you were;"

"So, the $10 here is what you deserve, and the $ is from CAA!"

Aaron nodded. After all, they were doing business under the name of CAA, so it was normal. He took the check.

"Steven Soderbergh will probably sign yours, right?"

"Well, he agreed and can come to the company to sign the contract anytime," Aaron shrugged.

"So what plans do you have for him?"

Aaron thought about it and said, "No specific details. The next step is to help him promote the release of "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" and make him famous quickly."

"Very good, now you are an official CAA agent. When the time comes, you will personally preside over Steven Soderbergh's signing ceremony," Michael Ovitz smiled.

"Steven Soderbergh is now somewhat well-known in the independent film circle, and several big directors have praised this film;"

"By then, CAA will have a share of the film's international revenue, as well as the videotape revenue. If you continue to perform like this, your bonus will be huge!"

"Don't worry, I will," Aaron thought for a moment and reminded, "Next, I may make a few trips abroad to look for people with potential."

"Of course, many directors started out with independent films, so follow your own ideas," Michael Ovitz certainly had no objection.

The annual salary of an assistant agent is less than $3, but Aaron Anderson's ability has been proven;
With his performance, some CAA partners will earn less than him. What else is there to think about?
After Aaron left Michael Ovitz's office, he went to the script warehouse and began looking for useful scripts;

This period should be the time for low-cost romantic comedy works to become popular!

"Mr. Anderson, these are the rough drafts of romantic comedy scripts," the mailroom boy pointed to a pile of manuscripts. "So many?"

"Yes, we receive a number of such scripts every day, and they accumulate!"

"Well, thanks."

It used to be Aaron, but now I’m Mr. Anderson, which is interesting.

In the evening, Aaron and Jack Wills went to a bar in West Hollywood to have fun. On TV, George H.W. Bush succeeded as the 41st President of the United States. The Reagan era was over!

"This Hollywood president has really made a lot of contributions to the development of Hollywood," Aaron said, taking a sip of his wine. The Reagan tax reform significantly reduced personal and corporate income taxes.

After the Reagan tax reform, the highest level of personal income tax was 28%, while the highest level of corporate income tax was 46%.

Jack Wells smiled and said, "Reagan was also an actor. Perhaps he was very dissatisfied with the tax system at that time!"

However, Reagan's successor, George H.W. Bush, also a Republican, probably wouldn't take the Democrats' calls for tax increases too seriously.

Today's Hollywood is not the future Democratic world, the Republican Party is the king.

"By the way, you're about to sign a contract with director Steven Soderbergh. Does that mean you're officially on the path to becoming an agent?"

There was endless envy in Jack Wells' tone.

Aaron stood up, smiled, and patted the other man on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll introduce you to Steven Soderbergh when the time comes. I don't have that much time to deal with his little things. "

"If you establish a good relationship with him, Steven Soderbergh's future will be limitless!"

Well, Aaron just thought that Jack Wells was a good guy. He had known him for several months and he was considered a friend of his, so he could give him some guidance.
As for himself, the job of an agent is like being a waiter in a restaurant to Aaron. How much future can he have as an agent?

Even if he could reach Michael Ovitz's position, it would not be enough to support Aaron's ambition!
At night, in an apartment in Koreatown, Aaron, lying in bed, was awakened by a loud noise next door. He immediately sat up and scratched his hair.

"I told you before, if you bother me again, there will be serious consequences," Aaron Anderson said, pulling out a pistol and walking out the door.

"Bang... bang... bang..." Aaron knocked on the door of the next room.

"Who is it?" an impatient voice came from the noisy room, and the door opened.

Aaron saw the situation inside clearly. Four or five men and women were playing music and drinking, and the room was full of smoke.

"What's up?"

Aaron didn't bother to say anything more, he just pulled out the pistol in his arms and pointed it, "Turn off the music, be quiet, don't make any more noise;"

"The neighbors next door are all going to bed and waiting to go to work tomorrow. You scumbags, do you have any sense of public morality?"

The people in the room swallowed their saliva. Are young people these days so hot-tempered? They can just point a gun at you and tell you to be quiet.

"Ah, we..."

Aaron roared, "Answer me, can you please be quiet tonight?"

"Yes, yes, yes," the guy who opened the door wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"That's good," Aaron patted the other person's face and looked at the stunned people in the room, his tone instantly softened.

"Well, don't let me come here again, or I'll send you guys to see God;"

"By the way, if you want to cause trouble for me, just go to the Fairfax Jewish mafia in Los Angeles!"

Aaron is moving out tomorrow. He is a rich man now. Is he going to live with this bunch of scum?
(End of this chapter)