America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 275 Bizarre Clients

In the morning, Martin made foods such as toast with eggs and bacon sandwiches.

Blake came downstairs, stretched, sat at the dining table, tasted the fried egg on the white porcelain plate, and said, "It smells good."

Martin poured two glasses of cowboy wine: "You've been exercising a lot lately, eat more."

Blake, however, forked a fried egg from his plate onto Martin's plate, saying specifically, "You've been consuming a lot of protein these past few days, so make sure you get some more."

Blake took a bite of the sandwich. The taste didn't matter; what captivated her was the feeling of her crush cooking for her. She couldn't help but say, "How wonderful it would be if I could wake up every day to a loving breakfast like this."

Doing this kind of thing occasionally is fun, but doing it every day becomes torture. Martin wouldn't give her such unrealistic fantasies: "I'll make you breakfast when I have time."

Blake was immediately brought back to reality. They had known each other for so long, and this seemed to be the first time Martin had ever made breakfast.

She doesn't usually make breakfast, and neither does Martin; it's Old Brooks who makes breakfast more often.

Martin changed the subject: "When are you leaving? I'll come see you off."

"No need, the crew will meet up and we'll go to the airport together." Blake is currently confirmed to star in a movie and a TV series. The former is about to start filming, and she's about to go to Louisiana: "We've only been together for a few days, and now we're going to be separated again."

Being separated from their commute is a common occurrence for celebrities and actors, Martin comforted them, saying, "I'll be leaving Los Angeles soon to film elsewhere."

The entire story of "Limitless" takes place in New York, and the production team obtained a tax refund quota in New York, so the entire film will be shot in New York.

Blake said, "I'll come see you in New York after I've rested."

Martin nodded: "I'll visit you on set when I have time."

After the two had breakfast, Martin took Blake's luggage downstairs and escorted her to Burbank Bowell Street.

Eric Lively took the luggage from Martin, waited for the two to say goodbye, and then called his sister to go into the studio together.

Blake stood at the door until Martin got into the car.

After his sister entered a lounge, Eric reminded her, "He's got all sorts of scandals going on, aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Blake seemed not to hear him and completely ignored him.

Eric added, "He fought Brad Pitt for Aniston!"

"Martin won, that's amazing, right?" Blake's thinking was completely different from his brother's: "I have such great taste, the guy I found is incredibly charming!"

Eric was so angry he couldn't speak. After a long while, he pointed at Blake and said, "You have good taste? That's a heartthrob? He's clearly a jerk!"

Blake warned, "Shut up, don't talk about my idol like that."

Eric was exasperated: "I can't be bothered to talk to you."

Blake reminded him, "You should prepare well for the role. Being an actor means being serious and dedicated."

"How many years have I been acting? I'm more experienced than you." Eric, who is the type with very little natural talent, refuses to admit it: "What I lack is opportunity! Given a good role and a good film, I can surpass Martin Davis in just one movie!"

Blake curled his lip, thinking his brother had no self-awareness whatsoever.

Eric shook his head inwardly, thinking that his sister had a problem with her judgment of people.

…………

Century City, WMA.

Thomas had just started working when he contacted several senior executives at the company and arranged a meeting.

At 10:30 sharp, he entered a small conference room on time.

Whitesell and Ali Emmanuel are waiting for him.

After Thomas sat down, he got straight to the point: "Yesterday, Maha Dakshire, the executive agent for Brian Lord of CAA, made direct contact with Martin and clearly expressed his desire to poach Martin from CAA."

Whitesell, who was in charge of the company's day-to-day operations, knew this was within her purview and quickly asked, "Did Martin tell you?"

Whether something is said or not, it reflects the customer's attitude.

Thomas then said, "Martin told me on his own initiative."

Whitesell breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Ali frowned slightly. WMA had just poached Halle Berry from CAA, and CAA immediately targeted Martin.

Even if it were a one-to-one swap, this deal would still be a huge loss.

How can a Black Oscar-winning actress whose career is declining compare to Martin Scorsese, a rapidly rising new generation male star?

Ali warned, "This could be CAA's retaliation against us for poaching Halle Berry, or it could be targeting Martin! Thomas, don't be careless. Right now, the commercial value of two Halle Berrys can't compare to that of one Martin."

"Martin still wants to continue working with me. After all, we've been together since we were at the very bottom." Thomas was referring to himself, not the company, prioritizing his own interests to avoid being replaced by the company's bigwigs.

He continued, "But CAA offered him resources comparable to Brad Pitt, and the agent's commission was only seven percent..."

"Fuck!" Whitesell couldn't help but curse. "The bastards at CAA are breaking the rules! This will only make those stars more arrogant and more brazen in firing their agents!"

WMA was able to recruit Halle Berry partly because Catwoman's failure severely hampered her career, leaving her with no prospects at CAA.

On the other hand, Halle Berry is known for firing her agents, and if her career experiences ups and downs, her agent is always blamed.

Neither Thomas nor Ali spoke. As top-tier entertainment agents, they were well aware that industry regulations, such as entertainment laws, tended to protect the interests of their clients.

The contract can only be signed for a maximum of three years. If the client cannot obtain the corresponding job within six months, the client has the right to terminate the contract unconditionally, etc.

Ali asked directly, "Does Martin want to leave WMA?"

Thomas gave a definitive reply: "I can guarantee that wherever I am, Martin will be there too!"

It's common for brokers to rise in value because of their clients; Ali, having worked in the industry for decades, naturally understands Thomas's point.

Whitesell said, "We can't give Martin the treatment of a top-tier star, let alone a superstar. His influence and appeal are far from that level."

She considered many things: "If we offer him too good a deal all at once, how will we increase his compensation as his status rises? If he becomes a superstar, or even a superstar, are we only going to take a 1% commission as an agent? This will create a chain reaction; what will other clients think?"

Ali still asked Thomas, "What do you think?"

"Martin is different from ordinary star actors; his influence extends beyond the film and entertainment industries." Thomas knew very well that as long as he had Martin as a client, he had enough capital. If WMA couldn't satisfy him, other companies could.

He now had the confidence to speak with company executives: "Martin is a Los Angeles hero, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. This halo alone can boost the opening weekend box office of his film by at least $500 million!"

Alibaba acknowledges this, as it was an assessment made by the WMA based on the wanted notice.

Thomas continued, "While Martin's status is far less than Leonardo's, he, like Leonardo, has the ability to initiate and participate in projects. The 'Wanted' project was first initiated by Martin, and the currently in-progress 'Limitless' was also initiated by Martin, and he participated in the actual investment in both. Other companies such as Pacific Pictures, Gray Pictures, and Beast House Entertainment also support Martin."

Ali told the truth: "Because Martin's project made them profitable."

"Yes, and it's still a huge profit!" Thomas emphasized again. "How many actors in Hollywood can bring in tens of millions of dollars in investment like Martin did?"

He even joined the production team of a project he initiated! Thinking about this, Ali felt a toothache. He always felt that Martin had already found a stable investor before coming to Los Angeles.

Thomas suddenly realized something as he spoke: for him, Martin was the most important person, and WMA and the like had to take a backseat!

Without Martin, where would he find such an eccentric client?

Thomas, who had previously sided slightly with Martin, is now practically on Martin's side, saying, "I think it's very necessary to improve Martin's treatment; CAA isn't the only company eyeing him."

He specifically emphasized, "Among Hollywood's stars born in the 1980s, how many can rival Martin in terms of commercial appeal? Elijah Wood? Christensen Hayden? The former starred in ensemble films, the latter in Star Wars! And Martin? The Hills Have Eyes was just a small project, and the original 'Wanted' book was relatively unknown, yet both achieved over $100 million at the North American box office!"

Whitesell stated, "The company's system has no precedent for reducing commissions before someone becomes a near-superstar. Once this precedent is set..."

Thomas raised his voice slightly: "You're worried about the ripple effects, but aren't you worried about such an important client being disheartened?"

Ali raised his hand to stop the two from continuing, then picked up his phone and made a brief call to Jim Witt, another co-partner who was out of town.

He looked at Thomas: "The company's commission rate on Martin's business has been reduced from 10% to 8%! In addition, he enjoys near-superior level resources and treatment within the company."

Thomas was basically satisfied: "I will inform Martin."

Alibaba added, "If he needs to use company resources, he should notify the company in advance."

Thomas nodded: "No problem."

Whitesell didn't say anything more.

Ali has his own considerations. Martin's ability to initiate and recruit people for a variety show is a very important skill. For WMA, it means that many minor celebrities or new actors can join and get exposure.

How could he let someone else poach a client like Martin?

Ali added, "When Martin has time, sign a new contract with the company. Remember to let me know then, and I'll have a good talk with him."

Thomas instantly became alert; now he not only had to be wary of people outside the company, but also those inside.

Tired!

(End of this chapter)