Hollywood New Century

Simon Pike sat on the bed, thinking about the words of Sonia Roman, who wanted to sign herself to her, a screenwriter's agency.

Maybe, it's not bad, at least it's easier to find a job after having an agent, and she can also help with many small things.

Fighting alone is a waste of time.

Los Angeles, West Hollywood Boulevard, Simon came from South Los Angeles because the AC agency's offices are here.

The AC brokerage company is indeed a very small brokerage company, with only three offices, which is the place that Sonia Roman rented herself.

There were few people in the company, and Sonia Roman led Simon to her own office.

"That's it, small companies, brokerage studios like me, there are more than 100 in Los Angeles. The giants such as CAA, UTA, and WME divide up most of the market. We drink the rest of the soup," Sonia said. Roman explained with a casual smile.

"Understood, when there is a certain attractive star, they will also absorb you in," Simon said with a smile. Didn't big brokerage companies develop like this?

"Sit down," Sonia Roman couldn't deny. Now people still look down on her as an agent. It would be good to have an income of 100,000 US dollars a year.

"This is your contract, you can take a look first!" Sonia Roman said and handed a contract to Simon.

Simon picked it up and looked at it, and said with some astonishment: "There is also an acting agent, I thought it was a screenwriter's agent?"

"Didn't you often play tricks on the crew before, and I think your image is not bad, and you are a top student at USC, so there are still opportunities!" Sonia Roman explained.

"I haven't studied acting, that is, I've been in the crew for a long time." Simon doesn't care anyway, and she doesn't plan to act in any movies in the future. She can get herself to show up in any role, and the salary should be higher than the trick higher.

After signing his name, Simon put the contract back in place.

"Okay," Sonia Roman put it away after seeing that the contract had been signed, then looked at Simon and said,

"In the future, your plan, I think you should focus on screenwriting, and then find more opportunities to audition for small supporting roles, the kind that show your face!"

"Well, okay!" Simon was trying to explain something, but forget it, who would think that a 22-year-old with nothing could become a filmmaker?

"By the way, can you help me rent a house in West Hollywood, be quieter, or Century City is fine too!"

Sonia Roman smiled, "This side is a little more expensive than South Los Angeles. Just live in Century City. Many commercial and residential areas are cheaper than West Hollywood."

West Hollywood is between Beverly Hills and Hollywood, and Century City is southwest of Beverly Hills, and the price is still cheaper than West Hollywood.

"Yes!" Simon doesn't care, Century City is dominated by high-rise residential buildings, and there are many single-family cottages in West Hollywood.

"David Higgins will be in charge of the contact. If the film is prepared, I will get you some extra income. Although it won't be much, it's still what you deserve," Sonia Roman has already said. Customers considered.

"It doesn't matter, it's an independent art film, and it won't have a big impact. If there is no accident, it's no problem to make a million. I just hope that he can prepare as soon as possible. The sooner the film is released, the better. The script must also be helpful." Simon doesn't care about those net profits, it's just a joke, it basically depends on the mood of the producer.

"I promised him that if the script needs to be revised, I will help, but I don't think it should be. I have already completed the script very well. Basically, he can start shooting after preparing the crew!"

"Simon, you are so confident!" Sonia Roman smiled. Isn't it common to change the script? He actually felt that it was perfect and didn't need to be revised.

"What, you have a new script written? Is it an original story again?" Sonia Roman was concerned about this, but she wouldn't let him sell it for $80,000.

Simon nodded, "I want to move here as soon as possible, and then create with peace of mind. I don't like the environment in South Los Angeles!"

"No problem, I'll find a good house for you in the past two days, and give you a quiet and relaxing creative environment as quickly as possible!" Sonia Roman felt that "Hard Candy" was discovered by the producer in less than a month , was acquired.

This shows that Simon Parker's ability is still very good. As for what he said about being a producer, Sonia Roman has selectively forgotten it.

In August, Hollywood, Century City, and the headquarters of Twentieth Century Fox are also here.

In a high-rise apartment building, Simon has moved here, with one bedroom, one living room, one kitchen and one bathroom, and a small study in the sea.

The house Sonia Roman was looking for was quite in line with Simon's wishes, and she stood up from the computer.

Another script, "Juno", was finally completed. During this period, Simon also ran a few more tricks under the arrangement of Sonia Roman as before.

The filming of David Higgins' "Hard Candy" has already started. The protagonist is Ellen Page selected from 300 actresses. The middle-aged lewd photographer and the neighbor woman are all young actors who do not know how many lines.

The actor of the neighbor woman is Chinese actress Wu Zhuoshan, and Simon thinks it is quite intimacy.

Ellen Page, if he waits for the release of Hard Candy, he should become a third-rate actor! At least someone in the independent film industry will know.

"Juno", a story about the pregnancy of an underage girl, is Ellen Page's real masterpiece. It is also a small-cost independent art film. It does not require any famous actors to join in, but there are many scenes and characters. Some, the cost will be six or seven million US dollars, if it is shot in the United States, it is estimated to be eight or nine million US dollars.

Walking to one side of the window and looking at the flow of people on Century Avenue below, Simon stretched his waist. Century City was originally only a location for 20th Century Fox in the early years, and the city was built later.

The area is small and commercialized, like a CBD business district. Of course, the most dazzling one is the 20th Century Fox Film Company, one of the six major Hollywood studios.

"Hard Candy" was discovered by the producers because of luck, and Simon's original script is a speculative script.

I don't know how many of these speculative script outlines fly into the production mailrooms of various studios every day.

Now, film companies are looking at various adapted scripts, mainly novels, after all, there is no traffic basis.

The odds of a speculative original script like Simon being picked are too small, unless a producer happens to have that idea.

However, if the original script is generally selected, it is normal for the acquisition fee of more than one million dollars.

Brokeback Mountain, which is currently being filmed, is adapted from the novel, and the film adaptation rights are $3 million! The screenwriting cost of the adaptation is less than $300,000, and it is the ideas that are worth the money.

The main job of screenwriters now is to be hired to write scripts, based on the ideas of film companies or producers.

Warner Bros. last year bought the rights to the remake of the Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs, competing with several other companies, for $1.75 million!

Simon sold "Fruit Hard Candy" for such a low price. There is indeed a lack of consideration, but also because the script is too simple, and the production cost is indeed very low. Basically, it is equivalent to giving it to David Higgins, just to make He prepares the movie as soon as possible.

The script outline for "Juno" has long been registered with the Screenwriters Guild, and has also been sent to some film companies.

There has been no news for months, and it is estimated that it will be dusted at the bottom of the box, unless it can be placed on a producer's desk.

Network, capital, reputation, these resources do not have, alas! Honestly go to the tricks to make money first.

The good box office movies in my impression are too few original, and they are all adapted from novels, comics or news. To change this predicament, you need to become an investor yourself.

dong dong dong, someone knocked on the door!

"Sonia, is there something?" Simon opened the door to be his agent.

"Passing this way, come and have a look, by the way, I will tell you that in three days, I will go to the production team of "The Fairy Wife at Home", there are recruiting screenwriters for the script adaptation, director Nora Ephron personally checks, you prepare well Come on, here's a shot that needs to be adapted," Sonia Roman said, handing Simon a document.

"The Fairy Wife is the romantic comedy starring Nicole Kidman," Simon continued.

"Yes, director Nora Ephron is a famous female director of romantic films, regardless of her past achievements, this is your chance, because you have participated in the script adaptation of "Mrs. Smith" and just sold it. A script for a chance!" Sonia Roman hoped that Simon Pike would be appreciated by Nora Ephron.

"Got it, how's the filming of Hard Candy?" Simon was very concerned about that movie.

"Well, the film is about to be closed. It's really fast. The filming will end in less than 20 days. I don't know which company will release it?" Sonia Roman really didn't like that movie.

"The film is closed at the end of this month, and the editing is also very simple. It is estimated that I will participate in the Toronto Film Festival in mid-September, and there will also be European film festivals such as the Catalan International Film Festival in October, which are all opportunities for that film to appear," Simon Parker said. Of course, knowing that the movie will not have any promotional expenses, show your face, and then strive for a small-scale release.

"Sure enough, he is a top student who has studied in the film production industry at USC. He thinks a lot about this aspect. David Higgins is just a small producer and has few resources," Sonia Roman said, but she said it. , people are much more advanced than me.