[Chapter 42: Choosing the First Movie]
With just three days left until the AMA Awards ceremony on January 18, and a rehearsal plus styling session at Universal scheduled for January 17, Linton finally had two rare days off. He remembered that the chef position at the estate was still unfilled, so he asked his butler Amy, "How many chefs have applied so far?"
"There are six applicants. After background checks, four of them met our criteria. They all have clean records and over ten years of professional culinary experience. When do you want to schedule their interviews?"
"Tomorrow. Arrange the interview room and notify them."
"Will do right away."
"Is anything else important happening at home these days?"
"Nothing much, except Danny seems to have installed quite a few things on the walls."
"No worries. He's setting up surveillance cameras. Most of our old cameras were broken, and from now on, he'll be in charge of the estate's security."
"Got it," Amy replied.
...
Linton took a relaxing stroll around the estate, swam a few laps in the pool, and worked out in the gym for two hours -- his little way to enjoy some downtime. Since he was at level eight, these exercises barely improved his physical fitness; it was mostly for fun.
Anyway, it was time to think about his next career phase. His debut album had been a huge success, making him a popular singer and teen idol with skyrocketing fame. His ability was advancing rapidly now, marking the achievement of his first big milestone.
The AMA live performance and hopefully winning awards in a couple of days would further validate his success and boost album sales. After finishing his February endorsement shoots, he planned to start filming movies. He wanted to star in at least one movie every year from now on to keep his popularity up and accelerate his skill growth.
Alongside that, he aimed to release several singles annually and albums when time allowed. After all, a singer's fame was a major asset he wasn't willing to give up.
Now, he needed to decide on his first movie. The budget had to be modest but promising in box office returns and, most importantly, showcase himself well. The lead role should resonate with his current life, and the scenes couldn't be too complicated since this was his first time directing.
Given those criteria, his favorite movie, Step Up, seemed perfect. The director was also a newcomer, the film had a budget under $10 million but grossed about $65 million in North America and $114 million worldwide. The plot was simple, no complex scenes or special effects were needed, and the male lead was handsome and magnetic. Plus, it featured sixteen memorable songs he could easily emulate to suit his identity as a talented singer.
Perfect -- that was the project. He planned to get the script written soon.
...
Step Up was about dreams turning into reality, a charming fairy tale. It told the story of Tyler Gage, who struggled all his life on tough urban streets but never gave up on his dream. He knew he was different and would one day leave to start a new life.
After being sentenced to community service at the Maryland School of the Arts for damaging an installation, Tyler's fate changed drastically. During a community service performance, he caught the attention of Nora, a ballet prodigy.
Tyler proved to himself and Nora that living life joyfully through dance was more wonderful than they ever imagined.
Writing a full script would take time and effort, so he decided to focus on it exclusively.
---
The next morning, in a restaurant reserved and paid for by Amy, Linton, Amy, and Goodman formed a hiring panel to interview the four remaining chefs. Each had to cook eight dishes, prepare noodles and desserts on-site to demonstrate their skills while the panel sampled everything.
After careful consideration, Linton chose a chef named Michael Donovan, a 42-year-old second-generation Irish-American chef, skilled in French, Italian, and Mexican, who previously worked in a bustling fusion bistro in downtown LA.
"Michael, if we hire you, when can you start?"
"I can quit my current job today, complete the onboarding paperwork tomorrow, and start the day after. Is that okay?" he replied.
"No rush. Take three days to wrap up your current job. Then come see Goodman to handle onboarding and sign a confidentiality agreement. After that, contact Amy; she will arrange your schedule."
Happy to have found a suitable chef, Linton looked forward to enjoying great food at home. He spent the afternoon continuing his scriptwriting.
---
On the morning of the 17th, Linton met Jimmy and the team at Universal and headed to the Los Angeles Music Hall for rehearsal.
Jimmy took Linton, Mira, assistant Molly, the stylist, and makeup artist to Linton's dressing room prepared for the AMA, reminding Mira and her team to arrive early the next day and thoroughly check the dressing room to prevent accidents.
Linton noticed his dressing room was among the largest, which made him feel like the AMA organizers fully recognized his status.
Anne adjusted the backup dancers' choreography based on the stage layout. Everyone was professional and worked hard, and the rehearsal went smoothly.
...
After rehearsal, they returned to Universal for image design and makeup. Linton went to his assigned makeup room where his personal stylist and makeup artist were waiting. The stylist had prepared two outfits: an Armani tuxedo with a white shirt for the awards ceremony to look dignified and handsome, and a powerful performance outfit featuring a tight tank top and dance pants showcasing his muscular shoulders and arms. He looked strong, sexy, and bursting with energy -- practically oozing hormones.
The makeup artist applied light makeup, saying, "Perfect, really handsome. We'll do the same tomorrow."
...
Jimmy then announced the AMA ceremony would be at 8 p.m. at the Los Angeles Music Hall, with everyone gathering at the company at 5 p.m. for unified transportation.
Of course, Linton was an exception; he was to arrive at 4:30 p.m., get styled and made up by his team, then head to the music hall to walk the red carpet and do interviews as arranged by the organizers.
*****
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