Chapter 7 I Want This Script
The next day, Aaron asked someone to find a two-story apartment near Plummer Park in West Hollywood and moved out of Koreatown. After all, he was a rich man with a huge sum of more than $600,000, so he had to live in peace!
Two bedrooms and two living rooms, a study, and three bathrooms, Aaron was quite satisfied.
At the end of the month, Steven Soderbergh came to CAA to sign a contract. Aaron was of course his chief agent, and he also specially asked Jack Wells to participate.
"It feels like a dream," Steven Soderbergh in the office was surprised. He never thought that "Sex, Lies, and Videotape" could be sold at a high price of $1.2 million.
Aaron leaned back in his chair, because Steven Soderbergh himself signed a contract with an agency for the first time. According to the California Talent Agency Act:
When an agent signs a contract with an artist, the first contract is valid for one year, and the renewal period is up to three years!
They are all newcomers, and basically they will choose to renew the contract for the first time. After that, most of the renewals are signed for two years.
Aaron played with the giant mobile phone in his hand and looked at Steven Soderbergh. "Miramax called and needs your advice on the re-editing of the movie."
"Next, we have to cooperate with Miramax's Cannes exhibition!"
Steven Soderbergh nodded. "That's no problem. I just don't know when Miramax will arrange the release of the movie."
"Don't worry. Harvey spent 1.2 million US dollars to buy this film, which means he is also very optimistic about this film. Don't worry."
"Wait until the Cannes Film Festival in May to know the result!"
Aaron stretched his body and said, "What new plans are there next?"
"How can it be so fast? The first feature film hasn't been released yet?"
"That's right, you can go on vacation. Just call me if you have anything." Aaron will not serve anyone like a nanny, even Stallone and Tom Cruise.
In the afternoon, several roars came from the office of Ronald Meyer, president of CAA.
Michael Ovitz frowned in his office and asked his assistant, "Why is Ronald so angry?"
"After Judy Hoflen and David Greenblatt left CAA, they founded ITA (United Talent Agency)!" Office assistant Susan Miller explained.
Michael Ovitz nodded. Judy Hoflen and David Greenblatt were both assistants to Ronald Meyer before. Now they betrayed CAA, which was really infuriating.
CAA has always poached other people's talents, but this time someone left CAA and took away several young agents and their clients.
"Mr. Ronald Meyer organized a group of people to specifically target ITA!"
How to target? Defame and suppress their companies, poach and compete unfairly with ITA's clients.
Michael Ovitz nodded and agreed with his old friend's approach. It would be better if his old friend was not a good gambler!
In the division of CAA's shares, Michael Ovitz owns 55% and is the major shareholder, while Ronald Meyer owns 22.5%, and the rest belongs to others.
In the evening, in West Hollywood, Aaron sat on a chair in his study. On the table were two blockbuster movies that CAA was working on this year, one was "Dick Tracy", a large-scale detective movie of the same name, directed and acted by Warren Beatty, adapted from a best-selling American comic book, the other was "Goodfellas", a movie directed by Martin Scorsese and adapted from the legendary American gangster Henry Hill!
CAA's movie package must be a star-studded one. Obviously, these two movies must be full of big names.
"Dick Tracy" is a work of Touchstone Pictures under Disney, and "Goodfellas" is a work of Warner Bros., both of which are gangster movies, now gangster movies and action movies have a high status in Hollywood.
Then, Aaron took out a four- or five-page script outline, "Ghost" adapted by screenwriter Bruce Joy Robin! After
such a long search, Aaron finally found a script that was against the sky, but it was a pity that no one was interested in it at CAA?
Michael Ovitz didn't have any idea about this script, a ghost love story, and he sneered at it directly!
"Be an agent?" Aaron laughed. How much can an agent earn?
Aaron Anderson now only regards CAA's work as a platform to expand his network, at the same time, Aaron Anderson also needs to improve his reputation as soon as possible!
Because it is award season, especially the Oscars ceremony will be held in late March, Los Angeles seems to be very lively, countless celebrity parties and movie receptions are held in various hotels in Hollywood.
"Ghost" was not valued by CAA, but Aaron regarded it as a treasure and went directly to the original screenwriter Bruce Robin!
A cafe on Hollywood Boulevard.
"What, you want to buy this script?" Bruce Robin was surprised. "I know you, the agent who helped Steven Soderbergh sell "Sex, Lies, and Videotape."
Aaron Anderson just wanted to hold the script in his hands, and he spoke directly, "Although CAA doesn't value this script, I like it very much. "Ghost" is an original script. I will buy it from you for $150,000;"
"And, I will definitely develop this script within five years!"
Bruce Robin nodded, "The price is quite reasonable. So, now you want to buy the copyright for five years first?"
"Yes, a deposit of $30,000. If I can't develop it after the expiration, you can take back the script!"
Bruce Robin smiled, "You seem very confident that you can develop it within five years, but you don't seem to have many clients now, right?"
Aaron took a sip of coffee, "I don't have much time to serve those clients!"
"It seems that you are thinking about transforming into a producer," Bruce Robin thought that the other party wanted to develop the movie at CAA and didn't get support, so he came up with this idea.
"How about it, do you agree?" Aaron wanted to own the script anyway, and once he had the chance, he would leave CAA and develop it himself.
"Of course, but I also have corresponding conditions. I will also participate in the script development," Bruce Robin explained.
Aaron nodded, "Of course, you are the original screenwriter, and you will definitely be indispensable when the script is adapted!"
In this way, the two found a law firm and signed a purchase contract. Aaron Anderson paid $150,000 to purchase the script of "Ghost", the term was five years, and the deposit was $30,000. When the time was up, the two parties could negotiate to extend the term, or the other party would take back the script and not return the deposit.
"How about I introduce you to an agent?"
After signing the contract, Aaron suddenly proposed to Bruce Robin on the side.
There was no way, Bruce Robin was also a new screenwriter, how could he have an agent?
"Uh, you don't want to be my agent?"
Aaron shrugged, "Do you think I would be suitable?"
"Well, you are indeed not suitable..."
Antitrust law, agents cannot participate in the business of film production, Aaron's agent career has entered the countdown from the beginning.
I still need to wait till may 24 to swallow the box office of "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and check the system capabilities, I can atleast get $230 millions of the box office collection saved in the system.
I still have almost $600k in my bank account, should I invest this in Microsoft for now.
Then he decides to invest $240k at $0.24 per share in Microsoft and another $260k at $0.26 per share in Nike, like 4 share for every $1, totalling one million shares I'm both the companies(adjusted after all the stock split).
END OF THE CHAPTER....