Behind The Spotlight Chapter 7
"I know you're in debt, but I didn't know that you were having a hard time. I have a tip for you. Don't borrow money because you will become more indebted, and the cycle will just keep dragging you deeper. Just pay your debt slowly and steadily. I'm sure the bank is not asking for that amount in a short time unless it's a predatory lender, which I doubt it is."
$200 thousand was a huge amount by any standard, even for someone in the entertainment industry. Arnold was shocked that Collin was asking for that amount so bluntly, without hesitation.
He knew that Collin was not in a good situation financially after what happened to his father. But he didn't expect that the bank would ask his friend for $200 thousand from the get-go like it was some loan shark. That was fucked up on so many levels.
"No, it's not about my debt. Well, the bank is asking me for payment, but it's not that deep, I can take care of it. Anyway, my client and I are thinking of making a film together, and we're currently laying out the groundwork."
Collin started explaining the situation to Arnold, and his old friend listened with his unreadable poker face. Arnold's expression didn't change much, despite how serious the topic was.
Whenever it was job-related, Arnold was the serious type, a complete transformation from his normally shameless self.
"You've been in the industry for many years, albeit you spent more time in the modeling industry than on films or television. But I know that you have an idea of how tough it is to make a movie. Collin, you understand the risks better than most rookies ever could."
Collin nodded firmly, showing he didn't take the matter lightly.
Making a movie was very hard. It was a grueling process filled with uncertainty. The financial risk alone was something that Collin didn't want to shoulder if possible.
Movies often experience budget overruns because no matter how detailed the planning is, unforeseen expenses always come up. Collin wasn't sure that $200 thousand was even enough to make one from start to finish without cutting corners.
Return on Investment (ROI) was another factor to take seriously. Not all movies made money, and many didn't even break even. Most of the time, movies flopped at the box office without warning, even with big names attached.
Another important risk was the market and distribution risks, which many first-time producers underestimated. Comedy was a popular genre, but not all comedy movies would be appreciated by audiences or critics. As for distribution, they had to sign a contract with big studios, and most of the time, the contract was bad for them. Restrictive, one-sided, and borderline exploitative.
These were just some of the risks of making movies, and they were enough to scare off most beginners.
"Directors never fund their own movies unless they're desperate or independently wealthy. You're an agent, you shouldn't shoulder the responsibility. It's not your job to take the risks."
Arnold Johnson pulled out his phone with a sigh, his fingers already typing before Collin could say anything else.
"Based on your expression, you are serious about this project of yours. Serious enough to ask and beg me, and I respect that. I have no intention of lending you money, you probably know that already from past experience."
Collin weakly smiled in resignation, not surprise. He expected it. Arnold had another character trait, he was a cheap bastard through and through.
Arnold was one of the top talent agents in ANT, but he was cheap as hell and proud of it like it was a virtue. Well, Collin was also a cheap bastard because he was poor.
"I know someone who can help you with connections far better than mine."
Collin's pupils slightly trembled as he saw Arnold typing on his phone.
"I'm going to call the CEO right now, no warning, no appointment."
"You mean the new CEO?"
Collin didn't know much about the CEO. He just knew that the CEO was a young woman, apparently.
"That's right. You're in the hospital, so you didn't meet her when she introduced herself to the employees a few weeks ago. She's… different."
"... Are you sure you're going to be all right? We don't know the CEO's behavior. Maybe she won't like it if you call her without notice or business reason."
"Nah, it's fine." Arnold chuckled with reckless confidence.
"Besides, she's the one who said that if an agent had new ideas, she wanted to hear them. Her exact words, not mine."
"Bro, I'm asking for a production budget, not a business idea."
"It doesn't matter, she will hear it."
The call connected without delay, and Arnold's posture straightened slightly.
"Hello, Ma'am? Yes, that's right. It's me, Arnold. Hehe, of course, I'm working hard. I'm the best agent in your company, after all, just ask around!"
Collin cringed as he listened to their conversation, as if the words themselves were physically painful to hear. He didn't hear what the CEO was saying, but Arnold was too shameless to raise his voice like he was trying to impress her through sheer enthusiasm.
Besides, Arnold was not the best agent in the company by any metric that mattered. At least there were five or six agents who performed better than him in terms of revenue, talent deals, and reputation.
As Arnold and the CEO talked, Collin realized that something was happening above Arnold's head, something strange and utterly surreal.
Words started materializing above his head as if written by invisible ink turning visible in midair. They were floating and becoming clear until Collin recognized them.
Arnold Johnson:
-- A Shameless Person
Collin was stunned as his eyes widened, and he unconsciously took a step back.
'What the hell? A shameless person? So being shameless is also a talent worthy of being labeled by the golden vision?'
Based on his understanding, the words that float above people's heads indicate their talents or skills.
'Hm? But why are the words colored white instead of gold like Wyatt's were? What does that even mean?'
Collin had only witnessed two scenarios of words floating above people's heads since this mysterious phenomenon began. His understanding was incomplete and filled with questions he had no answers for.
Unlike Wyatt Bray, who had golden words above his head, Arnold's words were pale white, dull, like chalk dust or faded paper.
Collin described it as bleak and underwhelming, different from Wyatt's shiny gold, which invoked strong admiration from Collin and carried an aura of destiny.