"David, since you're studying at the USC School of Cinematic Arts,"
In an office building on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Michael Ovitz looked at the young man sitting across from him and said, "Then you must understand that making movies has never been a simple task. It requires more than just funding, scripts, and directors. It also demands a cohesive team. Only a successful team can produce a successful film."
At this point, Michael Ovitz emphasized his tone. "What I'm best at is assembling a production team made up of successful people!"
"Artists Management Group provides any investor with all the services related to filmmaking," Martin Bob picked up the conversation, saying, "Our packaged productions like Godzilla, Pearl Harbor, and The Fast and the Furious have all brought returns to investors."
David Ellison had done enough research on Artists Management Group before coming. "Gentlemen, if you didn't have so many successful examples, I wouldn't be sitting here discussing cooperation with you."
"I have money!" He slightly straightened his back. "But I don't have suitable investment projects."
Hearing this, Michael Ovitz's eyes suddenly lit up. "David, have you ever considered starting your own film company and then collaborating with Artists Management Group on film projects? We'll provide you with integrated services from development and production to distribution…"
"I've already had this idea," David Ellison propped his chin with one hand. "I just haven't found the right project. As long as the project is suitable, my agent will handle the registration in Delaware at the fastest speed."
"Projects?" Michael Ovitz tapped lightly on the table.
With the complete end of the Hollywood studio era, major companies had become part of media conglomerates. Talent agencies could no longer maintain the unconventional dominance they had in the '80s and '90s. Not even his Artists Management Group. Even Hollywood's largest talent agency, CAA, was expanding its market share but continuously losing bargaining power when facing film companies.
Agents didn't like this situation, especially people like Michael Ovitz.
The six major film studios being overly dominant meant that the benefits talent agencies could reap from collaborations were decreasing. Collaborating with second- and third-tier companies allowed agencies to maintain more control, but the most prominent second-tier studios had already been acquired by large groups, while the rest lacked the ability to produce highly profitable commercial blockbusters.
To put it bluntly, talent agencies were still commercial entities, and profit was their ultimate pursuit.
Michael Ovitz understood clearly that developing Artists Management Group into the top-tier talent agency required substantial profits.
For profits, projects were needed. For projects to succeed, adequate production funding was essential.
Hollywood has never lacked projects and scripts; what it often lacks are people or companies willing to invest.
The young man sitting opposite, David Ellison, looked every bit the person who wouldn't hesitate to spend money.
Thinking of this, Michael Ovitz became more focused, adopting the same attitude that once convinced Spielberg to join CAA, to handle this young patron.
The two sides talked all morning. After having lunch together, they continued discussions in the afternoon. By evening, they had reached some preliminary verbal agreements.
Then, Michael Ovitz selected several projects he highly valued and presented them to David Ellison. These projects, submitted by well-known producers or screenwriters in the industry to Artists Management Group, had all been reviewed by the company's editorial department and himself. Every one of them was first-tier quality.
David Ellison skimmed through them but wasn't interested in any of them.
"Are there any others?"
Hearing his question, Michael Ovitz frowned slightly. "What kind of project are you looking for?"
"Preferably one involving airplanes," David Ellison said. "The more airplanes, the better. For every airplane in the project, I'll invest a little more."
"Something about airplanes…"
Michael Ovitz considered it for less than half a minute before saying, "How about this, David: as long as we finalize our cooperation agreement, I'll take responsibility for finding an excellent project about airplanes for you. If a suitable one isn't available, we can always hire a few top screenwriters to create such a script."
"I like your proposal!"
David Ellison stood up, shook hands with Michael Ovitz, and said, "I hope we can successfully collaborate."
"I hope so too."
Even someone as arrogant as David Ellison wouldn't make decisions on a whim. For future collaborations involving tens of millions of dollars or more, meticulous negotiations and discussions were inevitable.
This young super-rich heir had just taken his first step into Hollywood.
Duke had heard about the potential collaboration between David Ellison and Michael Ovitz but didn't pay it much attention. While he might not influence the world much, some people and events in Hollywood had already changed.
For instance, David Ellison's most successful investment was undoubtedly in the Mission: Impossible series. But now, the largest copyright holders of this series were Duke and Tom Cruise. Without his consent, David Ellison couldn't get involved in it.
However, with Michael Ovitz as his guide, David Ellison would undoubtedly avoid some detours.
After briefly following the matter between David Ellison and Michael Ovitz, Duke left Los Angeles and flew to Paris. As the film's director and producer, on-site scouting of locations was an essential part of the job. This time, he brought along art director Hannah Selina and cinematographer John Schwartzman.
During the following week, Duke's team scouted potential locations at Charles de Gaulle Airport, the banks of the Seine, and minority neighborhoods in Paris. Both Hannah Selina and John Schwartzman fully agreed with Duke's view that aside from a few essential exterior shots in Paris, most of the scenes would be filmed at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank.
Paris's crowded city center and high labor costs were practical issues the crew had to consider.
After finishing the Paris scouting, Hannah Selina and John Schwartzman returned to Los Angeles first, while Duke flew to the UK to check on the progress of the Harry Potter series filming.
Alfonso Cuarón, after directing only Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, had been dropped by Robin Grand and the Harry Potter studio. In consultation with J.K. Rowling, the team ultimately chose British director David Yates to helm the subsequent films.
Although Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban wouldn't be released until the Christmas season, filming for the next installment had already begun. For the next several years, the series would be in a continuous cycle of filming and release. Duke and Warner Bros. planned to extract every drop of profit from the Harry Potter franchise.
As for the young actors' growth and education, the crew strictly adhered to legal requirements, hiring dedicated tutors and allotting sufficient study time. Whether Emma Watson and the others ended up as top students or not was of no concern to Duke or the other investors. After the series concluded, these actors' value would approach zero.
Their chances of successfully transitioning? Much harder than Disney child stars.
Of course, none of this concerned Duke or Warner Bros. The Harry Potter series made these young actors, but it also limited them. On the whole, they were fortunate.
Without Hermione Granger, Emma Watson might have still achieved fame, but with her lackluster acting skills, reaching the level that Hermione Granger brought her would have been nearly impossible.
"The young actors' agents are preparing to negotiate with us again."
In an office at the studio, Robin Grand seemed annoyed as she discussed the matter. "We just revised their contracts for one film, and now they're back again."
"Delay them as much as possible," Duke stated firmly. "And let them know we're prepared to replace the actors if necessary."
Negotiations always involved haggling and compromise. Showing a strong stance was the only way to secure favorable terms.
These young actors were not J.K. Rowling.
"Robin, you can appropriately increase their pay," Duke added before leaving. "But profit-sharing is the ultimate bottom line. Try to keep it within box office revenue-sharing limits."
The main revenue from this series came from merchandise, while box office profits were relatively modest. Moreover, there were plenty of ways to manipulate box office figures.
After staying at the Southampton studio for three days and meeting with David Yates and J.K. Rowling, Duke left the Harry Potter set and met Emma Thompson in London.
ICM had recommended her as a candidate for the role of the mother. Duke discussed the role with her but ultimately decided against it. This Oscar-winning actress was a highly artistic performer whose pay hadn't dropped to the levels it would in a few years. Duke wasn't willing to spend millions of dollars on a small supporting role.
More importantly, this multi-million-dollar pay wouldn't bring the corresponding box office appeal. Duke couldn't rely on an actress like Emma Thompson to generate significant market value.
Since the pay and type weren't suitable, Duke naturally opted to pass. Moreover, meeting this British actress was largely out of courtesy to Nancy Josephson.
This summer, ICM also underwent changes in its management. As one of the largest partners, Nancy officially became the CEO of ICM.
Upon Duke's return to Los Angeles, Nancy quickly recommended another actress. This actress had quite the background. In the early '90s, she was as famous as Julia Roberts. But afterward, their careers diverged. Big-mouthed Julia had become one of the most iconic actresses in Hollywood and could even be called its leading lady.
Meanwhile, the other actress saw her films repeatedly fail at the box office. In recent years, her status had significantly declined. No longer part of Hollywood's A-list, she rarely appeared in mainstream films and had gradually faded from public attention.
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