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Hollywood, located in the northwest suburb of downtown Los Angeles, is the headquarters of major film companies, and is also a popular tourist destination. It also represents a holy place for movies.

As early as when Wang Yangchuchu came to Los Angeles, he had visited Hollywood, visited Paramount Cinema, stepped across the Avenue of Stars, and also visited the Chinese theater to see the style of celebrities' hand and footprints. His purpose in coming to Hollywood today was not to play, but to find candidates for the male and female protagonists for "The Legend of the Ghost".

Looking for actors is not about doing it on the street. If you observe whether passers-by are suitable for being actors on the street, it is a scout. How to cast a movie? Hollywood has its own system. Wang Yang is going to go to the actors' union today.

The American Actors Union (Sag), founded in 1933, is the largest actors union in the United States, with more than 120,000 members. It also has another union with more than 70,000 members, namely the American Federation of Television and Radio Actors (Aftra), which includes almost all actors in the United States.

The meaning of the existence of the Actors Union is to seek benefits and rights for union members, such as introducing job opportunities to actors, protecting rights, and being responsible for labor contract negotiations with the producers' association, etc.

Many people who don’t know Hollywood think that Hollywood generally has “unspoken rules”, that is, sex-trading. That’s not true. Hollywood decades ago might have been like that. At that time, directors, actors, screenwriters, etc. were all signed with film companies, which was equivalent to the company’s employees. The film companies were in power, so naturally a lot of dirty and dark things were breeding.

However, with the establishment of various trade unions and the improvement of the system, the market became mature. Directors and actors no longer signed employee contracts with film companies, but instead signed chip contracts, changing from superiors and subordinates to cooperative relationships. Under these changes, Hollywood's sex-trading has become less and less, and it has almost disappeared now.

Why? First of all, it is not about whether the actor himself is willing to do sex-trading, but even if he/she is willing, it is difficult for the other party to implement it. Hollywood is no longer a studio system or a star system. Those big-name stars and studio owners can no longer make the decision on the candidates. The era when they say whoever acts is the same will be gone.

The current casting system is a multi-party check and balance system. Directors, producers and even CEOs of investment companies do not have absolute power. When you want to select actors, you can find an institution. Of course, the institution will eventually go to the Actors Union. The Actors Union will notify all members who meet the conditions according to your requirements and agree to an interview. The interview examiner is composed of three parties: director, producer and agent sent by the Actors Union.

In the end, only an actor who agrees unanimously can get a role. Of course, the agent is more of a regulatory role; but as long as one party disagrees, the actor will not get any role.

So here, even if an actor and director have a deal, don’t expect success, because the director has no decision-making power and the transaction cannot be successful.

Besides, if an ignorant girl is deceived by an unscrupulous director, sleeps with someone but cannot get a film appointment, she is likely to go to court and newspapers. This kind of scandal is a big deal in the United States, and the director and actor will definitely have a ruined future and be ruined. Because movie fans across the country will despise them and refuse to watch their movies. In other words, you have no market, and naturally there will be no film company asking you to make movies.

Not to mention doing it, you can't even say it. If a producer or director tries to make such a request, then the actor can find his union to help him protect his rights. Whether it is Sag or AFRA, he is very strong, and he will immediately send lawyers and related directors and film companies to which the producer belongs to to sue and ask for an explanation.

Well, you said that as long as you sleep all three parties, you will be able to get a role?

This is about the mature market of American movies. How many movies are made in the United States in a year? At least hundreds of movies. How many directors and actors are there? In countless. In this cruel market of competition, no matter which director is to make a movie, he faces huge profit pressure.

Look, Hollywood invests tens of millions of dollars or even hundreds of millions of dollars in a movie, and investors may involve dozens of companies. The requirements for these companies are very simple. The minimum requirement is to recover costs and not lose money. If someone messes up for sex-trading, messes up the movie and causes them to lose money, the investment company will not let him go. At the least, it will discredit your reputation, and at the worst, it will be held accountable and sue you for jail.

Besides, many directors cannot make a movie for several years. When the opportunity comes, they will not allow themselves to miss it, nor will they be stupid enough to ignore their future for the sake of temporary pleasure. If you want to have a lot of pleasure, you can go to the bar to find a one-night stand or a call girl. Once the box office of the movie is defeated, his career can basically come to an end.

Results and reputation are very, very important to directors and producers. If the movies you make are box office poisons, or you are an infamous person, there is absolutely no investor who gives you money.

Because the movie fails, investors themselves will be unable to protect themselves. Look at the later film "The Whisperer" produced by MGM and directed by John Woo, which cost 120 million yuan, but in the end, the world only received a box office of 77 million yuan, which made MGM lose the deficit and the stock price plummet, which directly led to MGM's senior management reorganization incident. John Woo has never gained the trust of investors and finally has to return to China to film "Red Cliff".

Why did the box office fail? It's very simple. Faced with hundreds of movies every year, the American audience's level has long been high. And which one is better to watch so many movies? So the audience usually checks the reviews before entering the cinema and then makes a decision. It can be imagined that bad movies are bad movies. No matter how popular you promote your heroine, the critics will not show mercy, because the way they want to keep their jobs is to write popular movie reviews.

This is a very simple fact. Hollywood does not lack beauties, and I have never seen any film company gathering a few beauties in a vase to make a movie, so that movie can be sold out. Just kidding? Have you never seen a woman? If you want to see a woman, it is better to watch "Playboy", which is still completely naked.

There are many women who are willing to betray their lust. Just look at the playboy girls and you will know that, but you have never seen them as the heroine of any movie, and you can't even get a small supporting role.

Because in Hollywood, you want to change your body by changing roles, and you want to, but others don’t want it, and there is no such deal.

It’s not that Americans are of great quality. Decades ago, Hollywood was also dirty. Why is it so clear now? It’s nothing else, the system determines everything.

Of course, Hollywood also has "unspoken rules", but it is not sex-trading. The real unspoken rules are discrimination, discrimination against homosexuality, discrimination against skin color, and even discrimination against women.

Take a 70-year-old actress and a 70-year-old actor as an example. This old woman usually only plays a grandmother, but this old man can star in a romantic film with a 20-year-old woman.

"Welcome to sag." When Wang Yang walked into the Actors Union, the staff responsible for receiving visitors at the front desk said enthusiastically: "Do you want to join the Actors Union? As long as you pay a membership fee of US$1,500 a year, we will provide you with insurance, provide job opportunities, and protect your rights."

"No, thank you. Maybe I will join the director's union in the future." Wang Yang smiled and shook his head, then explained his purpose: "I am going to shoot a DV movie independently. I need two actors, that is, the male and female protagonists. I look in my twenties, I am not fat or thin, and I have no requirements for appearance. Oh, I am shooting a horror movie, which takes about a week to shoot, and both characters are paid 4,000 yuan."

After hearing Wang Yang's words, the staff member squeezed his eyebrows and smiled, "Oh, 4,000 US dollars is not much, but I believe there will be many people who need it. Okay, I'll register and arrange an interview time and place. We will notify all the actors who meet the criteria. As for whether to go to the interview or not, it depends on their own meaning. So, the time and place?"

"The faster the time, the better. Tomorrow? Is the place possible at my house?" Wang Yang said. His house is the scene in the movie. If you audition in the scene, the effect will be the best.

"I'm afraid not. You know, the interview location is best in public places." The staff shrugged and said, "There is still time too fast, but it's not possible. Some members have not received the news yet. You don't want to miss the right candidate, right?"

Wang Yang nodded. Although he had to race against time now, he could not delay things because of this. After thinking for a while, he said, "Then in three days, it will be the location in the 'Sweetheart' Cafe on Sunset Street."

"Ok, then your name, contact number?"

After everything was registered, Wang Yang paid the 200 US dollars fee before it was finished. Next, he was waiting.

During the three days of waiting, Wang Yang stayed at home, watching horror movies in his mind all day to perfect his script. Wang Yang was scared so much that he couldn't sleep well at night. He would wake up whenever he heard any sound. This is thanks to those horror movies.

The American horror movies are fine, but they are just bloody, and they are more disgusting and thrilling. The theme and cost of "Artistic - Ghost Record" determines that the horror of this movie is psychological, so Japanese horror movies are the focus of his research, while Japanese horror movies are the most terrifying and bring people a feeling of suffocation. Whether it is "Midnight Bell" which was released in January this year or "Grudge" which will be released in 2003... each of them makes Wang Yang's spirit close to the edge of collapse.

Fortunately, I can still talk to Jessica about phone calls and listen to her sweet laughter every day, otherwise Wang Yang would definitely go crazy.

On the day of the interview, the script that "scared out" had been completely written. Wang Yang adopted many horror ideas of the future, and chose it with the thinking of ordinary Americans, gathering the great achievements of psychological horror. If the later "Spiritual - Ghost Record" can scare people, then the unrecognizable "Spiritual - Ghost Record" can be released to death!

The agreed interview start time is 9 a.m. Wang Yang got up early in the morning as usual, practiced boxing and had breakfast, and then set off to the "Sweetheart" cafe on Sunset Street in Hollywood.

When Wang Yang came to the cafe, he found that Jessica, whom he had agreed to come last night, had arrived long ago. She sat in a seat and waved to him with a smile. Wang Yang walked over and muttered in his heart, "That poor guy Joshua is not allowed to come to class, and he even said he wanted to stare at me, haha!"

"Hey, are you Yang?" When it was almost 9 o'clock, the staff sent by the Actors Union also arrived. He was a middle-aged white man wearing a pair of black-framed glasses. He took out his ID and showed Wang Yang the name was Mark Slunt. He smiled and said, "I am responsible for today's interview."

"Hello, Mr. Slunt." Wang Yang hugged him gently, and Jessica also asked, shook hands with Slunt.

Seeing Jessica, Mark Slunt said "Oh", as if he had discovered the treasure, and couldn't take his eyes away and said, "Beautiful lady, are you here for the interview too?"

Jessica shook her head and denied: "No, sir. I am the producer of the movie." She smiled and looked at Wang Yang and said: "Just, I'm just watching the fun. Yang is the judge today, and he has the final say." Wang Yang spread his hands and made a face.

"Oh, I get it." Mark Slunt sat down, ordered a cup of coffee to the waiter, continued to look at Jessica, and praised: "Miss Alba, I am actually an agent. You are very beautiful and have a particularly charming temperament. From the perspective of my years of experience, you can be an actor."

Wang Yang and Jessica both smiled when they heard this, and Jessica said: "In fact, I am already an actor and a member of the Actors Union."

Mark Slunt laughed suddenly: "I knew I wouldn't read it wrong." He looked at Wang Yang, then at Jessica, and asked curiously: "It's interesting, young director (young-director, pun), why don't you let your girlfriend play the heroine in the movie?"

"Oh, oh! No, no..." Hearing that Mark Slunt thought they were a couple, Jessica reflexively denied: "I'm not his girlfriend." After that, she secretly looked at Wang Yang with the corner of her eyes, and her heart was pounding. Why was she full of expectations?

Seeing that she denied so quickly, Wang Yang felt a little disappointed and smiled and said, "I'm a good friend."

"Oh," Mark Slunt shrugged and said, "You can also act if you are not a girlfriend?"

Jessica lowered her head and took a sip of coffee to cover up the unnatural slightest on her face. However, she learned to act and immediately controlled her expression and explained with a smile: "Yan said I am too young and not suitable for the heroine's age."

"Yes, I need the heroine to look over 20 years old." Wang Yang added. In fact, he later reconsidered whether he could let Jessica play the heroine? But in the end, the original verdict was maintained. Because he had watched several horror films starring Jessica in his mind, there was no excellence. It can be said that she was not suitable for horror films at all.

But Mark Slunt seemed to have become a fan of Jessica and said a little dissatisfied: "I think it's quite suitable." He tilted his mouth again and said: "Of course, the young director has the final say."

Seeing Jessica becoming a little unhappy, Wang Yang couldn't help but scold Mark Slunt in his heart, isn't this difficult for him to do? He wanted to explain to Jessica, but he didn't know what to say.

Fortunately, the first actor to come to the interview at this time finally appeared and ended the strange silence on the coffee table. The first person to come was a white actress with long light blonde hair, dignified and beautiful face, and some freckles on her face. She handed her resume to Wang Yang and introduced herself nervously: "Hi, everyone, my name is Anne Darren."

Wang Yang looked through her resume. He was born in 1978 and was 20 years old this year. He used to take acting classes in high school and participated in local stage plays. After graduating from high school, he came to Hollywood to make a living. However, after two years of performance experience, he almost always had extras, that is, a supporting role without lines.

He looked at Anne Darren opposite him and asked, "Anne, what is your first reaction if you meet a ghost at home at night?"

Anne Darren frowned and thought for a while, and said carefully: "Maybe it's a scream."

Screaming? Wang Yang suddenly made a cross in his heart, but Annie came so early and obviously attached great importance to this interview. He continued to ask quietly: "Then if it was late at night and you and your boyfriend were asleep in the bed, you were sleeping sweetly, but suddenly there was a sound of footsteps, and you were awakened in the aisle outside the bedroom." He made a gesture of invitation and said: "Please show your expression after waking up."

"Ok, OK, I'll think about it first." Anne Darren kept blinking, and took a deep breath after a while and said, "Then I'll start." Wang Yang nodded and looked at her with Mark Slunt and Jessica.

Annie closed her eyes, then slowly opened it "um", then frowned, looking left and right with a scared expression, looking at her, looking at her completely unaware of what to do. After the performance, she let out a long sigh, looked at Wang Yang nervously and expectantly, and said, "It was like that just now."

The performance traces are too heavy, and they are deeply influenced by the stage play, so they cannot perform lifelike dv movies at all. Wang Yang made another cross in his heart and shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Annie, you don't meet my requirements..."

"Oh, God!" Anne hugged her head in a deep blow, and her speech also trembled, and she was almost crying: "Can I let me perform again? OK, okay?" Without waiting for Wang Yang to answer, she performed a fearful expression on her face.

"No, no, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Wang Yang handed her resume back to her. Although she sighed in her heart, she could only be heartbroken at this time: "Annie, your performance has not yet gotten rid of the style of stage play. I'm a dv movie and needs a life-like performance, so the interview has been completed."

Annie's eyes were red, she took the resume with a frustration, stood up and said, "Thank you for this interview opportunity." After that, she left lonely.

Jessica shook her head empathically, frowning and said, "I know how sad she is now. Every time I fail the audition, I feel that frustration, as if I am useless and abandoned by God."

"I'm sorry..." Wang Yang sighed. How easy is it to be an actor? There are more than 120,000 members in a single sag. How many actors are there?

According to statistics from the Actors Guild, among these more than 120,000 members, only less than 5% of them have annual salary of more than 100,000 US dollars, and the annual income of 1 yuan to 4,999 US dollars, what is the member ratio? 72.1%.

Wang Yang offered a pay of 4,000 yuan, and the average working hours per week is 571 yuan per day. Now the Hollywood mass role market is 80 US dollars per hour, while the union members are 120 US dollars per hour. So his contract is not generous, but for extras, it is also quite a lot. Moreover, the role is the protagonist, and such a performance opportunity is rare. Director Wang Yang? Who is that? A movie that costs 10,000? Just kidding! But no matter what, he is the protagonist, and there are still 4,000 US dollars.

Therefore, there were many people coming for the interview. One morning, Wang Yang had already interviewed nearly 200 people, but they were not very good and could not meet his basic requirements.

Looking at the strong black muscular man in front of him, Wang Yang asked: "If you are sleeping and are awakened by a strange sound, what will your reaction be? Please perform."

"I guess I'll curse, fuck!" The muscular man cursed and said fiercely: "Which bitch raised me to wake me up!"

Wang Yang could hardly help but wail. The result of acting like this was that horror movies became comedy! He shook his head and said, "Sorry, sir, you can't meet my requirements..."

"What? I can't meet the requirements? Man, what are you kidding!?" The muscular man slammed the table and stared at Wang Yang and said, "I act so well, you actually said I can't meet the requirements?! Hey, to be honest, do you want to fool me?? This is just a scam?"

"Sir, please calm down." Wang Yang frowned.

"Calm down? What's calm!" The muscular man shouted loudly, and suddenly everyone in the cafe looked here. He stood up with his hands pressed on the table, leaning forward and cursed: "Little bitch, do you think your movie is very precious? Don't invite me to act? Fuck!"

Jessica was a little scared. Wang Yang suppressed his anger and said, "Do you want to cause trouble?"

At this time, Mark Slunt shouted the muscular man in a hurry and said, "Hey, man, I know your name. If you do this, I will definitely tell the actors' union."

"Fuck!" The muscular man cursed again, and he really didn't dare to cause trouble. He cursed and left. Before leaving, he looked at Jessica with his eyes shining. Almost all men would do this before leaving. Of course, the muscular man's eyes were particularly annoying. He also laughed and said: "Little Meiniu, Chinese little cock can't satisfy your words, come to me! I will make you feel so happy that I call you mom!"

"Brother, you are seeking death by yourself!" Wang Yang was furious and stood up suddenly and rushed towards the muscular man.

"Yang, Yang!" Jessica reacted quickly and hurriedly stood up to hold Wang Yang, but her strength was no match for her, and she couldn't even hold her. In desperation, she hugged Wang Yang from behind with her hands, held her with all her strength, buried her head on Wang Yang's back, and shouted: "Don't go, don't go!"

"Jessica, let me go!" Wang Yang also tried his best to rush forward, and was furious. This muscular man not only offended Jessica, but also reminded him of Terence Ben who wronged him, with the same body shape and the same expression of beating!

Seeing that Wang Yang was about to rush out, the black muscular man did not dare to respond. Instead, he accelerated his pace and left. He didn't want to fight. If he really started a fight, he would be investigated by the union and he would definitely be kicked out.

Seeing that the guy ran out of the cafe and walked further and further away, Wang Yang's brute force slowly relaxed. He sighed and smiled bitterly at the back: "Jessica, why did you do this before and now? Why don't you let me beat that guy up?"

"Yang, don't go..." Jessica still hugged Wang Yang tightly. At this moment, she seemed to have returned to 9 years ago. At that time, Wang Yang wanted to beat Peter's group of people for her. She also forced herself to stop him. The emotion from 9 years ago suddenly surged out. Just like the frequency now, she felt nervous and sweet in her heart, and it was indescribable.

"Wow, this is really a movie scene!" Mark Slunt on the other side joked, which made Jessica wake up in a dream. She hurriedly let go of Wang Yang, smiling at Wang Yang as shyly and embarrassedly, and Wang Yang also smiled. Mark Slunt said: "Don't worry, I will hand that guy's name to the union, and he will get the punishment he deserves."

He knocked on his wrist watch and said, "It's already noon for the young director, should I take a break?"
To be continued...