Behind The Spotlight Chapter 57
Wyatt and Henry entered the room, and someone brought them cookies and neatly served coffee. The Chairman had told them earlier that they needed at least an hour to fully deliberate the project proposal, and they would be called again once a decision had been made.
Wyatt sat down and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, still tense from the high-pressure atmosphere.
Unlike the last time when he and Collin easily secured an investment from William, today's pitch felt far heavier. Wyatt could feel the pressure mounting with each passing minute. The people in the meeting room were so serious and professional, almost intimidating, that he knew a single misstep could ruin everything.
Except for the one moment when Chairman Noah burst out laughing, the entire pitch had felt suffocating.
Now Wyatt realized even more just how lucky he was to have an agent like Collin. He owed the success of his first movie to him. Collin believed in him when he was still a nobody, fresh out of college, with no real connections. That meant a lot to him, both personally and professionally.
After The Accidental Wedding Crashers was released, Wyatt received many calls and texts from his old college classmates. Almost all of them asked for jobs, hoping he could help them land a role or at least a spot on the crew, especially the women who aspired to be actresses.
But Wyatt wasn't foolish or naïve enough to let flattery cloud his judgment. He might lack experience, but he knew most of them just wanted to use him now that he had a successful film under his belt.
He consulted Collin about it, and the agent was straightforward: hiring amateur people for a professional-level project would be detrimental to the production. Wyatt agreed after thinking it through seriously.
Collin said Wyatt could hire people he trusted and who had strong work ethics. People who wouldn't jeopardize the project, especially with the team still being newly formed and in the process of hiring key members.
But when it came to actors and actresses, it was better for them to go through auditions and prove themselves fairly. Casting people just because they were college friends was too risky and could cause serious problems down the line.
Wyatt agreed… however, there was still one thing he hadn't told Collin and it weighed on his conscience.
Back at the celebration party, Wyatt had hooked up with an aspiring actress whose name he barely remembered that night. The two had done the horizontal monster smash, and Wyatt promised to include her in his next project.
They even had a second rendezvous just two days ago after a casual meetup, and they had kept in touch via text and late-night calls. Both had agreed it was nothing serious, just fun with no strings attached.
Wyatt was nervous about telling Collin because he knew it was unprofessional and unethical. He fucked up by fucking her, without thinking through the consequences.
Still, he planned to invite the woman to audition and compete fairly. If she earned a role, then great.
Unfortunately, his new project centered around three male leads, so her chances of standing out were slim. The best she could hope for was a minor supporting role with limited screen time.
Wyatt glanced at Henry, who looked far more composed than he felt. The producer picked up a cookie, dipped it into the coffee, and ate it with calm precision. He nodded approvingly at the flavor and started eating more with visible satisfaction.
"Do you think they'll agree?" Wyatt asked, hoping to ease his anxiety.
"Wyatt, you're still young, so it's natural to be nervous in situations like this. But you have to be confident in yourself and in your work. Do you know how rare it is for a director to have a box office hit as a debut film? Almost none. Most debut films only manage small profits when released in theaters. Yours broke that pattern."
"Thank you, Henry. That really helps."
Wyatt and Henry had worked together during Director Esteban's project, but their relationship had been mostly professional. They rarely spoke on a personal level and mostly discussed work.
Wyatt's first impression of Henry was that he was calm under pressure and knew what he was doing.
"You don't have to worry, I'm nervous too. But nerves won't help you survive in this industry. If you're serious about being a director, you'll get used to moments like this. As the creative head, you'll always be in rooms like that, defending your vision."
Henry sipped his coffee.
"Look, the situation is in our favor. It's more obvious than you think. Instead of letting us leave and making us wait for days, they decided to give us an answer within the hour. That shows urgency and interest. If they weren't interested, they'd take their time. But this? This is a very good sign. Believe me, we'll get the confirmation today. No doubt."
Henry had experienced countless business pitches in his long career as a producer, and he knew this situation was more optimistic than most. He admitted he was initially caught off guard by the presence of both the CEO and Chairman, but perhaps that meant they saw true potential in Wyatt's new project.
...
...
...
Henry's prediction turned out to be accurate. Both the CEO and Chairman were impressed with Wyatt and his script.
When Uni-versus received word that Wyatt Bray was planning a new project and wanted to pitch it to them, CEO Berry Cruz personally took interest and decided to attend the meeting. He also invited Chairman Noah Nash, who agreed to come along.
Now the deal was the center of everyone's attention.
"It's promising, very promising. If this script performs even half as well as The Accidental Wedding Crashers, it'll be a big win," Berry said.
After 70 days in theaters, The Accidental Wedding Crashers had grossed $252 million worldwide and was still generating revenue. It was a success far beyond expectations.
Noah glanced over the script for a second time with a trace of amusement. The first page alone had made him laugh out loud, it was undeniably promising.
"They're asking for a $20 million investment to fully fund the project. In exchange, we'll own the complete copyright of Week on a Cruise Ship as the sole production studio."
That was standard practice in the industry. Since Uni-versus would be the sole investor, they naturally owned full rights to the film. The director and producer, however, would typically receive a small share of the revenue depending on contract negotiations, usually around 1.5% to 2.5% after expenses were deducted.
"I met Wyatt's agent at the screening for The Accidental Wedding Crashers. His name is Collin East. Judging by Collin's confidence, he'll probably ask for at least a $3 million salary for Wyatt, possibly even a box office share," Berry added as he flipped through the financial proposal.
"$3 million isn't outrageous, considering Wyatt already has a box office hit to his name, which is rare for a new director. The only problem is the box office share, it cuts into our profit. Are we okay with that risk if the film turns out to be another hit?"
"I'll handle the negotiations with Wyatt's agent personally," Noah said without hesitation.
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement. It was rare for the Chairman to negotiate directly, but not unheard of. He had once personally courted a famous actor to star in one of their flagship projects.
Still, the fact that Noah was showing this level of interest in a new director was telling and it said a lot about Wyatt's rising star.
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