Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

"The second step is to collaborate with domestic companies. You don't need to play the main role, just some key supporting roles. You can authorize them to use your name for promotion, such as 'Hollywood Chinese Film Emperor' or other titles. Of course, the script must be good enough and ideally for a Spring Festival release."

Ethan tapped the table and continued, "In recent years, the most famous domestic directors include Feng Xiaogang and Peter Chan. Their films not only guarantee good reviews but also box office success. As long as you participate, it's the best promotion. Of course, Feng Xiaogang's films should stick to comedies."

"At the same time, you need to promise their parent companies certain opportunities," Ethan explained. "This is essentially an exchange of interests. When you can bring them benefits rather than threats, these people naturally become allies."

"They'll voluntarily protect your reputation, promote your films, and ensure your name spreads domestically."

"Only this way can you get what you want."

"Hmm..." Zun Long pondered for a moment. "It sounds a bit troublesome."

Ethan laughed. That was Zun Long's personality. He always disliked dealing with interpersonal relationships, so his social skills hadn't improved much over the years.

If it weren't for the heavy criticism he received domestically, he wouldn't have learned to adapt at all.

But in Ethan's view, being overly accommodating without assertiveness is no better than being a pushover. Hollywood doesn't value niceties either; people are judged by their professional abilities.

Having a temper isn't a problem. What's problematic is failing to fulfill your responsibilities while being temperamental.

"No worries, Mr. Zun Long. If you're willing, I can handle it for you." Ethan had finally unfolded the full map of opportunities for Zun Long. While he genuinely admired him, he also aimed for mutual benefit.

The purpose of today's lengthy conversation wasn't just to persuade Zun Long to accept the role in Memoirs of a Geisha but also to secure a heavyweight actor for his company.

"Are you suggesting I change agencies?" Zun Long wasn't naïve; he immediately caught the implication in Ethan's words.

"Exactly," Ethan nodded. "I'll be straightforward. I believe Chen Yubing and your current agency are neglecting you. They didn't conduct thorough research before pushing you into the domestic market headlong—this was a significant mistake. And Deng Jianguo? Honestly, I suspect there are vested interests involved. Otherwise, I can't understand why they'd have you sign with him."

"Perhaps... but I think Deng Jianguo just wanted to profit off my fame. I don't really mind." Zun Long still didn't believe Deng Jianguo was malicious.

Ethan shrugged. "It doesn't matter, Mr. Zun Long. What's important is that I can prove it to you. Just give me one promise."

"What promise?" Zun Long asked.

"One film. You'll appear in a domestic movie in a supporting role without taking any pay," Ethan said, observing Zun Long raise an eyebrow.

"Fine," Zun Long agreed without hesitation. "If you can help me establish a domestic reputation, I can promise that."

"That's enough," Ethan said, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and one small request—you'll also star in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha under my direction. Don't worry; you'll be paid in full for it."

For the first time, Zun Long smiled in Ethan's presence. "Of course, no problem. I actually like the script."

After resolving things with Zun Long, Ethan contacted Huayi Brothers via an international call through Norton Eye the next day. When he arrived at the company, a red banner was already hung outside.

"Welcome Hollywood's renowned director Ethan Norton!"

"It's quite nostalgic," Ethan chuckled as he walked in. He was greeted by a lovely receptionist and led into the building.

It wasn't until three hours later that Ethan emerged.

The following day, Zun Long and Ethan sat in a room together, reviewing various investigative reports Ethan had presented.

If there's enough benefit to gain, domestic film companies are willing to reveal everything to Ethan. This included exposing Deng Jianguo's many shady dealings.

Deng Jianguo's reputation in the entertainment industry was already terrible due to his penchant for sensationalism. Many stars had suffered because of him.

For instance, Deng Jianguo aggressively convinced Kent Tong to sign with his company and packaged him as the first Hong Kong actor to sign with a mainland firm. He spent lavishly promoting a new show, claiming it would be the largest domestic production with an investment of 10 million.

Though the project earned massive attention even before airing and brought Deng Jianguo millions in profits, conflicts eventually arose, leading Deng Jianguo to sue Kent Tong's brother for compensation.

Apart from these incidents, Deng Jianguo also engaged in numerous stunts, such as using rumors of maintaining celebrity relationships for publicity or secretly organizing commercial schemes under the guise of industry events.

With such a notorious history, Deng Jianguo's professional credibility was nearly non-existent. Many collaborated with him purely for financial reasons.

Thus, when Ethan dangled the allure of Hollywood before them, domestic film companies wasted no time exposing Deng Jianguo's misdeeds.

After reviewing all the materials, Zun Long, usually calm and composed, displayed noticeable anger for the first time.

"Mr. Zun Long, you see, it only took me a day to uncover Deng Jianguo's deceit. But your agency? They've done nothing to protect your interests or wishes all this time."

Ethan presented the facts. "This proves they don't truly care about your reputation. They only care about profits."

Although the Hua brothers weren't entirely spotless, their initial goals aligned with nurturing their company into a major force. They had good directors, actors, and screenwriters, which led to over a decade of success.

For Zun Long, with only a few years left in his career, catching this wave would be a win-win.

After listening to Ethan's words, Zun Long reflected for a long time. "Ethan, I can't give you an immediate answer now, but I'll decide soon."

"No problem. I don't have much time left here either," Ethan said, raising the plane ticket in his hand. "I'm flying back to Los Angeles tomorrow. If you've made up your mind, come find me on set."

"Thank you, Ethan," Zun Long said, shaking Ethan's hand before leaving.

"No need to thank me—it's mutually beneficial."

....

After returning to Los Angeles, Ethan went back to the training room. Michelle Yeoh had already left to film her project.

Now, only Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi were present. Over the past few days, they had made some progress with the fan choreography, managing to pull off some impressive moves, though the success rate was still low.

As for acting, Ethan was sitting on the tatami mat, watching Zhang Ziyi's performance.

"I have so many things I want to say to Sister Hatsumomo..."

"My advice is to keep silent."

"You should listen to advice more often."

"I've been a geisha too."

"Cut!"

Hearing the call for a cut, Zhang Ziyi's body trembled involuntarily. These past few days, even in her dreams, she often heard Ethan's sharp "Cut!" haunting her.

It made her feel extremely stressed. Because of this, she stayed up late every night, practicing and memorizing lines, determined to prove her acting skills were up to Ethan's standards.

So now, when Ethan called "Cut!" for real, she instinctively lowered her head, bracing for his judgment.

To her surprise, the expected sharp criticism and scolding did not come. Instead, Ethan nodded and said, "It's acceptable. You've grasped the essence of the character Sayuri, but your performance is still a bit raw."

Zhang Ziyi let out a long sigh of relief and looked up happily, only to quickly restrain herself when she saw Ethan's indifferent expression.

Over the next few days, Ethan stayed in the training room, working closely with the actors on the script.

Until one afternoon, a week later, Ethan received a call from Zun Long.

"Ethan, I've settled everything. I'm ready to sign with you."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, surprised at how efficiently Zun Long had handled things. He grabbed a recent newspaper and, sure enough, the news of Zun Long's termination with his previous agency had been published. Many agencies had already expressed interest in signing him.

With this, Ethan sought out Carl.

"Carl, how long have you been at CAA?"

Carl had been quite idle recently. Ethan rarely engaged in commercial activities, and aside from that one watch brand, most deals Carl proposed were rejected.

However, Ethan's director fees were enough for Carl to earn a decent income, so he was happy to enjoy his leisure time, sipping tea by the pool and watching people swim.

Now that Ethan came looking for him, Carl was caught off guard, wondering if it was about his performance or if he was about to be fired.

Hearing Ethan's question, Carl hesitated for a moment before answering, "Uh, about three years, I think."

"Do you have any attachment to CAA?"

"I guess… sort of… maybe." Carl wasn't sure how to answer. Was he supposed to say outright that it was just a job and not something he was emotionally invested in?

"Would you consider leaving?"

"Are you saying I've done something wrong? I can change… Wait, wait, let me think." Carl rubbed his shiny forehead, staring at Ethan. "Are you saying you want me to leave CAA?"

"Of course. What else?" Ethan chuckled. "Did you think I was going to fire you?"

"Oh, my God, Ethan! You scared me. I thought I'd done something wrong."

Ethan shook his head. "No, you've done a great job, Carl. You've handled a lot of tasks for me."

Carl felt a bit speechless. He wanted to remind Ethan that dealing with "tasks" was just a small part of his job as an agent. Still, he appreciated the recognition.

But it made sense—Ethan didn't need him to secure ordinary advertising deals or negotiate film contracts. Instead, Carl often felt like a glorified assistant.

"So, Ethan, what are you trying to say? Why are you encouraging me to leave CAA?"

"Because Zun Long needs an agent, and I need someone reliable to assist him," Ethan explained directly.

Carl raised a hand. "Wait a second, Ethan. You're joking, right? Zun Long? Long? He needs an agent?"

Carl ran his hands through his thinning hair. "This must be an April Fool's joke!"

But when he saw Ethan's serious expression, Carl dropped his hands. "Okay, fine. I know Zun Long terminated his contract, but what does this have to do with me? Or are you saying it's because of you?"

"That's right. He's about to sign with Angel Declaration," Ethan admitted.

In truth, after spending so much time with Ethan, Carl had already realized he was no ordinary director. With companies like Norton's Eye, Apex Creativity, and Angel Declaration, which seemed unrelated on the surface but were closely linked, Carl had long suspected Ethan was the one pulling the strings.

Now that Ethan had confirmed it, Carl still found it hard to believe.

"Ethan, your ambitions are huge," Carl remarked sincerely.

"Thank you for the compliment." Ethan smiled, tapping the table. "So, what's your decision?"

"How could I say no? It's Zun Long!" Carl exclaimed excitedly. In Hollywood, Zun Long had a significant following.

Even major directors admired his elegance and charisma.

In America, Zun Long had transcended racial barriers and become a widely recognized figure.

So, when Carl learned he could represent Zun Long, he quickly handled his resignation and officially joined Angel Declaration.

Three days later, the media reported that Zun Long had swiftly signed with a new agency. However, the company name shocked Hollywood.

Angel Declaration? What kind of company was that?

Further investigation revealed it primarily managed a girl group and some Japanese actors, seemingly unrelated to a Hollywood superstar like Zun Long.

But only Zun Long himself knew the truth. Shortly after signing the contract, he received numerous offers from Chinese filmmakers and appeared on national television interviews, thanks to the agency's operations.

At the same time, Angel Declaration attracted a group of young Chinese actors who would train alongside international talents and, in the future, participate in Hollywood films to enhance their reputations.

Meanwhile, after wrapping up these matters, Ethan received an unexpected call from Jessica Alba.

.....

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