Chapter 41: Contact Information

Orange County, a middle-class community.

Arriving at the community theatre, Paul stood at the door, checking his watch, a bit anxious. "What's taking Mario so long? He's always dragging his feet."

Feeling impatient, he paced back and forth.

A couple of days ago, someone contacted the community theatre director, inviting him to attend a movie screening and perform some particular acting tasks. The job was only three days long, but it paid $2,000.

Paul and Mario had been selected after a screening process.

Even though they worked part-time at the community theatre, they weren't from this middle-class area. For both of them, $2,000 was no small amount; it was more than a month's average income.

Moreover, the organizers and the theatre director had assured them that the job was legal.

Finally, the chubby Mario arrived at the theatre entrance.

"Why are you so late?" Paul complained. "We're supposed to sign the contract today. Being late isn't good."

Mario opened his soda, took a big gulp, and said, "We'll make it in time."

Paul grabbed him, urging him along. "Come on, this is a $2,000 deal! That's enough to cover your sister's expenses for the next quarter."

This extra income was crucial for them.

They went to the community theatre director's office, where they met the ordinary-looking middle-aged man.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Robert."

"Good afternoon," Robert replied, handing them some documents. "These are the contracts. Please read them over."

Paul and Mario took the contracts and started reading.

The community theatre director spoke up. "I can act as an intermediary and witness for the contract. If you're unsure, we can go to a law firm."

Paul quickly said, "No need for that."

"Yeah! Yeah!" Mario nodded vigorously.

The conditions had been discussed earlier, and with a trusted person vouching for them, both men signed the contracts after reading them. Despite the confidentiality clause, the $2,000 fee was incentive enough to keep their mouths shut.

After signing the contracts, the community theatre director left the office.

Robert opened his briefcase and handed them a set of ordinary copies. "This outlines the project you'll be performing for. Familiarize yourselves with it."

They took the documents and started reading. After going through a few sections, they felt reassured.

They had previously been a bit worried about what might be required of them. Paul, finishing first, smiled and said, "Mr. Robert, don't worry. We've got this."

Robert reminded them, "Remember to come to my place two days early for training."

Paul confidently said, "We've agreed on everything. We'll follow the contract."

Two thousand dollars in extra income was something that only came by sometimes.

After finishing reading, Mario said, "This isn't too difficult. I can drink more soda to add to the realism."

Paul quickly agreed. "Yes! Yes! We'll drink more soda."

Robert smiled and nodded. These two were seasoned actors at the community theatre and quite clever.

Having secured Paul and Mario, Robert left the community theatre and headed to the following location. Michael had been right; preparing well in advance was always better than waiting passively.

For distribution, creating as many favourable conditions as possible beyond the film itself was crucial.

Michael had also kept in touch with several distribution company representatives, even attending a screening hosted by Lionsgate.

Like most Hollywood screenings, this one had an audience composed of industry insiders and some fans, whose opinions the film company took seriously.

After attending the standard screening, Michael further refined his plan. While Hollywood had devised many bizarre stunts over the years, they were nothing compared to the future chaos.

Times were changing, and so was Hollywood.

Before the crew returned from San Fernando Valley to Warner Bros. Studio, Michael visited the location one last time. Another crew had already moved into the villa and was preparing to shoot, bringing along a group of heavily made-up actresses.

These actresses were experts in romance films, but it was too early for Michael to recognize any familiar faces.

Actresses he admired, like Marlena Morgan and Toni Black, probably wouldn't debut for a few more years.

Stormy Daniels, famous for her entanglements with a particular tweet-happy leader, hadn't entered the Valley either.

With these random thoughts, Michael returned to Los Angeles and submitted applications to several independent film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival.

They could always rely on film festivals for screenings if they couldn't find a distributor.

After Michael and James Wong discussed the filming approach for the background action scenes, the pace of filming increased significantly. By early June, they were nearing the end.

James Wong had accumulated a wealth of experience over his ten-plus-year career in the film industry and was truly adept at shooting horror films.

Michael hardly interfered with the filming process. He made a point to visit the set only when the crew was shooting the final scene.

Bang—bang—

Gunshots rang out as masked robbers fell to the ground. Accompanied by the black character, two Arab actors with guns ran in through the door, saving the protagonist's family.

The male protagonist, trembling, pulled off the robbers' masks one by one, revealing the faces of white neighbours who seemed to have had good relations with them.

The camera lingered on these ruthless white faces before shifting to the black and Arab characters, who instantly appeared righteous.

James Wong's clear and straightforward use of camera language made the message obvious.

"Cut!" James Wong called out, raising his voice. "That's a wrap on this scene!"

He raised his voice further. "I hereby declare the shooting phase of 'The Purge'... completed!"

Standing not far behind James Wong, Michael watched as the crew cheered but said nothing.

The crew members were mostly thrilled—not only was the intense work over but part of their paychecks would soon be issued.

Hollywood payrolls were generally handled in two ways: weekly payments or in two to three installments.

Michael opted for the latter.

In moments like these, he didn't feel the need to assert his presence. His mind was focused on the next phase of post-production.

Compared to filming, Michael planned to be deeply involved in post-production.

Post-production could turn ordinary, even mediocre, shots into something extraordinary.

With filming wrapped, most of the crew celebrated; for many, this was their first feature film.

But Mrs. Seyfried had already pulled Amanda Seyfried away from the crowd.

She pulled out a special tissue to carefully wipe the fake blood from her daughter's face, whispering, "Amanda, remember what I told you? Why waste time with them?"

Amanda scratched her head. "I know, Mom."

Mrs. Seyfried handed her a handbag. "Go now! And don't forget to get his personal contact information."

Since they had decided to pursue an acting career, every producer was important.

Amanda nodded, took the handbag, and headed to a quiet corner.

As Michael was about to leave the set, he noticed Amanda approaching, carrying a handbag as usual.

"Amanda, more cake?" he asked with a smile.

A cute girl who frequently brought snacks quickly left a good impression.

"Yes, for you," Amanda handed the bag to Michael, emphasizing, "This time, it's different. Except for the baking, I did everything myself."

Michael opened the bag and took out a cake. It looked like a novice's work but still said, "An extraordinary gift."

Amanda swayed slightly, hands behind her back. "Try it?"

Michael took a bite and gave a thumbs-up. "Not bad, better than before."

Amanda smiled with satisfaction. "I noticed you don't like sweets much, so I used less sugar this time."

"You noticed that?" Michael knew the girl was observant and subtly praised her. "Too bad filming's over. It'll be hard to get such perfect little cakes from now on."

Amanda extended her hand. "Give me your contact info, and I'll bring more to you."

Michael laughed, pulled out a personal business card, and placed it in Amanda's tiny hand. Amanda pocketed it, waved goodbye, and walked away.

With all scenes shot, the crew transitioned into post-production the next day.