Chapter 235: New Assistant Directors
[Chapter 235: New Assistant Directors]
The plane landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport, and it was nearly evening when they stepped out of the terminal.
Megan, the company's office director, greeted the group at the airport with a convoy of three cars and a minibus.
Following Linton's instructions, accommodations were arranged for Yuen Woo-ping's team at a hotel affiliated with Universal Studios.
Additionally, the estate had prepared two Mercedes-Benz SUVs and a pickup truck to pick up the infused quartz crystals that was sent via airmail.
With night approaching, Linton asked Megan to host Yuen Woo-ping and his team, arranging a meeting at the crew office at Universal Studios at 9 a.m. the next day.
He left his assistant Meena, Carter, and the bodyguards who'd come to pick him up at the airport to handle the infused quartz crystals retrieval while he and Danny returned to the estate first.
...
Knowing Linton would be back today, Naomi, Cristiana, and Monica had already returned and eagerly awaited his arrival.
As the old saying goes, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," so the evening naturally became filled with excitement among the four of them.
Naomi's two recent starring films had been huge successes, firmly establishing her as a leading actress in Hollywood. She'd been extremely busy attending various press events and business engagements, flying across the U.S. daily, only just winding down last week.
Her agency secured seven new brand endorsements for her -- all top-tier names, including luxury brands like Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, Visager women's fashion, and Jo Malone fragrances.
Each endorsement paid upwards of four million dollars per year, and they were currently shooting commercials for these brands in Los Angeles.
The endorsement deals alone brought in massive income. Even after deducting agency commissions, the new deals amounted to over $25 million annually. Combined with her existing endorsements, Naomi's endorsement earnings exceeded $35 million each year.
Moreover, during the past two months, capitalizing on her film's popularity, she traveled widely throughout the U.S. for various press and promotional activities, earning over $10 million.
Her income truly placed her among the top-tier actresses, making her a bona fide wealthy woman.
In just two years, she had transformed from a struggling actress working in a diner to today's celebrated A-list star. It was a legendary inspirational story and a true embodiment of the American dream.
Naomi's success naturally inspired some envy from Cristiana and Monica, but they also understood the real reasons behind it. Now on the right path, their future looked promising.
According to Linton's analysis, the two had been aggressively promoting their films lately, and the upcoming movie Happy Death Day was expected to mark a breakthrough, or at least elevate them into the second-tier leading lady ranks.
Thinking of this, the three women burst with enthusiasm, their spirits soaring, making their personal pursuits all the more thrilling.
---
Blake moved swiftly. In just a few days, he had assembled the crew for The Man from Nowhere. Several key positions were already filled: prop master, set designer, makeup artist, stylist, lighting technician, and photographer.
They rented a crew office and studio at Universal Studios and began constructing the sets according to the storyboards provided by Linton.
...
At 9 a.m., Linton arrived at the crew office, with Megan escorting Yuen Woo-ping from the hotel.
Linton held the first crew meeting, introducing Yuen Woo-ping to the entire crew and then reviewing the progress on preparations.
Linton had set a tight timetable -- only one month to prepare the action choreography. While the scenes were relatively straightforward, everyone felt the pressure to complete the work quickly. Fortunately, the crew was composed of experienced professionals who quickly got down to work once roles and tasks were clear.
The crew arranged a large room for Yuen Woo-ping's team, and Linton handed them the full script, asking them to study and design the fight choreography.
He demanded speed, precision, and ruthlessness -- a one-shot kill style. Yet the fights needed to be beautiful and stylish: lethal but cool. While impossible for most Hollywood action directors, Yuen Woo-ping's team was more than capable.
...
After the meeting, Linton asked Blake, "Any progress with recruiting assistant directors?"
"Boss, being your assistant director right now is highly sought after. Over 30 people signed up in just two days. I've pre-screened the list based on your criteria and selected 23 candidates who meet the basic requirements. Here's the list and their profiles," Blake reported, handing over a stack of files.
Among them was Jonathan Glazer, the director behind Pepsi's Taste the Feeling commercial. He was an excellent candidate and would be kept onboard.
Among the other 22, Linton recognized a familiar name -- James Wong, a well-known director famed for his work on Final Destination, which he both wrote and directed.
Though still an industrious screenwriter, several of his scripts co-written with Glenn Morgan had been adapted into films, though none became major hits.
However, aspiring to direct was a screenwriter's dream, and James Wong was no different. Seeing Linton's call for assistant directors, he applied eagerly.
He was kept on, with the plan to potentially start the Final Destination project next year, allowing Linton to write the script himself and have Wong direct.
This would be another gold mine series. Linton recalled six installments had already been made in his previous life. Its value was comparable to the Scream franchise and the Scary Movie spin-offs.
Linton had no impressions of the other 20 candidates and, lacking interest in interviewing them all individually, decided to move forward with Jonathan Glazer and James Wong, instructing Blake to notify them for interviews.
...
Considering the lead role required intense fight scenes requiring Yuen Woo-ping's team's expertise, an early casting decision was important so training could begin promptly.
Taking racial balance into account, and reflecting on action stars he remembered, Linton felt Will Smith was the best fit.
Will Smith had a positive public image and was very popular. He was just beginning to transition from a singer to film acting, so his pay demands would likely be modest -- and he'd be willing to endure tough training.
"That's him. Arrange an audition ASAP," Linton instructed Blake.
...
The next morning, Jonathan Glazer and James Wong arrived at The Man from Nowhere crew office. Linton spoke with each privately for half an hour.
He confirmed they were no ill intentions toward him or the crew, and that they weren't planted by competitors to sabotage the production.
They were there simply to learn, seek opportunities, and hoped to be appreciated by Linton, aspiring to follow in the footsteps of directors like Zack, Anne, Michael Bay, and Ryan.
Linton made an immediate decision to admit both.
Blake and Goodman acted quickly, negotiated salaries with their agents, and signed contracts that same day. Each assistant director was paid $100,000.
Linton gave them copies of the script and storyboards for The Man from Nowhere, asking them to study and familiarize themselves thoroughly to participate in the crew's preparation work.
*****
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