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Chapter 139: The New Contract
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 08:58:23 +0000 UTCA night of passion and intense action had even the cleaning aunt passing by shaking her head. Besides what happened in the room, Ethan and Scarlett also had a session in the fire escape, where they underwent an intense training in a master-servant dynamic.
Only when Scarlett could no longer bear the intensity of the training and begged for mercy did Ethan finally stop.
The two slept until noon, and when Scarlett woke up, she realized that her agent had called her more than a dozen times, urging her. Without paying much attention to Ethan, she quickly got dressed, left a kiss, and rushed out.
As for Ethan, he didn't wake up until after Scarlett had left. He lazily checked his phone and saw messages from several girls.
"Ethan, congratulations! I could tell from when we first worked together that you would make it." – Jessica Alba.
"Sweetheart, I've arrived at the set. Yesterday was like a dream! I'm sure you'll stand on that podium again in the future." – Anne Hathaway.
"Ethan! When are you coming back to New York? I want to throw you a party, just you, me, and my dog!" – Avril Lavigne.
Ethan smiled as he called each of the girls, casually explaining his brief disappearance the night before, attributing it to his director, Robert, who had been pushing drinks on him and causing him to get drunk and black out.
While Ethan flirted with the girls, the sun slowly climbed to its zenith outside, ready to unleash its warmth.
Ethan, however, pulled the curtains shut to block out the sun's rays, picked up the torn nun's outfit and the eye mask, smiled, and walked out of the room.
Meanwhile, outside New York Airport, Carl stood next to Tom, looking a bit nervous and awkward.
"Hey, buddy, the sun is really strong today," Carl tried to break the silence.
Tom glanced at the sun but didn't respond.
"Ha, ha. Buddy, why aren't you talking?" Carl awkwardly reached out as if to pat Tom on the shoulder but hesitated because of their noticeable height and size difference.
"Alright, I get it," Carl finally stopped talking, and the two quietly waited for the plane to land.
The reason Carl was here to meet Ethan was not because he was bored; in fact, he had recently signed several promising new stars and had been busy. But with Ethan, he had to pay attention, especially since Ethan had just won the Oscar for Best Cinematography and was now in high demand.
Though he didn't take many jobs, his reputation was enough to attract clients, and even if those clients didn't choose Ethan himself, they would likely sign with others at CAA.
Furthermore, with Vice President Edinson focusing on the music industry recently, their department was now on equal footing with Vice President Brady's. They had moved past the early stage when they had no presence.
CAA often mentioned Ethan when talking about new contracts, especially highlighting the young man who, after being signed, had won an Oscar within a year.
This was why Ethan was so highly valued by the CAA executives—he represented the potential for future growth.
However, things weren't that simple. Although they had signed many young talents, no one else had grown as quickly as Ethan.
On the other hand, signed technical professionals were more stable and more suitable to work with, so Ethan was unique within CAA. His emergence had shown the possibility of a new model: finding and nurturing potential stars, reducing the cost of contracts, and making bigger profits.
But this model hadn't been easy to implement, and they would have to invest a lot of effort.
Carl had come primarily to discuss the contract with Ethan.
In fact, there was less that CAA could offer him now. If it was in the music industry, clients could directly approach Ethan for collaboration. In film, with Ethan's rising fame, it wouldn't be hard for film crews to find him either.
Therefore, Ethan didn't really need CAA to help him get resources anymore, which made renewal negotiations less favorable for both parties.
Edinson knew this and sent Carl to personally invite Ethan to discuss it.
Carl waited for twenty minutes before Ethan finally arrived.
"Congratulations, Ethan!" Upon meeting, Carl gave Ethan a big hug.
Ethan smiled and returned the hug, then asked, "Carl, is there something we need to discuss in person?"
"Of course." Carl glanced at Tom, who remained silent as usual, and continued, "Edinson wants to invite you to dinner. You've been traveling, and I'm sure you haven't eaten yet."
"That's right, I am a bit hungry," Ethan said, rubbing his stomach. "Let's go, Tom."
The group got in the car and headed to the high-end restaurant that Edinson had reserved.
However, when Ethan stepped out of the car, he realized that it was a Chinese restaurant. The exterior was made of wooden structures with red columns and deep blue carvings, which looked very striking.
"Royal Restaurant," Ethan read the sign, then exclaimed, "Wow, this is my first time having high-end Chinese food in New York."
"Edinson is already waiting for us in the private room," Carl said, leading the way. The three of them went upstairs and entered the private room with the help of the waiter.
"Ethan! Long time no see." Edinson, who had been sitting in a redwood chair, immediately stood up upon seeing Ethan. His suit was unbuttoned, showcasing his muscular build.
They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries about the Oscar win.
Once they were done, the food was served, and Carl and Tom went to the hall to eat while only Edinson and Ethan remained in the private room.
After Ethan had eaten a couple of bites of sweet and sour pork, Edinson couldn't help but speak up: "Ethan, I really didn't expect it. When I first gave you a contract for an assistant cameraman, I never imagined you'd win an Oscar. It's really incredible."
"Well, I'd say it was just luck," Ethan said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
"That's not luck, that's skill," Edinson tapped the table. "Which is why I think our cooperation should change."
"What kind of change?" Ethan asked curiously. He had considered the CAA contract before, but his plan was not to renew it after it expired since he no longer needed them. He had everything he needed and saw no reason for CAA to take a share of his earnings.
But Edinson had a different idea.
"Ethan, I know that your fame has grown. It seems like you don't need CAA's resources anymore. But we could adjust the contract. You'll need someone to manage your resources."
"Manage resources?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes," Edinson continued. "I can assign a dedicated agent to manage all your future needs."
What Edinson proposed was essentially reversing their roles. Previously, CAA controlled the resources, but now, with Ethan's growing fame, he would take the lead.
It was like a typical agent model, which many stars still used today.
But that wasn't enough to convince Ethan. He shook his head and said, "I'm not really interested in that."
"Don't worry, Ethan. Your cut would only be five percent," Edinson continued. "Moreover, we can help you negotiate top-tier movie resources and secure the best prices to maximize your profit."
"But what if I want to make my own movies?" Ethan waved his hand. "Honestly, Edinson, I appreciate your consideration, but I'm planning to become a director now."
Edinson was taken aback for a moment. He hadn't expected Ethan to be so ambitious. A cinematographer couldn't satisfy him anymore; he was aiming for something bigger—directing.
Becoming a director in Hollywood was the most prestigious role, but it was also fraught with challenges. Directors often had to deal with producers, investors, and actors.
However, Edinson could see that Ethan had the potential to be a director, so he didn't want to lose him as a client.
After thinking for a moment, Edinson asked, "So, are you planning to make your own movies?"
"Not only make them, but I plan to invest in them too."
"Alright, I can add a clause to the contract that if you're the main investor in a film, CAA's package service will only charge five to eight percent of the budget, depending on the number of staff members involved. You must know this is a huge concession."
Ethan's interest was piqued. Edinson was right—this was a big offer.
CAA's package service normally charged a minimum of ten percent of the movie's budget, with no upper limit. For instance, if a film had a budget of 100 million dollars, the service would cost at least ten million dollars, plus any additional costs for the stars.
But with only five percent, if he made a low-budget film, he would save a significant amount of money.
For example, Saw had a budget of only 1.2 million dollars, which meant CAA would only take around 60,000 dollars to assemble a complete crew, excluding the main actors. This was a very favorable deal.
Edinson's offer was exactly what Ethan needed for future films. He was now thinking about costs and profits, and this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.
