A_nobody
patreon
Chapter 163: Assistant and Public Relations
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 08:36:06 +0000 UTCAfter parking the car, the brown-haired woman in the driver's seat first looked through the window at the three-story building beside the road, then lowered her head to look at the card with the address written on it, confirming she hadn't gotten the wrong place. She opened the door and got out, walking towards the small building.
This was a mixed-use building housing various companies or studios. From the hanging nameplates, she could tell that the businesses here were mostly related to the film and television industry, which was common in Burbank and the greater Los Angeles area. Many such companies were established daily, while others went bankrupt.
Hollywood was not just a place for actors; it also attracted dreamers from other professions. Countless talents in screenwriting, cinematography, costume design, and makeup flocked here from all over, pursuing their dreams of success and the desires that fame brought. This place gathered the world's top talents in filmmaking.
The brown-haired woman was acutely aware of this. She had come to Los Angeles from Chicago, seeking her own film dream.
However, with several years of relevant experience, she understood that in the harsh reality of Hollywood, achieving dreams often meant starting from the very bottom.
Climbing the stairs to the second floor, she arrived at the door of an office, glanced at the room number, and gently knocked on the door.
The door was opened from the inside by a middle-aged Latina woman. The brown-haired woman's eyes glanced past her into the office, which appeared to contain a larger suite, decorated and furnished very simply, indistinguishable from those small film studios on the verge of closing down.
"Who are you looking for?" the middle-aged woman asked.
"I'm here for an interview, scheduled with Miss Coppola," she replied seriously.
After hearing this, the middle-aged woman let her in and knocked on the door of the suite. A moment later, she walked out and said, "What's your name?"
"Elizabeth Tina Fey," she answered earnestly.
"Please go in," the middle-aged woman indicated toward the door. "Miss Coppola and Mr. Rosenberg are waiting for you inside."
Nodding, she took a deep breath twice, holding the folder containing her resume, and walked over to gently knock on the door. After hearing a monotonous nasal voice from inside say "Come in," she opened the door and stepped inside.
The suite inside was as simple as the outside. Apart from a few filing cabinets, two desks, and a small sofa for visitors, the only decoration was three framed pictures hanging on the wall, which depicted a bus leaping out of flames, a small island engulfed in an explosion, and a spaceship hovering above the White House.
Without needing to look a second time, Tina Fey already knew that these were the studio owner's released masterpieces. The first two had been hailed as classics by countless action fans, and the latter had created a worldwide impact, recently surpassing the $900 million mark at the global box office!
And the person behind such remarkable achievements was sitting behind the desk: a young director of a similar age, who was the biggest reason she had come to apply at this studio.
Everyone wanted to follow in the footsteps of successful figures to expedite their own progress!
Sitting on the small sofa, she exchanged a few quiet words with Sofia Coppola, who had conducted her initial interview. Tina Fey's eyes unconsciously drifted to the other side, where Duke Rosenberg seemed to be engrossed in something, appearing unhurried.
She patiently waited; every opportunity in Hollywood was precious. Although this was merely an assistant position, it was the assistant to Duke Rosenberg, one of Hollywood's top commercial directors! She knew that over the past few days, there had been hundreds of applicants!
Just like Kathleen Kennedy with Steven Spielberg, the assistant position next to a major director often served as a shortcut to success. Tina Fey was eager to secure this position and had even given up an opportunity to interview for a writer role at "Saturday Night Live," as that was just an ordinary position among a large writing team, while this was the only assistant position beside a top director!
Moreover, the person who previously held this position was Sofia Coppola!
Before the interview, Tina Fey had thoroughly researched. After serving as Duke Rosenberg's personal assistant for three years, Sofia had become the co-director and executive producer of his new film, "Saving Private Ryan." Surely, if the timing was right, she could launch her own work.
Tina Fey didn't have such grand ambitions; she merely aspired to become an excellent screenwriter and producer in the future, which was enough.
But all of this needed to start from the basics, progressing step by step. To speed things up, the best way was to leverage the strength of others.
Closing the financial report, Duke lifted his head and looked at the woman on the sofa. She had medium-short hair and a rugged Western woman's face, appearing to be around his age.
This was the sixth and final assistant candidate he had interviewed since returning from France.
Duke didn't say anything but nodded to Sofia. These were all candidates she had selected from the first round of interviews. After Sofia briefly summarized, Tina Fey began her self-introduction.
"I'm from Pennsylvania, graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in drama. Before coming to Los Angeles, I worked at the Second City Theatre, involved in various roles including screenwriter, actor, stage manager, and production assistant…"
An hour later, the interview concluded. Tina Fey walked out of the Duke studio smiling. Although she hadn't received a definitive answer, she could tell that both Sofia Coppola and Duke Rosenberg were satisfied with her. It wouldn't be long before she received the job offer.
This was a position that could officially launch her Hollywood dream!
Tina Fey had never doubted this; being beside a top director, what she could see and experience was beyond what an ordinary film company employee could imagine.
"Is it her?"
Inside the Duke studio, Sofia Coppola asked Duke, "Elizabeth Tina Fey?"
"Do you have better candidates to recommend?" Duke looked at her and asked.
Those willing to take assistant positions were generally newcomers in the industry, and there weren't many experienced individuals like Tina Fey.
"Having gone through these two rounds, I don't think so," Sofia shook her head. "I have a very good impression of her; she seems to be the most suitable one among all the candidates I interviewed."
"Make sure to notify her," Duke stood up and put on his coat. "And don't forget to sign a confidentiality agreement. You guide her first, and if it works out, keep her."
"Understood," Sofia replied, tidying up her bag and walking out with Duke. "It's scheduled for 6 PM tonight. You'll meet and discuss it in person. If both parties are satisfied, you'll sign the PR contract; if not…"
She rolled her eyes, feigning helplessness, and said, "Anyway, I think she's the most suitable one. My dad and mom, as well as Nicolas, all use this PR team."
In Hollywood, almost every day news related to films, directors, or actors would break, especially before and after a film's release. There were frequently interviews, red carpets, and the latest behind-the-scenes clips of certain movies. Even during key moments, news about a lead actor's romantic situation would emerge to attract attention. All this media exposure was actually orchestrated by a behind-the-scenes team, which included the often-overlooked yet essential public relations (PR) team.
The six major production companies in Hollywood have their own PR departments dedicated to managing the public relations of their produced or distributed films. Among them, the two most important positions are Unit Publicist and Unit Photographer, commonly referred to as PT and PR.
The former's main job is to document the filming process during production, collecting any material that could be used for promotion and preparing personal introductions for the main cast and other PR documents. Many of Duke's past promotional plans for films originated from them.
The latter doesn't have fixed working hours; typically, their investment in a film lasts about 7 to 16 weeks. They are primarily responsible for static photography, aimed at providing high-quality photos for film promotion. In other words, the so-called street photos or on-set images of the director and main cast published in the media during filming usually come from these individuals.
Aside from the production companies' PR departments, Hollywood also has many large and small PR firms and independent PR professionals. They assist actors, directors, films, programs, and brands in executing public relations strategic plans on an outsourced basis.
In fact, the work of these individuals can be summarized very simply: dealing with the media, managing the employer's image, designing speeches, and arranging interviews, among other tasks.
During dinner time, the person Duke met was an independent PR professional. Although labeled as "independent," she actually had a team working to assist her.
She was a white woman around fifty years old. After talking for a while, both were satisfied with each other.
The other party was pleased because Duke was clearly a very high-quality client resource. Providing him service meant a significant commission every year.
Duke was satisfied for two reasons: one was Sofia Coppola's recommendation, and the other was that he knew who Pani Callis was, including her past!
In the past, Pani Callis had not only served the Coppola family but had also been the public relations for Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino, and others. It was during her tenure that these individuals gradually ascended to Hollywood stardom, showcasing her capabilities.
Due to the relatively recent time period, Duke still has a vague memory of one of Pani's most classic public relations campaigns. Her client was Robert Pattinson, and the opponent was Kristen Stewart along with her team working behind the scenes.
