My Hollywood System

Chapter 31:

“Not bad?” Will took his seat and put his chin between his index finger and thumb, with the elbow on the desk.

James nodded, “I don’t want to sound rude. I can see the effort you have put in, but… but this kind of movie will never work.”

“Oh?” Will squinted his eyes at him, “And why not? It’s not like this is the first time such a technique is used.”

“I know,” James replied, “But the last time it was used was thirty years ago. It’s not just one or two years… but three fucking decades!”

“And?”

“And?” James frowned, “Can’t you see my point? One, your technique is very old. Right now, a single movie costs millions of dollars, with crazy CGI and VFX, and what you’re giving me is a home video in some cheap camcorder. What do you think the audience will choose? Home recording or something which a company has invested in millions and has breathtaking visuals and effects.”

Will slightly nodded and then stood up, exhaling a sigh, “So, it’s a no?”

“Um, let’s say, give me your contact, I will contact you if there’s anything,” James replied.

He may not have given a direct answer, but it wasn’t hard to see from his response that he was not impressed.

‘And if he’s not impressed, then no one in the Foxstar will be.’

Because James was the guy whose words will be taken as truth since he’s the one who has reviewed the movie.

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Will clutched his bag and moved forward his right hand for a shake.

“I will see you then.”

James just smiled and stood up and white buttoning his blazer, he said, “Give your contact to the receptionist. I will see you around.”

Without waiting for Will’s response, he turned around and left the room.

Will stared at his back while slowly retracting his hands.

After a moment of silence, he exhaled once again and left the room, heading towards the exit without stopping at the reception.

Five minutes later, he was standing near the exit of the Foxstar Studio, looking around at the passing cars.

Nearby, there was a small park. Taking a soda from a vending machine, he sat on a chair and clicked the can open.

-gulp!

‘It will take time.’

Will may have gotten rejected, but this was not the end of the world.

Just then, his phone rang.

-ttrring, trring.

[Incoming Call]

[June]

Will stared at the caller id for a long time and, taking a deep breath, he leaned forward, put his elbow on his knee and palm on his chin while clicking the green button on his phone.

“Hello.” He spoke. His voice came out a bit gruff and suppressed because of his mood and the hand on his chin.

-…Will?

It was June on the other side. She was waiting for the good news, but the tone of Will’s voice froze her.

-Is it you?

“Yes,” Will replied.

-What happened? Don’t tell me…

“Yeah, they rejected the movie.”

-Hmm

June pursed her lips, and after a moment of pause, she lied.

-It’s alright. I wasn’t expecting instant success.

Even though she wished for the best and couldn’t even sleep properly because of the nervousness, she chose to tell the opposite because she didn’t wish for Will to feel even more disappointed.

-Will, don’t worry now. And I will be real, everyone in the cast, and you – the director – are still no-name people in this industry. And we’re not alone. Hundreds and thousands of struggling actors and directors are trying to make it big. And they go to these big companies with their ideas, scripts, talents and videos but rarely get selected.

-In fact, the company themselves views the struggling artists as nothing but plebs. This is your first work, and the struggle to make it a reality has just begun. These big companies don’t want to take risks by taking projects of the no-name artists. Once you get over this hurdle, things will be much easier.

Will remained silent at her word, which only made June even more worried.

-Are you listening to me, Will? Do not be discouraged, alright? This is nothing but a setback. And setbacks are nothing but stairs to success. Okay?

“Yes,” Will smiled.

His mood lightened up a bit after hearing June’s words.

-Good.

June smiled as she continued.

-And don’t forget that Foxstar isn’t the only studio in this city.

Will nodded, “I understand. I will go and knock on the door of every studio in this city. I bet there will be at least one studio that will accept this movie.”

-Yes. Will, you’re a diamond in the rough. There are many struggles that you will face in the future, and they will only make you more cut and slick. And trust me, those companies which will reject you today will regret it later when they see you succeed. I am sure there will be a day when these companies will come to you, begging you to make them a part of your projects.

Will smiled, “You will spoil me, June. What if I become arrogant after listening to your coaxing?”

-You won’t be. And even if you do, I will be there with you to encourage you to be a better person.

“Oh? And how will you encourage me?”

-Hmm, come to my apartment; I will let you know.

“Oh….” Will laughed, “Now now, I still need to roam the whole city, don’t tempt me, what if I skip all of them and come to you right now?”

-Well, I hope you don’t, but I won’t mind.

Will smiled, “Alright, I will get this done and come to you later.

-Sure.

June removed the phone from her ear as the call got disconnected.

She then closed her eyes, folded her hands near her chest, and she prayed.

“God, please be with us and help Will succeed.”

Although she wanted the movie to work out for her personal benefits, too, now her prime reason for wanting it to work was for Will’s success.

….

//DreamNote//

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