Getting Involved

A month later, Irene, accompanied by Shelly, officially stepped into the conference room of Zoetrope Studios, the production company of the Coppola Family, for the first time to participate in the pre-production meeting for Legally Blonde.

"Irene, this is Jack Harris, who will serve as the assistant director for this film." Jack looked to be in his early thirties, dressed in a sharp black suit and black tie. His calm demeanor didn't quite fit the typical image of a director.

"Hello, Irene, just call me Jack. The script is excellent." He took the initiative to stand up and extend his hand.

"Hello, Jack. Thank you for the compliment. I hope we can work together to create a masterpiece." Irene quickly shook his hand in response.

"We certainly will."

Besides Jack, several other core crew members were sitting in the conference room, and her father introduced them to her one by one. She was brought here today specifically to meet the partners she would be working alongside, and to formally finalize the details of her contract.

"Since this is your first time directing a feature film, there are some processes you need to understand personally. Afterward, you can leave these matters to your agent," Francis explained to her.

"Your director's fee is set at $200,000, paid in three installments: $50,000 before filming begins, $100,000 upon completion of principal photography, and the final $50,000 to be settled after the film finishes its North American theatrical run."

This was standard Hollywood practice, which Shelly had already explained to her, so Irene had no objections.

Subsequently, Francis briefly outlined the various rights and obligations of the director, while the detailed clauses were drafted by him and Shelly together to be explicitly written into the contract.

Like all rookie directors, Irene possessed the right to make suggestions, but not the final say; all major decisions were still made by the producer.

"Of course, since the work is entirely based on your concept, you can also participate in the editing process later on." This was a portion of creative control that Francis had specifically fought for on his daughter's behalf.

Since he was there to back her up, no one in the room raised any objections.

Once everything was explained, Francis finally brought out the formal director's contract. Irene carefully reviewed the additional clauses, and the profit-sharing agreement she had previously discussed with her father was clearly written in. She signed her name without hesitation.

This contract had been reviewed by many, and everyone believed that after deducting various theater and distribution costs, the remaining profit would be negligible. That bit of "pocket change" was considered a perk from a father to his daughter, so no one opposed it.

Even Shelly Ovitz, who helped draft it, didn't give it much thought. He didn't believe Irene could direct a blockbuster at this stage; if she could succeed so easily, then ninety percent of the directors in the industry might as well commit suicide in shame.

Little did they know that a year later, everyone would be stunned into silence by that "pocket change."

"Who is my producer?" After the contract was signed and the other department heads left to begin their work, Irene looked around and realized her father hadn't introduced the most critical person for this film.

"That would be me, of course." Francis's tone was firm.

Irene's eyes widened in surprise. Since Bram Stoker's Dracula, her father hadn't directed or been deeply involved in film production for nearly six years; even her sister's debut film had been handled by Aunt Julie.

"Why so surprised? Don't want me as your producer? I certainly anticipated that some might question whether I was the one actually directing the film, or even accuse me of favoritism, but..."

Before her father could finish, Irene hugged him tightly. How could she not understand the deep concern and care behind this arrangement?

"Alright, I will only fulfill the duties of a producer. The entire film remains under your full control. Do you have confidence?" Francis patted his daughter's back and asked gently.

Irene released her arms, looked into her father's eyes, and replied firmly, "I do!"

Francis saw a spark in her eyes, just like his own from years ago.

"The film's plot mostly takes place at school, the protagonist's home, and the courtroom, so the locations are relatively easy to secure. Relevant personnel are already scouting for filming sites. Do you have any ideas?"

"Our school would be great." Irene immediately thought of USC, where she was currently enrolled; it was a top choice in terms of both campus aesthetics and ease of negotiation.

"I'll send someone to communicate with them. I plan to hand the score over to Skywalker Sound; Lucas will surely have his team cooperate fully. This film barely requires any special effects, which saves another large sum. Any other suggestions?"

Irene pondered for a moment. "Can the film be ready for release by next summer's blockbuster season? If so, please send someone to Jive to get more Britney posters. We need to create a sense of realism, making the story feel like it's happening right beside the audience."

"No problem, those are easy to arrange."

"What about casting? Casting should be up to me, right?" The original lead's performance was excellent, and she didn't plan to replace her unless necessary.

"Of course, sweetheart. We will fully respect your opinion, so do you have anyone in mind?"

Irene thought for a moment but didn't directly name the original actress. In Hollywood, no role is irreplaceable; what if there was someone even more suitable?

"No specific names, but I do have one suggestion."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"I want everyone to be good-looking."

Her father laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Very well."

Over the following month, Irene balanced her classes while completing the vast majority of the storyboard sketches for the film. The pre-production of the film also progressed smoothly; the filming schedule and requirements had been basically agreed upon with the school, which had always been supportive of student creations.

With her father's support, everything moved forward in an orderly fashion. Soon, the casting process officially began.

Before the auditions, the relevant staff gathered in the temporary office rented for the film to hold a preparatory meeting.

After the production assistant served coffee to everyone, Shelly handed a stack of resumes to Irene.

"These are young actresses and actors signed with CAA. Do you see anyone suitable?"

Irene took them, and the first one was the original lead, Reese Witherspoon, who was now one of the newcomers favored by CAA. As for the others, none left a deep impression on her, so she randomly picked a few.

Besides Reese, she selected a few others who were easy on the eyes and handed the remaining resumes back to Shelly.

"Does anyone else have recommendations?" Irene asked proactively.

"I also received a few here, referred by others." Assistant Director Jack also brought some resumes, both male and female.

Clearly, roles in Hollywood were often reserved for those who were prepared and had connections; otherwise, one wouldn't even know where to send a resume.

She browsed through those as well and selected a few actors who looked the part.

Usually, projects like theirs found it difficult to attract well-known actors to audition.

It was neither as profound as the works of Sophia, which could hone one's acting skills, nor as famous as the movies of Lucas, which could boost one's market value.

Throughout the entire film, aside from the producer, everyone from the director to the screenwriter was Irene (well, she held both of those roles), and even the popularity of Francis among young audiences was no longer what it used to be.

The production team was almost entirely composed of the Coppola Faction, and to outsiders, this movie was practically written with "flop" all over it.

Even the "package deal" strategy that CAA excelled at was off the table, as they were unwilling to participate due to Irene's complete lack of fame.

Consequently, most actors with even a modicum of reputation disdained to come for an audition.

Logically speaking, an actor like Reese Witherspoon, who was currently on the rise, should not have appeared on this list at all.

It was only because they were both under the CAA banner that she had seen parts of the script in advance, developed an interest, and expressed her willingness to audition to the agency.

But this was perfectly normal in Hollywood; those who cherished their reputation were unwilling to let a "stinker" appear in their career.

Everyone simply used conventional logic to speculate on the fate of this film.

But who could have known that Irene, as it happened, possessed a Golden Finger.