Keep an Eye on Her

"Auditions are a crucial part of the film pre-production process. Finding an actor with the right acting skills, a suitable salary, and a matching schedule is no easy task, especially for independent art films like ours.

There aren't many young actors in Hollywood with real acting chops, and their salary demands are often terrifyingly high," Sophia explained patiently to her younger sister as they walked, sharing these common Hollywood truths.

"So, what is our main task today?" Irene asked curiously, linking her arm with her sister's.

This was effectively her first time officially observing a film audition.

She knew almost nothing about the pre-production workflow; her previous experience shooting music videos offered very little help for a real feature film.

"To lock down the film's main cast," Sophia said, pushing open the door to the audition room and nodding to the production manager and assistant director.

They had already learned from Sophia that the youngest daughter of the Coppola Family would be coming to learn today, so they weren't surprised by Irene's presence.

"Hi, Aunt Julie, long time no see! You look as beautiful as ever!" As soon as Irene saw Julie Costello Walzer, she stepped forward and gave her a big hug.

This woman, who could be called the most important partner of the Coppola Family, was an elder who had watched Irene grow up. She hadn't been able to make it back in time for Irene's graduation ceremony last time because her family was vacationing overseas.

It was clear that Francis had specifically invited her this time to help guide Sophia.

With her there, the daily management and execution of the film were essentially covered, allowing the director to focus entirely on the creative process itself.

"Little Irene, I heard you were directing music videos a while back? That's amazing. It seems the Coppola Family is about to produce another best director." To Julie, both Irene and Sophia were like her own children.

"I can't compare to my sister or Dad," Irene responded modestly, as there were outsiders present.

After Irene and Julie finished their pleasantries, Sophia introduced the other two: "This gentleman on the left is our first assistant director, Dan Haas. He is also a co-producer." Irene stepped forward to shake his hand.

"This gentleman on the right is James Woods. He plays Mr. Lisbon in the film and is also participating in the project as an executive producer." Irene shook his hand as well.

The remaining project leads were introduced to Irene one by one. She hadn't expected that a simple audition would require so many people; the acting profession really wasn't easy.

Overall, the atmosphere on set was harmonious and natural. After all, since the session was organized with the help of Francis Coppola, everyone present gave him some face and kept their behavior in check.

After everyone took their seats, Irene sat behind and to the side of Sophia, in a spot reserved specifically for her, directly facing the monitors.

The auditions began quickly.

Those invited today had all passed the initial resume screening. Some relied on talent, others on recommendations, but regardless of the source, their basic acting skills and physical appearance were top-tier.

Throughout the morning, twelve actresses walked into the audition room one after another. Each person gave a brief self-introduction and then went straight into their performance without any unnecessary small talk.

Among them were actors Irene recognized, such as the second one, Kirsten Dunst, who rose to fame with Interview with the Vampire and possessed a blend of classical beauty and a modern, cool temperament.

There was also Bryce Dallas Howard. Irene didn't actually have much of an impression of what she had acted in, only knowing she was the daughter of the famous director Ron Howard, and like herself, a "second-generation director."

Everyone grabbed a casual lunch before continuing with the male actors in the afternoon.

This film focused primarily on female characters, so the requirements for the male actors weren't high. Plus, as a low-budget independent film, no famous male stars were expected to show up.

Throughout the entire afternoon, Irene only recognized one person: Josh Hartnett.

After all the auditions concluded, Julie handed the evaluation sheets in her hand to Sophia, who was sitting behind the monitors.

Irene caught a glimpse of the top sheet, which belonged to Kirsten Dunst, and saw a long string of checkmarks.

"What about the others?" Sophia flipped through the forms in her hand.

Aside from Aunt Julie, Dan Haas and James Woods also held identical evaluation sheets. Clearly, only the four of them were the true decision-makers.

"Alright, everyone else can head out now. Thank you all for participating." Aside from the four decision-makers and Irene, the rest of the staff left the audition room one after another.

"For the lead role, you all chose Kirsten Dunst. Who wants to explain why?"

Julie took out a videotape and pushed the one belonging to Kirsten into the VCR. "Solid acting skills, carries a natural melancholic aura, and fits the character profile. Of course, it's also because she has a certain level of fame, which can attract some of the audience to the theaters."

"Agreed. What is her asking price?"

"One million."

"Tell her the salary is 200,000, paid in two installments. If she can accept that, the lead role is hers."

"Understood."

In just a few words, the fate of the lead actress was sealed. The confirmation of other roles was just as swift.

Before the sun had even set, all the results had surfaced. Irene, who had expected this to be a multi-day ordeal, couldn't help but feel surprised.

Sophia drove Irene and Aunt Julie to Catch LA, one of the most famous restaurants in West Hollywood, frequently visited by celebrities. As they were all behind-the-scenes workers, almost no one recognized them.

"What's wrong? You've been distracted since we left the audition room." Sophia placed a piece of cut steak onto Irene's plate and sprinkled some pepper on it.

"That Kirsten Dunst... I read in the paper last time that her salary for Jumanji was already as high as 2 million. Sis, you're only offering one-tenth of that; can she really accept it?" Irene finally asked the question that had been bothering her.

"Hahaha, let Aunt Julie answer that for you," Sophia said with a laugh, tossing the question to Julie.

"Alright, I'll explain. First, most of the salaries reported in the papers are inflated; it's a tactic actors use to raise their market value. Second, it's perfectly normal to ask for the moon and negotiate down.

We are a low-budget independent film; how could we compare our budget to a commercial blockbuster? If she were only chasing a high salary, she wouldn't have come to audition for our film in the first place."

These were common rules in Hollywood, based on mutual consent.

"So I understand now... if she has a pursuit of art, she will be willing to participate."

"You could say that. Art films and commercial films are two completely different things; the salaries naturally cannot be treated the same way."

Irene finally had an epiphany. In her past life, she only knew how to watch movies and knew nothing about the behind-the-scenes operations; now, she was learning from scratch.

"When I make my own movie, I want Aunt Julie to help me too," Irene said, taking the opportunity to act spoiled. Having an excellent producer could completely make up for her own shortcomings in this area.

"Alright, when our little Irene becomes a director, I'll be your producer too."

Julie probably thought that was at least a few years away, so she agreed with unusual readiness. She was never particularly career-driven to begin with; over the years, she had served almost exclusively for the Coppola Family and rarely took on outside projects.

After dinner ended, Sophia drove Irene back to her small apartment in Burbank. As they were parting, Irene hurriedly grabbed her, insisting she come upstairs for a cup of tea.

"Making me drink tea at this hour, are you trying to keep me up all night?" Sophia complained, though she didn't stop her movements, picking up the teacup to take a light sip.

"How could that be, sis? It's just been so long since I've seen you, I missed you~ You have a long drive back, why don't you just stay here tonight?" Irene's mind was still clogged with a dozen questions, waiting for someone to provide her with answers.

Sophia never refused Irene over small matters. Thinking that the auditions were finished and the location scouting had been handed off to others with no feedback yet, she had nothing urgent on her plate and simply decided to stay.

If you enjoy this book, please remember to add it to your bookshelf so you don't lose it next time.