Chapter 31
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Pujimaki
Yes, My writing sucks .
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Behind The Spotlight Chapter 31
Two days passed, and the private screening of The Accidental Wedding Crashers proceeded as scheduled.
Jennifer Randon wore a gorgeous smile as she entered the ANT Auditorium, her steps full of confidence and charm. She radiated excitement, dressed in her newest white sundress adorned with a floral design that fluttered lightly with her every movement. Her blonde, wavy hair bounced in perfect rhythm, making her look like a Disney princess walking through a garden.
The venue was still relatively empty, as the screening wouldn't start for another hour, plenty of time for guests to settle in and chat. The Auditorium was enormous, able to comfortably accommodate over 1,000 people, with room to spare.
The seats were color red, just like those found in cinemas. The projection screen was massive, 30 feet tall and 50 feet wide, a true giant, waiting to showcase the result of their hard work.
Four men, Collin, Axel, Wyatt, and Lawrence, were hard at work preparing for the screening, each with a mix of focused determination and simmering anxiety. Wyatt was stationed near the projector, carefully adjusting the 4-foot-long film reel like he was handling a priceless artifact.
The other three took care of more menial tasks such as carrying equipment and tidying up the venue to ensure everything ran smoothly.
All four had been involved in the project and gave their all without hesitation or complaint. They were nervous and excited. Though they had already seen the film and believed it was fantastic, they still had no idea how the studio representatives would respond to its bold humor.
"Hey guys!" Jennifer waved cheerfully at the four men, her energy as vibrant as ever.
The men all turned toward her simultaneously, momentarily halting their tasks. Jennifer looked stunning in her white floral sundress. Even the four men silently acknowledged her beauty, sneaking glances whenever she wasn't watching.
Her wavy blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and the beauty mark beneath her left eye, she was top-tier in appearance. A goddess incarnate...
Unfortunately.
"What the fuck are you doing, guys?"
Her filthy mouth completely betrayed her angelic image. She swore with the frequency of a sailor, never holding back.
The men immediately snapped out of their daze, shaking off the illusion like dreamers waking from a fantasy. Just moments ago, they were half-convinced Jennifer was wife material, but her uncensored words reminded them otherwise.
They returned to their tasks while Collin briefly explained what still needed to be done before the screening began.
After five months of working together, a solid camaraderie had formed between them. Especially Wyatt and Lawrence, the two newest clients Collin represented. Neither felt out of place within the team anymore.
"Jennifer, just sit down. You're dressed nicely today, and I bet you don't want to get dirty. We'll handle the grunt work," Collin said with a soft smile.
"Of course. I had no intention of helping in the first place. Why the fuck do you think I'd help?"
The four men sighed in unison. There was no such thing as a perfect person. Jennifer's stunning appearance was balanced, but cursed by a mouth that could kill any romantic fantasy instantly.
As the minutes passed, more guests began to arrive, gradually filling the once-empty rows. Some members of the cast offered to help with the preparations, but Collin turned them down. They were dressed formally, just like Jennifer, and he didn't want to risk them ruining their outfits.
Once everything was in place, Collin and the others excused themselves to change into appropriate attire for the big event. For Collin especially, it was important. He would be speaking to many industry professionals and had to leave a solid impression.
Collin was also deeply grateful that Lila didn't assign a sales agent to negotiate the movie's deal. If she had, he would've lost a huge amount of earning. A sales agent would take over negotiations, leaving Collin with only a tiny share of the commission after all his effort.
The standard commission rate was 10%, with 3% going to ANT, and 7% to the sales agent. That would've left Collin with just a modest $50,000 to $70,000, depending on how generous ANT felt like being. It wouldn't be nearly enough for the work he'd done.
Fortunately, that scenario didn't happen. Collin was still handling negotiations himself, which meant he would receive a proper share of the reward.
"On top of that, I also have a 30% profit share in the movie for working as a producer."
He and Wyatt had agreed on that early in the project. After they secured funding from William Edward, Collin officially stepped into the producer's role and took full responsibility for the project. In return, he'd receive 30% of the movie's profit, a fair deal considering the sacrifices he made.
The final breakdown was:
30% for William Edward
30% for Collin East
40% for Wyatt Bray
There were no disputes. Everyone knew the contributions each person brought. Collin was the one who found the investor, pitched the idea, and sealed the deal. His role was essential to bringing the movie to life.
When the four men returned in nice suits, the auditorium was 60% full. Guests filled the space with quiet chatter and curious glances.
Collin looked around and saw Jennifer talking to members of the cast in the fourth row, she had saved four seats for them.
The rest of the audience included studio representatives Collin had contacted earlier. They were scattered across the auditorium, some near the front, others in the back or middle, each with their preferred viewing spot.
Collin also spotted William Edward seated beside Lila Seraphina. The CEO was engaged in conversation with a small group while William quietly observed the room, his presence quiet and watchful.
More guests continued arriving, gradually transforming the once-sparse venue into a lively gathering.
.........
......
...
Emmanuel and his supervisor, Taylor, entered the ANT Auditorium. The two were visibly surprised by how many people had already gathered before the screening had even begun.
"Maybe you haven't heard yet, but the new CEO has been promoting this movie. That alone shows the film has potential," Taylor said, nodding thoughtfully.
A lot had happened in the last two days, momentum was building quickly.
"Did you get any information about the movie?" Taylor asked.
"I did. It's a comedy, and it's rated R," Emmanuel replied, flipping through his notepad.
Taylor nodded as they located seats, settling in the middle-center row, the optimal spot for viewing. Not too close to overwhelm, not too far to disconnect. Just right for clarity and immersion.
"I heard the director is a recent graduate," Emmanuel added in a quieter tone.
"A new graduate?" Taylor's brow furrowed. His expectations began to dip. Typically, new graduates had to first work in the system, on various crews, learning the ropes, before getting the chance to direct their own project. Jumping straight into the director's chair was rare and often risky.
In most cases, films by fresh graduates were amateurish, burdened by inexperience and a lack of proper resources.
Taylor was now wondering if attending this screening was even worth his time. Maybe staying in the office would have been a better use of his day.
"They should've come to our studio instead of dragging us out here," Taylor grumbled, his voice tinged with growing annoyance. He preferred when producers showed up humbly, presenting their film directly, not hosting an event that could very well lead to disappointment.
"I heard the production budget was $300,000."
"Hmm. That's not bad for a first-time indie. If the film turns out passable, we can probably offer them $1 million to buy the distribution and copyright rights. Let's just hope it doesn't look like some film school project."
Low-budget films often lacked polish, depth, and professionalism. If this turned out to be another subpar project, it would be a frustrating waste of time and Taylor would not be quiet about it.
Two days passed, and the private screening of The Accidental Wedding Crashers proceeded as scheduled.
Jennifer Randon wore a gorgeous smile as she entered the ANT Auditorium, her steps full of confidence and charm. She radiated excitement, dressed in her newest white sundress adorned with a floral design that fluttered lightly with her every movement. Her blonde, wavy hair bounced in perfect rhythm, making her look like a Disney princess walking through a garden.
The venue was still relatively empty, as the screening wouldn't start for another hour, plenty of time for guests to settle in and chat. The Auditorium was enormous, able to comfortably accommodate over 1,000 people, with room to spare.
The seats were color red, just like those found in cinemas. The projection screen was massive, 30 feet tall and 50 feet wide, a true giant, waiting to showcase the result of their hard work.
Four men, Collin, Axel, Wyatt, and Lawrence, were hard at work preparing for the screening, each with a mix of focused determination and simmering anxiety. Wyatt was stationed near the projector, carefully adjusting the 4-foot-long film reel like he was handling a priceless artifact.
The other three took care of more menial tasks such as carrying equipment and tidying up the venue to ensure everything ran smoothly.
All four had been involved in the project and gave their all without hesitation or complaint. They were nervous and excited. Though they had already seen the film and believed it was fantastic, they still had no idea how the studio representatives would respond to its bold humor.
"Hey guys!" Jennifer waved cheerfully at the four men, her energy as vibrant as ever.
The men all turned toward her simultaneously, momentarily halting their tasks. Jennifer looked stunning in her white floral sundress. Even the four men silently acknowledged her beauty, sneaking glances whenever she wasn't watching.
Her wavy blonde hair, dark brown eyes, and the beauty mark beneath her left eye, she was top-tier in appearance. A goddess incarnate...
Unfortunately.
"What the fuck are you doing, guys?"
Her filthy mouth completely betrayed her angelic image. She swore with the frequency of a sailor, never holding back.
The men immediately snapped out of their daze, shaking off the illusion like dreamers waking from a fantasy. Just moments ago, they were half-convinced Jennifer was wife material, but her uncensored words reminded them otherwise.
They returned to their tasks while Collin briefly explained what still needed to be done before the screening began.
After five months of working together, a solid camaraderie had formed between them. Especially Wyatt and Lawrence, the two newest clients Collin represented. Neither felt out of place within the team anymore.
"Jennifer, just sit down. You're dressed nicely today, and I bet you don't want to get dirty. We'll handle the grunt work," Collin said with a soft smile.
"Of course. I had no intention of helping in the first place. Why the fuck do you think I'd help?"
The four men sighed in unison. There was no such thing as a perfect person. Jennifer's stunning appearance was balanced, but cursed by a mouth that could kill any romantic fantasy instantly.
As the minutes passed, more guests began to arrive, gradually filling the once-empty rows. Some members of the cast offered to help with the preparations, but Collin turned them down. They were dressed formally, just like Jennifer, and he didn't want to risk them ruining their outfits.
Once everything was in place, Collin and the others excused themselves to change into appropriate attire for the big event. For Collin especially, it was important. He would be speaking to many industry professionals and had to leave a solid impression.
Collin was also deeply grateful that Lila didn't assign a sales agent to negotiate the movie's deal. If she had, he would've lost a huge amount of earning. A sales agent would take over negotiations, leaving Collin with only a tiny share of the commission after all his effort.
The standard commission rate was 10%, with 3% going to ANT, and 7% to the sales agent. That would've left Collin with just a modest $50,000 to $70,000, depending on how generous ANT felt like being. It wouldn't be nearly enough for the work he'd done.
Fortunately, that scenario didn't happen. Collin was still handling negotiations himself, which meant he would receive a proper share of the reward.
"On top of that, I also have a 30% profit share in the movie for working as a producer."
He and Wyatt had agreed on that early in the project. After they secured funding from William Edward, Collin officially stepped into the producer's role and took full responsibility for the project. In return, he'd receive 30% of the movie's profit, a fair deal considering the sacrifices he made.
The final breakdown was:
30% for William Edward
30% for Collin East
40% for Wyatt Bray
There were no disputes. Everyone knew the contributions each person brought. Collin was the one who found the investor, pitched the idea, and sealed the deal. His role was essential to bringing the movie to life.
When the four men returned in nice suits, the auditorium was 60% full. Guests filled the space with quiet chatter and curious glances.
Collin looked around and saw Jennifer talking to members of the cast in the fourth row, she had saved four seats for them.
The rest of the audience included studio representatives Collin had contacted earlier. They were scattered across the auditorium, some near the front, others in the back or middle, each with their preferred viewing spot.
Collin also spotted William Edward seated beside Lila Seraphina. The CEO was engaged in conversation with a small group while William quietly observed the room, his presence quiet and watchful.
More guests continued arriving, gradually transforming the once-sparse venue into a lively gathering.
.........
......
...
Emmanuel and his supervisor, Taylor, entered the ANT Auditorium. The two were visibly surprised by how many people had already gathered before the screening had even begun.
"Maybe you haven't heard yet, but the new CEO has been promoting this movie. That alone shows the film has potential," Taylor said, nodding thoughtfully.
A lot had happened in the last two days, momentum was building quickly.
"Did you get any information about the movie?" Taylor asked.
"I did. It's a comedy, and it's rated R," Emmanuel replied, flipping through his notepad.
Taylor nodded as they located seats, settling in the middle-center row, the optimal spot for viewing. Not too close to overwhelm, not too far to disconnect. Just right for clarity and immersion.
"I heard the director is a recent graduate," Emmanuel added in a quieter tone.
"A new graduate?" Taylor's brow furrowed. His expectations began to dip. Typically, new graduates had to first work in the system, on various crews, learning the ropes, before getting the chance to direct their own project. Jumping straight into the director's chair was rare and often risky.
In most cases, films by fresh graduates were amateurish, burdened by inexperience and a lack of proper resources.
Taylor was now wondering if attending this screening was even worth his time. Maybe staying in the office would have been a better use of his day.
"They should've come to our studio instead of dragging us out here," Taylor grumbled, his voice tinged with growing annoyance. He preferred when producers showed up humbly, presenting their film directly, not hosting an event that could very well lead to disappointment.
"I heard the production budget was $300,000."
"Hmm. That's not bad for a first-time indie. If the film turns out passable, we can probably offer them $1 million to buy the distribution and copyright rights. Let's just hope it doesn't look like some film school project."
Low-budget films often lacked polish, depth, and professionalism. If this turned out to be another subpar project, it would be a frustrating waste of time and Taylor would not be quiet about it.
