Ch2

"Hello, did Josie ask for me?"

"What, no, that's fine."

Ryan put down the phone a little discouraged. It seems that the news about him in the crew was still spreading, like a joke passed among a group of extras and agents.

Those who have heard some rumors dare not sign a contract with him at all.

Fortunately, there are countless agents in Hollywood, so he doesn't have to worry about finding an agent. Some agents may not have heard of this matter anyway.

With this in mind, he continued making calls.

"Jason, how are you doing?"

"Oh, forget it."

...

"Hey, Jack, can you ask your agent for me?"

"You were also terminated by your agent."

"Okay then."

Almost every day in Hollywood, a large number of extras are terminated by their agents, or extras kick their agents away.

"What, a brokerage company that just opened?"

"Chen, can you tell me the exact address?"

"Thank you, I'll treat you to a drink later."

After asking around, Ryan found a brokerage company that had just opened, so he decided to give it a try.

As for not looking for an agent!

What a joke!

You think it's so easy to get a part-time job in a film crew!

Especially in a famous big crew, forget it if you don't have connections.

For instance, his last job on a film crew was arranged by his agent with the help of his contacts.

Ryan didn't dwell on it. He tidied up a bit and immediately went out to hail a taxi, hoping to get in and find another agent.

After traversing half the city, Ryan finally arrived at the brokerage company's address. It was a three-story building that looked a bit old. A newly erected signboard at the door read "Star Brokerage Company."

The Star Brokerage Company in front of him seemed freshly established, evidenced by the newly erected signboard.

"At least it doesn't look like a fly-by-night operation."

Ryan murmured to himself as he walked in. The interior was somewhat messy, lacking a receptionist, and appeared somewhat deserted.

At that moment, a young woman came down from upstairs. She looked to be around twenty years old, a typical American young woman with a slightly sweet appearance and generally quite beautiful.

"You are!"

The woman eyed him suspiciously. Ryan shook his head and said, "Hello, my name is Ryan Gosling, a graduate of the University of Southern California's film department. I'm looking for a job in a film crew and hoping to gain some familiarity with the filming process."

He omitted any mention of wanting to be a director or of his experimental short film.

"USC Film Graduate!"

The woman couldn't help but look at him in surprise. The film department of the University of Southern California was quite reputable, even in Hollywood.

However, it's rare for USC film graduates to seek crew jobs, which was somewhat unexpected.

"Just a moment, Ryan Gosling!"

"You're the guy who was trying to pitch an experimental short film to everyone on Tom Hanks' crew!"

That's right, his last gig was on a film starring Tom Hanks and directed by Robert Zemeckis, a Paramount production.

Needless to say, such things can cause quite a stir on a set.

Ryan smiled awkwardly and said, "That was just a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding!"

The woman was speechless for a moment. That could be considered a misunderstanding?

"Are you still planning to sneak your experimental short film onto a crew?"

Faced with such a direct question, Ryan replied honestly, "Absolutely not!"

"I learned my lesson from last time. Now, I just want to find a job to cover my living expenses."

Still, the woman eyed him skeptically, which made him uneasy.

"Fine, let me introduce myself. I'm Heidi, the receptionist here."

"You can head up to the third floor and give it a shot."

"I hope Helen doesn't regret letting you in." With that, Heidi turned and walked away.

Regret letting him in?

Ryan nodded wryly and made his way to the third floor.

Although Heidi wasn't particularly cordial, he couldn't argue with her concern. Bringing an unpredictable element onto a set is a big risk, no matter who you are.

Before long, Ryan reached the office Heidi had mentioned, knocked on the door, and heard a pleasant voice from within.

"Come in!"

Upon entering, Ryan found a simple office with minimal decor aside from the essentials.

Inside, a woman was sorting through documents behind the desk. She appeared slightly older than Heidi, possibly in her mid-twenties, with delicate features that hinted at Asian ancestry and a tall figure.

Even seated, her height was apparent, at least 5 feet 5 inches, if not more.

Even amidst Hollywood's array of beauties, she could be considered attractive, though her professional attire and a hint of shrewdness in her eyes suggested she was more than just a pretty face.

A curious expression crossed Ryan's face. A beautiful manager wouldn't be a bad thing.

The woman glanced up at Ryan and calmly said, "I'm Helen Solomon, the owner of Star Brokerage Company."

"Please show me your resume."

Ryan handed over his information, feigning interest. "Star Brokerage Company just opened?"

From his observation on the stairs, the company seemed newer than expected.

Helen quickly scanned the documents and confirmed, "Yes, you're correct."

"Star Brokerage Company is indeed newly established."

Ryan shrugged, knowing he didn't have many options at the moment.

"By the way, you worked part-time on set during your freshman year of college?" Helen inquired.

"Yes, occasionally as an extra or background filler."

"So, you know quite a few extras and crew members?" Helen pressed on.

"I'm acquainted with a few, mostly lower-level roles," Ryan replied truthfully.

Had it not been for the incident, he could have easily found part-time work even without an agent.

"You graduated from USC's Film Department," Helen noted.

"That's right."

"I graduated just last year." Ryan's only credential was being a recent graduate of USC's Film Department.

As a well-regarded private university in the United States, USC had its perks.

"A very reputable institution."

"Also, can you show me the experimental short film you produced? If possible, I may be able to arrange for it to be screened by a small distribution company."

Helen finally broached the subject of the experimental short film, likely informed by Heidi.

Naturally, she meant physical distribution, not online.

"No problem. I can have it delivered tomorrow," Ryan agreed promptly.

Clearly, Helen had her own connections and could potentially pitch it to a distributor.

From there, Helen didn't say much else. She requested Ryan keep his phone on 24/7 and promised to notify him of any suitable crew openings without signing a formal contract.

Back at home, Ryan spent the night re-editing the short film.

Early the next morning, he FedExed it to Star Brokerage Company, addressed to Helen.