Chapter 24: The Key to Audition Success or Failure

The press conference was held in the main hall of the ATL Freedom Association headquarters, and Martin arrived early, contacting Kelly Gray's assistant Ella, who led him to the large meeting room nearby.

Many people, including Kelly Gray, were busy.

Among the people bustling about, Martin saw a familiar face, Andrew.

Thinking of what Jerome had said about the new play when he last visited the theater, Martin took the initiative to approach.

If there was an opportunity, he would pursue it; if not, he would create one.

Martin greeted Andrew, "Good morning, Mr. Andrew."

Andrew first glanced at Martin, then at Ella standing behind him, his smile especially warm, "Long time no see, my friend."

Seeing him open his arms, Martin naturally wouldn't refuse and warmly embraced him.

As if greeting an old friend.

The two talked about the partnership between Marietta Community Theater and Gray Company, especially about Jerome leading the theater group to prepare for the new play.

A moment later, Martin noticed that Kelly Gray was temporarily free and said, "I'll go over for a bit."

Andrew nodded, "Feel free."

Martin approached Kelly Gray, took out the speech he had prepared the day before, and asked her to review it.

Kelly Gray already had an excellent impression of Martin, and now her smile was even more enduring.

On the other side, Andrew watched Martin laughing and talking with the boss, seemingly contemplative.

They seemed quite close?

Seeing that Ella was still there, he asked, "Does the boss know Martin?"

Ella casually remarked, "The boss appreciates Martin a lot."

"I see..." Andrew realized it was just as Ella had said. The Freedom Association's lawyer had taken on the lawsuit for 'House of Beast', and the boss had been keeping in touch with Martin, even smiling more than usual.

After the press conference, Andrew found a chance to approach and heard Martin inviting the boss to visit 'House of Beast' again, which the boss accepted.

Moreover, in front of the boss, Martin praised him for all he had done for the Freedom Association.

Kelly Gray complimented Andrew a few words.

Andrew felt like he was floating on air.

After leaving the Freedom Association, Martin got into his car and made a phone call to Jerome, as some matters weren't easy for him to directly broach in case it led to irreconcilable differences.

He told Jerome, "Chief, I attended a press conference at the Freedom Association this morning and chatted with Mr. Andrew about our theater group's new play with Gray Company."

He roughly mentioned that the new production needed many actors for various roles and it was best to act early.

Jerome responded, "I'll call him right away."

...

Right after Andrew returned to Gray Film Production Company, he received a call from Jerome.

Jerome seemed much warmer than before, and he mentioned Martin several times, reminding Andrew of the debt the idiot Martin owed. He simply said, "Could you find Martin a role with a higher salary?"

This aligned with what Andrew was thinking, "We have a few supporting roles yet to finalize, I'll call Martin later."

Andrew was proactive, opening his computer to check the real-time progress of the projects.

Gray Company had signed a package deal with cable television, which included more than one late-night show.

Over the years, Gray Company had perfected its production line. Low cost, high speed; once one show finished shooting, it was handed off to post-production for editing while the crew moved on to the next one.

Most of the time, the company used the same lead actor, Adam Smith, who had a good draw among the cable channel's female viewers, ensuring a baseline viewership.

The lead actress and primary supporting actors were already chosen, but there were still a few minor roles left for casting.

Andrew picked out one role, stood up, and knocked on the door of casting director Lynn's office, "Chief, for the role of Billy, may I recommend someone?"

It was a minor role with a few lines, and Lynn, without even lifting his head, said, "Notify him to come for an audition tomorrow afternoon."

Andrew went back to his desk and immediately called Martin.

Martin took the initiative to invite him to lunch, "I haven't formally thanked you for the help last time, please give me the chance today."

Andrew couldn't well refuse.

Martin specifically chose a high-end restaurant downtown; when it was time to invest, he wasn't stingy.

Unlike Los Angeles, the most bustling part of Atlanta is in the city center.

At noon, the two met at a restaurant near Peachtree Square.

During lunch, Andrew briefly discussed the character's situation.

Martin took careful note of everything.

"As long as there's no problem with your basic acting skills, your appearance will definitely pass," Andrew explained in detail, "The late-night plays produced by the company lean towards an aesthetic style, mainly targeting a female audience, hence there's a higher demand for the looks of male actors."

Martin nodded, "I understand."

Andrew asked the key question, "Can you accept the part?"

Martin said with a smile, "No problem, the rating scale for NC-17 movies in Hollywood is bigger, and I got the general idea after participating in the last shooting."

Speaking of which, it still didn't compare to movies that had won the Golden Lion or the Palme d'Or.

The production model was like that of the mill films of yore, and these kinds of movies hadn't completely vanished; they too were evolving with the times.

In North America, more than half of the movies shot each year don't make it into theaters.

Martin was not averse to this, being at the bottom of American society; if one was not daring enough or thick-skinned enough, how could one talk about earning big money and crossing social classes.

Andrew agreed, "We're shooting an artistic film, it just won't be released in theaters, and will be broadcast directly on cable TV."

Martin toasted to Andrew and after some small talk about the Freedom Association, he turned to ask, "Can the casting director decide on this role?"

Andrew replied, "The casting director, Lynn, can decide on the selection."

Martin asked, "Does Lynn have any special preferences?"

"Special preferences?" Andrew thought for a moment and said, "He's a die-hard fan of the Atlanta Braves."

Martin was familiar with the Atlanta Braves, a member of MLB, with their home field at Turner Field in Marietta.

A lunch, along with a bottle of fine wine, cost Martin the income of two nights,

Martin's investment was not just that; after sending Andrew off, he specifically made a trip to the old clothes market.

.....

Gray Film Production Company was quite busy this afternoon, with many minor actors coming and going.

Casting Director Lynn and Assistant Andrew sat in the audition room, interviewing some supporting actors.

The screen test process was very fast. They didn't bother with styling, Lynn would look at the actors through the camera, have them make a few cool expressions, say a few lines, and in two to three minutes, they were sent away.

"Let the actor auditioning for Billy come in," Andrew looked at the list and said, "Martin Davis."

A female assistant opened the door and called out, "Martin Davis!"

As the person came in, Lynn, who showed some signs of fatigue, perked up a bit; the young man had the face and physique.

He looked through the camera again, and the guy was very photogenic.

Mainly, he liked the first impression the man gave him.

The young man wore a semi-old Warrior's jacket with a blue baseball cap adorned with an "A" whose edges were slightly worn, placed aside on a table.

With a quick glance, Lynn knew that these were the man's regular attire.

With a standout appearance and a brief performance free of any faults, Lynn dismissed Martin and asked Andrew, "Is this the person you recommended?"

Andrew said, "It is."

Lynn made a decision, "Let's go with him. Then to the female assistant he said, "For the role of Billy, send the others away, no need to waste their time."

What decides the success of a screen test often isn't in the audition room.