Carrot and stick

Since Jake, the principal party involved, was not present, there was no need to worry about maintaining appearances.

Lyman's smile gradually cooled as he stated slowly, "I recall that since 2000, Jake hasn't taken on any significant mainstream commercial productions. To date, his highest-grossing film is 1999's "October Sky", and even then, it wasn't solely his star power that carried the film."

Hearing this, Mason retracted his previously relaxed posture and immediately tensed up.

Lyman continued, "As for his audience recognition, he hasn't been in the mainstream market for several years. Are you sure he still holds much drawing power? You should know better than I do that fans tend to forget. Perhaps they're currently more focused on Toby Maguire."

Toby Maguire was the lead actor in the first three "Spider-Man" films. Thanks to Spider-Man's immense popularity, he had become a new generation idol among teenagers.

Instinctively, Mason wanted to counter, trying to secure favorable negotiation terms for his side. But as the words reached the tip of his tongue, he found himself at a loss for words because everything the other party was saying was true.

Although these words were a bit brutal, the transition from one generation to the next was an inherent law of the market.

Just as idols and stars they had admired in their youth were eventually replaced by the passage of time.

Lyman pulled out another contract from a drawer on the table, wrote down a figure, and handed it over to Mason, saying, "Of course, I'm not particularly concerned about an actor's marketability when selecting the cast. After these years of honing his skills, I'm looking forward to seeing Jake's charm when he returns to mainstream films. But before that, he needs a suitable opportunity to reenter the public eye. I believe my film will provide that. Take a look at the terms."

While Mason carefully read through each clause of the contract, Lyman didn't relax. He continued his momentum, pursuing further, and painting a rosy picture.

"You could also look at it from another perspective. If he collaborates with me on this film, and it happens to perform decently upon release, even if it doesn't lead to a major resurgence for him, at least his career profile will look more appealing, right? By then, with his existing achievements as a foundation, won't he have more confidence to negotiate a higher salary? And if you're still unwilling, there's not much else I can say. I can only sincerely hope that there might be another chance for us to collaborate in the future."

He had delivered compliments, made excuses, and now it was time to bring out the carrot.

He had spoken so much for one reason: to lower the price.

Oh, wait, that wasn't lowering the price; it was about offering a reasonable compensation.

After all, just like any qualified agent, Mason was always serious about maximizing benefits whenever possible.

Mason silently stared at the contract, without uttering a word.

Lyman had refuted each of his arguments and advantages, and now his emotions were not as calm as his outward demeanor suggested.

His plan was to initially raise the stakes and then gradually, step by step, lower them, ultimately securing a rather favorable salary. It was all about saving face and securing substance – he wanted both.

Moreover, his approach to negotiation wasn't flawed in and of itself; it's just that he had underestimated Lyman.

Perhaps he couldn't fathom why a relatively young director, who showed talent in directing, would also be an expert in negotiations.

Just like an "old fox" seasoned by years of experience on the battlefield.

Mason was left at a loss for how to respond to the well-structured words. At first listen, it seemed like they should sign the contract immediately, but upon closer reflection, he realized that the terms were all set by the other side. They hadn't managed to negotiate anything on their own. Wasn't that a sign of his own incompetence? Mason thought, forcing himself to calm down first.

After the stick and the sweet date followed the logical card. "A salary of $1M seems a bit low, but the film's budget is also limited. Here's what we can do: let's add a supplementary condition. If the film's box office surpasses $100M, we can allocate a portion of the profit as a box office bonus. I guarantee that this amount won't be less than $500,000. As for the final sum, it will depend on how high the box office eventually climbs. However, no matter what, we have this intention."

Yes, the salary condition stated on the contract was $1M.

Mason wasn't satisfied after reading it. He had been contemplating how to further raise the price, but when the box office incentive was introduced, he found himself somewhat tempted.

After all, he had initially aimed for $1.5M. Perhaps to ensure a smooth collaboration, a further reduction might be feasible.

After pondering for a while, he finally nodded and said, "Alright, let's proceed with these terms."

In the end, after another half hour of tug-of-war, the detailed actor's contract was confirmed.

Jake's base salary for "Effervescent" was set at $1M, paid in two installments. An additional incentive clause was added: if the film's North American box office exceeded $100M, a $500,000 reward would be given; for every additional $20M, an extra $100,000 bonus would be granted. However, it was stipulated that the maximum incentive would be capped at $1M. In other words, if the film's North American box office reached $200M, the incentive would remain $1M, regardless of whether there was further room for growth.

After both parties settled on the salary matter, the negotiations didn't conclude there.

There were still many details to determine regarding the treatment of the actors.

Matters such as on-set arrangements, accommodations, transportation, cooperation in promotional activities...

After all, in most cases, the fixed remuneration paid by the production company already included compensation for all film-related promotional activities. This part was closely related to the actors as well.

Because reasonable promotion helped expand visibility, and visibility was tied to future salary negotiations.

To put it simply, Hollywood had its own set of industry calculations.

Those so-called A-listers, B-listers, and even the non-noteworthy C-list minor actors and extras – all had achievement-based calculations to rely on.

On the next day, Lyman and Mason finally reached an agreement on the participation contract and its safeguards.

This speed was considered fast; some Hollywood blockbusters' pre-production work could take half a year.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Lyman called Jake and a few industry lawyers over. With their presence as witnesses, Jake signed his name in the contract with a pen.

This matter was now as good as settled.

Two copies of the contract were made, each party retaining one.

Lyman then smiled at Jake and said, "If you don't have any other commitments, you can join the production ahead of schedule."