On manager

"Hugo, you don't need to buy bricks for all of us. We don't need them," Joseph said worriedly, holding four large boxes in his hands and watching Hugo fiddling with his own portable phone.

Joseph couldn't forget that he was currently burdened with a $1 million debt, and Hugo buying gifts for him made him feel uneasy. Five bricks would cost $17,475, which was a significant expense that left Joseph unable to relax. He also wasn't sure if the portable phone would really be useful.

Hugo lifted his gaze from the phone. Nowadays, phones didn't have many functions; they were merely used for making calls, and the storage capacity for phone numbers was limited. Currently, they could only store up to a hundred numbers, so Hugo quickly grasped the situation without much effort. "Joseph, you know, this is just a small gift. The movie industry is doing well lately, right? There's no need to burden ourselves too much."

"But..." Joseph wanted to say something, but Hugo interrupted him. "Besides, this phone is actually useful. In case of emergencies, we can easily reach each other. It's much more convenient, isn't it? It will also help us with our work. You wouldn't want a job opportunity to come knocking, and you can't be reached immediately, right?"

Seeing the satisfied smile on Hugo's face, Joseph knew he had been convinced. He could only keep this favor in mind. He shook his head helplessly and said, "Okay, I understand. But from now on, you can't spend money recklessly."

"Hehe," Hugo revealed a cunning smile. "Our day is not over yet." Joseph's steps involuntarily halted. He immediately guessed that Hugo was going to buy something again. With a smirk on his face, Hugo continued walking toward their old Volkswagen Golf. "Don't worry, I won't spend money recklessly. What we're going to buy next is something we must have, absolutely!"

Joseph watched Hugo's back, his radiant smile almost blinding under the sunlight. Helplessly, he picked up his pace and caught up, asking, "What do you want to buy?"

"A car!" Hugo's voice carried through the wind, causing Joseph to pause momentarily before speeding up. The worry in his eyebrows dissipated, replaced by a faint sense of joy.

Cars have an irresistible allure for most men, but many are limited by the thickness of their wallets and cannot turn their dreams of racing and speed into reality. However, looking at the global fanbase of Formula One racing and the millions of fans flocking to brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Cadillac, and Aston Martin, as well as the perpetual vitality of the automotive industry, it's clear how deeply men are attached to cars.

Joseph was no exception. When he heard that Hugo wanted to buy a car, a smile began to climb from the depths of his eyes to the corners of his mouth. "But we don't have enough capital to buy a car yet," Joseph expressed his concerns while trying to maintain a serious expression. However, the curve of his mouth betrayed the joy in his heart.

Observing Joseph's stiff facial expression, Hugo knew that Joseph was also struggling internally. He took the large bricks from Joseph's hands and placed them on the backseat, then sat in the passenger seat. Speaking up, he said, "If we were to buy a sports car, of course, we wouldn't have that much funding. Besides, we don't have a place to park a sports car at the moment. You can't just leave it next to the small pile of dirt near our doorstep, can you?"

Hugo's words made Joseph, who was sitting in the driver's seat, unable to hold back, and a smile curved up at the corners of his mouth. In fact, Hugo had more than enough funds to buy a sports car now, but buying luxury items such as sports cars, villas, and yachts was never the most challenging part; the maintenance costs were the most troublesome. Therefore, given Hugo's current situation, he had not reached the level of buying a sports car yet.

"I just meant buying a minivan, you know, it's necessary for our work," Hugo explained further. He turned around and grabbed another brick, intending to save each other's phone numbers on the phone for easy contact.

"You mean a multi-purpose utility vehicle (MUV)?" Joseph quickly understood. In fact, a multi-purpose utility vehicle is a combination of a minivan, an SUV, and an off-road vehicle. This type of vehicle can generally accommodate seven or more passengers. In the United States, this type of vehicle is mostly used as a family or travel vehicle because it provides enough space to accommodate a baby stroller or an entire family.

Along with the rapid development of multi-purpose utility vehicles in the mid-1980s, the Hollywood star system also gradually matured. Many top celebrities used this type of van as a promotional vehicle during their campaigns. Because a top celebrity's production team is quite large, including agents, managers, publicists, assistants, bodyguards, and more, if the artist is involved in both movies and music, the team may even double in size. Additionally, a small number of actors would also have their own makeup artists, hairstylists, and other additional personnel. In such cases, a multi-purpose utility vehicle that can accommodate seven or more people becomes useful.

Moreover, a spacious multi-purpose utility vehicle can provide a relatively private and convenient space for artists during their rest periods, which creates many conveniences for them.

Generally, when celebrities travel privately, they have their own vehicles, mostly sports cars or sedans. However, during promotional periods, multi-purpose utility vehicles can be very helpful. This was also the prototype of the early nanny car. After entering the 21st century, nanny cars became commonplace and also became one of the measures of an artist's status within the industry. Having access to a nanny car indicates that the artist has a sufficiently large team accompanying them.

"Do we really need to use a minivan?" Joseph asked with confusion after receiving Hugo's affirmative answer. Currently, Hugo's team consisted of only Joseph, and they didn't even have an assistant. Buying a minivan seemed a bit excessive.

Although Joseph asked this question, his enthusiasm in his words and expression hadn't diminished. It was evident that Joseph was much more eager about buying a car than getting a mobile phone. Hugo glanced at Joseph, who had been suppressing his anticipation, and a smile curved up at the corners of his mouth. "Now we all share the same car, especially when everyone goes out together, it gets crowded."

The main consideration was also for Karl, Charlize, and Alex. After Karl's old car was scrapped, Hugo and the others mostly traveled together. Although five people could fit in the current car without any problems, the space was still relatively cramped. If they were to get a minivan, there would be plenty of space.

Of course, the situation with their friends was just one consideration. Hugo would definitely be the one using the minivan the most. "Even if we don't need it now, we'll definitely need it in the future. We have so many upcoming trips, and didn't you mention before that we should consider finding an assistant?" That was the direct reason that triggered Hugo to buy a minivan.

Joseph started the car and temporarily focused his attention on the road, merging into the relatively calm traffic flow. "You're right, we'll eventually need it," Joseph thought. He had initially thought Hugo wanted to buy a sports car or a sedan, which, although exciting, would be less practical. But if it was a purchase of a van, it would make much more sense.

"It's not easy to find a good assistant, so don't rush," Joseph brought up the topic. In the entertainment industry, artists interact more with managers and assistants rather than agents. "Or maybe you should find a manager first?"

Hollywood agents are powerful professionals with a considerable influence. People like Ron Meyer and Rick Rosen have a roster of over a dozen or even twenty artists under their management. They typically work in offices, strategizing and coordinating various projects. They don't accompany artists closely but rather play an intermediary role.

Managers and agents have distinct roles. Almost every artist has an agent who handles career planning, work arrangements, and so on. However, only top-tier artists have managers. Managers are exclusively dedicated to the artist and handle various personal matters, resembling a combination of an agent and an assistant. According to industry rules, agents only receive commissions, which in Hugo's case is ten percent paid to ICM. On the other hand, managers can earn commissions and project shares. That's why most managers are the closest and most trusted individuals for artists. Tom Cruise's manager, for example, was his sister.

In short, agents act as intermediaries for many individuals, negotiating projects with major companies, and even screenwriters have agents. Managers, on the other hand, are the artist's personal and exclusive support. They build a bridge between agents and artists and oversee the management of assistants, public relations, makeup artists, stylists, bodyguards, and other miscellaneous tasks.

Considering the current situation around Hugo, Joseph, due to his unique circumstances, functions more as Hugo's manager than his agent. However, once Joseph achieved success and artists were willing to sign with him or he found new talent like Karl, whom he was satisfied with, Joseph would revert to the role of an agent, and Hugo would have to fight his battles alone.

That's why Joseph started preparing to find an assistant for Hugo. Until Hugo reached the level of having a manager or found a suitable manager, an assistant could share the workload surrounding Hugo, such as driving to shows or waking him up in the morning.

Although assistants are easier to find than managers since the latter require long-term collaboration based on trust, it's still not an easy task to find a suitable assistant. After all, the assistant will become the artist's most familiar companion in their daily life.

"I'm not in a hurry, not at all, whether it's an assistant or a manager," Hugo assured. He was used to doing everything himself and had grown accustomed to it. "As long as you're not in a rush, I won't be either."

Hearing Hugo's words, Joseph couldn't help but smirk. "Don't worry, I won't be in a rush until after the Oscars," he said. At least in the short term, Joseph didn't have the energy to sign other actors. He needed to manage Hugo's career exceptionally well. Sharpening the knife doesn't hinder the cutting of firewood. The more impressive Hugo's achievements, the higher Joseph's reputation as an agent would soar. It was a simple arithmetic problem.