First project

November 1st marked the beginning of a new week.

With James's studio officially affiliated with Firefly Films, Lyman convened the company's first management meeting.

All department heads were present, but in this case, they numbered just four: Publicity, Production, Marketing, and Distribution. Finance was nearly non-existent at this point, and there was no suitable candidate for Human Resources yet.

Since it was a management meeting, Lyman naturally participated, joined by James and his agent, John.

The meeting began at 9 o'clock in the morning.

Lyman sat at the head of the conference table, wearing a black suit. To his right was John, also dressed formally, looking energetic. Currently, he was temporarily acting as an executive, receiving an additional salary.

Don't doubt it; this was quite common in Hollywood. Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment, for example, had one of his CAA agents as a partner.

Agents like John, who were experienced, could tap into many resources, and their status wasn't poor.

Then there was James, seated to Lyman's left. After all, today's main topic of discussion was the development of "Saw".

"Hello, everyone. I'm Lyman Lattes. I'm now the owner of this company. Next, the company will immediately begin shooting a movie with an investment of $15M. It's the sequel to the currently popular "Saw"."

Hearing these words in the meeting room, employees who had been worried due to layoffs breathed a sigh of relief.

Production companies fear a lack of production plans; when there's nothing to do, people start thinking of things both real and imagined. Now with a specific goal and task, the risk of layoffs undoubtedly diminished significantly.

Next was the movie project. They had heard of the box office performance of "Saw", knowing it was a massive hit. Making a sequel would be at least more stable than an original project, and the risk lower.

Next, John began to outline the key focus areas for the project's development. Essentially, everything was geared toward paving the way for "Saw 2".

Kevin Gascoigne, the head of the Production Department, listened attentively. Writing a project proposal and establishing a shooting team were things he would need to do in the future, making it a sort of test.

"I understand," Kevin, a middle-aged Caucasian, nodded after hearing John's words. He said, "I'll work on the project plan."

"Okay, I'll wait for your update."

...

After the meeting concluded, Lyman, along with John and James, returned to the office.

John was the first to ask, "Regarding the sequel's production, besides Jigsaw's character, how will you approach the rest of the casting?"

Lyman looked at James.

James immediately responded, "I've been working on the script with Leigh these past few days. The main plot still revolves around tests of punishment, and the scenes won't be too grand, but there will be more diverse settings. This time, I'd like to include more open outdoor spaces. As for the actors, just suitable ones. We can try to choose those who aren't too famous to keep down the salary expenses."

Becoming an investor changes one's perspective; you also know how to actively save money.

"Alright, sounds feasible. CAA has a lot of actors like that. After I return, I'll compile a list for you. So, the overall cost of the film can be roughly controlled at around $12M, leaving a budget space of $3M. That seems reasonable."

John had good experience with cost and casting. After all, it was his profession. After working with Lyman for two years, and having participated in several projects, his sensitivity had grown.

"Let's start by signing a contract with Jonathan. We'll discuss the other actors later. Oh, and I'll inform Luc. We'll still rely on his team for overseas distribution."

Lyman spoke and immediately took out his phone.

"Hello, M. Besson..."

"Yes, for the sequel, I'd like to entrust the overseas distribution to your company."

"Sure, I've started my own film company. This is our company's first project."

"Of course, no problem. I'll have someone send you the detailed project proposal."

"That's settled then, goodbye."

Ending the call, Lyman was still somewhat dazed.

Originally, he thought independent production might meet resistance from EuropaCorp.

After all, this could be seen as setting up his own shop. It was fundamentally different from before. However, he didn't expect Luc to be unfazed by this. It was as if he had anticipated it all along. Ever since the moment Lyman refused to join EuropaCorp, Luc had been somewhat prepared.

Lyman was like a blade drawn from its sheath, both sharp and cautious.

After cooperating so many times, Luc had also caught on.

This person would never willingly play second fiddle. He was much like Luc himself in that regard.

Well, it was quite the compliment Luc gave himself.

John, on the side, felt the same way.

As an agent, he was actually somewhat afraid of clients who were too opinionated. That could make him seem ineffective, couldn't it?

Moreover, having overly specific goals was a bit of a pain. Often, he had no room to intervene.

But it was still alright; at least he had carved out a place for himself. Now that Lyman had established a film company, he also had his own plans. Who would want to be an agent for their whole life? If he was like Kevin Huvane, a partner at CAA with shares, that would be alright. But that was just a fleeting thought. The power play at the top levels of the company was truly terrifying...

...

Regarding John, Lyman was very satisfied, to the point where he even considered pulling him into his own camp and temporarily having him oversee administrative management. This was his first probing step.

Based on the past two years of interaction, Lyman found that John was undoubtedly skilled in socializing, adept at speaking, and meticulous in handling matters.

Whether negotiating deals, planning his schedule, or even driving him around, he was extremely responsible.

He had never been late or had trouble in negotiations.

Furthermore, he had extensive experience with film crews. Many times, besides René, he dealt the most with third-party guarantee agencies.

Could those representatives from the guarantee side, who were nitpicking, be convinced if he lacked communication skills?

Moreover, he had the backing of CAA and had been in the industry for so many years. How could he not have some connections within the industry?

Considering this logic, perhaps his relationships with certain directors and even outstanding producers wouldn't be too bad.

Thinking this way, with John as an insider, many of CAA's resources could be partially utilized by Firefly Films. They might even uncover good projects.

Furthermore, having the affiliation with CAA would simplify many things, such as establishing a production team.