Chapter 23: The Key to Audition Success

The press conference took place at the headquarters of the ATL Liberty Association. Martin arrived early and connected with Kelly Gray's assistant, Ella, who led him to a large conference room nearby.

Many people, including Kelly Gray, were busy.

Martin saw a familiar face, Andrew, among the errand runners.

Remembering Jerome's mention of the new play during his last visit to the theater, Martin took the initiative to approach Andrew.

'Take the opportunity if there is one; create one if there isn't.'

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

Andrew looked at Martin, then at Ella behind him, and smiled warmly, "Long time no see, my friend."

Seeing Andrew open his arms, Martin didn't refuse and gave him a warm hug.

As if they were old friends.

The two chatted about the cooperation between the Marietta Community Theater and Gray's company, especially concerning Jerome's preparation for the new play.

Noticing that Kelly Gray had some free time, Martin said, "I'll head over."

Andrew nodded, "Do as you please."

Martin approached Kelly Gray and handed her the speech he had prepared yesterday for her review.

Kelly Gray already had a good impression of Martin, and now she was beaming even more.

On the other side, Andrew watched Martin chatting and laughing with the boss, pondering.

"Are they very close?" he wondered.

Seeing Ella still there, he asked, "The boss knows Martin?"

Ella casually replied, "The boss admires Martin a lot."

"I see..." Andrew found that the situation was indeed as Ella described. The Liberty Association's lawyer took on the Beast House lawsuit, and the boss maintained ongoing communication with Martin, smiling much more than usual.

After the press conference ended, Andrew found an opportunity to approach, hearing Martin invite the boss to visit Beast House again, to which she agreed.

Additionally, in front of the boss, Martin highly praised Andrew for his contributions to the Liberty Association.

Kelly Gray complimented Andrew a few times.

Andrew was over the moon.

Martin left the Liberty Association, got in the car, and called Jerome. There were some things he couldn't directly address, especially when disagreements lacked room for compromise.

He told Jerome, "Captain, I attended a press conference at the Liberty Association this morning and met Mr. Andrew. We talked about our theater group's new play with Gray's company."

He broadly mentioned that many roles in the new production were still available and suggested making a move sooner.

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

---

Andrew had just returned to Gray Film Productions when he received a call from Jerome.

Jerome sensed that Andrew was much more enthusiastic than before and mentioned Martin several times, which reminded him of the debt idiot Martin owed. Jerome simply asked, "Can you find a higher-paying role for Martin?"

It was exactly what Andrew had in mind: "There are a few supporting roles not yet cast. I'll call Martin later."

Andrew was very proactive, opening his computer to check the project's real-time progress.

Gray's company had signed a package deal with a cable network, involving several late-night shows.

Over the years, Gray's company had mastered production-line filmmaking, reducing costs and increasing speed. Once one film wrapped, it was sent for post-production while the crew started on the next one.

Most of the time, they used the same leading man, Adam Smith, who had a good pull with the cable network's female viewers, ensuring a baseline viewership.

The main actress and supporting roles were set, but several minor roles were still being cast.

Andrew picked a role, got up, and knocked on the casting director Lynn's office door, "Boss, I have a candidate for the role of Billy?"

It was a minor role with some lines. Without looking up, Lynn said, "Notify him to come for an audition tomorrow afternoon."

Andrew returned to his desk and immediately called Martin.

Martin suggested they have lunch together, "I haven't formally thanked you for your help last time. You must give me a chance today."

Andrew couldn't refuse.

Martin chose an upscale restaurant downtown, willing to invest when necessary.

Unlike Los Angeles, Atlanta's busiest area is downtown.

At noon, they met at a restaurant near Peachtree Plaza.

During lunch, Andrew briefly went over the role's details.

Martin took notes in his mind.

"As long as your basic acting is fine, you'll fit the appearance requirements," Andrew explained, "The company's late-night shows prefer a visually aesthetic style, mainly targeting female audiences, so they have high standards for male actors' looks."

Martin nodded, "I understand."

Andrew asked critically, "Can you handle the scenes?"

Martin smiled, "No problem. The Hollywood NC-17 films have more explicit scenes, and I participated in one before, so I have an idea."

After all, it wasn't like winning the Golden Lion or the Palme d'Or.

The production model was like the old "Grindhouse" films, which hadn't entirely disappeared and were evolving with the times.

In North America, more than half of the films shot each year never made it to theaters.

Martin didn't mind; being at the bottom of American society meant you had to be bold and thick-skinned to talk about making big money and moving up in the world.

Andrew agreed, "We're making art films; they just go straight to cable TV instead of theaters."

Martin toasted Andrew, chatted a bit about the Liberty Association, then asked, "Can the casting director decide on this role?"

Andrew replied, "Casting director Lynn can decide."

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

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

Martin knew about the Atlanta Braves, an MLB team whose home ground was in Marietta's Turner Field.

One lunch, including a good bottle of wine, cost Martin two nights' income.

Martin's investment didn't end there; after seeing Andrew off, he made a special trip to the thrift market.

---

Gray Film Productions was quite busy this afternoon, with many small actors coming and going.

Casting director Lynn and assistant Andrew sat in the audition room, interviewing some supporting actors.

The auditions progressed quickly, without any makeup or costume adjustments. Lynn reviewed the actors' appearances on camera, asked them to make a few cool expressions, and say a few lines, wrapping up in two or three minutes.

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

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

As soon as he entered, the slightly weary Lynn perked up; this young man had both the looks and the build.

He looked again through the lens; very photogenic.

The main thing was that the young man made a great first impression on him.

The young man wore a slightly worn Braves jacket, and the blue cap with an "A" logo at the rim was a bit frayed, placed on the table beside him.

Lynn knew right away that the guy wore it often.

His image stood out, and his brief performance was flawless. Lynn dismissed Martin, then asked Andrew, "Is this your recommended candidate?"

Andrew replied, "Yes, it's him."

Lynn decided, "He's got the role," then told the assistant, "For the role of Billy, dismiss the other candidates and don't waste their time."

The key to audition success often lies outside the audition room.

*****

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