CH37

This is basically what is taught to prevent crime victimization.

'That's right.'

Ian fully agreed.

There was no need to ask a child for help when there were other adults around, and asking for help, whether because of pride or anything else, was not easy.

If someone did, they would be suspicious.

"So, you want my help, I see."

However, this didn't mean that Director Davis in front of him was suspicious.

He looked extremely embarrassed as he avoided eye contact and scratched his neck as if it was awkward to say such things.

'I didn't think it would come to this.'

Ian, surprised by the unexpected development, asked,

"Why me? I'm not the only one who knows the secret."

"Why you?"

Gavin sighed deeply.

He hadn't come to Ian without any reason.

"How can I say that the reason I'm making this movie is because I don't want my cowardice to be discovered? I would be teased until I'm in my grave."

"Director Isaac doesn't seem like that to me. He seemed very dignified when I met him last time."

"Isaac? He's the same. Just because he's dignified doesn't mean he won't tease."

The pillar of the New York faction, the pride of New York.

A director who has never set foot in Hollywood and has proudly made his movies.

'The words are smooth.'

Isaac, too, was just a mischievous old man among friends. This was evident from the fact that he forced everyone to watch a zombie drama during the New York Film Festival.

"There must be a side he only shows to close friends. Anyway, I'm happy to help. If the director asks for my help, it's an honor. What should I do?"

"First, the most urgent thing is to get used to horror movies. That way, you can create a proper creature."

Gavin's biggest problem was that he felt fear too easily.

For him, terrifying scenes were met with reactions like, 'What's so scary about that?' from others.

'It's no wonder the failed movie was mocked as being for children.'

Ian sighed in sympathy for Gavin, who seemed bewildered even after speaking.

"Being easily scared can be an advantage. It means you're sensitive to what makes something scarier."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Yes, it might be possible. By consuming various horror movies.

Ian smiled brightly, filled with excitement.

"Shall we start with Invisible Children then?"

"Isn't that too high a level to start with?"

"We have to start with that. Zombies are one of the staples of creature features. Let's go to a place where we can watch it quickly."

Ian grabbed Gavin's arm.

'Wow, I'll finally see it.'

The dismal days of not being able to see his work are over.

Now that he has a great partner.

***

Two weeks into exploring horror movies with Gavin,

Ian concluded.

"Seriously, you could have been a subject of study for a psychologist if there was one nearby."

It was that peculiar.

"How can you not be scared at all by crime thrillers, where blood splatters and people die just like in the movies you're afraid of?"

"There's no need to be scared. There are plenty of real-life incidents that are worse than the movies. And I mainly shoot action, so it wouldn't make sense if I couldn't watch thrillers."

"True, tension is important in action just like in thrillers."

Action without tension is like flat soda. Indeed, if he had been unable to watch crime thrillers, he would not have been called a master of action.

Ian pointed to the piles of movie and drama DVDs on the table.

"It's even more curious then. How come you get so scared when ghosts or monsters appear? People dying is the same. Do you have trauma or something?"

"…I don't know. I've been like this since I was young."

Naturally, people have different fears, but such a significant difference is abnormal.

'The most likely possibility is a trauma from early childhood that he doesn't remember.'

There's no way to know without being a psychologist.

"Anyway, you've improved since the first time we watched. You don't scream anymore after watching it several times."

"I am human, after all. Isn't it natural to get used to it?"

Gavin looked exhausted. His throat hurt from screaming so much, and he had nightmares at night.

He even hung a dreamcatcher in his room.

"But we're still far off. The movies we watch for the first time are just as scary."

"It doesn't matter. Our goal isn't to overcome the fear."

There were two goals.

To include a monster in the movie that others would recognize as credible, and to watch his movie without screaming.

The latter was especially important.

'Imagine screaming while editing your movie. The rumors would spread throughout Hollywood in no time. Calling you a coward.'

Maybe the real reason for the shoddy aliens in his movies was the fear of screaming during production.

After spending about two weeks together, it was a highly credible speculation.

"Let's call it a day then. Time's up."

"By the way, didn't you say you have a meeting with your agency today?"

"Yes! With WBE."

WBE was one of the biggest agencies, a place most actors could only dream of getting a contract with as their first.

"WBE, huh? It's a good place. It includes many great directors."

"That means more opportunities for auditions."

"That's true."

Gavin smiled warmly, hiding his pity.

Asians accounted for less than 5% of characters in Hollywood movies, and more than half of all films didn't feature Asians at all.

'And as a child actor, it's going to be even tougher.'

Sorry to burst Ian's bubble, but even with a contract from a big agency, opportunities might not come as expected.

This was a structural problem that couldn't be solved with talent alone.

Wondering if the suspension bridge effect had made them much closer over the two weeks, Gavin was worried Ian might get hurt and decided once more,

'I need to prepare the movie as soon as possible.'

If others won't give him opportunities, he will give them himself.

Gavin deliberately raised his voice more cheerfully.

"Then I might as well take a break early today since I can't work without my partner."

"Do you want me to give you homework?"

"Hey, don't make fun of the elderly."

Laughing together like grandfather and grandchild, the two joked around as they left the office, and someone watching from afar moved their finger.

Click!

"Director Davis and Ian Pryce? Why are they together?"

The paparazzi licked his lips while looking at the photo he had taken.

Waiting for Director Davis, rumored to be shooting his next project, he stumbled upon an unexpected scene.

'If they are together without parents, they must have met more than once or twice.'

Directors and actors usually meet frequently for one reason.

"Did he cast him first, ahead of other top stars? How did that happen?"

Regardless of the reason, it wasn't his role to write the story behind the photo.

The paparazzi took a final shot of the departing car and stood up.

It's time to make money.

***

"Director Davis?!"

Austin, the WBE agent waiting for the meeting, was startled. It was unexpected that the person bringing Ian Pryce instead of his parents was acting as his guardian. 

"Ah, you must be the agent. I have nothing to worry about then. I'll be on my way soon anyway." 

"Thank you for the ride, Director." 

"Sure, have a good meeting." 

Even after Gavin left, his presence lingered. The people from WBE gathered for the meeting felt their minds getting complicated. Of course, WBE has famous directors like Gavin. They wouldn't have been surprised if they had met for agent work. 

'To replace a guardian, they must be that close?' 

If they were that close, it meant access to Gavin's wide network of connections. Perhaps even a spot in the rumored next project of the director. 

This required a recalculation from the start. 

"You must have been surprised by the director. I'm Ian Pryce." 

"I'm Austin Woodward. I should have introduced myself first, sorry for the oversight." 

Austin reflected on his mistake and reassessed Ian's demeanor. It seemed as if Ian had deliberately come with Gavin, expecting to cause a stir. 

'Surely not.' 

It was impossible to believe a renowned mastermind could be so easily influenced. 

'Not like he has some leverage over him.' 

A mastermind being blackmailed by a child actor? 

Taking a deep breath, Austin brushed aside the absurd thought and presented his prepared speech. He explained how large WBE was, who the famous people affiliated with it were, and how much they could help. 

After listening to the explanation with his parents for a while, Ian nodded and asked, 

"I understand how prestigious this place is. But can you provide many opportunities for participation in works?" 

Opportunities. 

Whether to seduce with sweet words or to be honest. 

Faced with this pivotal word in the meeting, Austin gave a wry smile. 

'I can't lie, can I?' 

Ian's face showed no excitement or expectation, only calmness. Perhaps because he was close to industry insiders like Ben Roberts and Director Davis, his question wasn't out of mere curiosity. 

Realizing this, Austin answered honestly. 

"The opportunities won't be plentiful. It's not that we are incompetent; there are simply no suitable roles. That's why we've thought of a solution." 

"What is it?" 

"How about participating in Asian productions instead?" 

Austin pulled out a document. 

"This is the reaction from three Asian countries to the latest dubbing work. Korea was the most positive, and the other two were also favorable. The biggest reason is the language barrier." 

Another document lay beside it. 

It was an evaluation of Ian's YouTube channel, which he kept updating even amidst his busy schedule. 

Considering the educational videos in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese currently uploaded, it seems there would be no language issues if he were to work in these regions. 

Even if the pay is lower, considering building a career and gaining recognition in these regions, it's worth trying Asian productions. 

Though filled with complicated terms and graphs, the summary was this. 

"As per the previous document, we encourage active participation in foreign productions. Of course, you can trust us to handle contracts to ensure there are no difficulties abroad." 

"Asian productions, huh." 

To Ian, the pay wasn't the most important thing. Participating in good works as an actor was the priority. 

'China is questionable, but Korea is good, and Japan isn't bad.' 

Not to mention Korea, which achieves international success with movies and dramas, and Japan, which has a good market size. 

'The problem is the exaggerated acting and poor production environment. It would have been better if it weren't for the live-action adaptations of manga.' 

Anyway, if an opportunity to participate in a good project arises, he wasn't planning to refuse. 

Ian slid the paper towards Austin. 

"The content is disappointing. It's different from what I had in mind." 

"What difference are you referring to?"

"I just think if we wait a bit, we won't have to struggle to go outside the U.S. because the Chinese screen quota system will be relaxed."

"The screen quota system?"

Austin's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such a comment. The issue of the screen quota system was that important.

'Currently, only 20 Hollywood movies can be released in China.'

Since 2007, the U.S. has been continuously expressing dissatisfaction with China's closed movie policy to the WTO, and it wasn't until 2012 that they saw results. The number of imported films increased to 34, and the revenue share jumped from 13% to 25%.

'From this point on, Hollywood started to target Chinese capital for movie production.'

Of course, there were numerous cases where movies were ruined due to excessive pandering to Chinese sensitivities, but it's also true that opportunities for Asian actors increased. This change was just two years away. Considering the start of the OTT competition, it was indeed a tough time now.

"I've heard that it might start showing results soon."

"Is that so?"

Who had he heard this from? Was it from Director Davis who came with him earlier? If that's the case, it completely changes the calculations. Austin called an intern agent waiting outside.

"Nick, come inside."

– Yes, I understand.

A common name, widespread.

Ian, who hadn't thought much of it, was surprised to see the person who entered.

"Nick…?"

"Ah, this is our intern, Nick Wilson."

…Right, it's Nick.

Not the bulging belly and wrinkled face but a face that seemed to have just started social life, a fresh face; it wasn't to the extent that he wouldn't recognize the agent he had worked with until his death.

'What, why is he fine?'

The eccentric Hollywood agent is rumored to sleep in a white suit.

There he was, standing in a perfectly fine black suit.

"Why, why do you ask?"

Hearing the voice filled with confusion under the scrutinizing gaze brought back memories.

Why does he always wear white suits when asked?

– Me? I've been dressing like this since my school days.

He had answered like this.

…A sense of betrayal.

"Liar."

"Me?! Are you talking about me?!"

The intern, Nick, who seemed to be facing the karma of his future misdeeds, looked distressed.

TL/n - 

The Chinese screen quota system is a set of regulations that limit the number of foreign films that can be shown in Chinese theaters each year. This system is designed to protect and promote the domestic film industry.

Here are some key points about it:

Quota Limit: China allows the screening of 34 foreign films each year under a revenue-sharing system. This means that foreign studios receive a percentage of the box office revenue from these films.

Revenue-Sharing and Flat-Fee: Foreign films can be imported either as part of the quota of 34 revenue-share films or on a flat-fee basis. In the flat-fee system, the Chinese distributor pays a lump sum to the foreign studio, and the studio does not receive any further profits from the box office.

Censorship and Approval: All foreign films must pass through strict censorship and approval processes before they can be shown in China. This often results in delays and can affect the marketing and release of these films.

Impact on Foreign Films: The quota and censorship policies have made it challenging for foreign films to compete with domestic productions. For example, in 2021, only 39% of the imported films were American, and many of these films faced significant delays in approval1.

This system has been in place since 1994 and has evolved over the years to include more films, but it still poses significant challenges for foreign filmmakers looking to enter the Chinese market.