Chapter 187: Exclusive Advantage

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Not long after Anson joined the cast of "The Princess Diaries," the nominees for the 52nd Primetime Emmy Awards were announced.

Founded in 1949 by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Emmy Awards are the highest honor in American television, on par with the Oscars, Grammys, and Tony Awards—collectively known as "EGOT."

The Emmy Awards encompass various categories, with the most well-known being the Primetime Emmy Awards. Other categories include the Daytime Emmy Awards, Sports Emmys, News and Documentary Emmys, Technical and Engineering Emmys, and Student Emmys, among others.

Additionally, regional Emmy Awards are presented at different times throughout the year across various parts of the United States, recognizing local television production. There are also the International Emmy Awards, which honor television programs produced and aired outside North America.

In other words, the Emmy Awards cover a wide range of categories.

When people mention the "Emmy Awards" without any qualifiers, they usually refer to the Primetime Emmy Awards, which typically take place in September each year.

The annual grand event in the television industry is just around the corner.

This year's Emmy Awards competition is particularly fierce, further validating the claim that we are in a golden age of television.

In the Drama Series category, HBO's "The Sopranos" and NBC's "The West Wing" lead the pack with ten and nine nominations, respectively, setting the stage for a fierce battle.

In the Comedy Series category, CBS's "Everybody Loves Raymond" and NBC's "Will & Grace" lead with eight and six nominations, respectively.

In the Television Movie/Miniseries category, "The Life and Times of John Adams" leads with seven nominations, while the other contenders are closely matched, making the competition intense.

As for other categories, two shows closely related to Anson are once again Emmy darlings. Both "Sex and the City" and "Friends" fall under the Comedy category and have received five nominations each. As regular Emmy favorites, they are once again in the spotlight, though their momentum has slightly slowed.

Among them, the decline is more noticeable for "Friends."

"Sex and the City" received nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and two nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.

"Friends" received nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, and two nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series.

The situation is clear.

"Sex and the City" continues to dominate major categories such as series, writing, and lead actress, while "Friends" has been largely overlooked due to disputes over lead and supporting roles within the cast. Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow received nominations for Supporting Actress, but the other four main actors were entirely absent from the nominations.

It's no wonder NBC needed to discuss the show's future with David Crane, and it's no surprise that this summer's salary negotiations for "Friends" became a hot topic.

However, even in a low period, "Friends" is not without hope.

The show caused a ratings frenzy and became a hot topic during the finale of this season, proving that it still has an unparalleled fan base. It remains one of the top three most-watched shows in the U.S., including both comedy and drama, allowing the cast and creative team to sign contracts with historic significance.

Understandably, as a key player, Anson has also caught the Emmy's attention.

In the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category, Anson has earned a nomination.

Surprise!

Unexpected!

Breakthrough!

At just eighteen years old—technically not even yet—Anson's very first acting role in his career has earned him an Emmy nomination.

It's something to celebrate.

And something to watch.

As Edgar mentioned, Anson must attend the awards ceremony, even if the timing is tight; he has to make it.

### Now, Edgar is still not officially Anson's agent, at least not yet. Since they haven't signed a contract, it's not Edgar's place to schedule Anson's work. As a result, there have been some oversights, even though Edgar knew about Anson's Emmy nomination, he didn't immediately connect all the dots.

Anson is currently vying for the role of Spider-Man. In this context, every positive exposure opportunity must be seized to showcase himself as much as possible. A platform like the Emmy Awards is especially important, not because of whether he wins, but because it's essential to build momentum for an actor.

It's worth mentioning that among the candidates for the role of Spider-Man, Anson is the only one with an Emmy nomination, which gives him a unique advantage.

So.

Anson returned to Los Angeles, accompanied by one of Edgar's colleagues.

"In fact, for the awards ceremony—and the upcoming awards season, I strongly recommend having a publicist accompany you," Edgar offered his professional advice to Anson.

"Of course, your agent will also be present, since these events require a great deal of effort; but occasionally, if the agent can't make it, it's not a big deal as long as the publicist is still by your side."

"A professional publicist can not only tell you the names, identities, and significance of everyone at social events, but they can also handle unexpected situations and craft the right PR strategy for you. Winning is the ultimate goal, but beyond that, building an actor's image is their expertise."

"Currently, there are four major PR firms in Hollywood. You should inquire about them."

If an agent and an artist are in a mutually supportive partnership, then a publicist has a more client-based role, where the decision-making power rests with the artist.

Naturally, the artist also has the freedom to choose whom they want to work with. It's rare for a publicist to pitch themselves, with only a few exceptions.

Aside from awards ceremonies, socializing, and crisis management, the most important role of a publicist is promotion.

Whether it's promoting a movie or, as in Anson's case, trying to land a role, publicists arrange magazine features, parties, film festivals, and other social events to build an actor's image.

The bigger the PR firm, the more resources they have.

For a newcomer like Anson, it's nearly impossible to access top-tier resources without a professional PR firm.

However, there's a catch—

An agent earns commissions from the actor's work, so they can invest in helping a new actor, much like Edgar is doing now.

But a publicist doesn't work that way.

Generally, PR firms charge in three ways:

1. **Fixed Fee:** The PR firm signs a long-term contract with the client, charging monthly or annually, and provides full-service PR.

2. **Project Fee:** The firm may work on a single project, with different fees based on their price structure. Naturally, crisis management tends to be more expensive.

3. **Commission:** In some cases, PR firms charge a percentage based on media exposure or marketing campaign ad spend, often used in brand collaboration projects.

For newcomers, these fees are both a barrier and a challenge.

This is why top-tier resources are typically reserved for top-tier stars.

Of course, top agencies have their own PR partners, and it's not uncommon for an agent to cover the PR costs for a newcomer to help them break into the industry.

But as for Edgar's capabilities...

A junior agent does have limitations, which is why James Franco and others emphasize Edgar's status as a junior agent.

Edgar did his best to offer advice within his means, but before he could finish speaking, he noticed the jet-black Bentley at the airport entrance.

He hesitated for a moment. Was the Bentley's driver signaling to Anson?