Chapter 76: Super Potential Client

It was the year 2001, and if Murphy's new film were to succeed like "Hard Candy" and enter theaters, releasing it in September would be suicidal. With the nation's psyche likely at its lowest due to recent events, how many would be willing to watch such a bloody and brutal film?

If possible, Murphy wanted to finish the film as soon as possible and find a suitable distributor to aim for a theatrical release before August.

At noon, after lunch at the studio, Murphy had a brief discussion with Paul Wilson before heading out to meet someone he had previously arranged to meet.

The meeting place was a café in Century City, and both parties had agreed to meet at two o'clock. Murphy arrived early and waited for about half an hour before Nick Claiborne, the prop master introduced by Carla Fess, arrived.

"Hello, Nick," Murphy greeted warmly, showing no sign of this being their second meeting. "It's good to see you again."

Sitting across from him was a middle-aged man in his thirties, the prop master Carla Fess had recommended. Their previous discussion about compensation had not been successful.

"Hello, Mr. Stanton," Nick nodded.

"I'm working on a new project," Murphy got straight to the point, as they had already discussed over the phone. "I need an experienced prop master."

Prop masters and makeup artists were crucial for the new project. While he would continue to use Jack Watson as the makeup artist, he had yet to find a suitable prop master.

Nick Claiborne was Murphy's top choice for now. With over a decade of experience in the industry, including involvement in several productions with budgets exceeding ten million dollars, he was undoubtedly experienced.

"I've seen the work plan you sent to my email," Nick said, his brow furrowing. "It might conflict with my schedule. I have a big project with DreamWorks starting in July."

Hearing Nick subtly elevate his own value by mentioning DreamWorks, Murphy smiled and said, "The two jobs don't conflict. It's only March, and my project should be completed by late May at the latest. You'll only need to be on set for about five weeks..."

After Carla Fess's recommendation, Murphy had looked into Nick's past work and found him to be highly capable. To win over someone like him, practical offers were better than empty promises.

"I assure you, your weekly salary won't be less than five thousand dollars," Murphy said calmly.

For a second-tier prop master, this was already a high figure.

Upon hearing this, Nick visibly hesitated but didn't immediately agree. After a moment of thought, he said, "My agent isn't here. I can't give you an answer right now."

"Can you provide his contact information?" Murphy knew that Nick was interested. Nick handed him a business card, and Murphy glanced at it. "I'll get in touch with him."

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the prop master was essentially secured.

After leaving the café, Murphy didn't return to the studio. Instead, he called Bill Ross and, after a brief tour of Century City, entered the building where CAA was located.

Taking the elevator directly to Bill Ross's office floor, Murphy walked down a long corridor to the end and knocked on the door of an office.

It was a shared office space for several agents, and aside from Bill Ross's desk by the window, Murphy could see at least four other desks. This gave him an idea of Bill Ross's status in the agency and within CAA.

Just as Murphy expected, Bill Ross was just one of many agents at CAA.

"Hey, Murphy," Bill Ross greeted warmly, gesturing for him to follow. "Over here."

With multiple agents in the office, it wasn't the right place to talk, so Bill led Murphy into a nearby meeting room.

"Have a seat," Bill gestured to the couch in the room, then went to the drinks rack and asked, "What would you like?"

"Just water," Murphy replied, taking in the luxurious decor of the meeting room.

Bill brought a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table next to Murphy, then sat on the other couch.

"Is the script finished?" he asked eagerly. "When do we start pre-production? What do you need me to do?"

"I'm still revising the script," Murphy said casually, taking a sip of water. "Pre-production probably won't start until next month."

"Okay," Bill nodded, but then added, "If there's anything you need from me, just let me know."

From his commission on "Hard Candy," he had received five percent, a sum that would nearly double his income for the year.

And as a regular agent, who wouldn't want to climb higher, to have their own independent office, and a dedicated assistant?

Just like any other agent who had climbed the ranks through actors or directors, the most reliable path was to scout talent oneself.

Now, he saw Murphy as an opportunity for a breakthrough.

As he looked at Murphy, Bill Ross felt as if he were looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.

Coming specifically to see him, Murphy must have something on his mind. Putting down his glass, Murphy said, "As you know, during the filming of 'Hard Candy,' most of the crew were hired at low wages and lacked skill. Apart from Jack Watson, I won't be working with them again."

Bill Ross nodded lightly, recognizing this as one of the reasons he valued Murphy. With such a group of inexperienced people, successfully completing "Hard Candy" was no small feat, and the final result exceeded his expectations.

Having spent a long time on set, people like the lighting crew and set decorators were simply laborers, unable to keep up with Murphy's vision. They could only passively carry out their tasks under his direction, and even basic collaboration was lacking.

Of course, he also knew that with the wages Murphy offered, encountering someone like Jack Watson was simply lucky.

"The new crew will need a lot of behind-the-scenes positions," Murphy continued. "I need people whose abilities are guaranteed. I assume CAA has no shortage of such manpower?"

"Definitely not. Even newcomers who sign contracts with CAA have guaranteed abilities."

As he said this, Bill Ross's mind stirred, recalling CAA's foundational strategy. This was a good opportunity, wasn't it? He suggested, "Murphy, let me take care of these matters for you."

From the success of "Hard Candy," where he received nearly five times the North American box office gross on a production budget of only $300,000, with the total market output exceeding ten times that...

Ultimately, this was a circle where success spoke for itself, and Bill Ross believed Murphy could bring him a breakthrough.

Treating such a super potential client with utmost importance was only natural.