Chapter 66: Idealist

In the hotel's large conference room, all the windows were covered tightly with black curtains, blocking out any incoming light. At the front of the room, a small screen was hung on the wide wall, and Murphy sat behind the projector, personally controlling the screening of "Hard Candy".

In front of him, Bill Robbins accompanied Jones Butler and her three colleagues, watching the film intently.

In this commercial society, every transaction involving large sums of money was relatively cautious, and Hollywood was no exception. Jones Butler wasn't rushing to make a decision. Instead, she brought in a team of professional viewers from Miramax to evaluate the film together.

Murphy deliberately rented this conference room. Fortunately, it was during the film festival, and such events were common. Most hotels were prepared, and as long as enough fees were paid, the venue and screening equipment were not an issue.

As the screening approached its end, when Hayley strangled Jeff and left, Murphy didn't continue with the closing credits. He turned off the projector and sat near the door. Paul Wilson quickly turned on the lights, and the conference room returned to brightness.

After packing up the copy, Murphy walked to the window and opened the curtains, reconnecting the sealed conference room with the outside world.

"Jones..." Bill Robbins was about to speak, but Jones Butler raised her hand to interrupt him. "Can we discuss privately?"

"No problem," Murphy walked over, signaling to Bill Robbins, "Let's step outside first."

Whether or not to impress the other party primarily depended on the film. As long as these people believed that "Hard Candy" had some market potential, both sides could enter into substantive negotiations. Otherwise, no amount of talk would matter.

Miramax Films was a commercial company, not a charity organization.

Outside the conference room, Murphy and the others waited in the corridor.

"Jones Butler brought a team of viewers from Miramax," Bill Robbins seemed very focused, "which indicates their strong interest in 'Hard Candy'. We might be able to make this deal."

As long as the deal was made, according to their brokerage contract, Murphy would also receive a commission. The production cost of the film was $300,000, and Miramax's offer was unlikely to be lower than that figure, so the commission would be at least five figures.

The top agents in Hollywood could earn hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars a year, but that was for those at the top of the pyramid. Entertainment brokers like him, who constituted the bottom layer of the pyramid, didn't even make $100,000 a year. Five figures would still be a considerable income.

Murphy knew exactly what motivated Bill Robbins. Individuals like Paul Wilson, who were idealists, were rare. To get an ambitious entertainment broker like him to work for him, he had to show him the benefits.

Outside the conference room, Murphy, Bill Robbins, and Paul Wilson formed a small circle to discuss the possible initial negotiations.

Inside the conference room, Jones Butler and the other three formed their own circle, exchanging their views on the film.

"It has some commercial value."

The first to speak was a man with chestnut-colored short hair. "But the audience is relatively narrow. Even within the B-movie genre, it's still a niche type."

His opinion was supported by another person. "I agree. The most appealing aspect of this film is the underage girl's retaliation against a pedophile. That's a good hook. In certain audience groups, it could attract some attention."

"The film has some value."

The last man to speak adjusted his glasses. "I believe the director handled it well. The cinematography, lighting, and color palette are all pleasing to the eye, especially the cinematography. It didn't use the popular handheld style in B-movies nowadays, and the shots weren't shaky. From this perspective alone, it meets the current market demand."

Closing his notebook, Jones Butler looked at the three of them. "So, it seems we're all in agreement."

"One more thing." The man with glasses reminded, "Jones, Moore's point is valid. This film can only be a niche within a niche. You must negotiate the buyout price down."

"I know," Jones Butler nodded. "Don't forget, if the price is too high, I don't have the authority to make the decision."

When Murphy and the others returned to the conference room, the long conference table that had been pushed aside earlier had been moved back to the center. Jones Butler and her team sat in a row on the left side, with Murphy following Bill Robbins, sitting on the right side of the table.

Jones Butler didn't look at Bill Robbins. Her gaze was almost entirely on Murphy. Perhaps, subconsciously neglecting the underdog until now, she only realized now how young the other party was.

He couldn't be more than twenty-three years old! She formed her own judgment. Such a young person, even if exceptionally talented, would be severely lacking in social experience. Plus, knowing that he had invested his entire fortune into making a film, he must be somewhat of an idealist.

Such people weren't difficult to deal with... Thinking of this, she glanced at Bill Robbins. He was the real cunning fox.

However, Jones Butler didn't really regard Bill Robbins highly. He came from CAA, but he was just one of many agents at CAA.

More importantly, Miramax, where she was from, was a well-known independent film distributor in the industry. Faced with these novice directors, producers, and small film studios, they naturally had an absolute advantage.

Getting the desired work at the lowest price possible was her guiding principle.

Jones Butler's eyes returned to Murphy. Perhaps if Miramax could publicly release his film, this idealist would be ecstatic?

Murphy remained quiet. The negotiation positions between the two sides were completely unequal. While his film needed a distributor to realize its value and recoup its investment, "Hard Candy" wasn't a necessity for Miramax.

He knew a little about Miramax, founded by the Weinstein brothers. They often scoured the world for suitable low-budget independent films, either buying them outright and packaging them for theatrical release or pushing them directly into the video market.

Although he believed that the final cut of "Hard Candy" exceeded his expectations, Murphy was well aware that such quality films were not exactly rare at the Sundance Film Festival. Considering Miramax's dominant position, he had to figure out how to maximize his own interests.

As Murphy looked at the row of people opposite him, he knew that Jones Butler was the one in charge. He wouldn't underestimate her; on the contrary, he knew he should pay even more attention to her. Everyone was aware of the significant discrimination people of color faced in the film industry, so a Black person who could rise to prominence was definitely not ordinary.