Chapter 49 Ronald Lee's Audition Portrait Studio

After a few days of repairs at his aunt's house, Ronald went to the Richmond Savings Bank in the city and paid off a $2,000 mortgage loan in one lump sum.

It so happened that the account manager was Ronald's classmate from high school, and he also extended the remaining payment plan, allowing Aunt Karen to pay much less each month.

However, the first-year tuition at New York University is $3,300, plus rent, books, and essential equipment rental expenses for film majors, Ronald's savings are about to dwindle significantly.

The main priority was to reopen a portrait photography studio in Manhattan.

He found a real estate agency in the classified ads section of the New York Times. Ronald called and discussed his needs: 1. Close to New York University. 2. There must be space for photography.

The agent picked Ronald up at the ferry terminal the next afternoon and showed him three properties at once.

The first was a studio in Soho, measuring 110 square meters (1,200 square feet), renting for $1,250 a month.

It's a large empty room, suitable for a real photography studio. However, it is not suitable for both commercial and residential use. Additionally, the rent is expensive, and the pressure to make a business every month is not small.

The second was a small two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn with a living room. The rent is only $280 a month. Although it's a bit far, it is connected by subway and only a few stops from New York University.

The agent boasted that it was a historic house and that the owner had equipped it with a modern kitchen and bathroom.

Ronald felt that the rent was cheap and was somewhat tempted. He agreed to go to the site to take a look, but he was disappointed.

It turns out that modern decor means that gas and hot water are connected, while historic decor means the house is very dilapidated and leaks when it rains, leaving marks on the walls.

The third house is on the east side of New York University, at the intersection of NOHO and East Village, in Artist Apartments on 2nd Avenue. The house is also relatively old but well-maintained. It is a three-room apartment.

In front of the door are restaurants owned by various ethnic minorities, including Jews, Italians, Ukrainians, Japanese, and Chinese.

Across the street is a Kodak printing shop, and next to it is a delicatessen and a grocery store, making life very convenient. There is a Wells Fargo bank a block away. Ronald fell in love with the environment at first sight.

The house was a low-rent building built by the government for the poor in the past, but now it has become a rental apartment, so the rational design is not important, but the housing availability rate is.

The agent said that this type of room is called a railroad apartment, which is like three train compartments. The three rooms are connected from front to back with no hallways or entrances. It's just like the shotgun house at my aunt's place.

Upon entering the house, Ronald planned to use it as a living room and reception area for photographs. The second larger room in the middle would be used as a photography room. The last room would be used as a bedroom and study.

After some bargaining, Ronald rented the railroad apartment on the second floor for $500 a month. There is no elevator, so there's no need to climb too much.

I talked to the caretaker and found out that this type of house does not have separate meters for water, electricity, and gas, so they are shared among the residents. After paying the deposit and opening the phone, Ronald began to prepare to open a photography studio.

The apartment was full of artists, those who weren't doing too well. Of course, it's not that bad; it doesn't come down to living in Hell's Kitchen. Ronald found a Czech painter and asked him to simply decorate his small apartment in exchange for taking portraits.

Especially the portraits of Demi Moore and Natasha Kinski, enlarged and hung on the wall of the reception room facing the door. In addition, a photo of Demi Moore was enlarged and posted behind the window on the second floor, with the artistic words "Audition Photography" written next to it.

Ronald was very satisfied and bought a typewriter and a Sony television. It felt like settling down in New York.

"At the 29th Berlin International Film Festival, the Soviet delegation, as well as the delegations from the Eastern Bloc, collectively withdrew from the film festival to protest Michael Cimino's participating film 'The Deer Hunter,' which defamed the North Vietnamese People's Army."

Seeing his old acquaintance Fatty again on television, Ronald smiled and decided he must walk firmly down the path.

He used a typewriter to write an ad for audition photography. After being satisfied with the revision, Ronald went to the copy shop and made hundreds of copies to try and distribute them around the area tomorrow.

He went to Abe Lebevoir's delicatessen store on the corner and bought some meat. He went to the supermarket and bought bread, cigarettes, and red wine. Ronald asked a Czech painter to invite some artists from the house to throw a party at his place.

Everyone was an artist and started commenting on the audition photos of the two beauties taken by Ronald. The unanimous opinion was that Ronald is very good at capturing the moment when beauty expresses her emotions, but he is not good artistically and does not showcase the physical beauty of the beauty.

"I'm choosing the director of the film; you don't understand," Ronald reprimanded with a smile.

After distributing some of his advertising brochures to several "artists," Ronald hoped to have business at his door tomorrow.

Indeed, at noon the next day, someone knocked on the door and wanted to take audition photographs.

The person who knocked on the door was a beautiful woman with black hair. When Ronald opened the door, she seemed frightened.

The beauty recoiled like a scared rabbit, then brushed her hair back with her hands, "Are you the photographer who takes audition photos as mentioned in this ad?"

A pair of eyes moved flexibly, trying to look inside the room. Compared to the brochure she held in her hand, she seemed to not believe that Ronald, who was so young, was the photographer.

Ronald stepped aside and opened the door wide, allowing the beauty to see the situation in the reception room. Pointing to the two sample photographs on the wall, he said, "I'm Ronald, the photographer from the flyer, and this is my audition portrait studio."

The beauty watched Ronald open the door. There was nothing unusual in the room. She entered cautiously and looked at the two audition photos on the wall.

"Tea or coffee?" Ronald asked, opening the kitchen door and reaching for the kettle.

"Coffee is fine. Did you take these two photos?" The beautiful voice of the woman came from the living room.

"Yes, one is the German actress Natasha Kinski, who played the female lead in Polanski's 'Tess.' The other is Demi Moore, who hasn't had a role in a movie yet, but I think it's only a matter of time."

While chatting, Ronald prepared a cup of instant coffee and took it to the other side. Seeing that the beauty gradually relaxed while drinking coffee, Ronald began to ask, "Is this your first time taking audition photos or do you want to update them?"

"The first time I take audition photos."

"Do you want to shoot it in color or black and white? For auditions for dramas or romantic comedies?"

Ronald asked while filling out the form and handing it to her: "Take a look and check if it's what you requested. An audition photograph, for the main drama, in color, 20 copies. The total is 60 US dollars."

The beauty took the form and looked at it carefully. Only then did Ronald have the opportunity to carefully observe the beauty's appearance.

Her shoulder-length black hair was neatly styled behind her ears, exposing two silver earrings. She wore a black velvet turtleneck that highlighted her snow-white skin.

The beauty was still comparing the project names and explanations one by one, and she seemed a little embarrassed to ask. A pair of dark eyes stared at the form, as if she was puzzled by the choice between a drama or a romantic comedy.

Looking at the beauty's black hair and black eyes, Ronald's heart was moved, and he suddenly blurted out, "Are you of Chinese descent?"

"How do you know?" The beauty suddenly jumped from her seat, "Who told you?"

"Relax." Ronald was surprised by the beauty's actions. He quickly stood up and apologized. "I just had the intuition that your facial features are very Chinese and very beautiful. I usually just look in magazines. I have met Chinese people before, so I ask you, not intending to offend."

The beauty's top was tied with a belt, the belt buckle inlaid with blue lapis lazuli, and the lower part of her body wore jeans and sneakers. She dressed in a bohemian style, combining cheap clothes and jewelry with a very elegant temperament.

The beauty smiled, but this photographer had just moved here and didn't know her situation. Then she extended her hand and said, "I am Meg Tilly, nice to meet you."

After "Ronald Lee" shook her hand, the two sat down again.

Meg seemed to have set aside her burden and was no longer nervous. She began to confirm the columns of the form with Ronald one by one.

Then Ronald took his Nikon camera and began to take portraits of Meg at the auditions. Meg is not very good in front of the camera, but she is in very good shape. When she stands in front of the camera, she has a rising energy.

"Are you studying dance?" Ronald asked curiously.

"Yes, I used to be a ballet dancer." Meg smiled, lifted her left leg, stood slightly, and put her foot against the wall.

"Oh, this pose is not easy. I have to take a photo. I can give it to you for free"...

After returning from the Kodak printing house, Ronald handed her the large audition photo with Meg's name written on it: "You can staple your resume to the back and show it to your agent."

Meg took the photo but did not leave immediately. She looked at Ronald with a smile for a long time, looked at the ground, and then lifted her head, "Ronald, I saw you taking audition photos for Natalie Kinski, too. Do you know how to take audition photos to impress the director? Are you from the film and television industry?"

"I worked on a filming crew in Hollywood and am now a freshman in the film department at New York University." Ronald enjoyed talking to this elegant girl. "I think you have a good physique and your face is pretty photogenic. There should be a place for you in the film and television industry."

"Really? But I haven't joined the industry yet." Meg looked down at her feet and smiled shyly.

"Of course, I have also been a second unit director on set, so I know who is suitable for movies." Ronald smiled, "Why don't we have lunch together and I'll explain some of the requirements for entering the industry little by little?"

"Are you asking me out, Ronald?" Meg asked, tilting her head and smiling.

"Of course, I formally invite you, Miss Meg Tilly, to have lunch with me."

The two found a Japanese restaurant and began to chat about each other's situations.

It turns out that Meg Tilley's father is a Chinese businessman named Chen. Her mother divorced her biological father when she was three years old and took her and her sister to Canada.

Canada, like the United States, suffers from imminent discrimination against Chinese Americans, and opportunities of all kinds are scarce. So Meg has kept the secret that she is half Chinese. She was surprised when Ronald said something to her a moment ago.

She studied ballet from a young age and later received a full scholarship to Skidmore College, a famous private dance school in New York. She studied with dance teacher Melissa Hayden, a former principal dancer with the New York City Ballet.

Last year, she was admitted to the Connecticut Ballet Company and was supposed to embark on a career as a ballet dancer. Unfortunately, during a training session before going to the Connecticut Ballet, she accidentally fell while being lifted by a male partner. She seriously injured her back and could no longer pursue a dance career.

The resilience of her character supported Meg to stay in New York, and she wanted to change her career to acting, but she couldn't devote herself to it, whether it was film, television, or Broadway.

If she doesn't have a new job and doesn't have enough savings, Meg may move to the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan next month to rent a house and work as a waitress while continuing with her dream.

The two chatted more and more happily, and Meg shared all her difficulties with Ronald.

"I heard that actresses under 30 in New York are going crazy right now. MGM is going to invest in a teen drama with 10 starring opportunities. All the agents are selling their young actors to casting studios," Meg Tilly said.

"Where is your agent?" Ronald thought to himself. This was the second time he had heard about this casting studio.

"I haven't received my Screen Actors Guild card yet, so I don't have an agent," Meg said shyly.

"That's fine," Ronald took Meg's hand to console her, "Tomorrow I will go to the casting studio. Come with me and see if there is any possibility of recommending you."

End of the chapter