Hollywood starts with a broker

PolyGram's office in Los Angeles.

Michael Kuhn and Aaron Anderson sat facing each other. "This 'Phone Booth' script is very novel. Are you really planning to shoot it?"

Aaron nodded. "I just formed a new company, Dawn Film Corporation, and I'm preparing to rent an office in Burbank."

"I've already found the director and actors for 'Phone Booth.' I've invested $1 million so far."

"I'm still a bit short on funds, so I plan to exchange international distribution rights for some capital!"

Michael Kuhn smiled. "You're quite bold, daring to use your own funds to make a movie on your first try."

Aaron spread his hands. "This way, I have control. I have complete confidence in a movie that I control myself."

"Alright, I really like the script for 'Phone Booth.' $300,000. PolyGram will get the UK distribution rights for your movie. How about it?"

Aaron touched his forehead. "The male lead is Nicolas Cage. His acting skills are quite good, and he's also from the Coppola family, which is a selling point!"

He sighed. "$3 million, and you can have the European distribution rights, how about it?"

Michael Kuhn shook his head. "PolyGram is originally a music company. Distributing records and movies are different."

"We can handle the UK ourselves. For other parts of Europe, we'll also look for agents."

"The budget for 'Phone Booth' is $2 million, Aaron. You're being greedy!"

"Theaters, television, videotapes, 'Phone Booth' will definitely make a lot of money," Aaron said, looking at Michael Kuhn.

"It's much more commercial than 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape'!"

"Aaron, North America is the world's largest entertainment market. It's different," Michael Kuhn reminded him.

Aaron Anderson had accumulated some fame in the independent film circle for discovering 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape.'

"How about this? $1.5 million for the European distribution rights. That's enough for you to make 'Phone Booth'!"

"That's too low. The exchange rate between the pound and the dollar is around 1.6 right now. One million pounds, that's $1.6 million," Aaron didn't expect to make much money in the European market, the main focus was still the North American market.

"However, 'Phone Booth' will start filming soon, so I need immediate funds!"

"Alright, happy cooperation!"

Michael Kuhn and Aaron shook hands.

He could tell that the script for 'Phone Booth' was very good, and he believed that others could see it too.

Seeing Aaron Anderson spending his own money to film it, he was even more optimistic. $1.6 million to buy the European distribution rights was a good deal.

After signing the contract, Dawn quickly received a check from PolyGram.

And 'Phone Booth' quickly began filming in Los Angeles!

Downtown Los Angeles, on the set on Broadway, a simple crew, Nicolas Cage was on the phone in the phone booth.

David Fincher behind the camera was constantly paying attention to the actor's facial expressions.

Aaron and Quentin Tarantino were standing next to each other talking. "You mean, you didn't tell these extras around here the script?"

"That's right. When they get shot and die later, they'll show the most realistic reactions. The director agrees too," Quentin Tarantino explained.

"Bang," a gunshot rang out, and the actor who clashed with the male lead in the phone booth fell to the ground. The surrounding extras screamed in shock, their expressions terrified!

After waiting for a while.

"Cut," David Fincher hurried to the cameraman's side. "How was the effect just now? Did you capture it?"

"OK, great. We captured a lot of terrified expressions," the cameraman said with a smile.

Aaron pursed his lips, glad that these were extras and not passersby!

Soon after, Aaron received a call from Miramax, wanting to talk about the distribution of 'Phone Booth.'

Aaron had been very busy recently. Besides arranging the office for Dawn Film Corporation, he was also looking for a North American distributor for 'Phone Booth.'

Not only Miramax, Samuel Goldwyn, and New Line, but even major distributors like Columbia TriStar, Disney, and 20th Century Fox were seeking it.

Miramax's Harvey Weinstein and New Line's Robert Shaye were both interested, but they wanted to buy out the North American distribution rights, and the price was not acceptable to Aaron!

That evening, in a Hollywood club.

Harvey Weinstein looked at Aaron Anderson in front of him and smiled. "Now that you've left CAA, are you interested in coming to Miramax?"

"Steve Ross and Lew Wasserman both started as agents. Recently, David Geffen just sold Geffen Records to MCA (Music Corporation of America) for a total of $550 million in cash and stock. He also started as an agent."

"You might become one of them!"

Steve Ross, the current co-CEO of Time Warner;

Lew Wasserman, the chairman and CEO of MCA, the parent company of Universal Pictures Group!

"So, you still have to enter the entertainment production industry. Being an agent is just a transition," Aaron said, unfazed by Harvey Weinstein's words.

"$1.5 million, and the North American distribution rights for 'Phone Booth' will be sold to Miramax. If the box office exceeds $10 million, you'll get a cash bonus of between $500,000 and $1 million!"

Perhaps the success of 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape' gave him confidence, and he also had ideas for 'Phone Booth.'

Aaron smiled. "Harvey, my expectations for 'Phone Booth' are much higher than 'Sex, Lies, and Videotape.'"

"Besides, I've already sold the European distribution rights, so I don't need to quickly recover the cash flow. If you're willing, we can talk about Miramax handling the distribution on commission!"

If Aaron had just entered Hollywood, he would most likely have chosen to sell out the rights for his first work, because it would bring money back quickly.

Unfortunately, Aaron wasn't in a hurry now, and the current situation was different from the future. There were countless independent distribution companies and theater chains in the United States. The wave of mergers and acquisitions in independent film companies and theater chains would not begin for another few years!

"Commissioned distribution, of course, is possible. It seems you're indeed very confident, but Miramax will charge a 20% distribution commission."

Aaron frowned. "Harvey, Miramax isn't at the level of the Big Six right now, and it's not even in the first tier of independent film companies."

"How many marketing resources do you have at your disposal?"

This kind of independent film, with no big-name directors or big-name stars, and not an action film, independent distributors probably get less than 50% of the box office revenue from theaters.

If you want a 20% commission, that leaves only 30% for the production company, and after deducting GG, there's even less left for the production company!

If you were one of the Big Six distributors, opening with hundreds or thousands of theaters, Aaron would be willing to pay a 20% distribution commission.

"How about this? Let's discuss it after the filming wraps and we've seen the finished film."

Miramax really didn't show much sincerity!