I am Hollywood

Chapter 56: Sponsorship



[Chapter 56: I Might Get Stupid from All This]

Kepler glanced over and said, "It was around 1985, I think. Al Pacino starred in a big Warner Bros. production that cost nearly $30 million, and it only brought in just over $300,000 at the box office. The pressure was too much, so he chose to take a break from acting. I heard recently that Al is looking to make a comeback, which is why I included him on the list."

Eric recalled the character from Scent of a Woman: a delicate yet fierce blind colonel whose immense presence epitomized male charisma, and couldn't help but ask, "Kepler, is there a chance we could sign Al to UTA?"

Kepler hesitated. "I'll try my best. Al Pacino is one of the four great talents who emerged in the 1970s. Though that movie flopped in '85, his performance was flawless. He's been nominated four times for Best Actor at the Oscars. Given that he's signaled he wants to come back, I'm sure many agencies will be vying for him. We don't have much of an advantage."

Eric knew Kepler was speaking the truth and replied, "Regardless, we need to make the effort. By the way, send out the invitation to the male lead for Pretty Woman as soon as possible. If we can, I'd really like Al Pacino to play Edward."

"Sure," Kepler responded, pointing to the list of actors Eric had provided. "So, Eric, do you want to invite these folks to audition as well?"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Not for now. Focus on contacting Al Pacino first. If he declines, we'll reach out to the others."

...

Over the next few days, Eric tirelessly held auditions for supporting roles, scouted filming locations, and managed shooting schedules, often working until the wee hours of the night sketching storyboards. He also took time to reach out to a girls' boarding school in Los Angeles, dropping quite a sponsorship fee. With less than ten days until Christmas break, he sent the pesky little girl lounging in the mansion off to school. That girl, with her chaotic imagination and newfound knack for sneaking around at night, could create serious trouble if allowed to linger.

...

"Eric, good news and bad news -- what do you want first?" As the new day began, Jeffrey barreled into the office without knocking after just sitting down with some budget reports.

Seeing the mostly joyful look on Jeffrey's face, Eric smiled and said, "Let's hear the good first, just to calm any nerves."

Jeffrey pulled a contract from his briefcase and handed it to Eric. "Lamborghini agreed to our sponsorship proposal. They're about to launch the new Lamborghini Countach. After I explained your earlier pitch, they promptly said yes. Look at this -- $1 million! Once this news gets out, the envy from our competitors will be off the charts. So many films struggle to even earn a million by the end."

Eric scanned the contract. Lamborghini had indeed agreed to the $1 million advertising fee, but only if Pretty Woman grossed $100 million in North America. Should the box office fall short, a proportional refund of the advertising money would be expected. Of course, if the film exceeded $100 million, Lamborghini would cover the extra.

While product placement was commonplace in the future, Eric felt little excitement and joked with Jeffrey, "You're getting excited too soon, Jeffrey. If our film doesn't hit the mark, we'll be refunding that advertising fee."

Jeffrey sobered a bit, contemplating the possibility. "That shouldn't... happen, right? Eric, haven't you always had confidence in this film?"

Eric waved him off. "Okay, enough joking. What's the bad news?"

"The bad news is that I reached out to some top jewelry companies, but none were willing to sponsor Vivian's jewelry. Only one jeweler reluctantly agreed to provide a set for filming."

Of course, Eric thought with a chuckle, "Jeffrey, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, you might have forgotten that Vivian's character is a prostitute. Just getting a jeweler to agree is a win."

"Fair point. I didn't consider that," Jeffrey acknowledged quickly, then tentatively suggested, "Eric, why not change Vivian's character to a white-collar worker? I could definitely..."

"Don't even think about it, Jeffrey. Changing the script for sponsorship is foolish. Just stick to being a producer; don't think I'll take any suggestions about the film's content."

"Alright, alright. I know I have a history..." Jeffrey chuckled awkwardly. "By the way, have there been any updates from Al Pacino? I heard you wanted to invite him to play the lead role?"

"Kepler is reaching out. But last night, he called to say Al Pacino is in New York right now. Apparently, he wants to do some theater in Broadway first."

"Then you need to decide quickly," Jeffrey advised. "Christmas break is coming up. If the lead isn't locked in by then, our plans to start shooting right after the holiday will surely fall through."

Eric nodded confidently. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."

In those days, the dollar remained strong. A $1 million sponsorship was a big deal -- just twenty years later, what would have once cost several million dollars in Beverly Hills was now just at the million-dollar mark. The new Lamborghini sports car was only priced at $240,000. With such a hefty investment, Lamborghini wasted no time in publicizing their sponsorship deal.

In no time, countless envious and critical opinions flooded the papers.

...

The Los Angeles Times quipped, "Sources say Eric Williams' new film had a production budget of only $7 million. With just Lamborghini's sponsorship, he recouped one-seventh of his investment. It seems our young miracle director is not just a film genius, but a business prodigy as well."

The Hollywood Reporter raised eyebrows, questioning, "With a $1 million sponsorship fee, is Eric Williams planning to create a car commercial lasting over 100 minutes? The title Pretty Woman doesn't quite connect with Lamborghini. I'm beginning to doubt the quality of Eric Williams' new film."

That was still on the milder side. The latest issue of Film Comment harshly criticized, "Eric Williams comes across as a troublemaker in Hollywood. A $1 million advertising sponsorship is a desecration of the art of film. If his product placement succeeds here, it won't be long before greedy producers flood films with ads just to reap more profits. Therefore, we urge all cinema lovers to stay away from Eric Williams' new film."

Sadly, Film Comment's highbrow tone didn't capture mainstream attention. Though Americans loved films, they didn't quite care for such lofty movie magazines. This outcry may have stirred minor stirrings among the traditionalists in the industry, but it hardly made a

ripple.

...

The external noise didn't affect Eric; he kept methodically preparing for Pretty Woman. Besides the now-uncertain lead role, everything else was nearing completion. The few remaining minor details hardly required his presence; Jeffrey managed those.

"Eric, if you're set on inviting Al Pacino, you might need to head to New York." Kepler sat across from Eric, looking somewhat fatigued.

Eric stood up and made Kepler a cup of coffee. "Can you explain?"

"Al's unclear about your script and wants to discuss it face to face. But he's currently committed to performing Richard III in a theater on Broadway," Kepler explained.

Eric considered this. He had already planned to go to New York during Christmas to see Aniston. If he didn't show up to stake his claim, the little girl could very well end up in someone else's arms.

"Not a problem. I'll be heading to New York anyway. Kepler, would you like to come along? Maybe we can talk Al into joining us at UTA?"

Kepler nodded. "I was thinking the same. Al only has a personal manager, not an agency. I

need to make the effort."

"Sounds good. Let's book those tickets ASAP -- either tonight or tomorrow would work. If we can't make a deal, I need to come back and start contacting other actors for auditions."

...

After discussing this matter, Eric drove away from the office toward a girls' school in northern Los Angeles near the Rose Bowl, where Drew had just been sent a few days earlier.

As soon as he met with her, the girl began whining, "Eric, please, change my school! Or I

might start believing in Scientology or Satanism! This Catholic school is so boring, and it's all

girls here. I'm gonna be dumbed down!"

Eric chuckled, giving her a light tap on the head. He had sent Drew there based on Jeffrey's suggestion. The Catholic boarding school was known for its strict environment, which would hopefully temper Drew's wild and reckless nature.

"Alright, Drew, transferring isn't happening. I paid a hefty sponsorship fee. I wanted to let you know that I'll be heading to New York for a few days. If things go well, I probably won't be back until after Christmas. You have the keys to my place. If you don't want to go home during the break, feel free to stay there. Just call Jeffrey if you need anything; he'll help you."

Upon hearing Eric, Drew's demeanor dipped. "Are you going to see Aniston?"

Eric didn't deny it, nodding in acknowledgement. He offered a few more words before quickly leaving, feeling her sulking eyes follow him as he drove away.

*****

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