Today, Bella Anderson was well-prepared. Since these officials needed a compelling reason to grant tax benefits, she would provide them with enough justification. Her arguments extended beyond the jobs that American Sniper could create.
In reality, most tax breaks and subsidies from the United States and even overseas were aimed at commercial films.
To strengthen her case, Bella had studied numerous examples and prepared a persuasive statement.
Looking across the conference table, she continued, "If the state government is providing financial subsidies, the funds come from California taxpayers, who have the right to see their taxes used in ways that reflect broad public interests."
She spoke calmly, "Independent films and art-house films often come from highly personal perspectives, such as The Fragile Life, which tells the story of a person's struggle to survive after nearly drowning. These are very niche projects, with limited audiences, proving that only a small number of viewers can relate to such themes. If we use taxpayer dollars to fund these types of films, aren't we essentially using the majority's money to fulfill the desires of a small minority?"
The four officials exchanged glances but remained noncommittal.
The man with glasses shared a look with one of his colleagues and then said, "Ms. Anderson, we'll end here for today. We'll provide you with a decision as soon as possible."
"Understood." Bella stood, thanked them, and left.
Negotiating with the government involved endless red tape and little room for maneuvering.
As she left Burbank and returned to the studio in Century City, Bella received a call from the man with glasses. He informed her that they had reached a consensus: American Sniper would receive one of the tax incentive slots. However, the approval process would take at least another week.
When Matthew received the news, it took ten more business days for American Sniper to officially secure the incentives for the coming year, including a $6.7 million tax rebate and a $2.3 million state subsidy.
Compared to states where projects with $10 million budgets received rebates exceeding $2 million, this might not seem impressive, but Matthew was satisfied.
With everything progressing smoothly, American Sniper was now gearing up for auditions to find the right actress for the female lead.
While the character didn't need to be identical to the real-life person, she had to at least capture her essence.
Having met Taya Kyle, Chris Kyle's wife, multiple times, Matthew saw that she wasn't a particularly gentle woman. Maybe it was the years she spent in Texas, but she had a sharp, cowgirl-like resilience and a hint of wildness beneath her good looks.
This subtle toughness was something only those who knew her well would notice.
After discussing this with Clint Eastwood, they agreed that actresses with overly sweet personas wouldn't fit Taya Kyle's character.
Matthew turned down several actresses who had reached out directly, including Lily Collins.
"Lily, you have a very sweet look," he told her in the office. "This character is more of a cowgirl at heart. It's really not the right fit."
Lily's wide eyes, perhaps accentuated by her makeup, gave her an innocent look. "But, Matthew..." she hesitated before adding, "I've been hoping for a chance to work with you."
Aware of her admiration, Matthew reassured her. "There will be other chances." He thought for a moment and continued, "I'm planning a sci-fi project about a Mars rescue mission. There's a role for a young female astronaut. If you're interested, you can check with Bella for the book and initial script."
"Alright." Lily stood to leave but paused at the door to ask, "Are you free tonight? Maybe we could grab dinner?"
Matthew also stood, shaking his head. "Another time. I have a meeting with Chris Kyle tonight." Seeing her still watching him, he added, "We arranged it yesterday. I've been training with Chris recently for the sniper scenes, and today he's bringing two retired soldiers to share their experiences from the Iraq War."
Lily nodded, "Alright. I'll call you another time."
After Lily left, Matthew drove his new Mercedes G-Wagon to the Nebula Shooting Club.
Most of Chris Kyle's sniper training sessions took place there, as his company in South Los Angeles primarily served military clients.
But today's meeting was more about those two retired soldiers. If things went well, Matthew planned to hire them as advisors for the film's war scenes.
Upon arriving, Matthew learned that the club's owner, Nebula, was away in Las Vegas, expanding his business.
Entering the indoor shooting range, he saw only four or five people practicing. Chris Kyle was alone in the lounge area, reading a newspaper.
The spacious lounge was furnished with round wooden tables, which looked nice but weren't particularly comfortable. A large glass wall separated it from the shooting area to minimize the noise.
"Over here, Matthew," Chris called out, waving him over.
Matthew greeted Chris and took a seat across from him while Brown Williams, as usual, took a seat at a nearby table.
Chris ordered a glass of water for Matthew and said, "The others won't be here until later."
Matthew wasn't in a rush; they had arranged to meet at 3:30, and it was only 2:00.
He picked up his water, noting the weight of the porcelain cup, which bore a British manufacturer's logo.
He remembered Nebula mentioning that the gym and shooting club had recently ordered a new set of porcelain from a company supplying the British royal family.
As they talked, the conversation naturally shifted to American Sniper.
Chris expressed some concern about Clint Eastwood's age, worried that an older director might struggle with such an intense film. Matthew assured him that the production team was treating the project with utmost seriousness, determined to tell the story right.
Soon, the topic turned to the two veterans who would be joining them.
"One of them is Chad Littlefield," Chris explained, "one of the directors at my foundation for war trauma. He also served in Iraq and has even more experience in some areas than I do."
Matthew nodded. Chris had co-founded this foundation with his private military company to provide veterans with physical rehabilitation, personal training, and psychological support.
"The other guy is Eddie Rouse. He also served in Iraq," Chris added. "His case is a bit complicated. After leaving the military, he struggled with PTSD and was unemployed for a long time."
"If his skills and experience can help with the film, I'd be happy to offer him an advisor position," Matthew replied.
While he wasn't one to help without reason, having a veteran like Eddie, who had real combat experience, would be valuable for the production.
"I ran into Eddie's mother when I was back in Texas, and she asked me to help him," Chris sighed. "Having been through similar experiences, I couldn't say no. I brought him to L.A. for treatment. A job might help his recovery."
He added earnestly, "Thank you, Matthew."
Matthew, lacking military experience, didn't fully grasp the depth of camaraderie among soldiers, so he simply nodded.
After chatting with Chris for a while, Matthew went to the shooting range, picked up a handgun and a magazine, and practiced shooting.
He was a decent shot, scoring around 90 points out of 100 in ten rounds at a ten-meter fixed target.
There were few people on the range, and gunfire echoed intermittently.
The nearest shooter was three booths away—a young woman in a cowboy hat, with a blonde ponytail hanging from the back of her hat.
Matthew raised his gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger in a steady rhythm.
Bang—bang—bang…
As he emptied the clip, a woman's surprised voice exclaimed, "Wow, 97 points!"
Matthew turned to see the woman in the cowboy hat approaching his booth. "Just lucky," he replied casually.
"Hi, Matthew. I'm Margot Robbie." She lifted the brim of her hat and extended her right hand. "Your shooting is impressive."
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