"Hi, Amanda."
As soon as Matthew entered the lobby of Angel Agency, he saw the front desk receptionist. Amanda clearly recognized him and greeted him warmly, "Hello, Matthew. Helen is waiting for you upstairs."
Matthew didn't go upstairs immediately. Instead, he chatted with her for a while, then walked through the lobby and up the stairs to the second floor. He arrived at Helen Herman's office, politely knocked on the door, and after a crisp 'Come in' from inside, he pushed the door open and entered.
"Have a seat, Matthew."
Helen Herman pointed to a single sofa in the office. Matthew then noticed that Helen Herman was not the only one in the office. There were also two middle-aged people in their forties, and six young people, one of whom he was very familiar with: Michael Sheen.
"is Angel Agency also planning to sign long-term contracts with them?"
Despite his confusion, Matthew didn't ask and sat down on a single sofa.
"Alright, everyone's here, we can start," Helen Herman said. "Angel Agency is prepared to sign one-year actor agency contracts with the seven of you, providing comprehensive services and excellent work opportunities."
She picked up a stack of contracts, came out from behind the desk, and distributed them one by one to Matthew and the six others, including Michael Sheen. Then, she looked at the two middle-aged men and said, "This is Mr. Marshall Williams from the Actors' Guild and Mr. Belters Clement, the guild's lawyer."
Matthew looked at the others. Michael Sheen, like him, was not a member of the Actors' Guild. It must be that some of the other five people were members of the Actors' Guild.
"Some of you are not members of the guild," Helen Herman continued. "However, Marshall Williams can notarize this contract, and Mr. Belters Clement can guarantee its legal effect."
She returned to her desk. "If you have any questions, you can consult with the two of them."
The two men presented their entertainment lawyer's license and internal Actors' Guild identification, confirming their identities to Matthew and the others.
Matthew had already started to read the contract. Thanks to his efforts over this period, his reading comprehension had improved significantly, and understanding such a contract was no longer much of a problem.
He read it very carefully, scrutinizing every sentence and every clause. Although people like them, who had nothing, weren't likely to be swindled, it was still important to understand the contract.
Matthew finished reading the contract carefully, confirmed there were no issues, and promptly signed his name. This agency contract was for one year, and from the moment of signing, he became an exclusive client of Angel Agency, and Helen Herman became his exclusive agent.
This also meant that Matthew could not casually accept work from other agencies.
The others also signed the contract one after another.
After signing the contracts, the Actors' Guild representative named Marshall Williams took the backup copies of the contracts from the five people other than Matthew and Michael Sheen, and left the office with the lawyer Belters Clement. Matthew then realized that those people were all members of the Actors' Guild.
"I want to mention a few points you need to pay attention to," Helen Herman said, looking at the seven of them. "First, starting today, you cannot accept work offered by other companies. Second, I will recommend specialized acting training classes for you to attend, at your own expense. If you have better options, you can disregard this point. Third, find a part-time job more suitable for an actor, as I might secure work opportunities for you at any time. Fourth, Matthew and Michael, join the Actors' Guild as soon as conditions are right."
Matthew nodded slightly. He didn't know what others thought, but in his opinion, Helen Herman's suggestions were all very sound and beneficial for an actor's long-term development.
Helen Herman continued, "Finally, for those who don't have a cell phone, buy one and keep it on 24 hours a day."
She waved her hand. "You can go. Matthew and Michael, remember to go to the finance office to collect your character salaries from a few days ago."
The payment arrived so quickly? Matthew was a little surprised at first, but then, thinking about Helen Herman's relationship with Ridley Scott, he found it normal.
Leaving Helen Herman's office, the other five people gradually departed, leaving only Matthew and Michael Sheen walking together towards the finance office.
Clearly, Angel Agency had added more staff besides Helen Herman and Amanda.
Just like at Starlight Company, Matthew's remuneration would have a ten percent commission deducted by the agency. Since the amount was relatively large, both he and Michael Sheen left their bank account details, and the finance staff at Angel Agency told them that the payment would definitely be credited today.
"I got a call from Amanda last night," Michael Sheen said to Matthew as they walked out of the company. "She told me to come in today to sign a long-term contract. It was truly unexpected."
He was clearly in a good mood. "Perhaps your method of getting recognized paid off."
Matthew shrugged slightly, "Perhaps."
As the two walked out of Angel Agency, Michael Sheen added, "This is the most important contract of my life!"
Matthew nodded lightly. In some respects, it was the same for him.
"Let's work hard together!"
Suddenly, Michael Sheen stopped and looked at Matthew, saying seriously, "Matthew, we will definitely become big stars!"
"Hmm!" Matthew nodded emphatically.
Although he had a slight prejudice against Michael Sheen, his goals were completely aligned with Michael Sheen's.
"Do you have time?" Michael Sheen invited, "Let's find a place to have a drink and celebrate."
"Another day," Matthew had other plans and could only politely decline. "I'm going to enroll in the language class at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts soon."
It was almost May, and the deadline for the second tuition payment was approaching. However, with the eight thousand dollars he earned from the 'Gladiator' crew, he had decided, immediately after signing the contract, to follow Helen Herman's advice and enroll in a language class to correct his so-called Texas accent.
"Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?" Michael Sheen asked in surprise, "Are you sure you can get into the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?"
As far as he knew, the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts had a relatively high admission threshold, and for small actors like them, who weren't from large agencies, getting in was extremely difficult.
People like him didn't even need to consider it.
Was such a school something Matthew could get into?
While Michael Sheen was still in a daze, Matthew casually said, "I called them yesterday to inquire. People who get into the acting training class can freely enroll in other training courses."
Michael Sheen's surprise became even more apparent. "You got into the acting training class at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?"
"Yes," Matthew nodded.
"This…" Michael Sheen almost blurted out, 'How is that possible?'
Matthew pulled out his phone to check the time. "I've already paid the first tuition fee."
Michael Sheen's surprise gradually turned into envy. The training classes at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts were known as exclusive venues for Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment. Getting in not only meant meeting some actors who might have a bright future, but also possibly being noticed by agents from these two companies... How could Angel Agency compare to Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment?
Matthew glanced at Michael Sheen, frowning slightly, and simply said, "Mike, if you don't need anything else, I'm leaving."
"Ah…" Michael Sheen snapped out of it, nodding mechanically, "Okay."
Watching Matthew turn and walk away, the envy on his face instantly turned into jealousy. Why was Matthew always one step ahead of him? Why did such good resources always fall into the hands of someone who had just entered the industry?
"This is just the beginning…" The jealousy on Michael Sheen's face slowly faded. "There's still a long way to go, and I will definitely get the best resources from the company!"
For a small company like Angel Agency, the resources it could secure from Hollywood were bound to be limited. If others took them, there would be none left for him.
"Once I make a name for myself at Angel Agency…" Michael Sheen decided his future path. "I can then move to a bigger company."
Leaving Burbank and taking the bus to North Hollywood, Matthew constantly pondered the day's events. Helen Herman clearly wouldn't put all her eggs in one basket with a small actor; she was employing a wide-net strategy.
He couldn't help but shake his head. He had harbored a slight fantasy before, such as Angel Agency heavily promoting him. Now, it seemed, agencies weren't foolish after all.
This also made Matthew fully understand that even in such a tiny agency, to truly stand out, one had to fight their way through.
"Competition," Matthew muttered to himself. "To climb higher, you have to compete. No industry is an exception."
Arriving in North Hollywood, he got off the bus and went directly to the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts. He enrolled in a language class that also started in May. With Hollywood showing a trend towards internationalization, similar language classes were quite common.
After enrolling, Matthew called Lister to report back to work. With the stock market booming and the nature of the job being less than ideal, Red Penguin Company had been facing a shortage of drivers. That evening, Lister asked Matthew to come to work, but he would no longer be responsible for the previous high-end services, instead transporting party equipment.
This job was also at night, ending early the next morning. Matthew had no complaints; after all, a job that allowed him to sleep at night and have free time during the day was not easy to find.
For a long time thereafter, his life fell into a repetitive routine: working at night, exercising and studying during the day, and not receiving any work assignments.
May arrived, and the traditional North American summer movie season began. Matthew's acting training class also started.