Chapter 16: First Payment
In the entertainment industry, in terms of average income levels, movie actors are far ahead, followed by movie directors, movie producers, and movie screenwriters; then comes television actors, television directors, television producers; and then there are professionals in the music industry, including singers, producers, and so on, followed by television screenwriters, cinematographers, lighting technicians, and others.
Overall, movies are at the top of the pyramid, followed by television, music, modeling, and hosting. This is not only reflected in income but also in the industry status of practitioners. This is also the fundamental reason why singers, models, and TV actors all aspire to enter the film industry—it is the ultimate battlefield of fame and fortune.
In the television industry, the income per episode for top actors can be as high as $150,000 to $300,000, experienced supporting actors range from $70,000 to $100,000, and newcomers typically start from $10,000 and cap at $20,000. However, what's unique about the television industry is that actors' salaries gradually increase with the number of seasons, and it's not uncommon for the lead actors of long-running popular series to receive million-dollar salaries per episode.
In cases like Renly, a payment of $20,000 per episode can be considered top pay. As Roy understands, within the entire "The Pacific" production crew, Renly's salary is the third highest, only surpassed by the other two leads, James Badge Dale and Jon Seda—both seasoned actors who have been in Hollywood for over a decade, albeit still considered third-tier, their qualifications are evident.
When Roy learned of the results, he was quite surprised. Seeing Renly's calm demeanor at this moment, it was Roy who was more astonished.
Upon careful consideration, among the three core protagonists, "The Pacific" production crew chose two seasoned actors, leaving Renly as the only newcomer. Just this aspect of capability alone is enough to draw attention. In this light, Renly definitely isn't as simple as he appears on the surface.
As the official agent of the American Actors Guild, he has met countless newcomers, sometimes meeting with thirty newcomers in a day, handling their affairs. He doesn't have enough time to get to know each one thoroughly, only to do his job to the best of his ability. But now, he finds himself somewhat interested in the young man before him.
However, interest is just that—interest. In the vast machinery of the film industry, talent is abundant, and exceptions exist. But those who can make a mark are few and far between. With a blink, Roy had returned to his usual self, back to business.
"In addition to the salary, you also need to sign a confidentiality agreement, refusing to disclose any content related to the series to anyone in any form before the official broadcast." Roy's speech wasn't fast, but it contained a wealth of information, "There are also some basic terms. After you go back, you can read them carefully. After the TV series starts broadcasting, if the television station has promotional activities, you need to cooperate unconditionally, at least during the airing period of the series."
As a newcomer, Renly had almost no bargaining capital. All terms can be referenced in standard contracts. In this regard, HBO has shown its generosity as the first-class network, with all information clearly laid out in the standardized contract.
"Before the official signing, if you have any questions, you can call me. My working hours are from nine to six. Don't call me outside of these hours unless it's an emergency." Roy swiftly concluded all the details, according to his habit, his work was temporarily finished.
Packing up his things, he still needed to go to Warner Bros. today. There's another set of auditions for a different series coming up, and he's the officially assigned agent—every public audition for any series or film must have a union agent present, and yesterday's "The Pacific" was no exception.
But watching Renly reading through the contract in front of him, Roy couldn't help but pause for a moment. Amidst his contemplation, he decided to offer some wise words as an addition, "Big companies like HBO have a fixed process. After you sign the contract, the first installment will be deposited into your account, and then after the series wraps up shooting, comes the second installment, and finally, the remaining payment will be settled after the series finishes airing. My advice to you is to make good use of your first installment, don't squander it."
Renly's gaze lifted from the contract, looking at Roy with a hint of inquiry, "What do you mean?"
Roy shrugged, saying matter-of-factly, "Young actors are always like this, getting their first big paycheck, getting excited, spending it recklessly, enjoying their youth." Then he raised both hands, making a quotation mark gesture, "YOLO," which stands for "You Only Live Once." Originally meant to encourage people to take risks because life is short, and to enjoy life to the fullest, it has taken on a sarcastic meaning after being overly interpreted, gradually becoming an excuse for irresponsibility and recklessness.
Roy's expression of rolling his eyes was quite vivid, making Renly chuckle involuntarily. "Don't laugh. I'm serious." Roy's tone remained unchanged, as crisp and efficient as before, making it hard to discern his "seriousness." "Many newcomers, after receiving their first installment, either impulsively buy a luxury car and flaunt it everywhere, or they give it all to drug dealers to enjoy themselves. The most common thing is to spend it on parties, inviting a bunch of friends to splurge. But let me tell you, this is the stupidest behavior."
This was Roy's friendly reminder, "If you want to continue on the path of an actor, or if you want to make a name for yourself in Hollywood, you need to be smarter."
This time, Renly felt Roy's kindness and seriousness. Generally, such advice would only come from professional agents to their artists. Official public agents like Roy only need to ensure that those newcomer actors don't get into legal trouble, which is enough.
Renly knew this because of Chris.
In the stage of being a newcomer actor, self-investment is crucial. Even if not as persistent as Chris in exercising muscles, maintaining a good physique is essential; the image crafted by wardrobe styling is a bottomless pit that must be consistently maintained, especially in the era of social media where street style is rampant, making it even more critical; when reaching a certain level, even details like the car one drives or the shoes one wears for jogging become part of personal image investment, and so on.
Behind the glamorous and lucrative Hollywood, there is a constant outflow of money. Spending tens of thousands of dollars on an evening gown is just the tip of the iceberg.
Chris is now strictly managing his income under the supervision of his agent. Unexpectedly, Roy also gave personal advice.
Renly looked at Roy sincerely, saying, "Thank you."
Roy could feel the sincerity in Renly's words, realizing that he had indeed taken his words to heart, which is rare among newcomer actors. Upon further thought, Renly is about to star in "The Pacific" directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, and he even received the highest salary for a newcomer actor. Perhaps, this young man truly has the potential to become another top superstar.
But this intuitive feeling flashed by, and Roy soon laughed at himself. Hollywood churns out a thousand newcomers a day, there aren't that many top-tier superstars. He was indeed overthinking it today.
Nodding, Roy responded, "Besides this, do you have any other questions?"
"Yes." Renly nodded, "The shooting schedule for the production."
"Oh yes." Roy remembered, "On Monday, come pick up the script; on Friday, there will be a pre-meeting for all the actors in the production crew; for the specific details afterward, they will be explained in detail at that meeting. I'll tell you the time and place of the Friday meeting when you come in on Monday."
"Okay." Renly nodded decisively, then stood up, "I'm done here, so I won't bother you further with work."
Roy didn't hesitate either, quickly packing up his briefcase, and left the office with Renly. Roy left the union building directly, while Renly went to the lobby, looking for Chris' figure.
Renly easily spotted Chris, who was like the center of attention among a group of people. He was sitting behind a desk, surrounded by four people, three women and one man, while Chris was enthusiastically talking, and the others were all smiling, the atmosphere was lively.
Just as Renly was thinking whether he should interrupt their joyful atmosphere, Chris spotted him first and raised his right hand high, "Hey, buddy." Renly waved back, walking over, "How did things go?" Chris asked eagerly.
Renly politely nodded to the four people beside him, "Finished, everything went smoothly." Concise and clear, without any superfluous words, "I'm about to go to the library to do some research, what about you?"
Chris's enthusiasm suddenly waned upon hearing about the library. He stretched out a big yawn, "I'm going to the gym later, forget it. How about meeting at my place tonight?"
Renly made an "OK" gesture and nodded again to the four people, bidding them a "good day." Then he turned and walked away. Soon, the laughter of the group behind him faded, their voices gradually became fainter, until they disappeared completely.
The total income for starring in "The Pacific" was $140,000, which in Hollywood terms, was just a drop in the bucket. But for Renly, it was his first income as an actor, and it meant that from today on, Renly's journey as an actor had finally set sail!
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A/N: I will try to upload all the chapters at the same time, as such they will be uploaded around 10 pm IST.
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