Chapter 8 $6 an Hour

(Two updates today! There are two updates around 9 and 3 o'clock! Brothers, friends, recommendation tickets! Where are your recommendation tickets?)

On Monday morning, Matthew had just finished washing when his cell phone rang. Agent Dennis Coulter was already waiting under the apartment building in his car. He put on a new suit and hurried downstairs to sit on the agent's desk. Car, rush to Universal Studios together.

On the way, Dennis Coulter told Matthew a lot of precautions, especially not to talk nonsense in the crew, not to be too curious, and if you see anything strange, you should not see it.

Matthew nodded on the surface, but he didn't go into his ears. He started too low. If he wanted to climb up as soon as possible, he had to improve his hard skills such as acting, and he needed opportunities!

But opportunities do not appear out of thin air, sometimes they also depend on creation.

For example, helping Angelina Jolie catch a rape, if he doesn't make additional demands, where is the opportunity now? After thinking about it for the past few days, Matthew guessed a lot of reasons why Julie fulfilled the verbal agreement. There are only a few aspects. One is that this woman's personality is indeed different from ordinary people, and the other is that she is really going to divorce, and she doesn't care about anyone. What nonsense.

Dennis Coulter drove to Universal Studios, entered the filming area where tourists stopped, parked the car and inquired about it, and soon found the studio where the "Girls of Souls" crew was located. Although it was still early, the shooting There were already people coming and going in the shed, and it was busy.

Entering the studio and asking about the casting director's office, Dennis Coulter asked, "Would you like to say hello to Miss Julie?"

"No need." Matthew guessed that Angelina Jolie didn't want to see him. "She told us to go directly to the casting director."

There was a flash of disappointment in Dennis Coulter's eyes, but he didn't say anything. He moved his fat body to lead the way, and found the door of the casting director's office.

Knocking on the door, there was a clear sound of coming in. Matthew and the two pushed the door and went in. A man between the ages of 30 and 40 was sitting behind the desk and seemed to be looking through the documents.

"Is that Mr. Rubin?" Matthew said quickly when he saw the other side nod, "Miss Julie's assistant Vanessa told me to come to audition today."

"Oh..." the man named Rubin remembered, "there is such a thing."

Dennis Coulter has been listening with his ears pricked up beside him, then he stepped forward quickly, handed his business card with both hands, and said respectfully, "Hello, Director Rubin. I'm Matthew's agent Dennis. - Kurt."

Rubin took the business card and put it on the table, then looked Matthew up and down, "Okay."

He picked up the phone and pressed it casually, "John, there's an extra here, come and take them to sign an agreement."

Matthew looked at Rubin, looked at Dennis Coulter, what about the audition? Is this the end?

A young man walked in and made a please gesture, "Let's go to the legal department."

Beside him, Dennis Coulter looked flattering, and after a few words to please Rubin, he successfully got his business card.

Under the leadership of the young man, Matthew and Dennis Coulter walked out of the office and toward the legal department of the crew, which specializes in contracts.

Matthew asked in a low voice as he walked, "Is this an audition?"

"What do you think?" Dennis Coulter said with slight disdain. "The background board work that doesn't even have any lines. He just glanced at it enough. As long as he doesn't look very strange, it's the same for anyone else."

Matthew nodded, this is very reasonable, and he feels the importance of opportunities more and more.

Entering another office, a legal advisor brought a contract. Matthew took it and flipped through it. It was a little difficult to read. His own cultural level was too poor. If you want to develop in the future, you really need to recharge. At least reading In terms of writing, it can't be as bad as it is now.

He just focused on the treatment, and gave the contract to Dennis Coulter. This kind of thing should be handled by the agent. Anyway, there is not much salary to get, and there is no need to worry about the trivial situation of the regular production crew. little people.

Seeing Dennis Coulter flip through the provisional contract, Matthew continued to think about his own affairs, and decided to go out later and find a bookstore to buy a few books on actors. Not only can he gain some professional knowledge, but also improve his reading level, killing two birds with one stone.

The agent simply flipped through the pages and greeted Matthew, "Come here and sign."

Matthew used to sign the name on the temporary contract, and the young man who brought them said, "You can go, I will call when you need it."

"Let's go." Dennis Coulter greeted Matthew, who was stunned, but followed him out of the office.

"Why are you chasing people?" Matthew asked.

"I don't want you to work today. What are you doing here, so that you will be paid when you are working?" Dennis Coulter said angrily. "Six dollars an hour is not money, right?"

Matthew shrugged. The extra contract he just signed was $6 per hour. He guessed that it might be the local minimum hourly wage standard, and the crew needed to pay the salary, not only during filming, but also when he was notified. The time spent waiting to come to work on the set is also included.

And the salary is not directly paid to him. The crew will pay it to the brokerage company. The brokerage company will deduct 10% at the highest standard before crediting the rest to his account.

In fact, the job doesn't make much money.

Matthew also fully understands why actors have to work part-time to support themselves when they are not famous.

In such a job, if you work more than 20 days a month, it is not a problem to support yourself, but how many extras can take on so many plays in a month?

"That, Dennis..."

With the previous default event, Matthew needed money very much, "When will this salary standard be improved?"

"Do you think you have less money?"

With no one around, Dennis Coulter said casually, "Join the Actors Guild and at least double the salary."

Matthew then opened his eyes wide, "Really?"

Dennis Coulter didn't even look at Matthew, "Of course it's true. The Actors Guild has regulations that the minimum hourly wage for union members must not be less than $10 per hour, and the minimum daily wage must not be less than $120..."

Matthew is not an idiot, and immediately noticed that there was a problem, "Does the crew dislike high-paid extras?"

Just like when he was waiting in the labor market, what boss doesn't like cheap labor?

"You're very smart!" Dennis Coulter patted Matthew's shoulder old-fashioned. "For someone like you, joining the Screen Actors Guild seems to be guaranteed, but in fact, you lose your only competitive advantage."

He snorted, "Also, do you think you can enter the Actors Guild if you want?"

Matthew blinked, looking like an ignorant fool, "Didn't you say the barriers to entry are low?"

"Well, the entry threshold for the Screen Actors Guild is very low!" Dennis Coulter strode forward, waiting for Matthew to follow, and then said, "The threshold is low and there is a threshold!"

"That's it." Matthew had to figure out some basic rules of the game, "Can you talk about it?"

Dennis Coulter turned his head and glanced at Matthew, with a bit of impatience on his face, but for the sake of entering this studio with his stepping stone, he simply said, "I want to be an actor. Unions are not simple, you must meet the membership application qualifications before you can apply for membership.”

He coughed in a low voice and continued, "First of all, he has been a leading actor in a film, commercial, TV drama that has signed a contract with the union, and the salary is up to the union standard; you can also work in another production of the same standard 30 Days, but must apply to join the union within these 30 days; or, any extra, if he has three independent working days to participate in the certificate of the union-approved production, and attaches the income certificate, he is also eligible to join the union."

Hearing this, Matthew immediately knew that even if he wanted to join the trade union, he was not qualified.

Dennis Coulter snorted again, "It's still a lot of money! The entry fee in Los Angeles is $3,000, and like you, the half-year fee is $58."

"I'll continue to be free." Matthew made a decision immediately.

Dennis Coulter said old-fashioned, "Not very stupid."

Matthew's eyes swept across his fat face, but said nothing.

When the two came to the door of the studio, Dennis Coulter suddenly stopped and said to Matthew, "Go back by yourself, I have something else to do."

Without waiting for Matthew to speak, he turned around and walked towards the studio.

Matthew frowned slightly, if he can't see this kind of action of removing the grind and killing the donkey, he is really an idiot.

From Dennis Coulter's series of actions, it is not difficult for Matthew to see that the other party just regards him as a stepping stone to enter the crew.

He shook his head, now he can't care about these, the two sides are using each other's relationship.

Ignoring Dennis Coulter, who was staying in the studio, Matthew walked out of the Universal Studios shooting area, and when he was looking for the bus stop near the entrance of the studio, he saw a large bookstore. This bookstore is located in the studio. On the road that must be passed by the tourist area, books on film and television are mainly sold.

He wanted to buy a few books before, so he walked over immediately, and after entering the bookstore, because it was still early, there were not many people inside, and the clerk only stood at the cashier for two.

When passing by the cashier, Matthew glanced in random, and found a relatively secret location behind the cashier. There was a monitoring monitor in operation. Monitoring is installed.

He then walked into the bookshelves of the store, found the bookshelf with books related to actors, and took out a tome. Probably the opposite bookshelf was empty, and the position of the tome became a gap, so that the next two rows could be seen. The passage between the bookshelves.

Matthew Ben didn't care, he just glanced at it subconsciously, but was caught by a woman.

This woman has short black hair that matches the ears, and her facial features are exquisite and flawless. From this angle, she is slender, pure and beautiful. In addition to the beauty of women, she also has a very handsome T style!