"What type of flower is this?" James asks.
"It's grown locally, my ex-girlfriend used to like these flowers... Multiple stores sell it, you interested?"
"Yeah, I want to plant them around the compound, try to take note of them."
"I'll ask around when we get everything ready and procure them for you."
"Thanks, Ian"
"No problem, boss."
James was talking to an assistant of his. He was a young entrepreneur, that started a consultation business while studying to be an architect.
Apparently, this guy didn't plan for his consultant business to amount to much, but after getting some work from one of his professors, he began to get many more recommendations.
Anyways, this assistant was starting to get big but still needed to get his degree in architecture. His lack of a degree was holding him back from getting bigger jobs, but he was able to convince many companies to hire his services anyways. Who knows how he was able to accomplish this, but there were limits, at least until James decided to give him an opportunity.
-----------------
When James was picking out locations, he met with 10 different experts, asking for recommendations on properties he should buy.
He asked multiple "experts" to find land with good appreciation value that would interconnect well when bought together. The plan was to buy around the same area, for things like storage and to be able to commute between them. Any land purchased farther away to serve some other purpose that couldn't be found nearby, or if it was a really good investment.
When they heard of James' budget, most of them showed the same locations around Hollywood, close to the city. Just generally expensive land.
While this was acceptable, James wanted someone who had a little better foresight and vision for what he wanted.
It was only Ian, his assistant, who said they were all wrong. Ian argued that it wasn't worth it to buy purely expensive properties just simply because of their proximity to other studios. Ian also argued that there would be equal or even more value elsewhere.
When James asked him to explain, Ian explained that these expensive properties, close to other Hollywood studios, were in the middle of the city. Being in the middle of the city would make it hard to bring in new construction or expand much more than the land allotted to him, maybe even costing him a fortune. If James wanted to expand in the future, he would not have many options to renovate those properties or to purchase elsewhere.
Ian argued that if James ever wanted to expand, he would have to go elsewhere anyways, he might as well not waste any money trying to get closer to other studios. This was especially the case if he wanted to make things in-house.
If James wanted these properties in the middle of the city, James would have to conscript the help of other studios and the building would act no more than an office or ornament for people to go to. There would be no practicality or actual use for the building other than to look good to his peers.
Ian thought his money was better spent elsewhere.
The only reason to buy in the middle of Hollywood is to show off, Ian argued.
If James wanted convenience and industrial applicability, there was other land.
"The only problem would be transportation costs, but what he would save would more than make up for it," Ian would say.
In the future, many studios would realize the same thing that Ian argued, forcing them to purchase elsewhere in much more convenient locations.
This was especially the case if the industry grew to become much bigger.
What Ian didn't know is that not only would the industry grow bigger, but it would explode exponentially in an unimaginable way. The entertainment industry would grow so big that it would cross over into other multi-billion dollar industries and even take them over. The entertainment industry would become an all-consuming monster that would not only dominate every home in America but the entire world.
This was something that almost no one in the current industry understood, even James didn't comprehend its true limits or confines.
But, James was so impressed with the young entrepreneur's foresight that he decided to hire him as a full-time consultant in his new company. Foreword-thinking minds were scarce in this era and he didn't want someone else to notice Ian's ideas, so he might as well try to get him first.
Thankfully, Ian accepted.
James would pay him a fixed salary, which would increase after his graduation. There would be many incentives and bonuses, depending on his performance.
Now, James needed someone to assign as President of his company, someone who could overlook all of its happenings. They also needed to be able to handle all of its expansion, which would be taxing just to understand, not thinking about how to incorporate it all together in a harmonious way.
--------------------
James picked up his phone and dialed a number.
"Hello?"
"Yes, this is James Harper. We talked before."
"James? James... Harper? Umm, OH! Yes, of course, James, thank you for calling. Umm, right, I had a pitch for Silkwood-"
"-Right, you did indeed have a pitch, and I'm willing to fund it in some capacity-"
"Ah! Yes, thank you so much! Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!"
"...Calm down, please."
James decided to call Nora Ephron.
"...Sorry, I cut you off."
"It's fine. I did what to sponsor your project in some capacity, like funding it or working on fixing the actual script, but I wanted you to do me a favor first."
"...What type of favor?"
"Nothing strange, but I wanted you to work on a book for me."
"A book?"
"Yes, a book. You see, I'm not really the best author or even writer for that matter, but I have an idea for a book that I think would do well. Given that you are quite the capable writer yourself, I think that you would do a much better job than I would."
"Umm, right, while I have written before, I'm still not exactly an author... I'm more interested and much better at scriptwriting."
"Yes, of course, your scripts are great, and I enjoy them as well, but I need an author. Someone who I can trust to write my book and I think you'd be very capable of doing it."
"Well, haha, here's the thing, the book would take me quite some time to do, and I can't exactly take up more work as a scriptwriter if I were to do this, so..."
"Ah, yes, I didn't explain that. During this time, I would be helping as much as possible to help with your writing, giving you ideas, and so forth. I'll pay you to write the book, even, whatever it is you're currently making and when we finish, I'll help in the promotion. I'd even put my name on it, if you'd like, as a co-author or something. And even if the book turns out bad or doesn't do great, I'll still fund your movie, with my full support. How does that sound?"
"...Well, it sounds like a really good opportunity, but I'd also need to talk with my lawyers and see a contract..."
"I'll send it over, right away. What's your lawyer's office?"
"...His name is Mike and he works at xxxxxxxxxx xxxxx, located on xxxxxxxx Street."
"It'll be there shortly, just contact me after you've looked at it."
"Okay, thank you for the opportunity, James-"
The phone cuts off.
"Phew, things are moving faster," James says, sighing in relief.