Entering the banquet hall, Ronan immediately spotted the DreamWorks trio and hurried over to greet David Geffen, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Steven Spielberg. Although they exchanged pleasantries, it was evident they found it hard to remember him, a mere unknown.
Stepping away from the trio's circle, he didn't retreat but instead mingled vigorously, engaging in conversation with various individuals.
Ronan conversed with a Warner Bros. production director about their recent success with the "Harry Potter" series, discussed the upcoming "Godzilla" release with a Japanese-American executive from Sony Columbia, shared a drink with a distribution vice president from Paramount Pictures, inquired about the integration of "The Lord of the Rings" rights with an executive from Miramax, and consulted William Morris's agent about the salaries of B-list celebrities...
A multitude of people surrounded the DreamWorks trio, expressing their admiration endlessly.
Ronan didn't venture further into the crowd but observed from the periphery. The ambitions of the trio to disrupt the near-monopoly held by the Big Six in Hollywood were palpable, yet this path seemed impassable.
The crux lay in distribution and the industry chain, especially the former.
In his past life, DreamWorks had established a relatively robust distribution mechanism in North America but faltered in the broader overseas market. The overseas distribution of their films had to be entrusted to the Big Six, among other factors, leading to a lackluster outcome.
In the traditional distribution industry, the largest share of the pie was firmly held by the Big Six. Breaking this dominance seemed incredibly challenging.
DreamWorks' model was not viable.
Ronan was certain of this. Engaging in a battle with adversaries enjoying the advantage of timing, location, and people would yield slim chances of victory.
To break the dominance of the Big Six, alternative paths must be explored.
If one day, Sand Sea Entertainment faced such a situation, what would be the course of action?
For some reason, this thought flashed through Ronan's mind, spreading uncontrollably.
Given Sand Sea Entertainment's current situation, this was an unattainable goal, perhaps even a fantasy.
But who didn't have a bit of fantasy?
Ronan shook his head. At present, he could only think and remain practical.
"Good evening," someone greeted beside him.
"Good evening," Ronan responded promptly.
The man, in his thirties, exuded a comforting demeanor, holding a glass of wine and gesturing towards Ronan. Without taking the wine, Ronan simply nodded in acknowledgment.
A waiter passed by, and Ronan ordered a drink, nodding towards the man before taking a sip.
"You're Mr. Anderson, right?" the man initiated the conversation.
Looking at the man's amiable face, Ronan felt that if this person followed him to Abu Dhabi, he could potentially attract an additional $10 million investment.
"I'm Ronan Anderson," he replied softly.
The man introduced himself, "Edward Buck, agent at Moore-Beecham Agency."
Ronan shook hands with him, saying, "Nice to meet you."
Edward Buck grinned warmly, "I read in the newspaper a few days ago that Mr. Anderson's company is recruiting directors and actors?"
Tonight, he came here primarily to seek opportunities. However, for an ordinary agent, it was quite challenging to promote unknown clients to major projects.
He had already secured a good position for a certain client, only for that unreliable fellow to make unreasonable demands, causing the cooked goose to fly away.
Unfortunately, the unreliable fellow happened to be the most likely candidate under his wing.
He could only seek more opportunities.
In such gatherings, casting the net as wide as possible might just yield some fish.
Ronan could guess the agent's intentions and directly asked, "Does your company have suitable candidates?"
Edward Buck didn't answer directly but instead gestured towards a less crowded area in the banquet hall, inviting, "Shall we talk over there?"
Ronan nodded, "Sure."
The two arrived at a spot near the terrace in the grand banquet hall, with only five or six people nearby, forming a circle. A man in the middle seemed to be pitching for investment or promoting something.
Edward said, "I read about Sand Sea Entertainment and 'Human Purge Plan' in the newspaper. Sand Sea Entertainment seems to be facing financial difficulties?"
Ronan no longer paid attention to the other side and replied, "Your information is outdated. I've successfully raised funds, and Sand Sea Entertainment is financially sound."
Hearing this, Edward's already amiable smile became even warmer, "Is the budget for 'Human Purge Plan' really $11 million?"
Ronan smiled but didn't answer.
If there was really an $11 million budget, Sand Sea Entertainment's threshold would have long been trampled by entertainment agents.
Being well-informed, Edward had heard some rumors. He had rejected multiple offers from agencies consecutively. The budget for the 'Human Purge Plan' definitely wouldn't be $11 million.
This was actually beneficial as it reduced competition. His client urgently needed to direct a film to enhance their resume, with the salary being secondary.
"I have a director in my client list who might be suitable," Edward said quietly. "He has written scripts for 'The Boy Next Door' and 'Dragon Tiger Youth' and has served as assistant director and executive producer for three TV series. He has also directed several episodes of 'The X-Files' and is ready to transition from TV to film."
Ronan nodded, directing 'The X-Files' seemed promising.
In this era, the prestige of television series was far below that of films. Even the famous Rachel was transitioning to the film industry, and countless TV directors were aiming to do the same.
Ronan handed Edward a business card with the company's address and contact information. "Feel free to bring your client anytime."
Edward quickly pocketed it. "I'll give you a call before coming."
They exchanged pleasantries, and Edward left with a warm smile.
It was a somewhat fruitful encounter. The director's experience with 'The X-Files' sounded promising, but further discussions were needed. As Ronan prepared to leave, he overheard a conversation nearby.
A man, who seemed to be either pitching or seeking investments, appeared excited. His voice rose as he spoke, "Pepsi's store rental model will inevitably become obsolete. They're slow to react and lack optimization of VHS resources. Netflix's online rental business is the future. Investing in Netflix means securing the future! Netflix has created a monthly subscription system where consumers can rent movies an unlimited number of times without late fees. Netflix needs funding, it needs a platform..."
A dark-haired man with glasses suddenly interrupted, "Excuse me, how many paying customers does your company currently have? How many paying customers are you planning to develop next year? When do you plan to go public?"
"Netflix has just been established," the man replied. "Our goal is the future..."
The man with glasses shook his head and walked away.
Ronan had been introduced to this man during his networking earlier, a high-ranking executive from Disney's investment department. Several others followed suit, leaving soon after.
It was clear that these executives from major companies were not interested in what the man had to say.
However, Ronan was intrigued. He walked over and greeted them, introducing himself, "Hello, I'm Ronan Anderson."
The man nodded in acknowledgment. "Hello, I'm Reed Hastings." He had noticed Ronan earlier and asked directly, "Are you interested in my company?"
Ronan replied vaguely, "The model you mentioned seems interesting."
Reed Hastings assessed Ronan for a moment. "It's obvious that this model is very powerful. With the development of the internet, my company can surpass Pepsi."
Having previously worked in internet video operations, Ronan couldn't be unaware of Netflix's name.
After exchanging glances with Reed Hastings, Ronan suddenly turned to look in the direction of the DreamWorks executives.
"Can we talk?" Ronan asked.
Reed Hastings didn't answer but instead asked, "Who are you?"
Ronan understood his meaning and replied, "I'm the CEO of Sandsea Entertainment."
"I've heard of you, a small company producing VHS films," Reed Hastings, now involved in film network leasing, was quite familiar with Hollywood companies, and he shook his head directly, saying, "We don't need to talk."
Ronan was a bit surprised. "I can invest in your company."
Reed Hastings said sincerely, "Thank you, really. I appreciate your confidence in my company, but I need more than just funding. I need a big platform from a big company. Your Sandsea Entertainment can't provide that. Cooperation between weaklings is meaningless for Netflix."
Ronan understood Reed's thoughts. After all, he had read detailed information about this person in his previous life. In a few years, Reed Hastings would be at a dead end and would even contact Pepsi, his archenemy, intending to sell his company to them.
For Reed Hastings, Pepsi was the archenemy. It was precisely because of his dissatisfaction with Pepsi charging him VHS rental late fees that he conceived the idea of establishing Netflix.
Ronan tried a few more probes, but Reed Hastings was very stubborn and flatly refused.
Indeed, Sandsea Entertainment couldn't provide the hard conditions that Netflix urgently needed, such as film sources and platforms.
Investment sometimes meant more than just money.
Ronan couldn't chase after Hastings to invest, but Netflix had entered his field of vision, giving him more ideas.
Now wasn't the best time. His funds were entering the stock market, and he couldn't make large investments for the time being.
If he remembered correctly, Netflix was just starting out now, basically a fledgling company.
Companies like Netflix burned through money in the early stages. Hastings wouldn't last more than two years.
Ronan watched Hastings leave, gently rubbing his chin. He would keep an eye on Netflix in the future.
This banquet had been quite fruitful, especially with Netflix and Hastings.
Ronan thought to himself as he continued walking along the terrace. After walking a short distance, he suddenly saw Leonardo DiCaprio.
Leo had a handsome face and was engaged in conversation with a blonde girl.
The girl was dressed in a short light yellow dress, with long hair cascading down her shoulders. She had a slender figure with perfect proportions, and her delicate face featured a pair of naturally melancholic green eyes.
Blonde, long legs—these were Leo's favorites.
But the girl seemed uninterested in Leo's advances, displaying clear signs of impatience and even annoyance.