In a small meeting room on the second floor of the Warner Bros. Studio office building, Michael convened a production team meeting, including the newly joined casting director, with over ten people in attendance.
"Brian," Michael looked at the location manager, a man in his thirties, and asked, "What's your plan for location scouting?"
The brown-haired man, Brian, immediately replied, "I plan to start looking in downtown Los Angeles, then head to the San Francisco Bay Area."
Michael frowned, "Why?"
Brian explained, "These places have familiar neighbourhoods and buildings for the audience, which can create a sense of familiarity and better immersion in the film."
"You're not wrong," Michael acknowledged. This location manager had previously worked as a location scout for several large productions and had substantial experience. Still, continuous work on big-budget productions had led to some rigid thinking. He reminded, "Brian, what you said is perfect for big-budget productions, but 'Final Destination' only has a $15 million budget!"
Brian scratched his head, struggling to change his ingrained thinking.
Michael said bluntly, "This is an independent film with a limited budget. We must avoid big cities or economically developed areas for location shooting."
Brian finally caught on and said, "I understand. This way, we can save on location costs."
"Exactly," Michael emphasized. "Check out the small towns around Los Angeles, find suitable locations, and convince the owners to accommodate the inconvenience of film shooting, ideally with little to no fee."
Brian didn't say anything but understood the boss's frugal working style.
This was his first time as a location manager, and he naturally continued the mindset he had developed working with big-budget teams.
Facing such a cost-conscious boss, he needed to prepare for negotiation.
But how do you convince people to take less money? Dollars are universally loved.
Michael continued, "Make the location owners believe that this film will benefit them once it's released, that they're a crucial part of the production, and that their contribution is key to the film's success."
"Uh..." Brian paused, then said, "I understand."
It seemed this boss had a unique working style.
Michael wasn't finished, "Each exterior location should have three to four backup locations to avoid unforeseen issues." He knew that the more detailed the preparation, the fewer problems would arise during filming. "You and your team need to record the sun's position at different times for each location, the nearby parking situation, the cooperation attitude of the location owners, and any other information that might be relevant to the shoot."
Brian was sure this young boss wasn't simple and roared, "No problem."
Michael then looked at the casting director, Jason, and asked, "Have the casting calls been sent out?"
The bald Jason replied, "We placed ads in the newspapers, left recruitment information with the two major actors' guilds, and sent audition invitations to most industry agencies."
"Any responses?" Michael asked.
Jason looked down at his notebook, "We've received over a hundred actor resumes so far, and seven agencies have responded."
Michael nodded, "Move to the audition stage by February."
In Los Angeles, aspiring actors are everywhere. If they waited longer, they could easily receive thousands of resumes from actors.
But most are just dreamers; only a few have fundamental acting skills, and even fewer can deliver convincing performances on the big screen.
With so many auditioning, the crew must organize multiple rounds of auditions.
This is why Michael hired a casting director.
He had two projects to run, had to oversee company operations, and needed to continue learning. Hiring a casting director would save him a lot of time and reduce unnecessary burdens.
Michael's job was just to handle the final round of auditions.
"The main actors should be no older than 22. Exceptions can be made for exceptionally talented individuals," Michael instructed. "But one thing is essential: actors must have distinctive looks, and the leads must meet mainstream aesthetic standards."
Jason rechecked his notebook and said, "Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst's agents have expressed interest in the lead roles."
Michael smiled, "It seems our project has some appeal."
Everyone else smiled, too. Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were considered standouts among young actors.
Michael wondered, "Are Peter Parker and Mary Jane really coming to our set?"
"Jason, talk to their agents," Michael said after some thought. "If Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are willing to accept less than $500,000 in pay, they can go straight to the final audition."
He frowned, "Handle the negotiations yourself."
Star actors could at least bring more media attention to the film, effectively converting to promotional power.
Next, they discussed equipment rentals and prop production. Michael asked the props and art teams to design some exciting props or costumes.
These were purely commercial considerations.
The meeting ended, and Michael asked the assistant producer, Andrew, to stay behind.
Andrew, under forty, was hired specifically to handle the crew's daily affairs. He wasn't a stranger; he had worked with Michael's father, the old Anderson, several times before, doing the same job.
"How's the contact with advertisers going?" Michael asked.
Andrew shook his head, "Not very well. We've sent ad invitations to multiple manufacturers, but none have responded."
Michael wasn't disappointed, "It seems they lack confidence in us." He paused and said, "If anyone approaches the crew for advertising, negotiate if you can."
Without a well-known cast or sufficient investment, attracting advertisers is hard.
"By the way, Andrew, there's one more thing," Michael remembered the documents he reviewed yesterday and said, "Don't hire inexperienced newcomers for the main departments of the crew, no matter how cheap unless they are willing to work as assistants."
Newcomers were indeed cheaper, but in the long term, hiring inexperienced crew members was more costly than hiring professionals.
Newcomers still learning had extremely low work efficiency and could even cause trouble for the crew.
For example, if a set worker didn't ensure safety when laying cables, it could create hazards; if a sizeable soft light wasn't secured, it could injure someone.
Such incidents would consume a lot of time and resources.
Michael then went to another office to see Mary, as the crew's finances needed proper handling.
"We must speed up 'Kingsman,'" Mary reminded Michael. "Otherwise, my accounting will be difficult."
Michael nodded, "I know."
He had already invited several Hollywood agencies that provide package services, but they have yet to respond.
Having Arabs as supporting characters and as the main character was a world of difference.
Suddenly, there was some commotion outside, as if someone was being scolded.
On this floor, Seashore Entertainment only rented half, with the other half occupied by the "Roswell" crew.
After scolding a crew assistant, Katherine Heigl walked along the corridor into the office. Seeing her agent, her stern face immediately melted into a smile. "Dean, why are you here?"
The agent, Dean, handed Katherine Heigl a document and said, "This crew sent two invitations to the company. It's a small company producing two projects at once. It's quite impressive." He reminded her, "Don't you know Michael Davenport?"