Chapter 24

Many tasks, when Murphy actually started to work on them, turned out to be much more difficult than he had imagined. He was only one person, and during the initial preparation, he had to handle everything himself, sometimes wishing he could clone himself.

In addition to writing the script and formulating the corresponding plans, Murphy also spent money to place recruitment ads in local Los Angeles newspapers. He didn't need to rush to hire actors, but he had to determine various behind-the-scenes roles as early as possible.

To find interns who were both affordable and capable, he specifically visited the California Institute of the Arts and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. However, someone like him couldn't possibly get support from these prestigious institutions. Murphy could only post recruitment posters around the campuses, hoping that students interested in the field would take the bait.

Furthermore, Murphy went to Delaware with his lawyer, Robert, to register Stanton Studios as a real company. Although, according to Delaware's commercial law, he only needed a nominal office in Delaware, which could even be shared with other companies, this still incurred a significant cost.

This expense undoubtedly put more strain on Murphy's finances, but it was necessary. To attract people to work for him, a legitimate company was much more credible than an individual.

Besides, he was an unknown nobody with no credentials.

The biggest advantage of registering a business in Delaware was the tax benefits. Unlike California's terrifying tax rates, many Hollywood film companies, such as Disney and Paramount, were registered in Delaware.

Delaware also had a specialized commercial court, making the handling of many commercial disputes relatively convenient.

With a formal company, Murphy returned to Los Angeles, refining the script while handling recruitment matters.

First, he needed to find someone to handle various miscellaneous tasks, a position known as a production coordinator.

This role was very important in the production team but often overlooked. People with higher aspirations generally looked down on such positions, especially for a small project like Murphy's. It wasn't easy to find someone experienced.

To be precise, from the time he placed the recruitment ads to when he registered Stanton Studios, only six people had called him. Five of them had never worked in the film industry before. Murphy guessed that most of these people, like him, had come to Los Angeles to pursue their Hollywood dreams, hoping to find a related job to support themselves and then look for opportunities.

Originally, Murphy wanted to meet these five people. After all, everyone starts as a beginner, and there might be someone outstanding among them.

But the sixth call changed his mind.

"You can rest assured, we are a professional film studio..."

Standing by the window of the studio, Murphy looked at the dilapidated buildings outside and said confidently into the phone, "Stanton Studios welcomes any talented and ambitious individuals."

"Alright..." Murphy thought for a moment and said, "Do you know the old Chinatown in the city center? Let's meet at the Mitten Café there at two o'clock this afternoon."

After setting the meeting time, Murphy hung up the phone and sat back in front of his laptop. The caller, despite being in Los Angeles for only a short time, had worked as a summer intern at the Lincoln Center in New York and had a degree in drama from the Juilliard School, making him much more qualified than the previous five.

After a busy morning, Murphy saved the script he had been working on, grabbed the company documents, and went out for a simple lunch before driving to the old Chinatown in Los Angeles.

On the narrow streets of old Chinatown, a red-haired girl looked curiously out the car window at the buildings with their exotic charm. This place was clearly different from New York's Chinatown, with more Vietnamese people than Chinese.

The girl drove a red car, and due to the narrow streets, her speed was very slow. Her eyes were filled with caution as she looked around.

Everyone knew that the central area of Los Angeles had poor security, especially in areas with a high concentration of Vietnamese people, which were synonymous with chaos and crime.

"How could he choose such a place?"

The red-haired girl frowned as the sign for Mitten Café came into view. She didn't stop but drove a bit further before finding a suitable parking spot on the narrow, crowded street. Seeing that it was still early, she sat quietly and waited.

In the previous phone call, the man named Murphy Stanton had explained that since the studio had just been registered and was still looking for an office, they could only meet in a public place.

A newly registered film studio...

Before coming to Los Angeles, the red-haired girl wouldn't have given such a company a second glance. She came from a good family, her parents had respectable jobs, and she was a high-achieving graduate of the Juilliard School who had interned at the Lincoln Center. She thought finding a suitable job in Los Angeles would be easy.

People with professional acting and theater knowledge often had a proud heart, but reality gave her a harsh lesson. Los Angeles was filled with talented and ambitious people, and the competition in this industry far exceeded her expectations.

Since returning to California, the red-haired girl had only secured three jobs: one as an extra with no lines, another as a temporary assistant in a production for a week, from which she was fired for a minor mistake, and a third as an actor and board member in a community theater, with no salary.

These experiences severely damaged her pride and made her more pragmatic. Having moved out of her parents' house, she didn't want to rely on their support and needed to find a job to support herself quickly.

This was her recent goal, and she knew it was the most practical one now.

If she couldn't achieve basic independence, how could she make a name for herself in Hollywood?

After a few months of struggle, this smart girl understood that experience and credentials were accumulated step by step. Many big stars in Hollywood started from unremarkable positions.

Compared to her past thoughts of when she would become the lead actress in a film, the red-haired girl now wondered how much this job would pay.

After waiting for about half an hour, the red-haired girl pushed open the car door, locked the car, and walked toward the Mitten Café.

Murphy arrived at the Mitten Café about twenty minutes early. It was not far from where he lived, and he often came here for coffee. Sometimes, when he found it boring to stay alone in the studio, he would bring his laptop and use this relatively quiet café as his office.

He ordered a coffee and sat in his usual corner, thinking about the next steps while keeping an eye on the entrance. He had already told the staff that if anyone came looking for him, they should bring them over immediately.

Leaving his previous job to return to his dream of Hollywood, Murphy knew he would face immense pressure. He wanted employees who could handle such pressure.

After about ten minutes, a red-haired girl entered the café. She spoke briefly to the staff, who then led her to Murphy.

The entrance was a bit far from where Murphy was sitting, but he subtly observed the red-haired girl.

She was probably in her early twenties, about 5'6" tall, and the most striking feature was her rare red hair, which contrasted with her snow-white skin visible under her Western-style suit.

Overall, apart from her slightly high cheekbones, she wasn't particularly outstanding in appearance.

Murphy didn't mind; he was looking for someone with the right skills, not a pretty face.

"Hi, sorry." The red-haired girl said before she even reached him, "I'm late."

"No problem." Murphy stood up and extended his hand, "You're Jessica?"

"Yes, I am." The red-haired girl walked a few steps closer and shook Murphy's hand. Murphy gestured to the seat opposite him, "Please, have a seat."

After the girl sat down, he returned to his seat and introduced himself, "I'm Murphy, Murphy Stanton."

"Hello." The red-haired girl was somewhat nervous, her eyes showing caution, but she responded, "I'm Jessica, Jessica Chastain."

Hearing this name, Murphy looked at her again. Red hair, snow-white skin, light blue eyes, and slightly high cheekbones...

She just looked much younger.

"My studio has just been registered," Murphy said without further ado, taking out the studio's documents and placing them on the table in front of the red-haired girl, "Here are the studio's documents. You can take a look."

Murphy's actions immediately reduced the red-haired girl Jessica's caution. She took the documents and carefully flipped through them.

When she reached the last one, Murphy spoke again, "My studio is preparing to produce a film, and I need to hire some professionals."

In Los Angeles, countless production teams are formed every day. The red-haired girl, after confirming the studio's existence, asked, "The ad mentioned a production coordinator. Could you tell me more about the specific responsibilities?"

From her appearance, the man opposite her seemed younger than her. Could someone like him really produce a film?

Jessica Chastain still had some doubts.

"For the lucky ones, this is a good job..."

Murphy used flowery language to describe the importance of the position. Jessica Chastain wasn't stupid and understood the nature of the job.

If it were a few months ago, the proud and ambitious her would have turned and walked away.

But after returning to Los Angeles and facing numerous challenges, moving out of her parents' house, and wanting to be completely independent, she needed a job with a suitable salary, preferably one closely related to the film industry and Hollywood.

In this regard, the job suited her needs well.

Murphy looked at her and said, "I'd like to know about your previous work experience and what you learned from it."