Chapter 31

When he returned to Los Angeles, Murphy visited the Actors' Guild again. The project "Fruit Candy" was too insignificant in terms of investment and production company, and in just one day, no actors had left their application information.

Murphy decided to post job advertisements in the newspapers upon his return, just as he had done for the people he had already hired. There were also many actors in Los Angeles who had not joined the guilds.

Afterward, he took Jessica Chastain to the Directors' Guild, the Cinematographers' Guild, and the Writers' Guild to inquire about the possibility of joining, especially the latter. Joining the Writers' Guild would allow him to register his script and check others' registered scripts, which could avoid many unnecessary troubles.

Indeed, he could register the copyright with the Copyright Office like he did for "Fruit Candy," but that would cost a substantial fee. Although the Writers' Guild also charged for registered projects, it was relatively much cheaper.

The price directly influenced Murphy's current choice.

Unfortunately, Murphy's trip was in vain. While the entry threshold for organizations like the Directors' Guild was not very high, there were still certain admission requirements, and his conditions as a newcomer were far from qualified.

However, the trip wasn't entirely wasted, as it helped Murphy understand some cognitive misconceptions caused by cultural differences and translation issues.

Firstly, guilds and associations are fundamentally different.

A guild is an organization where people in a specific industry or profession unite to improve their treatment, working conditions, and rights such as minimum wage and health insurance, and to fight against employers. An association, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization composed of professionals in a certain field, aiming for cultural exchange, information sharing, and educational research.

The main difference is that guilds are open to all practitioners with very low entry barriers, while associations or societies are more like exclusive clubs for seasoned professionals.

In the past, Murphy had mistakenly thought that organizations like the Producers' Alliance, Directors' Association, and Actors' Association were associations, but they were actually guilds.

Although any practitioner can apply to join a guild as long as they meet its low basic requirements, Murphy returned disappointed. For example, to join the Cinematographers' Guild, one needed to have at least 100 days of paid work experience in cinematography over three years in non-guild films, or 30 days in guild productions, which Murphy clearly did not meet.

Temporarily giving up on joining Hollywood's formal organizations, Murphy posted actor recruitment ads in several local Los Angeles newspapers the next day and began organizing the small production team. He rented camera equipment with Jessica Chastain, purchased special tomato sauce to serve as blood with prop master Mia Suckley, and went to the San Fernando Valley with set designer Sunny Clegg to scout for interior locations...

Funds were continuously being withdrawn from Murphy's account, and the days of only spending and not earning, with his funds dwindling, made him feel like each day was a year.

During this period, over a dozen actors called, and Murphy conducted preliminary interviews at the Mitten Café, but the results were very unsatisfactory. The actors either had unsuitable appearances or poor acting skills.

Most of the scenes in this project were between two characters, so the requirements for the actors were relatively high.

Regardless of how Murphy's project progressed, Hollywood continued to operate on its own established track.

The Actors' Guild, with over ten thousand members, had its office in Hollywood on the West Coast. Every day, a large number of actors came and went, many of whom would stop to check the job postings, hoping to find the best opportunities for themselves.

Only a few actors could become famous nationwide and have a steady stream of roles. Most, like Murphy, struggled hard for their dreams.

There was a group of people who were not in this category, starting from a much higher point than ordinary people.

A girl with short golden-brown hair, carrying a large file bag, walked into the Actors' Guild. She looked to be around fifteen or sixteen years old. Unlike the early maturity of white women, she had a childlike face, appearing playful and cute, with her large, fluttering eyes making her seem like a girl from Vladimir Nabokov's pen.

"Uncle Julian!"

After passing the job postings, the girl stopped in front of an office, looking back with dissatisfaction, her mouth almost pouting to the sky, "Can you hurry up, please?"

Her voice was clear and pleasant, with a distinct London accent.

Not far behind, an old man with a bald forehead, who had just parted the crowd at the job postings, panted as he walked over, "Cary, you're walking too fast. You need to consider an old man's health."

The girl scratched her short hair, "You have to understand my eagerness. You know, I've always wanted to be an actor, but my stubborn parents wanted me to go to university instead of pursuing acting. Now, I finally have the chance to come to Los Angeles as an exchange student..."

Her eyes kept darting around, "You finally found time to help me register as a member of the Actors' Guild, and I'm so excited."

"Hurry up! Hurry up!" The girl seemed unable to wait.

Julian Fellowes finally caught up with the girl and led her into the office. He was a veteran actor with some fame in Hollywood. With his recommendation, the girl didn't have much trouble joining the guild, becoming a relatively secure actor.

Life was just that unfair.

Leaving the office, Julian Fellowes said to the girl walking beside him, "The guild can ensure your working conditions, minimum wage, and health insurance..."

The girl was smart and immediately added, "But that's only if I can find an acting job."

Julian Fellowes nodded and asked, "What type of role do you like?"

With his relative's help, it wouldn't be difficult for the girl to get some small roles in Hollywood.

"Well, let me think..." The girl's large eyes sparkled, "I think Lolita is great."

This answer completely surprised Julian Fellowes. He turned his head, looking at her with a hint of surprise. The girl immediately realized she had said something wrong and quickly added, "Uncle Julian, I was just joking with you."

She quickly changed the subject, pointing to the crowd gathered at the job postings, "What are they doing?"

"Many production teams post job ads here," Julian Fellowes explained briefly, "But they're mostly for less famous projects."

The girl seemed not to hear the last part, her clear and crisp voice jumping out, "Great, I want to check it out too."

Her childlike face was full of excitement, and she ran over, completely ignoring the old man who was walking a bit unsteadily.

When she reached the job postings, she found that there were too many people. She couldn't see clearly from the outside, and she couldn't get closer.

On the bulletin board in front, job ads were densely posted. Having just registered as a member of the Actors' Guild, the little girl was eager to find a suitable role and try out her acting skills, which were highly praised in her school drama club.

She had been interested in acting since childhood, and many people, including the veteran actor Julian Fellowes, said she was a natural talent.

"I want to see, I want to see, why are there so many people?"

The girl pouted, her large, fluttering eyes suddenly brightening, and she deliberately used a childish voice, "Hey, everyone, pay attention!"

No one responded, but she didn't give up, continuing, "Spielberg's casting director is recruiting people in the courtyard to the west!"

This immediately caught the attention of many people, some of whom turned to look west. However, the Actors' Guild's west courtyard was separated by two corridors with corners, making it impossible to see from there.

Someone immediately asked, "Little girl, is that true?"

"Spielberg's production, how is that possible..."

"Are you lying?"

Hearing these mixed voices, the girl put on her cutest expression, put her small hands behind her back, and blinked her lively eyes, saying in an exceptionally cute voice, "I'm a good student, how could I lie?"

At such a young age and with such a cute appearance, even steel would melt...

"Let's go check it out..."

"I think it's true."

Clearly, many people chose to believe the girl and started heading towards the west courtyard.

Although many were not swayed, the crowd thinned out, and the girl easily made her way to the front. She looked up, just about to read the job ads, when a voice suddenly sounded beside her.

"Are you an actor too?"

The girl turned to look. It was a man with brown curly hair, about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, very handsome, especially when he smiled, which made him even more charming.

"Yes!" The girl lightly nodded her pointed chin, "I just registered as a member here."

The man's smile grew, "Dave was right, the cuter the girl, the better she lies."

"What?" The girl looked at him in surprise, seemingly completely confused, "What are you talking about? Who is lying?"

Her face naturally showed a very innocent and curious expression, as if she was surprised by what the man was saying.

"Your acting is very good." The man seemed to have found something amusing and couldn't help but laugh, "Especially for someone your age."

"Hmph!"

The girl wrinkled her nose, feeling a bit embarrassed, like anyone whose lie had been seen through. She was also a bit annoyed with the man, turning her eyes to the job postings, where she saw one.

"Stanton Studio's 'Fruit Candy' project is looking for a 14-16 year old actress, requiring a cute appearance, some acting experience, and preferably familiarity with 'Lolita'..."

Seeing this, the girl couldn't help but swallow, quickly noting down the contact information. Just as she was about to look at other job ads, the man spoke again.

"The people you tricked are coming back." He reminded her.

"Ah?" The girl looked back and saw many people quickly returning from the west. Without time to look at other ads, she turned and hurried out. The brown-haired man watched her back, his eyes also landing on the Stanton Studio job ad.

What a pretty and cute little girl, isn't she?

He kept his eyes on the girl's back until she completely disappeared.