The director picked up the viewfinder hanging around his neck and stared at Meg Tilly for a while.
"Yes, her face is suitable for filming."
"Which school did you study acting in?" the director asked Meg.
"I studied ballet at Skidmore College."
"Huh?" The director raised his eyebrows. "You must be a good dancer."
"She injured her back and can't dance professional ballet anymore, so she turned to acting." Ronald hurried to help Meg explain.
The director wanted to find some less successful "loser" actors to film this "Hot Lunch", so Meg Tilly's professional ballet background was not an advantage, but a disadvantage.
However, if you add the experience of being injured and suffering a significant setback, she will be closer to the role.
"It doesn't matter. Let's try her out."
Ronald's answer reflected his understanding of the movie, which satisfied the director.
He just needed someone to help him watch the casting, and the director thought to himself, "I'll call him next time to see if he was just inspired today or if he has a talent for casting."
'So it's not a bad idea to give his girlfriend a small role. After all, she also studied ballet, and there are many ballet scenes in the movie.'
"You play a ballet dancer who flirts with the boy." Director Alan Parker did not give Meg a script, but directed on the spot, "You do this first... Then..."
"Ronald, you come to act, and then this..."
Ronald put down the script he was reading, and the new script he had just copied was still a little warm.
He walked to the door and stood still, looking at Meg Tilly with a smile.
Meg was a little nervous. She did two ballet moves to warm up, then raised her hands to get ready, indicating that she was ready.
Alan asked her to start.
Raising her hands, Meg danced two ballet spins, then stood still and raised one leg to freeze like a proud swan.
Ronald was appreciating her. "Fortunately, she wore the right shoes today."
Then, Meg stopped her pose, picked up her small bag, and walked past Ronald. He deliberately created a little physical contact.
Ronald looked at her in surprise.
Meg stopped at the door and signaled Ronald with a look, asking him to follow.
Ronald was stunned, and half a second later, he smiled with sudden realization and followed her out.
Meg's acting was a bit deliberate, and the flirting scene was not very natural.
'After all, she had not been polished by the actor training class, ' Ronald thought.
"Ronald, you acted well. Did you study acting?" Alan Parker seemed to appreciate Ronald's acting skills more.
"I studied directing, and I also do portrait photography." Ronald hurriedly denied that he still wanted to give Meg the opportunity.
"Meg has not received professional acting training. She was a dancer with the Connecticut Ballet before, and she had to retire because of an injury." Ronald explained to the director.
"Mr. Parker, Meg's experience is very suitable for your film. She is very suitable to play a ballet student. Your film needs a lot of young extras who dance ballet."
Meg's acting skills may not meet the requirements of the main role for the time being, but being an extra and getting a union card is enough. A one-day contract meets the union's minimum wage. She will be eligible to apply to join the Screen Actors Guild.
"Call me Alan." Director Alan Parker laughed beside him, "I don't want others to think I'm old."
"There are problems with her acting. During this period, you can ask her to sign up for acting classes. In short, I will at least give her a Taft-Hartley." The director promised.
"What Taft-Hartley?" Ronald didn't understand.
Meg Tilly quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Taft-Hartley means equal treatment. The director will give me a one-day contract, and I will automatically enjoy the same treatment as union members in the next month. One month is enough for my union application to be approved."
To enter the entertainment industry, Meg studied all the details of entering the industry thoroughly.
"It's the name of the congressman who passed the bill. We usually call it that in the industry." Margaret from the casting studio added to Ronald.
"I'll enroll her in an acting training class, Mr. Parker," Ronald assured the director.
Alan Parker took out two standard contracts from his bag, filled in Meg Tilly's name and the performance time of the day, and filled in the daily salary according to the union's minimum wage. Then he gave it to Meg Tilly to sign.
"This is a single-day employment contract. If you take this contract, there will be an agent willing to represent you. After he signs it, bring another copy to me so that you can use it to apply for the qualification of the Actors Guild."
Meg took the contract and hugged Ronald excitedly.
"It will be a while before the filming of Hot Lunch starts. Meg, you should learn acting first. If you make progress, you can audition for the main role."
"Thank you, Mr. Parker."
After going out to call Meg, a large number of photos were put on the table again. Ronald took a look and found that the people in the photos were not as beautiful and confident as the previous batch. They all had a bit of decadence in their temperament.
"I like this, this, and this..." Alan pushed some of the photos aside. "We can arrange auditions for these."
"I will arrange them, but I think these are not enough, especially for the extras. Do you want to consider auditioning students from the performing arts high school?" Margaret replied.
"Yes, yes, I need some real people. The students from the performing arts high school are acting in their true own element. This is great. We will invite them for an audition as soon as possible."
"Okay, but most of them are not members of the Actors Guild. We don't have their audition photos. I will arrange a live audition with the school."
"Ronald, come with me. We need your photography skills." The older woman, Ronald, went to another room with her.
"I'm Julia Taylor, I work in the casting studio." She introduced herself to Ronald.
"Nice to meet you, Ms. Taylor. I'm Ronald Lee."
Julia was a middle-aged lady, a little older, with a very kind smile, just like that aunt that everyone has. She always has the ability to make the person she is talking to feel warm and comfortable.
"I heard from Margaret that you hadn't met Alan Parker before?"
"Yes, I met him for the first time today."
"Did you know he was the director of last year's movie 'Midnight Express'? The one whose screenwriter Oliver Stone won the Oscar for Best Screenplay."
"Oh, it's him." Ronald smiled shyly. "I worked in a crew last year, and I haven't had time to watch many movies."
"It doesn't matter, I can represent the casting studio and give you a position as a special photographer. Come here once a week to take photos for actors who need to update their audition photos. It's $40 per person per time, starting with the audition for the Hot Lunch crew."
'This price is quite fair. I don't have to think about finding clients and doing marketing. I just need to take photos.' Ronald thought to himself.
"Thank you, Ms. Taylor. I will provide you with first-class audition photos."
"Alan seems to appreciate you very much. He took the initiative to ask you to participate in the next audition of the Hot Lunch crew. If you are willing to agree, and..." Julia Taylor paused and looked directly at Ronald.
Ronald didn't quite understand what Julia meant. "If there's anything I can do for you, Ms. Taylor..."
"Alan is English. We hope to provide him with thoughtful casting services and recommend good New York actors to him. In New York, no one knows more about film casting than us, so if the director goes to meet other casting companies, I'm afraid he won't get professional services..."
"I'll record the names of the people the director has met with from other casting companies and come back to tell you, Ms. Taylor."
'So, they were afraid that competitors would poach their clients. There's no problem with secretly snitching on them. As they are paying me the salary.'
Julia Taylor smiled with satisfaction. "Come here, and we'll sign a cooperation agreement with you."
"Generally, casting work is done by us first making a preliminary selection from the actor pool, and then recommending about 5 actors for each role to the director. The director decides who is suitable and then invites them for an interview."
After signing the agreement, casting director Julia Taylor explained the work process to Ronald.
"But this Hot Lunch is an ensemble, with eight main characters and more than a dozen minor roles. We need hundreds of extras, so we will organize a special audition with the High School of Performing Arts in New York and let the director select from among the high school students."
"You need to take photos of each student who auditions on the spot and keep a special record of those selected by Alan and bring them back to us for filing. We will call you to inform you of the specific time arrangement. What is your phone number?"
Ronald gave her his phone number and also wrote down the phone number of the casting studio. He checked with Julia one by one and made clear his work content.
"Go ahead, you can celebrate with your girlfriend today."
Ronald found Meg Tilly, who was chattering happily with Margaret like a little bird. The two said goodbye to the director, exchanged phone numbers, and then jumped out of the casting studio.
"Have you been selected? What are the director's requirements?"
"Why can they go in? This is unfair."
The boys and girls at the door surrounded the two and showed concern.
Ronald could not get away for the time being, so he simply announced loudly, "I am a photographer, not an actor, and I am here to give out my audition photos."
"I heard from the casting studio that this movie will be open for casting, and all students from performing arts high schools will have the opportunity to participate."
With a bang, the crowd started discussing, and some people ran to the phone booth nearby to make a call.
Ronald took the opportunity to slip away quickly with Meg Tilly.
...
"Hahahaha!" Meg was as happy as a little dove all the way, raising her hands and running fast on the road. Ronald chased after her, picked up Meg, and the two of them twirled around several times.
"Ronald, thank you." Meg's voice became particularly gentle, and Ronald seemed to be able to feel his heart pounding.
"It's nothing. You are suitable for the film industry."
Meg simply hugged Ronald, jumped up, and kissed Ronald several times.
"I'm so happy, Ronald, it's like a dream." Meg looked into Ronald's eyes and said gently.
Ronald hugged Meg and smelled all kinds of pleasant scents coming from her body. He couldn't help but be intoxicated for a while.
"Yesterday, I was a desperate former ballet dancer. Today, I got a formal contract in the crew. I can be considered to have entered the industry. You helped me do this. Thank you." Meg was a little emotional and leaned her head against Ronald's head.
"Maybe you will be a big star tomorrow." Ronald hugged her gently, and they kissed each other.
The casting studio is not far from his home. The two of them ran all the way and actually reached the artist's apartment, but Meg didn't want to go upstairs.
"Ronald, can you go with me to visit the pier on the south bank of Manhattan? I have been trying hard to get a job since I came to New York, and I haven't been to the Statue of Liberty yet."
"Okay, no problem. I often take a boat past there, and I can be your tour guide. After the afternoon tour, we can also go to a movie and then buy some food and red wine in the evening to celebrate your entry into the industry."
"Ronnie, you're so nice..."
On the other side, in the afternoon, in the casting studio, two casting directors, Julia Taylor and Margaret, sent off director Alan Parker.
"What do you think Alan is doing? Why did he give us a wrong script?" Margaret asked.
"I still don't know what he means. Maybe the script has been revised, or maybe he wants to replace us with other casting directors." Julia Taylor changed her smiling face and said seriously.
"Then we... continue to cast according to his revised plan?"
"Go ahead. Don't worry too much. I have an ear next to the director."