Chapter 48: Seizing an Opportunity

The foundation supporting Hollywood's cultural and entertainment industry is a solid structure of power and money. So do not be fooled by the glittering surface; the man-eating reality behind the scenes is the truth of this flashy world.

Even though the leader of the action team was scolded like a grandson, he himself held a black belt in karate and had competed in amateur boxing matches, yet he could only remain submissive, enduring over half an hour of scolding.

If the director had not realized he had to let the man go so he could contact other actors capable of performing stunts, the day's shooting schedule might truly have been left empty.

Although he inwardly wanted to vent all the pressure from the production side he had endured since filming began directly onto the other person.

This was not targeting anyone specifically; he had just happened to become the punching bag.

Would the targeted person dare to say anything? Unless he did not want to work in Hollywood anymore, otherwise the production company and the director were opponents he could not afford to offend.

So, like now, even though much time had already been wasted, he had no choice but to find a phone booth and try to pull a living person to the filming location to replace the lead stunt double who had run off.

If he truly could not find anyone, his last resort would be for his own old bones to step in. Whether he got blown up or fell to his death, it would be better than paying breach-of-contract damages.

Do not think that stunt actors possess the power to refuse performance if safety measures are not fully prepared. How could the production side leave such a huge loophole unaddressed, allowing a small actor to hold the reins?

The practice of film studios or production companies is to sign contracts with professional stunt teams.

Actors can refuse to perform because it is unsafe.

Then the stunt team must find a way to improve this unsafe situation, or simply add money to make the actor willing to perform. Failing that, they must find another actor willing to perform the stunt action to ensure smooth filming. Otherwise, this team must suffer the consequences of breach of contract.

Breaching a contract once is like marrying the wrong wife; it costs about half one's entire fortune. Breaching a contract in Hollywood is even worse; it could ruin the reputation one has built and affect future business.

Just as he was hurriedly dialing several numbers from the phone book with no one answering, and his mood had reached its worst possible point, a knocking sound came from outside the phone booth.

"What are you doing! If you are in a rush to make a call, go somewhere else; I am using this one."

"Hehe, calm down." The person knocking on the phone booth was Henry; he said, "Qian Ning, Boss, I was thinking, if you really cannot find anyone, give me a chance to try, okay?"

Qian Ning hung up the phone in confusion, walked out slowly, and looked at the self-recommending big boy. He appeared unkempt with poor taste, likely just a child of college age.

He recognized the other person's face; he was an extra. He had seen him a few times these past few days; he was just a background character.

"Do not call me Boss; you are not yet a member of my team. Call me Qian Ning." The head of the action team sized the other person up and down and asked, "You want to try a stunt performance?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any experience?"

"No, I have only been an extra."

"Are you a member of the Actors' Union?"

"Yes."

Qian Ning looked at the other person's build; it was not much different from the male lead's, just a bit taller than that one.

You must know that the actor for this stunt performance could not be chosen just anywhere. He was mainly the lead's stunt double, the kind that would be on camera. So the body type and skin tone could not differ too much; only then could other aspects be considered.

The person before him had passed the first hurdle, so Qian Ning asked, "Kid, what is your name?"

"Henry. Mr. Henry Brown."

In fact, Henry rarely introduced his surname; it was just something used at random. But considering a formal contract might be signed, he said it anyway.

"How will you convince me that you can perform the action the director wants?"

Henry said, "I remember this scene involves two cars driving parallel, one of which explodes and rolls over, and the male lead jumps from this car to the other car driven by the female lead to catch him. Right?"

Qian Ning nodded and said nothing.

Henry continued, "I can try jumping once between two stationary vehicles first, to let the director confirm the feasibility of the shot. Then, let the cars move and try jumping once more.

"Once you and the director are both sure there are no problems, we will do it for real. In that case, we will not waste film, nor trigger the setups for blowing up the vehicles.

"Or do you, Qian Ning, want to say we do not even have time for this little rehearsal? If so, I have no way to prove whether I can do this or not; it can only depend on whether you are willing to take a gamble."

Did the old man have the capital to not gamble?

Of course not!

In fact, those few calls just now that no one answered were not only to his team members under him, but also to several famous stunt actors in the industry, hoping to find them to save the day.

These were the connections Qian Ning had accumulated over the years mixing in Hollywood; unfortunately, people either refused or he could not contact a single one. He did not even have the chance to test whether his connections could be cashed in.

After all, things like this last-minute rescue are the most troublesome; it is truly a case of not even knowing where to look for people.

Henry's proposal to try the jump could already test whether he dared to execute this stunt. As long as he could perform a horizontal jump between moving vehicles, the explosive action would just be coordination by off-site support staff.

So Qian Ning directly dragged Henry in front of the producer and director who were facing off, and said, "Let this kid try."

"Can he do it?" "Who is he?"

Neither the producer nor the director took an extra to heart. They did not even recognize that Henry was actually a member of their crew.

The assistant director responsible for coordinating the extras' movements did know, but situations like this sudden promotion were not uncommon on set.

Usually, it involves some unknown under-the-table deals, and certain people suddenly grasp an opportunity.

But an opportunity like the one before them was not something just anyone could take. At least none of the supporting roles who were on the list envied this opportunity.

After all, it is just a faceless stunt double, and it requires performing dangerous stunts; whoever is jealous can do it! Do you know why stunt actors are listed in the behind-the-scenes crew list?

Qian Ning ignored other people's thoughts; he simply relayed the suggestion Henry had previously made to the producer and director.

The director first expressed no opinion. Anyway, he just needed to shoot the shot he wanted: a person jumping from a car, then blowing up the original car into the sky.

The producer thought a bit more. He asked directly, "Has the performance contract been signed? Who is his agent?"

Hollywood regulations state that an actor's contract must be confirmed through an agent or manager; there is no such thing as acting as one's own agent.

Qian Ning had not asked about this matter in detail. So he could only look at Henry. The latter answered obediently, "I do not have an agent. I am only registered with the Actors' Union, and the union's public agent signs contracts for me."

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(End of this chapter)