.
Chad's laughter boomed across the quad, oblivious to the sudden tension in Pera's arm. He clearly felt the stiffness in her grip, the way her fingers dug into his bicep.
"Babe, what's wrong?" he asked, his smile faltering for a second.
Pera's own smile was a beautiful, fragile piece of glass she held carefully in place. "Nothing, honey. Just thinking." She forced a light laugh. "I was just realizing how silly it is. One little indie film… what are the chances it even gets made, let alone succeeds?"
In her heart, she repeated the words like a mantra. He'll fail. He has to fail. Then I'll know I was right.
"Exactly," Chad said, puffing out his chest. "Anyway, I was telling you about my dad's new boat…"
Pera nodded and listened, her perfect smile locked in place.
The pristine, air-conditioned lobby of the CAA building felt different this time. The last time Leo had walked through these doors, he was armed with nothing but a plan and a prayer. Today, he was armed with leverage. The confidence it gave him was a tangible thing, straightening his spine, steadying his gaze.
Rick met him by the elevators, already in motion. "Okay, Leo, listen up," he said, his voice a low, rapid-fire whisper as they walked. His briefing was an intelligence report from a seasoned field operative .
"We've got three companies at the table: Artisan Entertainment, LIVE Pictures, and New Line Cinema. Artisan is hungry for a hit, but their pockets are shallow. LIVE is a mess, frankly. They're desperate. New Line… New Line is the big fish. They hit a grand slam with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles last year, so their wallet is fat. They built their house on low-budget horror. They're the ones we want."
Leo absorbed the information, his mind cross-referencing it with the history he already knew. Rick was right. New Line was the prize.
Rick stopped before a conference room door. "They're here to see if you're a filmmaker or a film student. An artist or a businessman. Show them you're both. Ready?"
Leo gave a single, sharp nod.
They entered the room. The atmosphere was casual but charged. Three men representing the three companies were seated on plush leather sofas. They rose as Leo entered, shaking his hand with practiced professionalism. There was no arrogance, no condescension. They were a pride of lions, relaxed for now, but ready to pounce on any sign of weakness .
The lead executive from New Line, a sharp-eyed man named Dean, gestured for Leo to sit. "Mr. Vance," he began, getting straight to the point. "We've all read your proposal. It's… aggressive. And we like that. But I have a question about the script. The characters. Why is the female lead written as, for lack of a better term, the ultimate final girl? The hot, resourceful survivor?"
It was the first test. The question beneath the question was: Are you making this for yourself, or are you making it for an audience?
Leo leaned forward slightly, a wry, knowing smile on his face. He knew his answer was more than a line of dialogue; it was a mission statement that told them he spoke their language: money.
"Because," Leo said, his voice calm and clear, "eighteen-year-old boys buy tickets to see hot girls. And they buy even more tickets to see hot girls fight for their lives."
A collective, appreciative chuckle went through the room. Dean from New Line grinned. The test was passed. The tension in the room eased, shifting from an interrogation to a negotiation.
"The baseline offer from all of us is going to be similar," Dean continued, taking the lead. "We're proposing a total budget of $1.3 million. All-in. That includes your Directors Guild minimum salary, which would be around fifty thousand."
It was low. Insultingly low for a studio feature, but standard for an unproven rookie. Leo didn't flinch. The salary was irrelevant. A drop in the ocean compared to the value of the copyright locked away in his name. He knew he was a first-time director with no real power to negotiate profit-sharing. Reality wasn't a fantasy novel where the hero got everything he wanted just by asking.
But that didn't mean he couldn't change the terms of the game.
"The offer is fair," Leo said, and the executives visibly relaxed. "But I don't want it."
The room went silent. Rick shot Leo a panicked look, but Leo held up a hand to quiet him.
"I have a different idea," Leo said, looking each of the three men in the eye. "A proposal that will cost you less up front and, if you have the guts to take it, could make us all a lot more money."