I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 449 The Commercial Value Behind Chen Jin!
"Hi, Chan!"

Kavanaugh, dressed like a nouveau riche, waved to Chen Jin and the others from the arrival area while wearing sunglasses.

"If you smoke another cigar, you'll be the Godfather!"

Chen Jin hugged the guy and teased him.

"Haha, this is actually my dream outfit, what a pity..."

Smoking is not allowed at the airport, let alone cigars.

In fact, Kavanaugh's favorite movie is indeed "The Godfather". This film has influenced many North American "young people" born in the 70s and 80s. Kavanaugh and other people born in the 80s have certainly seen this global phenomenon at the time.

"So, what do you think of my suggestion?"

Inside the Rolls-Royce, only Chen Jin and Kavanaugh were in the back seat; Wang Yuanyuan was in the taxi behind.

"Let's go talk to Richard. We really need to assemble a team to serve me!"

It can be quite tiring to struggle alone in North America.

Now that the groundwork has been laid, it's time to make your name known worldwide.

"This is right!"

"Haha, I spoke to Richard on the phone the other day. He was so excited when he found out you wanted to sign with CAA. He even said you could skip the commission..."

Richard, the head of CAA's innovative brokerage, was someone Chen Jin had actually met before.

This guy attended the premiere of "John Wick" and is very familiar with Kavanaugh; they have a good personal relationship because they are both upper-class North American Jews.

Jews in North America are currently very united and have almost monopolized most of the business in Hollywood, as well as the giants on Wall Street.

They have a natural sensitivity to money, so the value of Chen Jin is what Richard and Kavanaugh value.

Richard, in particular, as the head of an agency, naturally has a keen sense of an artist's future.

He saw a talent in Chen Jin that was even more dazzling than that in Cheng Long.

It is in a businessman's nature to pursue profit.

The Hollywood talent market has been divided up by the four major North American talent agencies, so CAA is expanding into the global arena. Asia has always been a market that CAA values ​​highly, and they have even established dedicated offices there.

Therefore, if Chen Jin can sign with CAA, it will be a very important promotion for their plan to expand into Asia.

"Can we negotiate down to 5%?"

Chen Jin, of course, didn't believe Kavanaugh's nonsense about waiving commissions.

On the plane, Chen Jin also checked some of CAA's classic cases. 10% is their quoted price, which means that they take a 10% commission on every single transaction.

This business includes endorsements, film fees, commercial performances, and so on.

For example, if CAA's agents help their artists secure a deal for the globally renowned luxury brand Armani through their own abilities, CAA will take a commission of 1000 million US dollars from the 100 million annual endorsement fee.

This doesn't actually seem like a very high amount, and it's actually quite beneficial for artists.

After all, many artists don't have the channels or energy to negotiate this themselves. CAA does it for you and only charges 10%, which is a really reasonable price.

But when each contract is 10%, it actually becomes a bit too much.

Therefore, commission rates are negotiable.

5% is the price Chen Jin is looking for.

In this way, CAA could actually make a profit, which Chen Jin could accept; otherwise, he might have to wait and see, and see how other brokerage firms report their accounts before making a decision.

"5%..."

Kavanaugh looked at Chen Jin and couldn't help but laugh: "You've really put Richard to death!"

"This guy is notoriously stingy. Tom Cruise's commission is only 5%. Do you think you can be as stingy as him?"

Kavanaugh's words were not meant to be sarcastic.

Americans are quite direct. Chen Jin is well aware of his current status. Let alone comparing him to Tom Cruise, any second-tier Hollywood star is actually more famous than him.

However, Chen Jin has an advantage that others do not have.

This can be seen from why Universal Music invited him this time.

China!

Chen Jin has the Huaxia Market.

If CAA truly wants to make a name for itself in Asia, especially in China, signing Chen Jin would be their ideal choice.

In that case, Chen Jin would have something to talk about.

This is his bottom line.

Even Tom Cruise doesn't have the same level of commercial success as Chen Jin.

"Let's try talking!"

"The Chinese market is still very attractive!"

Chen Jin smiled, and Kavanaugh understood what he meant, shrugging: "It's a bit difficult, but... it's not impossible!"

If it were 7% or 8%, Kavanaugh felt that CAA would definitely not refuse such a collaboration.

The two chatted for a while and soon arrived at the hotel that Chen Jin had booked.

After settling their luggage, Kavanaugh treated Chen Jin and the others to a sumptuous lunch. He also let them rest for a while in the afternoon before taking Chen Jin and Wang Yuanyuan to the CAA headquarters.

The global press conference is tomorrow, so it's perfectly reasonable to finalize some matters today.

"Chan, I believe I don't need to introduce you further, right?"

Kavanaugh took Chen Jin directly to the CEO's office at CAA headquarters.

Perhaps because Kavanaugh had tipped off Richard, this young CEO, who looked only a few years older than Kavanaugh, was waiting for him in the office.

"Chan, it's great to have you at CAA!"

Richard shook hands with Chen Jin, his face warm and friendly.

He is a Turkish Jew, so he looks completely different from pure white people like Kavanaugh. He has a distinctive Turkish skin color, which is very recognizable.

"Kavano has already told me why you're here!"

"Partnering with CAA is definitely a wise choice. I just asked our top agents, and they have a lot of luxury brand endorsements. If you sign with them, they can arrange it for you immediately!"

Richard sat there, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then got down to business.

As someone who has worked with Global for many years, CAA certainly knows the inside story of tomorrow's press conference, and he even knows the process.

In the United States, many people at the top are unaware of this, but it is by no means a secret to them.

"Charlie, this isn't the first time we've collaborated with CAA!"

"We've collaborated on auditions and casting before!"

Chen Jin valued CAA's standardized process, but she wasn't too impressed with Richard's businesslike manner: "Regarding endorsements, brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton have actually contacted my previous agent!"

"But I was in the United States at the time, and I had objections to the price, so I didn't sign it!"

Chen Jin's meaning was very clear.

To use endorsements and commercial performances to highlight CAA's special status would be to underestimate Chen Jin.

Even if he doesn't sign with them, given his current popularity and tomorrow's casting announcement from Universal, it's practically a certainty that he'll land several luxury brand deals.

Because Chen Jin's current value is immeasurable.

The most bankable star in the entire Chinese market.

Which brand wouldn't want to sign such a popular star?
Moreover, Chen Jin currently has no endorsements. His early contracts expired long ago after he became famous. Whoever signs him now and secures his first endorsement will benefit the most. "Charlie, let's talk about the commission!"

"Chan really wants to collaborate with CAA!"

Kavanaugh acted as a peacemaker, since he had brought the people with him, so he naturally had to handle the matter.

"alright, I got it!"

Richard shrugged. Although Kavanaugh's words were only two short sentences, he still understood their meaning.

Chen Jin probably only considered the commission and didn't take into account other advantages.

Perhaps Chen Jin doesn't need CAA's top agents to promote him; the Chinese market behind him proves that many brands will proactively seek him out.

This is indeed a huge advantage.

Chen Jin understood this as well, which put Richard at a disadvantage.

"Charlie, I'll give you a commission quote. My brokerage team can be staffed entirely by CAA, with only one assistant. I need to keep the original one!"

As Chen Jin was speaking, Richard nodded: "Okay, how much do you want to lower it to?"

Anyone with eyes to see knows that CAA's rate is 10% for external parties, and this standard applies to everyone except for some Hollywood stars who receive preferential treatment.

Although Chen Jin is not a superstar, as he said...

The Chinese market is something Richard cannot ignore. Currently, Sino-US cooperation is progressing very well, especially in the film and television industry. The six major film studios have all made heavy investments in China and are eager to collaborate with China Film Group on film productions.

"5%!"

Chen Jin held out her palm, and Richard thought he had misheard.

"5%?"

"Yes, this is the commission range I can accept; the brokerage team's fees are all on my end—"

"impossible!"

Richard refused outright, but he wasn't angry.

There's absolutely no need to get angry with someone like Chen Jin who doesn't understand CAA commission strategies.

Would you get angry with someone who knows nothing because of a whimsical remark?
Especially those in Hollywood's upper echelons at his level.

"CAA does not have such a commission agreement!"

"Chan, I admit CAA really wants to work with you, but 5%... really, haha, I never expected that!"

Richard laughed and said, "I can give you 8%, which is the biggest concession I can make. Ryan should know that CAA only pays this much to A-list Hollywood stars!"

"Okay, maybe my offer was a bit impolite, I hope you're not angry!"

"Negotiations never go that smoothly!"

Chen Jin smiled at Richard and made a slight facial expression: "I'll think about it when I get back. If I'm willing, I'll call you!"

"I can have someone show you around our CAA headquarters!"

"Many of our company's artists have won Oscars or seen their salaries increase several times over after signing with us!"

"These are things that commissions can't compare to!"

"Our portfolio includes half of North America's top actors and singers, including Hollywood stars..."

Richard was still making a final attempt to persuade him to stay. Chen Jin knew the meaning behind what Richard was saying, but he felt that the commission was still quite important. Resources and such could be discussed after the commission was settled.

The two sides parted on bad terms, and although they said they would go back and think about it, everyone knew the truth.

Neither side was satisfied.

"Ryan, do you know any other CEOs of brokerage firms?"

Chen Jin went downstairs and asked Kavanaugh, who was standing next to her.

Kavanaugh said with some regret, "I knew Richard wouldn't agree, but... who knows?"

"Maybe he'll figure it out in a couple of days!"

“Yes, he said the commissions can’t compare to the rise in Oscars and actor salaries, but my value to CAA is not just limited to actor salaries and endorsements. It will definitely be easier for them to do business in China than it is now!”

They're all seasoned foxes, and Chen Jin actually felt she'd been taken advantage of.

"How about we go check out WMA again?"

WMA stands for William Morris, and the other two are ICM and UTA!

These are the four largest talent agencies in North America. CAA accounts for about 40% of the star power, William and ICM together account for 50%, and UTA has the smallest share!

Their brokerage models are actually quite similar; they are all commission-based.

The reason why this is the case is that their methods originated from the same company.

That is, William.

This is the world's oldest talent agency, founded in 1898.

Its entire development process is the history of the development of Hollywood and even the entertainment industry.

It's fair to say that without William, there would be no Hollywood as we know it today.

The founder, William Morris, was originally a clerk at a theater stage management company. He started by representing vaudeville performers and worked his way up to the position of partner by gaining the favor of his boss.

However, the good times didn't last long. The boss soon passed away, and his wife took over.

The newly appointed landlady looked down on Maurice, leaving him powerless and with no other options but to start a new company under his own name.

This opportunity allowed him to meet many Hollywood stars, including the then-globally renowned Charlie Chaplin; thus, with few competitors, William reached a near-invincible position in the Hollywood talent agency scene at the time.

At the time, all eight major Hollywood studios collaborated with William.

Over time, this has led to a common problem in large companies; employees have also discovered that newcomers in their companies cannot get ahead and are instead controlled by senior brokers.

So, the founder of CAA, who was also William's president's assistant, led a group of people to start their own business.

It was through these repeated splits that the current four-way power struggle among Hollywood talent agencies came about.

Therefore, although the four companies appear to be keeping to themselves, the competition is quite fierce, and it's perfectly normal for their employees to jump ship from one another to the other.

This gave Chen Jin an opportunity to negotiate.

We'll have to ask them one by one. Anyway, Chen Jin isn't in a hurry; it's them who are.

To be honest, Chen Jin wanted to set up a brokerage team simply to make things easier for herself. Compared to the profits of the company, the commissions and such were just pocket change.

The reason he was so concerned about these things was that he wanted to find a reliable partner.

Things that are too easily obtained are often not cherished by many people.

What Chen Jin needs to do is to get CAA to sign him and then work hard for him.

If they had just signed the contract, Richard might have treated Chen Jin as just one of CAA's many collaborating actors, rather than specifically promoting her as an important partner in the Asian market.

this point is very important.

Chen Jin hopes that her next step will be to become a representative of Asia, rather than a so-called Chinese movie star in Hollywood.

These two points are different.

"Chinese movie star" is a title, while "face of Asia" represents status!
What he clearly wants is status.

With this, Chen Jin's goal can be expanded beyond the whole of China to the whole of Asia, including Japan and South Korea, and it will be promoted to them.

This is Chen Jin's true ambition.

The Chinese market is important, but the Asian market is much larger; by then, Hollywood will obviously pay more attention to it!
(End of this chapter)