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

Chapter 455: The Assembly! The World's Top Brokerage Team!

"Chan, it's a pleasure doing business with you!"

Welcome to UTA!

Benedict hugged Chen Jin happily; there were already many reporters outside.

After more than two days of negotiations and finalizing details and resources, Chen Jin ultimately chose to cooperate with UTA, becoming their first artist signed in Asia.

Meanwhile, UTA's office will also open in Huaxia, right next to CETC.

"We'll go meet the reporters first, and our management team will be here shortly!"

Benny Dyke smiled at Chen Jin, and the two of them filed out of the office.

Click! Click!
Countless Hollywood reporters were already waiting there, and as soon as they saw the two of them come out, they immediately started snapping photos like crazy.

If we're talking about the most famous Chinese actress in Hollywood right now, it has to be Chen Jin.

He had just signed a major role in Universal's "Fast & Furious 6" and secured a collaboration with Universal's new project "John Wick 2" when he became the first top Asian star signed by UTA.

Almost every so often, Chen Jin would appear in North American media.

Although she can't compare to Hollywood stars like Tom Cruise, Chen Jin's recognition in North America is clearly on the rise.

Many Chinese people already know him, but white people, black people and other races are also beginning to accept that a new Chinese movie star has broken into Hollywood, and he is much younger than Jackie Chan and Jet Lee.

He's even younger than Bruce Lee was back then.

"Chan, what made you choose UTA?"

"I heard that William and CAA are also vying for your cooperation?"

The Hollywood Reporter was asking questions; these were all people hired by UTA, and of course, the questions were all geared towards the "big spender"!
"Show sincerity!"

“I felt UTA’s sincerity towards me. Bauer personally approached me and persuaded me to listen to his opinion!”

"As you can see, we had a very pleasant conversation!"

"..."

Chen Jin spoke eloquently, followed by Benny Dyke's reply.

"Chan is an extremely talented actress!"

"You could even say that he's the kind of star I've ever seen who excels in both acting and action!"

“I initially thought he was just a great actor and that he won the Venice Film Festival, but after watching Killer Dragon, I had a firm idea in my mind: sign him!”

"I absolutely have to sign him, his moves are just so cool!"

"No one's fighting skills are as impressive as his. If you've seen 'The Killer,' you should all agree with me!"

"He has a lot of potential, doesn't he? He's only 22!"

Benny Dyke didn't hold back in praising Chen Jin; such an occasion naturally revolves around mutual compliments.

However, Benedict was indeed telling the truth 80% of what he said.

It was precisely because he saw Chen Jin's potential, his combination of acting and physical skills, that he resolutely convened a company meeting to determine a strategy and policy for the next phase in Asia.

Moreover, this guy also persuaded the board of directors to agree to most of Chen Jin's demands, and transferred several of UTA's most senior agents and managers to his management team.

These guys will receive two salaries; in addition to UTA, Chen Jin also has to support their team's commission.

However, Chen Jin felt that all of this was worthwhile. They would manage all of Chen Jin's business and work, and he only needed to focus on filming and accepting any gigs he was willing to take.

"I bet he'll be the next Jackie Chan!"

"Of course, he is himself, and he will become a Hollywood superstar and a global action star!"

Benedict got more and more excited as he talked, making Chen Jin feel a little awkward listening to him.

I've seen people boast before, but I've never seen anyone boast like this!
He actually voiced all his thoughts, which shows how tolerant Americans are. If he had said that in China, he would have been cyberbullied in no time, with people saying that Chen Jin's agency was unrealistic.

Therefore, people should consider their own level when speaking.

UTA's CEO has the confidence to say that. If Huayi says it will turn so-and-so into a Hollywood superstar, it will probably only be ridiculed by the entire internet.

The entire signing ceremony and press conference lasted for a little over half an hour before it ended.

This time, Benedict Cumberbatch didn't invite any Chinese media outlets, mainly because they couldn't afford to. Agency contracts are different from casting decisions; Universal needs Chinese media to spread the news as widely as possible, because it's part of the film's promotional campaign.

Both "Fast & Furious 6" and "John Wick 2" will be released in China; the box office will recoup the initial costs.

These costs are all included in the film's marketing and distribution, which is a normal procedure.

But signing an artist contract is different.

UTA only earns commissions, so it definitely needs to cover these fees and reimbursement issues.

Most importantly, if the Chinese media knew about this, they would definitely report it on their own initiative; there was absolutely no need to invite them to a meeting.

I believe that Hollywood just published this today, and by tomorrow morning all the entertainment media in China will know about it.

"thank you all!"

Benny Dyke thanked all the reporters present, and then went with Chen Jin to the conference room downstairs at UTA.

Several people were already seated inside, including black and white people, men and women, as well as Chinese and people with yellow skin. Wang Yuanyuan was also inside.

This, of course, is the management team that UTA hired for Chen Jin.

It's also a standard outfit for top Hollywood stars right now!
The team includes at least 10 people, including a main agent, deputy agents, managers, public relations staff, image consultants, makeup artists, stylists, finance staff, legal staff, and assistants.

UTA's plan for Chen Jin is the most streamlined and top-notch.

Originally, Benny Dyke had his subordinates devise a plan for 20 people, meaning 20 people would serve Chen Jin.

Chen Jin felt there were too many, so she kept 15 in the end.

Apart from Wang Yuanyuan, the other fourteen are all elites from UTA, including Paula Vagner, Tom Cruise's former senior agent, who was involved in the production decisions for the Mission: Impossible series.

"Hello, Chan, 'Killer Dragon' is truly a fantastic film!"

"I watched it three times!"

Paula Vagner smiled slightly; she was still very charming even at nearly fifty years old. In the last century, she was hailed as the first female agent in Hollywood because she brought Tom Cruise from obscurity to the top of the global entertainment industry.

This is a unique honor even in Hollywood.

Paula Vagola is currently UTA's top agent, wielding considerable power and possessing abundant resources.

"Hello, Ms. Wagra!"

Chen Jin and Paula exchanged a cheek kiss. Originally, Benny Dyke wanted to introduce himself, but Paula had already started introducing herself, and everyone smiled and talked to Chen Jin about themselves.

Aaron Anderson, external agent, responsible for audition liaison and operations.

Joel Rubin, Senior Manager, Business Endorsements and Brand Partnerships.

Eli Dashir, Public Relations and Image Management
……

Each of them is a big name in the North American entertainment industry; it's clear that Benedict really values ​​his collaboration with Chen Jin this time, practically revealing all of UTA's secrets to him.

This is not just about cultivating a Chinese superstar, but about expanding into future Asian markets.

This has become UTA's main focus going forward!
"Hello everyone, I'm Jin Chan!" "It's great to work with you all!"

Chen Jin noted down everyone's names and added them to the WhatsApp group. Hollywood is now entirely online, operating at a fast pace.

"Haha, no need to be so serious!"

Paula Vagola, the head of the management team, clapped her hands and smiled: "Our team is complete. Next, let's talk about some work for this month. Joel, you have a few brands to choose from. Let's pick the collaboration projects that are suitable for Chan!"

"Anderson, I think your suggestion was great. Chan could appear on some North American variety shows or shows to increase her public exposure!"

"..."

All I can say is that Paula Vagner is indeed a seasoned agent and is well-suited to leading a group.

The work schedule was started in just a few words, almost seamlessly.

While others might need an internship, she demonstrated her abilities in just a few minutes.

"The Asian market is a vital rear area that Chan cannot afford to abandon!"

"That's also our core base!"

"I've been researching some news reports about Chan these past few days. Apart from mainland China, Chan's influence isn't as deep in countries with developed entertainment industries like Japan, South Korea, and Singapore!"

"We can team up with local brands and programs to do some related work!"

"Of course, the focus is on the product itself, promoting 'Killer: Dragon' on streaming platforms and rapidly expanding its brand awareness in these countries!"

"At the same time, we can also collaborate with Universal to promote the projects of Fast & Furious 6 and Hitman 2!"

"Keep an eye on online activity!"

Paula talked to almost everyone and made corresponding plans. Even Wang Yuanyuan had a schedule to keep in mind, which was to urge Chen Jin to manage her figure and pay attention to her diet.

Meanwhile, in addition to improving her English, Wang Yuanyuan also had to learn more about being an assistant, including things like diet and fitness.

Therefore, not just anyone can be a junior assistant.

Some people can be the best partners for top stars, while others can only take care of has-been celebrities.

This is the difference.

Even assistants need to constantly learn and improve in order to keep up with the ever-changing development of the entertainment industry.

"You need to build a team for a social media platform!"

"The network responsible for operating Chan..."

Paula suddenly spoke to Wang Yuanyuan, who blinked, glanced at Chen Jin, and finally nodded.

Previously, Chen Jin updated his Weibo and other social media accounts himself.

There's no question of operation at all.

In fact, social media platforms are currently one of the most important channels for artists to voice their opinions. In addition to receiving many collaboration opportunities, they can also receive some private business deals, which is also a part of an artist's business empire.

"Okay, ma'am!"

Wang Yuanyuan was frantically taking notes.

She knew this was a great opportunity to learn how Hollywood talent agencies operate, so she listened very attentively.

Whether she stays with Chen Jin or returns to the electronics department to manage the talent agency, these Hollywood talent management models offer valuable lessons for the mainland's talent agency model.

"Everyone, is there anything else to add?"

Paula talked a lot in one breath, and it was basically all her talking. Everyone else answered questions about their respective areas of responsibility, and Chen Jin only needed to remember some key points.

He was like a hands-off boss; the team could only serve him.

When one prospers, all prosper; when one suffers, all suffer.

So it's all to make him more famous, earn more money, and gain more resources.

Paula was in charge of his overall career planning, especially in North America.

"Chan, I need to coordinate a few of your schedules!"

Wagner, who was in charge of production coordination, suddenly spoke up.

"Understood, Yuanyuan... Oh, Yuan has my upcoming work schedule. Everyone can communicate with her. These film crews are all easy to schedule since they are all my own projects!"

This is the confidence.

Unlike other investors, negotiating schedules and timings can be very troublesome.

With a professional team, Chen Jin's fame in North America will definitely increase faster than before, but correspondingly, her daily work schedule will be very full, and she can even plan each half-day in detail.

What to do in the morning, what to do in the afternoon, and maybe catch a flight to another country in the evening—these schedules are very tight.

For an actor, filming time is the most unpredictable factor. Sometimes, filming means not being able to take on commercials, performances, and so on. In such cases, it is necessary to discuss with the production team to find a solution that satisfies both parties.

Some production teams are quite assertive, which requires both sides to compromise.

Both "Hong Kong Trip" and "John Wick 2" are Chen Jin's own projects, so the timeline is definitely negotiable.

"Oh, except for Fast & Furious 6!"

"John, you might need to confirm with Universal about when I'll be joining the production. I won't have any free time until mid-October!"

Filming for "Fast & Furious 6" has started these past few days.

Meanwhile, Chen Jin's filming of "Hong Kong Trip" still has many action scenes that haven't been completed, which has been disrupted by the series of events in recent days.

"Ok!"

"I will do it as soon as possible!"

"However, the timings for several brands need to be strictly confirmed!"

Just as Benedict promised, Chen Jin has basically secured the three-piece set for male stars.

This includes watches, ready-to-wear clothing, and luxury goods, as well as cosmetics and so on.

Many big-name celebrities don't endorse off-brand products; they only endorse globally renowned brands. This is to maintain the celebrity's prestige and preserve the brand's market appeal, preventing other competitors from gaining a foothold.

Signing artists is also a good way to suppress them.

The first meeting of the agent team lasted for more than two hours before everyone went about their own business.

Chen Jin and Wang Yuanyuan headed to the airport for their evening flight to Hong Kong to film the remaining scenes of "Hong Kong Trip".

Apart from a few assistants, the rest of the team do not need to follow Chen Jin closely; they only need to do their own jobs.

That's where the freedom of the agent team lies.

"Hu~~"

"I feel much more relaxed!"

From now on, Chen Jin only needs to focus on filming; everything else... will be handled by her team.

Although it was a significant extra expense, it was all worth it!
(End of this chapter)