What Will Lucy Do Next? (2022) Movie Script
1
(type clanking)
- [Shalene] And that's a scene
from "Silently She Speaks",
the film getting most
of the awards buzz,
including Best Actress.
Welcome to "Hollywood Weekly",
your weekly latest fix
of the biggest
news in Hollywood.
I'm Shalene Bullock, we're
here on the red carpet
with the newest it girl in
Hollywood, Lucy Proctor.
Lucy, your rise has been
nothing short of meteoric.
Just two years ago you
were a drama student
at a Midwestern college, and
now the toast of Tinseltown.
- [Lucy] Well, it has been fast,
but that doesn't mean
I didn't work hard
to get to where I am today.
- I heard you did
some great work
on the stage back in college.
Had you done any films
prior to coming here?
Something your fans can see?
- Not really, just
a few short films,
nothing serious or professional.
- Oh, come on.
- I didn't work
with a real film director
until just recently.
- [Shalene] How was it to work
with the bad boy
of Italian cinema,
Rolando Trent in your
first feature film?
- Amazing.
(David shouting)
Rolando knows just
what he wants.
It was a joy to work with him.
- [Shalene] And we
understand you do more
than just work with him?
- (chuckling) Well yes, we're
dating, it's nothing serious.
- [David] Oh, real
professional Luce, good job.
- It's just, having fun
with a genius director,
it's a dream come true.
- [Shalene] Well, we
hope you never wake up.
- Thank you.
- [Shalene] Lucy
Proctor, from nobody
to award-nominated it
girl in just two years.
As we enter awards season,
all of Hollywood is asking,
what will Lucy do next?
Back to you.
- (sighing) What
will Lucy do next?
Hey, wait a minute
'Cause I really
wanna talk about it
And I think that
the least you owe me
Is a conversation
No one warns you how
hard it's gonna be
How many weeks til
you speak to me
How many weeks til I give up
Waiting for you
to give a fuck
Keep on waiting to
hear the phone ring
But I don't guess that
would be a good thing
Last chance for you
to hurt me again
Maybe I could just
be your friend
Maybe I could just be your
Take a deep breath
- So are you gonna call him?
- Who?
- Rolando, you know he's taken
to calling my office now.
- He slept with the
makeup assistant, Angela.
No, I'm not going to call him.
- You know, it is Hollywood
and not Louisville, sweetheart.
- Well, a cheater is a cheater
no matter the zip code.
- [Angela] But what if he
wants to hire you again?
You know he's money in the bank.
- Not a chance.
I'm the one that they
want, so let them chase me.
- Speaking of chasing you,
you've read about a
dozen scripts now.
Are you ever gonna
get back to work?
- When I see a script I
like, I'll get back to work.
It's not about the moment, it's
not about a great director.
It's about needing a
great script first.
- Okay, well great scripts
are hard to come by.
- (chuckling) I have one
of the biggest agencies
in Hollywood working
for me, and I have you.
Don't tell me that
neither of you
can find me a
really good script.
- Okay, forget the
script for a second
and just think about
what's gonna happen
if you don't release
a movie soon.
You know the public has a
really short memory span.
- Yeah, until I make some junk,
and then that's all
they can remember,
so find me a good script.
(Angela sighing)
- I hope you know
I press you so much
because I care about you,
and not for the money.
- Sure, because the agents
are all about the money,
but you care about my wellbeing.
- I'm not sure if
you're being serious
or making fun of me right now.
- Whenever they say
that it's about the art,
or the relationship, or
for the greater good,
it is always about the money.
Which is why you are going
to pick up the tab tonight.
- Whoo, you know, you can
be a real bitch sometimes.
- [Lucy] Oh yeah, let's jaywalk.
This place is nice.
- [Angela] Yeah, it's my
favorite bar in Hollywood.
- It's perfect.
- So tell me about him.
- Who?
- The guy whose heart you
broke during that interview.
The guy who shot your audition
reel back in Louisville.
- Why do you wanna
know about him?
- Because I care about you.
- Carl says I don't need a
manager, I need more friends.
- Well Carl doesn't care
about how you got here, I do.
Besides, agents don't like
managers and trust me,
managers feel the same way.
- Can't you guys
agree on anything?
- I'll try to play nice.
(patrons chattering)
- (sighing) We met
our sophomore year.
I was majoring in drama
and I knew of him.
He always carried this Super
8 camera around with him.
- A Super 8, that's
old school, all right.
- Yeah, I thought it was a prop.
It was just empty, like
a way to meet girls.
- Sure.
- So one day I was outside
the theater building.
I was studying my
scene for "Hamlet".
(soft gentle music)
(film camera whirring)
He came over and asked
if he could film me
while I sat there,
I said, "Okay."
(soft gentle music)
(film camera whirring)
That went on for a while, he
thanked me and then he left.
- That doesn't sound like
much of a first impression.
- (laughing) Yeah, it wasn't.
But two weeks later he
found me outside the theater
and he showed me what
he shot, it was good.
Super 8, natural light and all.
- Huh, well your
first scene on camera.
Do you have it?
- Nope, he said I was his
muse, and I liked that.
We started dating and he took
every opportunity
to put me on film.
He would write these vignettes
and I would perform them,
and soon I started to
prefer that over the stage.
- Well thank goodness
for that. (chuckling)
- Then a couple years
ago we moved out here,
and we were gonna give ourselves
three months to make it.
We stayed with friends.
David was gonna be
this great director,
and I was going to
be his leading lady.
- Well, I know half
of how the story went.
- Yeah, about mid August
we were out of money
and David was
really discouraged.
Unknown to him, a friend of mine
had submitted an
audition tape for me.
That's what I booked
the TV pilot out of.
- Your first step to stardom.
It was enough to make me stay,
but David, he just
never recovered.
We had a huge fight
and he went back home.
- Yeah, this place
isn't for quitters.
Well who knows, maybe
he'll come back out here
and take another swing at it.
- Maybe, but you were right.
I wasn't thinking of him
when I made that interview.
I just hope he didn't
see it or hear it.
- Well if he does,
hopefully he'll understand.
(glasses clinking)
- [Rufus] So what was
more emasculating,
banging the hotshot
Eurotrash director,
or making the
award-nominated film,
or being referred to as nothing
serious or professional?
- She didn't call me nothing
serious or professional.
- [Rufus] Oh yeah, that's
just how she referred
to your work, 'cause that's
better David, way better.
- Don't you have
someplace to be?
- Nope.
What you doing?
So that's how you
spent your night?
No wonder you're sad, dude.
You're making us
look bad, you know.
- Who?
- Men.
What, what?
She's out there killing
it, and you're back here
in Kentucky crying on
a donut, get over it.
- I am over it.
- Yeah, I can tell.
You haven't shot a foot of film
since you got back from LA.
Two years, nothing.
- I'm writing something.
- You can't even write
out a grocery list,
and I'm getting tired of it.
- Since when do you care
what I do or how I do it?
- Did you forget that I'm
the one who helped pay
for film stock,
process and transfer?
None of that was
cheap, you know.
- Oh is that it, you want money?
I don't have any right now.
- Forget the money, when you
started making your films,
I was the one who
set up the lights.
I was the one who ran the audio.
I know it's been a
while, but come on.
- Yeah, I know.
- Good, and do you
remember what you told me?
Do you really?
- I said when Lucy and I
get set up in Los Angeles,
we'd bring you out and
we'd all work together
on a feature film.
- Right, you didn't just
give up on yourself.
You gave up on me too.
I had a dream of going to
LA and working on films.
Then you come home with your
tail tucked between your legs,
and now both our
dreams are shot.
- Then why not go to LA
yourself? You don't need me.
- I wanted to work with
you, my best friend.
I've been waiting for
you to wake up, David.
Maybe this is the time.
I don't know about you,
but I'm not interested
in working at the Amazon
Fulfillment Center
for the rest of my life.
Hold up, what did that
jerk say on TV last night?
- [David] Which one?
- The reporter
interviewing Lucy.
She said everyone in
Hollywood is wondering
what Lucy will do next, right?
- [David] Yeah, she
said that, so what?
- So follow me to
the edit suite.
(bright curious music)
Follow me.
- [David] It's been a
while since you called this
the edit suite.
- Don't shoot, can't edit.
Let's hope this still works.
(soft expectant music)
- What are you doing?
- Let's call it math,
we're adding things up.
First, we create a
new edit timeline.
- Why?
- To add things up.
While going to school, you
shot seven short subjects
with Lucy as your
only actor, correct?
- It's been a while, but
yeah, that sounds right.
- Three were MLS,
four with sound,
courtesy of yours truly,
a total of 42 minutes,
not including scenes we cut out.
- Oh, we're not
watching them, are we?
- Dude, I don't think I
could stand to watch them.
We're not watching,
we're adding.
- I still don't-
- We didn't cut much, only
about seven minutes' worth.
That's a total of 49 minutes.
(soft expectant music continues)
(sighing) Just follow me.
- So we've got a lot of
old footage, who cares?
- I do, just shut up and listen.
- Okay.
- Okay, first the math.
Feature films on the short
end can be about 90 minutes.
- Yeah.
- The whole world is waiting
for the next Lucy Proctor film.
- So what?
- We have in our possession,
49 minutes of Lucy
Proctor shot on film.
- Yeah, what good
does that do us?
- That's the reason
for this meeting.
What if we were to
make a feature film
using those 49 minutes?
We need to shoot about another
40 minutes to hit our target,
90 minutes with credits.
- No way, those stories
are way too diverse
to glue them together with
40 minutes of new story.
- I didn't say it'd be easy,
but you as the
writer could do it.
- All right, say I
could write a story
that incorporated 49 minutes
of footage we have of Lucy.
We'd still be miles
away from a feature.
- So you're saying
you'd have obstacles.
Well then, I officially
appoint myself as producer,
along with lighting,
grip and location audio.
- All righty producer,
let's look at the obstacles.
- Okay, you write the
script, now hit me.
- Well, that was simple.
Say I do that, we
don't have Lucy.
- Fortunately for us, her
look didn't change much
over the years you
and her were together.
We hire a look-alike
actress for long shots,
and over-the-shoulder
shots, if we need to.
- I'd have to shoot on Super
8, and we don't have the money
for film stock,
process and transfer,
let alone whatever
cast we'd need.
- I'm the producer, let me
find the money while you write.
- Won't work, we don't have
permission to use her image.
Say we make this and release it.
Her lawyers are gonna
sue us for so much money,
we'll be in debt for
the rest of our lives.
- You are so lucky you
know me, I save everything.
The last short film you made,
titled "The Wayward
Trust", remember it?
- Yeah, I guess.
- I entered it into a
short film festival.
The festival required
all sorts of paperwork,
including release forms
from everyone involved.
This is Lucy Proctor's signature
on a release form for the
film, except I made a mistake.
I didn't refer to it as a
short film, just as a film.
We call the film
"The Wayward Trust",
written and directed
by David Garrett,
produced by Rufus Carver,
starring the newest Hollywood
it girl, Lucy Proctor.
- I don't think so.
- (sighing) David, David, David.
The film business isn't
about who has actual talent.
It has everything to do
with timing and notoriety.
The time is right for you
to make a name for yourself.
The time is now.
- I don't know.
- "Nothing serious
or professional,"
that's what she said.
You're not serious,
you're not a professional.
You have no talent,
you are a quitter.
- She didn't say
those last two things.
- I embellished for
dramatic effect.
She may have said those things.
- So I'm just supposed
to write 40 pages
that glue together
shorts I made with Lucy,
turn it all into a feature
and travel to Los Angeles
with my triumphant debut
film, "The Wayward Trust",
shot on Super 8 film in
Louisville, is that it?
- Yes, that is exactly
what you're supposed to do.
- (sighing) Won't be easy.
- Nothing worthwhile ever is.
Come on, let's just
get ready for work.
We'll break down the schedule
and workflow when we get home.
- Why the rush?
- Remember, the question
was what will Lucy do next?
(bright thoughtful music)
- You can pick the place,
I don't even, hold on.
Ray, those scripts are for
shredding, not reading.
Yeah, no funding,
no coverage, got it?
- Got it.
- Sorry about that, some
lame-ass intern I work with.
Well yeah you know, I'm like
the big man around here.
I'm taking you out tonight.
- Jerk.
- Yeah, hey I gotta go.
I'll see you tonight, all right.
Oh Van, sorry about the wait.
Hopefully you've enjoyed
some of our herbal tea.
It's made fresh for us
at a commune in Ojai.
- I don't like tea and I
don't like wasting time.
- Right, right, well
what do you have for me?
- I just optioned
this last week.
It's a superb script,
outstanding story.
Nobody in town knows
anything about it yet,
and the best part
about the whole thing-
- Oh, let me guess.
The best part about it
is it's for Lucy Proctor.
- Exactly, I optioned it
exactly with Lucy in mind,
and I've already sent
a copy to Diane Weston,
see if she's interested
in directing it.
I'm waiting to
hear back from her.
- Nice, well I can't
really speak for Diane,
but I know Lucy won't
be taking a look at this
unless the offer is substantial.
- You're asking a lot.
- Oh, and I can get it.
Until then, I'm not gonna
waste my time or Lucy's.
- What does Lucy say
about that approach?
- She trusts me
to do what's best.
You see these
scripts right here?
These are just the scripts
that have been sent to us
just this week with her name
scribbled over the top of them.
You know why Lucy will never
see these scripts, Van? Guess.
- I don't wanna guess.
- Van, guess.
- I don't wanna guess,
I don't have to guess.
I already know the answer.
- I like you, you do know
the answer, no funding.
- I have access to funds.
But I'm starting to
realize you're looking
for a big mega payday to
fatten your own wallet.
My offer's gonna come
in a little thin.
Listen, I just
hope at some point
Lucy starts looking
for her own scripts.
- Actors are like children,
they need guidance.
- [Van] Hey, you
oughta have a talk
with that boss of yours,
he's a real peach.
He's not doing Lucy Proctor
any favors, you know.
- I'll do you one
better, Mr. Shelby.
You got a minute
to talk privately?
Look, this script was sent
over by Angela Parker.
- Who?
- Lucy Proctor's manager.
- "Restful Nature", nice title,
but listen, it doesn't matter.
If this is the same script
that was on top of Carl's desk,
it's already in the
shred pile, man.
- It is, but you know,
Carl's definition of funding
is different than
mine and yours.
- I'm listening.
- You provide the funding,
I'll reach out to Angela.
If she thinks she
can get it made,
then she can get the
script directly to Lucy.
- What do you get out of it?
- An executive produce
credit beneath yours,
and I want outta
this broom closet.
- Okay, I'm definitely
interested, I'll
read it tonight.
If it's a good script,
and if Lucy Proctor
is attached to it, then
I'll see what I can do.
But I've gotta have the
signatures ahead of time.
- Understood.
- [Van] My name doesn't come
up, I was never a part of it.
Make sure you keep this quiet.
- Understood.
(phones ringing)
- Thanks for coming in.
- Yeah, no problem.
- How are you feeling?
- Great.
You coulda just called,
asked me how I was doing.
- Sure, and I could have also
sent this to you as a pdf,
but I wanted to
speak with you first.
- "Restful Nature"? Nice title.
- And a great script.
A friend sent it over to me.
I thought about
forwarding it to Carl,
but I wanted you
to read it first.
- Mm, he's not gonna like that.
- Yeah, forget him.
He wouldn't know a good script
if it landed in his lap.
Which it will, of course.
- I take it you want
me to convince him?
- You won't have to convince
him, you're gonna love it.
- Who's the director?
- I have someone in
mind, she's perfect.
- She, I like that.
- Uh-huh.
Now, before you ask,
it's not funded, yet.
- But I suppose it will
be once I'm attached.
- Exactly, attached as star
and co-producer, along with me.
- You do have your eye
on the prize, don't you?
- Yes I do, I found the
script, I manage the star,
and as soon as you say yes
I'll get the director attached
and we'll send the
packaging over to Carl.
- Oh, he's not gonna love
that, he does the packaging.
- His fragile male
ego will get over it.
- If I don't like it, no deal.
- Okay, that's fine.
Take it home, read it
today, you're gonna love it.
- I take it you have the option.
- You wouldn't be
reading it if I didn't.
- Okay, all your short films
have two things in common.
They all only deal
with one actor, Lucy,
and they're all
mercilessly pretentious.
You took yourself
way too seriously.
One actor actually
works in our favor,
since we don't have to
deal with anyone else
permissions-wise, however
we are gonna have to hire
some more actors for the film.
- How are we gonna
pay these actors?
- I said it before, let
me worry about the money.
However, I would ask that you
keep the cast very limited.
So what have you got?
(curious thoughtful music)
- What have I go about what?
- The script David, the 40 pages
that glue together
these short films.
This is our golden ticket.
We'll be the talk of
Tinseltown when this is shown.
- It kinda feels like we're
taking advantage of Lucy.
- (sighing) Maybe,
but we're doing it
to get our respective
careers off the ground,
before I get carpal
tunnel syndrome
picking up packages
off the conveyor belt.
You're the writer, so
write, just keep it tight.
- And just a little
bit pretentious.
(curious thoughtful music)
(text clicking)
- Now this is what
I'm talking about.
- What'd you think?
- I loved it.
You have the option ironclad?
- Yes.
- You have a director in mind?
- Diane Weston.
- Diane Weston?
You can get her?
- Mm-hmm, with one phone call.
She read it and she loves it.
- A female lead with a
great female director,
and all three of us producing.
Women empowerment, I love it.
- And all I need
is a yes from you,
and the wheels start turning.
- Funding?
- I have a few ideas,
and the studios,
they'll jump at it.
- No studios, independent
financing on our own.
We need to control this
from start to finish,
even distribution, got it?
- Got it.
- And this stays between
us until the deal is done.
- Sounds good to me.
- I'm serious about
this staying between us.
No meetings with Diane
at the Polo Lounge
until the ink dries.
(curious thoughtful music)
(keyboard clicking)
- I think this'll work.
(curious thoughtful
music continues)
I've got an idea.
- I'm listening.
- Art film.
- What, like Truffaut,
French New Wave?
- Close but no, Bergman.
We use "Persona" as our guide.
- I've never seen "Persona".
- You call yourself
a film buff? Wow.
- Should I watch it?
- Of course.
Everyone should, but not now,
it's enough that I've seen it.
- Here I am thinking you
wanna go for Ed Wood,
and you wanna go
for Ingmar Bergman?
- Two women, one's
living a dream world,
the other in real life,
me at my most pretentious.
An art film star
starring Lucy Proctor?
- What about the title?
Doesn't make any sense.
- It doesn't have
to, it's an art film.
I'll have the draft you
by the end of the week.
- An art film, and not
someone cool like Truffaut,
Godard, Varda, or even
Bertolucci, he picks the Swede.
(serious thoughtful music)
- [Diane] It was a
good idea to meet here,
away from the prying
eyes of the press.
- It was Lucy's idea, keep
everything under wraps
until it's a go.
- In case I didn't
mention it earlier,
I loved your work in
"Silently She Speaks".
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
But you know I'm gonna
sweep the director awards
right out from under your
misogynistic boyfriend.
- He's not my boyfriend.
- All right ladies, it's
all things in the past.
Let's, let's talk
about the movie
that we're making together.
- I hope you win, it
means nothing to me.
- To both of us
winning everything.
Now let's talk about
this wonderful script.
I can't believe a man wrote it.
The female lead is well crafted.
- And I would like
to know how much
you paid for this option.
- Truth be told, a man didn't
write the script, I did.
- You're kidding?
- [Lucy] I didn't even
know you were a writer.
- Well, I came out here with
the dreams of being a writer,
but nobody wanted the
script at the time.
So I just kind of put it
away until it was right.
- But why fool us?
- You could have told
me, you know that.
- No, I couldn't have.
Look, I wanted
you both involved,
but you had to love the script
regardless of who wrote it.
- Well, I love it.
- I do too, it needs
a few tweaks, but-
- W-what do you mean tweaks?
- She wrote it, all right.
But yes, it needs a few tweaks.
Nothing major, just
a few visual items.
- And I'd like to write just
a few lines of dialogue.
- What?
- See, if you had optioned
the script from some dude,
we wouldn't be asking,
we would just do it.
- But since it's you,
we're being up front.
- Which you weren't, by the way.
- Okay but this is
my script, okay?
I'm very proud of it.
- As you should be.
- What if I say
no to any changes?
- Then you can find
another director.
- And another star.
(Angela sighing)
- Welcome to the thankless
world of the writer.
- Bottom rung of the ladder.
You have to look up to see a PA.
- Okay, but I'm the co-producer.
I'm the one who
put this together.
Also without me,
there's no story.
- Angela, you do realize that
nobody cares about that stuff.
They care that Lucy is the star,
and I'm the director, that's it.
- You're a manager Angela,
you know all of this.
You're letting your
ego get in the way.
- You know, I've had writers
submit their scripts to me
in the past and I've said
the same exact thing to them.
Gotta admit, it hurts.
- It's hard when you
put yourself out there.
- I've had some pretty harsh
reviews of my work in the past.
- [Lucy] Me too.
- Do you guys really
think it's a good script?
- It's a great script.
- We wouldn't be sitting
here if it wasn't.
- Well all right then,
let's talk numbers
and I'll get on financing.
So which parts of the dialogue
did you want to change?
(soft curious music)
- Did you all hear that?
(soft curious music)
- It's almost 11:00.
Let's go, don't wanna be late.
- One second.
I should be finished
by tomorrow.
- [Rufus] Yeah, that's great.
Watched "Persona" last night.
- [David] So, you know
what I'm trying to do.
- Yeah, but why does it
have to be an art film?
Why can't we just tell like
a straightforward story?
- Okay, I'll tell you why.
Audiences are baffled by
art films, critics too.
But nobody wants to admit it,
'cause they're scared
of appearing stupid.
So everybody lauds the
film and the filmmakers,
and hope no one catches on.
- That's ridiculous.
- The emperor has no clothes on,
and everybody's afraid to say
something, it's an old story.
- I guess.
- [Angela] Let's get
one thing straight Carl,
I don't have to
tell you anything.
I run my business
and you run yours.
- Yeah, but I just wish
you would've told me
before the press found out.
- It was a private
meeting at Lucy's house.
I-I can't help it if she has
her own personal paparazzo
lurking around in the bushes.
- Look I saw the bag, now
I'd like to see the script.
- You have the script, Carl.
But because the lead
doesn't appear topless
and there's no financing
attached to the project,
it sits at the bottom
of a very large pile.
- No funding?
Ah, I can put together
a package for you.
- I got it, Carl.
But don't you worry,
you'll get your cut
and a fair share of the credit.
But maybe next time
you should try thinking
about Lucy's best interests
instead of your own.
What a jerk.
(phone beeping)
Good work Steve, that
photo ran around the world.
That payment there
should augment
what you made on the photo.
- Thanks for the tip.
- Yeah, you keep
this between us,
and there is a behind-the-scenes
photographer gig
waiting for you on this project.
(soft expectant music)
- I can keep my mouth
shut. (chuckling)
- Good man.
- Hey Ray, do you
still have that script
that Angela Parker over,
you know, Lucy's manager?
- Yeah, it's gone.
- Gone?
- You told me to shred it.
- No, no, no, no, no.
You need to call
Angela right now,
and have her send
over another copy.
- What's going on?
- A mutiny Ray, a mutiny.
You can't trust
anybody these days.
- [Angela] Oh, I guess
our secret's out.
- Yeah, it looks like it.
Can you send over another
copy of the script?
Carl's on board now.
- [David] Last three pages
are light, we're low on ink.
- Again?
- Use it and it runs out.
Don't use it and it
dries out, what a racket.
- You happy with the script?
- Very.
- Good.
- What's that mean?
- It means that Lucy, her
manager and Diane Weston
met a few days ago.
- Diane Weston?
(sighing) I love her work.
- Yeah me too, and it might
just mean that her and Lucy
are working together
on their next film.
- So we're on the clock now.
- Right, I'll give this a read,
get back to you after dinner.
You start figuring
out who you wanna cast
as girl number two.
David, I don't understand
this art film nonsense,
but I trust you to get it
right, so get it right.
- Guess you guys saw the news?
- What the heck happened?
- I guess we weren't as
careful as we thought we were.
- We? You're the
one who planned it.
- Okay, nobody cares
about me, Lucy.
You two are the only
people in this room
that get photographed
on a regular basis.
One of you must have your
own personal paparazzo.
- Yeah, well I don't like
getting scolded by my agent.
- Well, maybe you
should find a new agent.
- Maybe I should
get a new manager.
- Okay, you guys are blowing
this way out of proportion.
I already spoke with the
press and I told them
that it was just a preliminary
meeting about a film.
- So you lied to the press.
- [Angela] Whoa wait,
I have good news.
- It better be really good news.
- Our photo showing up around
the world wasn't all that bad.
I've had about a half a dozen
equity firms contact me.
We have our choice of
funding, and as the numbers
show me here, as soon as
we say yes to any of them,
we are fully funded.
- That is good news.
- Yeah, it's almost
like you planned it.
- You're giving me
too much credit.
- So what's next?
- Well, we just figure out
who we wanna work with,
lock in the funding
and get to work.
It's real now, ladies.
- Show us our options.
- Okay, so these are
the different investors
that I was talking about.
- Nice.
- Your printer's low on ink.
- Yeah.
- You know the script
is weird, right?
- [David] I've been told.
- My character is
woman number two.
No dialogue, just narration.
All I do is wander
around and look at stuff,
no interaction with anyone.
- Do you want the part or not?
- Lucy Proctor
would've had this role
a few years back, right?
How much does this pay?
- $50 a day, three days.
- Hair and makeup?
- Show up on set camera
and wardrobe ready,
no plaids or polka
dots, keep it plain.
- I'd forgotten how low rent
some of these local
productions could be.
- All that counts is
what's in the frame.
Everything else is
window dressing.
- You still shoot
with that old camera?
- I do.
- Hmm, well he does shoot film,
so he can't be that big
of a loser, I guess.
He did work with
Lucy, after all.
$50 a day kinda sucks, but
God, I need to move out.
I could buy Virgo
some more cat toys.
I love her. (sighing)
Why am I here and
not at home with her?
Whatever, I'm just gonna
do it, I need the money.
I'll do it, for 75 a
day to cover wardrobe
and being camera ready.
- What days are good for you?
- Tuesdays and Thursdays.
How long are shoot days?
- 10 To 12 hours.
- But do I get fed in the
middle of this 12-hour day?
- Yes, meal break at five hours.
- [Vanessa] I'm a vegetarian.
- Pizza joint
makes a nice salad.
- When are we doing
in the narration?
- End of day three.
- Okay.
- All right, great to have
you on board, Vanessa.
I'll have the contract to you
before end of the day Tuesday.
- That poor guy, he
really has lost it.
- Thanks anyway, call again
if you change your mind.
He's not going to
change his mind.
- No go on the funding.
- Not even a maybe.
- Yeah, just as well.
Maybe it's just a no
that takes longer.
- How'd the meeting
with Vanessa go?
- Fine, but actors
sure are a lot pickier
than they were a
couple years ago.
- She ask any tough questions?
- [David] No, she just
thinks I've lost my mind.
- Yeah, well better she thinks
that than know the truth.
- I know it's a moot
point without the funding,
but she said she'll
do it for 75 a day,
and that includes being
camera ready and wardrobe.
- That's good, with you on
camera and me on lights,
that's 225 for three days.
- Plus meals, and
she's a vegetarian.
- That figures.
I have the money to pay
Vanessa out of pocket,
but that leaves us
nothing for film stock,
process or transfer,
and meals aren't free.
I hate to say this David,
but this might have
all been for nothing.
David, no.
Remember what happened
last time you tried to use
your credit card
to pay for a movie?
It took years to pay off.
- Yeah, and two years
of no filmmaking
has given me a credit
card with a $5,000 limit,
and we have plans for this film.
Look, each roll is
about $40 for 50 feet.
That's about four
minutes per roll.
We'd have to use just
about everything we shoot.
So a lot of single takes and
lots of extreme closeups.
- Vanessa's gonna love that.
- Can't be helped.
10 rolls is gonna be
approximately 40 minutes.
I say you buy 12, that's
48 minutes of film stock.
- That's a very tight ratio.
- That's why every shot has
to be planned and blocked.
- [Rufus] What
about storyboards?
- Can't afford to farm it out.
I'll make sketches
I can work from.
- Film stock,
process and transfer?
- Best we can get it
for, about a grand.
So film stock, process and
transfer, round it up to 1500.
- So I hate to bring this up,
but as the producer
I need to say it.
We could shoot this
thing on digital
for the film stock, process
and transfer cost all together.
- Point taken, but Rufus,
I am a filmmaker, film,
and I may work with the
smallest format they have.
I will never waiver.
One day when I'm shooting
on 16 or even 35 film,
I'll be glad I got an
education on Super 8.
- I had to ask.
- You come up with
the 225 for Vanessa,
and we got a feature film on
our hand for about two grand,
plus a lot of gratis
work on our part.
- I'll make a producer
outta you yet, okay.
I'll get started on the
contract for Vanessa.
You get started on
the shot breakdown,
schedule and storyboards.
Film, ooh.
- It's an art form.
(Carl whistling)
- It's nice of you
to join us, Carl.
- Still don't know why I'm here.
- Well Carl, since I'm
paying you an agent's fee,
we thought that you might wanna
do something to earn that.
- Diane, where's
your representative?
- Fired two months ago,
I thought you knew.
- Carl tends to ignore
women in the industry,
unless they're making
him tons of money.
- Now that I can do
Diane, but for both of us.
- First, it's Ms. Weston to
you, and second, not interested.
- Well, so much for
the pleasantries then.
- Did you read the script?
- I did, and I've
got it right here.
It's a pretty good story,
and a good role for Lucy.
I'm not really for
sure who wrote it,
but are they a Guild member?
- I wrote it, Carl.
- (chuckling) I guess that
makes me pretty lucky,
being the only man here
invited to your little club.
What's my task?
- Well, we want you to handle
the press and the legal.
As producer, I don't have
time to do all of it.
Oh, and we want you to
work out the Guild details.
- We can do that.
Me and my staff, I can
use my staff, right?
It's the same dime.
- Of course, but
you have to get us
a great distribution
deal by yourself.
No handing that off.
- Okay, but now define great.
- Worldwide, real P&A.
No half-baked
delivery of the film.
Also, no streaming services
until there's a
theatrical release.
This is a prestige project.
We have a lot of A-list
talent attached to it.
I want the plan in writing.
- Okay, so what's the budget?
- This is the part
where you tell me
that you're gonna keep this
information to yourself.
- Whoa, I don't have
to sign that NDA, do I?
- We trust you Carl, because
if you screw this up,
I'm looking for another agent.
(hands slapping)
- Okay, understood.
- The budget is 12 million,
and we're shooting it
in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
'cause we wanna take
advantage of the tax credits.
- And the locations, and
deep pool of talent and crew.
- 12 Million, it's
not gonna be enough
for a Lucy Proctor film.
- We're not curing
cancer here, Carl.
We're making a good movie,
and none of us are
making a money grab.
We don't need $100 million.
- Right, so the budget's
a question mark.
I say we sell it outright, and
then we all profit from it.
- Us? You get 15% of my
salary, and that's it.
- And we don't
sell it to anybody
unless we know they're
gonna do right by the film.
- Back up, do you mind if I ask
what the lead actor
salary will be?
- 500,000, all in.
- You expect me to do all this
work with my crew for 75,000?
- Tell you what Carl, you
do this and we will give you
5% of the net worth on the sale,
or I'll agree to consider one
of your tentpole projects.
- Okay look, forget the 5%.
Don't just consider the
project, like you'll do it.
- (sighing) No nudity,
you have a deal.
- Fantastic, I'll get
started on it immediately.
- Don't do a thing until
you sign the contract.
- Contract? I thought
this was more like
a friendlier agreement, you
know, a handshake type of deal.
- Yeah no, you're
gonna have a contract
on your desk by this afternoon.
The sooner you sign it,
the sooner we get to work.
- I'll have to have
our lawyers look at it.
- Fine, that's fine.
But I want it signed on my
desk by tomorrow, end of day.
- You ladies aren't
playing around, are you?
(sighing) Right.
- I don't like him,
and I don't trust him.
- He'll do what he's told.
- Why?
- Because he's afraid not to.
- Hmm.
- All right, you're
looking good.
Now walk over to the tree.
All right, now look
up at the tree,
and go ahead and touch the tree.
- [Vanessa] I feel
like an idiot.
- No, no, no, no, you look
great, you look great.
(park goers chattering)
- She looks like an idiot.
- What did you say?
- Nothing, nothing,
you're great.
I was shorter than
the kitchen cabinet
I still have to stand
on my toes even now
When I found out that
my dog was in the ground
I cried for days, lifting
more than just pounds
As a kid I could sleep
through the whole night
Would sometimes walk
to the back window
To turn off the porch light
The things that
keep me awake now
Are the same things
that used to somehow
(upbeat indie pop music)
- I think scene 57 needs
a rugged beach location.
Any suggestions?
- It's the desert.
It, why do you want
a rugged beach?
- We need a visual transition.
Land to water works better
than the desert horizon.
- We're hooting in New
Mexico, it's landlocked.
There's no ocean, Diane.
- I know, but I need water.
- Diane is right,
the beach and water
make a better visual
for the scene.
I've been to Santa Rosa
Lake east of Albuquerque.
It'll give us the
visual that we need,
while remaining in New Mexico.
(chuckling) Okay, it's
called compromise, learn it.
If you two don't start
working together,
I'm gonna call Carl
and tell him to put me
on his next tentpole
film, today.
- You can't leave this project.
You've signed a contract.
- Try me.
- Speaking of Carl, he told
me that the announcement
of the film was going out today.
- Oh, I'm sure we'll
know when it hits.
- I can't believe we
kept it under wraps
that long after
the photo leaked.
- Okay, nevermind any of that.
If principal photography
is set to start
three months from now, we
need to get these script notes
locked down before we
start pre-production.
- Okay.
- Okay, finally.
- If you guys would've left
my original script alone,
we wouldn't have this
problem, we'd be done.
(birds twittering)
- [Podcast Host] Welcome back
to the "Hollywood
Weekly" podcast,
your latest fix in
everything film.
Today it seems Diane Weston
has been officially confirmed
to direct Lucy
Proctor's next movie.
As has been announced,
they'll be starting
pre-production in New
Mexico, with a title like-
- Lucy's shooting her
film in New Mexico.
- Dude, we'll be
done with our movie
before they even get
started on theirs.
- Speaking of our
film, great news.
- It's here?
- Downloading the footage now.
- Let's look at it.
- Let's get ready for work.
- You're thinking of
working right now,
with the footage
sitting on the computer?
- Yes, that is the boring
way we pay for all of this.
- [David] You downloaded the
footage on your phone, right?
- Of course.
- Please.
- Fine.
(gasping)
Just one scene.
(soft thoughtful music)
- Nice.
- Can you believe it?
She wrote the script.
I mean, I figured why
bother reading it?
I'll just look at it
after the revisions.
I mean, they've only
been working on it
for over a month, or
maybe even longer.
No, they wanted me
on the grunt work
for press, legal
and distribution,
but I've already got
Ray working on that,
and you know like, he's
not doing a bad job.
Oh me? No, no, no.
I have Lucy's
permission to go after
that big tentpole project,
Lucy's next big film.
It's gonna be a blockbuster
hit, my payday will be massive.
- I think we're done
working on the script.
The rest of the money
falls on Monday,
and then we head out to
New Mexico on Tuesday.
That is of course assuming
you're not too
hungover from Sunday.
- Well, I guess it
depends on whether I win,
or if I'm just happy
to be nominated.
- Look, I hate to
be this person,
but what if neither of us win,
and that affects the money?
- [Lucy] Well, I'm three for
five and you're two for four.
- Mm-hmm, but this
is the big one.
- Guys, the contracts are
not affected by this at all.
Like, we're gonna get
the money regardless.
So don't worry about what
happens at the awards.
Just relax, have a good time,
and be ready to go on Tuesday.
- Hmm.
- Okay, so when do we meet
with the casting directors?
- Tuesday in Santa Fe.
- She's been receiving
video auditions
for the last two weeks.
We'll take a look
at them on Tuesday,
and then we'll
schedule callbacks.
- Casting is your
purview, Diane.
If I need to put my two
cents in, I will if needed.
- All right, ladies I
will see you Sunday.
Good luck.
- Bye.
She's right, you know.
If neither of us win, the
money might get hung up.
- Not for long.
If anybody balks, I will
head somewhere else.
That's how you keep
those funders in line.
I'm gonna go print out
the shooting schedule
and the script,
and then we'll be
ready to go on Sunday.
- [Lucy] I'll have the
limo pick you up at 3:00.
You are my plus one.
- Ooh, I can't wait.
See ya.
- [David] We have
ourselves an art film.
- Yeah we do, and the
trailer and the artwork,
and all the release
forms signed.
- What's next?
- Next, you and
I need to confirm
an attorney in Los Angeles,
one that you and I can afford,
and that's not gonna be easy.
- So we're asking
off work tonight?
- I already looked into
it, we both can't ask.
One of us has to stay.
- Well, let's just quit.
We can find work when we
get back if we need to.
- Someone needs to stay
here and hold down the fort,
keep bringing in
money just in case.
- No, we both go
or we both stay.
- David, listen to me.
This is a one-person job,
and you know your
way around Hollywood.
- I know how to
fail in Hollywood.
It's not exactly the same thing.
- (chuckling) I already
made up my mind.
I'll stay back here,
get you set up with an
attorney in Los Angeles.
Without that, we have no chance.
You just get there,
I'll take care
of what happens when you arrive.
I can't do that from
the front seat of a car.
- It's becoming real.
- Yes, it is.
And just like most
high-wire acts,
we're going to
need a safety net.
(car beeping)
- [Reporter] Stepping onto
the red carpet together
are Best Actress
nominee Lucy Proctor,
and Best Director
nominee Diane Weston,
along with Lucy's
manager, Angela Parker.
The three of them
are working together
on Lucy's next film,
"Restful Nature",
which begins filming later
this month in New Mexico.
But that's not the big news.
We've just heard exclusively
from Lucy's agent,
Carl Lancaster, that
she'll be starring
in a blockbuster project
as soon as she wraps
principal photography
on "Restful Nature".
Lucy surely does seem to be
cashing in on her newfound fame,
and it's all thanks to
super agent Carl Lancaster.
Now let's go back to Shalene
Bullock on the red carpet.
(upbeat thoughtful music)
- Got everything?
- Multiple copies of the film
and trailer, 20 one-sheets,
business cards
and release forms.
- That should be all you need.
Hard to believe we've
made it to this point.
All we gotta do is get you
across that finish line.
- Thanks for
trusting me on this.
I won't let you down.
- Remember, according
to "Hollywood Weekly",
Lucy and her team
should be in Albuquerque
sometime this week to begin
production on her new film.
Do not stop in Albuquerque
for any reason.
- Understood.
- Did you hear from Evan?
- Yeah, I've got a couch at
his apartment for about a week,
and after that I may have to
find a cheap motel to stay at.
- Hopefully you'll have a
studio paying your way by then.
Just try to make it
to Tulsa by nightfall.
That should put you in
LA by Wednesday night.
- Rental was a good idea.
- Can't have you breaking down
in the middle of
Oklahoma, can we?
Plus I need your
car for work, so.
David, don't mess this up.
(soft thoughtful music)
(phone ringing)
- Yes, Lynn.
- [Lynn] I have a young man,
Rufus Carver on the line.
- [Sam] What's he want?
- [Lynn] He wants to
book an hour with you.
I told him there's
$1000 retainer,
but he just wants one hour,
should I brush him off?
(upbeat thoughtful music)
- I'll talk to him.
- Mr. Martinelli?
- Just call me Sam.
I'm an old country
boy from Texas.
How did you get this number?
- "Hollywood Producer's
Guide", you have a small ad.
- It's not that small,
what can I do for you?
- [Rufus] I work with a director
who needs to speak
with you, uh sir,
and I'm willing to
pay for an hour.
After an hour, if you don't
think it's worth your time,
I won't bother you again.
- Who's this director
and what does he have
that I might find worth my time?
- [Rufus] What he has
is very much on the DL,
but I assure you
it'll be of interest.
- You mean the QT?
- Yeah.
- Hmm, all right, I'm curious.
A name and a time.
- [Rufus] David Garrett, 10:00
AM on Thursday, one hour.
I'll overnight to check
to you before he arrives.
Is that all right?
- I'll tell you now,
I'll give him 15 minutes.
I'm a very busy man.
If you waste my time,
he's out, no refund, fair?
- [Rufus] More than
fair, thank you.
I'll be in touch.
- All right, goodbye.
(upbeat thoughtful music)
It's not that small.
- Lucky 13, at least I hope so.
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
- I need to hire someone
to do my social media.
This is crazy.
- I've been telling you
that for months now.
Oh God, your couch
is so uncomfortable.
- Well, there is a perfectly
good guest bedroom,
but you fell asleep
on the couch,
and I wasn't going to move you.
- Congratulations on the award.
You are the Hollywood
it girl now.
- Okay, let's just
have a quiet day.
Award season is over and we
go back to work tomorrow.
- Yeah, yeah, you're right.
All right, I'd better get going.
I gotta go home, I gotta pack.
Yeah, real proud of you.
- Thank you.
- Now let's go
make our own movie.
- All right, let's
do that, tomorrow.
- Tomorrow, I'm
taking this to go.
- Okay, just-
- Santa Fe.
- Santa Fe, just bring
the cut back though.
- Yeah.
- Like it's not,
whatever, keep it.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(gentle thoughtful
music continues)
(indie rock ringtone music)
- Hey Rufus, when's the
meeting with the attorney?
- [Rufus] So the appointment
with Samuel Martinelli
is at 10:00 AM on Thursday,
I'll text you the address.
- Good work, any luck
on a screening room?
- [Rufus] There's one at Burbank
that should do the trick.
I'm following up on
that later today.
- Awesome, anything else?
- Yeah.
I heard Lucy's headed
for Albuquerque this week
to begin pre-production
on her new film.
- Oh that's funny,
I'm actually gonna be
in Albuquerque later today.
I'm heading through
New Mexico right now.
- [Rufus] I guessed.
Remember, no stopping at
Albuquerque for anything.
Food, gas, bathroom
break, none of it.
We can't risk you
running into Lucy,
no matter how small the chance.
- Yeah, I know.
I'll call when I get to
Winslow tonight, see ya.
(gentle thoughtful music)
- (sniffing) What are the odds
they're both in Albuquerque
at the same time?
(gentle thoughtful music)
- What is it?
- I, I could've, I could've
swore I just saw David
drive by in a car
going westbound.
- Wow, he's really been
on your mind lately, huh?
Maybe you should call him.
- Yeah.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(gentle thoughtful
music continues)
- [Lucy] Doesn't mean
I didn't work hard
to get to where I am today.
- [Shalene] I heard
you did some great work
on the stage back in college.
Had you done any films
prior to coming here?
Something your fans can see?
- [Lucy] Ah, not really,
just a few short films.
Nothing serious or professional.
Um, I didn't work with
a real film director.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(alarm beeping)
(phone ringing)
- Oh, hey.
Hello?
- Hey Rufus, it's Lucy.
- Lucy, Lucy.
It's, it's so good
to hear from you.
Congratulations.
- Thanks, is David there?
I've tried his cell phone,
but his number's changed.
- Yeah, he got a new phone,
new number, new life, so.
- [Lucy] Is he there?
- You know he, he's
actually out right now, but,
but I will take a message from
you and, and let him know.
Is, is this a good number?
- [Lucy] (sighing) I,
I'd rather call him.
Can you, can you just
give me his new number?
- Yeah, I really don't
think that's gonna work.
I-if he wants to call,
he'll call you, okay?
- [Lucy] Come on, Rufus.
- Ah, ah nice, nice to hear
from you, okay bye. (sighing)
- Did you find him?
- No, and I think I got the
brush-off from an old friend.
- We'll talk about this tonight
over drinks in Santa Fe.
Right now we've got some
location setting to do.
- Can't you and Diane do that?
- Welcome to being a
co-producer, let's go.
Same love takes
Just what it came for again
Let me in, cracked door
Damn that's good, don't
you wish you could stay
Shame on you, not for
you being caught again
But for the way you're being
Tell me, I wish
you could stay
(thoughtful indie rock music)
- Yes!
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
(indie rock ringtone music)
Hey Rufus, what's up?
- Everything going okay?
- Yeah, I just got
to Evan's apartment.
I thought I was gonna go crazy
with another 10
minutes in the car,
so I decided to go do
some sightseeing first.
Hello, hello Rufus,
are you there?
- [Rufus] Lucy just called
and she wants to talk to you.
- What? What, what,
what did she want?
- [Rufus] No idea, there's no
way she heard about the film,
but keep your head
down just in case.
- Well, wh-wh-what should
I do, should I call her?
- [Rufus] She has a new
number, but you need to focus.
I'll give it to you after
the meeting tomorrow.
- Okay, look if she calls
back, just let me know
and ask her what
she wants, okay?
- Yeah, will do.
- Okay, sounds good.
I'll talk to you later, bye.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(sighing) What am I doing?
(traffic whooshing)
(phone ringing)
- [Lynn] Mr. Martinelli,
your 10:00 AM is here.
- All right, show him in.
Nice to meet you Mr.
Garrett, have a seat.
I told your friend Rufus
that I'm a very busy man,
so you'll have to
make this quick.
- I was told I have an hour.
- True, and three minutes
of that are up already.
What do you have for me?
- Before I say anything,
you're my attorney, correct?
What we talk about stays here?
- Yes, yes, you're
wasting time, Mr. Garrett.
So you want to make a
film with Lucy Proctor?
Good luck, I can't help you.
- I don't want to
make a film with Lucy.
I made a film with
Lucy, it's completed.
- "The Wayward Trust",
I've never heard of it.
- It's a feature, we
were working on it
when we were dating
back in Louisville.
- So you're the loser
director boyfriend,
the one she had back in college,
the one that moved out here
with Lucy then gave up, right?
- I did not know I was
such a famous failure.
- You never shot a
feature with Lucy,
just a bunch of short films.
- Not exactly, they were
scenes of a feature film,
a film that is now finished.
- It doesn't matter, you
don't have her release form.
Her people will bury you.
If this is her signature,
it changes things a bit.
- It is, we were making the
film before we broke up.
I finished it.
- What was it shot on?
- Film, with an
original soundtrack.
I have release
forms for that, too.
- Cancel my 11:00.
- You don't have an 11:00.
- Cancel it anyway.
I have a big screen in
the conference room.
Let's go watch your film, and
then decide what to do next.
(knuckles knocking)
- You know I don't like to be
bothered while I'm reading.
- Sorry, but I got a Samuel
Martinelli on the line.
- Who's that?
- An attorney.
- What does he want?
- [Ray] He says he's repping
a new film starring
Lucy Proctor,
and he thought you
might wanna see it.
- That's nonsense, blow him off.
- Yeah, I really think you're
gonna want to speak with him.
He says the film's made
by Lucy's ex-boyfriend.
- (sighing) All right,
put him through.
Mr. Martinelli,
Carl Lancaster here.
Um, what do you
think you have here?
- [Sam] "The Wayward Trust"
starring Lucy Proctor,
an art film.
- Man, that's what you think.
But look, even if you
do have something,
I have an army full of
lawyers that will see to it
that this film won't come out,
because you don't
have my permission.
- [Sam] Oh man, I wish
you'd told me that earlier.
We just had a screening
for the media.
Better get to calling
those lawyers, goodbye.
- Uh, I just got a call from
a reporter at "Variety".
She wants to know if you have
a comment on Lucy's new film.
- Tell her no comment for now.
(phones ringing)
(Carl coughing)
(horn honking)
(Carl shouting)
You're stupid, you
think you're so slick.
Like, why do you think
you can do this to me?
(horn honking)
So stupid.
Stupid, you're nobody,
so you know who I am?
You're so. (panting)
I need to call Angie.
Hey Angie, it's Carl.
Yeah, look, we've got a problem.
Apparently Lucy's
ex-boyfriend has made a film,
and he says that
she's the star of it.
His attorney just called me.
You two need to get
back here immediately.
(horn honking)
- What's wrong?
- I think I know why
you got brushed off.
(jet whooshing)
(soft pensive music)
- [Girl Number Two]
It was a summer's day,
and I dreamt I was dreaming.
(soft pensive music continues)
I longed for direction as
I walked a lonely track.
(soft pensive music continues)
I gazed out on a river that
had no beginning, no end.
I saw things with eyes
that were not my own.
I dreamt I had died,
but it was not me.
(soft pensive music continues)
I danced with joy
that I never felt,
expending energy I didn't have,
in front of an audience
that I could not see.
(soft pensive music continues)
Will the truth be
known when I awake?
Am I the one with
the wayward trust?
(soft pensive music continues)
- I really can't believe it.
I never heard of
David Garrett before.
Now he's the hottest
director in Hollywood.
- Shut up, we know what the
two of you are trying to pull
and it's not gonna happen.
"The Wayward Trust" was a
short film, not a feature.
- Funny, I saw a lot of
words on that release,
short wasn't one of them.
- Well, we'll have a
cease and desist order
by 10:00 AM tomorrow.
Nobody else will be
seeing this film.
- Kind of late Carl, most
of the press likes it.
Artsy, they love artsy.
It happened so fast,
too fast for you.
- Why'd you do it, David?
- I guess I just
wanted to do something
serious or professional.
- Okay here's the play, Sam.
We block any distributor
you attempt to approach.
We'll make sure that
this film is seen nowhere
except for David's living room.
- Big bad film people,
trying to crush a
small town director.
I can see the headlines
now, it won't help anybody.
- Okay but look, we
have the attorneys
in the next conference room.
We gotta wrap this
up, make an offer.
- The offer is the film.
You tell us what it's worth.
- I like it, it's a good film.
I'd be happy for it to be seen.
Work it out, going
back to Albuquerque.
(gentle pensive music)
I tried calling you.
I wanted to apologize
for what I said.
I guess we're way
beyond that now.
- [Sam] What do you
want to do, David?
- Two million gets the film.
I wanna release a limited
art house release,
with a guaranteed
P&A in writing.
I want a three-picture deal
with a sliding scale budget
of one, three and five million.
- You've given this a lot
of thought, haven't you?
- It was a long drive.
- That's $11 million
with limited release.
- It's a deal, I'm
done with this.
I have to get to Albuquerque,
with a real film to make.
- [Carl] And who's gonna
be paying for all this?
- It's 11 million Carl, find it.
Deal with that army of
attorneys in the other room.
Enjoy this moment.
Maybe someday you'll
realize what it cost.
- Don't listen to her,
you made the right choice.
- Look kid, I would
love to represent you,
but I'd be losing
my best client.
I'll have the deal done by
the end of business tomorrow.
- [Sam] I'll wait for your call.
(indie rock ringtone music)
- Talk to Rufus.
Let him know what happened.
(soft uneasy expectant music)
God.
(soft uneasy expectant
music continues)
- [Rufus] You did it, we did it.
- Why'd you talk me
out of calling Lucy?
- [Rufus] What?
- Was it because you
knew if I talked to her,
I wouldn't have gone
through with this?
- [Rufus] You have a
career in film now.
A, a three-picture deal is
insane, you know that right?
- Sure, but at what cost Rufus?
- [Rufus] I don't
know what to tell you.
We all make choices,
and this was yours.
You're just gonna have
to learn to live with it.
- My choice, my choice?
You're the one who talked
me into doing this.
This was your idea.
My relationship with Lucy
is over because of you.
- [Rufus] Your relationship
with Lucy ended two years ago.
Do you really think
calling her yesterday
would've changed
anything, really?
- You have no idea
what this cost me!
But you know what? You're right.
You got what you
wanted, congrats.
- [Rufus] David, I-
(gentle pensive music)
(upbeat thoughtful music)
(type clicking)
(messages dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful music)
(type clicking)
(message dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(messages dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(message dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(messages dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(keyboard clicking)
- [Lucy] I have one of the
biggest agencies in Hollywood
working for me, and I have you.
Don't tell me that
neither of you
can find me a
really good script.
She put me in on the topic
And it had barely begun
- Art film.
- What, like Truffaut?
French New Wave?
- Close but no, Bergman.
We use "Persona" as our guide.
- [Rufus] I've never
seen "Persona".
Only I wish I could forget
- [Angela] It's 11
million Carl, find it.
Deal with that army of
attorneys in the other room.
(thoughtful indie rock music)
- [Diane] Angela, you do realize
that nobody cares
about that stuff.
They care that Lucy is the star
and I'm the director, that's it.
And if you want to defeat
- [Carl] Stupid, you
think you're so slick!
Like, why do you think
you can do this to me?
(horn honking)
Makes them smoking,
only I wish I'd forget
- Cancel my 11:00.
- You don't have an 11:00.
- [Sam] Cancel it anyway.
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Van] What do
you get outta it?
- [Ray] An executive producer
credit beneath yours,
and I want outta
this broom closet.
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Vanessa] I could buy
Virgo some more cat toys,
I love her.
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Steve] I can keep my
mouth shut. (laughing)
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Shalene] As we
enter awards season,
all of Hollywood is asking,
what will Lucy do next?
Back to you.
(keyboard clicking)
(gentle thoughtful music)
(gentle thoughtful
music continues)
(type clanking)
- [Shalene] And that's a scene
from "Silently She Speaks",
the film getting most
of the awards buzz,
including Best Actress.
Welcome to "Hollywood Weekly",
your weekly latest fix
of the biggest
news in Hollywood.
I'm Shalene Bullock, we're
here on the red carpet
with the newest it girl in
Hollywood, Lucy Proctor.
Lucy, your rise has been
nothing short of meteoric.
Just two years ago you
were a drama student
at a Midwestern college, and
now the toast of Tinseltown.
- [Lucy] Well, it has been fast,
but that doesn't mean
I didn't work hard
to get to where I am today.
- I heard you did
some great work
on the stage back in college.
Had you done any films
prior to coming here?
Something your fans can see?
- Not really, just
a few short films,
nothing serious or professional.
- Oh, come on.
- I didn't work
with a real film director
until just recently.
- [Shalene] How was it to work
with the bad boy
of Italian cinema,
Rolando Trent in your
first feature film?
- Amazing.
(David shouting)
Rolando knows just
what he wants.
It was a joy to work with him.
- [Shalene] And we
understand you do more
than just work with him?
- (chuckling) Well yes, we're
dating, it's nothing serious.
- [David] Oh, real
professional Luce, good job.
- It's just, having fun
with a genius director,
it's a dream come true.
- [Shalene] Well, we
hope you never wake up.
- Thank you.
- [Shalene] Lucy
Proctor, from nobody
to award-nominated it
girl in just two years.
As we enter awards season,
all of Hollywood is asking,
what will Lucy do next?
Back to you.
- (sighing) What
will Lucy do next?
Hey, wait a minute
'Cause I really
wanna talk about it
And I think that
the least you owe me
Is a conversation
No one warns you how
hard it's gonna be
How many weeks til
you speak to me
How many weeks til I give up
Waiting for you
to give a fuck
Keep on waiting to
hear the phone ring
But I don't guess that
would be a good thing
Last chance for you
to hurt me again
Maybe I could just
be your friend
Maybe I could just be your
Take a deep breath
- So are you gonna call him?
- Who?
- Rolando, you know he's taken
to calling my office now.
- He slept with the
makeup assistant, Angela.
No, I'm not going to call him.
- You know, it is Hollywood
and not Louisville, sweetheart.
- Well, a cheater is a cheater
no matter the zip code.
- [Angela] But what if he
wants to hire you again?
You know he's money in the bank.
- Not a chance.
I'm the one that they
want, so let them chase me.
- Speaking of chasing you,
you've read about a
dozen scripts now.
Are you ever gonna
get back to work?
- When I see a script I
like, I'll get back to work.
It's not about the moment, it's
not about a great director.
It's about needing a
great script first.
- Okay, well great scripts
are hard to come by.
- (chuckling) I have one
of the biggest agencies
in Hollywood working
for me, and I have you.
Don't tell me that
neither of you
can find me a
really good script.
- Okay, forget the
script for a second
and just think about
what's gonna happen
if you don't release
a movie soon.
You know the public has a
really short memory span.
- Yeah, until I make some junk,
and then that's all
they can remember,
so find me a good script.
(Angela sighing)
- I hope you know
I press you so much
because I care about you,
and not for the money.
- Sure, because the agents
are all about the money,
but you care about my wellbeing.
- I'm not sure if
you're being serious
or making fun of me right now.
- Whenever they say
that it's about the art,
or the relationship, or
for the greater good,
it is always about the money.
Which is why you are going
to pick up the tab tonight.
- Whoo, you know, you can
be a real bitch sometimes.
- [Lucy] Oh yeah, let's jaywalk.
This place is nice.
- [Angela] Yeah, it's my
favorite bar in Hollywood.
- It's perfect.
- So tell me about him.
- Who?
- The guy whose heart you
broke during that interview.
The guy who shot your audition
reel back in Louisville.
- Why do you wanna
know about him?
- Because I care about you.
- Carl says I don't need a
manager, I need more friends.
- Well Carl doesn't care
about how you got here, I do.
Besides, agents don't like
managers and trust me,
managers feel the same way.
- Can't you guys
agree on anything?
- I'll try to play nice.
(patrons chattering)
- (sighing) We met
our sophomore year.
I was majoring in drama
and I knew of him.
He always carried this Super
8 camera around with him.
- A Super 8, that's
old school, all right.
- Yeah, I thought it was a prop.
It was just empty, like
a way to meet girls.
- Sure.
- So one day I was outside
the theater building.
I was studying my
scene for "Hamlet".
(soft gentle music)
(film camera whirring)
He came over and asked
if he could film me
while I sat there,
I said, "Okay."
(soft gentle music)
(film camera whirring)
That went on for a while, he
thanked me and then he left.
- That doesn't sound like
much of a first impression.
- (laughing) Yeah, it wasn't.
But two weeks later he
found me outside the theater
and he showed me what
he shot, it was good.
Super 8, natural light and all.
- Huh, well your
first scene on camera.
Do you have it?
- Nope, he said I was his
muse, and I liked that.
We started dating and he took
every opportunity
to put me on film.
He would write these vignettes
and I would perform them,
and soon I started to
prefer that over the stage.
- Well thank goodness
for that. (chuckling)
- Then a couple years
ago we moved out here,
and we were gonna give ourselves
three months to make it.
We stayed with friends.
David was gonna be
this great director,
and I was going to
be his leading lady.
- Well, I know half
of how the story went.
- Yeah, about mid August
we were out of money
and David was
really discouraged.
Unknown to him, a friend of mine
had submitted an
audition tape for me.
That's what I booked
the TV pilot out of.
- Your first step to stardom.
It was enough to make me stay,
but David, he just
never recovered.
We had a huge fight
and he went back home.
- Yeah, this place
isn't for quitters.
Well who knows, maybe
he'll come back out here
and take another swing at it.
- Maybe, but you were right.
I wasn't thinking of him
when I made that interview.
I just hope he didn't
see it or hear it.
- Well if he does,
hopefully he'll understand.
(glasses clinking)
- [Rufus] So what was
more emasculating,
banging the hotshot
Eurotrash director,
or making the
award-nominated film,
or being referred to as nothing
serious or professional?
- She didn't call me nothing
serious or professional.
- [Rufus] Oh yeah, that's
just how she referred
to your work, 'cause that's
better David, way better.
- Don't you have
someplace to be?
- Nope.
What you doing?
So that's how you
spent your night?
No wonder you're sad, dude.
You're making us
look bad, you know.
- Who?
- Men.
What, what?
She's out there killing
it, and you're back here
in Kentucky crying on
a donut, get over it.
- I am over it.
- Yeah, I can tell.
You haven't shot a foot of film
since you got back from LA.
Two years, nothing.
- I'm writing something.
- You can't even write
out a grocery list,
and I'm getting tired of it.
- Since when do you care
what I do or how I do it?
- Did you forget that I'm
the one who helped pay
for film stock,
process and transfer?
None of that was
cheap, you know.
- Oh is that it, you want money?
I don't have any right now.
- Forget the money, when you
started making your films,
I was the one who
set up the lights.
I was the one who ran the audio.
I know it's been a
while, but come on.
- Yeah, I know.
- Good, and do you
remember what you told me?
Do you really?
- I said when Lucy and I
get set up in Los Angeles,
we'd bring you out and
we'd all work together
on a feature film.
- Right, you didn't just
give up on yourself.
You gave up on me too.
I had a dream of going to
LA and working on films.
Then you come home with your
tail tucked between your legs,
and now both our
dreams are shot.
- Then why not go to LA
yourself? You don't need me.
- I wanted to work with
you, my best friend.
I've been waiting for
you to wake up, David.
Maybe this is the time.
I don't know about you,
but I'm not interested
in working at the Amazon
Fulfillment Center
for the rest of my life.
Hold up, what did that
jerk say on TV last night?
- [David] Which one?
- The reporter
interviewing Lucy.
She said everyone in
Hollywood is wondering
what Lucy will do next, right?
- [David] Yeah, she
said that, so what?
- So follow me to
the edit suite.
(bright curious music)
Follow me.
- [David] It's been a
while since you called this
the edit suite.
- Don't shoot, can't edit.
Let's hope this still works.
(soft expectant music)
- What are you doing?
- Let's call it math,
we're adding things up.
First, we create a
new edit timeline.
- Why?
- To add things up.
While going to school, you
shot seven short subjects
with Lucy as your
only actor, correct?
- It's been a while, but
yeah, that sounds right.
- Three were MLS,
four with sound,
courtesy of yours truly,
a total of 42 minutes,
not including scenes we cut out.
- Oh, we're not
watching them, are we?
- Dude, I don't think I
could stand to watch them.
We're not watching,
we're adding.
- I still don't-
- We didn't cut much, only
about seven minutes' worth.
That's a total of 49 minutes.
(soft expectant music continues)
(sighing) Just follow me.
- So we've got a lot of
old footage, who cares?
- I do, just shut up and listen.
- Okay.
- Okay, first the math.
Feature films on the short
end can be about 90 minutes.
- Yeah.
- The whole world is waiting
for the next Lucy Proctor film.
- So what?
- We have in our possession,
49 minutes of Lucy
Proctor shot on film.
- Yeah, what good
does that do us?
- That's the reason
for this meeting.
What if we were to
make a feature film
using those 49 minutes?
We need to shoot about another
40 minutes to hit our target,
90 minutes with credits.
- No way, those stories
are way too diverse
to glue them together with
40 minutes of new story.
- I didn't say it'd be easy,
but you as the
writer could do it.
- All right, say I
could write a story
that incorporated 49 minutes
of footage we have of Lucy.
We'd still be miles
away from a feature.
- So you're saying
you'd have obstacles.
Well then, I officially
appoint myself as producer,
along with lighting,
grip and location audio.
- All righty producer,
let's look at the obstacles.
- Okay, you write the
script, now hit me.
- Well, that was simple.
Say I do that, we
don't have Lucy.
- Fortunately for us, her
look didn't change much
over the years you
and her were together.
We hire a look-alike
actress for long shots,
and over-the-shoulder
shots, if we need to.
- I'd have to shoot on Super
8, and we don't have the money
for film stock,
process and transfer,
let alone whatever
cast we'd need.
- I'm the producer, let me
find the money while you write.
- Won't work, we don't have
permission to use her image.
Say we make this and release it.
Her lawyers are gonna
sue us for so much money,
we'll be in debt for
the rest of our lives.
- You are so lucky you
know me, I save everything.
The last short film you made,
titled "The Wayward
Trust", remember it?
- Yeah, I guess.
- I entered it into a
short film festival.
The festival required
all sorts of paperwork,
including release forms
from everyone involved.
This is Lucy Proctor's signature
on a release form for the
film, except I made a mistake.
I didn't refer to it as a
short film, just as a film.
We call the film
"The Wayward Trust",
written and directed
by David Garrett,
produced by Rufus Carver,
starring the newest Hollywood
it girl, Lucy Proctor.
- I don't think so.
- (sighing) David, David, David.
The film business isn't
about who has actual talent.
It has everything to do
with timing and notoriety.
The time is right for you
to make a name for yourself.
The time is now.
- I don't know.
- "Nothing serious
or professional,"
that's what she said.
You're not serious,
you're not a professional.
You have no talent,
you are a quitter.
- She didn't say
those last two things.
- I embellished for
dramatic effect.
She may have said those things.
- So I'm just supposed
to write 40 pages
that glue together
shorts I made with Lucy,
turn it all into a feature
and travel to Los Angeles
with my triumphant debut
film, "The Wayward Trust",
shot on Super 8 film in
Louisville, is that it?
- Yes, that is exactly
what you're supposed to do.
- (sighing) Won't be easy.
- Nothing worthwhile ever is.
Come on, let's just
get ready for work.
We'll break down the schedule
and workflow when we get home.
- Why the rush?
- Remember, the question
was what will Lucy do next?
(bright thoughtful music)
- You can pick the place,
I don't even, hold on.
Ray, those scripts are for
shredding, not reading.
Yeah, no funding,
no coverage, got it?
- Got it.
- Sorry about that, some
lame-ass intern I work with.
Well yeah you know, I'm like
the big man around here.
I'm taking you out tonight.
- Jerk.
- Yeah, hey I gotta go.
I'll see you tonight, all right.
Oh Van, sorry about the wait.
Hopefully you've enjoyed
some of our herbal tea.
It's made fresh for us
at a commune in Ojai.
- I don't like tea and I
don't like wasting time.
- Right, right, well
what do you have for me?
- I just optioned
this last week.
It's a superb script,
outstanding story.
Nobody in town knows
anything about it yet,
and the best part
about the whole thing-
- Oh, let me guess.
The best part about it
is it's for Lucy Proctor.
- Exactly, I optioned it
exactly with Lucy in mind,
and I've already sent
a copy to Diane Weston,
see if she's interested
in directing it.
I'm waiting to
hear back from her.
- Nice, well I can't
really speak for Diane,
but I know Lucy won't
be taking a look at this
unless the offer is substantial.
- You're asking a lot.
- Oh, and I can get it.
Until then, I'm not gonna
waste my time or Lucy's.
- What does Lucy say
about that approach?
- She trusts me
to do what's best.
You see these
scripts right here?
These are just the scripts
that have been sent to us
just this week with her name
scribbled over the top of them.
You know why Lucy will never
see these scripts, Van? Guess.
- I don't wanna guess.
- Van, guess.
- I don't wanna guess,
I don't have to guess.
I already know the answer.
- I like you, you do know
the answer, no funding.
- I have access to funds.
But I'm starting to
realize you're looking
for a big mega payday to
fatten your own wallet.
My offer's gonna come
in a little thin.
Listen, I just
hope at some point
Lucy starts looking
for her own scripts.
- Actors are like children,
they need guidance.
- [Van] Hey, you
oughta have a talk
with that boss of yours,
he's a real peach.
He's not doing Lucy Proctor
any favors, you know.
- I'll do you one
better, Mr. Shelby.
You got a minute
to talk privately?
Look, this script was sent
over by Angela Parker.
- Who?
- Lucy Proctor's manager.
- "Restful Nature", nice title,
but listen, it doesn't matter.
If this is the same script
that was on top of Carl's desk,
it's already in the
shred pile, man.
- It is, but you know,
Carl's definition of funding
is different than
mine and yours.
- I'm listening.
- You provide the funding,
I'll reach out to Angela.
If she thinks she
can get it made,
then she can get the
script directly to Lucy.
- What do you get out of it?
- An executive produce
credit beneath yours,
and I want outta
this broom closet.
- Okay, I'm definitely
interested, I'll
read it tonight.
If it's a good script,
and if Lucy Proctor
is attached to it, then
I'll see what I can do.
But I've gotta have the
signatures ahead of time.
- Understood.
- [Van] My name doesn't come
up, I was never a part of it.
Make sure you keep this quiet.
- Understood.
(phones ringing)
- Thanks for coming in.
- Yeah, no problem.
- How are you feeling?
- Great.
You coulda just called,
asked me how I was doing.
- Sure, and I could have also
sent this to you as a pdf,
but I wanted to
speak with you first.
- "Restful Nature"? Nice title.
- And a great script.
A friend sent it over to me.
I thought about
forwarding it to Carl,
but I wanted you
to read it first.
- Mm, he's not gonna like that.
- Yeah, forget him.
He wouldn't know a good script
if it landed in his lap.
Which it will, of course.
- I take it you want
me to convince him?
- You won't have to convince
him, you're gonna love it.
- Who's the director?
- I have someone in
mind, she's perfect.
- She, I like that.
- Uh-huh.
Now, before you ask,
it's not funded, yet.
- But I suppose it will
be once I'm attached.
- Exactly, attached as star
and co-producer, along with me.
- You do have your eye
on the prize, don't you?
- Yes I do, I found the
script, I manage the star,
and as soon as you say yes
I'll get the director attached
and we'll send the
packaging over to Carl.
- Oh, he's not gonna love
that, he does the packaging.
- His fragile male
ego will get over it.
- If I don't like it, no deal.
- Okay, that's fine.
Take it home, read it
today, you're gonna love it.
- I take it you have the option.
- You wouldn't be
reading it if I didn't.
- Okay, all your short films
have two things in common.
They all only deal
with one actor, Lucy,
and they're all
mercilessly pretentious.
You took yourself
way too seriously.
One actor actually
works in our favor,
since we don't have to
deal with anyone else
permissions-wise, however
we are gonna have to hire
some more actors for the film.
- How are we gonna
pay these actors?
- I said it before, let
me worry about the money.
However, I would ask that you
keep the cast very limited.
So what have you got?
(curious thoughtful music)
- What have I go about what?
- The script David, the 40 pages
that glue together
these short films.
This is our golden ticket.
We'll be the talk of
Tinseltown when this is shown.
- It kinda feels like we're
taking advantage of Lucy.
- (sighing) Maybe,
but we're doing it
to get our respective
careers off the ground,
before I get carpal
tunnel syndrome
picking up packages
off the conveyor belt.
You're the writer, so
write, just keep it tight.
- And just a little
bit pretentious.
(curious thoughtful music)
(text clicking)
- Now this is what
I'm talking about.
- What'd you think?
- I loved it.
You have the option ironclad?
- Yes.
- You have a director in mind?
- Diane Weston.
- Diane Weston?
You can get her?
- Mm-hmm, with one phone call.
She read it and she loves it.
- A female lead with a
great female director,
and all three of us producing.
Women empowerment, I love it.
- And all I need
is a yes from you,
and the wheels start turning.
- Funding?
- I have a few ideas,
and the studios,
they'll jump at it.
- No studios, independent
financing on our own.
We need to control this
from start to finish,
even distribution, got it?
- Got it.
- And this stays between
us until the deal is done.
- Sounds good to me.
- I'm serious about
this staying between us.
No meetings with Diane
at the Polo Lounge
until the ink dries.
(curious thoughtful music)
(keyboard clicking)
- I think this'll work.
(curious thoughtful
music continues)
I've got an idea.
- I'm listening.
- Art film.
- What, like Truffaut,
French New Wave?
- Close but no, Bergman.
We use "Persona" as our guide.
- I've never seen "Persona".
- You call yourself
a film buff? Wow.
- Should I watch it?
- Of course.
Everyone should, but not now,
it's enough that I've seen it.
- Here I am thinking you
wanna go for Ed Wood,
and you wanna go
for Ingmar Bergman?
- Two women, one's
living a dream world,
the other in real life,
me at my most pretentious.
An art film star
starring Lucy Proctor?
- What about the title?
Doesn't make any sense.
- It doesn't have
to, it's an art film.
I'll have the draft you
by the end of the week.
- An art film, and not
someone cool like Truffaut,
Godard, Varda, or even
Bertolucci, he picks the Swede.
(serious thoughtful music)
- [Diane] It was a
good idea to meet here,
away from the prying
eyes of the press.
- It was Lucy's idea, keep
everything under wraps
until it's a go.
- In case I didn't
mention it earlier,
I loved your work in
"Silently She Speaks".
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
But you know I'm gonna
sweep the director awards
right out from under your
misogynistic boyfriend.
- He's not my boyfriend.
- All right ladies, it's
all things in the past.
Let's, let's talk
about the movie
that we're making together.
- I hope you win, it
means nothing to me.
- To both of us
winning everything.
Now let's talk about
this wonderful script.
I can't believe a man wrote it.
The female lead is well crafted.
- And I would like
to know how much
you paid for this option.
- Truth be told, a man didn't
write the script, I did.
- You're kidding?
- [Lucy] I didn't even
know you were a writer.
- Well, I came out here with
the dreams of being a writer,
but nobody wanted the
script at the time.
So I just kind of put it
away until it was right.
- But why fool us?
- You could have told
me, you know that.
- No, I couldn't have.
Look, I wanted
you both involved,
but you had to love the script
regardless of who wrote it.
- Well, I love it.
- I do too, it needs
a few tweaks, but-
- W-what do you mean tweaks?
- She wrote it, all right.
But yes, it needs a few tweaks.
Nothing major, just
a few visual items.
- And I'd like to write just
a few lines of dialogue.
- What?
- See, if you had optioned
the script from some dude,
we wouldn't be asking,
we would just do it.
- But since it's you,
we're being up front.
- Which you weren't, by the way.
- Okay but this is
my script, okay?
I'm very proud of it.
- As you should be.
- What if I say
no to any changes?
- Then you can find
another director.
- And another star.
(Angela sighing)
- Welcome to the thankless
world of the writer.
- Bottom rung of the ladder.
You have to look up to see a PA.
- Okay, but I'm the co-producer.
I'm the one who
put this together.
Also without me,
there's no story.
- Angela, you do realize that
nobody cares about that stuff.
They care that Lucy is the star,
and I'm the director, that's it.
- You're a manager Angela,
you know all of this.
You're letting your
ego get in the way.
- You know, I've had writers
submit their scripts to me
in the past and I've said
the same exact thing to them.
Gotta admit, it hurts.
- It's hard when you
put yourself out there.
- I've had some pretty harsh
reviews of my work in the past.
- [Lucy] Me too.
- Do you guys really
think it's a good script?
- It's a great script.
- We wouldn't be sitting
here if it wasn't.
- Well all right then,
let's talk numbers
and I'll get on financing.
So which parts of the dialogue
did you want to change?
(soft curious music)
- Did you all hear that?
(soft curious music)
- It's almost 11:00.
Let's go, don't wanna be late.
- One second.
I should be finished
by tomorrow.
- [Rufus] Yeah, that's great.
Watched "Persona" last night.
- [David] So, you know
what I'm trying to do.
- Yeah, but why does it
have to be an art film?
Why can't we just tell like
a straightforward story?
- Okay, I'll tell you why.
Audiences are baffled by
art films, critics too.
But nobody wants to admit it,
'cause they're scared
of appearing stupid.
So everybody lauds the
film and the filmmakers,
and hope no one catches on.
- That's ridiculous.
- The emperor has no clothes on,
and everybody's afraid to say
something, it's an old story.
- I guess.
- [Angela] Let's get
one thing straight Carl,
I don't have to
tell you anything.
I run my business
and you run yours.
- Yeah, but I just wish
you would've told me
before the press found out.
- It was a private
meeting at Lucy's house.
I-I can't help it if she has
her own personal paparazzo
lurking around in the bushes.
- Look I saw the bag, now
I'd like to see the script.
- You have the script, Carl.
But because the lead
doesn't appear topless
and there's no financing
attached to the project,
it sits at the bottom
of a very large pile.
- No funding?
Ah, I can put together
a package for you.
- I got it, Carl.
But don't you worry,
you'll get your cut
and a fair share of the credit.
But maybe next time
you should try thinking
about Lucy's best interests
instead of your own.
What a jerk.
(phone beeping)
Good work Steve, that
photo ran around the world.
That payment there
should augment
what you made on the photo.
- Thanks for the tip.
- Yeah, you keep
this between us,
and there is a behind-the-scenes
photographer gig
waiting for you on this project.
(soft expectant music)
- I can keep my mouth
shut. (chuckling)
- Good man.
- Hey Ray, do you
still have that script
that Angela Parker over,
you know, Lucy's manager?
- Yeah, it's gone.
- Gone?
- You told me to shred it.
- No, no, no, no, no.
You need to call
Angela right now,
and have her send
over another copy.
- What's going on?
- A mutiny Ray, a mutiny.
You can't trust
anybody these days.
- [Angela] Oh, I guess
our secret's out.
- Yeah, it looks like it.
Can you send over another
copy of the script?
Carl's on board now.
- [David] Last three pages
are light, we're low on ink.
- Again?
- Use it and it runs out.
Don't use it and it
dries out, what a racket.
- You happy with the script?
- Very.
- Good.
- What's that mean?
- It means that Lucy, her
manager and Diane Weston
met a few days ago.
- Diane Weston?
(sighing) I love her work.
- Yeah me too, and it might
just mean that her and Lucy
are working together
on their next film.
- So we're on the clock now.
- Right, I'll give this a read,
get back to you after dinner.
You start figuring
out who you wanna cast
as girl number two.
David, I don't understand
this art film nonsense,
but I trust you to get it
right, so get it right.
- Guess you guys saw the news?
- What the heck happened?
- I guess we weren't as
careful as we thought we were.
- We? You're the
one who planned it.
- Okay, nobody cares
about me, Lucy.
You two are the only
people in this room
that get photographed
on a regular basis.
One of you must have your
own personal paparazzo.
- Yeah, well I don't like
getting scolded by my agent.
- Well, maybe you
should find a new agent.
- Maybe I should
get a new manager.
- Okay, you guys are blowing
this way out of proportion.
I already spoke with the
press and I told them
that it was just a preliminary
meeting about a film.
- So you lied to the press.
- [Angela] Whoa wait,
I have good news.
- It better be really good news.
- Our photo showing up around
the world wasn't all that bad.
I've had about a half a dozen
equity firms contact me.
We have our choice of
funding, and as the numbers
show me here, as soon as
we say yes to any of them,
we are fully funded.
- That is good news.
- Yeah, it's almost
like you planned it.
- You're giving me
too much credit.
- So what's next?
- Well, we just figure out
who we wanna work with,
lock in the funding
and get to work.
It's real now, ladies.
- Show us our options.
- Okay, so these are
the different investors
that I was talking about.
- Nice.
- Your printer's low on ink.
- Yeah.
- You know the script
is weird, right?
- [David] I've been told.
- My character is
woman number two.
No dialogue, just narration.
All I do is wander
around and look at stuff,
no interaction with anyone.
- Do you want the part or not?
- Lucy Proctor
would've had this role
a few years back, right?
How much does this pay?
- $50 a day, three days.
- Hair and makeup?
- Show up on set camera
and wardrobe ready,
no plaids or polka
dots, keep it plain.
- I'd forgotten how low rent
some of these local
productions could be.
- All that counts is
what's in the frame.
Everything else is
window dressing.
- You still shoot
with that old camera?
- I do.
- Hmm, well he does shoot film,
so he can't be that big
of a loser, I guess.
He did work with
Lucy, after all.
$50 a day kinda sucks, but
God, I need to move out.
I could buy Virgo
some more cat toys.
I love her. (sighing)
Why am I here and
not at home with her?
Whatever, I'm just gonna
do it, I need the money.
I'll do it, for 75 a
day to cover wardrobe
and being camera ready.
- What days are good for you?
- Tuesdays and Thursdays.
How long are shoot days?
- 10 To 12 hours.
- But do I get fed in the
middle of this 12-hour day?
- Yes, meal break at five hours.
- [Vanessa] I'm a vegetarian.
- Pizza joint
makes a nice salad.
- When are we doing
in the narration?
- End of day three.
- Okay.
- All right, great to have
you on board, Vanessa.
I'll have the contract to you
before end of the day Tuesday.
- That poor guy, he
really has lost it.
- Thanks anyway, call again
if you change your mind.
He's not going to
change his mind.
- No go on the funding.
- Not even a maybe.
- Yeah, just as well.
Maybe it's just a no
that takes longer.
- How'd the meeting
with Vanessa go?
- Fine, but actors
sure are a lot pickier
than they were a
couple years ago.
- She ask any tough questions?
- [David] No, she just
thinks I've lost my mind.
- Yeah, well better she thinks
that than know the truth.
- I know it's a moot
point without the funding,
but she said she'll
do it for 75 a day,
and that includes being
camera ready and wardrobe.
- That's good, with you on
camera and me on lights,
that's 225 for three days.
- Plus meals, and
she's a vegetarian.
- That figures.
I have the money to pay
Vanessa out of pocket,
but that leaves us
nothing for film stock,
process or transfer,
and meals aren't free.
I hate to say this David,
but this might have
all been for nothing.
David, no.
Remember what happened
last time you tried to use
your credit card
to pay for a movie?
It took years to pay off.
- Yeah, and two years
of no filmmaking
has given me a credit
card with a $5,000 limit,
and we have plans for this film.
Look, each roll is
about $40 for 50 feet.
That's about four
minutes per roll.
We'd have to use just
about everything we shoot.
So a lot of single takes and
lots of extreme closeups.
- Vanessa's gonna love that.
- Can't be helped.
10 rolls is gonna be
approximately 40 minutes.
I say you buy 12, that's
48 minutes of film stock.
- That's a very tight ratio.
- That's why every shot has
to be planned and blocked.
- [Rufus] What
about storyboards?
- Can't afford to farm it out.
I'll make sketches
I can work from.
- Film stock,
process and transfer?
- Best we can get it
for, about a grand.
So film stock, process and
transfer, round it up to 1500.
- So I hate to bring this up,
but as the producer
I need to say it.
We could shoot this
thing on digital
for the film stock, process
and transfer cost all together.
- Point taken, but Rufus,
I am a filmmaker, film,
and I may work with the
smallest format they have.
I will never waiver.
One day when I'm shooting
on 16 or even 35 film,
I'll be glad I got an
education on Super 8.
- I had to ask.
- You come up with
the 225 for Vanessa,
and we got a feature film on
our hand for about two grand,
plus a lot of gratis
work on our part.
- I'll make a producer
outta you yet, okay.
I'll get started on the
contract for Vanessa.
You get started on
the shot breakdown,
schedule and storyboards.
Film, ooh.
- It's an art form.
(Carl whistling)
- It's nice of you
to join us, Carl.
- Still don't know why I'm here.
- Well Carl, since I'm
paying you an agent's fee,
we thought that you might wanna
do something to earn that.
- Diane, where's
your representative?
- Fired two months ago,
I thought you knew.
- Carl tends to ignore
women in the industry,
unless they're making
him tons of money.
- Now that I can do
Diane, but for both of us.
- First, it's Ms. Weston to
you, and second, not interested.
- Well, so much for
the pleasantries then.
- Did you read the script?
- I did, and I've
got it right here.
It's a pretty good story,
and a good role for Lucy.
I'm not really for
sure who wrote it,
but are they a Guild member?
- I wrote it, Carl.
- (chuckling) I guess that
makes me pretty lucky,
being the only man here
invited to your little club.
What's my task?
- Well, we want you to handle
the press and the legal.
As producer, I don't have
time to do all of it.
Oh, and we want you to
work out the Guild details.
- We can do that.
Me and my staff, I can
use my staff, right?
It's the same dime.
- Of course, but
you have to get us
a great distribution
deal by yourself.
No handing that off.
- Okay, but now define great.
- Worldwide, real P&A.
No half-baked
delivery of the film.
Also, no streaming services
until there's a
theatrical release.
This is a prestige project.
We have a lot of A-list
talent attached to it.
I want the plan in writing.
- Okay, so what's the budget?
- This is the part
where you tell me
that you're gonna keep this
information to yourself.
- Whoa, I don't have
to sign that NDA, do I?
- We trust you Carl, because
if you screw this up,
I'm looking for another agent.
(hands slapping)
- Okay, understood.
- The budget is 12 million,
and we're shooting it
in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
'cause we wanna take
advantage of the tax credits.
- And the locations, and
deep pool of talent and crew.
- 12 Million, it's
not gonna be enough
for a Lucy Proctor film.
- We're not curing
cancer here, Carl.
We're making a good movie,
and none of us are
making a money grab.
We don't need $100 million.
- Right, so the budget's
a question mark.
I say we sell it outright, and
then we all profit from it.
- Us? You get 15% of my
salary, and that's it.
- And we don't
sell it to anybody
unless we know they're
gonna do right by the film.
- Back up, do you mind if I ask
what the lead actor
salary will be?
- 500,000, all in.
- You expect me to do all this
work with my crew for 75,000?
- Tell you what Carl, you
do this and we will give you
5% of the net worth on the sale,
or I'll agree to consider one
of your tentpole projects.
- Okay look, forget the 5%.
Don't just consider the
project, like you'll do it.
- (sighing) No nudity,
you have a deal.
- Fantastic, I'll get
started on it immediately.
- Don't do a thing until
you sign the contract.
- Contract? I thought
this was more like
a friendlier agreement, you
know, a handshake type of deal.
- Yeah no, you're
gonna have a contract
on your desk by this afternoon.
The sooner you sign it,
the sooner we get to work.
- I'll have to have
our lawyers look at it.
- Fine, that's fine.
But I want it signed on my
desk by tomorrow, end of day.
- You ladies aren't
playing around, are you?
(sighing) Right.
- I don't like him,
and I don't trust him.
- He'll do what he's told.
- Why?
- Because he's afraid not to.
- Hmm.
- All right, you're
looking good.
Now walk over to the tree.
All right, now look
up at the tree,
and go ahead and touch the tree.
- [Vanessa] I feel
like an idiot.
- No, no, no, no, you look
great, you look great.
(park goers chattering)
- She looks like an idiot.
- What did you say?
- Nothing, nothing,
you're great.
I was shorter than
the kitchen cabinet
I still have to stand
on my toes even now
When I found out that
my dog was in the ground
I cried for days, lifting
more than just pounds
As a kid I could sleep
through the whole night
Would sometimes walk
to the back window
To turn off the porch light
The things that
keep me awake now
Are the same things
that used to somehow
(upbeat indie pop music)
- I think scene 57 needs
a rugged beach location.
Any suggestions?
- It's the desert.
It, why do you want
a rugged beach?
- We need a visual transition.
Land to water works better
than the desert horizon.
- We're hooting in New
Mexico, it's landlocked.
There's no ocean, Diane.
- I know, but I need water.
- Diane is right,
the beach and water
make a better visual
for the scene.
I've been to Santa Rosa
Lake east of Albuquerque.
It'll give us the
visual that we need,
while remaining in New Mexico.
(chuckling) Okay, it's
called compromise, learn it.
If you two don't start
working together,
I'm gonna call Carl
and tell him to put me
on his next tentpole
film, today.
- You can't leave this project.
You've signed a contract.
- Try me.
- Speaking of Carl, he told
me that the announcement
of the film was going out today.
- Oh, I'm sure we'll
know when it hits.
- I can't believe we
kept it under wraps
that long after
the photo leaked.
- Okay, nevermind any of that.
If principal photography
is set to start
three months from now, we
need to get these script notes
locked down before we
start pre-production.
- Okay.
- Okay, finally.
- If you guys would've left
my original script alone,
we wouldn't have this
problem, we'd be done.
(birds twittering)
- [Podcast Host] Welcome back
to the "Hollywood
Weekly" podcast,
your latest fix in
everything film.
Today it seems Diane Weston
has been officially confirmed
to direct Lucy
Proctor's next movie.
As has been announced,
they'll be starting
pre-production in New
Mexico, with a title like-
- Lucy's shooting her
film in New Mexico.
- Dude, we'll be
done with our movie
before they even get
started on theirs.
- Speaking of our
film, great news.
- It's here?
- Downloading the footage now.
- Let's look at it.
- Let's get ready for work.
- You're thinking of
working right now,
with the footage
sitting on the computer?
- Yes, that is the boring
way we pay for all of this.
- [David] You downloaded the
footage on your phone, right?
- Of course.
- Please.
- Fine.
(gasping)
Just one scene.
(soft thoughtful music)
- Nice.
- Can you believe it?
She wrote the script.
I mean, I figured why
bother reading it?
I'll just look at it
after the revisions.
I mean, they've only
been working on it
for over a month, or
maybe even longer.
No, they wanted me
on the grunt work
for press, legal
and distribution,
but I've already got
Ray working on that,
and you know like, he's
not doing a bad job.
Oh me? No, no, no.
I have Lucy's
permission to go after
that big tentpole project,
Lucy's next big film.
It's gonna be a blockbuster
hit, my payday will be massive.
- I think we're done
working on the script.
The rest of the money
falls on Monday,
and then we head out to
New Mexico on Tuesday.
That is of course assuming
you're not too
hungover from Sunday.
- Well, I guess it
depends on whether I win,
or if I'm just happy
to be nominated.
- Look, I hate to
be this person,
but what if neither of us win,
and that affects the money?
- [Lucy] Well, I'm three for
five and you're two for four.
- Mm-hmm, but this
is the big one.
- Guys, the contracts are
not affected by this at all.
Like, we're gonna get
the money regardless.
So don't worry about what
happens at the awards.
Just relax, have a good time,
and be ready to go on Tuesday.
- Hmm.
- Okay, so when do we meet
with the casting directors?
- Tuesday in Santa Fe.
- She's been receiving
video auditions
for the last two weeks.
We'll take a look
at them on Tuesday,
and then we'll
schedule callbacks.
- Casting is your
purview, Diane.
If I need to put my two
cents in, I will if needed.
- All right, ladies I
will see you Sunday.
Good luck.
- Bye.
She's right, you know.
If neither of us win, the
money might get hung up.
- Not for long.
If anybody balks, I will
head somewhere else.
That's how you keep
those funders in line.
I'm gonna go print out
the shooting schedule
and the script,
and then we'll be
ready to go on Sunday.
- [Lucy] I'll have the
limo pick you up at 3:00.
You are my plus one.
- Ooh, I can't wait.
See ya.
- [David] We have
ourselves an art film.
- Yeah we do, and the
trailer and the artwork,
and all the release
forms signed.
- What's next?
- Next, you and
I need to confirm
an attorney in Los Angeles,
one that you and I can afford,
and that's not gonna be easy.
- So we're asking
off work tonight?
- I already looked into
it, we both can't ask.
One of us has to stay.
- Well, let's just quit.
We can find work when we
get back if we need to.
- Someone needs to stay
here and hold down the fort,
keep bringing in
money just in case.
- No, we both go
or we both stay.
- David, listen to me.
This is a one-person job,
and you know your
way around Hollywood.
- I know how to
fail in Hollywood.
It's not exactly the same thing.
- (chuckling) I already
made up my mind.
I'll stay back here,
get you set up with an
attorney in Los Angeles.
Without that, we have no chance.
You just get there,
I'll take care
of what happens when you arrive.
I can't do that from
the front seat of a car.
- It's becoming real.
- Yes, it is.
And just like most
high-wire acts,
we're going to
need a safety net.
(car beeping)
- [Reporter] Stepping onto
the red carpet together
are Best Actress
nominee Lucy Proctor,
and Best Director
nominee Diane Weston,
along with Lucy's
manager, Angela Parker.
The three of them
are working together
on Lucy's next film,
"Restful Nature",
which begins filming later
this month in New Mexico.
But that's not the big news.
We've just heard exclusively
from Lucy's agent,
Carl Lancaster, that
she'll be starring
in a blockbuster project
as soon as she wraps
principal photography
on "Restful Nature".
Lucy surely does seem to be
cashing in on her newfound fame,
and it's all thanks to
super agent Carl Lancaster.
Now let's go back to Shalene
Bullock on the red carpet.
(upbeat thoughtful music)
- Got everything?
- Multiple copies of the film
and trailer, 20 one-sheets,
business cards
and release forms.
- That should be all you need.
Hard to believe we've
made it to this point.
All we gotta do is get you
across that finish line.
- Thanks for
trusting me on this.
I won't let you down.
- Remember, according
to "Hollywood Weekly",
Lucy and her team
should be in Albuquerque
sometime this week to begin
production on her new film.
Do not stop in Albuquerque
for any reason.
- Understood.
- Did you hear from Evan?
- Yeah, I've got a couch at
his apartment for about a week,
and after that I may have to
find a cheap motel to stay at.
- Hopefully you'll have a
studio paying your way by then.
Just try to make it
to Tulsa by nightfall.
That should put you in
LA by Wednesday night.
- Rental was a good idea.
- Can't have you breaking down
in the middle of
Oklahoma, can we?
Plus I need your
car for work, so.
David, don't mess this up.
(soft thoughtful music)
(phone ringing)
- Yes, Lynn.
- [Lynn] I have a young man,
Rufus Carver on the line.
- [Sam] What's he want?
- [Lynn] He wants to
book an hour with you.
I told him there's
$1000 retainer,
but he just wants one hour,
should I brush him off?
(upbeat thoughtful music)
- I'll talk to him.
- Mr. Martinelli?
- Just call me Sam.
I'm an old country
boy from Texas.
How did you get this number?
- "Hollywood Producer's
Guide", you have a small ad.
- It's not that small,
what can I do for you?
- [Rufus] I work with a director
who needs to speak
with you, uh sir,
and I'm willing to
pay for an hour.
After an hour, if you don't
think it's worth your time,
I won't bother you again.
- Who's this director
and what does he have
that I might find worth my time?
- [Rufus] What he has
is very much on the DL,
but I assure you
it'll be of interest.
- You mean the QT?
- Yeah.
- Hmm, all right, I'm curious.
A name and a time.
- [Rufus] David Garrett, 10:00
AM on Thursday, one hour.
I'll overnight to check
to you before he arrives.
Is that all right?
- I'll tell you now,
I'll give him 15 minutes.
I'm a very busy man.
If you waste my time,
he's out, no refund, fair?
- [Rufus] More than
fair, thank you.
I'll be in touch.
- All right, goodbye.
(upbeat thoughtful music)
It's not that small.
- Lucky 13, at least I hope so.
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
- I need to hire someone
to do my social media.
This is crazy.
- I've been telling you
that for months now.
Oh God, your couch
is so uncomfortable.
- Well, there is a perfectly
good guest bedroom,
but you fell asleep
on the couch,
and I wasn't going to move you.
- Congratulations on the award.
You are the Hollywood
it girl now.
- Okay, let's just
have a quiet day.
Award season is over and we
go back to work tomorrow.
- Yeah, yeah, you're right.
All right, I'd better get going.
I gotta go home, I gotta pack.
Yeah, real proud of you.
- Thank you.
- Now let's go
make our own movie.
- All right, let's
do that, tomorrow.
- Tomorrow, I'm
taking this to go.
- Okay, just-
- Santa Fe.
- Santa Fe, just bring
the cut back though.
- Yeah.
- Like it's not,
whatever, keep it.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(gentle thoughtful
music continues)
(indie rock ringtone music)
- Hey Rufus, when's the
meeting with the attorney?
- [Rufus] So the appointment
with Samuel Martinelli
is at 10:00 AM on Thursday,
I'll text you the address.
- Good work, any luck
on a screening room?
- [Rufus] There's one at Burbank
that should do the trick.
I'm following up on
that later today.
- Awesome, anything else?
- Yeah.
I heard Lucy's headed
for Albuquerque this week
to begin pre-production
on her new film.
- Oh that's funny,
I'm actually gonna be
in Albuquerque later today.
I'm heading through
New Mexico right now.
- [Rufus] I guessed.
Remember, no stopping at
Albuquerque for anything.
Food, gas, bathroom
break, none of it.
We can't risk you
running into Lucy,
no matter how small the chance.
- Yeah, I know.
I'll call when I get to
Winslow tonight, see ya.
(gentle thoughtful music)
- (sniffing) What are the odds
they're both in Albuquerque
at the same time?
(gentle thoughtful music)
- What is it?
- I, I could've, I could've
swore I just saw David
drive by in a car
going westbound.
- Wow, he's really been
on your mind lately, huh?
Maybe you should call him.
- Yeah.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(gentle thoughtful
music continues)
- [Lucy] Doesn't mean
I didn't work hard
to get to where I am today.
- [Shalene] I heard
you did some great work
on the stage back in college.
Had you done any films
prior to coming here?
Something your fans can see?
- [Lucy] Ah, not really,
just a few short films.
Nothing serious or professional.
Um, I didn't work with
a real film director.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(alarm beeping)
(phone ringing)
- Oh, hey.
Hello?
- Hey Rufus, it's Lucy.
- Lucy, Lucy.
It's, it's so good
to hear from you.
Congratulations.
- Thanks, is David there?
I've tried his cell phone,
but his number's changed.
- Yeah, he got a new phone,
new number, new life, so.
- [Lucy] Is he there?
- You know he, he's
actually out right now, but,
but I will take a message from
you and, and let him know.
Is, is this a good number?
- [Lucy] (sighing) I,
I'd rather call him.
Can you, can you just
give me his new number?
- Yeah, I really don't
think that's gonna work.
I-if he wants to call,
he'll call you, okay?
- [Lucy] Come on, Rufus.
- Ah, ah nice, nice to hear
from you, okay bye. (sighing)
- Did you find him?
- No, and I think I got the
brush-off from an old friend.
- We'll talk about this tonight
over drinks in Santa Fe.
Right now we've got some
location setting to do.
- Can't you and Diane do that?
- Welcome to being a
co-producer, let's go.
Same love takes
Just what it came for again
Let me in, cracked door
Damn that's good, don't
you wish you could stay
Shame on you, not for
you being caught again
But for the way you're being
Tell me, I wish
you could stay
(thoughtful indie rock music)
- Yes!
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
(indie rock ringtone music)
Hey Rufus, what's up?
- Everything going okay?
- Yeah, I just got
to Evan's apartment.
I thought I was gonna go crazy
with another 10
minutes in the car,
so I decided to go do
some sightseeing first.
Hello, hello Rufus,
are you there?
- [Rufus] Lucy just called
and she wants to talk to you.
- What? What, what,
what did she want?
- [Rufus] No idea, there's no
way she heard about the film,
but keep your head
down just in case.
- Well, wh-wh-what should
I do, should I call her?
- [Rufus] She has a new
number, but you need to focus.
I'll give it to you after
the meeting tomorrow.
- Okay, look if she calls
back, just let me know
and ask her what
she wants, okay?
- Yeah, will do.
- Okay, sounds good.
I'll talk to you later, bye.
(gentle thoughtful music)
(sighing) What am I doing?
(traffic whooshing)
(phone ringing)
- [Lynn] Mr. Martinelli,
your 10:00 AM is here.
- All right, show him in.
Nice to meet you Mr.
Garrett, have a seat.
I told your friend Rufus
that I'm a very busy man,
so you'll have to
make this quick.
- I was told I have an hour.
- True, and three minutes
of that are up already.
What do you have for me?
- Before I say anything,
you're my attorney, correct?
What we talk about stays here?
- Yes, yes, you're
wasting time, Mr. Garrett.
So you want to make a
film with Lucy Proctor?
Good luck, I can't help you.
- I don't want to
make a film with Lucy.
I made a film with
Lucy, it's completed.
- "The Wayward Trust",
I've never heard of it.
- It's a feature, we
were working on it
when we were dating
back in Louisville.
- So you're the loser
director boyfriend,
the one she had back in college,
the one that moved out here
with Lucy then gave up, right?
- I did not know I was
such a famous failure.
- You never shot a
feature with Lucy,
just a bunch of short films.
- Not exactly, they were
scenes of a feature film,
a film that is now finished.
- It doesn't matter, you
don't have her release form.
Her people will bury you.
If this is her signature,
it changes things a bit.
- It is, we were making the
film before we broke up.
I finished it.
- What was it shot on?
- Film, with an
original soundtrack.
I have release
forms for that, too.
- Cancel my 11:00.
- You don't have an 11:00.
- Cancel it anyway.
I have a big screen in
the conference room.
Let's go watch your film, and
then decide what to do next.
(knuckles knocking)
- You know I don't like to be
bothered while I'm reading.
- Sorry, but I got a Samuel
Martinelli on the line.
- Who's that?
- An attorney.
- What does he want?
- [Ray] He says he's repping
a new film starring
Lucy Proctor,
and he thought you
might wanna see it.
- That's nonsense, blow him off.
- Yeah, I really think you're
gonna want to speak with him.
He says the film's made
by Lucy's ex-boyfriend.
- (sighing) All right,
put him through.
Mr. Martinelli,
Carl Lancaster here.
Um, what do you
think you have here?
- [Sam] "The Wayward Trust"
starring Lucy Proctor,
an art film.
- Man, that's what you think.
But look, even if you
do have something,
I have an army full of
lawyers that will see to it
that this film won't come out,
because you don't
have my permission.
- [Sam] Oh man, I wish
you'd told me that earlier.
We just had a screening
for the media.
Better get to calling
those lawyers, goodbye.
- Uh, I just got a call from
a reporter at "Variety".
She wants to know if you have
a comment on Lucy's new film.
- Tell her no comment for now.
(phones ringing)
(Carl coughing)
(horn honking)
(Carl shouting)
You're stupid, you
think you're so slick.
Like, why do you think
you can do this to me?
(horn honking)
So stupid.
Stupid, you're nobody,
so you know who I am?
You're so. (panting)
I need to call Angie.
Hey Angie, it's Carl.
Yeah, look, we've got a problem.
Apparently Lucy's
ex-boyfriend has made a film,
and he says that
she's the star of it.
His attorney just called me.
You two need to get
back here immediately.
(horn honking)
- What's wrong?
- I think I know why
you got brushed off.
(jet whooshing)
(soft pensive music)
- [Girl Number Two]
It was a summer's day,
and I dreamt I was dreaming.
(soft pensive music continues)
I longed for direction as
I walked a lonely track.
(soft pensive music continues)
I gazed out on a river that
had no beginning, no end.
I saw things with eyes
that were not my own.
I dreamt I had died,
but it was not me.
(soft pensive music continues)
I danced with joy
that I never felt,
expending energy I didn't have,
in front of an audience
that I could not see.
(soft pensive music continues)
Will the truth be
known when I awake?
Am I the one with
the wayward trust?
(soft pensive music continues)
- I really can't believe it.
I never heard of
David Garrett before.
Now he's the hottest
director in Hollywood.
- Shut up, we know what the
two of you are trying to pull
and it's not gonna happen.
"The Wayward Trust" was a
short film, not a feature.
- Funny, I saw a lot of
words on that release,
short wasn't one of them.
- Well, we'll have a
cease and desist order
by 10:00 AM tomorrow.
Nobody else will be
seeing this film.
- Kind of late Carl, most
of the press likes it.
Artsy, they love artsy.
It happened so fast,
too fast for you.
- Why'd you do it, David?
- I guess I just
wanted to do something
serious or professional.
- Okay here's the play, Sam.
We block any distributor
you attempt to approach.
We'll make sure that
this film is seen nowhere
except for David's living room.
- Big bad film people,
trying to crush a
small town director.
I can see the headlines
now, it won't help anybody.
- Okay but look, we
have the attorneys
in the next conference room.
We gotta wrap this
up, make an offer.
- The offer is the film.
You tell us what it's worth.
- I like it, it's a good film.
I'd be happy for it to be seen.
Work it out, going
back to Albuquerque.
(gentle pensive music)
I tried calling you.
I wanted to apologize
for what I said.
I guess we're way
beyond that now.
- [Sam] What do you
want to do, David?
- Two million gets the film.
I wanna release a limited
art house release,
with a guaranteed
P&A in writing.
I want a three-picture deal
with a sliding scale budget
of one, three and five million.
- You've given this a lot
of thought, haven't you?
- It was a long drive.
- That's $11 million
with limited release.
- It's a deal, I'm
done with this.
I have to get to Albuquerque,
with a real film to make.
- [Carl] And who's gonna
be paying for all this?
- It's 11 million Carl, find it.
Deal with that army of
attorneys in the other room.
Enjoy this moment.
Maybe someday you'll
realize what it cost.
- Don't listen to her,
you made the right choice.
- Look kid, I would
love to represent you,
but I'd be losing
my best client.
I'll have the deal done by
the end of business tomorrow.
- [Sam] I'll wait for your call.
(indie rock ringtone music)
- Talk to Rufus.
Let him know what happened.
(soft uneasy expectant music)
God.
(soft uneasy expectant
music continues)
- [Rufus] You did it, we did it.
- Why'd you talk me
out of calling Lucy?
- [Rufus] What?
- Was it because you
knew if I talked to her,
I wouldn't have gone
through with this?
- [Rufus] You have a
career in film now.
A, a three-picture deal is
insane, you know that right?
- Sure, but at what cost Rufus?
- [Rufus] I don't
know what to tell you.
We all make choices,
and this was yours.
You're just gonna have
to learn to live with it.
- My choice, my choice?
You're the one who talked
me into doing this.
This was your idea.
My relationship with Lucy
is over because of you.
- [Rufus] Your relationship
with Lucy ended two years ago.
Do you really think
calling her yesterday
would've changed
anything, really?
- You have no idea
what this cost me!
But you know what? You're right.
You got what you
wanted, congrats.
- [Rufus] David, I-
(gentle pensive music)
(upbeat thoughtful music)
(type clicking)
(messages dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful music)
(type clicking)
(message dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(messages dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(message dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(messages dinging)
(upbeat thoughtful
music continues)
(keyboard clicking)
- [Lucy] I have one of the
biggest agencies in Hollywood
working for me, and I have you.
Don't tell me that
neither of you
can find me a
really good script.
She put me in on the topic
And it had barely begun
- Art film.
- What, like Truffaut?
French New Wave?
- Close but no, Bergman.
We use "Persona" as our guide.
- [Rufus] I've never
seen "Persona".
Only I wish I could forget
- [Angela] It's 11
million Carl, find it.
Deal with that army of
attorneys in the other room.
(thoughtful indie rock music)
- [Diane] Angela, you do realize
that nobody cares
about that stuff.
They care that Lucy is the star
and I'm the director, that's it.
And if you want to defeat
- [Carl] Stupid, you
think you're so slick!
Like, why do you think
you can do this to me?
(horn honking)
Makes them smoking,
only I wish I'd forget
- Cancel my 11:00.
- You don't have an 11:00.
- [Sam] Cancel it anyway.
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Van] What do
you get outta it?
- [Ray] An executive producer
credit beneath yours,
and I want outta
this broom closet.
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Vanessa] I could buy
Virgo some more cat toys,
I love her.
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Steve] I can keep my
mouth shut. (laughing)
(thoughtful indie
rock music continues)
- [Shalene] As we
enter awards season,
all of Hollywood is asking,
what will Lucy do next?
Back to you.
(keyboard clicking)
(gentle thoughtful music)
(gentle thoughtful
music continues)