“May I ask why you aren’t currently represented?”
David sat back in his seat and recognized the sales technique. It was designed to get him to talk about what he wanted, which would allow Kendrick to tailor his response to fit David’s needs.
“While I’m playing ball, the NCAA won’t allow me to do new projects. That means that I have no need to have an agent.”
What he didn’t say was that he’d fired his former agent and never got around to hiring a new one. David just assumed he didn’t need one because he couldn’t do any acting while in college if he wanted to play ball.
“Is it you can’t work, or that you can’t work for money?” Kendrick asked.
David was caught by surprise.
“My past agent would have never looked for work where he wouldn’t be paid,” David said to explain his surprised look.
“To clarify, can you work if there is no compensation?” Kendrick asked.
“I can. I just did a photo shoot for Latest Obsession with the understanding that they would donate to some charity. I’m not even sure if they did because I can’t really be seen directing money towards anything. The NCAA could construe that to be benefiting me in some way,” David explained.
“Tell me what you think an agent does,” Kendrick said.
“They find an actor work and then help negotiate contracts.”
“Having an agent shows casting companies that you are a professional actor, and the agent helps streamline the work a casting director has to do. That is the primary reason that most casting directors in major markets will not take submissions from actors not represented,” Kendrick said.
“But I’ve had studios ask for me specifically,” David countered.
“It’s the second half of what we do that then comes into play: negotiating contracts. While Ms. Dixon is excellent at what she does, she doesn’t have the specific experience to know what should and shouldn’t be in an actor’s contract. She also doesn’t know how to value your worth, nor does she know the dirty little tricks studios pull to take money out of your pocket.”
“Can you give me an example of dirty tricks?” Ms. Dixon asked.
“Did you make any money from College First when Netflix picked it up for streaming?” Kendrick asked.
David’s eyebrows scrunched together. He honestly didn’t know. When he signed up to do the J-drama, he was under the impression that it would only air in Japan.
“I’m not sure.”
“What is the main way you’re being paid for Devil May Care?” Kendrick asked.
“Shares from the profits,” David said.
“Does your share include streaming? Cable? Broadcast? Merchandise licensing? What if they come up with an NFT?”
“I think I’m missing something,” Ms. Dixon said. “Isn’t income, income?”
“It is until the studio can cloud the issue. Ticket and DVD sales are more straightforward, but it can become murky when you turn it over to multiple streaming sites like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon. I predict that in the future, movies will be released both in theaters and streaming at the same time for this very reason. Eventually, most theaters will go out of business,” Kendrick predicted.
David remembered his parents talking about driving to a store to rent movies when they were kids. Now he just tapped his phone or used his TV to find a film to watch.
“In one of my business classes, we were talking about whether a storefront was even needed anymore for most businesses. For example, I buy my groceries with an app. I thought I would want to check out the produce and the like, so I wasn’t for it. But I found that the shoppers that select my groceries don’t send me food that I’ll have to throw out. If they do, I just call, and they come and replace it.
“I also get a lot of stuff delivered that I used to go to the store for. I’ve found that I can get it cheaper online than paying for the overhead that a storefront requires. My mom is a realtor, and she told me that some of her investors are selling their malls and strip malls because they see this trend. It would make sense that movie theaters will be in the same boat,” David shared.
“But isn’t going to see a movie a social event, like a date?” Crystal asked.
“I’m not saying they’ll completely go away anytime soon, but there used to be drive-in theaters. Why do you think they went away?” he asked.
“Movie theaters are climate controlled, so they can show movies year-round and when the weather is bad,” she replied.
“Would you rather watch a movie at home or go to a theater with a bunch of strangers?” he asked.
“But …” Crystal pushed back and then sighed. “I don’t know why I’m arguing the point. I watch way more streaming than going to a theater. It’s been over a year since I went to a traditional movie theater.”
David turned to Kendrick.
“I see your point, but why would I need an agent right now?” David asked.
“Because we do more than just find you jobs and make sure you get paid every dime you’re owed. Acting is a craft. Like sports, you need to either be working on perfecting that craft or working to find your next job.”
“What will that cost me?” David asked.
“Nothing until you can actually get paid.”
David scoffed.
“I can’t see how that makes sense for you.”
“Eventually, you’ll get paid. Even if it is after you finish college. We’re in this for the long haul,” Kendrick explained.
David could appreciate that.
“I would agree to an initial one-year trial to see what value you bring,” he decided.
“Is it fair to say that if I can get you more from past projects, you can accept that money?” Kendrick asked.
“Ms. Dixon can get you a copy of my NCAA waiver. I can receive money so long as you don’t put my eligibility in jeopardy. Think of messing my eligibility up as the third rail that will get you fried—that means fired. My only requirement is that if you plan to do something, you run it by Ms. Dixon. If she’s not sure, I hired a lawyer specifically for dealing with the NCAA,” David said.
“What if I want to sue your J-drama’s production company? The Netflix deal made them millions.”
“For something like that, you would need to convince both Ms. Dixon and my dad. I simply don’t have the time to worry about stuff like that,” David admitted.
“Once David signs a contract, Rob and I can fill you in on how to work with him,” Ms. Dixon said.
“I take it you don’t want to see the contract or discuss terms?” Kendrick asked.
“I’ll give it final approval, but no, I don’t want to deal with that. My first football game is in eight or nine weeks. That’ll be my main focus besides school,” David said.
“Okay, I’ll send Ms. Dixon a contract,” Kendrick said.
◊◊◊
After he left, David spent a few minutes with Ms. Dixon and Crystal.
“My only advice is to go over the contract with a fine-toothed comb. My dad will fight for David, but his first responsibility is making his business money,” Crystal said.
“Don’t worry, I always do,” Ms. Dixon said.
“I’m not sure if I’m onboard with suing the College First people. We made a deal,” David said.
“I would agree if they hadn’t sold the rights to Netflix,” Crystal said.
“Depending on how much it is, I would lean towards not,” Ms. Dixon said.
“But what if it is a lot of money?” Crystal asked.
“Then I might roll the dice and see. We might also go after your former agent for not negotiating with that possibility in mind,” Ms. Dixon said.
David was reminded why Ari wasn’t his agent anymore. People, including Ms. Dixon, didn’t like his brash style.
“You do need to balance it out between what you might earn and whether it’ll hurt you in the future. Suing production companies makes the next one pause before hiring you,” Crystal pointed out.
David could see that. It would be like hiring a whistleblower. Not that he wanted any of his companies doing anything wrong, but why take the risk?