The day after meeting with Helen, Ryan got busy preparing for the various aspects of shooting “The Blair Witch Project.”
Making a film is a very meticulous task.
Even for a pseudo-documentary focusing on marketing, there couldn’t be any carelessness.
Nothing in Hollywood ever succeeds by chance; every success is backed by countless hardships.
The first task was to find a suitable small town near New York as the filming location and select three suitable actors.
There were no special requirements for the actors, but their appearance couldn’t be too low.
Finding male actors was relatively easier; they could be young and inexpensive.
Helen had suitable candidates under her agency.
The requirements for the female actor were higher, and since Starry Sky Agency was just starting, finding the right actress would take some time.
Additionally, the shoot needed someone to handle the crew’s logistics, even in a small crew there are numerous tasks that need managing.
Fortunately, Helen took on most of these tasks, and even Heidi, Starry Sky’s first employee, acted as an assistant.
In essence, Starry Sky Agency’s business was almost entirely halted, with all personnel focused on preparing for “The Blair Witch Project.”
According to Helen, the shooting of “The Blair Witch Project” was the most important business for Starry Sky Agency at this stage, and confidentiality was paramount. No outsiders were allowed, and everyone, including Heidi, signed a confidentiality agreement with hefty penalties for breaches.
Within three days, Helen selected a small town as the filming location.
The town was very secluded, with a total population of just over two hundred, and rarely had any outsiders visiting.
Ryan was busy with actor auditions, essentially watching various actors from Starry Sky Agency perform their mediocre acting.
There wasn’t much to choose from; most were low-level Hollywood actors, usually cast as extras, background characters, or corpses, so any two could be picked.
Ryan was somewhat looking forward to the first and possibly only audition for the female lead.
He wasn’t too concerned about the female lead’s acting skills; for a pseudo-documentary like this, acting skills weren’t necessary.
Helen, on the other hand, was very cautious. If the film succeeded, the three leading actors would gain significant fame.
Even if they were scolded by countless media and fans, it was still better than being unknown.
The future development of Starry Sky Agency would revolve around them, so Helen was more invested in the casting than Ryan.
When Ryan arrived at the agency, he found over a dozen young female actors already there, each beautifully made up and showcasing their slender figures, quite pleasing to the eye.
All of them were at least average in appearance.
This wasn’t surprising; Hollywood never lacked beautiful women, and the competition among actresses was the fiercest.
Their cautious demeanor was evident from how they kept their distance from each other and didn’t talk.
Heidi’s prepared water and food remained untouched.
Most people only saw the glamorous side of Hollywood actresses, never the struggles behind the scenes.
Many actresses face age concerns soon after gaining fame. In Hollywood, actresses don’t have long careers; they rely on their youth.
Unlike male actors, who often become more popular as they age, many big-name male actors remain active on screen well into their seventies and eighties.
So, actresses with dreams of fame in Hollywood never miss any opportunity.
Ryan wasn’t surprised by this. If someone casually chatted and drank the provided water or ate the food, he’d find it strange.
Throughout his past and present lives, such rumors or real incidents were common.
Especially regarding food, actresses usually only ate their own food and drank their own water. Even if provided by the crew, they wouldn’t touch it.
This was basic self-protection.
Ryan went to the third-floor office, chatted with Helen for a while, and joked, “I thought I’d see a red couch or red carpet.”
The red couch or red carpet joke had spread worldwide.
In Hollywood, during auditions, if a red couch or a red carpet was present, actors who wanted the role would shut the door, undress, and lie on the couch.
Of course, this wasn’t the practice anymore; everything had become transparent. The red couch, used for decades, had faded out a few years ago.
The main reason was that it was unnecessary; direct invitations sufficed.
“If you think a red couch looks nice, I can have Heidi bring one over.”
Helen said indifferently, “But I doubt the newcomers know its meaning.”
This outdated rule was known only to seasoned actors; few others were aware of it now.
“Never mind, Heidi’s already busy enough. If she had to move a couch, she’d probably kill me.” Ryan had no real interest in a red couch.
After chatting for a while, they started the auditions.
Hollywood auditions had long become procedural, almost identical in process.
The only difference was the simplicity of the office, with no camera prepared.
The actresses introduced themselves and performed a monologue without a script or character analysis.
The main reason was confidentiality. Only Ryan and Helen knew the script and plot of “The Blair Witch Project,” even Heidi was kept in the dark.
By the end of the morning, eight actresses had auditioned.
None were familiar to Ryan; they were small-time actors or extras, just pretty faces.
“Ryan, you’re the director, I need your opinion.”
Seeing Ryan’s silence, Helen spoke up.
Ryan lightly drummed his fingers. “First, exclude African, Asian, or Latino actresses. They don’t fit the film’s requirements.”
“Younger, petite, and with a sweet or delicate appearance to garner media and audience sympathy.”
An African, Asian, or Latino female lead wouldn’t attract public attention or help the film’s marketing.
Only native-born Americans could catch media and public interest.
“The Blair Witch Project” succeeded because the distribution company leveraged media and public sympathy to draw audiences to theaters.
That was the core of the film.
A female lead who could evoke media and public sympathy was what he needed.
Helen gave him a deep, meaningful look. “Hollywood never lacks talented actresses.”
Almost all actresses could portray a sweet or delicate image.
Ryan’s insight surprised her.
Hollywood was full of talented directors, but few truly understood North American public demand.
A director who understood public demand and could market without limits might not win over critics or academicians, but would certainly win over film companies.