Chapter 111 - Sorrento

May 20, 2012 – Thursday 3 pm – Sorrento, Italy

"Hey, any news about Isaac yet?" a man asked another. "F*ck no. Is he even here?" The other man asked back. "I think so. I heard some people spotted him." The man replied. "So, they got us beat?" The other man sighed. "I don't know. IF someone got him, they'd be bragging about it by now." The man said.

Tayaw, while having his second lunch for the day, heard two men talk about him. From what he gathered, the two men are acquisition agents from two different film distribution companies in the US.

Since the festival began a few days ago, many people were attracted by 'September Ninth' because of the nominations attached to its name. After seeing the film, the festival attendees, especially the industry professionals basically went crazy and now, they're on a headhunt for Tayaw.

By now, everyone who is interested in Tayaw knows what he looks like after looking him up. Thankfully, they only know what he looks like on stage, and with Tayaw wearing sweatshirts, jeans, and running shoes, nobody recognized him yet. However, it's not only him that the movie people are looking for, but the actors in his film as well. Uranto, Iliene, and Nielg were all immediately recognized and were approached by film distributors.

Tayaw decided he's heard enough and waved at a server "Il conto, per favore." Tayaw said in well-pronounced Italian. Tayaw, since receiving the news of 'September Ninth' being selected by the jury, started learning Italian immediately. In the two months of online lessons and self-teaching by watching Italian movies, Tayaw is fluent enough to hold a conversation.

After lunch, Tayaw drove immediately back to his rented house in Positano.

"Hey Tayaw." Tayaw was greeted by Uranto as he entered the house. "Hey. What's up? You're back early? You blew off the ladies?" Tayaw quipped. Since the festival attendees saw their movie, some D-list or C-list celebrities would approach Uranto often with differing motives. Unfortunately for the ladies, Uranto is faithful to his girlfriend. The men, Uranto is not fluent enough in English to talk to them.

"Yeah." Uranto admitted. "Anyway, some people bribed me for your location and contacts. I refused, but I'm not sure about Iliene and Nielg." Uranto reported. The reason why Tayaw has been avoiding film distributors is that he actually wants to release his film through a Teungebian distributor. He figured that if he would refuse these international distributors anyway, it's pointless to talk to them.

Uranto's report however, gave Tayaw an idea. Eventually, he would want to establish connections with these film distributors when he makes more movies in the future, so it's not a bad idea to meet them now and make a good impression of himself to them. "Alright. May I ask how much they are offering you?" Tayaw asked.

"I was offered $9,000. I don't know about the other two." Uranto replied. "Alright. I have a plan. Is Iliene and Nielg around?" Tayaw asked. "Nielg is. I don't know where Iliene is." Uranto said. "Alright gather them in the dining room."

An hour or so, Iliene is back in the house and the meeting finally started. Iliene and Nielg reported that they both were offered at least $7000 for information about Tayaw, and depending on how important it is, maybe more.

"Okay. I'll help you three earn quick bucks." Tayaw said, to the surprise of the three actors. "Sorry? I almost gave them your number, man. You're not mad?" Iliene said. "No. I just wished you told me earlier. So, tell them that you're going to set up a meeting with me. At separate days of course.

Uranto, you were offered by three film distributors, right? Choose two that I will meet. Iliene and Nielg, two distributors each right? Choose one each. They will get what they want, you three will split up the money they pay. I'll act as if I was set up for a meeting so they won't figure out what we're doing." Tayaw explained.

"... That sounds … criminal." Uranto said in shock hearing what Tayaw is scheming. "I never thought you're like this." Nielg agreed. Iliene is just giving him a judgmental look. "Hah. Come on. This is nothing. Those people back stab each other often. They even steal from the people they work with. Let me tell you about … " Tayaw started explaining.

Tayaw is making the three dirty their hands as in the future, acting skills are not all it takes to be successful in the hostile environment of the entertainment business.

-

Five days later, Uranto, Iliene, and Nielg pocketed $10,000 each, guilty at how easy it was. Tayaw on the other hand, pocketed a few business cards.

"So. Yeah. When I have plans of making a film in the English language in the future, I'll call you." Tayaw said and shook hands with the last acquisition agent he met. "We'll be expecting it, Mr. Yawat. Congratulations in advance with the movie. I'm certain you will at least win the best director." The agent replied.

The agent just offered Tayaw a standard 30% share from the gross income of the movie sales. Aside from the 30% share, the film distributor should also recoup the expenses they made from advertising, which is how it is supposed to be. It looks a transparent and straightforward deal at first glance. The thing that worries Tayaw however is the exactly the recoupment by the film distributor.

If 'September Ninth' goes very very well, then the film distributor will definitely be tempted to inflate their expenses on the advertising. If for example the film distributor spent $2 million on prints and $10 million on advertising, they can inflate that by reporting incredibly high costs of materials in printing posters like the paper, the ink, and the artists who will make the poster. They can also claim high fees they paid in TV stations and other platforms to play the trailer. That $2 million print expense will then grow to $5 or more million while the advertising fee will grow from the actual $10 million to much much more.

Tayaw has no way of preventing that from happening if he signs a deal with an international distributor, so in the end, he decided on talking to distributors back in Teungeb. He will also not need a sales agent as 'September Ninth' being the first Teungebian in years to be selected in Sorrento Film Festival; it would be the Teungebian film distributors that will look for him. Removing the middle man that is the sales agent, he will save another 15-20% cut from the profits.

-

After his latest meeting, Tayaw met up with his group back at the rented house.

"Tayaw! Finally! Are we really going to just wear suits and pant suits to the ceremony? I'm fine with it, but Iliene…" Jouny asked. Over the past few days, she realized that Iliene needs a dress being lead actress in the film. "Tayaw, I'm fine. Jouny, why are you panicking? I won't buy a dress worth at least 10,000 BGC just to wear it for one night." Iliene said.

Because the actors in his film do not have agents, Tayaw himself was the one that reached out to Teungebian Fashion brands; in Ouigab especially but they never got back to him. Because they only had a little more than a month to prepare for the ceremony, the fashion brands that did get back to Tayaw refused to let them wear rushed suits and dresses as it may affect their brand.

Because of this, Tayaw eventually resorted to the group wearing suits and pant suits tailor made for them, all with different styles and following the blue theme. "And. Navy blue looks great! If I was attending the ceremony alone, I'd be worried. But because all of us are going there as a group, we would feel… powerful." Iliene added. "Alright. Why don't we try on the suits Tayaw made for us? We haven't worn it as a group since we got it." Uranto said.

"Fine." Jouny said. A few minutes later, the group came out of their own rooms wearing what they would wear for the ceremony.

"Thank goodness we won't look like we're going to a wedding." Jouny relented. Had the suits not styled differently, they would indeed look like a group going to a wedding with a navy blue theme. Tayaw would wear a three piece dark blue suit with a white inner shirt. Uranto would wear a navy blue tux with a sky blue inner shirt. Iliene also matched Uranto's outfit with her navy blue pant suit and sky blue inner shirt. Nielg would be wearing an indigo suit, black inner shirt, and a neck tie. Jouny would be wearing azure blue pantsuit to match her husband, Ongki's azure blue suit without a tie.

"That's true. I mean… you don't look like a screenwriter at all. 'Hello, mayor.'" Nielg commented at Jouny while giggling. Aside from the suits, Tayaw also lent the group classy looking watches, other accessories, and expensive shoes. This made their group end up not looking like a group of artists, but a group of executives or young politicians.

"Alright. I don't know what you all will do, but I'm going dehydrate myself for sharper features." Uranto said and went back in his room to change.