"Did you hear that, Matthew?"
Michael Sheen stood up, excitedly saying, "We're going to be part of a huge project! Universal Pictures' 'Gladiator'! Ridley Scott's 'Gladiator'!"
The name Ridley Scott sounded familiar. After thinking for a moment, Matthew asked uncertainly, "is that the one who directed 'Alien'?"
"That's him! He's an A-list director!" Michael Sheen was clearly overly excited. He grabbed Matthew's arm and said, "We're going to be involved in a Hollywood major studio A-list project!"
Matthew pulled his arm away, deciding to pour some cold water on him. "An A-list project from a major studio? We're still extras; we probably won't even get a front-facing shot."
He was also a little excited, but not to the extent Michael Sheen was.
"Uh…" Michael Sheen scratched his head. "I guess I was thinking too much."
Helen Herman's voice came through again, "This job requires you to stay with the crew for a week. Those who are willing, sign up at the front desk. Those who aren't can leave now."
More than ten people stood up and left one after another. The others lined up at the front desk to sign up. Matthew and Michael Sheen also went over.
Although going to the film set for a week would definitely require taking leave from Red Penguin Company, Matthew still decided to go!
Just as Michael Sheen said, this job came from Universal Pictures' 'Gladiator' project. Matthew had seen the film and vaguely remembered that 'Gladiator' was a critically acclaimed movie, rumored to have even won an Oscar.
While everyone was queuing, Matthew heard Helen Herman give more details about the job.
Originally, the 'Gladiator' crew planned to shoot this war scene in the UK, but during location scouting, they encountered large-scale protests from environmental organizations. A forest intended for filming was completely occupied by environmentalists, forcing Universal Pictures to activate a backup plan: the crew returned to North America to complete the scene in a forest in Northern California that was about to be cut down.
Due to the last-minute change in plans, the British intermediary company the crew had previously contacted had to be dropped. Upon returning to Los Angeles, they urgently needed to recruit suitable extras.
Angel Agency got a piece of the pie, recruiting some extras to play Germanic soldiers for the 'Gladiator' crew.
This job would last a week, with a daily wage of $200. The crew would provide transportation and coordinate all temporary actors' accommodation and meals.
In every aspect, the working conditions were much better than Matthew's previous job playing a corpse. The only problem was that they had to gather and depart at eleven o'clock, leaving no time to request leave.
After signing up, Matthew immediately called Lister, making up an excuse about needing to go back to his hometown in Texas. Amidst Lister's nagging accusations, he finally secured a week's leave.
"All set?"
Michael Sheen, who had also been on the phone requesting leave, walked back. Matthew nodded slightly, "Got a week off. You?"
Michael Sheen shrugged, "My boss wouldn't give me leave, so I fired him!"
The two chatted for a few more moments, then Matthew's gaze shifted to Helen Herman at the front desk. She was still wearing black-rimmed glasses and a professional women's suit.
"This woman is not simple," Matthew murmured to himself.
"What?" Michael Sheen asked.
Matthew shook his head, "Nothing."
He looked at Helen Herman, continuously pondering. Angel Agency had only been established recently; to get resources from a crew like 'Gladiator' must mean she had a very deep network of connections, right?
However, looking at Helen Herman's age, she seemed to have just graduated from college. Could she start a business at that age?
Although Matthew hadn't been in the US for long, he had extensive experience in society. Based on the common sense from his previous life, someone like Helen Herman usually had an extraordinary family background.
Angel Agency might be different from other small intermediary agencies… He had such a guess in his mind.
Then he made a decision: should he try to make an impression on Helen Herman? If she remembered him, she would prioritize him when work came up.
For a small fry like him, leveraging connections was very important.
After waiting for over an hour, a large bus arrived outside the building. Led by the front desk staff, all the extras, including Matthew and Michael Sheen, boarded the bus. The bus headed north and soon left the Burbank area.
"It would be great if I could get a main role," Michael Sheen, sitting next to him, looked out the window and said, "A single role in a film like this can change your life."
His eyes seemed to sparkle. "If you play a major supporting role in a film like this, you'll be qualified to contend for lead roles in smaller productions!"
Matthew felt he was overthinking it and said, "A major supporting role is impossible. I'd be satisfied if I could just show my face in the film and have my name in the end credits."
"You've just started," Michael Sheen said, "Wait until you've been in Los Angeles for three years with no progress, then you'll understand how I feel now."
"Desperate for fame?" Matthew asked.
Michael Sheen nodded heavily, "Fame! In Hollywood, as long as you're famous, you'll have money! Status! Women!"
Hearing this, coupled with their interactions today, Matthew felt that Michael Sheen was similar to him in some ways.
It wasn't surprising. Of those who enter this industry, especially actors, how many are truly for the art of acting? Probably 99.9% of them, like him and Michael Sheen, are after fame and fortune.
Two hours later, the bus left the main road and entered a hilly area. After driving a few more kilometers, it slowly stopped by the roadside.
Matthew and the others waited in the bus for the time being, looking out the window. Outside was the edge of a small town, with vehicles parked everywhere, from buses to cars to crane trucks used for filming. Further in the distance, in a sparse forest, there were countless shadowy figures and cameras set up on tracks, seemingly in the middle of filming.
Michael Sheen watched excitedly, muttering, "I wish I were the male lead!"
"Brother, you're overthinking it!" A bald man in front heard him, turned his head, and said, "You won't be able to compare to Russell Crowe even in twenty years."
A burst of laughter erupted around them. Michael Sheen's face turned crimson. He was about to stand up but was pulled back by Matthew.
"No need," he whispered, "Whatever you say, they'll just treat it as a joke."
Michael Sheen held back, also lowering his voice, "I'll remember them! When I get famous, I'll find them to be extras in my crew. Then we'll see who's the joke!"
The front desk assistant then called everyone to get off the bus. After Matthew got off, he found that Helen Herman had already arrived. She seemed to have just finished negotiating with a bearded crew member and was walking over with him.
"First, we'll arrange accommodation for everyone. Make sure to stick together later," Helen Herman's voice was clear, yet loud enough. "Then I'll hand out the contracts to you."
She pointed to the front desk receptionist, "After signing, hand them all to Amanda."
"No problem." Matthew squeezed closer to Helen Herman. Helen Herman glanced at him and continued, "After signing the contract, have lunch at the hotel where you'll be staying. Gather at the hotel entrance at 1 PM to go to the filming location for rehearsal."
"Do you need anything else?" she asked the bearded man next to her. Seeing him shake his head, she then told the many extras, "Follow me."
Matthew and Michael Sheen quickly followed. A long line of people trailed behind Helen Herman and the bearded man, entering the small town.
The people from Angel Agency were all staying at the same hotel. Helen Herman, despite her young age, was experienced in her work. With the assistance of the bearded man from the 'Gladiator' crew, she quickly settled the extras' accommodation and distributed contracts to everyone.
The hotel conditions were quite good, with two people per room. Matthew became roommates with Michael Sheen, the only person he knew.
They would likely be staying for a week. Matthew briefly tidied his luggage, then opened the contract to read it. It was largely similar to the extra contracts he had signed before. What he cared most about was the compensation: a daily wage of two hundred dollars!
If they really filmed for a week, that would be an income of fourteen hundred dollars, almost equivalent to a month's salary at the Red Penguin Company.
Having been in this industry for some time, Matthew was well aware that such opportunities were extremely rare. He began to place more importance on Helen Herman, this young agent.
"Any problems?" Matthew closed the contract and asked.
Michael Sheen was meticulously going through it, as if it were a superstar contract.
"Haven't finished reading it yet," he said without looking up.
Around lunchtime, Matthew and Michael Sheen left their room and went to the hotel lobby, handed their contracts to Amanda, who was waiting there, and then headed to the restaurant for their meal.
The crew was clearly well-funded. Lunch wasn't extravagant, but it was quite good, at least many times better than Matthew's usual dining standards when he ate alone.
After eating and resting for a while, led by Helen Herman, Matthew and the other extras left the town on time and arrived at the filming location on the outskirts of the town.
This was a rehearsal without makeup. Several hundred extras were waiting on the periphery of the set. On both sides of the set were forests, and a cleared area in the middle looked very suitable as a battlefield.
"Everyone, come over!"
The bearded man they had seen in the morning appeared holding a megaphone. He seemed to be in charge here. "Stand in two rows along the edge of the forest, spread out! Don't stand in formation! You are a bunch of ignorant Germanic people!"
Several hundred extras swarmed into the forest like headless flies, then came to the edge of the open ground. Their chaotic appearance indeed resembled a group of barbarians.
The bearded man stood on the highest ground nearby. "When I say 'start,' you all howl together! An angry howl! Understand?"
"Start!" he shouted loudly.
"Awooo—"
"Ahhh—"
All sorts of strange cries instantly erupted, echoing far and wide.
Matthew also yelled with all his might, his face almost contorted from the effort.
"Good!" The bearded man seemed very satisfied. "Next, we'll practice…"
For battle scenes like this, rehearsals before filming were essential. Just the rehearsals for the Germanic people Matthew was part of and the opposing Roman legion took three days.
On the morning of the fourth day, filming began on time.