Start by working in jobs related to the film industry—even the most menial entry-level positions are fine. This way, you can gain experience and look for opportunities...

In fact, the film industry is the same all over the world: countless talented people pour into it, but only a handful succeed. Often, opportunity is more important than talent.

As night deepened, Ross called to ask if Henry needed anything else. Given the current situation, Henry couldn’t afford to be picky and straightforwardly said he wanted to borrow a car for a while so he could go out and look for suitable work.

Early the next morning, a young Black man delivered a fairly new Chevrolet to that intersection. Ross was very thoughtful—the car’s tank was obviously filled up. Henry parked the car in an alley beside the apartment building, bought breakfast and several newspapers, and went back upstairs. While eating, he flipped through the job listings in the papers, hoping to find something suitable.

Given his current circumstances, his requirements were really low: as long as the job was related to the film industry and paid promptly, it would do.

This was Los Angeles, home to Hollywood, with thousands of film and television production companies and studios scattered throughout. Every day, several crews started work, so there were still opportunities like this.

After going through two newspapers, Henry copied down a few listings that interested him to call later. When he got to the last paper, a huge recruitment ad caught his eye, and his eyes instantly lit up.

This massive crew was just beginning preparations and was openly recruiting for positions like art designers, costume staff, illustrators, assistants, and more. The name of the project was—“The Matrix”!

Just a few lines in, Henry realized this was a recruitment ad for the sequels to the Wachowski brothers’ “The Matrix,” which would be filmed back-to-back. This was undoubtedly a great opportunity.

Chapter 3 NO!

A year ago, “The Matrix” caused a worldwide sensation, and the Wachowski brothers went from newcomers to some of the hottest directors in Hollywood. Warner Bros. and their partner Village Roadshow Pictures raised huge funds, putting the sequels on the agenda.

Bruce Berman from Village Roadshow Pictures became one of the producers for this project. Because of the massive investment, even a veteran producer like him was under a lot of pressure. Since the crew was formed, he could often be seen losing his temper at the Warner lot.

As an old-school producer, Bruce Berman was extremely strict about all the preparatory work. Even for the crew’s recruitment, he would join in whenever he had time.

For a project like the “Matrix” sequels, a huge crew was inevitable, with countless behind-the-scenes roles needed. In addition to recommendations from Hollywood’s various guilds and talent agencies, there would also be open recruitment.

“This is a super project with a total investment of over $300 million.”

Before the morning’s interviews began, Bruce Berman gathered several department heads for a brief pep talk: “You must ensure that every person we hire is a top expert with rich industry experience!”

Bruce Berman wasn’t just talk—after the meeting, he followed a production manager into an office, ready to personally participate in the recruitment interviews.

A black Chevrolet sedan drove into Burbank. The most valuable thing left by the former Henry was his familiarity with the Greater Los Angeles area, so Henry quickly found the Warner lot. After parking, he grabbed the carefully prepared document folder from the passenger seat, registered at the studio entrance, and took a shuttle cart into the lot.

Sitting in the cart with a few others, Henry realized he was the youngest of the group. It made sense—he’d only been twenty when he went to prison last year, and now he was just barely a legal adult.

The Warner lot was located behind the Warner building. Glancing at the building, Henry exhaled lightly. He believed that one day, all the production companies would welcome him.

Although his goal was distant and perhaps unrealistic, Henry kept hypnotizing himself in his heart—I am the most special one!

Hollywood is a tough place. If you don’t even dare to set a goal or have the most basic confidence, you might as well look for another job.

Since he was here, Henry was full of confidence. After all, he had resources in this era that others didn’t.

He believed that as long as the right opportunity came, he would definitely shine.

The shuttle stopped in front of the production office area. Nowadays, Hollywood crews often shoot elsewhere, so the huge lot seemed a bit empty and quiet. Only here could you still see some people. Like the others, Henry followed the staff’s directions to a large conference room to wait.

Sitting in the conference room, Henry had no interest in chatting with the others. He just held his folder, running through possible interview questions in his mind and thinking about how to highlight his strengths...

He was interviewing for the crew’s art department, and had prepared for days. Thanks to his studies at film school, Henry had also drawn several dark, gothic-style sketches, which he hoped would help him make a stronger impression.