Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The next filming started to go smoothly. Jennifer Beals is a top student who was admitted to Yale University. Her understanding is outstanding. Adrian Lyne explained her character's background, personality, and behavior, and she performed them all very well.

For example, in the scene where Alex is a welding girl in a steel factory, Jennifer Beals puts on work clothes, a helmet, and protective goggles, and uses a welding gun to weld workpieces.

Westinghouse had just demolished their turbine plant in Pittsburgh, and the crew rented the plant to serve as the interior of the steel plant.

Beals picked up the welding gun and pointed the camera at her helmet, which had the word Alex written on it. Steam and loud noises began to fill the shooting location.

"a!"

Biers used the welding gun to tap on the workpiece, and a burst of sparks came out. She didn't know how to keep the welding gun at the right distance from the workpiece to allow the welding rod to melt evenly and stably. The magnetic force always pushed her welding rod aside, causing it to flame out at every turn.

Biers was very smart. She continued to poke the workpiece with the welding rod, so that the current could continue to pass through, and a lot of sparks popped out of the welding rod.

"cut!"

Ryan made a nice gesture. Anyway, the audience cannot tell the difference, and the focus of the film is not to depict the work of female welders.

Ronald and the crew applauded and congratulated the successful shot. Together with the newly filmed shots of forklifts, tipping buckets, and employees banging pipes with unknown meanings, the editing creates a scene of heavy metal in a steel factory.

"Why should such an advanced factory be demolished?" Ronald chatted with Westinghouse personnel after the filming was completed.

"The local labor unions are so powerful now that the superiors are planning not to continue producing turbines locally, but to purchase and OEM products from Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries."

…

"Woo..." The hydraulic device of the dump truck exerted tremendous force, pushing the dump truck onto its head and flipping it over. The close-up shot of the dump truck looked majestic. Jennifer Beals took off her welding mask, shook her hair from side to side, and let out a sigh of relief.

The next day, Ronald sat down with director Adrian Lyne and producer Don Simpson to watch the dailies again.

The recorder was playing the theme song for "Flashdance" written and recorded by singer Joe Esposito... "What a feeling."

The melody is very nice,

Ronald had heard it in his dreams, and he began to imagine how to edit the scenes shot by Director Lane to match the rhythm of the music.

"This scene should last for two bars of music, and then cut to the scene of the heroine welding, then the scene of knocking on the pipe, and finally, when the melody of the music is accumulating energy, it will be cut to the scene of Beers flipping his hair..."

"Ronald, Ronald?"

When Ronald came to his senses, Don Simpson was asking him a question.

"Ronald, what do you think? There is a mismatch between this theme song and the picture. What do you think?"

Director Adrian Lane asked Ronald sincerely for his opinion. He now regarded Ronald as a rival artist. Sometimes, although he had ideas, he still wanted to ask Ronald about his opinions. Opinion.

"Doesn't it match?" Ronald listened carefully and found that the lyrics were different from those in his dream. The lyrics in the dream were more from a woman's perspective, explaining her journey of pursuing her dream.

"Maybe we should re-write the lyrics and tell the story from the heroine's perspective..."

"You're right, why don't you do the writing?" Don Simpson responded, "Adrian, Ronald was the songwriter for the Oscar for Best Original Song."

"This..." Ronald didn't want to copy someone else's work this time, "This is a song narrated from a woman's perspective. It might be more appropriate for us to find a woman to write the lyrics. There are some subtle differences in the emotional expressions of men and women."

"That's right. Why don't we find a female singer to sing this song again?" Director Ryan took the opportunity to express his thoughts, "What do you think? Ronald, Don?"

"The female singer is a good idea." Ronald nodded of course.

"Female singer, we might have to find a mezzo-soprano." Don Simpson looked at Ronald, "Do you have any candidates?"

"You should have seen the theme song of 'Famous', right?" Ronald thought of his old friend Erin Kara.

"Is that the song 'same (fame)? Hahaha, of course I've heard it. That black girl is indeed a good candidate. Give her a call and ask her to submit a demo."

…

"Ronald... Long time no see... What, there is a movie theme song... Hmm, play the melody to me... Rewrite the lyrics?... Narrated from a female perspective... I understand, I will go to the recording studio right away. "

Erin Kara was very happy when she received a call from Ronald. I have been singing my song "Fame" for two years, and I urgently need a new song, otherwise the TV station will soon stop me from appearing on the show.

She grabbed a notebook containing the original lyrics that Ronald dictated over the phone, rushed out of her New York apartment, hailed a taxi, and rushed to the recording studio. She took out her notebook and pencil in the back seat of the taxi and began to revise.

"Alone, I've cried

Silent tears, full of pride

In a world of steel

Well, I heard music.

Close my eyes and feel the rhythm

Surround and hold my heart

what a wonderful feeling

To exist is to believe

I could have it all and now I'm dancing for my life"

Half an hour later, Erin Kara rushed to the recording studio, grabbed the phone, and dialed Pittsburgh.

"Ronald, I have written new lyrics, listen to it..."

"What do you think?"

Erin Cara revised the lyrics on the road and then went to the studio to sing a demo a cappella. Don Simpson and Adrian Lane heard Erin's singing over the phone.

Don Simpson closed his eyes and drew circles in the air with his fingers, as if directing the band to play the theme song "What a Feeling"

After listening to the demo, he opened his eyes and said, "Very good, let's use your friend's version. I think this song has the potential to become a hit. When Alex takes the exam at the ballet academy, why not use this music?"

Don Simpson's last words were to the director.

"It's great. It vividly expresses the inner feelings of a girl pursuing the art of dance in a steel industry city. How did you find this lyricist and singer?"

Ronald was stunned for a moment. He just thought that the voice of the singer in his dream sounded like a black man, and he happened to know Irene Kara. But he still had to make up a reason to show that he had artistic taste.

"Eileen Cara is a black Latina, and it's a little bit harder to navigate that identity in this industry. So she feels the same way, right? She was on her way to the studio, and she changed those women in less than half an hour. Perspective Lyrics.”

After saying this, Don Simpson and Adrian Lane both nodded. The American music scene has always been about local black people providing talent, while white people are responsible for commercialization. With an identity that relies on neither side, Irene Cara will indeed have a similar state of mind to the protagonist Alex.

Alex is a welder who works in a factory. With his wild dance foundation, he wants to be admitted to the ballet academy. He also needs to deal with the doubts of others and his own heart.

The demo of Erin Kara's score was produced quickly, and the crew quickly got hold of the theme song "What a Feeling."

The crew applied for a morning shooting invitation from the Pittsburgh government and prepared to shoot Alex riding a bicycle to work, shuttling through the streets and alleys of Pittsburgh and the iconic Three Sisters Bridge.

These are three steel bridges in downtown Pittsburgh, built in the 1920s, an era of rapid infrastructure development in America. The Three Sisters Bridge closely connects the city center separated by three rivers, and there are bicycle lanes on it for people to use.

The Pittsburgh Police Department sent some officers to help the crew coordinate traffic.

The recording team played the recording of "What a Wonderful Feeling" at the scene, which made the heroine Jennifer Beals even more into the state.

"Didi..." A policeman who was sent to direct traffic also heard the music. He began to imitate various musical instruments and made many dance moves to direct traffic.

Ronald looked very interesting and quickly put his hand on the shoulder of director Adrian Lyne. "Adrian, look at that person..."

"What is that?" Ryan also found it interesting.

"A police officer who dances to direct traffic, why don't we put him in a movie? I bet this guy is famous in Pittsburgh," Ronald said.

"Hello, sir, can I disturb you for a moment?" Ronald went over and greeted the policeman.

"Hello, I am Vic Sianka, police number xxxxx"

The dancer directing traffic saluted Ronald and introduced himself.

"Is this how you usually direct traffic?"

"Yes, traffic control is very boring, and the drivers in Pittsburgh are not very good-tempered. I will use some dance moves to keep everyone calm and in order."

"What do you think about appearing in our movie and playing yourself?"

"Oh, can I? I have to tell my wife the good news. Thank you, sir."

After communicating with officials sent by the Pittsburgh government. The policeman who uses dance moves to direct traffic is also well-known locally. He has directed traffic for more than two decades and has been featured in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Dubbed the "Baryshnikov of the Crossroads" by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he was known to many Pittsburgh locals.

"Very good. Such a plot arrangement will increase the recognition of local audiences." Don Simpson also learned of the news and agreed to add a scene.

"You know what? I think Alex should use some movements that are not traditional ballet." Ronald explained his own ideas and some scenes in the dream to Don and Adrian.

"Alex is a welder, and his dancing was learned from the ballet dancers on TV. There must be a lot of informality and irregularities. It is almost impossible for such a character to be admitted to the Pittsburgh Ballet Academy.

We have to make the audience feel that this plot is reasonable, so we have to add some street dances to her, such as imitating the policeman's dance steps, so that the judges of the entrance exam will also find it fresh. Her admission can also be more convincing. "

The more Ronald talked, the more he felt it made sense, "Although Alex's boyfriend and steel mill owner Nick helped her win the interview and admission opportunity, her admission must not come through the same back door, but should be fought through Alex's own struggle. related."

"It makes sense. We can let Bills and the dancing police learn a few moves, but that's not enough. What kind of dance should we add to her?" Don Simpson felt that this improvised plot was very well connected with the original script. , so I prepared to let the choreographer and director start working overtime.

"What do you think of this kind of dance?" Ronald simply took off his coat and danced the black break dance steps he saw in his dream.

"What the hell kind of dance is this?" Don Simpson's eyes popped out of his head.

"This is called the moonwalk, this is called the moonwalk, this is called the noodle dance, and this..." Ronald found the polished marble floor of the porch of a nearby building, lay down on the ground, and began to spin.

"This is called a helicopter. I'm not a good jumper." Ronald stopped his movements and explained to the director and producer.

"This is a popular dance among black people on the east and west coasts. You can go to Los Angeles and ask some real dancers to try it. Latinos and black people dance more. There is a TV show that often plays this dance. What is it called... Soul train"

－－－－－－Digression－－－－－

I would like to extend my New Year greetings to all readers, and wish you prosperity in the Year of the Tiger and all your wishes coming true.

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