Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Your performance is very natural, very good," Ronald said to Helen Slater.

"It's just too short. After two afternoons, 15 seconds is gone."

Helen pressed the rewind button of the VCR and took the videotape of her advertisement.

"There's another version here. It's the version you sang Carpenter's song, but your father thought it was inappropriate to buy the cover of the song for an advertisement, so he ended up using the jazz version you sang."

Ronald handed another videotape, "I'll keep this copy for you as a souvenir." Then he picked up a book on the table and continued to read.

Helen Slater called Ronald after Thanksgiving, and her mother wanted to see a copy of her daughter's ad, and made an appointment to come to Ronald's house today to get it.

She took the Carpenter version of the videotape, put it into the VCR happily, and enjoyed it.

After putting on her own performance a few times, Helen was very satisfied. Seeing that Ronald was looking down at a book and didn't read his advertisement, he felt a little lost for some reason. The director doesn't seem to care much about his film and television debut, and is more interested in the black-covered, soft-covered book in his hand.

My performance looks perfect, the young director must be editing every day, so no matter how good the performance is, I don't feel it anymore. Or is his book too engaging?

"What book are you reading?" Helen Slater looked at Ronald with big blue glasses.

"Endless love, I gave my cousin Donna a Thanksgiving gift, but she said that Aunt Karen would not let her read this kind of novel, let me not tell my aunt I gave her, and leave it with me for the time being, and wait for her next year. Go to Stuyvesant High School and look at it."

Ronald lowered his head and replied to Helen while reading the book. There are some very explicit descriptions and deviant plots in Endless Love. No wonder Aunt Karen didn't like it. Ronald began to quickly flip through the novel in his hand and read it.

"Your cousin can get into Stuyvesant, she's really good."

"Yeah, it's a purely IQ test, and Donna is still pretty good."

Ronald remembered the day after Thanksgiving when he visited Stuyvesant with Aunt Karen and Donna.

Donna's score has exceeded the historical admission line of Vincent High School by nearly 40 points, and she will definitely be admitted. The three then went to high school to visit Donna's future school.

This is a high school that asks nothing but IQ tests (math, reading, logic). Jews have always made up the majority of the students, but they see a lot of Chinese in the school, and I heard that the enrollment rate of Chinese has been rising rapidly recently. There are basically no Latinos and blacks.

The school also offers more than 50 pre-university courses that allow you to get college credit in high school. In addition to increasing the probability of admission to Ivy League universities, it can also deduct the hours spent at the university, which can save a lot of tuition.

In addition to mathematics, science, and English, students also study three foreign languages, art, music, and other courses.

In addition to academic courses, there are also skills courses in gymnastics, fencing, equestrian, health management, public speaking and more. Basically, it is a public school that cultivates social elites in accordance with the curriculum of private preparatory high schools, and New York State residents can study for free.

All in all, Aunt Karen and Donna were very satisfied, and so was Ronald.

"Your performance is perfect, I actually prefer this version to sing Carpenter's songs." Ronald finally finished the novel and looked at Helen who was rewinding, "Is there a new role for you in Gerald? "

"No, daddy said I'll wait until I take more acting lessons." Helen already has her own acting career plans. "Don't talk, I'm going to my mother's place."

"I'll take you off." Ronald got up and picked up his coat.

After sending Helen away, Ronald went to the casting studio, where he routinely took pictures every Saturday, and returned the old script he received last time. Julia Taylor of the studio last saw him reading an old script,

I promised to take a copy home to read every time, and return it next time.

"Ronnie, you're here, we're going to be busy soon, and there's another youth film that needs a nationwide cast. Be prepared, there will be a lot of young girls taking pictures." Julia Taylor saw him, Give him a job right away.

"Like the blue reef last time?" Ronald asked.

"The casting range is wider than that, and this time it may be for ordinary people without actor experience." Julia Taylor said.

"What movie, such a big fight? Romeo and Juliet?" Ronald couldn't think of a movie that would require a national audition for teenagers.

"Almost, it's an adaptation of a romance novel," Julia Taylor replied, "because the studio, Casablanca Records, is getting into filmmaking for the first time, and it's part of the film's marketing plan."

"So do you really want to find ordinary people with no acting experience and outstanding appearance?" Ronald thought it was a bit incredible. He directed Helen Slater, and it was already very difficult to find someone with no experience. .

"This possibility is very small, but it is not unheard of in the history of movies, and many girls have reached the sky in one step."

"So which novel? Jane Austen, or Dickens?" Ronald asked curiously.

"Neither, it's the latest best-selling romance novel, Endless Love," Julia Taylor replied.

"Is this the novel?" Ronald waved the book in his hand, "It's not quite a romance novel. The author wrote it very controversial, more like a world romance novel."

In the endless love, in addition to minors stealing the forbidden fruit, there are also arson, teenagers who commit serious crimes and are sentenced to psychiatric hospitals, and the mother seduces her daughter's lover and other very controversial plots. Ronald does not believe that this novel can be adapted into a pure love movie.

"Sometimes the adaptation is like this, only borrowing the name of the novel and the setting of the protagonist, and the rest can be rewritten. But I can't say for sure, let's see how the people from Casablanca Records decide." Julia Taylor hasn't seen it yet Script, also not sure.

"Casablanca Records prepared a budget of 8 million, and they got a $100 million quota from PolyGram to use for filming. So for this film, they are definitely going to make a big deal. I heard that they invited Martin Scotia. Seth's screenwriter, Paul Schrader, is directing the film."

Julia Taylor told Ronald about the background of the producers, "If the casting of this film can be successful, all the films that Casablanca will invest in after that will be indispensable to us."

"Don't worry, I will work hard. I have completed the four courses in the first semester well. Christmas is the winter and Christmas holidays. I can spend more time on this matter."

"Very good, this is another youth exploitation film. It is expected that there will be a lot of nude scenes. You are a well-known signed screenwriter. If you have time, you can also help us check the audition candidates. The intuition of your peers is the most accurate. "

Ronald was interested in Scorsese's screenwriting and being invited to direct the film, and he was ready to go this route. Paul Schrader, who wrote Scorsese's critically acclaimed "Taxi Driver," is also the writer of the new film that Scorsese is currently editing.

Ronald planned to have the opportunity to ask Scorsese how he could actually become a screenwriter and go from screenwriter to director.

...

"Mr. Paul Schrader, I'm Keith Barrish, the producer of Casablanca. Our invitation is very sincere. It's up to you to spend the $8 million budget and determine the hero and heroine of the national audition. to decide."

Keith Barrish was the main driver of Casablanca Records' foray into the film industry. Seeing Robert Stigwood's investment in "Saturday Night Fever", "Grease" sold two musical films, and together with his rso record company sold tens of millions of records.

In particular, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack album by the band bee gees topped No. 1 for 28 consecutive weeks from January 1978 until July. 5 singles from the album reached the top of the relay singles chart. The entire album sold 16 platinum and sold 16 million copies.

The film also brought about a disco resurgence, turning a slew of disco singers, including Donna Summer.

Like other record companies, Casablanca is very jealous, thinking that they have found the code of wealth, and they have joined the film industry one after another. This is also the real reason why Hollywood began to invest in musicals again in 1979.

Even the Hollywood dance king of the 1940s and 1950s, Gene Kelly, who has been out of film for many years, was also summoned by the film company to make a comeback.

"Keith, may I call you Keith?" Paul Schrader has had many hit screenwriter films, and now is the time when film companies are begging him to direct.

"You know, I just finished the post-production of my movie American Gigolo, and I'm waiting for the release in February next year. I still have to participate in the announcement of the movie, so let's talk about your new movie later."

If it sells well after the release, Paul Schrader's worth will not be the current figure. Producer Keith Barish is a newcomer to the film industry, but he is well aware of these directors' plans, and they are no different from singer-star contract renewal negotiations.

"Mr. Schrader, this is our first film in Casablanca, and we will take it very seriously. This is also an important reason why I am here to ask you to cooperate. We believe in your artistic expression..."

Paul Schrader actually read the novel "Endless Love" before. Although it is very controversial and critical of American society, in his opinion, it is not powerful enough. At least it's a lot worse than the "American Gigolo" that is about to be released by his director.

So despite the hype that Keith said, he just wouldn't let go. We have to wait for the news from Universal. They have already approached the bankrupt RKO film department to discuss buying the remake rights of the classic movie "Cat People".

Global's 12 million investment, and the fledgling Casablanca's 8 million investment, he still knows how to choose.

"Well, Mr. Schrader, we will keep you updated with the latest news, and come back to visit when the updated version of the script comes out."