Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer have always been very optimistic about the potential of the video tape market.

The two of them previously produced "Flashdance" and took the risk of simultaneously releasing VHS and beta video tapes when the movie was only released for a few weeks.

Unexpectedly, due to the popularity of the video tape, it attracted many viewers to enter the theater and watch the sexy dance scenes on the big screen. "Flashdance" was screened for a few weeks and the box office declined, but it was given another shot in the arm. Returned to the top of the box office.

At that time, they reduced the price of the video tape, which was usually priced at $99, to $69, making a huge profit. With this experience in hand, the two producers plan to play something big again in "Top Gun."

This time they want to persuade Paramount President Ned Tanin to directly set the price of the video at $49, lowering it to less than $50 for the first time, to see if it can be like Jane Fonda's $29 aerobics video. , selling a volume that no one could have imagined.

"If it is $29, there is definitely hope that it will sell more than Jane Fonda's aerobics." Ronald was very clear about Jane Fonda's success.

At that time, video recorders had just entered America. When people bought video recorders, they all wanted to buy a few video cassettes to keep at home so that they could show them to their friends when they came over. Compared to the 99 and 89 movies, this Jane Fonda's Aerobics is only 29, and it's not rude at all to show Jane Fonda's video, regardless of whether the visiting guests are male or female.

"Top Gun" is a movie that, if it could be bought for the same price, would definitely be a more honorable act of hospitality than watching Jane Fonda dance in high-waisted bodybuilding pants.

Together with his own children, he will also become a good person that everyone in the school's social circle wants to make friends with. After all, you can go to his house to watch Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis kiss in "Top Gun", and even more. There are also air battles to watch.

"29? Well, 49 is good, but 29 is 29 after all!"

Bruckheimer knew very well that in the market, it was impossible for viewers to know how much a videotape should be worth. If it can be sold at the same price as aerobics that knows how exciting the content is, then the audience will definitely know which movie to choose, right?

"Is there a possibility? We can let others pay the difference?" Sid Ganis said the plan discussed with Don Simpson and others.

"other people?"

"Yes, this movie is very popular now, and our low price has been approved by Paramount executives. I have talked with many big companies and advertising companies,

They all feel that they can market their products through video tapes, so that they do not have to buy expensive advertising time on TV stations, and the money saved can be subsidized to viewers who buy video tapes. "

"Oh, that's right."

Ronald thought the idea was brilliant. Inserting commercials into video tapes is not a common practice these days. If "Top Gun" can have a very good box office performance, those Fortune 500 multinational companies will definitely have the ability and ideas to use their budgets to subsidize the distribution of video tapes.

In this way, the audience can buy the video tape at a lower price. Movie studios sold more videotapes without losing revenue, and businesses ran more ads with lower budgets than television stations.

Isn't this the legendary in, three wins?

"That's great? What company did you find? What can I do?" Ronald looked at Don Simpson.

"We approached Pepsi. They invest a lot in marketing every year, and they are willing to use part of it to try out the effectiveness of video marketing. As for you, we want you to direct Pepsi's advertising."

"You don't have to ask me to direct it, right?"

"First of all, this thing is good for you. In addition to the regular fees, we have agreed with Paramount that we are willing to give you a profit share of the video. Secondly, Pepsi-Cola named you to be the director. They want a story with the same plot as Top Gun Relevant advertising so viewers don't skip forward while watching the video.

Finally, they once asked you to shoot a joint advertisement with Burger King, and the effect was among the top three in all their advertisements. So they still want to ask you to shoot, but your agent doesn't accept ads very much anymore. This time they took the initiative. If it weren't for you, we would have to change to another company, and there wouldn't be such good conditions.

In addition to subsidizing the price difference for each video tape, they are willing to subsidize an additional $5. "

Don Simpson's last words were spoken in Ronald's ear.

"How much can I share?" Ronald also asked gently in Simpson's ear.

"You get 50 cents per video. Plus $300,000."

"$1.50 commission."

"It's too greedy. Our money is squeezed out from the subsidies given by both sides. 70 cents." Don Simpson planned to use his hands to extract the most money from the budgets of both sides.

"One dollar, after all, Pepsi named me as the director."

"make a deal!"

Very good, now the two producers and Ronald himself are also winning.

Ronald asked New York agent Eddie, attorney Lindsay Dole, accountant Lawrence and others to sign the contract.

In the next few days, he went to the cinema to watch "Top Gun" over and over again. By the way, he took notes on the parts where he felt bad and the parts where he performed well, preparing to go to New York to visit Pauline Carr and talk to her. Have a debate.

Just when Ronald was in a movie theater, taking out a small tape recorder to record his thoughts while watching, the agent Richard stooped in quietly. With the help of the conductor's flashlight, Ronald was found.

"Asshole, stop using the flashlight." The male audience in the back row yelled dissatisfiedly, just in time to see McGillis's sexy figure in a silk white shirt, which was interrupted by the flashlight.

"He's just pretending, wearing sunglasses while watching a movie, he's just a fool." The girlfriend next to him happened to see Tom Cruise's strong upper body, and was very interested in Ronald and Richard interrupting their lustful thoughts. dissatisfied.

"What's wrong?" Ronald asked his agent after walking outside the screening room.

"The Admiralty sent two investigators and they offered to look into your filming."

"Wtf, what did you say?" Ronald looked confused.

"This is a special investigator from the Pentagon, and this is an investigator from the Department of the Navy." The next morning, in Paramount's office, Navy liaison officer Matthew brought Ronald two Officer in navy uniform.

"Hello," Ronald shook hands with them, "I heard that you are going to investigate the filming of 'Top Gun'? Did something happen? In that plane accident, a civilian stunt plane was used, and You guys shouldn't be related, right? We also bought insurance for him."

"No, the Pentagon has a lot of questions about some of the footage in the film. We want to question you." The Pentagon investigator was not very friendly. He chewed gum and looked at Ronald with a businesslike look.

"Can I have a lawyer present?" Ronald looked at him uncomfortable. I have hosted your Navy Minister for a private dance. Why do you treat me like this?

"Don't get me wrong, Mr. Li. Before coming, Minister Mr. Lyman called specifically to tell you that you are a friend of the Navy. We are just following the procedure and want to conduct a routine interview with you." The investigator from the Navy Office The staff member is older and has a much better attitude.

"Okay, what's the problem? I heard from the agent, but I don't quite understand it."

"Can we find a place to talk slowly?"

When they arrived at an independent conference room, the older investigator took out a snapshot of "Top Gun" from his briefcase and spread it out on the table for Ronald to see.

"These are some photos we took. In the whole movie, the Sidewinder air-to-air missile was launched four times, one missed the target and three hits. But the Minister, Mr. Lehmann, only approved the quota of two rounds. We want to know who Two additional rounds have been approved for you in the Navy." The young investigator in the Pentagon took the photo, placed it on the table, and chewed the gum faster and faster.

"Hahaha, this kind of thing can be explained clearly as long as you give me a phone call. We only shot the launch shots of the two missiles, and the rest of the explosion shots were produced by us using special effects."

"Stunt? But the missile was obviously launched four times? I've looked at the photos carefully." The young man refused to give up. He found all the launch shots in the photos and pushed them over to show Ronald.

"If you really look carefully, you can easily find that the four launch shots were all edited out of one shot and reused." Ronald smiled and pointed to the white trajectory after launch in the photo. Look, the smoke above is obviously the same.

"This?" The young investigator obviously did not expect such a result. "You mean, each launch is a real shot, and the explosion shots that hit the enemy plane were made with models?"

"Yes."

"Then you are not lying?"

"This is Hollywood."

The Navy Department investigator stopped the young man and said, "Director Ronald, thank you very much for pointing out the problem to us. Can you show us a copy of the movie again and give us some video footage so that we can Write a report and explain it to the stubborn generals at the Pentagon."

"Yes, but we need to ask the vice president of Paramount for instructions. These copies are strictly protected. Movies are so popular now, and pirated copies are what we are most afraid of." Ronald stabbed the young man calmly.

Apparently he stopped chewing gum. As a child of a naval family, he was in trouble this time.

"Ronald, welcome. Why are you free to come to my office today?" Ned Tanin opened his arms and warmly hugged Ronald. The movie "Top Gun" looks like a thick and big money tree, and even the director Ronald seemed to be glowing with a faint golden light in his eyes.

"These two are investigators from the Navy. Because the special effects of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile are too realistic, they wanted to take a look at the copy and conduct an investigation. We did not abuse the missile."

"Hahaha, welcome. I'll write you a note." Ned Tanin's eyes shone brightly. He didn't expect that Ronald's movie special effects were so realistic that even the Navy was fooled? Now I really need to consider releasing a sequel immediately.

"Thank you, everything is clear. Thank you."

In the Paramount screening room, Ronald explained the basics of film editing to two naval officers, and then asked the editing assistant to record several shots of air-to-air missiles in air battles into a videotape for them to take away.

"It doesn't matter. This is a different kind of compliment for my directorial work." Ronald had a good impression of the older officer and shook hands with him.

"Your vice president is very happy. It seems that the box office is very good?"

"Yes, it took first place at the box office last week."

"I really want to see this movie, but I haven't seen it yet. The last time someone made a positive portrayal of the Navy was in the best years of our live I watched when I was a kid."

"There will be more movies about the Navy." Ronald also felt a little emotional. The Golden Age is a movie that reflects the life of veterans after World War II. At that time, veterans were respected, but they didn't want to be portrayed as a group of perverts in Vietnam War movies. .

Ronald turned around and took a dozen movie ticket redemption coupons from the staff and handed them to the two investigators.

"This is a Paramount voucher. You can exchange it for movie tickets at any theater showing 'Top Gun' across the country. If you have a few more, you can take your children to watch it when you go back. There are many people watching this movie. It’s all seen by father and son together.”

"Thank you. My two sons don't like to go to the cinema with me. This time I finally have a chance to watch a movie that all three of us like."

The two investigators walked out of Paramount and first went to the nearby Paramount Cinema.

"Shall we go see it? I haven't seen it yet?"

"Okay, let's go take a look."

The two took the exchange coupons and exchanged them for tickets to the best screening room.

"It's really exciting. I didn't expect the navy to be so handsome in the photo. I think it will be easy for those pilots to pick up girls in the future." The young man liked it very much after watching it.

"Haha, you are so handsome, there is no problem pretending to be a pilot. My two boys will definitely like it."

The two walked out of the screening room and happened to meet a group of teenagers who had watched Top Gun. They are clamoring to go to the box office to buy another ticket and watch the movie again.

"I said, the Navy is really cool. I want to fly Tomcat after I graduate from high school."

"Come on, you don't look like a pilot like that."

"I heard that pilots need a college degree, and many also have a doctorate." A high school student wearing glasses said something, but no one paid him any attention.

"I don't know where the Navy's recruiting office is. I have good eyesight and can become a pilot."

"Yes, their life is so exciting. They drive Tomcats, beat up MiGs, have beautiful women, go to the beach, and ride motorcycles. I also want to live such a life."

The two investigators looked at each other, quickly caught up with several high school students, and asked, "I'm sorry, we are from the Navy. Is it true that you said you want to join the Navy?"

"Yeah, you are from the navy? Where can we sign up to join the army?"

7017k

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :