Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"We're Daydream Pictures, calling you from New York, and we want to talk to you about the latest Ronald Lee movie...yeah, the director of 'Top Gun'...wait a minute, We are not liars. Not..."

"Ah...ahhh" Donna started her summer job at Ronald's Daydream Pictures. She was often accused of being a liar, but she couldn't bear it anymore and cried out involuntarily.

"Don't be like that, Donna. It's normal to be rejected in this line of work. You have to throw away those bad emotions and keep making the next call." A female employee who seemed to have some experience came over to comfort Donna, who was always regarded as a liar.

"Thank you, Dolly." Donna regained her mood and went to make a cup of coffee to calm down.

Dolly Berlinstein was a veteran Cannold recruited from Colombia to be responsible for distribution. Although she is said to be a veteran, she actually does not have much experience, but her strength is that she understands the industry better than others and is willing to work hard.

"Hello, is this Mr. Thomas Stephenson from the Hollywood Cinema chain in New Jersey? I'm Donna Parker from Daydream Pictures. I'm calling you and want to talk to you about the next film directed by Ronald Lee. The release of the work." Donna gathered herself and continued to make phone calls in the directory.

"Hey, it's me. I met Ronald at the Las Vegas show. Why isn't his next movie a Seven release?"

"Ah, thank you for believing in me." Donna finally met a theater owner who didn't think she was a liar. "Ronald's next movie is a small production, about a Jewish man from a wealthy family in 1963." A love story between an American girl and a poor Irish backup dancer. For various reasons, Ronald decided to distribute the film himself."

"I'm very interested. You have my fax, right? You can send me a brief introduction to the project."

"Yes!" Donna yelled happily after finally negotiating with a cinema owner with imagination.

…

"Yes, yes, yes, these are the songs, so right."

At this time, Ronald, who was in the office next door, found Eleanor, the screenwriter of "Dirty Dancing", and began to ask her what she thought of each scene in the script.

For this semi-autobiographical script, no one knew better than Eleanor what the film she wanted to make looked like.

The two chatted scene by scene, confirming each place's appearance, background, utensils, and even the music used in the dance.

Eleanor scored every scene in the script,

They all posted notes and wrote down the soundtrack they wanted. They are all old songs from the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, there are also a few new songs interjected.

She also specially found a list of all the episodes she thought should be used, ripped them from the records onto a blank tape, wrote "Eleanor's Thinking Dirty Dancing Episodes" on it, and gave it to Ronald.

Ronald took out the tape recorder and listened. It matched the episode in his dream, and he immediately screamed happily.

"Very good, that's what it tastes like." Ronald was very happy and put the tape and the song list together.

"There are more than twenty songs in total." Ronald counted.

"What, you think too many old songs are used?" Eleanor was very happy when she saw that her movie had been approved. She felt Ronald's respect for her as the original screenwriter. In addition to the transfer fee for the production rights, there was also a small share of the profits, which made her feel happy and tried her best to help Ronald's production process.

"No, were these old songs very popular in the past?" Ronald asked.

"Of course, these were all regulars on the charts when I was young. Otherwise I wouldn't have played these songs when I was writing."

"The record company's transfer fee is not cheap." Ronald clicked his tongue. I have only allocated a total production budget of 4.5 million for the project, and I have a reserve fund of 1.5 million. If the record company raised the price for these songs, it would probably cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars each.

"That's it, I don't know. If it doesn't work, then just change to other cheaper songs." Eleanor said frustratedly. This 4.5 million budget is limited in every way, and it has to be used sparingly. It is impossible to spend so much on an episode.

"I'll ask someone first." Ronald also felt that it was a pity to give up those songs that were very suitable. These were the songs that Eleanor originally had in mind when she was writing the script.

"In addition, find someone to collect interludes." Ronald looked at the money in the budget table and knew that it would be too expensive to ask those old friends to customize an interlude, so he had to find a way to find it among cheap composers.

"What's next? Shall we find a studio to set up a scene?" Eleanor's understanding of film shooting was still ten years ago.

"Ah, we don't have that much money. We'd better find a real location." Ronald smiled.

Setting up scenes in a studio to imitate actual scenery is the exclusive preserve of large-scale productions. Just like "Streets of Fire" shot by Diane and "Supergirl" shot by Helen, with a budget of tens of millions, for one or two important scenes, millions of dollars can be spent to build real scenes.

With my poor millions, I can only find real scenes in reality and shoot them with natural light. Although the effect is a little worse than artificial lighting, it is cheaper, and the current audience's taste is gradually turning to live shooting.

"Well, when I wrote this script, it was based on the Catskills (catskills) where New York Jews vacationed when I was a kid. It would be great if it could be filmed there."

After bidding farewell to the screenwriter Eleanor, Ronald realized that the most urgent thing now was to find an art director, determine the location for the live shooting, and find the corresponding place in the Catskills for each scene.

Ronald's old connections were in Hollywood, and the Catskills were an exclusive Jewish resort in Greene County, New York. He had to find an art director who was familiar with New York's surroundings.

"Why don't you ask Jonathan Demme? His 'something wild' was shot in New York and New Jersey."

Niceta received a call from Ronald. He actually didn't know that the art director was familiar with New York, so he called Jonathan Demi.

"Hello, Ronald. My art director, Stephen Lineweaver, is very familiar with the area around New York. You just need to describe the scene you want to him and he will find the right location."

When Jonathan Demi heard that his junior brother needed someone, he quickly recommended an acquaintance who had worked with him.

Stephen Lineweaver is a tall man with a big beard. After he met Ronald, the two chatted very well. After Ronald gave him a standard contract, the two set off for the Catskill Resort.

"It's very interesting here. Catskill Village is a small town that mainly focuses on tourism and vacation. Every winter and summer, countless wealthy Jewish businessmen, lawyers, and doctors from New York and New Jersey take their families here for vacation."

After arriving at the resort, Lineweaver put on his sunglasses and introduced Ronald.

"Why only give holidays to Jews? Don't others accept them?" Ronald also put on sunglasses. He is not a Jew. Will the other party not be willing to rent to him?

"In the beginning, after World War II, many Eastern European Jews immigrated to the East Coast. At that time, the mainstream people did not like Jews. So some business-minded people among them opened such a place specifically to receive Jews. resort.

Because they don't have to worry about being discriminated against here, Jews generally value education and can afford it soon, so it develops very quickly here.

Later, Jews mainly liked to be with people of the same ethnic group, so everyone had the same customs. "

Ronald and Lineweaver walked to the resort, which is close to the mountains. In summer, the temperature is cooler than other places in New York. There are many mountain breezes and shady places, and there is no need to turn on the air conditioner when living here.

"There are a lot of tourists here, and they are very rich." Ronald saw many expensive cars parked outside the resort.

"Yes, the conditions here are the best. It is the best among all Jewish resorts within a two-hour drive around New York."

"Hello, welcome to my place for filming, Director Ronald."

The owner of the Catskill resort is, of course, Jewish. He heard that director Ronald Lee was interested in renting his place to shoot a movie, and he was so happy that the fat on his face kept trembling.

"How much shooting time do you need? How can we accommodate your shooting?"

"The shooting plan I made will take about four weeks. For two weeks, all the main attractions in the resort need to be used by the filming crew. For the other two weeks, only the locations that need to be filmed can be closed."

"Oh, although this will have some impact on our business, I am happy to cooperate with you." The boss took out a piece of paper and began to calculate, "We will not receive tourists for two weeks, and we will close some places for the other two weeks. , for your shooting use.”

"Yes, that's about it." Ronald felt that the boss also wanted to make a big advertisement for his resort, so he was more cooperative.

"The total cost is approximately this amount." The boss handed Ronald a cost breakdown sheet with various expenditures written on it.

"Ahem..." Ronald coughed after looking at the final total price.

It is simply impossible for this price to account for more than one-third of his production cost.

"Can it be cheaper? Our movie will become a big advertisement for your resort."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Li." The boss put the paper back with a puzzled expression. Ronald Lee is the director of "Top Gun" and it must be produced by a major studio. How come he can't afford the venue fee?

"Our daily operations are good, and we have many customers in New York and New Jersey, so we don't actually need too much advertising. This price is already the best price we have given, and it's because you want to shoot a Jewish movie. superior."

"Hey hey, okay, you don't mind if we take a look around and make a decision?"

"Please."

Ronald and art director Ryan Weaver said goodbye to their boss and wandered around the resort.

"This is the hall where the ball is held in the script, and this is the big house by the lake, where the dancers teach the guests to dance. The trees here are very good, and they are all decades old. It is very consistent with the summer in the script. Vacation look.”

Lineweaver kept praising the resort's exterior.

"Yeah, this is where the screenwriter Eleanor had in mind when writing the script. So it must be a similar scene.

"No wonder", Lineweaver held up the director's viewfinder and looked around.

"How about we wait until the peak season of summer is over and shoot in autumn, will it be much cheaper? I know that the price of resorts in the off-season is only one-third to one-fifth of that in the peak season. This way we will have enough money to rent Off to location."

Lineweaver suddenly had an idea. Film shooting is very cost-conscious, and in order to save money, it is not a problem to shoot summer scenes in the fall.

"Good idea, let's go back and discuss it with the boss." Ronald high-fived, attracting many tourists to look over. The two of them turned around and wanted to go back to the hotel.

"Ha, do you want to shoot a summer movie? It's better to shoot before August. The leaves of the trees here will turn yellow and fall in autumn, so there will be no summer vacation atmosphere at all."

A fat girl said to Ronald.

"What? Will the leaves here change color and fall in autumn?" Ronald was stunned. He had lived in Los Angeles for so long that he had forgotten that the East Coast is dominated by deciduous trees.

"Yeah, I was born and raised here, I know it best."

"Okay, thank you...you also know how to make movies."

"I have also made movies, and I recognize your appearance, Director Ronald."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot my manners." Ronald stretched out his hand to shake the fat girl's hand, "Thank you, you are...".

"Connery, Jennifer Connelly. I played the heroine in Once Upon a Time in America when she was a child, because my nose is very similar to the heroine Elizabeth McGovern." The fat girl pointed to her nose as she spoke. Ronald looked at his smiling face, his fleshy nose was cutely squeezed out, and the surrounding area was wrinkled.

"Ah... I'm sorry again. I've been too busy with projects recently. No wonder you look familiar to me."

Ronald quickly apologized, not recognizing the actors, which was a great offense to them.

However, it’s not my fault. Why are you so much fatter than in “Once Upon a Time in America”? Her face is round and her figure is pretty good.

"Ronald, can I call you Ronald? I wonder what movie you are making? Can I have a chance?"

"Um..." Ronald was speechless for a moment, "How old are you this year?"

"I will be sixteen by the end of the year." Connery answered honestly.

"Ours is a film with a tight schedule, about the romance of adult girls, so we need actors who can shoot for a long time."

"Oh..." Jennifer Connelly nodded. At her age, when filming a movie in New York, the Screen Actors Guild would definitely keep a close eye on her. Is she working overtime? Are there any teachers arranged to tutor high school courses? Have you ever worked overtime after 11pm in violation of regulations?

Generally, directors will not hire underage actresses unless they have to, and would rather find older, adult actors to play the roles.

"There will be some supporting actors who don't have many roles. If you are interested, you can ask your agent to call me." Ronald took out a business card and handed it to the other party. If she hadn't reminded the environment of the drastic changes caused by the trees changing color and falling leaves, , maybe the filming of the movie will be bad.

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