Exploiting Hollywood 1980

After watching their filming all afternoon, I found that director Rush's level was pretty good and he was technically proficient, including common Hollywood techniques such as one master and two shoulders, all done very well.

In the evening, Ronald also went to see some of the demos they had shot before. Amanda Jones played the cheerleader and coach, training other cheerleaders. The youthful energy was full of attraction.

Ronald feels that this movie must have a lot of boys who are not so popular in school. When watching it, he will assume the mentality of the male protagonist. He is a nerd with social difficulties and uses his part-time money to help the cheerleader buy new clothes. In the end, you can fake your love and win the beauty back. Isn't it a good story?

It's a good time to test the trend of romantic comedies and see if American high school students really know how to flirt with their girlfriends, without having to fantasize about it at home.

At least Ronald feels that the real society is not like what is depicted in those campuses and movies. There are still many young boys who feel that the girls they like are out of reach. So I didn't dare to pursue it.

And movies, aren’t they just a tool to help audiences realize their dreams? Just like the name of Ronald's company, during the day, strangers sit together, turn off the lights, and have a sweet dream together in the dark.

Now that everything is normal on the set after the troublesome union representative left, Ronald no longer shows up on set.

He deeply remembered the teachings of Roger Corman. The presence of a producer, especially a strong producer, on the shooting scene exerted strong pressure on the director. Under pressure, not everyone can relax and exert 100% of their strength despite the pressure.

"Ronald, why are you still practicing such girly games?"

Bannon, who returned to the motel where the crew stayed with him, was surprised to find that Ronald had laid a mat on the carpet in the room and started practicing yoga.

"Is this nothing? At the place where I used to practice wrestling, the coach told me to stretch myself frequently and do flexibility exercises. And, haven't you noticed that the actresses who practice yoga have better figures and aging than the party queens? Much better?

Although some have not undergone plastic surgery, there is no sign of decline in either face or figure. And their temperaments are healthy and young.

I think practicing can help keep you young. "

"Oh yeah? It seems I want to try it too. Do you think it can keep you young? Is it also very effective in that regard?" Bannon became interested.

“I don’t know, I’m very young myself.

"

Of course, Ronald couldn't say that it was because he wanted to dream that he had to talk about the benefits of staying young and looking good. As for what Bannon will understand, that doesn’t matter.

At night, Ronald made his bed and went to sleep. He didn't choose pillows or bedding. Except for little Bud, who was asked by Aunt Karen to bring him a good thin wool blanket when he went on a business trip, Ronald usually used the bedding in the hotel.

After practicing yoga breathing techniques for a while, Ronald gradually fell asleep.

"What do you mean? My friend is talking to a girl on your 'turf' in the cafeteria, and you have to look good to him?"

There was a loud bang, and Ronald was startled. It seemed that he had just entered the state of separation between consciousness and body, and suddenly he dreamed of a scene of "a boy renting a girl."

The protagonist, Ronald, played by Patrick Dempsey, slams the dinner table with a baseball bat. He began to teach the top baseball players among the boys in the school's social circle.

"Don't pretend to be another person. When you were a child, you fell from a tree and broke your arm. It was Kenneth who was scared by you and took you twelve blocks to the hospital. We were friends once, why did you Pretending to be someone you're not?

It’s hard for us to be ourselves. "

"Hey, it seems to have worked. It seems to be because of the breathing practice?" Ronald was overjoyed.

On the other hand, Patrick Dempsey is quite talented as an actor. He hit the table with a baseball bat just now, which scared the actors next to him. Explosiveness and empathy are both good.

Because he began to think rationally, Ronald's breathing began to quicken again. The images in the dream began to slowly fade, and were about to disappear.

Ronald immediately gave up thinking and began to focus on yoga breathing methods, trying to regain the long, slow breathing rhythm he had just lost.

Sure enough, the screen slowly lit up again. But it seems like a lot of time was wasted and the movie is almost at the end.

I saw Amanda Peterson jump out of the jeep with her girlfriend. After hesitating a few times, she still decided to follow her heart and not consider that nerds are at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and jumped on her favorite actor Ronald. Drive the lawnmower.

Patrick Dempsey started the lawnmower and drove Amanda Peterson, like a proud girl sitting on a sports car, regardless of face issues, but respecting her heart, embracing each other with her arms, and the two were in the morning sun, They kissed while sitting on the lawnmower.

“Can’t Buy Me Love…”

As the scene of the two kissing passionately freezes, an old Beatles song "Can't Buy Love" plays and the subtitles begin to rise.

"Ah, this name is better than the boy renting the girl." Ronald woke up.

The dream I induced by practicing breathing was worse than the dream I didn't know how to dream in the first place.

In addition to the fewer clips, as long as I am distracted, the picture will soon disappear.

But no matter what, it is always a good thing to have more channels to dream.

And, a good thing is that you won't roll under the bed when you wake up.

“Can’t Buy Me Love…

I'll buy you a diamond ring

If you really want it..."

Ronald was in a good mood, humming old Beatles songs while taking a shower.

"Steve, I'm thinking of an old song called "Can't Buy Me Love" by the Beatles. Do you think it would be better to use this name? And we can also buy their copyright. Used as an interlude.”

"To tell you the truth, the director also thought of this song, but the Beatles' copyright is very expensive. We asked about the price, but we couldn't get our hands on it at all."

Bannon looked at Ronald and thought, do you want to increase your investment to buy the copyright and name of this song?

"It won't be very expensive. You haven't found the right person. Leave it to me. I know this one."

Ronald remembered that the broker Jimmy Lehner had done the job quickly and well the previous two times he bought the copyright, so he would leave it to him this time too.

…

"Ha, the Beatles. You don't have to think about it. It's impossible to get the authorization without a million dollars."

Jimmy Lehner is working on the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack. The copyright of the songs has been obtained, and the original master tapes from the record company still need to undergo unified technical adjustments so that the sound can remain the same when recorded into a record.

He's been busy at a record label in Los Angeles lately. This recording studio and equipment were rented to Ronald at a low price by Jerry Weintraub.

"No way, why are they so expensive? Aren't the other classic songs you bought very cheap?" Ronald was shocked.

"They are the Beatles, and they don't really like to give their copyrights to movies. I heard that there were some unpleasantnesses in the past. Some movie projects used their songs and had some bad plots.

So they are willing to negotiate only if the price is very expensive.

Moreover, since the death of John Lennon, their copyrights have changed hands several times, and now they are in the hands of new buyers, so they are very careful. Haven't you noticed that their songs are rarely used in Hollywood movies now? "

"That's right." Ronald thought about it. Although the Beatles' songs were widely popular in America, one person could hum the melody of "Yesterday". But there really aren't many movies that use their songs as interludes.

"There's nothing we can do? One million dollars is too expensive? Who owns the copyright now? Could you please contact me and I'll go talk to him."

Ronald felt that the price was too outrageous. The movie only cost 2 million yuan to shoot, but an episode cost 1 million in licensing fees? He is well-known. At this year's Oscars, two movie inserts were nominated for Best Original Film Song, putting many movie inserts on the charts.

As a MV shooting master, he should be given some face. If the Beatles' song becomes popular again, wouldn't it allow the copyright owner to make a fortune?

"Others said that, so I advised them not to think about it. But if you come forward, it's really possible."

Jimmy Lehner looked Ronald up and down, "The current copyright holder of the Beatles songs is your old friend Michael Jackson. Since you can ask him to make a cameo in your movie Breakdance, it must be him. Friends, you can chat with him."

"Yes, I would have forgotten it if you didn't tell me."

Ronald remembered that when he, Walter Murch, and Coppola were filming the 3D short film "Captain Io" for MJ, wasn't he acquiring the rights to the Beatles' songs?

…

Back in Los Angeles, Ronald contacted MJ's manager Dario through his agent. It just so happens that MJ is currently preparing for a new album and filming a series of promotional videos in Los Angeles.

Ronald came to visit with sincerity. Dario asked him to sit down in the reception room.

There was a cartoon style here, and Ronald found that there were many superhero dolls from comics, as well as a white skeleton. It seems hard to tell whether it is true or false.

Dario was amused when he saw Ronald's expression. Most of the guests who came here were shocked by the skeleton. He said, "It's true. It's allowed by law. MJ bought it from the hospital. He originally wanted to spend $1 million to buy the figurative man from the London Medical College (Joseph Merrick, who was made into a movie by David Lynch). ) skeleton, but was rejected.”

"Is he the character in that movie? Did MJ really buy it?"

"He has always had a keen interest in movies..."

Ronald and Dario had nothing to talk about. As long as they were interested in movies, they might be able to get a cheap price for themselves.

"He is a little troubled now. When you see him later, don't be surprised by his skin color." Dario knew that Ronald and MJ were old acquaintances. They were friends before MJ was not so famous. Therefore, there is not much taboo against Ronald, and he mentioned the biggest taboo against MJ now.

"Oh, okay, what's wrong?" Ronald didn't care about MJ's news and didn't know what was going on.

"It's just that... when he performs on stage now, he uses thicker powder. Some tabloids are reporting that he has bleached his skin. It's all nonsense."

"Tabloids, they are like parasites, feeding off celebrities like MJ. Don't pay attention to them."

"Hi, Ronald." A soft voice greeted him. Ronald looked up and saw MJ walking out of the lounge, in good spirits.

"Hi, MJ...ah..."

It had been a long time since I'd seen MJ. When he first saw him, Ronald couldn't help but be a little surprised. MJ has changed a lot in the past two years. There is a deep pit in the middle of his chin. It has changed from a chin type common among black people to a vertical double chin common among white people.

The facial features on the face seem to have become more three-dimensional. Much like those handsome men and beauties in Hollywood, they always have to make some small adjustments to make themselves look better. "

More importantly, his skin seemed to have been out of the sun all year round and became a little whiter than before.

"It can't really be vitiligo, right?" Ronald felt that his skin was indeed powdered very thickly.

MJ still spoke very softly and motioned for Ronald to sit wherever he wanted, "I heard that you want to buy Beatles songs to be used as movie inserts?"

"Yes, it's the song "Can't Buy Me Love."

"I was unwilling at first, but Dario said it was your movie, so I have a request. As long as you agree, I will sell it to you cheaply."

"What conditions?" Ronald cheered up.

"You have to show me your movie first and I'll be satisfied. Otherwise, you have to pay according to the market price."

"That's no problem, you will like it." Ronald actually didn't know what movies MJ liked, but he couldn't show his lack of confidence, so he started talking nonsense, "This is a romantic comedy for young people, and the male protagonist has always been She has an inferiority complex and feels she is not worthy of the heroine.

Occasionally, the heroine needs some money for an emergency. The hero sells the instruments used in his science class and asks the heroine to help him become more confident. In the process of getting along, she discovered that the male protagonist was her true love...

Hey, are you listening? MJ, do you like this story? "

Ronald noticed that MJ had put on his sunglasses while listening, and he didn't know whether he liked it or not.

"Very good. When I heard what you said, I was very touched. You must let me be the first audience of your movie. Promise me, Ronald."

"Uh, okay, I'll contact Mr. Dario after I get the final copy and watch it with you. If you don't come, I won't watch it either."

Ronald added.

"Good, good, that's it. I'm a little tired." MJ stood up to see the guests off.

Ronald scratched his head, wondering if MJ had a similar experience. Did he think of his own past?

…

"You have to work hard. MJ said that as long as he is satisfied with the movie, he can transfer the Beatles song to the crew at a low price. Not only will it be used as an episode, but he will also be given the title license for the movie."

Ronald immediately called the crew in Arizona.

"Low price? How low?" What Bannon is most concerned about is the price. His budget is only 2 million. He used non-union actors for the filming, which saved a lot of money. It can be completed for about 1.7 million, preferably the copyright fee. It can be done within 500,000.

"Very low... MJ and I are good friends, haven't you seen the break dancing I filmed?" Ronald asked.

"Very good, but...how low is it? Is there 500,000...lower than that? 300,000...?"

"Use your imagination, Steve. Do you think that based on my relationship with MJ, he can make a free guest appearance and charge me more than $100,000?"

"Okay, I'll let them take a good picture."

"Don't put too much pressure on me. Just mention it. After the movie is completed, MJ will be the first audience to watch it."

Bannon used the good news that big stars liked their movie to motivate the crew without mentioning it.

Ronald begins preparations for the Oscars at the end of the month. This year's awards ceremony will be held in advance to the end of March.

This time Ronald had to attend and was assigned a female companion to attend with him.

In other words, he is the male companion of a female celebrity.

She is the heroine of "Top Gun", Kelly McGillis, whom Ronald has not seen for a long time.

This arrangement is mainly to continue to build momentum for the "Top Gun" video.

The number of pre-orders for the video, which is still weeks away from going on sale, has continued to rise, and it has now reached 1.9 million boxes sold.

This is already three times the highest sales of the original movie video tape. And it also broke Jane Fonda's fitness video sales record.

Paramount expects that after sales begin, sales will continue to rise as a large number of spot products are put on the market. They are very optimistic that it will eventually sell more than 2.5 million boxes.

Ronald was really envious. He also decided that if "Dirty Dancing" does well at the box office and exceeds expectations, he will also release the video tape and set the price at around US$30-40. This price has been tested by the market.

On this day, Ronald made an appointment with Kelly McGillis to try on clothes. Female celebrities always have to book their clothes in advance and avoid collision with other people's clothes. Ronald has always understood the needs of female celebrities, so he arranged a luxury car in advance and made a special trip to accompany her.

"Ronald is in there?" Kelly McGillis was wearing jeans, a leather jacket, and sunglasses. She didn't look like a celebrity.

Little Bud whispered, "I'm on the phone."

"Why? The Oscars is a very grand occasion. They want you to sing. Why don't you want to come?"

Ronald was on the phone with Terri Nunn, the lead singer of the band Berlin.

Her song "Take My Breath Away" was nominated for Best Original Song. The Oscars party invited Terri Nunn, who was on tour, but Terri declined the invitation to the event.

Unfortunately for the Oscars, this single ranked first on the singles chart last year. If the original singer can sing at the awards show, the ratings will definitely increase a lot.

Ronald's other film, "The Kid 2," was also nominated, and singer Peter Setra was very cooperative. Agree to perform live. Ronald also felt regretful and called Terri Nunn to see if there was any room for redress.

"I'm on tour, so I don't have time." Terri Nunn has no dissatisfaction with Ronald. She now sings this song wherever she goes, and it has become her first masterpiece.

“Can’t even the Oscars find time to perform live?”

"Hey, let me tell you the truth. I originally wanted to go, but they said I could only sing one section, and the other nominees could only sing the climax of tens of seconds. I didn't want to lose my place. I am the lead singer of a Berlin band, When did you fall to this point?"

Oh, Ronald got it. The Berlin band is so popular right now that every concert is sold out. Their most popular song "Take My Breath Away" could only get part of the chorus medley at the party, which must have been dissatisfying.

"You can't look at it that way. I actually won an Oscar. Let me tell you, this is for my family. My aunt and cousin were so happy when they saw that I won the award. Now every time we talk about it, they are still very excited. . I think I will miss it forever when I see the smiles on their faces. You also want your family to see you winning the award."

"Are you so sure that I can win the prize?" Terri Nunn and her mother depended on each other. When Ronald said this, she was a little shaken.

"Absolutely. Top Gun is doing so well at the box office, it makes no sense for them not to give a small award."

"Okay, I'll go."

Kelly McGillis has been watching for a long time. When this man talked about his family, the touch on his face was not fake. She knocked hard on the door.

Ronald put down the phone happily and saw Kelly McGillis knocking on the door.

"Kelly, it's so nice to see you...hey...why did you cut your hair?"

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