Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Richard dropped Ronald back to the hotel and drove away by himself.

Ronald always felt that this was a bit unreliable. As a young screenwriter with wet ears, even if he wrote a good script, the script he wrote would not immediately have the influence of alarming the Oscar-winning actress.

The film and television industry is very particular about connections and qualifications, and many producers don’t know why a movie will be a hit, but another similar movie won’t. Most people still judge your future value based on your past history of success.

Unless his script is nominated for an Oscar, that's a possibility. But as a little screenwriter who no one knows, even if Ovitz is bragging, it's not necessary.

Ronald didn't think he had anything Ovitz could covet, so he called a friend and asked.

First call Eddie Cohen, his New York-based advertising agent.

"Have you ever heard a joke, Ronald?"

"What joke?"

"How to marry the daughter of the director of Mobil Oil?"

"You just tell the Mobil oil director that you want to marry her daughter and say you're a vice president of the World Bank. Then say your father-in-law is a Mobil oil director and apply for the World Bank vice president position."

Ronald laughed, "What do you mean, Ovitz is the young man who was looking for a job? Take my script and go to Jane Fonda to tell Jane Fonda that the studio saw the script and asked her to play, and then go to the studio to tell the story. Jane Fonda wants to film the script and ask them to pull in investment?"

"Almost? Maybe Ovitz has a better network, talking about a deeper insight into the industry, but I don't know." Eddie replied.

"Is there any chance that Ovitz took my script and pitched it to Jane Fonda, and waited for Jane Fonda to nod, then pitched it to the studio? Like he told me, screenwriter Priority strategy." Ronald asked again.

"Ronnie. So which answer do you want me to tell you?"

"Hahahaha..." Ronald laughed and ended the call.

I am also concerned about chaos, and the script has the opportunity to be starred by the actress, and sometimes I can't think calmly.

Phone calls to Michelle Pfeiffer are always unanswered. She simply called Limato, her agent, and told his secretary that she had come to Hollywood to discuss the script with CAA.

After waiting for a long time, Limato finally called back, saying that Pfeiffer was seeing the people of Lux in the past two days.

Ronald had nothing to do in the afternoon or evening, so he called New World's assistant to the president, Gail, and asked her to meet in the evening to catch up. Then called Jim Cameron, and the three of them were in the hotel lounge, ordered several times cocktails and beers, and chatted while drinking.

Cameron's follow-up exploitative film "Battle of the Stars" featuring special effects photography and model photography has been edited and will be released in September.

"This is a piece of junk. The so-called budget of 2 million is mostly paid to the two big-name protagonists. There is very little money for special effects. I even stole a few McDonald's plates to decorate the interior of the spacecraft."

Cameron is still quick to talk, and complains a lot about Roger Coleman's stingy strategy.

"So the movie didn't work well?"

"My job is to make this rubbish less dazzling." Cameron held the mouth of the beer bottle with three fingers and poured the rest of the beer into his mouth. "The end result should be good, not so bad. I think about it. Lots of ways."

"Still talk about your fame, I see the movie theaters are out?" Gale turned the subject to Ronald.

"Yes, the box office is average. The production budget of 8 million, and it is a small-scale release. I heard from the producers that there are only less than 20 million box office in North America. The cost of copy rental is likely to be unpaid."

"It's like everyone's starting to count the gross box office now, not copy rental fees?" Gale, by Roger Coleman's side, was sensitive to these commercial matters.

"I heard from the TV station that film review programs are now live on TV. The audience doesn't understand the meaning of the copy rental fee, so they directly report the total weekly box office, which makes the director and producer very nervous, for fear that the number is not good. It affects the subsequent box office attendance.”

"Yeah, a lot of people now watch that PBS review show, Bald and Glasses," Ronald replied.

"Hahaha, do you give them nicknames?"

After chatting about the past, Ronald recommended his script to Jane Fonda and asked two friends for advice.

"That's the way it is. I always feel that there is something wrong with this matter, but I can't find the problem, so please help me think about it. Am I worrying too much?"

"It's hard to say, maybe it's true." Gale took a sip of his cocktail, "In Hollywood, it's the male stars who really make the big money. If two or three movies in a row sell out, the studio can often make a lot of money. Ask for $2 million."

"And female stars are paid a lot less. Even if you are like Jane Fonda, if you have two consecutive movies, and you are nominated for an Oscar, you can only get a maximum of 1 million compensation. In short, there is sexism in Hollywood. ."

"Comparatively speaking, the male stars and female stars you see in the media have similar exposure, and female stars are better contacted, and they have higher requirements for scripts. When they see a script they like, they pay for it. It's not impossible to talk to the screenwriter."

"If it's Ryan O'Neal or Stallone, I think there's probably something wrong with this matter. If it's Jane, there's still hope." Gale is relatively familiar with the inside story of Hollywood, "and Jane Fonda may remember You might belittle the deer hunter on TV, help her get the favor of the Oscar winner, and maybe you can help her."

"Hahahaha..." Cameron laughed.

Ronald had no choice but to laugh in agreement.

"What do you think, Jim?"

"It's very simple, you just go. If it's a lie to you, you beat up the agent. If it's true, then you ask Jane Fonda to come out and don't think too much, Ronnie."

"Hahaha……"

This is Ronald's heartfelt laugh.

Indeed, it's useless to think too much, I don't have any chips in my hand, I'll just see the situation tomorrow.

"So are you still doing special effects in the New World next?" Ronald asked Cameron.

"No, Roger won't invest money to make special effects films." Cameron shook his head.

"Why?" Ronald expressed incomprehension. "Is he not optimistic about the box office of Battle of the Stars?"

"No, Battle of the Stars is very special. Before shooting, he sold the overseas copyright to the upstart Orion Films (;Pictures), which is said to be enough to cover the shooting cost of 2 million."

"Now he's talking to HBO about selling the TV rights, which should be close to $1 million," Gale added.

"Then why didn't Roger continue?"

Gale explained to Ronald:

"The good time has passed, whether it is Orion or HBO, they are entering new markets and enriching their film library. The founders of Orion are several company executives who were fired by Lian Art. Starting from the setting of the Sunset Bridge, the filming The film was well received and they now want to get into the distribution business.

And HBO's subscription will become a 24-hour pay TV station next year, and it is necessary to order a batch of films to be broadcast before Roger has a chance to sell at a high price. The next words are to speak according to strength. Only excellent movies at the theater box office have the opportunity to sell overseas copyrights or TV station copyrights.

Combined with the recent strike, Roger's plans for a new film have all come to a screeching halt. "

"Hey, this unfortunate strike." Ronald also lamented, he could have gone further and became the first assistant director of the Endless Love crew.

"Then what do you do, Jim?"

"Me?" replied, sipping Ronald's new beer, "I'm going to do special effects projects on John Carpenter's new film, Escape from New York, and his movie doesn't have a big budget. , but also to achieve the effect of the plane crashing into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on the screen, and after watching my performance in the Battle of the Stars, he called and invited me to come over."

"Congratulations, Jim. Cheers!" Ronald hurriedly raised his beer bottle to toast his old friend.

...

"cheers!"

Meanwhile, CAA president Michael Ovitz was holding up champagne with Columbia Pictures president Frank Price.

For the first time since taking office, Price felt so comfortable.

Before he came to Columbia Pictures, he worked at Universal Television. He has made great achievements in his tenure, launching the blockbuster sci-fi TV series "Battlestar Galactica" and the criminal investigation TV series "Detective Columbo (Columbo)", two trump cards.

But after taking office at Columbia Pictures, he was tied up everywhere. Middle-level managers discriminate against him for being in the TV circle, and his will cannot be implemented in many projects.

And Columbia has only enough liquidity for six months. He urgently needs to master some resources of the film industry to organize his own film project. As long as there is a blockbuster film, his authority in his new position can be established. Hit those disobedient subordinates hard.

The financing guarantee of film projects is star actors and star directors. Both are with veteran brokerage firm William Morris (WMA), and International Innovation Management (ICM), where Price has little influence.

WMA and ICM have cost him a few times, and his projects are so far behind other old relationship studios that none of Price's own films have started shooting.

Only Michael Ovitz, who is sitting across from him, represents CAA as a new player in the industry. Like himself, he urgently needs to make achievements to gain the right to speak.

"So what's your budget for Jane Fonda's film?"

"4 million," Ovitz made a gesture, "This movie doesn't have any war scenes, the biggest explosion scene is a grenade, and the big scenes are emotional scenes between the hero and heroine, so Jane Fonda will be interested."

"Too expensive." Price shook his hand.

"Jane Fonda is my client. According to the rules, I want to go with her to ask all interested parties for the price of the eight major studios." Ovitz approached Price with a glass of wine, and said in a low voice, " The one you get is obviously higher than your peers, and I can guarantee that you will get Jane as the heroine."

"3.5 million. It is not convenient for me to approve it if it is higher. It needs to be discussed at the management meeting."

"Just 3.5 million plus a columbia-funded movie lead for Sean Connery."

"Okay, just as Wrong Is Right needs a 007-style protagonist. A deal?" Price asked Ovitz, raising his glass.

"Frank, give Jane an unprecedented salary, 2 million."

"You must be joking, Michael." Frank Price was unhappy, "This will destroy the price understanding of the Eighth, and it is difficult for me to do it."

"But isn't that what you want is big news? Mr. Price doesn't need that rubbish in Columbia to get an Oscar-winning actor to make a big production. It's a win-win, Frank, think about it."

"Okay," Price pondered for a moment, "but you have to make sure I get this project and don't let other studios take it."

"Don't worry, I'm a professional. The movie 'My Brother's Protector' is yours. I never lie."

Ovitz raised his glass to greet the President of Columbia.