Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"You guys are at Cannon. Do you have any projects going on?"\u003c/p\u003e

Ronald took Dolph Lundgren and Jean Claude Van Dam back to Daydream. Of course, he didn't really ask the two action actors to be his bodyguards, but just to support the scene when necessary. \u003c/p\u003e

Lundgren looked at each other and knew that the opportunity had come, and quickly told them about the project they were negotiating with Cannon Pictures. \u003c/p\u003e

Minahan Golan is a bit weird when he makes movies. No matter what movie he makes, the movies he makes look a bit like caricatures. Two newcomer actors, Minahan also gave them the protagonists of comic book movies. \u003c/p\u003e

The project Minahan prepared for Jean-Claude was a live-action He-Man movie. This year's He-Man adaptation of the film "Unicron" stars Lundgren. But Lundgren's acting skills were too bad, so next year he cooperated with Mattel to actually get the "He-Man" image license for the movie. Minahan turned to Jean Claude, whose acting skills were slightly better than Lundgren, to play He-Man. . \u003c/p\u003e

The image of Lundgren among the audience is still stuck in "Rocky IV", that fighting machine with no human emotions made by the Soviet Union. Anyway, he didn't have the acting skills to create a new role, so Minahan created a script for him, asking him to continue playing a Soviet Union fighting machine and go to Africa to fight against the rebels of a country. \u003c/p\u003e

After being bullied by Cuban mercenaries, he was rescued by a local tribe and moved by the free people. In turn, he defeated the Cuban mercenaries and Czechoslovak instructors under the Soviet Union, and finally won the support of black brothers. \u003c/p\u003e

Both of their projects have been in preparation for a long time, but Minahan has been delaying it for various reasons. They don't dare to really fall out with Minahan, so they have to go to the office every now and then to inquire about the progress. I just happened to meet Ronald today...\u003c/p\u003e

Ronald heard that their project had been delayed for half a year and thought that it didn't matter what Minahan said, it was what he did that truly reflected the Cannon's financial situation. \u003c/p\u003e

"Did Minahan give you a time to start shooting?" Ronald asked the two action actors, touching his chin. \u003c/p\u003e

"He said it will be at least until the middle of next year, but from his usual evasive behavior, it may not be until the end of next year." Jean-Claude has not yet received the role of Cannon, so he does not particularly trust Minahan. \u003c/p\u003e

"It can't be said that Mr. Golan is very serious about making movies." Lundgren has already participated in a blockbuster film Cannon.

Although in the end there was no money for special effects, the final effect was as bad as a low-quality cartoon. "But maybe you are right. Now the big cannon projects have been suspended. We don't know what happened. There are many rumors."\u003c/ p\u003e

"I can't promise you anything, but before Minahan starts your 'big project', you may be able to shoot some small and medium-sized productions for my daydreams...if you are willing." Ronald looked at the two He is a very skilled action actor, and he has the idea of ​​​​picking up bargains. \u003c/p\u003e

"Excuse me...did you direct it?" The two looked at each other and asked Ronald. \u003c/p\u003e

"Haha, my daydream is a small production company that can only make movies with a budget of less than 5 million US dollars. So at most I can only name myself as an executive producer, and the director and producer will find someone else. But I can guarantee you one thing. They will all be the absolute male protagonists of the movie, and they will give full play to your karate action characteristics. I will find the best action director to make your actions look good on the screen."\u003c/p\u003e

Jean Claude and Longgren looked at each other, and they had no choice but to believe what Ronald said. Anyway, except for Minahan and Ronald, no one in Hollywood would ask them to make a serious movie, and they are still male protagonists. It doesn't really matter if the budget is smaller or something. Let's make some money by making a movie first, and wait until Minahan's big production starts shooting. \u003c/p\u003e

"Very good, very good. I will prepare the script and then find an action director to tailor a good-looking fighting scene for you."\u003c/p\u003e

Ronald was very happy. Actors like this who knew karate, were good at fighting, and had received training in film shooting were actually not that easy to find. Anyway, there are many martial arts directors in Ja in Xiangjiang. When the time comes, find two of them to come over and make some Xiangjiang-style action movies, and replace the protagonists with blond and blue-eyed Westerners. Think about it, there will be a market. The audience here has never seen it. That kind of oriental martial arts. \u003c/p\u003e

"I will pay for you to find a suitable acting coach. You should study hard and practice karate to maintain your skills. If you need anything, you can just act as my bodyguard."\u003c/p\u003e

Ronald patted the two of them on the shoulders and went to practice Ja on the phone himself, leaving the two fighters confused as to what kind of medicine Ronald was selling in his gourd. \u003c/p\u003e

……\u003c/p\u003e

"Luo Sheng, it's no problem. If you want to make a movie together, there's no problem at all. You want to come to Xiangjiang to shoot, or I can send someone to Hollywood, hahaha... Sister Jiao, please translate for him quickly. ..." When Ja heard that Ronald wanted to co-produce a movie, she immediately patted her chest and said there was no problem. \u003c/p\u003e

"Okay, I'll prepare the script here and send someone over to negotiate with you. Don't worry, your people will help me, and the income will all be in accordance with Hollywood standards."\u003c/p\u003e

"Luo Sheng is so polite, we are all friends..."\u003c/p\u003e

Ja hung up the phone and said to Sister Jiao, "Hollywood has a lot of rules. Director Luo said it was a small production, but he still works on the script so rigorously. When his people come, remember to remind me to receive them well..."\u003c/ p\u003e

"Jackie, other people's small productions also cost millions of dollars, but if you put them in your place, they would be big productions. Do you think people like Xiangjiang Films and Flying Paper Boys write scripts on the spot?"\u003c/p\u003e

"Don't tell me, their stuff is still good. The tapes Luo Sheng gave me last time were stuck on the walls during filming. For plastic ones, use special plastic tapes, for painted walls, use special tapes for pink walls, and for wallpapers, use special tapes for wallpapers. If I had these good things when I was shooting the food truck, I wouldn’t have to pay the owner of the castle for decoration money after the photo was finished.”\u003c/p\u003e

……\u003c/p\u003e

"Ronald, you asked me to investigate the financial situation of Cannon Pictures, and I already have the results." Ed Bastian, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, flew to Los Angeles to report the investigation in person to Ronald. Condition. \u003c/p\u003e

Ronald took the report and read it. \u003c/p\u003e

"What do you mean, Cannon's current financial situation is not bankrupt, but it is unable to make large investments?" Ronald asked Ed after hurriedly flipping through the report. \u003c/p\u003e

"Yes, in fact Cannon's 400 million financing has been spent, and the main destinations are divided into three places:\u003c/p\u003e

The first is to acquire Britain's largest cinema chain, Starlight Cinemas. The acquisition gives them European distribution capabilities. As a result, they cooperated with EMI in China and obtained theater chain holdings in Italy, Spain, and Italy. Now Cannon is Hollywood's company with the strongest distribution capabilities in Europe. \u003c/p\u003e

The second is that more than 40 movies are shot every year, ranging from small productions worth 6 million to large productions worth 30 million. Most of the original Cannon shooting budget was to get funds from pre-sales in Europe, and then through the mortgage issuance contract, a bridge loan was provided by a bank in Belgium. However, this bank is currently under investigation for money laundering. There is a gap in their capital chain, so they will use this financing to make up for it. \u003c/p\u003e

The third is the new office building they built. The size of this building is only slightly smaller than the new building of 20th Century Fox. The real estate market has been very good in the past two years, and this is one of their best assets. ”\u003c/p\u003e

"So lavish, you spent all 400 million in two years?" Ronald lamented that Minahan's spending ability is also top-notch. \u003c/p\u003e

"Spending money reasonably and quickly is actually a kind of ability. If you look at these three investments, they are actually relatively cost-effective." Ed Bastian quickly explained to Ronald the difference between running a company and personal wealth. The cost of raising money from the bond market is interest. If you can identify and purchase high-quality assets, you can not only cover the interest, but also increase in value. It would be a waste if this money was not spent in the bank. \u003c/p\u003e

"British Starlight Cinemas is a high-quality asset. In fact, Cannon encountered financial difficulties this time. Their first move was to mortgage Starlight Cinemas and obtain a loan of 80 million pounds from British banks."\u003c /p\u003e

"So it's like this. It's easy to get a mortgage loan for the cannon building, right?" Ronald understood the nature of the company's investment. \u003c/p\u003e

"Yes, Cannon's financial crisis is actually a temporary difficulty in cash flow. They are seeking a US$300 million loan on Wall Street, using the soon-to-be-topped building as collateral. Now it seems that they have a high chance of success." De Bastian acknowledges his clients’ inferences. \u003c/p\u003e

"So, their financial crisis is mainly caused by the second item, the big movie they invested in didn't pay back?" Ronald continued to flip through the materials. \u003c/p\u003e

Cannon was previously a film company focusing on small and medium-budget exploitation films. Twenty or thirty exploitation films are made every year, most of which can be sold on television and earn back their money at the box office. And among the 20 or 30 films, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be one or two hits, such as "Break Dance" filmed by Ronald for them, which is the biggest success project. \u003c/p\u003e

Although this kind of business may not be a big hit or win an Oscar, it is more stable, has a short payment cycle, and is a good business even if the money flows steadily. \u003c/p\u003e

But after receiving 400 million in financing, Minahan seemed to be a different person, starting to play big productions and big stars. Not only did he destroy Hollywood's star salary structure, giving Stallone a salary of more than 10 million US dollars, he also invested in several large-scale productions worth more than 30 million US dollars a year. \u003c/p\u003e

[Recommended, the Changyuan app for chasing books is really useful. Download it here. You can try it soon. 】\u003c/p\u003e

It just so happened that he had bad luck this year. None of his big productions were successful at the box office, and he did not follow the tradition of obtaining a bridge loan from a bank. Instead, he advanced the funds for filming himself, so there was no difficulty for the time being. \u003c/p\u003e

As a small company, Daydream has made money with the success of "Dirty Dancing", but it must learn a lesson and not gamble with its own money over and over again. \u003c/p\u003e

"On the surface it looks like this," Ed Bastian knocked on the table with his hand, "but there are deeper reasons. Cannon could have continued to raise funds in the market by issuing bonds, at least according to their current financial statements. , which is better than a few years ago, and you can get issuance conditions with lower interest rates.\u003c/p\u003e

However, some profound changes are taking place on Wall Street. Milken, who previously handled the bond issuance for him, is now being investigated by the prosecutor of the Southern District of New York and is in big trouble. \u003c/p\u003e

The bonds of Cannon Pictures are also part of Milken's series of suspected irregular financial operations, so there are no bond brokers on Wall Street willing to get involved in the company's bond issuance operations. ”\u003c/p\u003e

"So what's your conclusion?" Ronald understood. Minahan's company's assets were still abundant, but its cash flow was a bit dry. The original financing channels of bond issuance were blocked by special investigations. No wonder some people started to let loose and wanted to take advantage of him. \u003c/p\u003e

"As long as they are willing to take out the building as a mortgage, it will not be difficult for the Cannons to get through this difficult period. But they have to make a truly blockbuster movie. Just one movie can make bankers change their view of them.\u003c/ p\u003e

Otherwise, if the market continues to question their ability to make money in the future, it will only be a matter of time before problems arise again. ”\u003c/p\u003e

"Hmm..." Ronald didn't quite agree with Ed Bastian's conclusion. Making money from filmmaking is largely a matter of luck. No one is sure of victory. To truly be able to operate healthily, we have to go back to the route of making small-scale productions and making quick profit-making exploitation films. \u003c/p\u003e

Make a small amount of money steadily every year, and then look forward to one or two profitable movies. \u003c/p\u003e

"Thank you. I'll keep this report here. Maybe I'll need it in the future..."\u003c/p\u003e

Ed Bastian said goodbye and left, and Richard walked in. \u003c/p\u003e

"Mr. Ovitz has arranged a time to invite you to see the filming set of Steve Segel's new movie. However, he has other things to do, so he will not accompany you to the set this time."\u003c /p\u003e

"Okay, let's go by ourselves." Ronald nodded. \u003c/p\u003e

Steve Siegel, Ovitz's aikido coach, gained Ovitz's appreciation and contacted Warner Bros. to produce and distribute a B-level action film with Siegel as the leading actor. \u003c/p\u003e

Although Ovitz is the owner of an agency, he has actually done a lot of work as a producer and has a good vision. "Ghostbusters", which was previously packaged by CAA, was a huge success and became the annual box office champion. \u003c/p\u003e

The project that Ovitz set up for Siegel was definitely not to repay his master, but because he saw the box office prospects of this kind of movie. Ronald wanted to try to steal what kind of action movie it was, and even Ovitz was optimistic about it. \u003c/p\u003e

"What has Mr. Ovitz been busy with recently?" Ronald asked Richard. \u003c/p\u003e

"Well, I know that he continues to contact Mr. Spielberg, and I don't know anything else..."\u003c/p\u003e

"Oh, he is very persistent."\u003c/p\u003e

Spielberg has been unwilling to sign an agent contract. He is able to move between Universal, Warner Brothers, and Paramount studios without being tied to any distribution company. And with his strength, he doesn't actually need Ovitz to help him get the project done. \u003c/p\u003e

If we talk about the role of producer, Ovitz and Spielberg actually have some competition with each other. Therefore, Ovitz's plan to acquire Spielberg and further control his stars has never been successful. \u003c/p\u003e

"He has been very busy recently, and we can't always find him. No one except his secretary knows where he has gone. This time, I happened to see his secretary arranging his schedule, and I found him through every opportunity."\u003c /p\u003e

"Okay, let's go by ourselves. Call Duff (Lundgren) and Jean Claude (Van Dam)."\u003c/p\u003e

"Duff, Jean-Claude, we are going to the set of a new movie shot by an actor named Steve Seagal. He likes to scare people with Aikido and is well-known in Hollywood. So you two The main task is to prevent him from touching Ronald.\u003c/p\u003e

This person often arranges for photographers to hide nearby and take photos of guests being frightened by him. Although Ronald is not necessarily afraid of him, we must prevent this from happening. ”\u003c/p\u003e

On the way to the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, Richard told two combat experts about the day. \u003c/p\u003e

"Hehehehe..." Ronald laughed beside him. In fact, he was not afraid of a fight on the spot, just in time to see the quality of Sigel's self-proclaimed Aikido master's certificate. \u003c/p\u003e