Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Tsui Hark is still the same, very thin and with messy hair.

Ronald took him and his wife to an expensive restaurant to help them catch up.

Tsui Hark also studied in America, and his English is better than Ang Lee. Being able to talk to Ronald directly, and because Ronald could understand a little Cantonese, the three of them put aside the translation and chatted directly at the dinner table about the progress of the new film.

The script I came up with is called "twin swords on and phoenix".

The story is set in San Francisco and Hong Kong in the 1980s. San Francisco movie star Kate Thompson was out of action for a while because she divorced her husband, a producer.

During her break, she became very interested in Chinese martial arts schools in San Francisco. After learning some Wing Chun techniques from a master who had served as a stunt double in "The Dragon King", she made rapid progress and liked it very much. A martial art that looks quite feminine.

Kate Thompson decided to go to Heung Kong, the source of Wing Chun, to further her studies. And looking for opportunities to develop in the film industry in Hong Kong, I heard that it is a film production center in East Asia. His agent also reminded him that there was an action star named Wei Lung in Hong Kong who needed white women to join his new drama.

Arriving in Xiangjiang, Kate met Lin Feilong, a Chinese martial arts master. He heard that Kate wanted to learn authentic Wing Chun, so he took her to meet his grandmother, Bai Guizhen, a martial arts teacher who had practiced Wing Chun for many years.

Seeing Kate's excellent physical fitness, Bai Guizhen was willing to learn and taught without any secrets. Even Wing Chun's unique skill "Dragon and Phoenix Swords" was taught to Kate. After a few months, Kate was already playing well and had no problem filming action movies.

At this time, Veyron's new film was facing some difficulties. The film's investor was a gangster who interfered indiscriminately with the script and filming, putting Veyron under pressure. After Kate joined the filming team, the gang boss took a fancy to Kate's beauty and tried to forcefully intervene in her life.

As a good friend of Kate, Lin Feilong served as her bodyguard on the set. In the end, the gang boss couldn't help but behave rudely to Kate. In the end, Lin Feilong used Wing Chun taught by his grandmother to face the investor and his younger brothers. Kate fought side by side with him, and the two used the dragon and phoenix swords to knock down the black boss's younger brother.

At this time, the black boss took out his pistol. Seeing that it was about to escalate into an international incident, the big star Weilong, who was also the producer, couldn't help but take action. He stepped forward and knocked the black boss to the ground with a folding stool handle.

at this time,

The consulate counselor who received Kate's call to the police arrived with Secretary O and CID to bring the black boss to justice.

The movie had no investors and was about to be ruined. At this time, Kate's agent rushed to Hong Kong. There was a big director in Hollywood who wanted to make an action movie. After seeing the script that Kate sent to the agent, he greatly appreciated it and decided to invest in it. The film was shot in San Francisco.

Lin Feilong, Kate, Wei Long and others went to San Francisco together. The filming of the movie was a great success, and Lin Feilong and Kate finally became a film.

"Hiss..." Ronald scratched his head. The completion of this script is not very good, and the plot in many places is empty. For example, for a fighting scene, let the hero and heroine fight here for five minutes...

And he could also see that many characters in it were borrowed from Ja and other real-life characters as prototypes. The whole script seems to have a peculiar feeling of a B-level movie in Hong Kong.

Seeing that the two Xiangjiang friends were looking at him eagerly, hoping for an answer, Ronald put away the script and cleared his throat.

"The story of the script is not bad, and it is a good idea to shoot in Hong Kong and San Francisco. However, Hollywood has different requirements for the script. The fighting scenes need to be refined, and the story itself needs to be modified. Kate's character still needs to be refined. There's a problem. I can help you find a script doctor to take a look.

How do you divide the work now? Is the screenwriter responsible? "

The two glanced at each other, and finally pointed at Tsui Hark, "He is the screenwriter." The final English script was written by Tsui Hark.

"Ah... Okay, I'll arrange for you to meet. He's also Chinese, so we can chat." Ronald put the script down and looked at him, "Then you are the director?"

"Yes...yes..." He was excited. Where in Xiangjiang would he have the opportunity to direct a multi-million dollar movie. The biggest star there, Ja, planned a sequel in the last step, which only had a budget of US$3.8 million. Who would have thought that they would have the opportunity to take on such a big production.

"Okay, find a time and I'll arrange for you to meet with the casting director. Kate has to choose a very beautiful actress."

"What, Director Luo? In our play, Kate has a lot of martial arts scenes. It can't just be about looks, she also has to be able to fight."

"You know how to fight? You don't have to know how to fight. This is an action movie, and the heroine only needs to be good-looking and move like that." Ronald didn't understand why a female star who played Kate was required to fight in a movie like this.

"You might as well go and watch two Hollywood movies from the past few years. One is 'Excalibur,' starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bridget Nielsen. The other is 'Crocodile Dundee,' It compares the cultural landscapes of America and foreign countries, and the arrangement is very clever. You should make more changes in this direction.

Then these fighting actions also need to be written in detail. We in Hollywood have a celebrity insurance system. If there is no appropriate description, no company will be willing to insure it. "

"This... we all make temporary decisions in Xiangjiang. The martial arts drama will be filmed tomorrow, and our martial arts instructors and martial artists can choreograph it today. It's not a literary drama, so we need to write a plot first."

"This... when we shoot action movies in Xiangjiang, the literary drama directors are responsible for things like love, broken love, etc., and the martial arts directors are responsible for directing the martial arts dramas. I asked Tsui Hark to come together, just to divide the labor. He will direct the literary dramas, and I will direct the martial arts dramas. "

"Hahaha..." Ronald rushed over and laughed, "This is not okay. All Hollywood practitioners here must be supervised by the union. According to the regulations of the Directors Guild, a movie can only have one director. No. Maybe it's some kind of literary or martial arts..."

"This..." Upon hearing this, he was very disappointed. This way, everything was done according to the rules. Ronald didn't know how long it would take to revise the script to his satisfaction. With this effort, three movies were shot in Hong Kong.

Tsui Hark, who once studied in America, knows the rules here better, "Director Luo, it's not that we don't respect the rules of Hollywood, it's just that our technicians and martial arts masters are used to our work there. method."

Tsui Hark made a movie called "Swordsman" starring three female stars in Hong Kong. It cost a lot of money, but it was a huge failure at the box office. For a while, no investors were willing to ask him to make a movie. I had no choice but to help several other shareholders in the company do some unnamed behind-the-scenes work behind the scenes.

That's why this time he was persuaded to work together on this five-million-dollar "big production" that had never been made by a Hong Kong person before.

He wanted to persuade him again, but Ronald raised his hand to stop him. "Well, you're tired today. I've booked a Hilton executive suite for you, so you can have a good rest. We're jet-lagged, and we'll continue talking tomorrow. You'll also have time to think more and mature."

I went back and told the martial arts masters in Xiangjiang about the progress, and then went to sleep. Tsui Hark was very interested and asked to visit the set of Daydream.

Ronald asked his assistant to take him to see Daydream's equipment showroom. There were lightning lights, a camera stabilizer, various tapes, a portable toilet that could be hung on the back of the trailer, and some expensive wire.

"These steel wires are in compliance with the guidelines of the Hollywood Stunt Workers Union. The quality of our production is very good and can be used repeatedly for more than 3,000 times without any fatigue or loss of strength."

The assistant saw that he was very concerned about the wire, so he came up to introduce it.

"How much does a one-meter wire like this cost?" Tsui Hark touched it and it felt really good.

"Seventeen and a half dollars a foot..."

"How much?" Tsui Hark sighed in his heart. The quality is good, but it's also really expensive. In Xiangjiang, you can buy this wire wire for ten Hong Kong dollars per foot.

He looked at the prices of other equipment and had an idea.

"Corey, get up." As soon as Tsui Hark returned to the hotel, he knocked on the door.

"It's not that simple. Costs here in Hollywood are very expensive. An extra performer costs more than 200 US dollars a day, five million US dollars. It's not a big production here. When I studied abroad, it wasn't so expensive. Now The price was negotiated three times and the price went up significantly.”

"Is it so expensive? It's not like our Xiangjiang. It would be nice for a walk-on person to have a lunch box to eat."

The two of them now understood that Ronald's opening budget was five million US dollars, which was calculated based on the cost of filming in Hollywood. Of course, this money would be valuable in Hong Kong, so it was best to negotiate the budget. Most of them The filming was done in Xiangjiang, so that we can be wealthy.

The next day, regardless of fatigue, the two came to Ronald's office to ask for a meeting. Tell them what they have agreed upon.

"This?" Ronald felt a little unsure after hearing the two people's plans. I dare not make a serious production in Hollywood. The film industry in Hong Kong was operated in the form of B-level movies from the beginning.

The shooting speed is fast, the script is not standardized, and the actors and directors use a lot of random on-site performance. If they change their minds, they may not be able to shoot anymore. Unless you stay in Hollywood to intern for a period of time and follow a crew, you can make movies according to the Hollywood way.

"If you want to shoot like this, it's the way to shoot a B-level movie. Our company can't invest too much, and you have to find a suitable Hong Kong investor."

Ronald explained that Hollywood is a long-arm jurisdiction. If your company invests in making movies overseas and holds more than 50% of the shares, it must also abide by various labor union regulations and prepare a report with the American Film Association. .

Otherwise, if we use Hong Kong's filming method and don't prepare a script in advance with the Producers Association, it will be regarded as an overseas film and will have to be imported. The taxation, marketing, and distribution channels of the two are different.

The two friends in Xiangjiang seemed to have been poured cold water on their heads. This was really unexpected. No wonder the two reporters at Golden Harvest would rather invest in Hollywood projects or do overseas distribution than film in Hollywood. It seems they have suffered a loss.

Ronald looked at the two of them, thinking that if nothing was agreed upon this time, then the future cooperation in Xiangjiang would be broken. In order to open up a new production base and introduce talents and knowledge from Xiangjiang, I have to complete this project. Even if I lose money, I still have to set a model.

Just can’t pay too much.

"In this way, although my company cannot invest in the production of films in Hong Kong, it can invest in your company in my own name. After you make the film, sell me the distribution rights in America, Japan, Europe and other places. In this way, we can It's a win-win situation." Ronald thought for a while and decided to invest US$1.5 million to shoot the two of them.

"Is it distributed overseas..." The two looked at each other and said nothing. Golden Harvest's movies distributed overseas have always been excused for various reasons and the satellite companies were not allowed to settle overseas profits. When asked about the two gentlemen, they just lost money... and they didn't have the ability to check the accounts.

Ronald continued to make offers.

"I personally invested 1.5 million US dollars, and you also provided talents and equipment accordingly. I put two high-end cameras at Brother Long's place, and you can borrow them. The equipment and film are all in accordance with high standards.

You can handle it yourself when it's released in Hong Kong. If it makes money at the box office, we'll share the profits. For overseas distribution, America will pay you a copy fee, and then we will share the settlement with you after the release.

For distribution in other places, we will wait until next year to participate in Cannes and Tokyo Film Festival exhibitions, and we will negotiate the price based on the market situation. But don’t hold out too much hope. The buyout fees there are only tens of thousands of dollars for a country. "

"How do you like this condition? If you are not satisfied with it, we can still discuss it."

"I'm all satisfied. Luo Sheng, you are so generous." When He and Tsui Hark heard this condition, they almost burst into tears. Xiangjiang filmmakers, apart from Japan’s box office, has anyone else seen what overseas box office profits look like?

"But I also have conditions." Ronald continued.

The two looked at Ronald with wide eyes.

"First of all, I personally have the production rights, and the rights for future sequels and all script adaptations will belong to me.

Secondly, in this movie, you need to shoot more scenes involving hanging wires. We American audiences like this. "

"No problem..." He gritted his teeth and agreed, taking more pictures of the hanging wire. Those old people who practiced martial arts, such as the leader of Liu's class, would definitely laugh that what he was filming was not kung fu, but dance.

But for the sake of money, what can’t be photographed? Your old man has never made a movie with such a big budget, right?

Both parties smiled, and Ronald asked a lawyer to draw up a contract and handed it to them.

Seeing that he was about to sign, Tsui Hark secretly pulled him down.

Ronald immediately said, "Don't be so anxious. Go back and discuss it with your lawyer first. If there are any unclear terms, we can discuss it again."

"It's okay. Luo Sheng is familiar with Brother Long, and he is a great benefactor of our Xiangjiang martial arts school. He will not lie to me. I completely believe in Luo Sheng's character. I will sign now."

While talking, Tsui Hark signed his name. They all have small film companies or studios under their names, which are perfect for taking on this job.

"Hahaha... ok... it's a pleasure to work with you." Ronald felt happy when he saw the other party signed. He was ordered to accompany them to visit Los Angeles at the same time, and give each of them some travel souvenirs and Sony electronic products as gifts.

"Hehe..." Ronald looked at the contract very happily and locked it in the drawer. According to the contract, I have priority for each of Tsui Hark and Tsui Hark's five future films. As long as they are filming in Hollywood, they must first find themselves for cooperation. If they don't agree to invest, they can only find others.

From now on, who else can make Hollywood-style action movies besides yourself? Moreover, the copyright of this "Dragon and Phoenix" video tape also belongs to me. As long as Jean-Claude Van Damme has 80% of the level of "Boxing Domination", isn't this investment a big gain?

"Hehe..." After leaving the office and going to Warner Bros. Studios for a tour, Tsui Hark and Tsui Hark both snickered in the back seat of the car. Director Luo really doesn't know how economical it is to make a movie in Xiangjiang. With an investment of 1.5 million, they can make this movie without any investment other than their own. They may even be able to make another one and sell it to a distributor.

Moreover, Ronald also promised to give them a share of overseas distribution. Wouldn’t there be more cooperation like this in the future? Director Luo also signed a contract with each of them to make five movies. If this movie is a hit, they can do this five more times in the future.

The two hung out in Los Angeles for a week, during which they auditioned for some Hollywood actresses and stuntmen. A Polish-born martial artist named Cynthia Rothrock has exactly the right conditions. Able to perform martial arts moves and in good shape.

She is the national champion of Taekwondo and was also selected as the best female athlete of the year by "Black Belt" magazine.

What's more comfortable is that before joining the American Screen Actors Guild, she also played a supporting role in a Chinese New Year movie "Wealth Train" in Hong Kong, and her Chinese name is Rovero.

When she heard that she was being asked to be the heroine in a theater movie like this, Rovero happily agreed. Ronald nodded after seeing me, and the "dragon and phoenix swords" project was basically confirmed.

"What about that? Go back to Xiangjiang and say hello to Jackie for me. I'm about to acquire a film company and have the property rights for his films in America. I also want to release his other film videos in the future. Ask him for me if he has any. If you're interested, we'll find time for an interview." Ronald came over to say goodbye to the two Xiangjiang filmmakers, and let them keep an eye on the rest of the matter at the same time.

…

At the same time, Ronald's acquisition of 21st Century Pictures was also in progress.

Obviously besides them, there are other people who also want to reorganize the company that filed for bankruptcy, and have also filed applications with the court. However, because Ronald's valuation of old Kung Fu movies in Hong Kong is different from others, his base price is higher than others.

However, when it comes to business negotiations, Ronald still entrusts a team led by lawyer Mickey Kanter to be solely responsible for negotiations.

"Ronald, I feel that our competitor EMI Pictures is not very urgent. It does not have to be 21st Century Pictures. We can wait.

Their new president is Italian, and perhaps he's more interested in acquiring De Laurentiis Productions, which is also in trouble. If they instead buy De Laurentiis's company, we can delay it for a few more days and get creditors to give them a big discount on their 21st century debt. "

Miss Lindsay Dole was about to go back to accompany her son, so she came to Ronald's office. After reporting on the negotiation situation, she expressed some of her intuitive feelings.

"Is that so? Let's just wait, I'm not in a hurry." Ronald still has great trust in Lindsay's level and loyalty.

Ronald is not in a hurry, someone else is.

Soon, an old acquaintance rushed into Ronald's office.

"Ronald, Ronald, you bad boy, do you want to steal what belongs to me?" Minahan Golan came over and supported the desk with his hands, glaring.

"What's wrong with you? Minahan? What do you have to say? Why did I steal your stuff? By the way, you Cannons are also releasing my movie Boxing World in Cannes. You should be the ones who stole my money, right?" "

"Hey, a cannon is a cannon, I am me..." Minahan sat down slumped, "I need 21st Century Pictures, don't steal it from me, Ronald."

"You sit down first and I'll pour you a glass of brandy." Ronald got up and closed the office door, then poured Minahan a glass of wine.

"Drink some. Calm down first and tell me what's going on?"

It turns out that this company is being acquired by EMI Pictures, with only one purpose, to give it to Minahan Golan in exchange for him to resign obediently and hand over all the power of the cannon to his cousin Yoram and the new Italian boss Giancarlo Parretti.

"So, this is part of your golden parachute?" Ronald suppressed a laugh. Minahan was eventually fired by Cannon and his cousin. When a person of this level leaves his job, in order to shut his mouth, the original film company always prepares a big gift package, such as funding for his own independent production company, cash rewards, and a long distribution contract to continue to support his future productions. movie.

Minahan looked down and admitted that he was sad. Cannon had placed his dream of making a movie on his heart, but he didn't expect to be stabbed in the back by his cousin, who was the best distribution manager he brought out and kicked out together with outsiders.

"I said, this is no conflict, right?" Ronald handed Minahan a box of cookies, and he picked it up and ate it. Minahan's appetite was particularly good when he was angry.

"There are many companies like 21st Century Pictures in Hollywood now. Many companies are facing financial difficulties. Just ask your cousin to buy another one for you." Ronald knew that this was independent Part of the production company, part of Minahan's departure package.

"Don't mention that bastard, pfft..." Minahan spat on the floor.

"I said, why are you..." Ronald laughed angrily at Minahan's childish behavior, "You eat slowly, these are cookies my aunt baked for me."

Ronald took the cookie box back and said, "Tell me, why is the 21st century so important to you?"

"..." Minahan was angry that Ronald took the biscuits back and said nothing.

"If you don't tell me, I won't consider giving you the 21st century."

"Okay..." Minahan muttered, "It's all because of an exit clause."