Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Look, this computer is much better than the one we use now for office work, and it looks better. Just buy another Encyclopedia Britannica software and type in the celebrity you want, such as John Ford, and all the relevant content in the encyclopedia will be It’s time to show up…”

Ronald was in Daydream's office, and the black administrative manager was reporting to him the procurement plan for the new year.

Because everyone already has an office computer, this very capable manager also added several new computers to the purchase report. Ronald was a little confused and asked her to ask.

"I see in your script department, many people have to spend a lot of time going to the library to look up information. Wouldn't having such a computer save a lot of costs? They can also spend more time doing business." The black manager was very happy I know that this young boss is not stingy, as long as you have a suitable reason for your purchase.

"Okay, let's purchase some for our offices in Los Angeles and New York. You ask this company to send one to my home, plus the encyclopedia and the sound module." Ronald saw all the classical music on the material. And modern pop music, as long as you choose, the melody can be played, and I am also curious. How can such a small computer store so many things?

"Okay, boss." The administrative manager got up and left.

This computer called NeXT is exactly the new product of the new boss of Pixar Studio that Ronald saw two days ago. Ever since I purchased a batch of computers, the people at Pixar have been delivering some "Journey West" information every day, obviously wanting me to invest.

In order to determine whether this kind of movie can be made under the existing conditions, or how much money it will cost to make it, Ronald is going to ask the friend who can give him the most advice, James Cameron.

"You're here just in time. I'm going to the Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant in South Carolina soon. The big pit there can be filled with water, and I will leave in two days. Then I will dive down to see the site and the operation of the underwater camera."

Cameron has a long beard and looks excited. The filming of "The Abyss" is about to begin. After learning about Ronald's purpose, he specially took him to visit the special effects team he had temporarily formed for the special effects shots in "The Abyss".

Except for the clay and model special effects, which are still handled by Industrial Light and Magic, other parts of "Abyss" are handled by a company called Dream Quest Images.

This company once produced the low-cost special effects movie "Escape from New York" and is also well-known in the industry. The main reason why Industrial Light and Magic was not allowed to handle all the special effects was that the people at Industrial Light and Magic were still busy with the projects of George Lucas and Spielberg.

The main structure of the special effects are all industrial light and magic settings.

DreamChasing Image just brought out some skilled engineers to work on this project.

"It's roughly like this, first build the model, then introduce mathematical formulas to stipulate the movements of these models and particles, and finally process it on the minicomputer for rendering. Jim gave us a rough concept and a storyboard for the final shot. We expect that in the end we will generate approximately Two minutes of completely computer-generated special effects, combined with real shots."

The person who introduced Ronald was Stan Winston, who had produced special effects for Cameron in The Terminator and won the Academy Award for Best Special Effects for Alien 2.

Ronald knew in his heart that the process was similar to that of Pixar, that is, the software used was different. Even the hardware and workstations used for production are almost the same...

Wait a minute, it’s not almost the same, it’s basically the same, right? Ronald touched a workstation computer on the desktop. It had the same dark green shell and the same round head.

"This is the latest generation of IRIS desktop workstation from SGI. This one costs 20,000 US dollars, and that one is used for modeling with advanced configuration and costs 80,000 US dollars. We use it for preliminary work, subsequent rendering, and post-processing. On that small computer, it took a week of continuous rendering to generate a usable picture of more than ten seconds."

Stan Winston chuckled. Cameron's friends were similar to him. They all paid attention to technical details. They were not traditional Hollywood directors who just generally said that I want special effects like ET. They were very interested in new technologies. and new inventions are keen.

"Good guy, isn't this just a disguise?" Ronald said to himself, the appearance is exactly the same, but if it has a Pixar brand on it, he can sell it to me for 30% more money. Even if their software is better, it's not that good... I've stayed with Cameron for a long enough time, and I haven't seen a single crash. It always crashes with Pixar.

"Wait a minute, you said that after a week of rendering, you can only produce a finished special effects picture of ten seconds?" Ronald suddenly thought of the meaning of Weinstein's words.

"Yes, this is an ideal estimate without any errors. Sometimes the screen will be unusable due to some errors, and sometimes there will be problems that our engineers cannot explain, so now It can only be rendered segment by segment." Cameron explained to Ronald.

Because they are good friends, Cameron did not hide his secrets and made it clearer about the problems that still exist with computer special effects.

"Such a shot needs to be rendered for a week?" At this moment, Ronald completely gave up the idea of ​​investing in the Monkey King.

"When we were filming Alien, it was more than twice as long. We were very careful at that time to use it just a little bit. According to Moore's Law, it would have to be almost until the 1990s before long-form movie scenes that were completely computer-generated could theoretically appear. ."

"What is Moore's Law?" Ronald asked Winston for advice.

"This is a rule of thumb invented by Intel's chairman Moore. In about eighteen months, the computing power of a computer can double while the cost doubles."

Ronald nodded. Unless it is a TV animation that is not so particular about picture quality, it will take a long time to make a movie that is entirely computer-generated.

Thinking of this, Ronald also put an end to the thought of setting up a computer special effects research department. Being half a step ahead of others is a genius. If you are too early, you will end up in a situation like Pixar, where you can only rely on selling hardware. maintain the appearance.

…

"Ovitz, Peterson, Schwarzman, please do it this time..."

In the executive suite of the Peninsula Hotel in New York, Sony President Norio Ohga was bowing to three white men in a very formal manner.

Ovitz also followed President Ohga's example and made a ninety-degree bow. This made the two financial elites next to them a little embarrassed, so they had no choice but to bend down a little deeper.

In May, Sony's preparations for the acquisition of Columbia Pictures gradually began to enter a very in-depth stage. Norio Ohga hired three top talents in related industries in America to serve as consultants for the merger and acquisition to assist Sony in the process. This is the largest merger and acquisition case in history between a Japanese company and an American company.

The three advisers, in addition to Michael Ovitz, the founder of CAA, are Peter Peterson and Steve Schwarzman, the two founders of Wall Street upstart Blackstone Investment Company. They jumped out of Lehman Brothers and established their own investment management company. Last year, he also helped his old employer Lehman Brothers acquire Hutton Company, the largest stock broker on Wall Street, and received a bonus of US$3.5 million.

It happened that Sony needed the guidance of mergers and acquisitions experts, so they spent a lot of money to hire two bankers to focus on handling the compliance issues of Japanese companies' mergers and acquisitions in America.

When Ronald met and discussed with Norio Ohga, he also pointed out the complexity of American regulations. Just like in his new movie "Working Girl", a small legal loophole can help Sony get around it. Overcome impossible barriers and complete the acquisition.

The purpose of inviting Michael Ovitz was also reminded by Ronald. Sony's biggest goal in purchasing Columbia Pictures is to accumulate the most complete film library in Hollywood over the years. The copyright issues here are complex and acute, and they need someone who has good relationships with and is familiar with major Hollywood studios and stars. People who have grudges and grudges between them come to help.

Michael Ovitz is the most suitable candidate. As an agent, he has a good relationship with all the stars, directors, and agents. Therefore, we asked him to be a consultant to help sort out some of the intricate relationships involved in the Colombian film library and copyright, so as not to cause unnecessary disputes. After all, after the acquisition, Sony will still have to cooperate with these truly powerful people in Hollywood.

Ovitz and the two bankers also like this job very much. By simply using their professional knowledge and connections, they can get five times the remuneration of domestic customers, and they can also do joint business after the merger and acquisition is successful. I don’t know why this President Dahe took a fancy to me. Didn't this cake fall down and fall on your head?

Several people chatted about the progress of the merger and acquisition. Sony said that money is not an issue, the issue is to be safe. Sony does not want to face the problems that arise when it acquires Columbia Records, and the opposition from the people and the government. It is best to use a Buy Columbia Pictures in a way that satisfies everyone.

This attitude of clearly stating that I want to spend money to buy a clean house makes the two bankers of the Blackstone Group very satisfied. In order to enter the American market, the Japanese have to turn to Wall Street bankers with deep foundations like them.

They and Norio Ohga determined several major principles and tried to choose the acquisition method that would cause the least disputes within the scope of the law.

"Ovitz, I wonder if you have any advice for me in resolving copyright disputes?" Dahe came over again and asked Ovitz what he thought.

"I would like to ask President Dahe first, why is Sony only interested in Colombia?" Ovitz asked with a sincere face.

"I consulted a good friend in Hollywood about this matter, and he told me that Columbia would be a more suitable acquisition target. MGM, which has the largest film library in Hollywood and the most classic movies, has a very bad copyright situation and will cause a lot of problems." Dahe also answered sincerely.

"I wonder which good friend it is?" Ovitz inquired further.

"Uh..." Norio Ohga didn't know how to answer. Ronald was helping as a friend, so it might not be a good idea to tell his name.

"My CAA has represented about one-third of famous artists in Hollywood. Among big stars and big directors, this proportion is even higher. If your friend is my client, there is no need to worry about confidentiality. I As a broker, I am bound by the broker-client privilege to act only in the interests of my clients or my license will be revoked."

Ovitz pointed out the other party's concerns, and he reassured Dahe that if he knew who was pushing Columbia Pictures, he would have more room to gain benefits for himself.

"It's Ronald." Dahe and his assistant confirmed Ronald's agent and then told Ovitz, "It's Ovitz's client. We are very optimistic about him. If he is interested, He is also the right person to run a major production company."

"Ronald-kun..." Ovitz also pretended to call Ronald affectionately. Listening to this tone, does Sony want Ronald to be in charge of the production business of the lawsuit after the merger? I also want this position...

"His understanding of the Hollywood audience is very talented, but he may not have been in Hollywood long enough. In fact, there is another company in Hollywood that may not be suitable for you except Columbia...that is Universal..."

"I would like to hear the details..." Norio Ohga also asked Ovitz to continue. Isn't it because he spent a lot of money to hire this person as a consultant to buy his connections?

“During the golden age of Hollywood, Columbia was not one of the three largest studios, and in the New Hollywood movement that began in the 1970s, Universal and Fox were the two leading the trend, and they also produced the most classic movies. "

What Ovitz said was no nonsense. He discovered the two studios of Spielberg and George Lucas respectively, plus Paramount, which was originally helmed by Eisner. In the new era, it is the shooting classic. The most movies.

"Ronald-kun has already said this, but we have already acquired Columbia Records and are more familiar with Columbia Pictures' personnel." Norio Ohga found a reason. In fact, the real reason why he prefers Columbia is that he is not the top leader in Hollywood. Ronald has said that the success or failure of mergers and acquisitions ultimately depends on the acceptance of this behavior by the people and political circles.

At a time when the United States and Japan are quarreling over semiconductor disputes, if they acquire the top three companies in Hollywood, the media momentum will undoubtedly be much greater than that of Colombia. To be on the safe side, and with their connections at Columbia Records (the two companies separated not long ago), they were more confident about Columbia Pictures' copyright situation.

"That's true, but what about Universal's movie rights, ET, Back to the Future, the Jaws series, and movies like The Breakfast Club that have a huge influence on teenagers?" Ovitz knew very well that the Japanese wanted to get it What, selling electronics to teenagers, their biggest target customers!

"I heard that Director Spielberg is unwilling to release the video tape?" Norio Ohga was also a little tempted. If he could buy Universal, who would want to buy Columbia? He posed a problem and asked Ovitz to solve it.

…

"Rick (Nisita), what has Ronald been busy with recently? Has his new movie not been confirmed yet? Do you need me to give him some help? Recently, some of our newly signed stars have begun to complain to me that there are no top Hollywood stars. The director came to find them, hahaha."

Ovitz returned to the office and immediately invited Ronald's agent Niceta to inquire. After the merger, Sony needs a helmsman who understands both America and Japan.

Ovitz always felt that he was the perfect candidate, but today when he met President Dahe, he thought Ronald was a good candidate, which made Michael Ovitz very uncomfortable.

Norio Ohga felt that Ronald had a unique vision, both in and out of his words. If Ronald were to stop being favored by Sony, he would have to make one or two movies that did not do well at the box office... Young people can think of that. Oscar, after making money and achieving commercial success, does it mean that we have to turn to artistic recognition? If you try to satisfy him in this aspect, you will naturally ignore the box office results.

"He's looking for a replacement director for the script Steel Magnolias. If he can't find one, he might do it himself. This movie is a story about a small southern town, and Ronald is still a little worried that he won't be able to film the story of Dixie."

"Hahaha, our golden boy is a Yankee." Ovitz laughed. This guy Ronald is so cautious about movie projects. It seems that he needs to increase his efforts to deceive him.

"This movie is an adaptation of a famous Broadway play. It is indeed a bit risky for him to direct it. I will find some suitable directors for him. In fact, if Ronald wants to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Director again, he will shoot the big northern cities he is best at. The story is a good choice.

I will ask all agents who sign screenwriters to pay attention and give priority to scripts that are suitable for him to win the Oscar for Best Director, the youngest person in the history of the film. "

"That's a good thing, Ronald will thank you." Niceta stood up and said goodbye to Ovitz, and went to convey the good news.

"The secret of success is to make others think that the idea you sell to them is something they came up with themselves," Ovitz said to himself, "I'm really a genius."

…

"Ronald, can you make time to attend the premiere of Tom's new movie?"

Paula Wagner came to invite Ronald to attend the premiere of Tom Cruise's new film "Cocktail" and convey the good news that Ovitz promised to provide high-quality resources to Ronald first.

"I think it's okay. Elizabeth Sue is also an actress I discovered, so it's time to attend." Ronald was talking about Cruise and Sue's "Cocktail," which will be released in July. , which coincides with Ronaldo's "Die Hard".

"Well, Tom said that no matter whether you are free or not, he will go to the premiere of Die Hard. This is the best way for everyone to cheer each other up." Paula Wagner has completed her main task.

"How is the filming of Tom's Rain Man going? I met Oliver (Stone) in Cannes, and he said he would shoot the exteriors of his new film in the Philippines. Tom will probably be very busy." Ronald hasn't seen him for a long time. I met Cruise. The big star has a lot of film appointments and a full schedule. Being able to come and support Die Hard is already very impressive.

"Hey..." Paula sighed.

"The movie went very smoothly, but Tom was not very happy and I was worried too."

"What's wrong?"

Paula complained a little to Ronald. It turns out that since Tom Cruise knew that the last film had become "Hoffmangate", Hollywood has not been very fond of Dustin Hoffman. But what CAA fought for for him was actually a salary that was comparable to his own.

Michael Ovitz is too obsessed with taking care of the old stars who signed with CAA when it was weak. After the newly signed stars obviously become more famous, they are not treated as well as the old stars who have expired.

The most obvious example of this is Sean Connery, the actor who plays 007. Such a Scottish actor without any works actually has the largest office of CAA, and even specially created a script for him, and won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, which made Cruise envious.

"I think we have to look at the long-term plan. After all, CAA is still thinking about Tom. His long-term image management is also the most important part of a star's career." Ronald felt that a role like Connery was not suitable. Suitable for Cruise. The role Tom plays is meant to be handsome! Handsomeness comes first.

"Hey, I understand." Paula sighed again, "But if I don't fight hard for Tom, my job won't last long. Not every client cares about money like you, Ronald. Open-minded.”

"Uh... ok", Ronald thought to himself, I make money from producing, which is certainly different from your Tom.