Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Twentieth Century Fox was very interested in Ronald's project, and the cooperation plan was placed on Ronald's desk the next day.

"Why is Fox so interested in my 'Love to the Bottom'? Don't they like big productions?" Ronald was a little puzzled, so he asked Michelle Cannold, who was in charge of distribution.

"You are now being pursued by Hollywood, but it turns out that CAA is responsible for most of your directing projects, so other interested parties cannot grab it. This movie was produced by Daydream, and the actors have nothing to do with CAA. , so Goldberg has long been thinking about it..."

"The writers' strike really hit Hollywood hard..." Ronald shook his head. Now even Fox doesn't have a finished script, and it wants to grab this teen romance drama.

“But they also asked us to be part of the marketing plan at Daydream, and you had to bring in Michael Gray (Ronald’s marketing consultant).”

Unlike Cannold, Gray did not join Daydream and was responsible for the marketing plan for Ronald's film as an outside consultant.

The marketing of "Die Hard" has been a great success. Now many Hollywood producers are eyeing this genius marketing talent and want to bring him under their banner to work only for themselves.

But Michael Gray remained unmoved by insisting on operating independently. He doesn't want to work for a studio and endure the instructions of ignorant senior managers. He maintains his independence. If he wants to cooperate, he will cooperate. If he doesn't want to cooperate, he will hire someone else. This is his code of conduct.

There is no other reason than that the film marketing industry is greatly affected by various factors, and it is easy to become a scapegoat for box office failure. Michael Gray only works with those who respect and appreciate his marketing plan, and his favorite among them is, of course, Ronald.

"Michael, Fox has named you to participate, are you willing?" The next afternoon, Ronald invited Gray to come for an interview.

"I don't care. Anyway, we have a long-term cooperation agreement. I promise to be a marketing consultant for two of your movies every year. For other movies, we will discuss each one separately. Are you willing to use next year's quota on this movie? "

"Well, forget it then." Ronald thought to himself, I still have "Steel Magnolias" and the Nora Ephron romantic comedy in the pipeline.

"In this way, I will still provide you with marketing consulting services, but I will not be involved in the specific work." Michael Gray knows that Hollywood treats losers very ruthlessly, and Ronald is a rare person who does not evaluate marketing strategies based on box office results. An expert, such a customer, is an anchor in the storm when his or her fortune is bad.

"This is good,

The marketing department of 20th Century Fox is probably more accepting of your plan. "Ronald thanked the other party. Although President Goldberg admired his marketing operation in "Die Hard", the people in the marketing department definitely had nothing good to say about him. This way, everyone can accept it.

"Okay, but let's first discuss the marketing plan for your second movie 'Working Girl' to be released this year." Michael Gray said and took out his notebook.

"Joel (Silver) and I both feel that your idea of ​​recruiting action stars to support it is very effective. So I thought, could we have a similar marketing plan for 'Working Girl'?"

A more detailed analysis from ema has been sent. The reasons why viewers who came to watch "Die Hard" chose to watch this movie include "hearing from friends" and "seeing film reviews and program recommendations" In addition, the third reason is that "so many action stars recommend it, so I love watching action movies."

"You might think this is because many action stars attended the premiere and said good things in interviews?" Michael Gray said to Ronald with a smile.

"I don't know, but 20th Century Fox does think so. I don't understand why this method is so effective. This is also the huge value you can bring to us." Ronald's words are actually saying I'm paying you because you know something I don't know.

"So why exactly? This marketing plan is so effective."

"This is human nature. We all like to talk about a topic. Movie marketing is to find a topic for the movie that can make the target audience keep talking about it."

Michael Gray explains what he does. In fact, unlike the golden age of movies in the past, many people can't watch movies more than a few times a year. Therefore, the purpose of movie marketing is to give the audience a reason to go to the cinema.

Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman are both newcomers to Hollywood and cannot use the star strategy of Tom Cruise to attract audiences into the theater with their names. So Gray figured out a way to classify Bruce Willis as an action star. Use the category of action star to replace the personal appeal of a certain star.

The top action stars in Hollywood are just those, Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Cruise, etc., and these stars have different fans among action movie fans. Gather them all at the premiere, so that No matter who you like among the three stars, you will want to see what this movie recommended by the three stars is about.

"Great idea, very inspiring..." Ronald exclaimed. This kind of imagination and creativity is a marketing method that he never thought of. Of course, not everyone can use this idea. Only a director like Ronald, who is very popular in Hollywood, can invite Stallone and Schwarzenegger to appear at a premiere at the same time.

Ever since Stallone's divorce became a hot topic, his appeal has been declining. Ex-wife Nelson revealed a lot of negative news about Stallone, such as being arrogant and arrogant, saying nasty things to restaurant waiters and movie fans, etc. Movie fans are a little tired of Stallone.

It was during this time that Schwarzenegger shot several comedy action movies in a row, initially getting rid of the stereotype that the bodybuilding champion cannot act. Whenever the two meet in public, they exchange a few words, just like boxers insulting each other during the pre-fight weigh-in.

"Then can we use a similar strategy for working girls? Well, for example, for example..."

Ronald talked for a long time, but couldn't think of any ideas to attract the audience's attention. He looked at Gray, hoping that this marketing consultant who had been surprisingly recruited in "Moonlight" and "Die Hard" could be Find another way for him.

"Really? It's hard to sum up this 'Working Girl' in one concept. The reason why the audience must go to the cinema to watch it." The value of Michael Gray lies in this. If anyone can think of the idea, who will pay him more? What about the consulting fee?

“I’ve thought for a long time that Working Girl is the Star Wars for women who have been secretaries in companies for many years.”

"Huh?" Ronald felt very interested. It was an urban business war film, and it was interesting to have something to do with Star Wars, even though the male protagonist who won the beauty in the end was played by Harrison Ford.

"Because those secretaries are often bullied by their male bosses. They are asked to make coffee, pick up the children, weed the garden at home, and pick up the dry cleaning. When there is merit, the managers will take the credit, and when they fail, they will be blamed. …”

"Yeah, very good. You have a good grasp of the target audience's mentality." Ronald nodded frequently. This kind of wanting to see the protagonist in the movie realize what he can only dream of is a good movie. One of the necessary conditions.

In addition to making secretaries angry, my "working girl" also has great appeal to young women. Going to work and pursuing a career are full of curiosity and mystery for them. A person like Tess is their moral role model, a model worth emulating in career and love.

You see, a girl, even if she has not gone to college, can get a night school diploma through her own efforts, seize the opportunity, and with a little courage, finally get the job of her dreams and the love that comes unexpectedly and naturally.

"So, we can follow the example of Die Hard and find a group of representative women to promote the movie."

"This..." Ronald thought for a long time. There are all kinds of female stars in Hollywood, but there are none who specialize in playing professional strong women...

The last blockbuster movie about the life of a professional woman can be traced back to "9 to 5" starring Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton. But what about the three leading actors? Jane Fonda, both in life and on screen, is the character who clings to men.

This is especially true for Dolly Parton. There are a lot of husband-singing and wife-singing content in her songs. And every time she releases a new record or shoots a new movie, she will go home to live with her unknown husband and be his housewife.

Among the three, the one with the most professional-female character is Lily Tomlin, and at the end of the story, she takes over as general manager. But she is also the least famous among the three, and has not filmed any movies or TV series in recent years.

"You can't invite Lily Tomlin to promote Working Girl, right?" Ronald asked, and this woman is actually a tomboy. She lives with a woman, and Hollywood neglected her, which is not without reason. reasons.

"No, as you said, Ronald, there are no female stars in Hollywood who play mainly professional women. In recent years, only Helen Slater's 'Secret of Success' has had a certain response." Michael Gray added.

"I can invite her, but..." Ronald's implication was that Helen was not a big star and would have no effect on driving the box office.

"We have to think outside of the conventions of Hollywood. Who said that only stars can drive box office? Just like the current leadership's policies have received the most praise, we have to think outside the box."

"Okay... tell me." Ronald couldn't think of it himself.

"We can find some people in our lives who are engaged in secretarial work like Tess, and we will tour the country to promote it. At the premieres and audience meetings in each place, we will find four or five female secretaries to come out and talk about the film. "

"This...?" Ronald was shocked by this imaginative marketing plan, "No way? The secretary is not a celebrity. Sharing it with the audience at a fan meeting is impossible to get any reports in the media. Bar."

Ronald looked at Gray, and then added, "I'm not saying that I deny your plan. In fact, the plan is good, but we need more methods... If it doesn't work, it's not impossible for us to use traditional marketing methods."

"Who said secretaries have no influence? There are many secretaries in America whose influence is no less than that of ordinary company presidents?"

"Who are you talking about?" Ronald expressed confusion.

"We have many listed companies with board secretaries, company secretaries (paary, a higher position in British companies), secretaries of state, secretaries of the treasury )..."

"Hahahaha", Ronald laughed, this was some kind of word play. In English, in fact, many high-level position names begin with secretary. For example, the secretary of state is actually the government secretary, and the literal translation of the finance minister is the secretary of the finance department.

"Of course, we will not forget those real secretaries. We can invite some important people, cooperate with the board secretaries and president secretaries of some listed companies, and then select some real secretaries locally to attend the fan meeting together, so that people from all over the world can The newspapers will be happy, it's someone they'll have a hard time interviewing."

"Well, it's okay, but our country doesn't have a female secretary of state or finance minister, right?" Ronald, like most American people, couldn't even name a few ministries, not to mention all the ministers' names.

"Yes, our current commander-in-chief happens to be the one who pioneered it." Michael Gray came up with the plan he had drawn up.

"Elizabeth Dole, who served as the U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 1983 to 1987, has just stepped down and is now unemployed. She will definitely be willing to participate in such activities to promote women's equal rights."

"She's good, I know," Ronald remembered meeting this woman in the White House. When the president promoted the federal minimum drinking age, he relied on Dole's toughness not to give highway subsidies to states that did not pass minimum drinking laws. realized.

South Dakota even sued Dole, the Secretary of Transportation, over this matter, and finally went to the Supreme Court and ruled that she won. Cutting federal subsidies without passing minimum drinking laws has become unshakeable precedent.

"And our current Secretary of Labor, Ann McLaughlin Cagle." Gray added another name. The commander-in-chief cares about female votes and always balances it to ensure that at least one woman serves as minister.

"In addition, there are secretaries of some important people in listed companies. I am going to draft a letter in your name and send it to all famous listed companies whose board secretaries are women. In the end, some people will be willing.

】

However, I had no choice but to write letters to these political figures, but in the end my letters were stamped by the secretary and returned. "Michael Gray said with a smile, who doesn't know that you, Ronald, have a good relationship with the first couple, and the commander-in-chief also gave you a movie platform.

"Okay, when I went to New York, I happened to pay a visit to the deputy governor. He is now preparing to accept the nomination from the National Convention of the Elephant Party and formally run for the chief executive. He has a wide range of contacts. I will ask if there are any secretaries of state who are female."