Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Don't be nervous, Ronald." Eddie resumed his normal tone, "I'll read you a passage..."

"No-name screenwriter hits big! This is the front page article in the New York Times today."

"Hollywood was an overnight dream machine, and now it's not just star actors, but people behind the scenes. In the first summer of the '80s, an unknown screenwriter sold his debut 'My Brother's Protector' $350,000, plus 3% on the box office..."

"The most unusual thing about this news is that so far, there has been no news about the film. This reporter asked Frank Price, the rumored president of Columbia Pictures, for confirmation from his secretary's office. No answer available."

"Let's turn to the business news section," said agent Eddie. "This is also the strange part of this report. He did not appear in the entertainment section, but in the business news section."

"The most direct evidence for this rumor comes from the president of CAA Brokers, Mr. Michael Ovitz. He confirmed to this newspaper that the deal does exist and is being finalized. Columbia will invite quite heavyweight male and female protagonists, perhaps He is an Academy Award winner, but at the current stage of contact, it is not convenient to disclose specific details for the time being..."

"Ovitz told this newspaper that CAA has gradually transformed from a TV-based brokerage company to a film business. This cooperation plan is also a good response to Kerkorian's accusations against Colombian management..."

"If I hadn't known that you signed with CAA and wrote the Vietnam War-related script 'My Brother's Protector', I wouldn't believe it was you who sold this script, hahaha..." Eddie laughed on the other end of the phone. very happy.

"To be honest, I'm not jealous, only CAA has Hollywood connections to facilitate deals, and after your name spreads, I can make high prices for advertising, so I'm going to take the New York Times to Calvin Klein. ."

"You buy me a new New York Times too, and I keep it in my collection."

"Do you need it? Your name is not in the entire report."

"what……?"

Ronald suddenly knew about the surprise, and hurriedly called Ovitz, what happened to the 3% box office share?

"Hello, I'm looking for Mr. Ovitz, I'm Ronald Lee. I haven't made an appointment, but you told him I saw the New York Times report... OK, I'll wait for your call."

Ovitz quickly got the message and called back.

After Ovitz got on the phone,

The first sentence blurted out, how did you know?

"Didn't the New York Times report it? An unknown screenwriter? Why didn't I mention my name? Mr. Ovitz."

Ovitz did not answer, but continued to ask, "Who told you that?" It seems that he also did not expect Ronald to read the business news of the New York Times.

"It was my agent in New York who told me after seeing the report. He represented me as an ad director."

"What? Your advertising directing business is not represented by CAA? Are you still a director? Have you ever had directing experience? What works have you made?"

Ronald was shocked by Ovitz's ability to ask questions, "Mr. Ovitz, I asked you first."

"This is part of the propaganda of the film project, because this report is mainly for the capital market, and the names of you and other creators are not listed, so I did not tell you. We will publish news in the entertainment media soon, and then your name will also be released. On the entertainment page of the New York Times."

Ovitz briefly said, "Now it's your turn, you've been a director?"

"I graduated from high school and worked for Roger Coleman's company. I became a second-team director of an exploitative film. I also shot a few commercials in New York. I made Chewels chewing gum. I am a second-level member of the Directors Guild. …”

"Come to the company quickly. We will sign a director agency agreement with you. Isn't your dream to be a film director? CAA is also short of director clients now."

"Well, Mr. Ovitz, I'm studying editing at the Diorama Productions in San Francisco."

"What? Diorama Company, can you connect with Coppola? We at CAA would like to chat with him too."

"I know him, he doesn't know me, and he's not at the company during this time."

"Think of a way, Ronald, if you can get a photo with him, it will be very beneficial to your next publicity. Please tell me, if you can get to know Coppola, your directing road will be much smoother. ."

Ronald imagined a photo of himself standing with Coppola, put on The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, or The New York Times as a photo to introduce talented screenwriters.

"Inheritance of Hollywood's top directors." Ronald has already thought about the text explanation below the picture, and this scene is very exciting. What about him, it's just a photo, this is also for his own publicity, and it is convenient to be a director in the future.

"Okay, I'll go look for it tomorrow and try to take a photo with him. By the way, what does the 3% box office share mean?"

"That's hype. The share belongs to Jane Fonda, and it has nothing to do with your compensation. Columbia wants Jane to play the role with all her strength."

"Okay, I see, Mr. Ovitz. Does the director have an idea for the script now? How do I revise my script? I still need to interview him. I've made a lot of notes here."

"When you get back to Los Angeles, I will arrange for you to meet. Remember to tell your lead agent Richard about the results of your meeting with Coppola and your itinerary."

"I will, and, for the role of Fool's Sister, has the director seen Michelle Pfeiffer's audition photos? What does he think? Mr. Ovitz." Ronald thought of Michelle Pfeiffer's agent Limato's order. "

"We haven't reached that stage yet, let's finalize the revision of your script first, and you can also recommend it to the director yourself." Ovitz hung up the phone.

Early the next morning, Ronald returned to the Sentinel Building.

The editing room was empty, and the idea of ​​Walter Murkey's introduction had come to nothing.

Ronald only wandered around in the diorama company, trying to run into the current number one director in Hollywood, Francis Coppola. . Go to the studio. The diorama company invested a lot and rented a small studio in the Sentinel Building for filming.

But he didn't see anyone, Ronald checked that the door was unlocked, walked into the studio, fumbled to find the switch, closed the switch and turned on the lights.

In the empty studio, the lighting, recording and other equipment were well covered with black cloth, waiting for the master's blessing.

Ronald watched for a while and imagined the scene where he directed the entire team to make the film,

"Record, turn it on!

camera? Full speed ahead!

Snapped,

Shoot! "

The empty studio had only his own echo, and Ronald looked at the lights above the center of the stage, and the lighting engineer was about to climb over the wooden boards next to him to control the lights. To the left and right are large electric fans that create various breezes.

Ronald turned off the lights again and came out.

It is worthy of being the number one director in Hollywood. Such a large space is used as a studio, and it is not usually used, so it is vacant here. Changing a director will definitely not be able to support such a large rental cost.

Without touching China to Coppola, Ronald found a hotel and booked a flight back to Los Angeles, preparing to continue with the CAA on the "My Brother's Protector" project.

There was nothing to do at night, Ronald was going to go to the bar he had just visited in San Francisco that day, where the old man bragging and chatting was quite interesting.

After taking a shower, I turn on the TV and listen to the news while drying my hair.

"The former California governor continued his campaign, making offensive remarks in New York, alleging that the current leader started his campaign in Tuscumbia, Alabama, the birthplace of the Ku Klux."

"The commander-in-chief dared not debate with me because he knew he would not win." The former governor's face appeared on TV, although he was old and handsome, "Even if this debate is held in the Rose Hall, the audience will be the federal government. Staff, it's not even Jody Powell."

Ronald burst out laughing, the former movie star's mouth is very poisonous, the Rose Hall is where the White House press conference is held, and Jody Powell is the spokesperson of the commander-in-chief, and the commander can't argue with him.

This kind of damage is really relieved. The Persian hostage crisis is still unresolved. The gasoline cost has more than doubled compared to the beginning of the year, and there are often queues.

Turning to a channel, there was a Cantonese TV show playing. Ronald looked at the stand logo, which was KTSF. There are many Chinese in San Francisco, and even local Chinese TV stations.

Unfortunately, I can't understand Cantonese and there are no subtitles. Ronald looked at it for a while and couldn't understand it. It seemed to be the story of Shaodong from the shipyard returning home to inherit the family business.

Moving on to another station, it was an advertisement, "Thompson Waterproof Paint." The soundtrack of the advertisement was very good, and Ronald stopped to watch the advertisement.

"Who'll ;The Rain" Ronald remembers this song. When Aunt Karen was at the Veterans Day party, she played the music of this song. Many veterans like this band's song, and there is also a song "Fortunate Son". "They liked it too, mocking the fact that the senator's son didn't have to go to Vietnam.

"It's been raining for as long as I can remember.

Mysterious clouds poured down from the sky, bewildering. "

Ronald also hummed a couple of sentences along with it. The name of the song is "Who Will Stop This Heavy Rain", and the advertisement with waterproof paint is really appropriate.

"Good people through the ages have tried to find the sun

I'm still wondering, who will stop the rain? "

The singer in the advertisement was still singing, and Ronald suddenly felt wrong. How could this voice be so familiar?

...

"So you're really the lead singer of 'Credence Clearwater Revival' (CCR), John Fogerty?" Ronald found the guy in a blue plaid shirt, jeans, and martin boots again at the bar. 's uncle.

"Is there any benefit in impersonating John Fogarty? I can't even sing my own songs now."

"I often hear your songs on Veteran Radio, but I don't have a record player, so I haven't bought your records, and I haven't seen your appearance. I just saw the TV station advertising waterproof paint, and it was only when I heard your voice. remember."

"I understand you. I also come from an ordinary family. Records are very expensive. My brother and I have to save a lot of money to buy one."

"So you were really cheated of money by the boss Sol, and you can't even sing the songs you wrote?"

"Why should I lie to you? Saul Zaentz, the name you should know if you're really in the movie business, 'Let's Go Over the Cuckoo's Nest,' which he produced with Kirk Douglas's son, Got an Oscar. The money for that shoot was swindled from me."

"And he bought the other two bastards in my band, signed a deal, bought the copyright of my song for a very low price, in addition to the waterproof paint, he also authorized the rainproof tires, which are used in a lot of crap ads My song, it's a distortion..." John Fogarty began to scold the liar boss again.

"Hey John, you're bragging there again. Stop kidding, if you're really that John Fogarty from CCR, why don't you sing us Who'll; The Rain?"

Several of the old customers in the bar started joking with John again.

"You old bastards, I sing CCR songs at commercial performances in bars, and I have to pay Sol, I'm not stupid."

"We'll invite you and your friends for a drink." The regulars were regulars at the bar and joked with John Fogarty.

"Come on, sing one? No one's going to tell. The bartender brought an acoustic guitar to John."

"I don't sing. You are instigating a crime. You let young Ronald sing."

Ronald took over the acoustic guitar and began to sing the song "Who'll; The Rain?", with three lines of lyrics, a few simple *****s, and Em chords. It wasn't difficult to sing.

"No no no, the interludes here, change D, Am, C, and change the quarter beat rhythm." John Fogarty also taught Ronald a few hands to make the accompaniment more pleasant.

"There is only one acoustic guitar, but three rhythms must be created, one is the rhythm of strumming, the second is the rhythm of changing chords, and the other is the rhythm of the song's melody." The guests at the bar had a great time.

As expected of the master who taught, Ronald felt that an acoustic guitar seemed to play three rhythms of bass, drums, and melody, and he felt that the accompaniment sounded a lot better.

"A rhythm is destined to be monotonous. You have some talent as an artist, and you need to pay attention to the speed of a good melody." John Fogerty was very satisfied with Ronald's interpretation of the song. It has been a long time since I heard someone singing him live in a bar Wrote the song, "Next round of beers please."

"Dangdangdang..." The bartender rang the brass bell at the bar, "The next round of beer is free, thank you John!"

"The rhythm is fast and slow. The narrative rhythm of the movie that Walter Murkey said is actually the same thing? The rhythm of the story, the rhythm of the characters, and the rhythm of the conflict must be matched to look good." Ronald unexpectedly expressed the rhythm of the film. Got some insight.