Exploiting Hollywood 1980

People like Jim Cameron are very rare in Hollywood. Many directors hide in their comfort zones and make genre films that they are already very familiar with. Many film critics also criticized Hollywood's lack of ambition in commercialization.

There is a subtle comment that a director, starting from his second film, is just repeating his debut.

Cameron is a dreamer. He likes to copy his dreams on the big screen so that more people can share their dreams and stories. When filming started, he didn't care whether the existing technology could meet the requirements. Anyway, whether it is model stunts or the computer stunts he is going to use now, if they are not available on the market, then he will find a way to make them.

"The investment in "Abyss" was very high. But Jim didn't spend enough money. The progress of underwater shooting every day was very slow, and the number of ngs was far more than normal shooting. Especially the underwater camera, which was sealed from time to time. If something goes wrong, it will have to be retaken.”

On the business jet back to Los Angeles, Gale complained to Ronald about Cameron's overspending on filming.

Gale Heard is determined to divorce Cameron. Now it's just because when the "Abyss" project was established, she still obtained the production rights as Mrs. Cameron, so until the film is completed, the two remain married for the time being, which is very important to the distributor. There is an explanation.

Because the filming was severely over budget, the schedule was behind schedule from the beginning, and Gale was under great pressure. If the two divorced now, the support the film could receive from 20th Century Fox would be greatly increased. After all, Cameron is a film director. There are very few artists who can objectively and calmly deal with the producer's divorce.

"The important part of The Abyss lies in the special effects. Too much money is being spent on underwater shooting, and our early computer-generated special effects research is also seriously behind schedule. Not to mention the manpower invested, even The configuration of the graphics workstation is also insufficient. This time I will go to Fox to be a beggar..."

At the end of the day, Gale is a producer first and foremost. Ronald respects her very much. Even when there are big problems in the relationship, she still gives priority to the movie. It is very rare for a female producer.

"Don't worry, I purchased some SGI workstations from Industrial Light and Magic. You can use them first."

Without hesitation, Ronald agreed to give up all the special effects workstations he had bought from Pixar Studio to the computer special effects team of the "Abyss" crew in Los Angeles. What computer special effects need most is not equipment, but talents who dare to try.

If Cameron breaks out some new technical routes for this movie, then he can invest a little upfront.

…

"What do you think of these glasses?"

Has been decided to play the female lead in "When Harry Met Sally\

,"Meg Ryan, at the Starry Eyes sunglasses store in Burbank, began picking out the glasses used in the show.

"It's very good. I think it suits Sally's temperament very well." Ronald and the art director Jane Muskie exchanged the color temperament of the entire film. He looked back at Meg Ryan's dress and praised it. .

This actress, who she had played a supporting role in "Top Gun", seemed to have suddenly grown up after falling in love with Dennis Quaid. From an ordinary girl's temperament, she transformed into a sweet girl with typical American femininity.

"I think it's not artistic enough. Sally is a very picky person and pays great attention to the details of glasses." Meg Ryan continued to choose.

"Meg is right about that, at least," Jane Muskie replied. She was recommended by Ronald Ask's old partner Polly Platt. Because Ronald hopes that this romantic drama will be a warm sketch that is as close to life as possible. It doesn’t need more drama, but something that the audience can bring into everyday life and think that Sally and Harry are their friends.

"Really?" Ronald was very satisfied with Jane Muskie, who used to be the art director for the films of Polly Platt's ex-husband Bogdanovich. What he is good at is shooting contemporary romantic comedies. This style of color and design is exactly what Ronald needs for his new film.

Speaking of Polly Platt, she's having a blast working as a producer for Cameron Crowe. Crowe liked to consult the experienced Polly. Polly was also happy to pass on the various directing experiences she had seen around her ex-husband to Crowe.

Polly is similar to Gale Heard. They are both professional female filmmakers who can tolerate problems with their husbands for the sake of their careers. The difference between Gail and Polly is that she was born a generation later and has a lower tolerance for infidelity.

"Yes, we need Sally to be a friend of the audience, just like the kind of female classmate who is not the most beautiful in college, but no one has successfully caught up with her." Jane Muskie made an analogy.

"Well, you're right." Although Ronald had not studied in college for a few days, he still understood what the other party meant. When we were students, there were always some female classmates who were relatively naive and learned about love from romance and movies.

Sally has this temperament and always compares the men in her life with the male protagonists in romantic stories.

"Is there a way to express the feeling that Jane said in tone?" Ronald turned back and asked director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld.

"This is not difficult. If you look closer to the TV series, the human eye has been trained enough by color TV in the past few decades. As long as the color tone is close, the audience can have the illusion that this is life."

Ronald found this director of photography from the movie "Grown Up" starring Diane. He liked the tone and feel restored in that movie, which made people watch the live interviews with the TV station. Similarly, it subconsciously gives the audience the illusion that this is something happening around us.

"What do you think of this pair?" Meg Ryan put on another pair of red plastic glasses with a sense of design. It matches her red lips very well. This is the makeup the makeup artist designed for Sally. It should be ordinary but a little sexy, giving the feeling of a girl who reads fashion magazines every day to learn the latest fashion combinations.

"It's a little too gorgeous. Sally is very beautiful, but she won't take the initiative to show off such an aggressive outfit." Art Director Jian gave advice.

"Yes..." Meg Ryan agreed upon hearing this and put down the glasses again.

"Well..." Ronald looked at all this with a smile. The script for "When Harry Met Sally" has been written by Nora Ephron and Carrie Fisher, down to the scenes. This kind of movie is technically much simpler than "Top Gun" or "Working Girl." Once you find the right people and your own experience, shooting will go quickly.

The only thing Ronald is worried about is the performance ability of the two leading actors. This kind of movie does not have too strong dramatic conflicts. The audience must really like the two protagonists to watch it interestingly. This required a lot of improvisation and chemistry between the characters.

Now Ronald was very happy about the casting. A dream gave him a revelation, and he chose the most suitable candidate in one fell swoop. Meg Ryan is slowly becoming one with her character Sally. She is a gifted and good actor, and after observing the character prototype and screenwriter Nora Ephron several times, she captured Sally's picky and naive character very well.

While Ronald was discussing with the director of photography and art director to finalize the overall style of the film, he was also occasionally giving advice on Meg Ryan's choice of glasses.

"How about these?" Meg Ryan put on a pair of modernist-style titanium alloy glasses. The minimalist style makes her look like a female professional manager.

"Too plain, Sally will pay more attention to some popular tastes." Ronald shook his head. Sally is not the kind of steadfast woman who is independent, has her own aesthetic point of view, and is not swayed by popular trends. In short, Sally is a woman with more traditional values, not Polly Platt, not even Gale Hurd. She is the kind of woman who cries bitterly at home after receiving the news of her ex-boyfriend's marriage.

It's hard to say which kind of woman is better. Ronald just feels that in the current public perception, women like Sally are more accepted.

"Do you still have them here?" Meg Ryan spent an afternoon trying out all the stock in this optical store with the most styles in Hollywood.

Ronald had already finished discussing the business with the director of photography and art director, but Meg Ryan still hadn't picked out the right glasses.

Although it was Ronald's request to Meg Ryan to imitate screenwriter Nora Ephron, this is inevitably a bit exaggerated. He walked up to the boss and said, "Cheryl, can Meg try this on your face?"

"Oh, of course." Store owner Cheryl Schumann often cooperates with Hollywood, and many film crews come here to choose glasses. Not only does she have more than 600 pairs of eyewear styles in her own store, she also has a small warehouse in her home that collects popular styles from various periods in history. It is simply the eyewear museum of Hollywood.

"Isn't it good?" Ronald took a few steps back, looked at the art director Jane, and asked.

"Very nice, with a metal frame and trim at the corners. It's just right for Sally, a woman who reads in the library but also has a casual touch of fashion."

"This is the one, we both like it." Ronald helped her decide.

"This is Robert La Roche's classic style. I only have this pair. Meg, it looks really good on you."

The shopkeeper nodded in agreement, and Meg Ryan finally smiled and admired herself in the small mirror on the wall.

"Ronald!"

Ronald, who had started working intensively, was about to go home to rest and threw all the information to his assistant. At this time, a man in a suit and ties hurried over.

"Doug, why are you here?"

It was his friend Douglas Jr., who rarely cared about Ronald's film business, who suddenly appeared on the scene. Ronald was a little doubtful whether he wanted to exercise his shareholder rights, so he came over to look at the company's accounts and inspect the crew.

"I was entrusted by Little George to come here to discuss matters with you." Little Doug and Meg Ryan nodded. They no longer had the energy to pursue female stars, so they pulled Ronald aside to whisper.

"What does this mean? Where do I have time to make some campaign ads for him now?"

The two returned to the hotel, and Douglas Jr. made his purpose clear. George Jr. wants to ask Ronald to go back and create another campaign ad for his father, just like his previous biography-style ad, which greatly increased support and helped George Sr. win the primary election. .

It turns out that in the past month, George Sr.'s support rate has continued to decline, and the Donkey Party candidate has gradually widened the gap by more than 10%. Analysts across the political spectrum began to predict George Sr.'s disastrous defeat.

For this number, Douglas Jr. also found a research company and conducted an independent investigation himself to confirm its authenticity. George Sr.'s approval ratings have declined rapidly across the country, and he still maintains a considerable advantage only in some die-hard Elephant Party states in the south.

However, this advantage is of little use. States such as California and New York, which have the largest number of people, are also the states with the majority of electoral votes. In these states, George Sr.'s votes were dangerously exceeded by Duka Keith's 6% warning line. , if it continues to decline, the election situation may become clearer.

"Why is there such a big difference?" Ronald was mentally prepared for Old George being behind. However, as long as he wins in a few populous states, plus the iron-clad states in the South, Old George still has a great chance of winning. .

"It's still the same old problem. His personal charm is too bad. That's why little George gave advice to his mother, Barbara, hoping that you can save his image."

"Why……"

Ronald sighed. The campaign advertisement I originally shot for George Sr. was an image carefully created through his service in World War II, his later opening of an oil company, his involvement in politics, his employment in China and the CIA, and other highlights.

However, George Sr. appeared in the media too many times after receiving the primary nomination. The people gradually discovered that this man had no personal charm, spoke in an artificial way, and did not understand people's lives.

Voters who have been spoiled by the current commander-in-chief, Ronald Sr., are unlikely to accept such a dull person as commander-in-chief. Not as good as Dukakis, at least he speaks in a coherent manner and doesn't feel good about himself for no reason.

For example, recently, as a graduate of Yale University, George Sr. was still giving a TV interview, mocking Dukakis for his "foreign policy views were born in the boutiques of Harvard Yard."

Political columnists from the "New York Times" and "Washington Post" began to scoff sharply, "Old George seems to have forgotten that he graduated from Yale?"

Although later, George Sr. still argued that unlike Harvard, the source of Yale's classmates was "very scattered and does not have a symbol." Compared with Harvard's uniform elite, Yale has students from all backgrounds. Being a Yale graduate does not mean that he is from any class.

But how do people know the nuances of the Ivy League? To them, both schools were filled with rich, fancy, pretentious, dangerous intellectuals who would never sit down to dinner in their underwear no matter how hot it was.

In short, ordinary voters feel that there is no essential difference between Dukakis, a Harvard graduate, and George Sr., a Yale graduate. In this case, we might as well choose one that looks more pleasing to the eye.

"What do you think? Is it possible that our investment will fail?" To be honest, Ronald began to worry. He and little Doug had placed a heavy bet on old George.

"It's too late to say this now." Douglas Jr. knows how this game is played better than Ronald. They are not those big companies that can bet on both ends. There is only one way to get to the dark side.

"However, we can't contribute to Old George's campaign team. They are going to play some evil tricks now. I'm here to discuss it with you first. It's best not to get involved. After all, we are not for election. And, it's best, Bring little George to our side..."