Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Brandon Tartikoff was overjoyed when he received a call from Ronald. He had long wanted the opportunity to recruit a talent like Ronald to film a TV series for NBC. But generally speaking, movie directors are reluctant to shoot TV series, let alone a popular star director like Ronald?

Who knew that just when he was trying to get on the line with Ronalda, Ronald's own phone call came.

He immediately made a deal with Ronald's agent, Niceta, and invited Ronald to get off the plane and go to NBC's location on the beach in Malibu. Tartikoff happened to be in Los Angeles to inspect the filming of the new TV series.

"Ah, Ronald, I really wish that when I was young, I had the opportunity to participate in a movie like When Harry Met Sally, then I might not go to TV and work in Hollywood... Hahaha..."

Brandon Tartikoff is tall and tall, but he has an unattractive appearance and is slightly hunched over. He doesn't look like the kind of talented handsome guy you often see in the entertainment industry. Not even Disney's boss Eisner has a slightly better-than-average appearance.

"Oh, that won't work. My aunt will be very disappointed. She is a loyal viewer of SNL Saturday Night Live and also likes watching the current TV series Family Ties." Ronager saw that Tatikov had a great sense of humor. , enthusiastic. So I boldly responded to his joke.

The two were walking on the delicate sand of Malibu Beach, the filming location of the TV series, chatting while walking, and hit it off immediately.

"I'm glad your aunt likes our show. I hope she likes the one we're making now, too. Tell me Ronald, as a successful Hollywood director, what do you think is the most important thing about a movie? ?”

Tatikov's character makes it very pleasant to get along with him, especially when he wants to deliberately please you. As president of NBC, now the most successful public television station, he humbly asked Ronald for advice on making movies.

This kind of implicit flattery is actually much better filmed than when Hollywood actors come to please Ronald.

"I think it's important to keep the story firmly gripping the audience and not let them get distracted during the one and a half to two hours in the cinema." Ronald thought for a while and gave the simplest one. Answer.

"You are the most successful TV person in America. I don't know what is the most important thing in TV series, um... or other TV programs?" Ronald returned the flattery to Tatico intact. husband.

"In this way, it's almost the same as a movie. The most important thing is that the story must be interesting. Isn't there a joke? How many television producers do it take to change a light bulb? The answer is... why is there a light bulb? In the TV series story It’s so tedious to change light bulbs.”

"Hahaha……"

Ronald admired Tartikoff's sense of humor. The two men stopped near the location where they were stopped. Filming is taking place there.

"!" The director gave the order and the camera started to move.

Several handsome men and beauties in bright red swimsuits, holding red inflatable life rafts tied to their wrists with ropes, ran hard and rhythmically on the beach where the waves were slowly lapping.

Ronald and Tartikoff stood outside the circle, not interrupting their filming. Ronald took out the director's viewfinder he always carried and looked at it.

The waves wet the legs and bodies of the actors in red swimsuits, and the fishy seawater glowed like golden scales in the sun and stuck to their bodies.

The actors and actresses all have very good figures, and they are running vigorously on the beach. The sun shines on the swimsuit wet by the sea water, and the whole picture exudes a healthy and upward atmosphere.

"Cut!"

The director stopped, and Tartikoff turned around and asked Ronald, "What do you think of this TV series? Is it interesting enough? Can the story attract TV viewers without changing the channel?"

"I can't think of a more attractive theme for the audience," Ronald put down the director's viewfinder and said, "Handsome guys and beauties, beach swimsuits, wet..."

"Hahahaha, you are such an expert!" Tartikoff smiled happily. After preliminary testing with Ronald, he was worthy of his name. He is a director and producer who has an extremely sensitive sense of the American audience's preferences. Filmmaker.

"Girls and boys, we have visitors here." Tartikoff put his hands to his mouth and called to the set.

Although Tartikoff is the president of NBC, he still retains the background of a very curious Yale University student. He personally watches all NBC dramas and other live talk shows and live shows before making a decision.

"Oh, God, isn't that the director Ronald Lee?" The actress with the largest bust among the actors at the scene cried out and covered her mouth with her hands, expressing disbelief.

"Hello, Director Ronald, I really like the movies you shot." The actress took the initiative to introduce herself to Ronald, "My name is Erica Elenik."

"Hello, Erica." Ronald looked at her beautiful body that kept shaking, and found it difficult not to be attracted to her.

"Let me introduce to you, this is David Hasselhoff, who plays our head... a German." Erica Elenik was very excited and introduced some actors from the crew to Ronald and Mr. President behind the scenes.

"Nice to meet you. I wish your new drama success. By the way, what's the name of your new drama?" Ronald greeted them one by one politely.

"Bay Watch," Erica Elenik replied excitedly. He finally had the opportunity to talk face-to-face with a top Hollywood director.

"Do I still have a chance to see you?" Seeing that Ronald was leaving, Erica Elenik couldn't wait to use her last resort.

"Of course, these are my business cards." Ronald took out two business cards with the agent's office phone number and distributed them to Erica and her colleague Hasselhoff. These people have very good images and have excellent muscle lines all over their bodies. If you have the chance, you can enrich Daydream's actor library. If you have low-cost action movies, you can look for them.

"Hey, Hollywood director, no wonder he's so charming." Billy Warlock, the actor who plays another rescue team member of Erica's male and female partner in the play, couldn't help but come over to look at the business card and said sourly.

"Humph, what do you know? It's usually very difficult to say a word to these big Hollywood directors." Erica looked at the dry spots on her body and simply stuffed the business card into her chest.

She had just shot Playboy Girl of the Month and won a TV role, but her dream had always been to be a movie star.

This is not surprising. When she was only 12 years old, she was an extra in Spielberg's "ET", playing the little girl who was kissed by the male protagonist Elliott in school. .

"Oh..." David Hasselhoff is a German actor who was personally recruited by NBC President Tartikoff. He already has a very popular TV series "Knight Rider" in which he plays a man with a car. A smart, talking car becomes your police detective's partner.

However, he knew very little about the film industry. Hearing what Erica said, he carefully held the business card in his hand.

…

"So I heard Rick [Nicita] say, you want NBC to give 'Seinfeld Chronicles' another chance, right?"

After leaving the set, Tartikoff and Ronald got into the company's luxury car together. In the back seat, he personally poured Ronald a glass of whiskey and the two chatted about business.

"That's right, I watched the pilot episode, and I think this is a movie that is very in line with the mentality of young audiences in big cities." Ronald took a sip of whiskey and said to Tartikoff sitting next to him, "I have an intuition , this TV series will be very popular."

"Ah, that's right. Ronald, can I be honest with you? I've been in this business for so many years and I've met countless producers and directors who have a successful instinct for every TV show, or do you Call it The Sixth Sense God's Revelation, anything is fine... But for all TV dramas that have been proven to be good by the market, there is only one indicator that can predict in advance, and that is the ratings of the first season..."

"Hehe..." Ronald understood immediately upon hearing this that Tartikoff was an expert. Making TV series and making movies had one thing that was very similar, that is, no one could guarantee that this series would be successful before it was really successful. The series will definitely be loved by the audience.

The so-called ratings of the first season, which means that the opinions of internal experts such as the pilot episode, the intuition of the director and producers, and the feedback of the pilot viewers are all unreliable. Tadikov played another dry humor here. No one can predict it in advance before the final ratings data comes out.

"However, some people's intuition is definitely more sensitive than others, such as you, a master who knows what story the American audience wants to see." Tallikov changed the subject. His real purpose was to seduce Luo Nader went into television.

"Is there any special reason you can convince me that the character Seinfeld will really be loved by the audience?"

"No, this is just my personal intuition. I don't have any factual evidence to prove my point of view." Ronald also shook his head. I can't tell you that I dreamed about this series and filmed a lot of it. Later, it will definitely be a bestseller.

"I understand what you mean, but no one can say for sure about this kind of thing. We found 400 viewers and gave him a score that was almost the lowest score for any drama pilot since I joined NBC. And this The cold humor in this series is too New York and too Jewish. I doubt that even the audience in Los Angeles would be able to understand it outside of New York."

The car soon arrived at the NBC office building. Tartikoff invited Ronald into his office and the two continued to discuss.

"You really like this TV series, then I think we can make a deal. As long as you can come up with a reason that I can understand and convince, I am willing to give them a new opportunity and let them shoot another pilot episode. have a look……"

Every word of Tartikoff hits the point. This is a CEO who really understands the television industry. It is completely different from those CEOs who know nothing and hang out among the top management. If Ronald were to compare himself to one person among the senior executives of the seven major studios, only Frank Price, the original president of Columbia and Universal, was similar to him.

"I don't think I can provide any evidence or facts to convince you yet, Mr. Tartikoff. But I have a request. If NBC is not interested in the Seinfeld Chronicles TV series, can I take over it? Then go to other TV stations and try to sell it?"

Ronald simply retreated before advancing. He felt that this TV series must have a bright future. If NBC doesn't want it, he can go to 20th Century Fox, which he has a good relationship with, or the ABC TV network to sell it. Even PBS, where Helen Sweet's father was. Although they mainly order foreign TV series and documentaries, they do not completely reject domestic TV series.

"Ha, it seems that you really like this TV series, so let me change the conditions. If you want this TV series to be purchased by NBC, we might as well place another order with your production company and order one How about the TV adaptation of your movie?”

Tartikoff said what he really thought, which was what he wanted to discuss with Ronald.

"Huh?" Ronald didn't expect that this trick was waiting for him, "Which of my movie adaptations do you want to order for TV series?"

"Working girl..."

"Oh, that's right. My Daydream Productions is producing the Working Girls series, and then you can order Seinfeld and Working Girls. Am I understanding this correctly?"

Ronald understood that this was actually a kind of bundled sale that often appeared in the film and TV series industry. When everyone disagrees on which TV series to sell, then two or more TV series can be bundled together and sold to TV stations at the same time.

This practice was originally very popular in the Hollywood film industry. But later in Paramount’s antitrust case, this article became an important piece of evidence that Paramount was deemed to be a monopoly, and it disappeared from Hollywood for many years. It was not until the new commander-in-chief loosened control that this method began to come back.

"It seems that you are really optimistic about the TV series adaptation of this movie. Can I ask why?" Ronald wanted to learn a few tricks from Tartikoff. He was not very clear about why the other party concluded that this TV series would have a future. What about the audience?

"It's very simple. This movie is a very popular movie, and the social response is also very large. So we can save a lot of publicity links. In addition, women, career development, romantic relationships, and fights with bosses, these elements, There are different dramas that have been successful, and if you put all these successful elements together, I think she has a high chance of success."

"Okay, I understand. I will consider the feasibility of this matter with my colleagues in the company and make a feasibility report as soon as possible. Then after we have the script, we will discuss this matter..."

"I'm very much looking forward to it..." Tartikoff raised his glass and clinked it with Ronald. There are many good movies that have been adapted into successful TV series. As long as he can get this started, Ronald will have many blockbuster movies, and there will be a steady stream of adaptations...

"I'm looking forward to it too..." I didn't expect that NBC would have such high confidence in the production of its own TV series. He thought for a while and then said, "I will still let Seinfeld Chronicles try its luck on other TV stations, but this will not affect my cooperation with NBC on the working girl series..."

"I wish you good luck..." Tatikov also raised his glass. He actually doesn't like Seinfeld's show, but the working girl he wants most has already been obtained...

…

Ronald returned to the hotel and met Diane, whom he had not seen for several days. Diane seemed to have a lot to say to her husband, hugging his neck and not letting go.

"Honey, I have one more phone call..." Ronald kissed Diane and then dialed Steve Bannon.

"About Seinfeld, NBC President Tartikoff was relieved. I think we can try our luck at other public television stations."

"That's great. As long as you take action, there's nothing you can't do in Hollywood..." Bannon breathed a sigh of relief. If Ronald takes action, he can give an explanation to all the investors on Wall Street. .

"In addition, I have one more thing. NBC is interested in the TV series adapted from my movie Working Girl. You are very experienced in the production of TV series. Are you interested in getting financing done? Let's work together again..."

"I'm so interested. Ronald, I've told you before. Movies are just a small business. The real big money is still in TV series."

"Whatever you say, come up with a plan as soon as possible, and we will have a meeting with the top management of Daydream..."

"Honey", as soon as Ronald put down the phone, Diane immediately put his arm around him, "I miss you so much, I have so many things to tell you..."

"Okay, I'll listen to you one by one..." Ronald felt Diane's attachment to him.

"I'm so disappointed in Julia Roberts. After she got the leading role, she started to leave me aside... She wanted to do a lot of things according to her ideas..."

"No way, Julia Roberts doesn't have much star status in the industry, she's nowhere near you. Her starring role in Tsuna Mulan hasn't been released yet..."

"You don't know how a girl like this can control men and let them act according to her own ideas..."

There is only one chapter left today.

Please remember the first domain name of this book: . :