Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Ronald walked out of the executive office and saw Gail, whose eyes had stopped crying, talking to Jim.

"Hey Ronald, do you know martial arts? It's easy for you to bring down two Zacks."

"I was on the wrestling team in high school."

"Oh", Gail also imitated Ronald's tricks and gestures twice, "Then you still take pictures of me today?"

"You wait for me for a while, I'll take a camera up to take pictures, and then I'll invite you to dinner."

"What? Is there anything to celebrate?"

"Yes, Mr. Coleman put me in charge of the remaining two groups of directors."

...

"Give me a mood, Gail," Ronald said while commanding Gail to pose and make expressions, "Think of anything, be happy."

"No, no, the thing you just thought about was a little bad, think about it again."

"It's a good thing, I like it, keep it up, good."

Gail seemed to suddenly think of something happy and gave the camera a beautiful smile, which Ronald quickly pressed the shutter to capture.

Jim walked from behind Ronald to Gail and offered his coffee.

"I took a photo with Gal."

"Put it aside for a while, don't stain my lipstick."

Ronald clicked the shutter a few more times, and both of them had good expressions.

Then set the shutter to the timer file and took a group photo of the three of them.

Ronald put away the camera and tripod. The three walked out of the office and got into Ronald's car to eat.

Without letting Ronald spend too much money, the three found a common restaurant for a meal. Ronald felt that the environment was very similar to the one where Aunt Karen worked on Staten Island. Bright big windows, sofa booths, not many people eating, maybe the reason for Sunday.

The three sat in the booth, and the waiter brought the menu and asked them to order. It serves Italian food like pasta, meatballs, pizza, and real espresso.

After eating the staple food, the three of them started talking about what happened just now.

"...Roger asked me to be in charge of the shooting of the second group, and then asked me to find the contact information of the photographer for you to take charge of the photography." Ronald briefly explained what happened just now.

"Without the original second set of photographers from 'High School of Rock'?"

"Roger asked me to shoot with him, we'll finish the second set, but not continue with Jerry Zucker's shooting schedule"

"So you set up a second second group to shoot the rest of the shots?"

"Then you're not..." Gail said and stopped, looking at Jim next to him.

"It's okay, Jim and I are friends." Ronald took the coffee from the waiter and pushed it in front of Gail and Jim.

"Union members?" Jim asked.

Ronald nodded.

"I've been," Jim said, pulling out his wallet and pulling out a membership card on the table.

Ronald picked it up, "National Truck Workers Union..."

"Oh, not this one, this is my other union."

Jim looked again, took out one, and handed it to Ronald.

This is a cardboard card with the logo of the Directors Guild in the upper left corner, an eagle about to fly. Below the logo is the words 1978-1979, indicating the validity period of this card.

Just above it is the words of the American Directors Guild, below it is the name and address of Jim typed on the typewriter, and at the bottom is the signature of the chairman of the Directors Guild.

It's just such an unremarkable little card, with it, even if you are in Hollywood.

"This is what you applied for with that short film?" Ronald asked.

"Yes, my short film was made by dentists for tax rebates, so it must be filed with major Hollywood unions in order to get a tax refund certificate. The directors' union will send you application materials after seeing your filing."

Gail took Jim's director's union card from Ronald,

Also looks curious.

"After that, you need to find three directors' union members to endorse you, and then take the application materials to a notarization and send them back to the union. After they approve, they will send you the membership materials. You write a check for the membership fee. Give it to them and you can get this membership card."

"Sounds a bit complicated."

"Yes, and the membership fee is not cheap. Short film directors like me belong to a relatively low level. Like advertising directors, documentary directors, director assistants, and drama site managers, they pay a $750 membership fee. Oh yes, every year. There is a $60 renewal fee."

"But there are also advantages. They will help you pay for medical insurance, and you don't need to pay extra for the lowest tier. Compared with other industries, the unions in the film and television industry have done a good job."

Ronald is a little envious, he doesn't have medical insurance yet. But next year, he should be able to get an invitation to join the membership, and he has to work hard to make money and pay the membership fee.

Jim took back the Directors Guild card that Gale was playing with and put it in his wallet. "Tell me about your college application, have you decided?"

"I've already applied to two public universities in New York. But I want to apply to some schools for film majors. I just asked Mrs. Coleman for advice. She said that several colleges in California and New York are worth considering for film majors, and she also said that you can find her Write a letter of recommendation with Roger."

"Then you have a good chance. Mr. Coleman knows some people in the circle, and his recommendation letters are of certain value." Gale is a Stanford graduate and is familiar with these.

"However, tuition fees are not as cheap as public schools. I heard that you need to pay for your own filmmaking in college."

"Don't be too superstitious about those college professors," Jim said. "You can read the books there and make some friends. But those professors haven't made a movie themselves. How can they teach you? It's just a textbook."

"Instead of spending money to follow a professor to learn how to make movies, it is better to work and study at the New World Productions here, and you can enter the industry. Few of those film graduates have shot me."

"Can't say that either," said Gale, still leaning toward college. "Look at the new directors who have graduated from college. Lucas in 'Star Wars', Francis Coppola in 'The Godfather'..."

"But Steven Spielberg who did Jaws dropped out of college," laughs Jim.

Gail slapped Jim on the hand, expressing dissatisfaction with his lift, and giggled.

"Gail, can I use the company's copier? I want to get the application materials ready today. Please help me to mail them out tomorrow. I'm going to shoot two sets from tomorrow, so I'm afraid I'll forget it."

"No problem, you can prepare the envelope with the letter of recommendation, and I'll remind Roger tomorrow. Today is the 17th, and it's not far from the Christmas holiday. Don't send the post office express letter, it's not fast at all. Look for that. FedEx, the documents they send will arrive in two days, guaranteed to meet the deadline.”

"Thank you so much, I'll give you the postage first." Ronald turned to Jim's direction, "Jim, do you want to come to the second crew to help me? Or would you rather study with Alan on the set?"

"I'll help you," Jim agreed immediately. "Alan's next scene is mostly indoor scenes. I think there's a motorcycle chase in the script. It was shot by your second team, right?"

"Yes, then I'll let you shoot this scene." Ronald knew that Jim was interested in stunts and was also a motorcycle enthusiast.

"There are still some introductory blank shots. Without actors, we have to find a prop design, and we have to make a school sign." Ronald began to calculate how much manpower was needed.

"No, I'll do it, I'll do it," Jim said. "What other scenes and props? I'll think about it together."

There is also a phone booth scene, the sunrise scene on the mountain, and the scene at the door of the concert, which are all trivial and scattered scenes. We can go back to the office to check in detail.

After drinking the espresso in one gulp, Ronald put down the slightly excessive tip, and the three returned to the office of New World Productions.

After consulting the office phone book and the film industry directory, Ronald found the addresses of admissions offices at four universities. Gale helped him type several blank envelopes and asked Roger Coleman to write a recommendation letter tomorrow.

"Mr. Coleman pays more attention to his own recommendations, and he writes them all himself," Gale said.

"By the way, is your short film in the company? We just have time to watch it today." Ronald said.

"Oh, I left it at home, I'll remember to bring it next time."