Exploiting Hollywood 1980

After a few days of renovations at his aunt's house, Ronald went to the Richmond Savings Bank in town and took out a one-time $2,000 home loan.

It happened that the account manager was a classmate from Ronald High School, and extended the remaining repayment plan, allowing Aunt Karen to pay a lot less each month.

However, NYU's first-year tuition is $3,300, plus rent, books, and equipment rentals that are essential for film majors, and Ronald's savings is about to shrink dramatically.

The immediate priority is to reopen a portrait photography studio in Manhattan.

In the classifieds section of the New York Times, I found a real estate agent. Ronald talked about his needs on the phone in the past: 1. It is close to New York University. 2 Have a room for photography.

The agent came to the ferry terminal in the afternoon to pick up Ronald the next day, and showed him three listings in one breath.

The first is a studio in SOHO, a 1,200-square-foot (110-square-meter) studio that rents for $1,250 a month.

It's a whole big empty room, perfect for a real photography studio. However, it is not suitable for both commercial and residential use. Besides, the rent is also expensive, and the pressure of doing business every month is not small.

The second is a small apartment in Brooklyn, 2 bedrooms and 1 living room. The rent is only $280 per month. Although the distance is a little far, there is a subway connection, and it is only a few stops to New York University.

The agent boasted that it was a historic home with a modern kitchen and bathroom.

Ronald felt that the rent was cheap and was a little moved. He agreed to go to the scene to see it, but he was disappointed.

It turns out that the modern decoration means that the gas and hot water are connected, and the sense of history means that the house is very dilapidated, and it leaks in rainy days, leaving traces on the walls.

The third house is on the east side of NYU, at the junction of NOHO and East Village, in the artist's apartment on 2nd Avenue. The house is also older, but well maintained, a three-room apartment.

Outside the door are restaurants opened by various ethnic minorities, including Jewish, Italian, Ukrainian, Eastern Ying, and Chinese.

Across the road is a Kodak printing shop, and there is a deli and grocery store next to it. Life is very convenient. Wells Fargo is a block away. Ronald fell in love with the environment at first sight.

The house was a low-rent house built by the government for the poor in the past, but now it has become a rental apartment, so it does not pay attention to rational layout, but pays attention to the rate of housing.

The intermediary said that this type of room is called a train apartment. It is like three train boxes. The three rooms are connected in front of each other without corridors and entrances. Going to the shotgun room at my aunt's house is the same.

Entering a house that Ronald intends to use as a living room and a reception room for photography. The second largest room in the middle is used as a photo booth. The last one is used as a bedroom and study.

After haggling, Ronald rented the second-floor train apartment for $500 a month. There is no elevator, so you don't need to climb too high.

I chatted with the janitor, this kind of house does not have a separate water, electricity and coal meter, so it is shared by each household. After paying the deposit and opening the phone, Ronald began to prepare to open a photography studio.

The apartment is full of artists, the kind that don't get along very well. Certainly not too bad, not relegated to hell's kitchen. Ronald found a Czech painter, and in exchange for taking portrait photos, let him do a simple decoration of his small apartment.

In particular, the portraits of Demi Moore and Natasha Kinski were enlarged and hung on the wall in the reception room, facing the door. In addition, a photo of Demi Moore was enlarged and posted behind the window on the second floor, with a few artistic words about audition photography written next to it.

Ronald was satisfied and went to buy another typewriter, and a Sony TV, even if he settled down in New York.

"29th West Berlin Film Festival,

The Soviet delegation, as well as delegations from various eastern camps, collectively withdrew from the festival to protest Michael Cimino's participation in the film "The Deer Hunter," slandering the North Vietnamese People's Army..."

Seeing the old acquaintance Fat Boy on TV again, Ronald smiled, and he still walked down the road first.

Using a typewriter, I typed out an advertisement for an audition photo. After I was satisfied with the revision, Ronald went to the photocopying shop and made hundreds of copies. I will distribute it nearby tomorrow to try it out.

Go out and buy some meat at Abe Le Bevault's deli on the corner across the road. I went to the grocery store to buy some bread, cigarettes and wine. Ronald asked Czech painters to invite some of the artists from the household to have a party at the house.

They were both artists, and they began to judge on Ronald's audition photos of the two beauties. The unanimous point of view is that Ronald is good at capturing the moment when a beautiful woman's mood is revealed, but he is poor in artistry and does not show the beauty of the beautiful woman's body.

"I'm watching it for movie directors, you don't understand." Ronald scolded with a laugh.

He distributed some of his advertising leaflets to the "artists", and Ronald hoped that business would come to his door tomorrow.

Sure enough, at noon the next day, someone came to the door to take an audition photo.

It was a black-haired beauty who knocked on the door, and when Ronald opened the door, she seemed to be startled.

Like a frightened rabbit, the beauty shrank back instantly, and then smoothed her hair, "Are you the photographer who took the audition photos as mentioned in this advertisement?"

A pair of eyes moved flexibly, wanting to look into the room. Compared with the flyer in his hand, he didn't seem to believe that Ronald was so young that he was a photographer.

Ronald stepped aside and opened the door wide to let the beauty see what was going on in the parlour. Pointing to the two samples on the wall, he said, "I'm Ronald, the photographer on the flyer, and this is my audition portrait studio."

The beauty watched Ronald open the door, and there was nothing unusual in the room. She cautiously entered the room and observed the two audition photos on the wall.

"Tea or coffee?" Ronald said, opening the kitchen door to get the kettle.

"Coffee is enough. Did you take these two photos?" The beautiful voice came from the living room.

"Yes, one is German actress Natasha Kinski, who has the leading role in Polanski's 'Tess'. The other is Demi Moore, who has yet to land a role in the film , but I think it's a matter of time."

While chatting, Ronald filled up a cup of instant coffee and brought it to the other party. Watching the beauty gradually relax after drinking coffee, Ronald began to ask, "Are you taking an audition photo for the first time, or do you want an update?"

"First time taking an audition photo."

"Would you like to do it in color or black and white? Audition for a drama or a romantic comedy?"

Ronald asked, filled out the form, and handed it over: "Look at it, is that what you asked for, an audition photo, for the show, color, 20 copies. It's $60 in total."

The beauty took over the form and looked at it carefully, Ronald had the opportunity to observe the beauty's appearance carefully.

His shoulder-length black hair was neatly combed behind his ears, revealing two silver earrings. A black velvet turtleneck top complimented her snow-white skin.

The beauty is still comparing the project names and explanations one by one, and seems a little embarrassed to ask. A pair of dark eyes staring at the table, as if the choice between the main drama and the romantic comedy, stumped her.

Looking at the beauty's black hair and black eyes, Ronald moved in his heart and suddenly blurted out: "Do you have Chinese blood?"

"How do you know?" The beauty jumped up from her seat, "Who told you?"

"Relax," Ronald was taken aback by the beauty's actions, and quickly stood up to apologize, "I just have an intuition, I think your facial lines are very Chinese and very beautiful. I usually only publish in magazines. I have seen Chinese people in the past, so I asked you, no offense."

The beauty is wearing a belt with blue lapis lazuli on the buckle, jeans and sneakers. Dress in a bohemian style, wearing cheap clothes and jewelry with a very elegant temperament.

The beauty showed a smile, and yes, this photographer just moved in and doesn't know his situation. So he reached out, "I'm Meg Tilly, nice to meet you."

After "Ronald Lee" shook hands, the two sat down again.

Meg seemed to have put down her burden and was no longer nervous, and began to confirm with Ronald one by one on the form.

Then Ronald picked up the Nikon and started taking audition portraits of Meg. Meg is not very skilled in facing the camera, but she is in very good shape. Standing in front of the camera, she has an upward energy.

"Did you study dance?" Ronald asked curiously.

"Yes, I used to be a ballerina," laughed Meg, raising her left leg and doing a light standing split, placing her foot on the wall.

"Oh, this pose is not easy, I have to take a picture. I can give it to you for free."  …

Back from Kodak's printing, Ronald handed over a large audition photo with Meg's name on it, "You pin your resume on the back and you can show it to the agent."

Meg took the photo, but didn't leave immediately. She looked at Ronald with a long smile, swept her eyes to the ground, and raised her head again, "Ronald, I see you taking an audition photo for Natalie Kinski. , you also know very well how to take audition photos to impress the director, are you in the film and television industry?"

"I worked in a Hollywood production crew, and now I'm a freshman in the film department of New York University." Ronald likes to talk to this elegant girl, "I think your body is in good condition and your face is more photogenic, so you should There will be a place in the film and television industry.”

"Really? But I'm not in the business yet." Meg began to look at her feet again, and smiled shyly.

"Of course, I also worked as a second-team director in the crew. I know who is suitable for movies." Ronald laughed, "Why don't we have lunch together, and I will slowly explain some of the requirements for entering the industry."

"Are you asking me out, Ronald?" asked Meg with a smile, tilting her head.

"Of course I formally invite you, Miss Meg Tilly, to lunch with me."

The two found a Dongying restaurant and began to chat about each other's situation.

It turned out that Meg Tilly's father was a Chinese businessman named Chen. Her mother divorced her biological father when she was three and took her to Canada with her sister.

Canada, like America, has looming discrimination against Chinese people, and all kinds of opportunities will be reduced. So Meg kept the secret that she was half Chinese. I was shocked when Ronald said it just now.

She studied ballet as a child, and then received a full scholarship to Skidmore College, a prestigious private dance academy in New York. Under the tutelage of the former New York City Ballet's head, dance master Melissa Hayden.

Last year, she was admitted to the Connecticut State Ballet and should have embarked on a career as a ballet dancer. It is a pity that in a training before going to Connecticut Ballet, I accidentally fell while being lifted by a male partner, and my back was seriously injured, so I can no longer engage in the dance career.

The tenacity in her character supports Meg to stay in New York and want to switch to a career in acting, but whether it is film, television, or Broadway, she is not allowed to enter.

If she doesn't have a new job yet, Meg, who doesn't have enough savings, may move to Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen area next month to rent a house and continue her dream of being a waitress.

The more they talked, the happier they became, and Meg told Ronald about her predicament.

"I heard that all the actresses under 30 in New York are crazy now, MGM is going to make a youth drama, there are 10 starring opportunities. All the agents are selling their young actors to the casting studios. ," said Meg Tilly.

"Where's your agent?" Ronald thought to himself, this was the second time he had heard of this casting studio.

"I haven't got my SAG card, so I don't have an agent," said Meg timidly.

"It's okay," Ronald took Meg's hand to comfort him. "Tomorrow I'm going to the casting studio. You go with me and see if I have a chance to recommend you."