Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Ronald Lee, in this year's new film 'Dirty Dancing', can be regarded as establishing his status as a musical revivalist. He was the king of musicals in the 1980s. He took over from Fred Asday. Er, Gene Kelly and others have used the tradition of musical films, new era directorial techniques and smooth commercial film narrative rhythm to give this once glorious genre a new lease of life..."

Traveling by Gulfstream aircraft did not have any impact on his rest. Ronald was able to go to the office early the next morning.

The newspapers accumulated over the weekend were placed on the desk. Ronald picked it up and took a look. The assistants carefully labeled the reports about "Dirty Dancing". It's basically all praise for Ronald and the two leading actors.

The weekend box office statistics are also out, and there is almost no drop compared to the first week. "Dirty Dancing" rules the American film scene in August.

America's Labor Day weekend is coming soon. If it can keep the box office at a high level for three consecutive weekends, it can dominate the box office for another two weeks. There are no competitive new releases until mid-September, including Michael Douglas's "Fatal Attraction."

Sometimes, when a movie is released during the traditional off-season at the box office, if the movie is of good quality, it has the advantage of being a big fish in a small pond.

Ronald finished flipping through the newspaper, wrote a note on it, and asked his assistant to help him cut out the reports and store them. A man had fun at his desk for a long time before starting his day's work.

"Cassandra, I have read the script carefully. Let me confirm with you again. Can't your budget be lowered? I see that in your script, apart from the fire burning down the old house, many scenes can actually be compared. Deal with it in an economical way.”

Back in Los Angeles, Ronald received support from the dream on the plane, and his confidence in "Ecstasy" began to rise. After basking in the praise in the newspapers, Ronald called Cassandra Peterson while she was still in New York to confirm her wishes.

"Of course, no theaters are willing to show those old-fashioned B-level movies now. I talked to several producers, and they all answered me this way. The audience's taste has been improved, and they must be given more in the movie. A big scene.

Minahan Golan's fooling around has been spurned by the market. Look at his Superman IV..."

"Okay, I understand what you mean. You want to make a theatrical movie, but you don't want to make the kind of B-level movie that can only be made directly into a video tape and end up in a video rental store."

Ronald rubbed his chin. I still think about problems with my old thinking.

The reason why Roger Corman was able to dominate Hollywood for decades with an ultra-low-cost (less than 500,000) budget. One of the reasons is that there are no visually impressive films on the market. Now the movies made by Lucas, Spielberg, and Cameron have raised the quality of movies several notches.

Audiences will really laugh out loud when they go to the cinema to watch movies that are fake at first glance.

Cassandra Peterson, on the other hand, worked for Minahan's Cannon on the "masterpiece" (over a $10 million budget) "The Lost City of Gold." Although judging from the final film, they probably only spent three yuan and fifty-eight cents on the special effects.

But after all, Cassandra Peterson is the leading female villain who occupies the theater market and has launched "blockbusters" in more than 1,500 theaters at the same time. She worked so hard to promote this movie, and there was no way she would accept it ending up on a video tape.

"Or can you get a movie with a production budget of less than $2 million into the distribution market? I heard that one of your movies, 'Love Is Not For Sale,' had a low budget." Cassandra Peterson misunderstood Luo Nader's call meant that if it could enter theaters, low cost would not be a bad thing.

"No, that movie is to fill the gap in theaters. Obviously I can't find a blockbuster in the short term to occupy the schedule after the New Year next year. By the way, I will bring your movie." Ronald thought for a while. , you still have to cooperate with others.

"Listen, Cassandra, I will find some other producers to discuss with you in the next two days. I like your movie script very much and have confidence in your performance in 'The Lost City of Gold'. So you Don’t look for other producers for the time being. I’ll give you an answer by the end of this week.”

"Thank you, thank you, thank you... I really don't know how to thank you..." Cassandra Peterson stomped her feet happily on the other end of the phone, "Should I go back right away? When you were talking to other people, Don’t you want me to be there too?”

"Don't have too high expectations. There's still room for success or failure in this matter. It will be beneficial if you come back, but I want you to join me after I find the right person."

Obviously, Cassandra Peterson, who has already been fooled by Minahan Golan and even fell from a height into a pond without a stand-in and had to fight on her own, is impossible to work with Cannon Pictures It's cooperative.

This also left Ronald with only one possible partner, his former boss and guide Roger Coleman.

After making an appointment with Roger's secretary to interview at his Concordia company tomorrow, Ronald was intercepted by script assistant David Simkins.

"Ronald, there is a script here, which was given to you by name. I think what he said makes sense, so I jumped in and showed it to you."

"Oh, why?" Ronald raised his eyebrows, a little surprised. He waved his assistant to make David a cup of coffee.

"This letter was sent by the screenwriter and producer along with the script. I feel I can't refuse the reasons he listed."

"Really? Can't refuse?" Ronald took the script. The name of the script was written on the cardboard cover, "White Lipstick."

"What does this mean? The name is not well chosen, and I can't understand the meaning." Ronald flipped open the cover, and inside was an open letter.

"Dear Ronald, my name is John Waters, and I am the screenwriter of this "White Lipstick". I wrote to you because you are the only one who knows how to make a musical in this era.

This "White Lipstick" is also about dancers in 1962..."

"Very interesting..." Ronald looked at David Simkins. This movie and "Dirty Dancing" are basically about the same time period.

"I checked the registration time of the Writers Guild. His script was written long before our movie was released." Simkins replied. This John Waters is not a follower.

Ronald nodded and continued reading.

"Tracy is a fat white girl who likes black musicals. In the youth dance talent show on a local TV station in Baltimore, she overcame discrimination against her body shape and won the championship.

And her best friend also broke through racial discrimination and fell in love with a black youth..."

"Oh..." Ronald became very interested when he read this. In the 1960s, in addition to the situation of full competition between President Kennedy and the coalition, another major event was the equal rights movement initiated by progressive youth at the time, which challenged the racial segregation and inability of black people to attend the same school.

This way of embedding the plot of the musical into the background of the time is very similar to "Dirty Dancing" written by Eleanor. There is also discrimination against Jews and women's struggle for their own physical freedom as the background.

Ronald did not speak, silently flipping through the script . Similar to "Dirty Dancing", the script of this movie also hides the ups and downs of the times behind the plot. It does not deliberately highlight the plot that these older audiences miss, but cleverly shows it through the story.

The climax of the script. The protagonist Tracy was put in a detention center because of her participation in the struggle of black and white mixed schools. Another mean girl won the TV talent show.

At the critical moment, the governor pardoned Tracy. She rushed to the TV station, and the host announced that it was the first time in Baltimore's history that blacks and whites appeared on the same show at the same time. It ended with a large dance.

"What do you think?" Ronald closed the script and said to David Simkins.

"I think it is very suitable for our company's next movie. I checked this John Waters, he has always been known for shooting low-cost movies. Many of his previous movies were shot for tens of thousands of dollars. The quality is very good in B-level movies, and the box office is also good.

It is very suitable for our current situation where we lack a production budget. The shooting cycle of this kind of movie is very short. It can be launched in theaters during the off-season after the New Year holiday next year, so that our distribution business will not be idle. "

"Your idea is great!" Ronald appreciated Simkins' idea. Such employees who take the initiative to stand at the height of the company instead of just looking at the interests of their own department are very likable.

"Then I'll invite him to the interview?"

"As soon as possible. I have to discuss cooperation with Roger Corman of Concord Company on another movie tomorrow. It would be best if I can talk to John Waters today."

...

John Waters came to Ronald's office in West Hollywood in the afternoon. He was born in 1946, is very thin, has a mustache, and looks funny.

Waters himself is a native of Baltimore. The script of this movie "White Lipstick" is adapted from his own experience. The TV dance talent show in the movie and the feat of breaking the ban on blacks and whites from attending the same school in Baltimore in 1963 were all things that happened to him when he was in middle school.

This is also a script that he spent a long time polishing slowly.

"What is your budget requirement for the movie? "Ronald looked at him. The script didn't have many scenes. It was mainly indoor scenes and dance scenes.

"This is my masterpiece, so I want to make it as I want it to be." John Waters said.

"Tell me about your plan." Ronald began to feel uneasy. What is the way to make it as I want it to be? It's essentially a question of how much money to spend.

"I want to shoot it in real scenes in Baltimore, including campus scenes and Baltimore street scenes."

"Real-scene shooting is more economical," Ronald nodded. There is no actors' union in Baltimore. Waters can save money wherever he wants.

"I want a bigger budget. The movies I made before were all super low-cost movies with a budget of no more than $100,000. This movie is my dream movie. I want to make it as good as possible. Ronald, you will understand me, right? "

John Waters looked at Ronald pitifully. If Ronald didn't give him the green light, he might have to use some second-hand recycled films that other crews hadn't finished shooting to shoot some ultra-low-cost movies that were released directly on videotapes.

"Huh..." Ronald scratched his head. This promise was not easy to make. "How much money do you estimate it will cost?"

The cost of a musical is much higher than a romantic love film like "Love is Not For Sale". Ronald was prepared for the other party to ask for more than 5 million, after all, it cost so much to shoot "Dirty Dancing".

"Two..."

"Twenty million? Are you kidding me?" Ronald got angry when he heard the word "two" at the beginning. I haven't made more than 10 million for making a musical myself.

"No, it's two million." Waters quickly clarified.

"Two million? Are you sure you can make it?" Ronald counted the big group dance scenes. The plot was a dance talent show. There were dozens of experienced dancers dancing in groups every time, and they danced the swing dance of the 1960s. This is not like "breakdance" where you can just grab a few street dancers to dance.

"No big problem. I have a group of actors who have worked with me for many years. We have worked together for more than ten years. We have a good understanding and their pay is not expensive."

"Very good, you make a budget and then make the storyboards of the main scenes. I will have a meeting with other colleagues to discuss it. You should not look for other producers before the end of this week. I think this promise is not difficult to fulfill, right?"

"Of course," John Waters stood up happily and prepared to say goodbye when he heard that there was a play.

"In addition, let me ask, what does the name of your script "White Lipstick" mean?"

"Lipstick is red, and white is a very strange color. Just like in Baltimore at that time, blacks could not enter the TV station to participate in the talent show with whites. This strange phenomenon was seen by everyone, but no one had the courage to speak out. Only a brave and optimistic girl like Tracy could speak out and fight for change." Waters began to talk about the metaphorical meaning of the name.

"No wonder you can't find investment," Ronald shook his head. Fortunately, the other party wrote a letter because he was good at making musicals and dance films and was seen by David Simkins. Otherwise, no one would be willing to read this kind of incomprehensible name.

"This won't work. You have to change the name, change it to a name that people can understand the plot at a glance."

"But..." Waters was very proud of the pun and metaphor in the title. He thought for a long time before he came up with it.

"Don't say but. If you don't change it, we can't give it the green light. Low-cost movies can't invest in big budgets for marketing. The audience must understand what story you want to tell. Just like "Dirty Dancing"..."

"Okay, I understand. I'll change it when I go back..."

...

The office of Daydream rented an ordinary house, which was not decorated, and the walls were not soundproofed. Ronald couldn't try to dream about movie scenes by practicing yoga breathing.

He drove home, then took a hot bath, closed the windows, drew the curtains, turned off the lights, and started sitting on the yoga mat to empty his mind.

"Shake... Baby... Shake..."

A strong sense of swing music came, and Ronald seemed to see a fat girl, in front of the TV, learning the dance moves on TV with her girlfriend.

"This is a pretty good shot." Ronald couldn't help but sigh. Such dance moves are obviously well-trained. Although the heroine is very fat, her dance posture is very flexible.

"Hmm... what is this?"

Ronald saw a few more group dance scenes. He found that just like he liked to shoot beautiful women's legs, John Waters had a special hobby for women's buttocks. In several shots, Tracy's buttocks were swaying towards the camera in a close-up, and the screen was occupied by this huge buttocks.

Then there was the ending scene. Ronald saw Tracy dyed blonde. Although she was fat, she danced a cockroach dance on a TV show at the invitation of her beloved boy.

"Hmm... very good." Ronald felt that being able to shoot fat girls so cute was also very attractive to those viewers whose figures were not so standard. Fat girls can also find handsome guys who love them.

Soon, the scenes that yoga breathing could provide ended. Ronald fell to the floor and fell asleep.

…

"Ronald!" The next day, Roger Corman was waiting for Ronald in the office and found him walking into the office with his head tilted. "What's wrong with your neck?"

"I got a stiff neck when I slept at night..." Ronald touched his neck. He slept on the floor last night and sprained it.

"Are you okay?"

"No, I have an appointment with a chiropractor."

"Well, you said you brought a cooperative project to discuss with me?" Roger Corman looked at Ronald who was sitting down.

"Actually, there are two..."

Ronald took two scripts out of his briefcase and pushed them over on the table.

"Well, I know this Cassandra Peterson. She has acted in many movies." Roger Corman first read the synopsis of the script of "The Ecstasy".

"The budget for this movie is more than 7 million. I want to ask if you are interested in cooperation. That musical is cheaper. If you think 7 million is too expensive, we can start cooperation from this one."

"Let me see", Roger Corman opened the script of "White Lipstick" again. He is a veteran producer. He has basically read these scripts once, so he knows whether they can be invested and filmed.

"How is it? Does this script have the style of the old New World?" Ronald pointed at "White Lipstick" and asked Coleman.

"It does look like it," Coleman laughed. This cost-saving way of filming really looks like the old New World Films.

"Then let's start with this movie?" Ronald asked.

"No, I'm more interested in 'The Ecstasy'."

To Ronald's surprise, Coleman wanted a movie with a shooting budget of 7 million.

"Why?" Ronald felt that this was not Coleman's style.

"You also know that my distribution channels used to rely mainly on drive-in theaters and mill theaters transformed from old theaters."

Roger Corman was also helpless. If he had the opportunity to make low-cost movies to make money, he would not invest a lot of money to make blockbusters.

"In the past five years, especially in the past three years, real estate has developed very fast because of low interest rates. Many vacant lands of drive-in theaters and the transformation of the land where the old theaters were located, these two main distribution channels of mine have begun to wither rapidly."

"Oh..." Ronald thought to himself that it seemed to be the case. He had not seen the drive-in theaters that were everywhere in Los Angeles for a long time.

"If we want to release it in theaters, we have to increase the budget, otherwise it will be impossible to break even in the box office of the cinema."

"Don't we still have it?"

"Video tapes?" Coleman laughed, "The market for releasing video tapes directly without theaters is limited. We can only shoot a few hundred thousand dollars for directors to practice. Now is not like when you entered the industry, the opportunities for new directors are getting fewer and fewer."

Ronald also shook his head. If he shot it directly on video tapes, he could only sell a few hundred thousand dollars. The quality of these two scripts actually has far more market potential than this. But to sell more, there must be matching marketing.

Neither his own Daydream nor Coleman's Concorde Company would spend a million on marketing for a video tape movie made with a production of hundreds of thousands. The sales of video tapes must be released in theaters to gain word of mouth.

So Coleman's choice is also logical. Now he can only shoot some productions of 5 million to 8 million, and release them in unpopular schedules that big movies with a production budget of 20 million US dollars don't look down on, and then use video tapes to recover the cost.

Compared to the story of an obese girl who participated in a TV talent show in 1963, a humorous horror film like "The Rapture" is in line with Roger Corman's usual taste. With a budget of 7 million, it is also more capable of competing with blockbusters in theaters.

"Okay, then we will cooperate on this movie. When the time comes, we will jointly distribute it..."

"Happy cooperation."

Ronald shook hands with his former boss vigorously, indicating that an agreement had been reached. Coleman's reputation has remained unchanged for decades. The two do not need to sign a contract, and they can believe that the other party will fulfill the agreement by shaking hands.

"Julie likes your Dirty Dancing very much... She has watched it three or four times." Coleman talked about family matters.

"I will send her a videotape."

...

Since Coleman chose to cooperate with "The Rapture", Ronald had to find another partner for "White Lipstick".

He made up his mind to shoot these two movies and launch them as Daydream's movies next year. A healthy company cannot make movies by itself.

First call Cassandra Peterson and tell her the good news. Cassandra was very happy on the phone and said that she would start selecting directors and actors immediately.

"No, the company will decide on this in the end. You can only propose candidates, Cassandra." Ronald corrected the other party with a smile.

"Of course, of course, everyone needs to be cast. But the heroine?"

"Of course, that's yours."

Then it was John Waters.

Ronald called and told him that the company had greenlit the project and was still looking for investors.

"So as long as we find financing, we can start filming?"

"Yes, Waters. I already have a few candidates, you can also come to the meeting." Ronald had a few candidates in mind. Steve Bannon also wanted to invest in the Daydream project, and I don't know how much pocket money Douglas had left.

"By the way, have you thought of a name?"

"I've thought of it, it's called Hairspray"

"What the hell does that mean?" Ronald heard it, why is it another inexplicable name?

"This is the sponsor of the talent show. The final winner is called Miss Hairspray. And in 1963, hairspray represented liberation and progress..."

"Okay, okay, let's call it this name first, and then think about whether there is a better one."

"This name is very good. When middle-aged audiences hear it, they will remember the memories of the past. At that time, the trendy hairstyle was to spray a lot of hairspray, comb the hair high, and fix it into a hairstyle that would not move even in a strong wind."

"Whatever..." Ronald didn't like this name very much, but it was a temporary name anyway, so he would talk about it later.