Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Cameron ate Japanese barbecue, which was very different from American barbecue, and felt much better. Ronald asked him how the technical preparations for his new film "The Abyss" were. Cameron took out the script and storyboard he carried with him and showed them to Ronald.

Ronald took it and saw a large water tank on it.

"The traditional method of shooting underwater scenes is to put very thick smoke on the scene to simulate underwater scenes. After I did a shooting experiment in the studio, I felt that the actors' movements in the air could not be exactly the same as in the water. There was no persuasiveness. I decided to build a water tank to shoot some scenes." Cameron pointed to the large water tank in the picture.

"I have found a suitable place for this water tank. It is 55 feet high and 240 feet in diameter. The main structure is ready and the cost is not high." Cameron was very interested and pointed to the large water tank to show Ronald the size.

"This kind of large water tank that can accommodate many actors and a set of a sunken nuclear submarine (the plot is that the divers on the drilling platform go to rescue the nuclear submarine after it sinks) is not easy to find."

"Where did you find it?" Ronald turned a page and saw a photo of the scene. There was a huge pit on the ground, like a giant's eating bowl. The bottom of the bowl was paved with reinforced concrete. It looked very solid and would not leak after the water was poured in."

"What is this place? Where did you find it?" Ronald was surprised how there was such a ready-made place.

"This is where Gail asked me to make a report. It is in South Carolina, at the Cherokee Nuclear Power Plant, ten miles outside of Gaffney."

"Nuclear power plant?" Ronald glanced at Cameron. How dare you go there to film? Aren't you afraid of radiation?

"Hehe, everyone has the same reaction when they hear about this location." Cameron laughed, "Because of the opposition of environmentalists, they are worried that Cherokee will become the Chernobyl of America. So under the continuous protests, Duke decided to abandon the construction plan. This is a nuclear power plant that has not yet been built. "

What Ronald saw was the containment vessel of the power plant, which could hold 7.5 million gallons of water and could accommodate any scenery. Fox originally planned to rent the pit where the turbines were installed for filming, but Cameron went to the site and decided to use the larger pit.

The top executives at Fox were impressed by Cameron's previous science fiction films, so they agreed to let him do it according to his own ideas without much consideration.

"Isn't Cherokee the name of Jeep? It sounds similar to Chernobyl." Ronald was also looking forward to what Cameron could shoot in this big puddle.

"That's the name of a Native American tribe, Cherokee, Apache, didn't you learn that in high school? Why don't you teach as much in high school in America as in Canada? ”

“Hahaha…”, Ronald saw that Cameron could joke, and he put down a lot of his worries about him.

But after saying goodbye to Cameron, he still felt that his old friend’s divorce this time was different from the last time.

Gail Hurd is his partner on the road to his movie dream. Unlike his ex-wife who was a restaurant waitress, Gail and Cameron are business partners. She now also owns the copyright of Cameron’s debut film "Terminator".

In addition to the combination of interests, Gail and Cameron also have a deep relationship. Ronald read the script. The male protagonist is a captain on a drilling platform, and his wife is also a diving expert. The two are getting divorced at the beginning of the movie.

In the end, the male protagonist died in the deep sea to rescue everyone, and the last message sent to the submersible was to say hello to his wife. But in the end, Cameron introduced the concept of more advanced creatures. They saved the suffocated male protagonist, and the movie ended with him and his wife kissing.

This is obviously a love letter to Gail, the perfect ending at the end The finale is Cameron's gesture to Gail.

But Gail Hurd still didn't accept it and treated Cameron in a businesslike manner. Ronald didn't know what he could do for his two friends. Outsiders couldn't see the problems between husband and wife clearly. In addition, Hollywood is full of temptations, so it depends on their own ideas.

...

There are many award-winning celebration parties in Hollywood, but Ronald didn't win an Oscar and couldn't muster the energy to participate. He hid in Palm Springs to take a hot spring bath and rest. After the new mayor, Cher's ex-husband Sonny Bono, sorted out some messy yoga clubs, the business atmosphere and service level were much better than when he came last year.

Mayor Bono is preparing to hold the first Palm Springs International Film Festival next year, and Ronald and him have reserved the qualification for Chinese films to participate in the exhibition.

However, the quiet rest days did not last long, and the daydream kung fu film "The King of Fighters" was about to be released.

"The release time of four weeks and the release of the video tape immediately, isn't it a bit fast? At that time, our movie was still being shown in the theater. Will it affect the box office? "The leading actor Jean-Claude Van Damme also attended the distribution and marketing meeting. He is interested in all aspects of film production and distribution and is learning any relevant knowledge.

"Not so fast. Pirated videotapes can be produced in Hong Kong in two weeks." Director Corey Yeun felt that this time was a little late based on his experience in Hong Kong.

"America is fighting piracy very hard. There are new technologies to track the sneak shots in movie theaters. Codes can be added to certain parts of the film, so it is easy to trace which theater secretly recorded it." Michelle Cannold, the distribution director of Days, popularized the latest developments in anti-piracy to the two Hollywood newcomers.

"Four weeks is the standard time for B-level movies in the industry. Starting from 'Flashdance' that year, we found that many viewers who watched the video tape also went to the cinema to watch it again on the big screen. If we are concerned about the quality of the movie If you are confident, this approach can actually increase the box office.”

Michelle Cannold's meaning is very simple. If the quality of the movie is not good, it will be forced to be released by the theaters after four weeks. In short, it is profitable to withdraw the video tape at this time.

"You still have a lot to learn in Hollywood..." Ronald smiled at Jean-Claude Van Damme, who was very eager to learn.

After sending away several of the main creators, Ronald closed the door and communicated privately with Michelle Cannold, "I think you are not optimistic about the box office. The surrounding area is actually not too long for this special type of film. This kind of Genre films have special fans, so maybe it would be good to show them for a long time..."

They were all daydreaming, so Ronald spoke directly when communicating.

"But this type of film will not do well at the box office in theaters. We and the video distribution channels, especially rental chains like Blockbuster..."

Ronald understood what Cannold meant. As a manufacturer of video tapes, when supplying products to channels, it is best to have new films released continuously and continuously. The Dirty Dancing video had been selling like hotcakes for months, and it was time to release some new movies.

"Is Brooke back? Let her attend the movie promotion event?" Ronald took a look at the promotion plan for Boxing World. In addition to kung fu movie lovers, Brooke Shields also has some fans, who may Because her appearance was specifically designed to see what the former idol would look like after graduating from college.

"She seems to be having a hard time in Japan. I'll invite her over. Can you talk to her yourself?" Michelle Cannold seemed to have something to say in front of Ronald.

"What's wrong?" Ronald frowned, "Then you contact her and make an appointment for us to chat."

…

"Broky, what's wrong with you? Are you not in good spirits? Are you too tired in Japan?" Ronald soon saw Brooke Shields, and her appearance this time surprised Ronald. The whole person was very decadent, as if he had suffered some kind of mental shock.

"I'm done, Ronald, and I'm done in Japan. Now I can only make some B-level movies like this..." Bo Ji seemed to have finally found a friend to talk to, and put herself in Japan. Everything happened to Yue.

While filming Boxing World in Hong Kong, she was invited to perform in several commercials on TVB, and the response was very good. This aroused the interest of Japanese manufacturers, who paid her a high price to go to Japan to promote their products.

In Japan, she attended many marketing activities of manufacturers and also filmed several advertisements as required. But she soon discovered that the manufacturer that invited her was not the first-line brand in her mind, but a health care product whose main customers were middle-aged men and the elderly.

Although she made some money and got over the recent financial difficulties, after Bo Ji discovered the truth about this brand, she finally discovered that it was outdated not only domestically but also internationally. The first-tier brands before were vying to invite them. The grand occasion of her advertising shoots is inevitably gone.

"What product is it?" Ronald took the health product endorsed by Brooke. The Japanese advertisement was incomprehensible. There were several Chinese characters on it, "Acidic Water".

"I brought a box of video tapes, just for you to watch..." Brooke took out a box of video tapes and handed them to Ronald.

After putting it on the TV, the screen showed Brooke Shields taking a glass of water from a machine and drinking it in one sip, feeling very comfortable.

"So what is acid?" Ronald could tell from the limited Chinese characters that this was a machine that made so-called "acid" water. Drinking it could make you energetic.

"It's oxygen..." Bo Ji looked at herself on the TV. She was still very beautiful. If she could get a better brand endorsement, she could continue to maintain her image. If you can't get it, you will have to deal with these bluffing health care products.

"Oxygen? Isn't there just hydrogen and oxygen in the water?" Ronald glanced at Bo Ji. He originally thought that she was still somewhat popular in Japan, but now it seems that she is just a second-rate or third-rate product, trying to take advantage of her last remaining value. .

"When I went to Japan in 1982, I always advertised the best products..." Behind the video there are advertisements shot by Bo Ji when she was very young. She was tall and thin at that time, looking left and right. He touched his lips and blew a kiss. The funniest thing is that the word "Saint Maiden" is written in Japanese and Chinese characters on Porky's head.

Brooke was really red and beautiful at that time... Just when Ronald thought it was a lipstick advertisement, Brooke took out a tissue and wiped off the lipstick. It turned out to be an advertisement for paper towels! The Japanese people's thinking is really different.

"What do you want me to do?" Ronald looked at Brooke. She had even prepared the video tape, knowing that she definitely wanted to help him.

"I need an advertisement, preferably from an internationally renowned brand. Just one is enough. In the modeling industry, we will modify the opportunities given to you based on the evaluations others give you."

"The red is redder, the black is darker..." Ronald thought for a while. It was harder for a model to judge the popularity among the audience than for an actor, so if a brand broke the situation, her life would be easier.

"I'll see what I can do..." Ronald called Sony's brand department in America and asked if they were interested in finding Brooke to do advertising.

"They have a new portable TV, are you interested? It's not a hot-selling product, it's a test advertisement for a new product..."

With her eyes wide open and full of expectation, Bo Ji covered her chest with her hands to show that she was not picky.

"Okay, I'll ask them to contact your mother." Because Ronald gave Norio Ohga an idea, his daydream also received an active contact from the Sony America branch, asking Ronald's company to Shooting some commercials for Sony.

At this stage, we can only receive some marketing orders for new products, not very big ones.

"Oh, thank you, Ronnie." Brooke came up and hugged Ronald excitedly.

"The marketing thing about Boxing World..." Ronald mentioned the movie promotion.

"I will attend premieres and fan meetings in several big cities..." Bo Ji felt a little embarrassed.

"This is a mid- to low-cost movie. We only have meet-and-greets in New York and Los Angeles. As long as you can participate." Ronald thought to himself, this is not a big production worth tens of millions, nor is it a dark horse with a huge box office and a national road show. .

As a star, her foundation is still in film and television works. As long as the character image keeps appearing, the audience will never forget your existence. Porky actually suffered a loss during her college years, as no works were published. Manufacturers no longer have confidence in her current popularity.

In contrast, Diane has always had roles, although they are not big and the box office is not very explosive, but she can always be seen in cinemas and TV from time to time, so she can maintain her popularity in China and Japan without falling too much. She was still able to secure endorsement contracts for diamond rings and cosmetics in Japan.

Soon, the premiere of Boxing World was held in Los Angeles. It was released on a small scale in more than 300 theaters and earned a weekend box office of 2.6 million that exceeded expectations.

Film critics actually noticed this small production. For a specific audience, those who like kung fu movies in the 1970s, this is a revival of an old genre. Many people like to watch this slightly exaggerated, one-trick-for-one action. A clear old kung fu movie.

Brooke Shields' appeal is much greater than the brand managers of various consumer goods manufacturers imagined. There were also fans holding her previous humanoid signs to support her.

In the box office rankings, it is actually comparable to Disney's re-release of "Bambi".

Disney has always been like this, re-screening classic movies every seven or eight years, so that every generation of children will be familiar with Disney's animated images.

The students who were obsessed with Brooke Shields in the late 1970s and early 1980s have now grown up and either entered college or started working. They now have spending power, and maybe Brooke Shields can maintain her fame and status by relying on them. After all, there were too many fans who liked her back then.

Boxing World also began to be produced at the video tape factory, and Ronald's Daydream Pictures began to release video tapes made from previous movies.

After Dirty Dancing, it was the low-cost Hairspray that followed the trend, then Boxing Conquer, and then it was the turn of Ecstasy with Roger Corman.

…

"Ronald, there seems to be a problem with Coleman. He asked if he could interview you."

Ronald, who had finished his vacation and entered the editing room, received a call from Michelle Cannold.

"Ecstasy" is a comedy-horror film jointly produced and distributed by Ronald and Coleman. Coleman may not be able to find Ronald, who spends time in the editing room every day, and can only tell him through Cannold.

"Mr. Coleman is looking for me. I'll go to him." Ronald looked at Walter Murch on the editing table, handed the work to him, and then asked for leave to meet with Coleman.

"Sorry for asking you to come over during editing. I have something I want to discuss with you in person." Roger Corman was waiting for Ronald in the office, seeming a little embarrassed.

"Is it about the Master of Ecstasy?" Ronald trimmed his hair, and Roger came to talk to him face to face. He also guessed three points.

Sure enough, Roger Coleman still expressed his request, hoping that Ronald could adjust the investment ratio of Xuanfa. He hoped to reduce some of the investment amount of his company.

Could it be that Roger Corman still hasn't recovered from the stock market crash? Ronald thought to himself, and then asked him, "The test screening of the movie was not bad, right? My manager told me that they are very confident about the box office performance of Ecstasy. If you reduce your share now, you are leaving chips on the table." Nothing was taken away.”

It's not that Ronald can't afford this amount of money, but he has always had a good relationship with Roger Coleman. If the other party's position is inconvenient, he doesn't mind using other methods to help him solve it.

"Hey, you're right." Roger Corman thought for a long time, but decided to stick to his principle, "I'll just postpone the release of that movie. Ecstasy estimates that the money will be paid back very quickly, and I will release it when the time comes. That movie."

"Is it your company's movie?" Ronald knew that Coleman was short of funds and could not continuously release movies. The drive-in theater chain he used to rely on was now less and less able to make advance payments.

"Actually, it is not a movie that my company plans to release, but a movie from my old company New World. They are now encountering great difficulties. The director of the movie is my subordinate many years ago. His name is Michael Lehmann. , who also worked for Coppola before.

This is his first directorial feature, and I had so much fun watching the film that I didn't want it to not be released because of New World's problems. "

"Really? What kind of movie is it called? You can show it to me and watch it. If I feel good about it, I can jointly distribute it with you."

Compared to Roger Corman's ordinary directing ability, he is very good at selecting actors in other people's movies. Ronald became interested after hearing what he said. Anyway, if this kind of low-budget movie is good, it can also become the next work of the video tape production line.

(