Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Roger Ebert rated "Deeply Loved" highly, giving it four stars.He calls it that rare film that teaches us something about life.Not preachy, but observing moral choices in such detail that it helps us see ourselves clearly.

That's what Ronald said of Cameron Crowe, a gifted director.They are all directors, and you can tell if they are talented or not just by looking at the shots they took.

However, debut directors are often not skilled enough. This film gives a lot of subtle observations about young people facing the unknown and persisting in love.One side effect is that the public doesn't like it enough.It is often impossible to have both profundity and popularity. Only those who can take into account the tastes of the public and make movies that appeal to both refined and popular tastes can be called masters.

Cameron Crowe looked embarrassed in Ronald's office after the film's opening weekend fell short of expectations.

"It's not your problem, it's the audience's taste. This has always been the most difficult thing to figure out." Ronald asked his assistant, Little Fat Girl Lake, to make a cup of black tea and pass it to Crowe.

"I just feel sorry for your full support..." Crowe had long hair fluttering, but he still didn't understand such business matters.

"Don't worry about profitability. This kind of film often has a good reputation in small circles. We can try to show it for a long time, and then test the water in the video tape market. Your next work, Daydream will continue to support it. you do not need to worry."

"Oh... I feel more at ease when you say that. I've been so anxious that I couldn't sleep these two days." Crowe let out a long breath when he heard that he could still make another movie.The saying that a director has no chance if he doesn't make money is widely circulated in the circle. He was so nervous that he went to see a doctor.

He looked up at Ronald, thinking that old friends can still be relied on.

"There is this process. You may have forgotten that when I made my first film and it was released, I was also very nervous. Daydream doesn't judge success or failure by watching a single film..." Ronald smiled.

Daydream is not the kind of studio that gambles on one film success and then repeats it.Ronald has a good relationship with the major publishers.Emile Adorino's debut film "The Reincarnation of the Handsome Man" was also released, and the box office in the first weekend was even worse than "Into the Deep".

But on the one hand, Samsung will share the cost, and on the other hand, such a large studio must pursue awards and film reviews to complete the KPI indicators of executives. The film critics' overall score of "The Reborn Pretty Man" is also very good. Ronald watched a screening, and the problem also appeared in the high and low.

Moreover, the acting style of the actor Robert Downey does not match the rhythm of the whole movie in the 70s (because the investment star Sybill Shepard and the supporting actor Ryan O'Neal are both old-school acting styles), he seems to be alone. The out-of-the-ordinary performance style makes the audience have a strong sense of drama.

But the rest of the movie, Emil did a great job.Of course Ronald will give another chance.

……

"Hahaha, Ronald. Now Disney basically listens to me. It feels like going back to the days of Paramount..."

Michael Eisner, who has greatly increased his right to speak in the company, knew that Ronald had come to discuss the shooting of "3000" with Kazanberg, so he came here to chat with him for a while.The third phase of the Screen Fund has also been raised. Unlike the previous two phases, this time the [-] million US dollars is all up to him. If you want to make a cartoon, you can make a cartoon, if you want to make a live-action movie, you can make a live-action movie...

"Mr. Eisner, you are a business genius, and you are a winner everywhere. As Confucius said, the ability of a genius is like putting an awl in your pocket, and it will naturally pierce and stand out..."

"Hahaha...I like this metaphor, call me Michael." Eisner was amused by this senior sycophant. "Our next strategy is to build and expand more Disneylands around the world. If you have any good projects, you must remember Jeffrey (Kazenberg), OK? I will give you the most favorable terms... "

After sending off the energetic Eisner, Ronald came back to chat with Katzenberg.

"With this modification, the film won't have much of a film noir atmosphere, and it can be regarded as a typical romantic film..."

Katzenberg has now given the green light to Ronald's project.He just wanted to know more about the details of the movie, and whether there were any typical scenes in Disneyland to match the boss Eisner's grand strategy.

"I have a request..." Seeing Katzenberg's approval of the new script revision, Ronald put forward his own additional request. His status can already emulate the big star and get some special treatment. What kind of on-set masseur? , such outrageous requests for pet allowances are not a problem.

"Of course, please say..."

"It would be nice if the film could be shot entirely in Los Angeles..."

"Oh? Oh..." Katzenberg knew that the cost of local filming would be higher, but this kind of movie didn't have much cost in addition to the star's salary. He thought about Diane Lane's recent The almost tough attitude of wanting to grab the heroine, understood Ronald's thoughts.

"No problem, I'll ask the crew to arrange more professional people, so that Diane can go home on time every day..."

"Thank you..." Ronald thanked happily.Shooting a romantic movie is a high-frequency moment for the director or the actor and actress to have love.Many female celebrities were taken away at this time, and he had to take precautions.

"Are you going to direct yourself? Or find someone else?" Katzenberg asked a question. If Ronald is willing to do it himself, then Disney will take a big advantage.Many directors also take their girlfriends or wives very seriously.

"I'm going to ask Penny Marshall, the director of Diane's last film 'Growing Up', she worked really well with Diane last time..."

"It's settled..." Katzenberg was not dissatisfied.Finding a female director, on the one hand, has a delicate perspective on romance films, on the other hand, it also completely eliminates what happens between the director and his girlfriend.It seems that Ronald is serious about Diane Lane, and he looks very caring.

The two continued to discuss some casting candidates. Just as Ronald got up to leave, Katzenberg seemed to have just remembered something, "By the way, do you have any suitable candidates for directing children's films?"

"Why? Don't you guys have the best director?" Ronald was referring to Chris Columbus, who directed "The Nanny Adventure" for Disney.Several young actors in that movie were trained very well by him.

"He can't, the last film 'Elvis' failed at the box office, Michael didn't like him..." Katzenberg pointed upwards, implying that Eisner put Columbus in another book.

"You guys are really a waste of talent. He is not suitable for filming celebrity stories, but for children's films, you can hardly find anyone better than him, except for Steven (Spielberg)..."

Katzenberg shrugged, it didn't matter, and it wasn't a director who was sentenced to death by Eisner.He has his own set of criteria for judging. The movie about the kidnapping of Elvis Presley, the pitiful Eisner was almost attacked by the old men on the board of directors.

"What script are you going to shoot?" Ronald thought about it, and he still had a few talents in his pocket.

"It's "Three Dads and One Baby", the number one box office hit in [-], is going to make a sequel. The original director, Mr. Spock, doesn't want to repeat himself..." Katzenberg made a gesture of love in the Star Trek TV series .

That blockbuster children's film was directed by Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played the alien Spock in Star Trek. He believed that the original film had told the story and refused to direct the sequel.

Amy Heklein is making another children's film, so let Emil Adorino do it.

"The Reborn Pretty Man, have you seen it?..."

Ronald didn't sign any prostitution contracts with these directors, but he was free to come and go.In today's Hollywood, it is not the big studios that have their own domestic distribution channels, even if the director is tied up with a contract, he will be bought out.

It's better to save a little bit of enthusiasm, anyway, directors are less popular at the box office, and Feng Shui takes turns, and there will always be a day suitable for cooperation.

Emile Adorino went to interview the director of the new film. His nervousness didn't heal, and he blushed and couldn't speak in front of Katzenberg.Fortunately, Ronald's relationship is strong enough, and the hard work in the recommended "The Reborn Handsome Man" is also good, so Katzenberg still gave him the position of director.

Anyway, the remuneration of the three leading actors in the sequel has increased significantly, and a cheap director like him is just right.

After leaving his job in Hollywood, Ronald flew to New York again.The movie "Deeply Loved" received critical acclaim in New York.The audience here has a high level of education, and their acceptance of this kind of literary and artistic romance movie is much better.

Helen Slater was highly praised in her hometown. Several newspapers in New York and female writers in the film review column were more in line with the trend, and she was full of praise for her innocent performance in the movie.

In the past few days, Helen went back to the actor community "Naked Angels" initiated by Helen Hunt and others, and gave a public speech, talking about a lot of theoretical knowledge of acting, and unexpectedly received a lot of praise.

Ronald did not return to the apartment and stayed at the Peninsula Hotel.Helen came back directly from the Naked Angel's auditorium, wearing the little black suit and black skirt she wore when she gave a speech, and came to meet him at the hotel.

"You are very sexy and beautiful today..." Ronald admired, Helen is actually not suitable for the kind of girlish style she likes, but instead dressed like a working girl like today, full of the high IQ woman's look Charm, at first glance, is a female college graduate who graduated from a prestigious school and works in a multinational company, and successfully aroused Ronald's desire to conquer.

"Hee hee...do you like it?" Helen smiled and kissed him.

"This is for you..." Ronald took out a bracelet inlaid with sapphires and diamonds. It was a Cartier vintage style and had a royal air.It is also a replica style that Cartier imitated the design of European royal custom-made jewelry before World War I, and it is sold in limited quantities.

Diane wore the precious jewelry she gave to the audition, and the photo was posted on the Hollywood Reporter. As a star's daily photo shoot, it is a normal publicity.

In order not to favor one another, Ronald also asked Cartier to send some high-end styles, and ordered a copy for Helen as well.

"I think I look better wearing it than the necklace..." Helen touched the golden bracelet on her wrist and kept posing in front of the mirror.

"Hey, woman..." Ronald wiped his sweat. When encountering such a situation, even Helen Slater, who usually doesn't like to compare, can't avoid it. "Do you like it?" He stepped forward and put his hands behind Helen's slender waist, looking at the beautiful woman with big eyes in the mirror.

"Ronald, I like all the ones you gave me..." Helen smiled, "But I like the characters you gave me more..."

This must have been seen by Helen after reading the news leaked by Hollywood Reporter that Diane went to audition for Disney's new project.Two gifts, jewelry is fair, but what about the characters?
"Uh...I'm asking Richard to help you find a suitable one, but he is an agent of CAA, and you haven't signed with their company, so the priority is lower..." Ronald wiped his sweat again, Jizhongshengzhi thought of a reason.

"Hmm..." Helen's voice became very sweet. She enjoyed the relationship with the top Hollywood directors very much. She was like the muses who inspired the big Hollywood directors back then. She will write her own in the film history in the future. first name.

"In fact, I like a script, which is also a romantic drama, about college students falling in love. Don't you think there are too many romantic stories about high school students, and there is a shortage of college students?"

"Again?" Ronald remembered the last time she made that "sticky fingers" movie go crazy.

"Hmm..." However, Helen dressed as a working girl is really very sexy. The black and white fish mouth high heels she was wearing slipped halfway from her feet, swinging up and down on her feet.

"Anyway, it's a romantic movie, a small production." Ronald didn't care, and went up to kiss Helen from behind.Even if you lose money, you don't have much money.

"I have one condition..." Ronald kissed for a long time, thinking of a question.

"Hmm... what's the condition?" Seeing Ronald stop, Helen took the initiative to kiss him back.

"Well...you'd better shoot this movie in Hollywood...no...New York..." Ronald took the medicine.

"Well, it's a movie about NYU anyway..."

Evening things out on both sides, Ronald went back to work the next day.He received James Wells, the editor-in-chief of the Daily News, who made a special visit to the hotel.

"Mr. Wells, please sit down." Accompanied by Doug Jr., Ronald met the reporter who graduated from a prestigious school.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Li. I'm here to ask, do you intend to enter the media industry?" James Wells' report is very sharp, but Zhenren is a restrained person. Feeling a little shy.

He knew that when dealing with a smart person like Ronald, he only needed to talk about his interests.So let's talk about the current situation of the "Daily News" to Ronald.

Since its inception, this newspaper has prided itself on being a New York picture news.The front page is printed in full color, with lots of photos.It is quite different from the New York Times, which is mainly written and painted, and it is aimed at the public rather than the highly educated elite.

Sure enough, Ronald and Doug Jr. looked at each other.James Wells volunteered his influence by contributing to the review of Ronald's new film.This must be desired.

Little Doug feels that their business may have some financial problems and they are constantly losing money, so they need to introduce investors or shareholders for blood transfusion.

"How much money do you need now?" Ronald didn't make any detours, and directly talked about the benefits and the most trouble-free.

"About 100 million US dollars of capital injection is needed every year, and our newspaper office can continue to operate relatively normally. Our newspaper has a lot of reports on the entertainment industry and has a strong influence on the public. You have already felt this. This is a A good deal...”

Ronald heard the overtones, this seems to be a good deal, "If I pay, how many shares of Daily News Corporation can I get?"

"No, you misunderstood, Mr. Li. This is not an acquisition of the Daily News, but as a patron of the newspaper, helping us tide over the difficulties. Correspondingly, our editorial department will reward you and your industry. When the time is right, we may be able to persuade shareholders to open investment opportunities to you."

"Huh? I spend 100 million a year to fund the newspaper, but I don't have any shares? Can my interests be guaranteed only by your goodwill?" Ronald felt that this kind of proposal was too outrageous, and he didn't regard himself as a typical "Hollywood Is the fool" coming to play?

"I'm from New York... Don't talk about these stupid conditions..." Ronald was upset.

"You misunderstood me, Mr. Li. I didn't mean to deceive you." James Wells explained quickly.

He really didn't mean to treat Ronald as a fool investor.The problem is more complicated. The Daily News is not a single newspaper office.They have used Manhattan as their primary distribution market since they opened in the 1920s.

They were profitable for many years before the popularization of television, and they also had their own newspaper building, the Daily News Building, on Second Avenue in Manhattan.

Since the 50s, in order to compete for news, they also stationed commissioners in the southern district of NYPD and the courts to inquire about the latest news and send the latest reports to the agency by radio.This radio station later evolved into No.11 channel WPIX in New York, and later purchased FM channel resources.

Later, when New York issued a TV station license, the Daily News also photographed the second TV station license in New York City, also named Channel Eleven, which is now the fifth-ranked radio channel in New York.It is famous for its reports close to the people and high-quality movie resources in the middle of the night.

And these TV and radio licenses, decades after New York City stopped issuing photography, are sky-high prices.In addition to a building, it is indeed not an asset that can be bought with 100 million yuan per year.

Moreover, the shares of the entire company are not something that James Wells, a newspaper editor-in-chief, can say.

He is just a conscientious editor, and he doesn't want this good newspaper to go bankrupt because of the management's short-sightedness.Although even if the newspaper is closed, the Daily News Company can still live well with the TV station and building real estate...

"I'll think about it carefully..." Ronald sent James Wells away.

"What do you think, if we work hard, we can still negotiate the price. I estimate that it can be reduced by about 20.00%. It is very good for us to have a newspaper..." Little Doug said to Ronald.The Hansen family also has local media, but it is limited to the Stanton Daily on Staten Island. A newspaper that speaks for itself is the standard for rich people in these places.Now that he has the opportunity to enter Manhattan, Doug Jr. is no less interested than Ronald.

"Hmm, I think the price should not be negotiated, but should be raised... We can't be limited to newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations. Those are more difficult areas to enter..." Ronald thought much bigger than Little Doug , Can you have the opportunity to eat the entire local integrated media group?

"Mr. Ed Bastian, please come to the Peninsula Hotel, I have a big business here to consult you..." Ronald called his accountant in PricewaterhouseCoopers.Combine your own personal lawyer and private accountant to make an evaluation plan.