Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 1361 Pandas and Children's Stories

"Mr. Li, I assure you that there is absolutely no intention of plagiarism. The fact is that I heard my father, who is a host on Canadian TV, tell me about the movie 'Runaway Train'.

I hadn't seen the movie, so I misunderstood and thought that the train lost control because there was a bomb on the train. I didn't know that this was the concept of director Akira Kurosawa.

I had the idea of ​​writing a script, so I changed the train into a car to give the protagonist more control over the whole process.

Of course, I also borrowed from a movie in the end, which was "Silver Thread" from 1978. I will be completely honest with you, if there are any similarities to Kurosawa's script, it is unintentional coincidence..."

Graham Yost was extremely anxious when he learned that Ronald had accused him of plagiarism, and that night he and David Simkins came to explain to Ronald. He came up with this explanation of his father retelling the plot of the movie, and after he finished, he looked at Ronald with sweat on his forehead, waiting for the verdict.

"Oh, Graham, after hearing you tell me the original source of the inspiration, a lot of things are cleared up. You know, this is an industry with a lot of liars and thieves. As a producer, you have to be careful..."

"Of course, of course..." Graham Yost knew he had passed the test and then he realized that his back was covered in cold sweat.

"But..." Ronald changed the subject, and Graham became nervous again. "In order to avoid unnecessary lawsuits, I suggest you add Mr. Kurosawa's name to the script. What do you think? Of course, I will retain your position as the chief screenwriter, and I will also pay for your script and wait for the opportunity to produce it..."

Graham Yost was still a screenwriter with no famous works. Someone was willing to pay more than $100,000 to buy his script, and it could also be related to Kurosawa Akira, which was actually a good deal. But Graham didn't understand this and showed an embarrassment.

Finally, it was David Simkins who explained the details of the deal to him. The reason why Kurosawa was listed as the director was to avoid trouble and to attract investment. Kurosawa would only appear in the story column, and Graham Yost would still be the only name listed as the screenwriter.

Although the advance payment for the two-year option was not much, having a contract where the script was acquired by a famous Hollywood producer would make it much easier to find a job in the future.

Graham Yost was cautious enough. After consulting a lawyer, he happily signed a contract with Daydream. He took a $20,000 advance and a brilliant experience on his resume, and went back happily.

"This script still has some serious problems. All the scenes are set on the bus, so it's hard to unfold the movie. At least the endings of the first and third acts need to be changed. Find some famous script doctors to rewrite the scenes and dialogues..."

Ronald read the script and pointed out several places that needed to be revised. Graham Yost may have learned screenwriting from watching dramas. The three rules were followed very well, but they did not conform to the filming rules of the movie, and there were also some problems with the character dialogues. Ronald asked Simkins to take charge and revise it a few times.

Anyway, Graham Yost has his name on the script, so even if he changes the script so much that he can't recognize it, it's still his. It won't affect his reputation and future career prospects...

……

"Panda? What's so good about a panda? It's just a black and white bear. Okay, let's go check it out. Is there one in the San Diego Zoo? No? Then where can I find one? The National Zoo in Washington, DC? Do I have to fly to DC to show you a panda?
OK, OK, I'll buy you a panda toy first, and then when you grow up a little, we can go see it together? I'll definitely go, I promised, I'll definitely take you there..."

Ronald's beloved son Roger, for some reason, got a little bored of playing with those dinosaur toys and suddenly fell in love with the panda toy given by Aunt Demi Moore. He insisted on going to see a real giant panda.

Seeing that Roger liked it, Ronald had no choice but to agree and then buy a big panda to appease him. Who said there were no pandas on the West Coast? Children in the United States who wanted to see pandas had to go to the National Zoo in the capital, where there were real pandas.

The panda exhibit at the National Zoo still had one of the longest lines. Ronald thought of the upcoming presidential election and didn't want to go to the capital at this sensitive time. He had to coax little Roger and promised to take him there in the future.

"Why does Roger not like dinosaurs but like pandas?" Ronald didn't understand and asked Diane.

"Ha, you didn't see it. When Mr. Spielberg first sent the dinosaur toys, he was determined to play with them. Roger may be a child with a wide range of interests in the future.

"So that's how it is. It's good to have more fun and find some interests." When Ronald went to Xujiahui to shoot a movie, it was very close to the Western Suburbs Zoo. At that time, he didn't think of going to see the pandas specifically. He really didn't know that this black and white bear would be so popular.

"Didn't you like them when you were a kid? We all like this kind of animal, but unfortunately there are none in New York or on the West Coast. If you want to see one, you can only go to DC. Usually you can only watch wildlife programs on PBS. Pandas are so cute..."

As Diane talked, she also became happy. Maybe the silly way pandas chew bamboo is very cute in the eyes of women?

"If I make a movie about pandas, I wonder if anyone will watch it?" Ronald was actually very envious of Spielberg's dinosaur movie, so he came up with the idea of ​​​​making a panda.

When the time comes, I will contact them and get a pair of pandas for the San Diego Zoo on the West Coast. Then I will be a great benefactor to children all over the country.

……

Soon, the third presidential debate came, and George Sr. did not improve at all, and was still out of touch with ordinary voters. Now everyone knows his weakness, and the Donald Trump Party and Perot, who ran as an independent, seized on this weakness and attacked it vigorously, making the poll numbers look very bad.

The voting day was approaching, and Ronald was urged by his aunt to vote, as she took this civic duty very seriously.

"I still have to go, otherwise Aunt Karen won't talk to me..." Ronald always declined the small elections, but when it came to the big elections held every four years, his aunt was already very unhappy and even spoke with resentment.

"You can go, but I can't go with you. I have to attend the voting event for another California Senator, Barbara Boxer. Remember? The Pink League and the pitcher were all arranged by you."

Diane said she would also participate in promotional activities. She made many appearances in this California Senate election and gained a high level of exposure. In addition, she played the role of a female professional baseball pitcher in Pink League. Many female voters regarded her as a spokesperson for women's participation in politics.

"Oh, these elections are really too troublesome..." Ronald quickly packed his bags, said goodbye to his wife and children and went to Staten Island, New York, waiting for the voting on Election Day on the first Tuesday in November.

……

"How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ronald also wanted to visit Helen who was pregnant, so he took this opportunity to spend a few days with Helen in Manhattan. When she was having morning sickness and feeling dizzy, Ronald really played the role of a good husband for two days.

"Honey, I'm fine. I'll feel more at ease as long as you're by my side... Ugh..." It must be said that Helen Slater's morning sickness was a bit severe, much more uncomfortable than Diane's pregnancy.

Ronald was not ambiguous and found a female servant who had served the Hansen family for many years from Douglas Jr.'s home on Stanton Island to take care of Helen. They were loyal and tight-lipped, and had rich experience in taking care of pregnant women. Such an old man, a newly rich man like Ronald, could not find.

However, his personal accountant, Lawrence, recommended an old lady in New York's Chinatown. The lady didn't speak much English, but was very caring and could give a little massage, which made Helen feel a lot more comfortable.

After two days of work, Ronald felt that he would need a mansion like the one in Los Angeles in New York. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to go in and out of the loft suites in these high-rise buildings on Fifth Avenue.

For example, Ronald met the recently retired host Johnny Carson in the elevator lobby these days. He was walking with a young woman, so Ronald had to wait for him to enter the elevator first to avoid the embarrassment of meeting him.

After calling the famous real estate developer and asking about the housing situation of some people in the entertainment industry, Ronald discovered that even Bruce Willis had bought a house. Was it for Demi Moore or for himself?

When Demi Moore was not married, she rented a house here and was a well-known celebrity in New York's celebrity circle. I wonder what she would think if she knew Bruce Willis was coming here too.

Putting the house purchase on the agenda, Ronald summoned his personal accountant Lawrence and his private lawyer Lindsay Doll. This matter should be separated from his other assets so as not to affect each other...

"Do you want to listen to the recording of me telling stories to children?" Helen also knew Ronald's arrangement. She was always passive in such matters, but Ronald's actions touched her deeply. She had nothing to give in return, so she used this family atmosphere to please Ronald.

"Of course, dear, you have a beautiful voice..."

Helen Slater had really good qualifications to be an actress. In addition to her outstanding appearance and good figure, her voice was a very typical voice of an upper-class white female star. Her diction was elegant and her accent was an authentic Long Island New England accent.

This accent is very distinctive, with greater ups and downs than the average East Coast accent, and the final R is often silent, so most people can tell it right away, and it is generally considered to be the accent of real old money, upper class people.

If a woman could speak with such a Long Island urban accent, she would be considered a well-educated woman from a wealthy family.

Although Helen tends to hide her Long Island accent when acting in movies, preferring a more authentic Mid-Atlantic radio accent from the classic Hollywood era, it still sometimes shows up in real life.

The current trend in Hollywood is to make characters more realistic. If Helen were to enter the industry now, her Long Island urban accent might become her trademark.

"Your Long Island accent sounds really interesting. I think many children from other places will like it..." Ronald listened to Helen's tape and heard the entire story of "Charlotte's Web". Helen's voice expression is much better than her acting skills.

“Do I have a strong accent? I read to our kids, so I didn’t use a Mid-Atlantic accent…”

The accent commonly used by radio announcers is a made-up accent that was originally popular among the upper class in New England on the East Coast. It combines some characteristics of American and British accents. For example, Katharine Hepburn from Old Hollywood is a typical representative of this accent.

However, in real life, ordinary people do not speak like this. It also requires special training to speak like this. Although Helen has undergone relatively rigorous training, she is still far behind those actors who have received Broadway training in the classical Hollywood era.

"I feel very familiar... It's almost like talking to my mother..."

"Oh, Ronnie..." Helen was very moved and hugged Ronald and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, if you're feeling bored these days, how about recording some children's stories and I'll make an audiobook record for you?" Ronald suddenly had an idea. Helen's voice did sound very pleasant, and if she could make a record, he wouldn't have to worry about Diane being unhappy if he bought a few copies himself.

"Really? Then I'm going to say it in a perfect Mid-Atlantic accent..."

"It's more comfortable to keep some Long Island accent..."

Ronald knows that people nowadays tend to prefer authenticity. If a character speaks with an accent that only radio announcers use, they will dislike it and feel it is fake. I guess children's books like this have a similar mentality.

As long as some normal regional characteristics are added to the standard accent, more people will like to listen to it. Besides, Helen's voice is more shrill than Diane's, and adding a little Long Island accent makes it more charming and attractive...

"I'll listen to you..." Helen had given up arguing with Ronald in the professional field a long time ago. She just listened to him. Facts had proved that the performance methods she had thought of were of no use at all.

In this way, Helen found something to do at home, and slowly discussed the content and rhythm of the recording with the people from Columbia Records. With serious things to do and Ronald to accompany her, she gradually became less careless.

After settling his family here, Ronald took the ferry back to his hometown in Staten Island on Monday. He was going to participate in the quadrennial vote.

……

"Ladies and gentlemen, Ronald Lee, our loyal and capable boss, has come back specially to vote in the election. We asked him to say a few words for us..."

The people in the factory hadn't seen Ronald for a long time and asked him to say a few words to boost morale.

“I’m glad to meet you. Hollywood is a paradise for artists, but artists will be much less valuable without your products.

This time, Director Spielberg specifically asked me to bring a message to praise your flash lamps for adding a lot of color to his new film. The editing tapes you produce have enabled many directors to complete their films better, your prop tapes have made film framing more convenient and richer, and the camera accessories you produce have also facilitated many shots that were previously impossible or very expensive to shoot.

It can be said that the real experts, after seeing the movie, will praise Hollywood for having people like you, which will make it better..."

The employees were very happy to be encouraged by Ronald, and Ronald always sent the latest copies to the local cinema. The town of Totville on Staten Island gradually became the most popular place on the island.

Everyone was happy, and someone started to make a fuss, asking Ronald who he would vote for.

"Hey, this is our fundamental system. Everyone has to vote for the candidate of their choice, and no one can interfere with other people's votes... But everyone knows that I invested in the Elephant Party before, and our factory also depends on the federal policy of the past ten years..."

(End of this chapter)