Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 158 Chapter 1 No.703 Minute Dessert

"202-707-9100," Ronald called the Library on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., at nine o'clock in the morning.

"Hello, I need two copyright registration application forms." After waiting for a long time, an operator finally answered Ronald's call, "Yes, it is the PA form, please send it to the East Village of Manhattan, New York..."

Michelle Pfeiffer looked at him busy on the phone, a little strange, waited for Ronald to put down the receiver, and asked, "I have seen a few screenwriters in Hollywood, and they all put the script in an envelope and mail it To yourself, wouldn’t this prove the copyright?”

"Honey, does any screenwriter you know have an agent?" Ronald put a copy of "Intersection" and a copy of "My Brother's Protector" script into his purse.

"I don't know, probably not. They all do odd jobs in cafes." Pfeiffer laughed as he spoke, "Is this method unsafe?"

"Yeah, my agent, Richard, reminded me to go to a formal organization to register the copyright." Ronald began to put on his clothes, "The method of mailing the script to yourself is called the poor man's copyright certificate, but in case there is a copyright If there is a dispute, the court will not accept this evidence."

"why?"

"How do you prove that you didn't mail yourself an empty envelope 10 years ago and put the script in it today?"

"So in order to protect your own rights and interests, you usually spend 30 dollars to file with the Writers Association, so that others can find out. However, it takes 5 years for the record to be renewed, and after being infringed, you need to prove that the other party took advantage of it to make a profit.

The safer way is to make a backup in the Library of Congress, so that it can be automatically used as evidence of infringement after being infringed, but it takes a long time for filing.That's why the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. "

"Didn't you already call the Library of Congress to ask for the application form? Why do you still need to go to the Writers Association for the record?" Pfeiffer stretched out his jade arm and hugged Ronald who was holding the document package.

"Producers usually go to the Writers Guild to inquire about copyright registration. Richard said it's better to do the filing. It's only $30 a script, and I don't have to work in a coffee shop."

"Then aren't you afraid that your agent will lie to you? Or he will send your script to other producers, so that the producer also has the script and can't register first?" Michelle Pfeiffer didn't really have This concern, but strange that under the same conditions, wouldn't the agent entrap the screenwriter?
"To be honest, I'm not afraid. The agent relies on me to make money, so it is the right choice to protect my interests naturally. Just like your agent will not secretly give the role to others, unless he has someone more beautiful than you Actress, or he doesn't want to do it anymore."

"As for the producers, they are too busy. Instead of plagiarizing, they might as well spend a small amount of money to buy the option of the script. For making a movie, the purchase cost of the script is a small amount."

Ronald turned around and kissed Pfeiffer, ready to go out.

"By the way, my agent Limato is here in New York. I'll meet him later, and I won't be back until evening." Pfeiffer went back satisfied to continue her yoga practice, wearing a high-slit yoga suit on her body Very charming, Pfeiffer also put on long leg warmers for the sake of beauty.

"Okay honey, see you tonight."

Arriving at the office of the Writers Guild in New York, I spent $60 to file for my two scripts.The staff gave him two slips of paper with registration codes, which were the registration codes of his script.Ronald put it away carefully.

"In the future, your outline can be used for registration. Many screenwriters here do this, and the outline can also prevent others from plagiarizing." The staff reminded.

"Okay, I will." Give them an extra $30, Ronald is all right.

Back at the apartment, Pfeiffer hadn't returned.Ronald continues to break down scenes from the "Endless Love" script.This kind of practice is also a kind of training for directors in the future. Every director has different ideas. For the same scene in the script, different directors adopt different shooting methods.

Ronald referred to the "Romeo and Juliet" script given to him by Zeffirelli and the scene breakdown table to figure out Zeffirelli's directorial style.It seems that the Italians like to shoot movies like operas, often with a still camera and the lens following the protagonist's face.

It is similar to the movement of the audience's eyes when watching an opera.

Having mastered Zeffirelli's style, Ronald began to arrange the shooting scenes according to the director's preferences.This shooting method will be a little dull, and the unique audio-visual language of some movies has no place to play.But the benefits are also great. It saves money and shoots quickly.

Time passed quickly, rubbing his sore eyes, Ronald got up and made lunch for himself.Take out the butter from the refrigerator, pick a small lump and melt it in the pan, then take out two slices of bread and fry it slowly, then spread the salmon sauce on one side of the bread and heat it.

At the same time, I cut some tomatoes and Mao-style pickles bought in a Ukrainian restaurant. Finally, I melted two pieces of bacon from the supermarket and fried them. I sandwiched two pieces of bread, cut them into two corners with a knife, and bit down on the bread skin. Served with ginger soda, it tastes really good.

Turn on the TV while eating and watch the midday news from CBS.

"At the recent National Elephant Party Congress, the former governor of California, as expected, defeated the former director of the CIA and the director of the representative office in China, and was elected as the candidate for the leadership of the Elephant Party.

The former governor of California said that he would invite former general Gerald to serve as the vice president candidate.In the election campaign four years ago, many elephant party representatives bluntly said that they voted wrong after listening to the former governor's defeat speech.In 76, when the representatives of the Electoral College of each state voted to confirm the candidate for the general, there was also a representative of Washington State who broke his oath and did not vote for Gerald, but for the former governor. "

On the other side of the Donkey Party, the current leader defeated the challenger, President Kennedy's third brother Edward, and won the Donkey Party's candidacy.

The scandal of Edward's hit-and-run fatality has greatly affected his election this year.Even though his two older brothers were assassinated, public sympathy for the Kennedy family quickly turned into outrage.

"This year's general election will be between the current president and the former governor of California. Let's listen to the analysis of experts."

"Really got the candidacy?" Ronald finished the last sandwich, "America is really free, even if the governor of California is fine, it is possible for the governor to let an actor be?"

"Ring ring ring ring..."

Ronald answered the phone. It was his two agents, Richard Lovett and Rick Nisita.

"Ronald, we received your script. It reads perfectly, but you seem to have forgotten something?"

"Forgot what?" Ronald couldn't figure it out.

"You forgot dessert at minute 73."

"what?"

Nisita laughed, "Don't you know what dessert means? No wonder, it's a popular saying in Hollywood. You're in New York. Dessert means passion scene."

"Passionate scene? But isn't this a Vietnam War scene?"

"Why can't there be a passion scene in a Vietnam War drama? Isn't there a passion scene between Jane Fonda and a disabled veteran in 'Glory Return'?"

"Oh, yes." Ronald had forgotten the passion scene that claimed to be the first disabled person on the American screen.It is said that Jane later became the sex idol of all disabled people.

"The most important thing for the script to be liked by the producers is that the stars are willing to participate. You add a love story between the protagonist platoon leader and the female volunteer who takes care of the veteran's family, and the whole movie script is stretched to 120 minutes. I think it’s time to go to the studios and sell it.”

"Okay, I'll change it now." In order to be able to shoot the project as soon as possible, Ronald can agree to any modification, "But if a love scene is added, is there any studio willing to do it?"

"Of course, did you forget that scripts go through several hands before they get to the producers? If a star likes your script, you can skip all the stairs and take the elevator to the top so we can make sure you The script was placed on the desks of the vice presidents and above in the eight major studios."

"Do you have someone to choose?" Ronald heard some confidence from Nisita's words. Maybe he already has a suitable star candidate in his heart?
"There is no specific candidate yet, but after Jane Fonda succeeded in winning the queen title for the second time with "Return", many female stars thought that filming the theme of the Vietnam War was a shortcut to the queen title, and many star agents were frantically looking for suitable Vietnam War scripts.

Such as Barbra Streisand, Farrah Fastett, the newly promoted Meryl Streep, and even the British Maggie Smith... If you make a list of Hollywood female stars, I guarantee that everyone on it will be interested. "

"Okay, I will revise it as soon as possible." Ronald felt full of fighting spirit, even if he broke down the script of "Endless Love" during the day and worked overtime at night to revise "My Brother's Protector", he was full of energy.

"Remember to put the biggest passion scene on page 73 of the script."

"Why?" Ronald wondered.

"73 divided by 119 equals?"

"Ronald took the calculator and it equals 0.613"

"That's the golden section point, I'm waiting for your good news." Nisita hung up the phone while speaking.

Ronald reacted.According to Hollywood standards, a one-page script is basically equivalent to a one-minute plot of a finished film, and subtitles are usually added in the last minute, and the real duration of a two-hour movie is more than 1 minutes.

Page 73 is the golden section of a 2-hour movie. Adding the best passionate scene here can just cheer up the audience when they are tired, and enter the second half of the plot.

Ronald was thinking about how to set up this female character.She is a volunteer caring for the families of veterans, and the platoon leader eventually became lovers.What kind of identity should be arranged for her?Is it a young female college student, or a mature divorced woman?
There was the sound of a key being inserted into the door, and it was Michelle Pfeiffer who had returned with his agent Limato.

"Ronnie, I have to go to Los Angeles early." Pfeiffer looked at Ronald and said.

"What? You're not playing the supporting role in Endless Love?" Ronald wondered.

"No, she can't act, and waiting here is a waste of time. I have arranged everything for her in Los Angeles, including acting training classes, parties in the circle, appearances, etc." Limato replied instead of Pfeiffer.

Ronald and Pfeiffer originally planned to go to Los Angeles together after filming "Endless Love", and it happened that he also needed to go to CAA. President Ovitz would interview each contracted client once.

"Why can't Michelle act?"

(End of this chapter)