Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 172 The Art of Bragging

On his first night in San Francisco, Ronald didn't sleep at all, still thinking about the sale of the "My Brother's Protector" script.

Simply go to the front desk of the Motel 6 hotel and find the staff to inquire about interesting places nearby.After giving directions, Ronald came to a bar, which was open late, served cheap and delicious drinks, and there was a live band singing some country and rock music.

The best thing is that there are no weird fringe people here, all the straight men and cool hot girls here, who obviously share the same aesthetic orientation as Ronald.

Ronald, who came alone, found the bar, sat on a high stool, and ordered a glass of "Pinazza".Now he is more and more fond of this cocktail that originated in Puerto Rico. The fresh coconut milk flavor, mixed with rum and pineapple juice, has some cola taste strangely, which is a perfect summer drink.

Ronald hummed "Pina Colada" softly to the band as he drank, and it made him feel good that most of the people in the bar were dressed as cowboys and shook their bodies to the accompaniment of the live band.

"Hey, young people nowadays like this kind of soft songs, unlike when we could drive across several states to attend the Woodstock music festival." The young man broke Ronald's peaceful state of drinking and listening to music.

"Yeah? Yeah, young people back then were even angrier. Now kids just go to McDonald's to earn money to buy the toys they want, or to pay for college tuition." Chatting, Ronald expressed his true thoughts, "Anger comes from dissatisfaction with life."

"Did you know? You may be right." The middle-aged man was wearing a blue plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows, jeans and a pair of Martin boots.Under the slightly long blond hair, there is a pair of piercing eyes.

The uncle may have been a hippie when he was young, and his speech was full of philosophy.

"But human beings are inherently lonely. As Confucius said, even if a person is not understood, as long as he is noble and wise, he should not be offended. Rock and hippie spirit pulled the young people back then Together, young people at that time have a sense of mission."

"Did you know? You are the first American I've seen who can accurately quote Confucius." Ronald raised his glass to the middle-aged uncle.

"But obviously you can also understand the works of Confucius accurately, and you are very familiar with Confucius' speeches and speech anthology." The middle-aged man's words were a bit confusing. In fact, he was also familiar with the Analects in Quaro Nad, otherwise it would be impossible to tell the difference I really read the works of Confucius.

"Actually, I only flipped through it." Ronald thought, "Who wouldn't learn the first article?"

"My name is Ronald, and I'm a screenwriter."

"John, you may not believe it. I am a singer. I made a few records when I was young. I was quite famous in the past, but I don't sing anymore."

"Of course," Ronald didn't believe it, "I've actually been quite successful, and soon my script will be starred by Oscar-winning actresses."

"That's great," the middle-aged uncle took a sip of beer, "Actually, I also have a glorious past. I once went to the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969. It was my turn to take the stage in the middle of the night, and I drove back to Virginia the next day. I even wrote a song when

"That would be great." Ronald clinked glasses with him.It's a really good feeling to brag to strangers in a bar.

The middle-aged man saw his insincerity, "Why, you don't know me? Do you think I'm lying to you? If the owner of the record company hadn't cheated me of all my money, I wouldn't have sung.

This jerk boss is called Saul, and he bought a few other jerks in my band to sign a deal, and now I can't even sing the songs I write. "

ah?How else can American law deprive you of singing your own songs?Ronald was even more sure that the other party was bragging and telling stories.

"Let me tell you, that bastard boss Saul, took my money to invest in movies, and got an Oscar. Fuck, that should be my money. You have far more liars in movies than in music. gone."

"Then your boss is really too much." The more Ronald thought about it, the more he found it amused, and he simply agreed with the uncle, "To be honest, I also think that there are many liars in the film industry."

The middle-aged man became more and more angry, ordered a large glass of beer, and began to scold him loudly at his record company boss Saul, saying that he deposited his money in the bank opened by the boss, but the bank collapsed and the money disappeared. Only hundreds of thousands of deposit compensation guaranteed by the federal government was taken.

"People in San Francisco are quite interesting. They brag in bars, and they can brag very well. We New Yorkers can only brag about making a lot of money. The old man in San Francisco is an artist. I, a Hollywood screenwriter, can't write these plots." Ronald thought, finished drinking the leftover wine, took out two banknotes and pressed them under the wine glass, and went back to the hotel to sleep.

It's just that the uncle's voice is still a little familiar, as if he's heard it somewhere.

……

At the same time, the office of the president of Hollywood CAA was still brightly lit.President Ovitz was on a conference call with his deputy, Ron Mayer, and Columbia's president, Frank Price.

"Michael, you have to make sure that Columbia can get this project. I need Jane Fonda to make a movie for Columbia." Frank Price was speaking very fast, and he could hear that he was a little anxious.

"Otherwise, Sean Connery Hugh wants the part. You CAA can get ready to kiss Mr. 007 goodbye."

"Don't say that, Frank. I am Jane Fonda's agent first, and then I am the matchmaker for this movie project. I need to protect her interests first, or I will be fired." Ovitz said to Ron Meyer next to him winked.

Meyer was listening through the other receiver, covering it with his hand to prevent Price from hearing that he was there.

"Fair trade." Meyer wrote down a few words on a piece of paper and shoved him down in front of Ovitz.

Ovitz nodded, "Mr. Price, this is a fair bid. We have sent invitations to every studio, and Jane will also be there to read the bids you faxed. It is impossible for me to be so respectful to her." The influence that made her give up the highest bid."

"I can't get Jane, and you can lose Sean, it's as simple as that." Price's tone became more and more impatient.

"Come on, Frank, we've known each other since you were the president of Universal Television, and we've done several deals. You know I'm not a person who betrays friends." Ovitz said more and more skillfully.

"In this way, I won't treat my friends badly. I will reveal a bottom line. This is the psychological reserve price peddled by me and Fox, Orion, Paramount, and Warner Bros. As long as your bid can be significantly higher than theirs, Jane is equal Why didn't I choose you under the condition?"

"So you're raising the price again? How much this time? You vampire."

"On the contrary, I'm risking my reputation for work ethic to help you get that star you so desperately need, starring in a movie you're leading.

As far as I know, Jane is slightly biased towards Orion. After all, they have a reputation as a small United Artists. You know, artists have high requirements for artistic autonomy, including director James Bridges, who has a lot of love for Jane. influence. "

"But they can't afford it, they can only do it in the early 300 million. Fox is also poor. Your biggest competitors are Paramount and Warner Bros. I guess they will not pay more than 350 million at most.

I figured that a little bit more than their bid, like 380 million, was a price Jane couldn't refuse. "

"360."

"What you need is the insurance factor, not the 10, Frank. Let's do it, 20 million."

"365."

"370 million, don't argue with me, I will reduce the agent's agency fee at most."

"365."

"Okay, okay, 365 million. In order to complete this project, I have reduced the commission rate to the minimum. But you have to ensure that other actors of our CAA can participate in this project as much as possible."

"make a deal."

"So there's an agreement? Very good."

"Let's talk about Jane's contract next. Jane needs a guarantee contract, and I have reached the time when I have to tell Jane the terms of the contract." Ovitz confirmed again.

"She wants 'Pay or Play'?"

"Yeah, she insisted. Look, Frank, Jane's hot right now. She's hot. Everyone wants her, so you have to lock her in with this kind of contract."

"So if the movie can't be shot for any reason, I have to pay her 200 million."

"Frank, Jane is hot, but Vietnam is hot too, and she won't give up, and if she does, we'll go find Mary Tyler Moore, or Brit Maggie Smith, and you think Jane's going to watch Does her main competitor get a script that she lands on first? This contract is just to lock her in and say no to scripts from other studios."

"Okay, okay, I will give this contract. How do you plan to distribute the remaining 165 million?"

"The screenwriter is 35 yuan, and the remaining 130 million yuan is used as service fees for hired directors and producers, plus Jane's IPC production company participating in the production, and enjoying the corresponding box office share."

"35 for a 20-year-old screenwriter? Isn't it too much? It's beyond Hollywood's regular price. Screenwriting genius John Milius, I remember that a script only sold for 35. But he is John Milius Erce, writer of Apocalypse Now."

"Hollywood's regular price will not give the heroine a 200 million Pay or Play guarantee contract, Frank. Our purpose is to create momentum in the media, so that the accusation of the hostile bidder Kerkorian becomes unreasonable, go back His Las Vegas go.

Also, if you can win the most popular Jane Fonda in Hollywood, who would doubt your ability to control Colombia?Frank. "

"Let's start with the newspaper, hype Ronald as a genius screenwriter, and then bring it to your management ability, Frank. I plan to do this..."

"You're right. I'll find a way to get CBS to work with your campaign."

"Yeah, Bingo." After arranging the details of the bidding with Columbia President Frank Price and the subsequent publicity plan, when he heard the other party hang up the phone, Ovitz couldn't wait to give Ron Mayer a high-five to celebrate.

"So what was Paramount's bid? Less than 350 million?" Mayer asked.

"A total of 320 million, which is 45 lower than Columbia. The others are less than 300 million. We got Jane and Ronald a remuneration of 235 million, which means a total commission of nearly 20. As for the director, who told him not to What about our customer? Let him take the market price."

"A $35 screenplay, so you're really going to sell Ronald that rookie a $35 screenplay? Our other screenwriting clients are going crazy."

"This is not a question of script quality, but a question of CAA's ability, Ron." Ovitz seemed confident, if we can sell a 20-year-old rookie's script for 35, the price of John Milius , what do you think other screenwriters will think?What will the writers who are signed to other agencies think? "

"Well, that's the reason. Of course, Frank Price needs to cooperate."

"Yes, after all, there are rumors in Hollywood that his most suitable career is a script reviewer. He is the only president of a major studio who reads scripts by himself."

(End of this chapter)