Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 346 Associate Producer
Ronald comes to meet producer Don Simpson with an experimental video tape shot by Adrian Lane.

Don Simpson, always with his partner Jerry Bruckheimer, greeted Ronald with a warm hug.

"Ronnie, what do you think? Would you like to take over the movie?"

"Look at this video first." Ronald took out the wet body dance of the stunt dancer that Ryan had filmed.

"Okay, let's see what you brought?"

The TV shows a beautiful woman dancing vigorously, especially when the dance double is half lying on the chair and pulling the rope, and a large bucket of water is poured on her.Ronald saw Don Simpson's Adam's apple move, and obviously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"If this shot is on film, the temptation will increase tenfold." Ronald took the opportunity to lobby.

Then there is the shot of the dance stand-in shaking his hair sharply, and some water droplets are thrown onto the nearby set with the movement.Even the calmer Jerry Bruckheimer's eyes lit up now.

"Imagine, here is a clip of the reaction scene of the audience in the bar." Ronald described his thoughts. Several audience members in the bar were shaken by the water droplets on their hair, and they were all shocked.

Don Simpson was completely taken in by the thought of Ronald portraying, "Fuck, is this Adrian filming?"

"It's the video tape that director Ryan tried to shoot. He wanted me to explain some technical details to you." Ronald pressed the pause button, pointed to the light source on the TV, and explained to the two producers.

"Pay attention to this spotlight, the backlight came to give the actor a contour light, and then matched the smoke on the scene, the reflection of the ground, and these splashing water droplets..."

Ronald pointed to several lighting points, and then pressed the play button again.

"This is a traditional technique in Britain. I saw it on the set of 'Famous'. They like to smoke or use a stove to heat incense powder. Very small particles are suspended in the air, allowing a single point of light to appear in the air. The effect of the beam of light..."

Ronald pointed to a beam of light on the TV and explained to them, "Then there is reflection on the very smooth ground, and the reflection of the actors can be seen, forming an ambiguous ambient light, which is a single point light source plus specular reflection the benefits of."

"So this effect can only use a single point light source?" Don and Jerry had already stood up from their chairs and surrounded Ronald.

"I'm not a professional director of photography, I just know that it would be very time-consuming to simulate this effect with the traditional multi-light source lighting in America. In this shot, the dance double dances in a big way, with a wide range of motion.

If she was lighting with multiple lights, anytime she moved out of that range, she would need to be re-lighted.In this way, there is a greater possibility that the stand-in's face will be captured by the camera, which will be a troublesome editing.

My suggestion, if you are satisfied with this effect, is to find a way for Director Ryan to use his own camera team to solve this problem with a single light and smoke.

If I were to shoot, without the cooperation of a good photographer, I would not be sure to shoot this level of shots. "

"Ryan still showed his skills, the old slicker." Don Simpson whispered.If Director Ryan explained the lighting problem himself, he might not be as convincing as Ronald, a third person with a successful movie.

After all, Adrian Lane's last Hollywood movie was "Little Fox" filmed three years ago, and the box office was not high, so it didn't have much impact.

Tang and Jerry exchanged glances and understood each other's thoughts.Don Simpson spoke to Ronald and said:
"Ronald, we trust you. The film is about to start shooting in Pittsburgh. We want to hire you as an associate producer of the film, and watch the filming progress with me on the spot."

Seeing that Don Simpson was going to grab him on a business trip, Ronald was about to refuse.

Don Simpson grabbed his hand, "Don't rush to refuse, listen to our conditions. I know you have a new script now, and it won't delay you for a long time. It only takes you a week or two at the beginning of the crew. Here, explain some of the technical details of directing to Jerry and me.

It's not that we don't trust Director Ryan. The video he showed today clearly shows us his thinking and design.

But we're not familiar with the way British directors work, you just start staring at the set there, we need a Hollywood counterpart.

Then once the quality of the daily dailies stabilizes and we have a good idea of ​​what Director Lane is doing, you can fly back to LA, I promise. "

"Then what about the smoke release requested by Director Ryan? How do you plan to solve the problem of the trade union?"

“Our principal shots were shot in Pittsburgh, where the unions are weak, and there’s always a way,” Jerry Bruckheimer, the duo’s non-artistic counterpart, answered Ronald’s question.

Seeing the sincerity of what they said, Ronald would not hinder his other work if he stared at the crew for a few days.He called his agent and asked him to handle his contract and prepare to go to Pittsburgh.

"Adrian, they agreed to use it, but there is one condition." Ronald first returned to the office of director Adrian Ryan and told him the good news.

"What conditions?" Director Ryan stopped talking with a young man, turned around and asked Ronald.

"I didn't know you had guests." Ronald glanced at the actor, who looked a little familiar, as if he was the "carpenter" who auditioned the leading actresses.

"I'll go out first, Director Ryan, I'm indeed an actor, and I cooperate well with your heroines, right?" He said as he retreated from the office, and then closed the door.

"Don Simpson said yes, you can use your own camera crew, you can smoke on set, and Jerry Bruckheimer promised to get you out of the union trouble.

The condition is that I will be an associate producer, and I will go to the set in Pittsburgh and be responsible for communicating technical details with them.

Of course, I'm not going to interfere with your actions, I think they just want to buy an insurance, someone to explain to them what you are doing.I expect to be able to leave in a week or two. "

"I welcome!" Adrian Lane embraced Ronald with open arms before he could finish speaking.

"In fact, they are superfluous. Artists always speak by their works. Anyone who sees your commercials and test video tapes can tell that your finished film will be very exciting." Ronald explained.

Ronald actually knew in his heart that as soon as an expert made a move, he would know where Director Ryan's level was.

But since someone paid to see the scene by himself, it was just a good time to learn a few tricks of the British system's lighting and shooting methods.

"I want to thank you anyway." Ryan was very polite.

"You don't know what they're thinking. I turned down the project twice, I thought the script was kind of silly, and they didn't bother me after that. Until recently when Brian De Palma left to shoot another 'Scarface' people', they came to me again.

I've been off for over two years, and the third time they came to me, I said to myself, Adrian, stop trying to be perfect.There are not so many perfect scripts in the world, waiting for you to direct.

This 'Lightning Dance' can at least take a beautiful picture of the dance, don't shirk it anymore.So I agreed to come down. "

Only then did Ronald understand the complete ins and outs of the matter. Perhaps after several evasions, the two producers also had some doubts about the degree of devotion to Adrian Ryan.

The trust between the producer and the director is very fragile. If there is no mutual trust between the two parties, it will cause a lot of unnecessary suspicion and trouble.

"Don't you write the script yourself?" Ronald asked Director Lane.

"I've only written the scripts for two short films. Traditionally, in Britain, a director is not a screenwriter."

"Oh, it is."

Ronald discovered another difference between the British film industry and Hollywood.They are more like Broadway, with a clear division of labor between playwright and director.

In Hollywood, being a screenwriter is often the shortcut to getting your first directing job.

The Adrian Ryan in front of him, the Alan Parker he was familiar with, and Ridley Scott who had only watched the movie, they were all mainly directors and less involved in screenwriting.

Among the three British directors, Alan Parker, who has a little writing ability, also mainly revises other people's scripts.

Even Hitchcock, the most famous British director, often only thought of a prototype of a story, and there were not many opportunities to write a full script.

"Maybe they've been playing Shakespeare all along and don't need an extra script." Ronald thought maliciously.

"Director Ryan, I have formally studied acting, and carpentry is just my part-time job."

As soon as he and Adrian Ryan decided to go out for a drink, Ronald found that the carpenter was still waiting for Ryan to come out at the door.He looks a little tall, a few years older than himself.Although he is begging for help, he looks neither humble nor overbearing.

"Kevin, I can't give you this job as a carpenter, I can only choose actors. We have already cast Nick Nouri for the male lead, and all I can say is sorry."

With a kind of British politeness, Ryan refused to give it to this "carpenter" who claimed to be an actor.

"Sir, I'm really an actor," the carpenter began to say to Ronald.

"I'm not the director of this movie." Ronald shrugged helplessly at him.

The carpenter was a little discouraged, turned and left.Maybe he wants to maintain his dignity and doesn't want to beg for help in a humble way.

"Adrian, Ronald, thank God, you have finally settled, with Ronald as an associate producer, you will definitely not abandon us." Opposite Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer walked Come on, shout out to Director Lane.

The big event is finalized, and a few people are going to go to the bar to have fun.

When picking up the car in the parking lot, Ronald saw that the carpenter was also in the parking lot, feeling a little lonely.

Ronald's car was right in front of him, and he nodded as it passed him.

"Sir..." the carpenter began again.

"I heard Adrian call you Kevin, don't be discouraged, the film industry is like this, the first step into this industry is always the hardest."

"Thank you, Sir. My name is Kevin, Kevin Costner"

Ronald was not used to being called Sir by someone who looked older than himself.

"Call me Ronald, you're just unlucky, keep auditioning, I think you have the look for an actor, sort of like James Dean mixed with Harrison Ford."

"Thank you, are you also the producer of Lightning Dance?"

"I'm actually a director, Ronald Lee."

"Oh, Shxt, I've seen your director's fast pace." The carpenter called out.

"Actually, I have acted in movies. I played the leading role in [-]. It was just bad luck that the movie was not released."

"I think your appearance, and previous experience, should not act in a movie." Ronald was a little surprised when he heard his experience.

"I just want to play the leading role."

"Try to start with supporting roles, some supporting roles are easier to be remembered by the audience."

(End of this chapter)