Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 365 I'm Not Christmas

"They loved the Christmas campaign and hope you keep shooting their new ideas for next year."

Darcy Maguire, JWT's creative director, was delighted to see Ronald's Christmas campaign.This kind of fragment with a strong Christmas family atmosphere is very to her taste.

It happened that Burger King also felt that the Christmas advertisement was shot well, and Maguire agreed with them on the creative idea for the next year's advertisement.It is better to use the familiar than the raw, and found Ronald again.

"Is it still a comparative advertisement?" Ronald took the materials.

"Burger King wants to have a more radical new idea. This time I want to change the cooperation method and outsource the production part to you. As long as you make an advertisement that satisfies Burger King, regardless of the specific details, it will be handled by your company. We only publish A total price."

Wouldn't that be able to cobble together a $130 million film production budget?Ronald was very happy, and quickly opened the materials and began to read.

"McDonald's hamburger, the beef is 20.00% smaller than Burger King", Ronald read the advertisement, "Is this true?"

"The beef patties fried by McDonald's seem to shrink a circle. In several McDonald's franchise stores we sampled, their beef patties were indeed smaller by more than 20.00% in volume."

'That is to look small, not to weigh small? "Ronald muttered a little, will this be a problem?"

"Put that little girl named Sarah on camera?"

"Yes, after our test, among the several actors who appeared in the Christmas commercial, the audience likes her the most. So for this new commercial, we plan to let Sarah Michelle Gellar shoot first."

"Is...is this kind of advertisement okay? Will it violate the regulations of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)?" Ronald knew a little bit of FTC regulations, so it seemed that few people would directly attack competitors' advertising ideas like this. "

"It doesn't matter, Burger King has a strong team of lawyers, and there is no problem with broadcasting. This does not violate the FTC's regulations. McDonald's can only sue to seek an injunction, but according to the evaluation of Burger King's lawyer team, it is not enough to prevent Burger King's advertisement from being broadcast."

"Burger King is fine, but I'm afraid I have a problem." Ronald thought to himself.

"I have to discuss it with Eddie. You know I'm working on my new movie. I have a lot to confirm before Christmas." Ronald began to shirk.

"Well, you discuss it first, and give me a reply as soon as possible."

"no problem."

Looking back, Ronald contacted his personal lawyer, Lindsay Dole.

"Ronald, your caution is justified. That Maguire is right. The courts generally will not support the strong relief proposed by McDonald's to ban the Burger King advertisement because they are not technically lying.

However, McDonald's can sue you.While you have free speech under the [-]st Amendment, that doesn't cover explicit defamation, and they can indeed sue you to deter others who want to.

This kind of thing happens from time to time in other industries, but no one has challenged a giant company like McDonald's.

While you shouldn't be in too much trouble if you respond well, that's McDonald's and their team of lawyers can make your next year quite difficult.

Although you have a case to fight, I may earn a little more money, but I want to see your movies more than you waste your time responding to the lawsuit.

It is more in line with my taste to do consulting business for you without going to court and review the contract.Hahaha. "

"Thank you, Lindsay, I am very grateful. I will increase the retainer next year. With you, I can avoid many potential troubles."

"And I will improve my service quality. Our business is doing well this year. I have enough money to hire a few good legal assistants."

Next, after discussing with his agent Eddie, Ronald declined Maguire's invitation on the grounds that he had to concentrate on the film project.

Although Eddie lost a lot of income in this way, Ronald promised him that in the future non-movie business, he would change to a cooperation model and let Eddie become the project producer, responsible for various details.When encountering outsourced projects, they will divide the money according to the ratio, so that Eddie will not suffer too much.

"Thanks, Eddie. Merry Christmas to you."

"Merry Christmas to you, Ronald. I'm Jewish, but you can wish me a Merry Hanukkah for Christmas."

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that you're Jewish. Happy Hanukkah."

The Jews in America, except for a small number of liberals who have completely integrated into secular life, most still maintain the Jewish faith.The Jews, on the other hand, do not recognize Jesus as God, but only consider him a prophet.

So they did not celebrate Christmas, Easter, and a series of traditional Christian festivals.Their Hanukkah, which coincides with Christmas, is a festival to celebrate the Jewish uprising against the ancient Roman Empire and the recovery of Jerusalem.

There is still more than a week before Christmas. Ronald decided not to return to Los Angeles. He signed all the documents for the establishment of the film production company here, and reviewed the investment of all parties together with accountant Lawrence Wang and personal lawyer Lindsay Dole. Agreements, complex contractual terms, require the cooperation of two people to ensure that they are correct.

Ronald also spent a lot of time with Aunt Karen and Donna during this time.During the busy time in Los Angeles, sometimes I didn't call my aunt. This time, I finally had time to get together, and Ronald felt very good.

In addition, I rejected the advertisement of Burger King, so there is still a gap in funds. I can also consider contacting my acquaintances in New York to see if anyone is willing to invest in me.

"Ronnie, I have something to ask you." After dinner at her aunt's house in the evening, Aunt Karen called Ronald into her bedroom.

"I heard from Donna that she heard you and your agent on the phone to discuss financing?"

"Oh, yes, I'm looking for an investor for my next film." Ronald drank the black tea made by his aunt, pretending to be relaxed.

"Why didn't you tell me? The business of leg warmers is pretty good, and sales are increasing rapidly this year. If you need it, you can use it for your movie first." Aunt Karen said as she was about to take out her checkbook .

Ronald hurriedly held his aunt down, "No, no, you and Donna may have made a mistake. Film financing is a professional job, and no director will use his own money to make a movie. This is the rule of the industry, even if The director is willing, and the producer is not necessarily willing."

"Although I still hope that you will go back to university to complete your studies, but the leg warmer business was also established with your help, Ronnie. Since you want to realize your dream, why can't your family invest?" Aunt Karen insisted.

"No, film investment has its own peculiarities. It is not something you can invest in if you have money. First of all, the film needs to be released in theaters. Distributors—like wholesalers in the leg warmer business, they buy the distribution of the film Quan, responsible for contacting all movie theaters to determine the schedule.

They wouldn't invest in my film if they didn't have the right revenue.I was lucky that the former boss, Mr. Roger Coleman, admired me, so he has already invested 50.

Then the movie was going to be sold overseas, and the boss of another distributor also invested a lot of money.

If I don't give them the investment share, they won't get the excess profits brought by the movie's big sales, and they won't be willing to release my movie.This is a low-budget movie, even if you want to invest, you don't have a share. "

"Is that so?" Aunt Karen didn't understand movies, and was persuaded by Ronald's few words, "Well, if you need it again, remember to tell me. We all support your dream."

"I know, thank you, Aunt." Ronald hugged Aunt Karen tightly.Movie investment is very risky. Auntie and Donna have managed to get their lives on track. Don't let them take any more risks.

"Ronnie, it's hard to spend Christmas in New York this time, so please call your girlfriend Helen."

"Well, I heard from her that she is going to live with her parents' reorganized family for a while, and spend some time with them, and she is going to Britain soon."

"What's the matter? I haven't seen her for a long time. She's going to Britain to film soon. Donna and I also want to meet him. I heard that she's going to go for a long time this time."

"Yes, I will go to London to do fitness for four months immediately after Christmas, and then there is a long shooting cycle. I heard from her that, like Superman, this kind of stunt movie is very slow to shoot."

"Call her." Aunt Karen picked up the receiver and handed it to Ronald.

"Okay, I'll ask her and ask her to come. The cloak last time helped her a lot. Helen kept saying thank you."

"Haha, that's not worth mentioning."

Ronald answered Helen's call, "Helen, this is Ronald. Are you free before Christmas? Aunt Karen invited you to visit her home."

"Hahaha, of course I'm free." Helen smiled. Recently, she took turns living in the new families of her divorced parents, so it was rare for her to enjoy the warmth of the family.

"Come and pick me up from my mother's house, I'm in Long Island..."

……

"Take good care of Helen, and send her back tomorrow," Helen's mother, Alice Joan, looked at Ronald and Helen with satisfaction.

My daughter held her boyfriend's arm, her eyes were full of sweetness.

Alice Jean looked satisfied.She thinks Ronald is good, he is a gentleman, and he does not have the casual attitude towards women that men in the entertainment industry have.It's just that the two of them are very busy at work and can't be together all the time.

"Aunt Karen has made a lot of dishes waiting for you, and she even baked biscuits. Now she is busy with the factory, so she hasn't baked biscuits for a long time. I can only eat them because you are coming." Ronald said in Talking trivia to Helen in the car.

"Ronnie, I'm going to London soon, will you miss me?" Helen asked softly while sitting in the co-pilot.

"Of course, I will call you. My film project will start shooting at the end of next month. It is a low-budget film. When I finish my work, I will go to London to visit the set."

Ronald smiled and shook Helen's hand.

"By the way, what Christmas gifts did you receive this year? I didn't see a Christmas tree at Alice Joan's place just now. Did you Long Islanders cut it yourself? Or did you go to the Christmas market in the suburbs to buy it?"

"Hahaha... Ronnie, you don't know me at all." Helen Slater stopped at a red light and gently touched Ronald's face, "We've been dating for a long time, and you don't even know me family situation."

"Huh? Your father, Gerald, works at PBS, your mother is an environmental lawyer and anti-nuclear activist, and you have a brother, David, who lives with your mother's new family. Your father also has a new wife and a child. But they all love you. Am I right?"

Ronald looked at Helen, wondering why Helen suddenly said that he didn't understand her.

"Stupid, I'm Jewish and it's Christmas."

"Ah?" Ronald was taken aback, "I really don't know that, are you a Jew? Isn't your surname Slater a Jewish surname?"

Ronald thought, this is not a joke, is it?If Helen's surname was Threlberg or something, it would still be possible.

Besides, Ronald looked at Helen's beautiful silhouette. The nose was medium-sized and straight, and there was no hump in the middle of the nasal bone. How could it be a Jew?

"Yes, my grandfather is of Polish descent, and my maternal grandfather is of Russian descent. They are both of Jewish descent. But after immigrating to New York, my family also mixed with Chinese, German, and other blood.

Because Jews were discriminated against, so my grandfather and maternal grandfather changed their surnames to Anglo-Saxon Slater, and Tiger. "

"Oh, I didn't see it." Ronald kissed Helen lightly, "Sorry, I really didn't think about it, I thought..."

"Actually my parents are liberal Jews and don't go to synagogue much, but it's still Christmas, lol..."

"Didi..." The light ahead turned green, Ronald started to put into gear, and started to move forward.

"By the way, Ronnie, what is your ethnicity?" Helen asked.

"Me? I don't know, I have to ask Aunt Karen. My parents passed away early, and they didn't tell me about it... Well, maybe they did, I was too young to forget."

Ronald changed the subject and drove Helen to his aunt's house.

(End of this chapter)