Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 527
The last shot of "Terminator" is beautifully shot.After the dailies were developed, Ronald was invited to Cameron's editing room to watch.

"I think you will be a very professional candidate as a director of photography. Now a director of photography in America does not necessarily have to be an operator or a coolie. As long as you have a good sense of aesthetics and some understanding of cameras, you can Be a very good director of photography." Cameron sincerely praised.

"Ronald is going to be a great director." Gail corrected from the side, and sometimes Cameron didn't pay much attention to these things.Let a director who has made many blockbuster movies become a director of photography, people who are not familiar with it will think he is belittling.

"We are old friends. Jim is actually right. If I hadn't had the opportunity to write scripts and become a director, I might have developed into photography."

"Click!" Cameron pressed down the shot taken by Ronald, and then quickly picked out the sound of motors and wind from the sound material, and fixed it with tape for good synchronization.

"Why do you still use this old-fashioned editing tape?" Ronald wondered. "I have a new kind of tape here. It works very well, and it doesn't stutter a frame and a half of film in one edit."

Ronald recommends using Walter Murch's new editing tape, which covers less than a third of the film at each cut, keeping the rhythm and breath of the film intact.It can be said that the director and editor fell in love with it as soon as they saw it.

"I've heard that it was invented and manufactured by Walter Mercy. But he's not in America recently, so I can't contact him." Cameron is a technology enthusiast, so he found a dealer by himself.

"Let me call his home." Ronald called to San Francisco to find Mrs. Murch to buy.They were told that Murch was still filming "Return to Oz" in the UK and that there wasn't much stock left.

After saying something nice, Ronald bought the last two rolls in stock from Mrs. Murch and asked Cameron to send him a check.Merch refused to open a factory because of the small amount of usage. I hope everything goes well for him in London.

Time soon came to the weekend of the second week of June.

Ronald looked from the bottom up in the box office section of The Hollywood Reporter.

"Streets of Rage" starring Diane and "Once Upon a Time in America" ​​both dropped to over 100 million at the box office, and they are facing the embarrassment of being forced to release them in less than a month.

For "Breakdance" directed by Ronald, MGM's film schedule was gradually reduced under the pressure of the release of three new films, and the theaters were gradually reduced. The weekend box office has fallen below 200 million, leaving only 160 million.

However, the report sent by Cannon showed that the box office of the newly released second-tier theaters in big cities and township theaters in small towns continued to soar.All is well and the decline is slow.

On the whole, the box office of "Breakdance" has not decreased but increased, and it has returned to more than 400 million.The total box office is close to 4000 million.

On the up is "Breakdancing" rival, "Hot Street Kid," released by Orion.Before the release of the movie, which had a high momentum, Orion won [-] theaters, and began to focus on advertising on major media.

"520 million", Ronald looked at the box office figures and felt relieved.

"Hot Street Kid" claims to be a real "breakdancing" movie, and various advertisements attack "breakdancing", but in the end it is not as high as the 780 million box office in the first week of Breakdance's [-] opening theaters.The average box office of a single hall is only half of its own.

No matter how much the film critics headed by Roger Ebert brag, it is impossible to compare with themselves at the box office anyway.

Going up, the box office of "Star Trek: Finding Spock" has fallen rapidly to 900 million. "Raiders of the Palace" still maintains a box office record of more than 1000 and [-] million, which is indeed a big production jointly produced by Spielberg and Lucas.

"Huh", Ronald saw "Raiders in the Palace" along the way, and there were actually two movies on it.Actually, the weekend box office is higher than that of the works directed by Spielberg?

I want to move my eyes up with my fingers, there are two new films!

The second one has something to do with Spielberg!
It was Chris Columbus, whom Ronald knew, who wrote the screenplay, Spielberg's Amberlin Films, and Warner Bros. released the teenage fantasy horror film "Gremlins (Gremlins)."

Ronald looked at the details.The director of this film is one of the leaders in his directing career, Joe Dante.And the heroine is Phoebe Cates, a black-haired beauty discovered by herself.

"Joe Dante, forget it, otherwise, shouldn't you invite yourself to make this movie?" Ronald tapped his head. The actors, screenwriters, and producers are all acquaintances of him. How could Spielberg Don't remember yourself?
Maybe it's because of the lack of contacts, Ronald thought, no wonder these big-name directors and stars all live together in a few wealthy communities in Los Angeles. information.

Unlike I often go to New York, I live in an apartment in Los Angeles instead of a separate house, and I am not as close to Beverly Hills as possible, so I am far away from the circle.Ronald made up his mind that after getting the share of "Breakdancing", he would consider moving into a better independent big house, at least where he could hold parties.

"Little Monsters" was screened in 1000 theaters in the first week, and got a good result of 50 to [-] million.

Ronald's finger goes up, which movie can be fiercer than it?

It was screened in 340 theaters, with a box office of 350 million in the first weekend, and the average box office of a single hall exceeded [-] US dollars.

"Ghostbusters!"

Another movie I know.

I also drank beer with Canadian screenwriter and starring Dan Aykroyd, and made an appointment to have dinner with Canadian colleagues who worked hard in Hollywood, but I also forgot.

It was the last film that former Columbia president Frank Price agreed to before leaving for Universal.

Comedy guru Bill Murray was finally invited, starring alongside actress Sigourney Weaver.

It's a movie that CAA president Michael Ovitz has done his best to make.From screenwriters, directors, to main actors, all are clients of CAA.Ovitz has long been optimistic about the comedy-horror genre, and this time he finally hit "Ghostbusters" with great success.

All of a sudden, Ronald felt the pressure increased. Two new films, two blockbuster films in the second week, and "Longwei Kid", which will be released two weeks later, will face the attack of the last four blockbuster films.

Ronald picked up the phone and called producer Weintraub, "Jerry, did you see today's box office results? We have to do something."

Jerry took Susan Eakins and met Ronald in the office, and both felt that the challenge was huge.

Weintraub wanted to take out another 50 to add to the marketing of the film.Ronald started looking for old friends to see if he could get another talk show or a movie interview before it was released.

The discussion has been decided, and the two will split up.

Ronald rushed to the CAA office, where someone was launching streamers.Many people held champagne to celebrate the huge success of "Ghostbusters".

Ronald left the celebratory crowd and went straight to Nisita's office.

"Rick! Do you want to have a celebration like this?"

"Shh!" Nisita made a small movement, got up and closed the door in the office.

"Of course I think, your 'Longwei boy' is also threatened?"

"Of course, you have to help me figure out a way to increase exposure. This movie will definitely be a box office success, but I worry that the current Ghostbusters, and Gremlins, are box office monsters and will swallow it our exposure."

"What do you think? Which programs do you want to be exposed on?"

"A few big talk shows will do? Johnny Carson, or David Letterman. Although I know they are all full of schedules, but do you have a solution?"

"I've got an idea, get both of these talk shows this weekend, and maybe sixty on CBS News."

"Ah? What can I do? Tell me quickly."

"You disclose your relationship with Brooke Shields, and then they will all come." Nisita poured herself a glass of wine and drank it.

"what?"

"Hahaha, I tricked you."

Ronald realized that the other party was joking, "Pocky wants to graduate from Princeton so much that she doesn't even accept movie invitations."

"I know, can you persuade her? Her reputation is still very strong, isn't it a good time to come out to make a movie during the summer vacation?"

"If you can kick her mother away and become her agent, I have no objection and will help." Ronald actually felt that Brooke shouldn't give up her acting career because she might regret it later.

"The time is really tight, I can't arrange it." Nisita shook his head, rejecting Ronald's idea.

"Can Barbie Wygant's show be on?" Ronald thought of this female film critic, his own "fast pace", and he had been on her show before, and it was arranged by Universal at that time.

"I'll make a few calls."

Nisita made a few phone calls to find out the situation, "Barbie happened to be recording a show in Los Angeles, she might give you a plug, but she needs some gimmicks, it's just a mid-range production released in Columbia, and there are no stars to join, She wants to stop you, and she needs some reasons."

"reason?"

Ronald thought and thought, thinking of all the participants in the movie.

Neither the hero nor the heroine are stars.The supporting roles are some second-generation stars, but they are not qualified.Producer Weintraub's foray into film?But Barbie Wygant's interviews have always been only for the main creators.

"I am alone, without Brooke, can I do it?" Ronald thought he was still a successful director.

"It's very difficult. Your current movie is produced by Weintraub. It is impossible for Columbia to use resources so aggressively."

"Then there is only Morita Noryuki who plays Miyagi-sensei."

After thinking for a while, Ronald called the office of Mr. Daniel Inoue, Senator of Hawaii on Capitol Hill.

"Mr. Inoue is working on his proposal in the Senate to adopt a new method of sterilizing the milk transported by the troops stationed in Hawaii. The original bus sterilization method can only last for eight days. Soldiers in Hawaii and Alaska often drink sour milk. milk."

"Why can the senator only propose this kind of proposal?" Ronald wondered, "Then can I get assistance from Mr. Inoue's office?"

"Hello, I'm Mr. Inoue's public affairs assistant, who are you?" The call was transferred to Inoue's subordinate office.

"I am the director of a film about the history of the [-]nd Infantry, Ronald Lee."

"Mr. Inoue specifically explained to you that after the movie is released, I hope you will send a copy to Capitol Hill for screening. Do you need his help?"

"I hope that Mr. Inoue will give me some help in promoting my film, so that the actor who plays the winner of the Medal of Honor of the Infantry Regiment will get an interview opportunity on a film review program."

"Barbie Wygant? Does she need an ad for her show? I'll call someone at Sony."

(End of this chapter)