Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 577 Chapter 2 Grumman's Expectations
Ronald told the two screenwriters all the flying details learned from Miss Long Legs, and asked them to integrate these flying battle scenes into the whole story and character development.

Grumman, which was invited by the crew, was very active.They specially sent a vice president in charge of public relations to invite director Ronald to discuss the installation of cameras on the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet.

Came to Bethpage, Long Island, New York, where Grumman's headquarters is located. Most people in this town work directly or indirectly for Grumman.

Several high-level executives of the company welcomed Ronald very much.I made a special trip to welcome him, and tasted American steak in the company's administrative cafeteria.

This kind of large-scale military industrial enterprise is actually similar to the industry of America's rival, the Soviet Union Alliance. Schools, hospitals, canteens, and even hotels are run within the enterprise.It's like a small society.

After visiting the company's historical exhibition hall, Ronald knew that Grumman not only built numerous attack aircraft, fighter jets, patrol aircraft, and anti-submarine aircraft for the Navy during World War II, but was also responsible for the production of early warning aircraft on aircraft carriers.

Grumman had a bad year. The F-14 won the export order to Persia and delivered the first batch of fighter jets. Unexpectedly, a hostage incident at the embassy occurred a few years later, and it seemed that a large number of solo flights were flying.

The company is in the Air Force and has not received new orders.Now the main product is the improved F14 Tomcat.Grumman wanted Ronald to be able to shoot the Tomcat as beautifully as Saab's Lightning fighter.

The American military is easily influenced by the public. If the movie can bring about the dance trend like Ronald's "Break Dancing" and "Karate Boy" brought about the karate trend, use this movie to bring the public's attention to the military. The enthusiasm of the F-14 Tomcat, then there is still a large order from the Navy that can be renewed.

The engineer held a meeting with Ronald for several days, trying to form a plan for the location of the camera that Ronald wanted to install.Either install a small camera in the cabin, or simply replace the camera pod, and replace the high-resolution reconnaissance camera with a movie camera that can work in a high-altitude and high-acceleration environment.

Then Grumman specially formed a team that will follow Ronald to the Miramar base in California to modify the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet.

"I don't have any intuitive experience in fighter jets. Do you know any experienced pilots? I want to talk to them." After the discussion, Ronald remembered to ask about Grumman's man-to-air combat the opinion of.

The navy with a strong bureaucratic atmosphere was slow to respond to its own request, but Grumman was very enthusiastic about him here, to see if they had connections.

"Your movie is called Top Gun, right?" an engineer asked Ronald. "Why don't you talk to the real Top Gun veteran, Pete Pettigrew? He was one of the first Top Gun The instructor of the Gun flight school, and one of the very few pilots who have shot down a MiG-21 head-on."

"Oh yeah?" Ronald wrote down this name, thinking that this is rare.

Top Gun Flying School, because in the Vietnam War, American fighter pilots only used missiles and forgot the skills of machine guns and dog fighting. A school for elite pilots organized by the Pentagon, where they will learn the system Excellent fighting skills greatly improve the combat capabilities of the navy and air force.

"Is he still at Top Gun School?"

"It seems that he has been transferred to the reserve service. You can ask the navy. He has a very good relationship with the navy."

After a hasty trip to Long Island, Ronald arrived at the Ziegfeld Theater in Manhattan to attend the premiere of his friend Jim Cameron's new film "The Terminator."

"Congratulations, congratulations," Ronald saw Cameron in a suit, and his girlfriend Gail.Next to it is lead actress Linda Hamilton.

"God, I'm so nervous." Cameron showed a rare nervous expression, "Schwarzenegger only participated in the premiere in Los Angeles, and there were very few stars who came, and it seems that there are not many reporters here today."

"Don't be nervous, the box office has nothing to do with the stars who come to support." Ronald has rich experience, and none of his films have any big names to attend the premiere.

"Really? I also hope that my movie will be a hit." Cameron pulled Ronald to sit down. He wanted to hear his old friend's evaluation.

"Boom boom boom boom..." One hour, five and 10 minutes passed. Under the theme song of the Terminator, Ronald saw the last cumulonimbus shot by himself. Under the cumulonimbus, Sarah Connor, pregnant with the future savior, started The shot of the jeep running into the distance.

It was a reshoot with Cameron Gale.

Ronald was very excited. The rhythm of the film was very tight. Cameron, who was directing a feature film for the first time, had a good grasp of the rhythm.

The two big explosion scenes in it did not cost much money, but they produced very realistic effects.And Schwarzenegger's scary makeup, one red eye, metal skull coming out of flesh.The really frightened audience screamed a few times.

In the end, the hero and the Terminator killing machine died together, and the heroine Sarah Connor inherited the will of the hero who came back in the future, determined to raise her son.

After the subtitles came up, there was no sound from the audience. After dozens of seconds, they gave out roaring applause.

They have never seen such a movie. The threat of the end of the world is very realistic and presented to the audience through the Terminator. The ending is hopeful and dilutes the sadness of the hero's sacrifice.

"You succeeded, Jim, you can start preparing for the sequel." Ronald saw the reaction of the audience, and knew that Cameron's debut film must be a blockbuster movie. The production cost of 600 million will make Heimdell and Orion a lot of money.

"At that time, you can charge a high price." Ronald knew that Cameron confiscated the script transfer fee in order to shoot this movie, and the director's remuneration was also very low. Now that he has become famous in one fell swoop, he can finally earn some money.

"I don't know, audiences in New York like it, but we also released a film about Cambodia called 'Killing Fields' at the same time. I heard that the response to their film review was very good."

Cameron began to worry about gains and losses again.

"Do you want the Oscar, or the box office?" Ronald opened champagne in the lounge and asked his old friend.

"Of course I need the box office first, so I can continue to be a director."

"Isn't this the end? From my experience, the audience's reaction to your movie will be very good." Ronald took out the toilet observation method again.During the movie screening, few people were willing to give up the plot and go to the bathroom.

And after the end, among the crowd queuing in the bathroom, many viewers were imitating the phrase "I'll Be Back" of the Terminator played by Schwarzenegger.

These signals are very optimistic.

"I hope you're right." Cameron picked up his glass and drank it down.

"Let's make a bet, if your movie is number one at the box office for the weekend, and back in LA, you and Gail will treat me to dinner. If you come in second, then I'll treat you two to a vacation in Hawaii. Regardless of the box office, you can all be happy."

"No problem, you can choose the restaurant as you like." Gail came over to pick up the quarrel, and the two were going to get married next year, just as the honeymoon had not yet been arranged.

"Hahaha, it really is the number one at the box office. I want to eat Chinese food. There is a very good restaurant in Chinatown."

When the weekend box office results came out, it turned out that "Terminator" won No.400 with $1 million.

"Okay, no problem." Cameron and Gail, who had already returned to Los Angeles, agreed on the phone.

"Mr. Roger Coleman is also very happy. He invited us to dinner. Will you come with us?" Gail asked on the phone.

"I'm going to stay in New York for a while. This is his old tradition. He treats directors who graduated from Roger Corman Film University with their first blockbuster work to dinner. I have already enjoyed it. Hahaha."

"Well, remember to call us when you come back."

Ronald put down the phone and continued to chat with his agent Eddie about work arrangements.Daydream entered the corporate video market, and it really hit the spot.Many small and medium-sized enterprises have come to invite them to take pictures, and the business is good.

"Okay, there are a lot of companies here, and we don't have to worry about business. Depending on the situation, go to Tisch College of New York University to recruit some talents, and treat them as interns. The basic skills of those graduate students can still be acquired." Ronald finished his order.

"Your new film hasn't started shooting yet?" Douglas Jr. also came to listen to Daydream's business. He was specially invited by Ronald. When the business gets busy in the future, the landlord needs to rent a piece of land to build a studio for convenience. Improve shooting efficiency.

"Hey, the bureaucracy in the Navy is very serious. Our first draft of the script was completed, and after submission, it was like sinking into the sea, and I don't know when they will reply." Ronald did not expect that the Navy's script review, and the studio The screenplay review is completely two concepts.

Studios may go through rounds of managers, directors, and everyone has their own opinion.Just like playing games, if you don't pass the first level Boss, you won't be able to meet the second level.

And the Navy is like buying a lottery ticket. Before the draw, you can't find out whether you have won the lottery or not.

"No news at all?"

"No, they have to go through several rounds of review. Some are in charge of technical review and cannot reveal the secrets of the Navy. Some are in charge of plot review. The protagonist cannot do things that violate the values ​​​​of the Navy. They like Tom Cruise as the leading actor. , passed his review immediately."

"Who wouldn't want a big handsome guy to play him?" said Douglas Jr.

"Yeah, after the script review is completed, the Navy has agreed to allow Tom Cruise to go to the base to experience flying the F-14 Tomcat in advance. It has given him a lot of convenience, and now he has enough to vomit."

"Hahaha" Little Douglas smiled happily, "What about you? Do you want to take an exam for a pilot's license?"

"Wait until I'm free, I heard it's expensive."

"It's not expensive. A few hundred dollars is enough for an elementary propeller plane piloting course. Even if you buy a small second-hand Cessna, it costs tens of thousands of dollars. It's not a problem for you."

"Really?" Ronald didn't expect civilian propeller planes to be so cheap.

"I'm going to take a license test when I'm free."

(End of this chapter)