Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 580 Spending Money on the Screen

Captain Pete Pettigrew was a tall, lanky man who had just retired from the Navy and entered the reserves.

This time Ronald applied to the Navy and invited him to serve as a technical consultant for the crew, essentially serving as a communication bridge between the crew and the Navy.

Pettigrew, wearing a navy jacket and Top Gun flight school cap, was very talkative.Ronald asked if he had actually shot down a MiG-21 during the Vietnam War.He just smiled and said nothing, saying that practicing his flying skills is more important than anything else.

In response to some revisions to the script received by Ronald from the Navy.Pettigrew was quick to offer his "personal advice."

Some of the censorship opinions are actually unreasonable, just an instinctive conditioned reflexive objection within the slow-moving bureaucratic system to any part of the script that may cause them to be "responsible".

For example, the early models of the F-14 were prone to stall and horizontal spirals when attacking at a high inclination angle. In fact, the improved models of the F-14 after being equipped with the Navy have been well improved.

Not to mention exposing this early problem will not cause a leak.Even if the Alliance saw the plot of this movie and made corresponding tactical preparations, they would be surprised by the reaction of the American Navy after the improved equipment.

But other issues that touch on the military's first regulations, such as falling in love with active servicemen and violating traffic rules are indeed inappropriate. Pettigrew hopes that the crew can make changes on these issues.

Otherwise, Pettigrew, who had been a squadron leader and a flight school instructor, couldn't imagine how much more difficult it would be for recruits to manage if they all had the same attitude as in the movie.

In addition, the flying vertigo of the "Jaguar" is a problem that every fighter pilot will encounter. Although the probability is very small, the Navy has no good solution after it happens.Pettigrew expressed the hope that the crew would not overemphasize this disease, for fear that the pilot would worry too much after seeing the movie, and instead induce vertigo under certain circumstances.

Seeing that Pettigrew was very sincere, and he was able to tell the real reason why the Navy opposed it.Ronald and the two producers also agreed with him, and asked the two screenwriters to continue to revise according to his ideas.

Ronald and both producers thanked him.

Pettigrew just said very modestly, "I am just at the invitation of the navy to put forward some opinions that they are inconvenient to say. In fact, my task is to ensure that some related plots of fighter jets are correct. I don't want this The movie was made into a musical by you."

"Ahem..." Ronald was a little embarrassed. It turned out that in the eyes of elite naval pilots, the films he shot were typical Hollywood movies that were far from the truth.It seems to be far away from the real world for the sake of drama.

Having temporarily obtained the true intention of the navy, unexpectedly, the two screenwriters were already very dissatisfied with the modification.

Their trouble is that without the two typical plots of speeding and falling in love with a female officer, the character creation of the protagonist "The Lone Ranger" is incomplete.From a young boy who only knew how to fight bravely at the beginning, to a flight school instructor with a mature personality in the end, the personal transformation of "The Lone Ranger" is not convincing.

Ronald actually agrees with them to a certain extent, but film is an art of compromise, and the opinions of all parties need to be respected.Ronald didn't care about the screenwriter's dissatisfaction anymore, and handed over this headache to Don Simpson to solve.

Ronald went to Roger Coleman's dinner.This is his usual practice. For directors who have come out of the new world, after their first successful film is released, he will solemnly entertain them and put forward his expectations.

Cameron and Gail had arrived at the Greek restaurant ahead of time, and they attached great importance to Coleman's banquet.

Ronald stepped forward to congratulate them. "Terminator" unexpectedly won the box office champion for the second week in a row.This not only surprised Hollywood, but even the Chicago film critic duo, Sisco and Albert, specially commented on Cameron's debut film on the TV show.

The duo made particular reference to "Terminator"'s take on film noir, its already-hot explosion scene.Said a lot of good things.But he also pointed out that "The Terminator" took advantage of the schedule, and when the new movie is released, their box office champion streak may be coming to an end.

"Gail, Jim, Ronnie." Roger Coleman and his wife Julie also arrived at the restaurant, and they took a relatively quiet corner and began to eat.

"Among the last batch of directors who came out of New World, the two of you satisfy me the most."Roger Corman sees Cameron and Ronald as directors who have inherited his own exploit-making spirit.

"However, Jim and Ronald both made movies with a cost of 800 to [-] million, so why do they say they are still making exploitation films?" Gail, as a producer, didn't quite understand Coleman's evaluation.

Coleman made some sense, "Whether an exploitation film is made or not is not a matter of whether it is a low-cost production, but whether the money you spend is on the screen for the audience to see."

"The action scenes shot by Ronald, Cameron made a big explosion, and the audience saw it, it was the kind of production that knew where your money was spent."

"Hahaha", Gail was very happy and raised his glass to celebrate.

Ronald laughed too.Gale may think that Roger Corman particularly likes Cameron's movies, so he praised them by saying that they were made by New World.

But Ronald knew in his heart that what Roger Coleman said made sense.What the audience can see is nothing more than the elements of explosions, movements, dances, or fighters fighting each other, not the profound acting skills of any actor.

This kind of genre film that strengthens certain characteristics of the film, in the final analysis, is the spirit of the exploitation film, exploiting all the elements that sell well, all for the entertainment of the audience, not for the self-entertainment of the actors and theater directors.

As for critics, how other directors and actors evaluate their films, that is a secondary matter. The students taught by Roger Coleman all aim at the box office first. Then think about other things.

After dinner, a few people waited at the door of the restaurant for the doorman to drive the car.

Ronald was fascinated by the program played on the TV hanging on the wall at the door.Today happens to be the second televised debate between the Grand Commander and Donkey Party candidate Mundell.

The host asked the question that all the audience who watched the first debate wanted to ask the general, "Mr. President, you are already the oldest general in history. I remember President Kennedy's response to the Cuban missile crisis." At that time, you can only sleep two or three hours a day. In your mind, are there any doubts, if you are also encountering a similar crisis, will you have enough energy to deal with it?"

"Oh, let's see how he answers." Gail looked at the TV screen with great concern.Cameron also raised his head and stared at the commander in the TV lens.

"Not at all worried."

The commander easily denied the doubts of the host and all the audience with that kind of non-stick demeanor. He has this kind of magic power, which makes people believe that what he said is sincere.

"I would also like to declare here," the commander-in-chief continued in a relaxed tone, "I will not use age as an issue in this election campaign, and I will not use the issue of age exploitatively in the election campaign for political purposes. .”

The camera panned to the former deputy commander, Donkey Party candidate Mundell, with a serious expression on his face.The Grand Commander has a tendency to accuse the Donkey Party of using age to make immoral attacks.

"I will not deliberately take advantage of my opponent's youth and inexperience to attack him."

"Hahahahaha..." Everyone in the restaurant burst into laughter.

Mundell, the Donkey Party candidate in the camera, couldn't help being amused.

This revolving door attack was a hundred times more effective than what Ronald said. The commander-in-chief is a natural master of telling jokes. Mundell's smile also officially announced that any suspense in the re-election campaign was over on the spot.

"Mr. Host, if there is still time, I would like to say a few more words." The commander continued to stab the opponent, "Cicero in ancient Rome said that if the old man does not point out and correct the mistakes of the young, then There is no successful country."

"Hahaha... The Commander is indeed an actor who has come out of Hollywood. His ability to tell jokes is really first-rate." Gail did not forget to mention the years of the Commander as an actor.

"Hmm..." Only Ronald, when everyone was laughing, saw the eyes of the commander-in-chief holding up the water glass to drink water, the sharp eyes of an experienced old hunter after hitting the prey's vitals with a single shot. "Add to that his killer instinct."

Ronald added a word silently in his heart.

"The jokes are not afraid of being old, and the plot is not afraid of being stale. As long as it is released at the moment the audience expects, it can get good results."

"The two screenwriters resigned." Don Simpson found Ronald again the next day and informed him of the latest revision progress of the script.

"What? Why?" Ronald was puzzled.

"They feel that their labor is not respected, and that we agree with the Navy's opinion is really stupid. This kind of movie is like a two-hour large MV, full of fragmented stories, and it can't be successful. So they no longer serve as The screenwriter, of course, according to the regulations of the Screenwriters Union, their names must be written on the script."

Jerry Bruckheimer explains why.

"Could it be that without these two butchers, we won't eat steak?" Ronald waved his hands, not paying attention.

"Why, can you do it yourself?" Don Simpson asked hastily, this is the best solution.

"I don't care if I write it or not, it's a high-concept movie, a fighter jet version of a classic western, who the hell is still looking for deep life meaning and superb acting in a John Wayne movie What? We already have Tom Cruise, as long as the aerial combat is shot wonderfully, and the love between him and the heroine is touching, I think there will be no problem."

Ronald talked about his chat with Coleman yesterday and his insights from watching the Grand Commander's debate, "Even if it's a large MV, I can make the audience very excited."

"Hahaha, I just like your arrogance." Don Simpson was very happy. Ronald and his ideas are similar. In fact, the story of this kind of high-concept commercial film should be as simple as possible.The key is that the director makes people feel comfortable visually.

"What's more, the story is simple and the jokes are old. As long as you grasp the key rhythm, it can be convincing." Ronald still has a word in his heart. The second-rate Hollywood actor in the commander can perform well in the debate , there is no reason why I can't.

(End of this chapter)