Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 708 Scorsese's Lessons from Working with Celebrities
Holding Cher's contract in his hand, Ronald felt as if he had bought something from TV shopping, and when he got the goods in the mail, he realized that the goods were not the right version.

It is impossible to terminate the contract, not to mention Xue Er's protagonist in the dream, because of an incident in another movie, I have to terminate the contract with an actor in another movie, and I don't have the capital to be so willful.

But no matter what, you still have to prepare in advance.Celebrities play big names, but it is very troublesome.

The drama between the actors of "The Witch of East Town" is even more exciting than the story of the movie. If this kind of thing happened in my crew, then...it's better not to happen.

Since Ronald started filming as a director, most of the actors he chose were newcomers who had just debuted.In exchange for a place in the industry, these people will basically try their best to do whatever they want them to do.

But star actors who already have fame and status, it seems that they are not so easy to deal with.

For her acting career, Xueer deliberately chose a role in the movie that would make her famous more easily.In order to let her participate in the role, the director and producer actually agreed to her in private regardless of having promised the role to others before.

At the same time, they were afraid that the original actor Susan Sarandon would be robbed of the role and resign in anger.So I deliberately didn't tell her, and suddenly attacked when I turned on the phone.

In this way, the schedule has been confirmed, unless he admits that the schedule will be wasted, Sarandon has no choice, and is forced to play another female role.

How to deal with these stars, he has no experience, Ronald wants to talk to familiar directors, and learn Hollywood's tricks.

Therefore, Ronald did not return to Los Angeles immediately, but came to New York to see his teacher at the university, Martin Scorsese.

Scorsese was in his studio revising the script and was pleasantly surprised to see Ronald.

"Why are you here, Ronald?"

"I have something to ask." Ronald handed over the high-end red wine prepared by the manager, and handed it to a lady, "Barbara, hello."

This woman is none other than Scorsese's new wife, Barbara Finner.She looks frail and bookish, but she is actually a strong woman who is the producer of Scorsese's new film "The Color of Money."

"Hello, Ronald." Barbara accepted the red wine and prepared some coffee for them.She also took advantage of the opportunity to sit down, and also wanted to participate in the conversation.Her voice is also very delicate.

"What script are you changing? Marty?" Ronald glanced at it, and there was a name "Mary Magdalene" on the paper.

"It's a movie I've been wanting to make for a long time, and with the help of Barbara and CAA, it's ready to start shooting soon."

"Oh, congratulations." Ronald had heard of the film, Scorsese's favorite script.

"The current salary increase for actors is outrageous. My original actor Aidan Quinn, because I postponed the filming of 'The Color of Money', he just raised his price. I can only find new actors."

"Recently, the salaries of celebrities have increased dramatically. Everyone is jealous of the huge salary that Stallone received. Even Stallone can get so much, why can't I."

"I can only choose him, Willem Dafoe." Scorsese took out a photo of the actor who played the villain in Diane's "Streets of Rage".

"Do you know him? How is his acting skills? Have you seen his performance on the set?" Scorsese asked Ronald when he saw that Ronald seemed to know Dafoe.

"I've seen him on the set of 'Streets of Rage', he's probably the only one of the male cast who can act. Stone, Oliver Stone used him in the new movie, and he asked me before we started shooting , you can give him a call."

"Marty..." Barbara gave Scorsese a wink. Ronald came to the house for business, so why talk about his own business.

"Ronald and I have an old relationship, we don't need those polite words when we talk," Scorsese smiled, and changed the topic back to Ronald's reason for coming, "Why are you here? I said you have a problem on the phone." Ask me."

"My new film has signed the heroine Xueer. This is the first time I have directed a star actor. I have seen some unfavorable phenomena and I am a little worried. I want to ask you how you should deal with big stars on the set. "

"Hahaha, why do you have such an idea? I don't know how to deal with big stars." Scorsese laughed. After he got married again, he was much better physically and mentally than before.

"Didn't you find Paul Newman for your last movie, The True Colors of Money?"

"Paul's different," Barbara Fenner interjected.

"Yes, Paul Newman has the most professional ethics among the stars, and he is also the one who pursues acting skills the most. So when dealing with him, just treat him as an actor who is very popular with the audience.

If there's one thing to watch out for, it's not to delve into his private parts.If your role is similar to the celebrity’s own experience, you should be careful not to get involved in some scenes that expose the celebrity’s privacy. Scorsese spoke in general terms about his experience working with Paul Newman.

Ronald didn't understand this, "What do you mean Paul is different?" He turned to Barbara, the producer's wife, maybe it's better to ask the producer who has a lot of dealings with stars .

"Ronald, you've done a lot of movies, and when you're doing a dialogue scene, when you're doing an over-the-shoulder shot, the actor who's behind the camera talking to the actor you're shooting needs to be there. Did you play the part yourself?"

"Yeah, if the actor is not behind the camera, and the opposite actor who is shooting the frontal shot is facing off, the other actor will not be able to enter the scene." Ronald didn't know why.

"Have you ever experienced a substitute?"

"Of course, some high-value actors, when arranging the lighting and moving positions, they will let a double of the same height and weight take their positions instead, and prepare the roles themselves."

"It seems that you have never directed a real star. Generally, a star will not shoot a rival scene with another actor. When shooting an over-the-shoulder shot of a dialogue scene, talking to that actor behind the camera is a special Dialogue double."

"Huh? Is this the case?"

Whether Ronald is an assistant on the set or an assistant director, he has never encountered a big star participating in the performance.

Tom Cruise, the biggest actor I have ever used, would not use this so-called dialogue double on the set.Maybe Cruise is selling himself to save face, maybe he is more dedicated?

As for the filming of the second part of Longwei Boy, Ralph Mazio, who is already a star, and Morita Noriyuki, were a little afraid of themselves. After all, they were the ones who made their debut in the first part. Dare to do this on the set of Longwei Boy.

"Very common." Barbara nodded affirmatively.

"Is that what Paul Newman does in Money's Essence?" Ronald asked Scorsese.

"No, that's why I said that Paul is different. He himself is very dedicated in scenes behind the camera, and he cooperates with Tom Cruise in the opposite scene. Of course, the reverse situation is also the same. .”

"So Paul Newman is a special case?"

"Do you remember the 'Hell's Pioneer' I showed you in college?" Scorsese talked about the past.

"Of course, it's a typical hardcore detective movie. A masterpiece of the 60s."

"Do you still remember that Robert Wagner, who played the villain in the movie, couldn't help crying because his beloved woman was slandered by the detective played by Paul?"

"Crying, ah... I remember. Wagner's acting skills are good, showing his true feelings." Ronald thought for a while, and this is the scene he still remembers in this movie. Robert Wagner is obviously crying for real, and his emotions are obvious under the close-up , not a fake cry replaced by eye drops.

"You know why he was crying so well, because Paul Newman was opposite him. Newman was already a big star at the time, and he was behind the camera playing Wagner, who was still a nobody, and he was moved to tears."

"Ah? Then a real celebrity comes to perform this kind of dialogue scene, and find a stand-in to read the lines, what should I do?" Ronald was worried.Does the director star depend on luck?If it is Paul Newman, a star with good morals, will he pick it up?
However, seeing Xue Er's way of grabbing roles on the set is by no means the kind of Newman.

"You probably have two ways of thinking," the producer Barbara suggested when she saw Ronald's worried look, "Either conquer them artistically, so that the stars feel that they can use movies to make a difference in art or star status." Break through, and they'll deign to do some important scenes themselves at your request.

Or, you just accept the fact that celebrities don't make rival scenes.Either find a dialogue stand-in with good acting skills, so that the actor who is playing the opposite role will not be unable to enter the scene.

Either find an actor with excellent acting skills to play the supporting role of the star, the kind of actor who can perform the feeling you need when facing a puppet. "

"It seems that I have to do both," Ronald thanked the Scorseses.

The first thing to do is to find a good casting director. In the script, the heroine Loretta has many opponents, including her father, mother, fiancé Johnny, lover Ronnie, and uncle and aunt, a big family.

All these need to find capable actors.

The second thing is to find a way to give Xueer an impression that she will get a lot of benefits from participating in this movie.

If the box office can be satisfactory, or the film critics can praise her performance, she can be paid more for future films, receive better scripts, or be more dominant in future crews.

In short, it is to let Xue Er feel that in the "Moonlight Alluring" crew, she can temporarily give up the privilege of playing big names, so that she can play bigger cards in the future on the set.

After thinking about the countermeasures, Ronald called his agent Nisita.

"Hi, Ronald." Nisita was not in Hollywood, his secretary called him, and Nisita called Ronald back.

"It's me." Ronald shared his thoughts with Nisita, and asked him to recommend some actors with outstanding acting skills. He also helped him think of ideas to convince Xueer.

"Your idea is very good and very valuable. Ronald, you always surprise me. How long will you be in New York? We can meet in New York or in Los Angeles. This matter is best discussed in person."

"You're in New York? I'm waiting for Diane's new movie 'The Devil in Chinatown', which I promised actor Kurt Russell and director John Carpenter."

"I'm in New York. When I finish my work here, I'll go to your hotel to have a face-to-face chat at night. I'll take you to meet those good Broadway actors tomorrow. Broadway actors are the most suitable for the acting skills you need."

"Where are you now? How about I go find you." Ronald couldn't wait any longer.

"I am helping a client of CAA to solve a problem. He has a little conflict with the distributor Orion because of the marketing announcement of his new film. I am helping to solve it."

"Give me your address, and I'll find you."

(End of this chapter)