Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 788 False Ending and Ending Cookies
"By the way, Chris, what did you just say, there was a problem with the editing?"

Putting down the phone, Ronald asked guest Chris Columbus.

Columbus has wrapped up his shooting schedule in Toronto, Canada, and is back in Los Angeles to start editing.

When he was a director for the first time, he didn't follow Ronald's advice and took a few weeks off first, because he was afraid that he would not work hard enough.

In fact, vacations are beneficial. It can make the director forget the details of the shooting, so that when editing, he can have a more objective perspective on each shot.

Editing and directors have inherently different ideas. When the director sees the shot, he may think of how difficult it was to shoot and how many shots he took to get a satisfactory shot.

And editing regards all shots as equal, and sometimes the shot that was shot unintentionally is the most suitable for a certain place.

So it's no surprise that Columbus didn't go through the process of forgetting on vacation, and fell into a thinking trap when editing. He quarreled with the editor for a week or two before he found the feeling of editing.

After adjusting from the director's way of thinking, Chris Columbus discovered a big problem, and Ronald had to nod to solve it.So he ran to Ronald eagerly.

"I missed a few shots."

"what?"

Ronald cried out loudly.

This is a low-level mistake, how could this happen?

“We were shooting well in Toronto, but in Chicago we only got a full day of use on the skyscraper. At 11:[-] p.m., the reps from the Screen Actors Union pushed me to end the shoot.

The shooting plan was not completed in time, and the ending of an important villain was not well explained.I just snapped an ending before the shooting time was over.

But Disney's production director did not agree to reshoot the next day.I thought there would be no problem with the ending, but the editing effect is not good, and there are fragments everywhere. "

"Uh..." Ronald listened to the details of what Columbus said, and said in his heart that it was the "credit" of the Screen Actors Union.

Every extra day of filming means an extra day of work and venue rent. Disney is a poor studio. Under Eisner, they are more concerned about the cost of the film, and they will not agree to an extra day of filming. Especially for this shoot with only a few shots, but you have to pay an extra day of rent for the exterior of the skyscraper.

If it weren't for the actor union's 11:[-] p.m. time, no minors would be allowed to film after that time. Originally, this plot had to be overtime, so the filming would have finished on the same day.

"What does Disney say?"

"They said they would not pay for the supplementary auction..."

"I'll go to the editing room with you tomorrow."

Ronald said in his heart, I don't want to pay for this wronged money.

……

It was here that nanny Chris Parker rescued the girl Sarah from the outer wall of the high-rise building through a rope.

The villain who chased here and wanted to kidnap the girl Sarah was finally left there by no one, helpless in the steep glass exterior wall.

The next day, Columbus pointed to the screen on the monitor to Ronald.

That's where the difficulty of editing lies, and it's an ending the writers have planned for the villain, trapped on the narrow outer edge of the glass facade.One step forward and you fall off a skyscraper, and one step back and no one to help you.

The audience was really relieved when they saw this.

But on the other hand, this is a side story.To achieve this effect of letting the audience relieve their hatred, there must be some foreshadowing ahead.

Otherwise the nanny Chris Parker, who has rescued all the children, will send the children back to their rooms to sleep a few minutes before the adults go home, and then take the magazines and make it look like it's all right tonight.

The ending of this villain cannot be inserted directly after the main ending.Otherwise the audience will somehow not connect.

"What shot do you want to make up?" Ronald also felt that it was really difficult.

"I wanted to add some shots of him struggling on the outer wall of a skyscraper, and his accomplices came to rescue him. In the end, he had no choice but to call the police. The good guys rescued him and caught the thief by the way."

"Well, that's a good idea."

Ronald nodded.

"The Nanny's Adventures" is originally a light comedy, with adventures and a love story for the heroine.This arrangement actually fits the atmosphere of the whole film very well.

"But it's going to cost a lot to make up the shoot like this. The actors and crew have to be recalled. They have been on vacation for several weeks, and it is even more impossible for Disney to pay for it."

"Then what should we do?" Columbus knew that reshoots were hopeless.

"Using the existing footage, think about how to cut it together."

"This..." Chris Columbus adjusted his glasses, "I have thought of many ways these days, but it is impossible for the audience to cut the ending of the main villain smoothly on the premise of not playing."

"Now it seems that all he needs to do is to cut out his ending scene." Columbus also felt that as long as the two evils are the lesser of two evils, he should simply cut out the bad guy's ending.In this way, the audience may not notice that after the protagonist escapes with the child in the movie, there is still an ending of the big villain that has not been explained.

"Ordinarily, it's possible. Commercial films are made with emotional ups and downs, and there are some flaws in the plot, which the audience won't notice."

Ronald also felt that this was the only way to do it, "But you're really a little older next time. The thrilling rescue scene outside the skyscraper was too close to the end, and maybe many audiences will remember it.

Moreover, this kind of scene of chasing on the outer wall of a skyscraper and finally escaping with a rope has not been seen by American audiences much, so it must be very novel and beautiful.You have a very thrilling feeling in the shots. If you have enough budget here, you should actually shoot more. "

Ronald sighed again. Columbus's director level is academic, and he is very methodical.But sometimes, the director needs some street smarts, and dare to show the spirit of dominance at critical moments.

At that time, the camera was shot, and at most it was fined by the actor union, but the camera has already been obtained.

"Let me ask the experts for you." Finally, Ronald thought about it, and asked the masters of editing and directing to ask them how to deal with this situation.

……

"Is that so? My suggestion is not to forcefully cut this shot into the movie. The audience's thinking and attention follow the path carefully arranged by the director. Inserting a jumping shot rashly will destroy the audience's thinking, and the gain outweighs the loss .”

Sure enough, Walter Murch, didn't support the idea of ​​cutting the ending.

"But a main villain left a tail in the climax scene before the ending. If he doesn't explain it, will there be problems?"

"A lot of times, you can't have both, Ronald. It's not something that can be solved in the editing stage. Unless you reshoot some shots, it's better to cut them out, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you have the screenwriting ability of Billy Wilder, you can unexpectedly reverse at the end."

"Is that so? Then I'll ask him."

Ronald has seen many old films directed by Wilder, and he knows that this immigrant director with a heavy Eastern European accent has the iconic feature of a director, that is, at the end, there is an unexpected reversal and a false ending.

The ending, which was already a matter of course, can be followed by a new ending after his skillful training.After the audience is satisfied, there will be another aftertaste.

This is his unique skill, and few people in Hollywood can imitate it.

Made an appointment with Billy Wilder on the phone, and Ronald came to visit with the converted videotape.

"The situation is such that I don't have the money to reshoot the shots, and Disney can't come up with extra production funds. But the ending of the main villain, we have to find a way to add it.

I've seen a lot of your classics and thought if anyone in Hollywood could help us with this, it would be you. "

Billy Wilder put on his reading glasses and watched the tape Ronald had brought several times on the TV.He sat on the rocking chair and rocked back and forth.

Chris Columbus, who came with Ronald, was much more nervous than Ronald.He, who also wears glasses, wipes them nervously with a cleaning cloth over and over again.

If it wasn't for Ronald, I wouldn't dare to think that my debut work could be personally instructed by a master who is admired and admired in the university.

"You want to make a fake ending, right? This is indeed a way to please the film critics and awards." Billy Wilder couldn't see the all-powerful appearance back then, like a kind old man next door.

"If the big studio system was still in place back then, you wouldn't have to worry about such things at all. Those actors and technicians are long-term employees of the studio, and it's very simple to get them to come back and shoot some shots."

Billy Wilder remembers his feat when he filmed "The Pink Apartment".The heroine, Shirley McLean, learned to gamble with several actors of the Rat Gang. She finally showed everyone her superb skills in dealing cards in the crew, and then said a classic gambler often said, "Shut up and deal cards .(Shut up and Deal)”

Wilder thought it was very good, so he asked the studio to recall the set, rebuilt the bedroom set that had been dismantled, and asked Shirley Maclean to retake the shot, which finally became the ending scene of the peachy apartment.

But such a false ending, coupled with the technique of aftertaste, still needs foreshadowing and cooperation.

"That's right, Ronald, Chris. The method of switching from the false ending to the real ending requires a reversal to pave the way between the two endings.

The audience's emotions are lifted to a climax by the false ending, and it is not a good idea to switch to the real ending suddenly, which will make them go on an emotional roller coaster twice.

So you need to pave the way for a slow-paced scene between the two endings, in which the protagonist's success appears less successful, and he paid a huge price for this ending.Just when the audience feels regretful, let the true ending come in.

The original regret is made up for by the true ending, which is like giving people double orgasms, and finally can be transferred to the third ending, giving people an aftertaste.

This shot of yours is like the third aftertaste ending.

It's like in "Peach Apartment", Shirley Maclean came back after the false ending, saw Jack Lemmon opening champagne at home, and thought he shot himself.After this true ending, the two officially confirmed their relationship while playing cards. This is the correct usage of this kind of shot. "

"Yeah, like Marlene Dildley in 'Witness for the Prosecution', seeing her husband and lover walk out of court, and finally stabbing to death the murderer who managed to save her in court. Charles Laughton Attorney, finally said that there would be another defense for Dietley."

Chris Columbus is excited about the rare opportunity to teach in person from the Master.

Ronald almost laughed out loud when he saw it. Columbus was really an academic. Seeing that the real knowledge came first, he forgot his own problems.

On the contrary, Ronald, who was mixed up at the bottom of the crew, knew that there was no play when he heard Wilder say that.

For this multiple ending, there must be a relief after the false ending, so that the audience's psychological rhythm can also be relaxed.The current material cannot be cut out at all.

It seems that Billy Wilder's trick is the result of careful arrangement after thorough consideration, not a flash of inspiration. "Babysitter" still has to cut that villain ending.

"Hey, no, he just wants a soothing rhythm, not necessarily a plot to be soothing."

Ronald suddenly had a flash of inspiration:
"Mr. Wilder, Chris, what do you think I put the final ending of this villain after the end credits?"

"After the credits?"

Billy Wilder adjusted his glasses, "This was done in TV dramas before, but no one has ever done it in movies. In theory, it should be feasible, after the audience passes through the end credits and kills some emotions in the ending , you can insert this kind of aftertaste ending.”

"Yes, at the end, the heroine, the nanny Chris Parker, is pursued by a handsome college student. The audience's excitement about the nanny's love, after diluting it with more than a minute of subtitles, it is indeed suitable to join this villain ending. They smile again."

"It's just that many viewers can't wait for the subtitles to end. This is not a TV series. Many people leave after seeing the subtitles." Wilder has a deep understanding of the audience's psychology.

"That's it, there is no better way."

Ronald felt that doing this was already the best solution under the current conditions.

"At that time, we can also make a gimmick in publicity. If you want to watch the movie in its entirety, you must read the subtitles."

"It makes sense." Chris Columbus was excited again, "Like Mr. Wilder's prosecution witness, in the final subtitle, there is a subtitle asking the audience not to spoil the ending to their friends. It's an act of spoiler, but it caused some discussions, which indirectly made more people watch the movie.

Right?Mr. Wilder. "

"Actually, I wanted the audience not to spoil the show, but it didn't work. Instead, more people knew the ending. It's a good thing for the box office, but it doesn't conform to the habit of enjoying movies."

……

"What a great idea! It's like giving the audience a cookie after the end credits."

Disney's marketing manager was also very happy to see such an editing method.Disney doesn't plan to spend too much money on the promotion of "The Adventures of the Nanny". There is a gimmick for the audience to spread, which is a very good box office accelerator.

"End cookie? That's a good name, great, so let's do it"

Ronald is happy to have solved the film's problems, and maybe made more money at the box office.

He was back in his editing room.

The entire film of "Moonlight Seductive" has been edited almost.

"I still don't participate in the final assembly work."

After such an episode, Ronald also has some new views on the assembly of his own film.

Directors always tend to keep the shots they have worked so hard to get.Only the editor can have an objective attitude to look at the whole film, and consider which shots should be removed from the rhythm, even if they took a lot of hard work to shoot.

And Walter Murch was a master at it, and nothing would go wrong if you entrusted him with the film.

"Alright, you can watch the finished film after I edit it. It will have a better effect." Walter Murch also thinks this is better. He already fully understands the content and rhythm of Ronald's performance, and in the end the overall control Sometimes, the effect of one person's decision alone is better than two people's discussion.

Ronald lets go and lets Murch work out the final rhythm issue.

He took the time to go to Tom Cruise to talk about the script of the movie he wanted to direct himself.

Scientology's Technology Center, in the Hollywood Reach Warranty Building.

When Ronald arrived here, he felt as if he had entered a physics laboratory for middle school students. Many people walked around holding auditing instruments like multimeters.

Ronald greeted the beauties at the front desk and went to the reception room, where Tom Cruise was listening to tapes.

"Ronald, you came at the right time. This is the script I mentioned, which was strongly promoted by Mr. Ovitz. He said that if I acted in it, I would have a good chance of being nominated for an Oscar."

When Cruise saw Ronald come in, he quickly got up and handed him the script, and put down the earphones with the script tape recorded by Mimi Rogers for him.

"Rain Man?"

Ronald thought the name was good, and it was catchy as soon as he heard it, and it also made people curious, wanting to know what Rain Man was.

Of course, Ronald knew.He had heard of the script, and Rain Man was actually a title for the mentally retarded protagonist.

His name was "Rayman", but because of his slight mental retardation, he couldn't pronounce correctly, so he changed it into "Rain Man".

"Hey, Ronald, you're here." Mimi Rogers walked in from the outside at this time, "This is the script recommended by Mr. Ovitz. It was originally planned for Dennis Quaid and his brother Randy to play together. Brothers in the script.

Later, Mr. Ovitz believed that the script had the potential to win an Oscar, so he urged CAA clients Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray to star.He knew that Tom didn't get nominated for 'The Color of Money' this time, so he specially asked him to participate. "

"If you want, it's very nice for you brothers to make it together."

Mimi Rogers talked about the general process of the script to Tom Cruise.

"I have to read it a few more times before I can give you an answer." Ronald nodded and accepted the script.

"Would you like to visit the Scientology Technology Center, here is an upgraded version of our teachings, we don't show it to ordinary people, they must be audited to a certain level, but Ronald, you have Confucius Educational literacy, our president David Miskevich promised to make an exception for you."

"Um, I won't read it. Read the script first." Ronald rejected Mimi Rogers' enthusiastic solicitation.

"Sorry, Ronald, he is not interested in this. I want to accompany Tom." Mimi went back and reported the situation to the president, David Miskevich.

"You concentrate on accompanying Tom, I have prepared an actress for him to guide him to get started."

……

Ronald headed to CAA with the script.

He took the script and asked Nisita, "Isn't this book being prepared last year? Why is it still in the preparation stage, and the stars have changed several times."

"Rain Man is Ovitz's leading project, and I can't participate in it," Nishita shrugged, "Tom Cruise just got it recently, and Bill Murray before him hesitated for a long time and turned it down.

On the contrary, Dustin Hoffman has not had a successful film after My Fair Man, and now he needs this film to turn around in order to continue to receive $500 million in salary. "

Nisita introduced the general situation. This movie is very interesting. Many stars fall in love with the script as soon as they see it, but after a long time, they will start to shrink back.The same is true of the original Dennis Quaid brothers.

"Oh?" Ronald became even more curious about the script. Is it so magical?

"By the way, who was the previous director candidate? It's impossible for Ovitz to only look for stars, not directors, right?"

"Steven Spielberg, and Sidney Pollack have both seriously prepared, but after a while, they both quit."

"Oh?" Ronald was even more curious.These two are heavyweight directors, not to mention Spielberg, Sidney Pollack won the best director for "Out of Africa" ​​the year before last.

but……

"It seems that Ovitz still put me in the position of a lower-level film director?" Ronald said half-jokingly, "Or are they all Jewish?"

"Half and half, let's take a look first. If you are interested, I will arrange a meeting between you and Ovitz." Nisita also laughed.This observation is accurate, the two directors, as well as Dustin Hoffman and Dustin Hoffman, are Jewish.

If they hadn't given up, it wouldn't be Ronald and Cruise next.

"Okay, I'll go back and have a look first."

Ronald didn't know if this movie was worth directing himself, so he went back to vacation and relax, and tried to dream of a movie as a reference.

(End of this chapter)