Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 916 The Gorilla and the Little Hare

The next day, the crew started filming in the rented office in the twin towers of the World Trade Center.This place used to be the office of a small stock brokerage company. After the stock market crash, the bankrupt company ran away, leaving behind a lot of desks, chairs, stationery, and a row of electronic marquees on the wall—the real-time quotes of Wall Street stocks can be uninterrupted. .

Tess's station is facing the camera side, and a partition away from her is a small fat actor, Oliver Pratt, facing the camera.Such a clown-like character was discovered by Ronald after watching Jonathan Demme's "Married into a Gangster".

Looks like the kind of villain who hangs out with the football players in middle school and bullies the girls.

"Every department is in place, camera?" Ronald hid on the side of the desk, away from an aisle, where there was a long guide rail, waiting to follow Tess into the company.

"Camera full speed!"

"recording?"

"The recording is ready"

"Action!"

Melanie Griffiths' coat, makeup, and hairstyle were all restored exactly as they were photographed yesterday. Only the leather windbreaker, which was obviously too big, would be left in the hanging place by the door according to common sense, and was not worn.

Tess was wearing a black turtleneck sweater over a beige coat. The collar was so exaggerated that it invaded the other half of the territory. The shoulder pads were obviously two inches high, and they were marked by a cheap backpack.

This set of outfits is the Power Dressing that is often seen in the Wall Street workplace.If you only look at the upper body, it is very similar to a male suit with large shoulder pads. The turtleneck sweater particularly dilutes the femininity, so that when she sits down and talks with you, you will not feel the difference in personality. It is the same as a male peacock. Dress in plus size to intimidate your competitors.

But the lower body is a short skirt three inches above the knee, paired with black patterned stockings. This combination allows her to stand up and show off her femininity when welcoming customers.

The camera followed her brisk walk on the guide rail, and followed her on the side.In the foreground and background there are many TV sets, computer monitors, and office equipment with documents. In a few seconds, Tess's company is quickly outlined, a very dynamic and busy company.

"Morning, morning..." Melanie Griffiths greeted everyone along the way, and finally passed the character played by Oliver Pratt, the fat man, behind the manager Lutz, and sat at the end of the large office area. a location.

This place was the secretary's position, the director of Tess's service department, and Lutz sat with her as a manager, which fully showed that this was a small company and the office space was tight.

These are all information that can be understood immediately by the audience who work in the American city. The set of the crew is very good, and what Ronald wants to express is very complete and accurate.At the beginning of the scene, Ronald had to explain the background of the story and the character of the characters, so that one shot can fully express it, which is unique to large-scale production crews and the result of the cooperation of professional departments.

The camera continued to move, bypassed the office area, and stopped at a fixed point behind the side, just in time for Tess to change her shoes.

She picked up the phone, "This is Mr. Turko's call, who is it?" Melanie Griffiths held the phone between her hands, asked who it was, took off her long cotton socks, and took out Put on the high heels under the table.

The chubby Oliver Pratt on the opposite side started to make an exaggerated expression, pinched his nose with his hands, and then started to fan the wind, indicating that changing shoes stinks.

Tess ignored this kind of bullying in the office, "Please wait a moment, don't hang up, I'll go to Mr. Teko." Then she got up and went to find her constipated boss who had to go to the pit every morning, Teko gentlemen.

"Cut!

Ronald looked at the director of photography, who nodded to indicate that the camera was okay.

"Very good, this printing."

Following Ronald's order, all the group performers and technicians on the scene began to applaud.This play is a big production, so all the extras were selected by Julia Taylor and her assistants, and they are all actors who can act.

In this kind of big production, the most fearful thing is that the protagonist plays very well, but there is a problem with the group performance.When the camera is on the protagonists, it's great drama, but then the one-second shot of a few extras in a turn will make people play.

This is the difference between a big production and a B-movie.These group performers have never seen the camera during the process, and they all have the basic skills of acting. With such a long shot, they are all busy doing their own things, just like a real securities brokerage company.

Ronald praised everyone's performance. To be on the safe side, he took another one after a few minutes.Walter Murch, next to him, told him that the editing material was enough.

Ronald turned around and called the scene recorder, and the little girl said loudly, "Working Girl, Act Three, Scene Four."

The film was a commercial production, and Harrison Ford had a tight schedule, so it was impossible to follow the script.In order to save time and cost, Ronald skipped the next scene.

"Action!"

After Tess went to the bathroom to talk to her boss, she ran back to the office and bumped into an extra performer on the way, her reaction was very natural.When she got back to her work station, she said to the client on the phone, "Your promissory note in Shanti Teco is $18, and he (Tess's boss) will call you when he comes back."

"Cut!"

The filming went smoothly, and this plot will be familiar to those who have bought stocks.Tess's boss persuaded the client to buy the stock of Shanti Teco, saying that it would go up, but the stock fell instead, and the client called every day to ask about the situation.

This price is also the reason why Tess's charismatic boss has been constipated every day recently and has been squatting at work.

The company Tess works for is, to put it bluntly, a broker.They call all kinds of rich people, sell the company's "exclusive inside information", and persuade them to buy the original stocks they recommend that have not yet been listed. Even more radical directors, such as Tess's boss, will persuade customers to use leverage. Excessive price to buy.

In the real Wall Street, these activists liquidated a large number of positions after the stock market crash last year. Many of these director-level brokers went bankrupt, and the office rented by the filming location was exactly the same as the previous company.

A few more shots were taken, reaching the last shot before noon.

"Dan Titke closed at 17.8, and it fell again. It is estimated that it will go sideways next Monday." Tess looked at the closing stock price and said to the little fat man Lutz sitting opposite.

"How much did your boss tell the customer to raise?" Lutz answered casually.He and a colleague next to him treated secretaries like Tess as if they were brainless blondes (Bimbo).

"He said it would go up after launch, and the launch price was $23, but the company only had one product, a plaque-removing mouthwash. You know, the kind that take a bite and spit it out. No one is going to use that product all the time. ..."

Griffiths shrugged his shoulders, implying that this product is not like toothpaste or shaving gel, which must be used all the time.After using the freckle-removing mouthwash for a period of time, no matter whether it is effective or not, consumers will not buy it again.

This conversation shows that although Tess is a secretary, her business level is undoubtedly qualified as a manager.For the product represented by the stock, the biggest weakness can be seen at once.

"Maybe..." Oliver Pratt, the actor of Little Fatty Lutz, stood up with his companions, put on their suits, and started the action of the company's male managers happily hunting each other's secretary.

"Before we go to dinner, I have to tell you a good news and a bad news. The bad news is that the promotion rotation plan you applied for was rejected."

"Why?" Tess was suddenly discouraged, her shoulders sank.She has applied for this project many times. Both secretaries and fresh university graduates can participate. If they are selected, they can enter the fast lane of the company. After a one-year internship in the position, they can be promoted to become a real manager.

"We have tried our best, but Tess, you are competing with Harvard's undergraduate degree and Wharton's MBA degree, and you only have a night school diploma..."

This is the biggest and most invisible gap in the American workplace.What people do is related to their class of origin.Rich children can go to good private universities, and they can enter the fast lane when they come out.

Children from poor families like Tess can only go to public high schools and cannot apply for good universities. In order to support themselves, they have to find a job. When Tess uses rest and night time to read a college diploma, she is already 30 years old. How can you compete with those who graduated from Harvard Wharton in their 20s?
"What about the good news?" Melanie Griffiths is indeed a talented actress, and she has a good grasp of emotions at this time.This news was a big blow to Tess. This kind of promotion and rotation plan has an upper age limit, and people who are over 31 are generally not eligible to participate.

But Tess is a never-say-die person. Although she was so disappointed that her body trembled a little, she still didn't give up hope. Didn't little fat Lutz say there is still good news? "

"I know a friend who is in the arbitrage department. He is very horny and is looking for someone who is even hornier than him. He needs an assistant right now. He wants to meet you for a drink and a chat first."

"Isn't this another trap?" Tess has obviously been fooled before. The so-called job opportunities are all fake, made up for the manager Lieyan.

"Do I look like a pimp to you?" Lutz asked his colleagues.

The actor nods.

"Hahaha..." The two burst out laughing.

"Bob said to find someone who is hungry, so I thought of you, and you decide the rest." Melanie Griffiths eyes flashed a gleam, this was the last chance.

"Bob from the arbitrage department?" Tess decided to try.

"Bob Speck, from the Arbitrage Department, this is the extension." The two male managers stood up.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you."

A group of female secretaries came with some balloons and sang happy birthday to Tess.

Inside the company, blue-collar workers will always play with blue-collar workers. They take care of each other, share any difficulties, and share gossip.Tess looked at them, although she wanted to get out of this circle, but these secretaries were still in the company, they were ordinary people with good intentions.

"Cut!"

Ronald is very satisfied with today's progress. Melanie Griffiths did not take the script to the shooting scene. She fully understood Tess's role and memorized the lines very well. When she needed to improvise, she also Can cope well.

A good actor does not only show off by himself, but always uses his own reactions to bring other actors into a good situation.

A few more reaction shots were taken, and the shooting of this scene was completed today.

The actors went to dinner, and Ronald nibbled on two chicken sandwiches and finished with a cup of coffee.He also had to wait for his old friend Roger Coleman, who came to guest in the afternoon.

"I'm so glad you called me, Ronald, what part is this time?"

Roger Corman and Ronald's "Ecstasy" has been filmed and is in post-production and test screenings.He now regards the cameo in the acquaintance movie as the greatest pleasure.

"It's the director of a Wall Street investment company." Ronald smiled and took him to the shooting location.

"Oh, oh, what's going on, Ronald, what are you going to do?"

When Coleman saw the shooting location, it turned out to be the bathroom in the company, and immediately protested.I was a naval officer last time, so why does it look like a B-level horror movie I shot this time?

"Why don't you play that passer-by, and there is a scene where you show your face without any lines." Ronald handed him the script.

This is the scene where Tess goes into the bathroom to find her constipated boss.In this scene, his boss was in the partition of the bathroom all the time, only the voice was heard, and only a side face was revealed at the end.Roger Corman is good at this kind of comic role, so Ronald asked him to comeo.

"I'll just act as a passer-by. There's a frontal shot."

"That's fine, do we have any suitable extras?" Ronald asked the assistant around him if there was any suitable person to play the character who was constipated in the partition.

"No, we didn't find a handsome guy. Tess's boss is a broker. He has to be handsome in order to get the client to pay. Melanie's new boyfriend is just fine." The casting assistant is Julia ·Taylor's apprentice is right.

"Then what should I do? This scene cannot be postponed, and another scene with this scene will be filmed tomorrow. I don't have time to find someone else."

Roger Coleman was very moved when he heard that he wanted to be handsome and unrestrained, but when he saw the script, the content in it was too abrupt and did not match the appearance of his university teacher. He must not have performed well, so he kept silent.

"How about, why don't you do it yourself?" The casting assistant felt that Ronald was good-looking.

"Yeah, Ronald, your image can definitely be a sales manager on Wall Street." Roger Coleman also chimed in, "I can call you Action."

"Okay, that's it, makeup artist?"

Half an hour later, Ronald had already put on his suit, combed his hairstyle, and squatted in the toilet room of the partition.

When Melanie Griffiths came back from dinner, she was rocked with laughter when she saw that it was Ronald and her.

"Mr. Coleman will call Action." Ronald explained to everyone that he only heard his voice in this scene, but he didn't see the person. It was an alternative performance.

"Dong dong..." Griffiths knocked on the door of the men's bathroom, and walked in while leaning on the wall.She was very shy and scared, and she didn't dare to look inside, so she had to call out loudly, "Mr. Turko, Mr. Turko?"

"Hmm..." Ronald replied in a deep voice.

Roger Coleman plays a senior executive who urinates on the other side, poking his head out with a sanctimonious face.

When Melanie Griffiths saw someone looking at her, she quickly turned her face away and folded her arms to block the view of others.

"The customer is very anxious. He bought the promissory note of the original stock..."

"Can't you make him wait for a minute?" Ronald's voice came from the partition, reverberating.

"He's in a hurry. He bought a promissory note. Such a client doesn't want to talk to a secretary." Melanie Griffiths covered her face with her arms, shy.Roger Corman's character, washed his hands in front of her, dried himself off and walked out.

Although it is a very busy company and the employees are working hard, it is still very hard to catch up to the bathroom to talk about work.

"Can you answer his phone?" Tess asked Turko, the boss inside.

"I have no paper..."

"What?" Tess couldn't understand.

"There's no fucking paper here," Turko, the manager played by Ronald, peeks out from above the partition and yells at Tess, "Bring me some!"

Tess, played by Melanie Griffiths, is even more embarrassed, and she handles it well, froze for a second at the rude request.After thinking about it, I went to get a bucket of roll paper under the sink, ran to the front of the partition, and stretched it to the gap under the door.

Ronald's hand stretched out from below and grabbed it.

Melanie Griffiths put on an expression of relief and fled quickly.

"Thank you for your help! You are so kind..." Ronald was still thanking.

"Cut!"

Roger Coleman called a stop outside, and everyone came in from outside the bathroom and started applauding.Melanie Griffith's performance fits the role very well, a tough corporate working girl with a soft feminine edge.

"Bravo!" Sigourney Weaver also came at noon. Although her role hadn't come yet, she had been thinking about the meaning of Ronald giving her a gorilla doll these days.Simply come to the crew to watch the play and find inspiration.

Many great directors have this habit of not revealing everything and letting the actors understand it by themselves.Sigourney Weaver thought Ronald was such a director.

Ronald watched the black-and-white images recorded by the monitor. Griffiths acted very well, expressing Tess' temperament to the fullest. It's better not to reshoot this kind of scene, because he felt embarrassed.

Declaring that this was over, Ronald was pleased with Melanie Griffiths performance and decided to give her a little reward.He walked over to the props, took a little hare doll to be used later, and handed it to Griffiths.

"Here's your prize for a good job."

"Thank you, thank you." Like many actresses, Melanie Griffith couldn't walk when she saw this cute little doll.

It happened that Tess also put a rabbit doll on the table in the play.

"I see..." Sigourney Weaver on the side saw this scene and finally figured out Ronald's intentions.

Tess is a blue-collar worker, she is like a little rabbit in her heart, sensitive and easily frustrated and frightened.The rabbit doll is also very small, which just shows Tess' status in the company and is bullied by everyone.

And the gorilla doll that Ronald gave himself was as big as a person.And it was made according to the image in the movie "King Kong".In the movie King Kong, the gorilla holds the girl.

In the script, Catherine got off the plane and played with the King Kong doll in her hand.This is a metaphor, showing that Catherine is like a smart woman who plays with gorillas at heart.

The gorilla is the image of the male executive in the enterprise.They're all so big and stupid.

"Thank you for your gorilla doll, which made me understand Catherine's inner world." Sigourney Weaver suddenly said without thinking.

"Ah... that, as long as you like it." Ronald thought that Weaver had just returned from shooting a gorilla movie in Kenya, and he gave her a doll to make her happy, and it seemed to work well.

The subsequent filming went smoothly, and work was over at [-]:[-] pm.Ronald was greeting the volunteer picket team of the Screenwriters Guild when Ricky Lake, the heroine of the "Hairspray" crew, suddenly ran in, hugging Ronald and crying loudly.

"Who is this? She doesn't have a pass for your crew, is she the screenwriter?..." Those pickets came over and asked.

"No, this is an actor, the heroine of my production company's new movie, haven't you seen it?" Ronald replied angrily.

"Divine, Divine he's dead."

"What? What did you say?" Ronald was shocked, did he hear it wrong?Divine, who just had dinner with him, that Drag Queen actually died?

(End of this chapter)