Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"What's the matter?"

There was a sense of weariness in Ronald's words. Ever since Daydream started in the production and distribution business, the company has been sued frequently. Most of them got involved after the movie became a hit. Some say the script is plagiarized, some say it infringes on someone's real experience, etc.

He asked Mickey Kanter to handle most of the cases, and he usually didn't have to intervene. Only in cases where there is substantial damage, lawyer Kanter will call him to discuss countermeasures.

"The stuntmen who participated in the third part of The Dragon King submitted a formal complaint to the stunt union because of the poor working environment in Hong Kong. After investigation, the stunt union found that it was generally true, so it took your company and your company's director Tsui Hark went to court together."

"That's quite new."

Most lawsuits follow the money. Daydream has box office and video distribution revenue, and ordinary plaintiffs will sue the company for compensation. But like this time, it is relatively rare to sue a specific person in addition to the company.

"Haha, good spirit." Mickey Kanter also laughed, and Ronald could still maintain a sense of humor. He also relaxed on the phone.

To say this lawsuit is really outrageous. When Tsui Hark was in Hollywood, he generally abided by the union's work rules, but when he went to Hong Kong to shoot the martial arts part of the highlight, he returned to the Hong Kong-style working methods he was accustomed to.

All Hollywood films registered with the MPAA must be shot with more than half of the Hollywood union members, and others must also follow the competency principle, that is, if they have the same ability, priority should be given to hiring Hollywood union members.

The Stuntmen Guild is the most united among the many unions in Hollywood because their work is highly risky. So the implementation is stricter.

Xiangjiang's martial arts fits this very well, because Hollywood stuntmen don't know how to shoot those high-and-high fighting styles. However, according to the union's regulations, Ronald must still be responsible for those union stuntmen, and provide them with travel allowances, as well as regular travel expenses, food and accommodation in accordance with the regulations.

Originally, the simple work was done by Hollywood people, and the martial arts moves were done by Xiangjiang martial arts masters. But Tsui Hark, the director, returned to Hong Kong and started to develop his unique working methods.

When Tsui Hark was filming, he almost never rested every day and spent 24 hours chatting with the martial artist and the screenwriter. While chatting, he decided on all kinds of wonderful martial arts action designs, as well as plot segments and art designs.

It makes Hollywood stuntmen literally faint. Even overtime pay cannot soothe their broken hearts.

In addition, stuntmen in Xiangjiang usually hold multiple positions at the same time. If the director gives the order, the action director will let everyone who can go into battle work together.

For example, tasks such as pulling wires for actors, whether it is martial arts, stuntmen, or stunt design, must be filmed as a row of wire pulls, and the actors above will perform various beautiful flying movements according to the instructions of the action director. , rather than spinning and entangled in the air, this can be regarded as a profound skill.

The work in Hollywood is divided among individuals, and if you work across industries, you will be scolded. These stunt people were also thoughtful and secretly used Sony home video recorders to film all these violations, and finally provided them to major labor unions as complaint materials.

No, when the third part of The Dragon King is released, the stuntmen's union will start to sue on time.

Ronald had no choice. The evidence in this case was solid and it was difficult to fight. He entrusted Mickey Kanter to communicate with the other party's lawyer and strive for an out-of-court settlement. Otherwise, once this case is exposed, it will also have a negative impact on the movie's box office.

Because Tsui Hark himself was involved here, Ronald invited him in again and asked him in detail about the shooting situation at that time.

"Luo Sheng, you beauties are too domineering. Do you have to control how I shoot in Hong Kong?" Tsui Hark came to Daydream's office, his face full of discomfort. He has long been accustomed to this shooting process. If you ask him to follow the Hollywood process, he will not be able to perform.

"Yeah, don't you know? We Americans have always had long-arm jurisdiction. No matter where you film, as long as there are American members on the crew and they violate American laws, they must follow our rules. We still have to go to court.”

Ronald frightened Tsui Hark, and then asked him to sign a document drafted by a lawyer, writing a formal statement of regret for the stuntmen who had been psychologically harmed.

It's a pity that Ronald originally wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to let Tsui Hark stay and develop in Hollywood. Now it seems that the talents in Xiangjiang may be more suitable for using actors, action directors, martial arts stand-ins, etc., rather than bringing in a director.

The market in Xiangjiang is too small, and every employee must be multi-talented, and a small team can handle the entire crew. This kind of hand-crafted shooting method is incompatible with Hollywood's industrialized method of professional division of labor and each performing his own duties.

"The Hollywood Directors Guild has decided to give you a warning, but it will still accept you as a member. However, if you make Hollywood movies in the future, you can no longer blatantly violate the rules." Ronald shook his head. He had just joined the Directors Guild. He was disciplined, which is considered a broken record.

"Luo Sheng, I surrender. I can't make Hollywood movies." Tsui Hark expressed regret and gave up. He couldn't work if he didn't talk slowly with his partners in the crew.

"Well, you go back to Hong Kong to make movies. If you have any questions about financing or distribution, just call me." Ronald felt that talents were rare, but the film culture of the two places was too different, so he couldn't force it.

Tsui Hark said that although he couldn't be a director in Hollywood, he still wanted to learn more from Ronald, especially the new computer special effects, which he was very interested in.

Ronald agreed and asked him to go to the crew of "Die Hard 2" to observe the real industrial filming on site.

...

"Dear, Director Penny Marshall recommended her brother Gary to me..."

Back at the hotel, Diane came up to him and introduced her progress as a nominal associate producer of Disney's "3000" project.

Diane felt that it was her pregnancy that delayed the filming of the movie and Director Penny Marshall's personal plan. Maybe because of her pregnancy, Diane suddenly lost interest in playing the role of a streetwalker.

According to her own words, she couldn't imagine her future children seeing their mother playing such a role on videotapes. So she rejected Disney's proposal to postpone the project for her and wait until she recovered from childbirth, and instead took a nominal position as an associate producer to ensure that the filming of the film was carried out as scheduled.

"Garry Marshall, what movies has he made?"

"I heard he is a romantic film director." Diane hadn't seen Garry Marshall's movies. He had mainly shot some TV series and TV movies before. He was known as an expert in romantic love films in the industry.

...

"Yes, I think this movie should be greatly modified to add some love scenes between the male and female protagonists."

The next day, Garry Marshall, who came for the interview, talked to Ronald about his own views on the movie. His sister Penny told him the main plot and plan.

Gary has a different opinion on this. The social reality elements of the original film are too strong. If there are no good love elements to neutralize it, it will be a completely depressing movie for the audience.

In the end, the role did not get a good result. The male protagonist Edward Lewis went bankrupt in the stock market crash. The female protagonist Vivian Ward continued to slide down the original life trajectory.

"Well..., you convinced me. I think you can also convince Mr. Katzenberg of Disney." Ronald has a natural liking for this kind of director who considers market acceptance first. This Gary Marshall mainly shoots TV movies, so he naturally has this tendency to please the audience.

"However, how do you plan to arrange the ending of Lewis, the crocodile in the financial market, and Vivian, the streetwalker?" Ronald agreed and raised a logical question.

Edward Lewis is a cold-blooded financial tycoon, and Vivian Ward is a southern girl who did not graduate from high school. If these two people really fall in love, they will never be together in the end. Unless you think of a logically past plot, the audience will not like such a movie.

In the 1940 love epic "Waterloo Bridge", Robert Taylor played the British officer Roy, just like Vivien Leigh played the ballerina Mara, it was also a love story between an upper-class man and a lower-class beauty.

But people at that time could not accept that Mara, who had fallen into the role of a streetwalker at the train station, had a good ending with the war hero Roy, so they arranged for Mara to commit suicide, and Roy was sad and could not forget the tragic ending of true love for the rest of his life.

Moreover, the audience nowadays has much higher requirements for the authenticity and logic of the plot than before.

"I plan to make Edward Lewis bankrupt in the stock market crash, so that he and Vivian will be a perfect match." Garry Marshall obviously considered this issue, and his idea was very interesting. He did not let Vivian go high, but combined with current events to let Edward Lewis go low. A bankrupt former tycoon can only do physical work such as driver and cook, so don't be disgusted with Vivian.

"Hey, you are really... a genius." Ronald didn't expect that he could play it this way, and reversed the traditional Disney love story.

"You think it's feasible? Then what do you think of the male and female protagonists..." Garry Marshall was in a good mood. It was smooth to talk with an expert like Ronald, and he would not ask those stupid questions of the studio executives.

"It's all up to you. Of course, Mr. Katzenberg and I must approve it in the end..." Ronald said with a smile, "Just tell Katzenberg your ideas, and I'll call him."

...

"Dear, Olympia and the others came to see me..."

Ronald, who was still working half a day and returned to the hotel to accompany Diane, found that there were a few more people in the room. They were all actresses who got along well with Diane when she was filming "Steel Magnolias".

Except Dolly Parton who had a concert schedule. Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, and Julia Roberts came to visit Diane Lane.

They got along very well when they were filming "Steel Magnolias" in the south. Ronald and Diane got married in a hurry and did not invite these friends to attend. This time they came to make up for it and congratulate Diane on her marriage.

After hearing the news of Diane's pregnancy, several older actresses were very happy for her and chattered about some things to pay attention to during pregnancy.

Hearing is not as good as seeing. Several actresses heard Diane say that Ronald treated her very well, but seeing with their own eyes that a big director went home to accompany his wife at three o'clock in the afternoon, their good impression of Ronald was almost bursting.

"Ronnie, I knew you two were so sweet when I was on the crew. Every morning, you made so much noise that we who lived in the house next door couldn't sleep. It's really jealous."

Shirley MacLaine is still a big mouth, and she jokes about everything.

"Oh my God, it's so..." Diane covered her face and laughed secretly. When she was on the crew, she also imagined that brother Ronnie would propose to her, but she didn't expect it to come true so soon.

"You should be jealous, Shirley." Ronald pretended to hug Diane and kissed her gently.

"Hahaha...", the other two middle-aged actresses burst into laughter. In the crew of "Steel Magnolias", the director was domineering and overbearing, but the actors became good friends. They had a good impression of Ronald, the director who came to put pressure on the director and brought them a very convenient mobile toilet.

"I'm really happy for you." Julia Roberts opened her eyes wide and tried to suppress the jealousy in her heart.

She had just broken up with Dylan McDermott, who played her husband in "Steel Magnolias", and was looking for her next boyfriend. Dylan McDermott was very handsome, but he was not very ambitious and had no connections in the circle.

"Honey, do you think Julia has a chance in the new film..." Diane turned around and asked Ronald.

Diane didn't play this kind of role anyway, so it didn't matter who played it. Looking at Julia Roberts' eyes, she recommended it to Ronald.

"Katzenberg will decide tomorrow whether to let Gary direct. At that time, let your agent submit the audition photo..." Ronald didn't care. This was a small production, so it didn't hurt to recommend it. It depends on whether the director likes it.

"Richard, remember to remind me to call Katzenberg and Garry Marshall tomorrow." Ronald instructed his inseparable agent.

"OK..." Richard wrote down Ronald's arrangement. After all, the fat girl Lake, the personal assistant of Daydream, is a little girl who has just come of age, so it is not convenient to follow her every day.

"By the way, Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme have agreed to star in your two B-level films..." Richard hurriedly reported the progress. The economic contracts of these people are all signed with him and the Niceta couple trio. However, Ronald just helped him deal with a big trouble, and this movie is considered to make money and repay favors.

"What about the other one? Who did you find for the Black Belt Elite?" Ronald asked.

"We haven't found the right person yet. This is a person who got up after falling. He was originally a Taekwondo master. Because he was injured in the game, he had to do a blue-collar job. In order to realize his dream, he got his wife's understanding, resumed training, and won an important game in the finals."

"Uh..." Julia was hesitant to speak.

"What's wrong?" Ronald noticed that Julia Roberts had interrupted her.

"I don't know if I should do this, but my brother Eric is a black belt in Taekwondo."

"I remember that your relationship with him didn't seem to be very good?" Ronald recalled the past of the brother and sister.

"What can I say? After he separated from his ex-girlfriend, I let his children live with me for a while. Eric told me that the reason why that bitch broke up with him was because she didn't agree to build a cat protection center at home to provide a shelter for 100 cats.

Can you imagine? There are such unloving people who refuse to rescue cats at home."

"Of course I can imagine..." Ronald didn't say what he was thinking. It seems that some actresses are not in a normal mental state. How can a normal person want to keep 100 cats at home?

"Well, let him try... let's see what we can do..." Ronald is now more skilled in using this kind of words that sound positive and helpful, but are actually ambiguous, to deal with other people's requests for help.

Eric Roberts' last car accident was also due to the influence of drugs. This time he also has to pass the test and be able to perform normally.