Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"I hope there won't be such a surprise at our next stop..."

Mike McDavoy smiled and joked to Ronald across from him on the business jet. He took out his dietary supplement again and asked the flight attendant for a glass of water to take it. Hollywood is full of all kinds of secret recipes. People here are under great work pressure, and many people are superstitious that something can give them special energy.

"Jonathan is a very thoughtful person and an experienced director. He won't..." Ronald defended his senior.

"Ha, I'm just kidding. Relax, Ronald. God won't let us win the lottery twice." Mike McDavoy winked at Ronald. After experiencing the "surprise" of Dances with Wolves, they really need to relax.

Sure enough, after the plane landed in New York, Jonathan Demme's preparations were much more thorough than Costner's.

Demi had previously worked with Orion on "Shotgun Lulu", which helped Melanie Griffith climb out of a deep pit. Although the box office of this movie was average, the overall execution of the entire project was excellent, and the completion of the movie was very high.

In addition to combining suspense, romance, action, road, and other genres, the editing and sound design of Shotgun Lulu are also Oscar-level. Ronald also learned some skills from Demme to train actors' performances.

Compared with Kevin Costner, the first director relied on passion and natural personality charm. Jonathan Demme relied on complete preparation and comprehensive advance design.

Rather than saying that Jonathan Demme is an artist, it may be more appropriate to call him a craftsman. What he is best at is to make all the details perfect within a reasonable budget. From the perspective of a businessman controlling costs and quality, this is an ideal director.

Of course, Jonathan Demme also has weaknesses, that is, he only wants to shoot the subject matter he wants to shoot. If a movie has great commercial potential and is very suitable for his style, but he himself is not interested... then no one can persuade him.

For example, directors like him who have achieved commercial success generally do not go back to shoot documentaries, MV music videos, or TV movies. Most directors think that theater movies are the highest arena for directors.

But Demme doesn't care. As long as he is interested in the subject, he will shoot it. Not only did he shoot music videos, but he also shot documentaries about Haiti and concert films about Cambodia. The latter film is called "Swimming to Cambodia", which is a monologue by actor Spulding Gray.

The film opens with Spulding Gray walking towards a performance garage in New York City. He enters the garage, passes the audience, sits behind a table, and behind him there is a pull-down map of Southeast Asia. Then Spulding Gray tells the story of his participation in the filming of the film "The Killing Fields" about Cambodia, and introduces the history of this country.

It can be said that Jonathan Demme is a director who shoots movies purely out of interest. As long as the project he is interested in, even if the budget is low and the filming is difficult, he can make it very beautiful for you.

For example, this film "Swimming to Cambodia", which seems to have been shot casually with a camera erected, also won a small film award, and was nominated for the "Independent Spirit Award" for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Screenplay.

Fortunately, "The Silence of the Lambs" is indeed a project that Jonathan Demme is very interested in. So when the three of them met in New York, what Ronald saw was the various scene details that Demme had carefully prepared and the detailed plan for the shooting.

This movie is not like "Dances with Wolves", which can only be shot from beginning to end due to lack of experience. This is a very experienced director who, based on various locations and the performances of the actors, combined the time of various resources and finally gave the optimal solution.

"Very good, I feel much better after watching it." Ronald was very happy to see such preparations. It would be great if all the directors he invested in could do this.

"Haha, I am also very satisfied. When can we go to the FBI Academy?" Jonathan Demme rubbed his hands a few times. Ronald promised him to go to the FBI training academy to shoot the scenes of the heroine Starling. This is the first time that the FBI has opened these facilities to Hollywood.

"We can go the day after tomorrow... I have arranged it with the FBI."

Of course, after a day of rest in New York, Ronald must meet Helen. Her "Happiness Together" has been filmed and is being edited intensively. This time, Ronald met Helen with director Nora Ephron in the editing room.

"Help us, Ronnie!" Helen was very happy that her lover came to New York, and she just caught him to give her advice.

"Huh? The editing room is the territory of the director and the editor, you can't enter..." Ronald pretended to be businesslike and teased Helen deliberately.

"Well, I'm just anxious to see my performance in the finished film..." Helen has always respected this so-called industry rule, and her family education does not allow her to do things that bully others.

Nora Ephron secretly gave Ronald a thumbs up, "Ahem, I have a lot of things to ask you..."

Ronald went forward and turned the knob. After watching two shots, he knew that Nora Ephron's basic skills were good enough, but she lacked experience and confidence. And these things cannot be taught, and can only be learned by oneself.

"It's very good. I'm looking forward to watching the film..." Ronald put his arm around Helen's waist and turned around and walked out together.

"Hey, let me say, Ronald, don't you care about your movie?"

"I remember at the beginning and end of the movie, your name was in the director column?" Ronald turned around and joked with Efron with a smile. Then he ignored the situation, hugged Helen and walked out, leaving only a burst of silver. A bell-like laugh.

"Will you attend the premiere of this movie?" Helen asked, holding Ronald in her arms. In the apartment on Fifth Avenue, the two of them looked at the night view of Manhattan in front of the window and ate takeout from the Michelin restaurant. They were very comfortable.

"Of course, I am one of the investors and issuers." Ronald smiled and touched Helen's waist.

"Well, I didn't mean that... um... I meant that I wanted you to come... um, not... um... whatever..."

…

"Huh...huh..." Ronald lay on the airplane seat and slept soundly. Jonathan Demme and Mike Medavoy next to him looked at him with envy. Being able to sleep soundly during a flight is a very good gift. Only when you have a good rest can you work well.

"Mr. Li, we are arriving at Dulles International Airport soon." The stewardess came over and woke Ronald up.

"Hey, let me wash my face first..." After washing his face with hot water in the bathroom, Ronald felt energetic again. I've been with Helen Slater all day, and haven't left the door of the apartment. I took a break and this lack of energy has returned?

"Detective Claire...thank you, thank you for your help..."

Several people drove dozens of minutes from Washington to the FBI Academy in Virginia to inspect the actual shooting location.

"This is what Director Sessions means. Welcome to the FBI Academy..." Detective Claire had already changed into a suit and gave each of the three people a visitor card.

Now Detective Claire has been transferred to the FBI Academy as an instructor for new recruits. She took Ronald to visit the academy within the Marine Corps base, covering an area of ​​5 acres. All trainees training here must go to college. After graduation and training at the academy, you can directly become an official FBI agent, which is considered to be on the faster track than those police officers transferred from local PDs.

Starling, the heroine of Silence of the Lambs, is an FBI student who has not yet graduated. Because she is beautiful, she is assigned by the leader to interview Hannibal in the hope of getting some information about the serial murderer who kidnapped the congressman’s daughter. clue.

Jonathan Demme and Mike Medavoy cherished the opportunity to come to the FBI. They all saw the actual training fields and offices, which was a very good talking point.

Ronald went to Detective Claire's office, not only to discuss cooperation, but actually he also took the opportunity to chat about some progress in the wiretapping case.

"Why are you being transferred here? Isn't it a great waste of your ability to train new recruits?" Ronald and Detective Claire are also acquaintances, and he is very interested in her being transferred from the powerful detective of the New York branch to the headquarters. Still a little surprised.

"Training is a very important job. Besides, I showed up in the eavesdropping case..." Claire explained the transfer to Ronald with a smile. Contrary to what most people imagine, the FBI is not only a federal-level investigation agency, but also has jurisdiction over domestic counterintelligence operations. The CIA cannot operate within the country.

These two agencies, after constant beatings by previous leaders, have now been constrained by various legislations. Unlike the Hoover period, they can no longer do some things at will.

For example, if the FBI wants to prosecute spies, then the agents investigated by the FBI must appear in court to testify. When testifying in court, according to regulations, you must go to court under your real name. In this way, Agent Claire's face has been shown on the public record during the subsequent testimony in the Israeli espionage case. This way she can no longer continue to direct operations as a frontline agent.

But having said that, the FBI's salary is average. She can be promoted and transferred to the headquarters college. Claire's annual income increases by 50%, and her husband and children can also come to Virginia together and enjoy the FBI's high subsidies. There are a lot of great public schools here.

"Your matter will have to wait a little longer. This matter involves some internal issues within the FBI and CIA. I can't say more. In short, I'm sure they won't touch your mind now. The FBI actually likes you very much. You It brought an investigation into the CIA, and those people will never let their people have anything to do with you again..."

Ronald's wiretapping case was a stab at the CIA's weakness. They were prohibited from conducting any operations in the country, and had to ask the FBI for assistance if necessary. And abroad, many actions are prohibited (such as assassinations are completely banned). He is considered a celebrity. As long as he is still active in Hollywood, there will be no more unscrupulous agents to try to take his ideas.

"It's really great here, and the shots at the training ground are beautiful." Demi and Medavoy came back after the visit, full of praise.

…

"Ronald, you are really great..." Jonathan Demme was also very excited. Everyone wants to be the first director to shoot on location with the FBI. But it’s not easy. Hollywood always likes to arrange several FBI villains. In many movies, the FBI is either stupid or bad. If they can be filmed in real scenes, Ronald’s methods are quite wild!

"I'm not surprised that he and Navy's Top Gun can do it..." Mike Medavoy said with a laugh.

"Director Sessions also wants to cooperate with Hollywood like the military. Top Gun is so important to improving the image of the Navy..." Ronald explained that there was a reason why he was able to receive strong assistance from the FBI.

The new Director Sessions wants to improve the image of the FBI. He also wants to imitate the Navy and exchange some filming resources in exchange for good words from Hollywood. Since you used real-life FBI scenes, you would be embarrassed to portray the FBI as stupid and bad people.

Fortunately, in The Silence of the Lambs, there is another person who is stupid and bad, and he is the warden of Hannibal's prison.

"That was also your help. Why can't others get this opportunity?" Jonathan Demme was extremely satisfied with Ronald. This student of Roger Coleman University spends money readily, trusts himself, and does not interfere in artistic decisions.

What to shoot and how to shoot are all decided by yourself. Except for one candidate who was mentioned during the casting of the heroine, at other times, she was even easier to talk to than Orion, who is known for respecting artists.

"Ah, hahaha... This is the advantage of making some movies with main themes. These institutions still have some trust in me, but it might not be possible if it were you..." Ronald smiled and said to Mike Medavoy next to him Teasing.

"Of course, we have filmed too many Vietnam War and gangster films. It is normal for the FBI to not trust us..."

Mike Medavoy did not tell the truth. In fact, they had contacted the FBI several times and wanted to shoot other movies in real locations. But it just couldn't pass.

This time, the director personally nodded and arranged for Ronald's old acquaintance to come to meet him. It was not because he had filmed Top Gun, but because he had strong connections to say hello.

There are rumors that Ronald has a close relationship with the Datong family. Is it true? At least those at the White House chief of staff level only work.

"Of course it's because the commander said hello..." Ronald understood what the other person was thinking. He smiled and didn't say anything. It was good to maintain a sense of mystery. "But speaking of Inspector Claire, it's really because Did she come here just to show her face? It seems like she has some secret mission."

After solving the biggest shooting difficulty, the group returned to New York. This time British actor Anthony Hopkins is joining the cast. He has to do a lot of preparation work in the early stage, such as custom-making a tights for him, rehearsing with the heroine and other main actors, etc.

"Mr. Hopkins, how does it feel to be in New York?"

“It’s very good. In autumn, it’s suitable to mix fried liver with chickpeas and drink it with wine...”

"Huh?" Ronald saw Anthony Hopkins stepping into the role of Hannibal. His unique sense of humor was very scary. His quiet words made your hair stand on end.

"Hahaha, I like this character very much. He has a special sense of humor... I feel that I will have a great time here..." Anthony Hopkins' acting skills switch quickly, as if he doesn't need to It's like warming up. As expected of an actor who came from Shakespeare's plays.

"Jonathan is very good, really very good, but during rehearsals, make sure Jodie (Foster) is not frightened by him." Ronald was extremely satisfied with this casting.

"Why, I was trying to get Anthony Hopkins to scare her."

"What did you think about it?"

"Technically Jodie Foster will do a great job, but the fear that comes from the heart has to be real. I have to find a way to prepare her technically while still giving She had a real stimulating reaction.”

"I'll rest assured if you have an idea... But, take it easy..." Ronald felt that Jodie Foster didn't seem particularly courageous. She had also encountered someone who assassinated the commander-in-chief in real life. The Entanglement of John Hinckley…

"Don't worry, I won't scare her on purpose. The key to the art of directing acting is to be honest with the actors, but give them unexpected stimulation during filming."