Exploiting Hollywood 1980

As soon as Mike Medavoy arrived, he expressed his concerns to Ronald. Orion invested a huge amount of 35 million in the film "Valmont", which is the largest film Orion has made in so many years since its establishment. project.

Coupled with previous box office failures, all of Orion's movies this year were losing money from the beginning to the end of the year. Now that "Valmont" can't last even two weeks, the most panicked are Orion executives like Mike Medavoy.

Their richest boss, John Kluge, finally couldn't stand such consecutive losses and announced that he would no longer pay for failed movies and would seek to sell Orion Pictures.

And for all these failures (John Kluge admitted that his purchase of Orion was a failure), someone needs to be responsible.

"I'm carrying a black blame now, Ronald. Now they want me to take all the responsibilities on the pretext that I agreed to give the green light to this project..." Mike Medavoy knew that Ronald liked China. Culture, there is a miniature garden in the courtyard of my home, so I used an idiom that I vaguely remembered when I was a child to make an analogy.

"Black pot, black pot, right?" Ronald understood clearly. In fact, Mike Medavoy's worries were more about his own future. No, he came to ask Ronald to fulfill his promise and introduced He went to Colombia to find a job.

"I don't believe this reason, why can't we make a movie with the same structure and plot that has been made by others? There is no such thing..." Ronald wanted to ask Mike McDavoy, how did this movie end up like this? ?

"Hey, let me tell you, movie distribution now is completely different from when Orion was founded."

Mike Medavoy said something Ronald didn't expect. It turns out that medium-sized production companies like Orion generally do not have nationwide or even global distribution capabilities.

Compared with the seven nationally unified distribution companies, production companies like Orion still use the traditional method of finding wholesalers in separate areas to reduce distribution costs.

In other words, they do not organize a unified distribution company to be responsible for nationwide orders, but have long-term partners in different regions. These studios order copies based on the quality of their films.

After the movie is released, they will slowly settle the settlement with the theater chain. After receiving the share, they will then settle the settlement with Orion.

This is also a last resort, unlike low-cost production companies like Daydream, which are a simple wholesale business with theaters. Theaters don't look forward to daydreaming B-movies and box-office breakthroughs. They are mainly used to fill the gaps between movie schedules. Occasionally when current events (such as the Star-Spangled Banner Act) come up, they buy a few more movies and play them. Let’s see which one is better at the box office.

The quality of movies like Orion is very different. This requires theaters to sign a release schedule that is decided long in advance, so that they can arrange a good and long enough schedule to obtain maximum benefits.

However, such a model must ensure the quality of the movie. This is also the reason why the Big Seven have their own distribution companies. They can produce more than 20 films each year and publicly display them at the Las Vegas order fair a year in advance, so that film producers across the country can see the good and bad.

As for Orion, unlike Daydream, the quality is stable at the level of B-movies, so just buy it casually. Unlike big studios, they can order all products nationwide in advance. Because their production principle is to let the director decide everything.

Many times, it is difficult to determine the schedule for Orion movies. The schedule you have set may be suddenly postponed due to the director's ideas.

In this way, these movies can only be distributed through wholesalers in various places, and they are handled piece by piece.

The advantage of this is of course saving money, but the disadvantages are also great. Even those theater chains and scattered movie theaters usually put Orion movies at the last place of their consideration.

Because movies like the Seven, whose schedules are confirmed long in advance, are in the first echelon. They have the highest priority and must ensure the number of films produced. Daydream movies are the third echelon, and they can be inserted and released at will.

As for Orion, it fell into a dilemma of not being able to go up or coming down. In the third echelon model, they can’t get back their money. The first echelon has to invest heavily in building its own distribution channels. Finally, under attack from above and below, he was kicked out.

For example, "Harlem", which was released together with "Valmont" last weekend and was written, directed and starred by Eddie Murphy for the first time, was not as good as "Valmont" in terms of quality. However, the release led by Paramount was still able to fill the schedules of 2,180 cinemas in the first weekend.

Although the average box office of a single theater is only US$7,000, and it declines rapidly, it may not be better than "Valmont", but the theater chain must first ensure Paramount's film schedule.

Of course, the main "Valmont" is indeed not that good. Between two movies with average box office potential and the very popular "Steel Mulan" and "The Little Mermaid", movie theaters generally have to first eliminate Orion, which has no long-term cooperation. .

"Hey, I didn't expect that there are so many problems in distribution..." Ronald touched his chin. It seems that this distribution network should either be built by oneself and rely on low-cost B-level movie gangsters who will definitely get paid back, or else they should invest in it. Use huge amounts of money to build your own...

"What about that, Ronald? I just came back from Europe, and I have initially stabilized the publishers there. Look, what happened to me..." Mike Medavoy looked at Ronald in deep thought, and he was in a state of confusion. Damn it, this young director wouldn't just slap his butt and deny the verbal agreement between the two, right?

"What's the matter? Ah, oh, it's okay. I've already contacted Dahe Sang's office. I'll take you to New York to meet him." Ronald woke up from his thoughts. "But, you have to have some meeting gifts. ...After all, Columbia Pictures has found a CEO, and Dahe Sang must have a valid reason before he can come forward to talk about this matter."

"Is that so? Are the Japanese in Colombia interested in the overseas distribution rights of Orion's previous films?" Mike McDavoy rolled his eyes. Orion has been around for ten years, and there have been many good films. These films were originally from Orion. I have always held the copyright in my own hands and refused to release it.

But now, there is a cash flow crisis. Sony, the financial backer behind Colombia, is a wealthy person. If you are interested, buying it will relieve a lot of pressure...

When the time comes, Mike Medavoy has done something good for Sony, the new owner, and given an explanation to his old owner, and everyone will be happy if he jumps over.

"Of course it's nice... Orion?" Ronald asked.

"Of course, Mr. John Kluge has become angry and said at the company's high-level meeting that he would not wipe out Orion's mistakes again..."

…

The business jet landed at the New Jersey airport, and Ronald brought John Klug over to meet the real owner. The car drove all the way into Manhattan along the highway. Although this airport is in New Jersey, commuting is much more convenient than busy airports such as JFK Airport, and there is no need to wait.

As soon as the car entered Manhattan, Ronald noticed that the streets were filled with various campaign slogans. Looking from the highway, in front of the houses along the way, many slogans supporting the candidates are planted on the lawns, representing the preferences of the homeowners.

"It seems that this election is very popular..." Ronald said while lying on the window and watching.

He counted the number of people who supported him. Here in the suburbs of upper Manhattan, sixty-seven out of ten people mainly supported Rudy, and few supported Dinkins.

"Your voter registration is also in Staten Island, right?" Ronald suddenly remembered something and asked the driver, Little Bud.

"Yes, our family's registration has been changed to Toteville on Staten Island. My four sisters and I, their husbands, my mother, and the veterans groups will all vote for Rudy …”

"Why? Isn't Dinkins black?" Mike Medavoy felt strange. He believed that black voters were not born to vote for black candidates.

"I don't like Dinkins' policies, Mr. Medavoy..." Little Bud didn't care to express his political leanings.

"I am a veteran of the Marine Corps and I like people who follow order. Dinkins described the people who attacked my boss as heroes who were persecuted by the NYPD. This makes me very angry. Besides, our family has jobs. We cannot enjoy the welfare policies of Dinkins. He will only take care of the unemployed black people in Harlem..."

Little Bud's words relieved Ronald of his psychological burden. He never wanted to talk to little Bud about this matter because he was afraid of hurting his feelings.

But Ronald thought too much. Thanks to Ronald and his Aunt Karen, the little Bud family had jobs in the leg warmer factory and later in factories related to the film industry. Several of his My sister and my husband both work in factories.

These people's income level means they cannot receive welfare benefits, and they also have to pay taxes. The welfare policy they like from Dinkins is no good.

The most important thing is that Bud and his family are now settled in Staten Island. Dinkins’ main sources of votes are in Manhattan and Brooklyn. For Dinkins, no matter how good the welfare policy is promised, it is impossible to send it to a rural place like Staten Island.

"The voting will take place in two days, right? In this way, you go back with me and vote with my aunt and your mother..."

"Oh, okay. I originally planned to vote by mail, so it would be great to be able to go there..." Little Bud was also very happy to hear that he could go back to his hometown with his boss.

…

The next day, Norio Ohga met with Ronald Mike Medavoy in his office in New York, and Ohga thought there was no problem with his idea of ​​selling Orion's overseas distribution business to Columbia.

After Medavoy went out, Dahe invited Ronald to smoke a cigar together and then asked.

"Is Ronald Sang satisfied with arranging him with a position in Samsung?"

Columbia Pictures has found Peter Guber and Jon Peters to pair up at the helm, and with Frank Price picking projects, it's time to let them have their say.

Dahe was very satisfied with Price recommended by Ronald, and Guber was also very capable. Although he was the one chosen by Akio Morita, he was also trustworthy. That Jon Peters had a background in combing the hair of female celebrities. There is still prejudice against such people in Japanese culture. Dahe didn't like him very much.

But as the CEO of Sony, it’s good to straighten out the general direction. The business Mike Medavoy brought in was good, but only good. It is not worth disrupting the management team that has finally formed a stable structure for him.

Fortunately, Columbia had a lot of vests during its operation of Coca-Cola, and it could use TriStar Pictures to place this person.

"I think he would be very satisfied..." Ronald replied with a smile.

"Hey, Ronald, I have a lot of things to do recently. It's really good to have an old friend like you come to see me." Ohga wrote a note to the secretary and ignored it. Instead, he talked to Ronald about some of his personal matters.

"What's wrong, Ohga-san?"

"I've been in a lot of trouble recently..."

It turned out that Ohga Norio was a symphony lover, and he was a good friend of Karajan, the former conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.

A few months ago, Karajan had a heart attack at home and unfortunately died. But what the world didn't know was that Ohga Norio was at Karajan's house that day and happened to witness this unfortunate incident. Although he used Sony's power to find an emergency helicopter, he was unable to save the famous conductor.

However, he did not let the media know about this, because at the beginning of the year, Karajan had a disagreement with the German SPD, and his dark history of being close to some people who also loved Wagner opera during World War II was dug up again, and he had to resign from the Berlin Philharmonic.

If the media knew that he was with a Japanese again, who knows what gossip they would write.

However, the unfortunate incident that had been concealed for several months was recently dug up by a German media. Although the hidden danger was eliminated through the public relations of Sony West Germany, Ohga was still a little depressed.

When the CD format was confirmed that year, Philips insisted on a 60-minute format, but it was Ohga who made the final decision, saying that Beethoven's Ninth Symphony conducted by Karajan would take more than 70 minutes, and finally the length of the CD was set at 74 minutes.

Seeing that his friend was dug up after his death, he felt uncomfortable.

"It's the eve of the 1990s now, and it's time to put an end to these World War II things..." Ronald had to comfort Ohga in this way.

"As you said, that's all..."

Da He was a little sad. He invited Ronald to dinner. Tomorrow is the day for the New York mayor's election. Ronald had to rush back to Staten Island, so he said goodbye.

Along the way, in many places on the streets of Manhattan, there were NYPD employees taking photos in front of slogans supporting Rudy. He had the support of many government employees and unions of powerful departments. Ronald felt that Rudy had a good chance of winning...

Dinkins had Brooklyn and Harlem, Rudy had Queens and Staten Island, and the victory of both sides would be in Manhattan. Judging from the momentum of the propaganda slogans of both sides today, Rudy's side clearly had the upper hand.