Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The factory scenes in Connecticut were shot very smoothly. Sometimes, Ronald feels that maybe in the golden age of Hollywood, with such high-level actors and the industrialized process of genre films, directors would probably have a much easier job than their current counterparts.

Soon we arrived at the most important scene shot in the factory, the speeches given by Jorgensen and Garfield at the final shareholder meeting.

In order to prepare for this scene, the crew specially hired many workers to serve as extras in the back row to act as the New England cable factory workers in the movie, just like their real-life jobs.

As for whether they could play these workers well, Ronald didn't think about it. Originally, this scene was a dramatic scene, with most of the workers just filling in the background, and only the long shot sweeping across from a distance. The only worker born to support Jorgensen is also played by a real actor.

Technically, the vote on whether a company should reorganize its board of directors and gain control of the company is usually not decided by a live vote at the annual shareholder meeting. Rather, within the board of directors, shareholders who have the ability to compete for control negotiate privately with large and small shareholders through various agents. In fact, before voting at the shareholders' meeting, most stocks have signed proxy voting agreements. Who wins and who loses? It's generally decided.

However, a good play is full of twists and turns. Without this final voting link, the audience would not get the climax of the drama, the amazing reversal of feeling that the good guys are actually bad guys, and the bad guys are actually good guys. Nor will we experience a reversal in the aftermath of the ending, where we get good guys or bad guys, and bad guys turn to support the morally correct choice, and everyone has a happy ending.

The camera was first set up in the factory director's office. Outside, a group of children dressed in Christmas costumes sang Christmas carols and canvassed votes for Jorgensen. In the plot, they are all the children of factory workers. If they lose their jobs, the children of these workers will have to receive welfare benefits.

In big cities, welfare benefits are relatively good, you can choose your food, and you can wear old brand-name clothes donated by wealthy people. But in a small town like Rhode Island, the level of welfare relief depends entirely on how much local wealthy, philanthropic people are willing to donate.

Not to mention picking and choosing, being able to have enough food and clothing is considered very good for unemployed workers. Their soon-to-be-adult children also had to get a bus ticket to try their luck in the big city.

Ronald looked out the window. There were extras holding a sign that said vote for conscience, not money. Looking at this scene, Ronald didn't shout a for a long time. The scenery and streets here, as well as the clothes worn by civilians, are very similar to what Aunt Karen used to wear on Staten Island. If I hadn't had an adventure, would I have been like them, enduring quietly in a small town, or going to a big city to be a plumber or an insurance salesman?

Gregory Peck, who had already put on a three-piece woolen suit, warned, "Director Ronald? Is there anything else inappropriate about us?"

"Nothing more, we can start right away." Ronald turned his head, smiled at Parker and Piper Laurie, who played his lover and secretary, and nodded to the director of photography.

"a!"

Gregory Peck walked to the window where Ronald was just now. He was tall, and the sun shone in through the blinds, dyeing his silver hair with a golden edge. This method of lighting gives the character of Jorgensen a saintly look.

A saint, go out and appeal to the masses, asking them to give up more money, for the sake of conscience, for these jobs, for these children, to vote for themselves and the family who founded this factory.

"Oh, I'm looking for you. We'll go to the venue when you're ready." Piper Laurie held two cups of coffee in her hand.

"Are you okay?" She discovered the abnormality of her boss and lover.

"Yeah, I'm just rehearsing in my mind what I should say when the time comes." Gregory Peck clasped his fist in one hand and tapped it on the palm of his other hand to hide his inner uneasiness.

"Oh, they're hanging loudspeakers outside the factory door to broadcast your speech live. All the shareholders who can come are here, and I feel like Harry and Bess on election eve."

"Oh, Harry Truman was so much better than me. He was snoring like crazy on election night. I haven't slept well in days."

"Tell me, honey, what's wrong?" Piper Laurie's eyes changed slightly, and she discovered that Jorgensen was actually very uneasy in his heart.

"I'm afraid..." Gregory Pike walked to the window and took another look at the workers and children. "Time flies so fast. I'm afraid that I no longer recognize the new environment. I'm afraid that what I do is no longer important. Things have changed. Where is our previous spirit of serving each other... "

Pike lowered his gray-haired head, "I don't want that person to win."

"I'm not afraid at all..." The voice of the secretary played by Piper Laurie changed a little, and her words were enthusiastic and choked, "I'm just proud, I'm proud of you, and the factory I created for you. Pride, if we are no longer important, it is their failure, not ours..."

As the camera slowly zoomed in, there were real tears in Piper Laurie's eyes, but she tried to suppress her excitement and cheered for Jorgensen, whom she had known for decades.

"It's okay, just go over and tell them the truth, Harry. Give them a kick..." Piper Laurie seemed to have regained her youth, and she seemed to have returned to the afterglow of the big studio system in the 1950s. At the filming location, a positive movie is being made with Gregory Peck, the most charismatic male star of the studio era.

Once she kisses the male protagonist Pike, he can go out and defeat all the villains one by one!

Gregory Peck smiled like he did when he was a handsome young boy, tilted his head forty-five degrees, and slowly kissed Piper Laurie from this classic angle.

The coffee cup in his hand tilted and the coffee spilled all over the floor.

"Cut!" Ronald stopped amid their hearty laughter. The two actors were still immersed in the performance. They loved this shot so much. Everything was so perfect. The good old Hollywood was back.

"Haha, when I accidentally spilled the coffee, is it still the same as before?" Gregory Pike accompanied Piper Laurie with a smile.

"It's perfect, honey." Piper Laurie was also excited, "Have you practiced before when you drank Diane's coffee?"

"Hahaha..." all the staff at the scene sprayed, and even Ronald laughed. He quickly raised his hands to signal everyone to shut up and not let Diane in the other room know.

The camera moved to another office, where Dean Jones and Diane, who played general manager Bill, were also waiting for all shareholders to arrive before going to the meeting.

"So, he finally agreed to give you a golden parachute? No matter whether the company succeeds or not, you can get what you have wanted for many years?" Diane lit a lady's cigarette, took a puff, and pretended to be calm to Bill. Speaking of.

This is one of the important performance points she learned after following Lindsay Dole for more than ten days, including how to hold a cigarette, what brand to smoke, how to exhale the smoke in the end, and how to hold it in her hand...

It’s not like I’ve seen those female lawyers who are so stressed that they go out to smoke whenever they have a break. Diane can’t make a smoking scene so anxiety-provoking. Whether you smoke or not, you can still feel the tension of suppressing uneasiness and preparing for a big event.

The management headed by Bill holds a certain amount of shares in the company. They have always wanted Jorgensen to make a guarantee that even if the company eventually fails and goes bankrupt, the management will still be able to obtain corresponding money based on the current stock price.

This can be achieved as long as the management buys insurance that is not too expensive. But Jorgensen wanted to save the money, so he rejected management's offer. Garfield quickly found this loophole and proposed that he buy their shares at a reasonable price.

"Well, the man who lives in the big house on the mountain said that he would not hold a funeral without a body..." Bill had completely let go of his inner gratitude to Jorgensen. The boss said this, which was equivalent to not treating them at all. If you take your hard work and dedication over the years seriously, then everyone has to think about themselves...

"It's time to go..." Dean Jones straightened his clothes, turned around and walked away.

"Bill, how are you going to vote?" Kate, who was performing by Diane, felt something was wrong and immediately asked.

Dean Jones raised his eyebrows and realized that Diane had guessed his decision, but he said nothing.

Diane's expression was very physical and became more anxious, like a student who was about to take an exam but had not finished reading the textbook. She put out her cigarette in the ashtray, then grabbed her clothes and walked out quickly.

As an actor who has been trained on Broadway, he is particularly capable of performing such a drama with a strong sense of drama. Diane's transition from beginning to end was done very well. She walked towards the camera, and the anxiety from the inside out was recorded on the film through the lens, and was completely transmitted to the audience after it was developed.

"cut!"

Diane looked over with inquiring eyes, saw Ronald's gesture, and felt relieved. She only had a little part in the subsequent shareholders meeting scene. It was better to leave this big scene to Gregory Peck and Tom Hanks.

…

The venue over there has been almost decorated, and many group performances have been prepared outside the venue.

"A!", a luxury car drove in, and Tom Hanks got out of the car door. He had already put on his sunglasses.

In order to defeat Garfield at the shareholders' meeting, Jorgensen and Kate Sullivan made all possible preparations. Reporters from the financial television station BC, cameras and live microphones were waiting for him.

"Mr. Garfield, what are you going to do to New England Cable Company?" A female reporter ran over, pushing aside other reporters, and asked him.

"Make our shareholders richer!"

Suddenly, Tom Hanks paused, and he saw Diane playing Kate over there.

The camera captured it very well. Neither of them said a word, but they looked at each other, as if there was magnetism in their eyes, and they would never separate after being glued together.

It is obvious that Garfield and Kate Sullivan admire each other, but the limitations of their identities and positions make it impossible for them to go further... This shot is full of regret.

"cut!"

Ronald looked at Tom Hanks's condition, felt very satisfied and gave him an OK gesture.

This is Jorgensen's home court. Children are holding banners outside and cursing him. Reporters are also asking questions from the perspective of workers and factories. Garfield is alone, only one person.

After being influenced by the previous plot, the audience regarded him as a character like Lewis in "Pretty Woman". He is an expert at making money in business, but what he does is very shoddy and is looked down upon by traditional values. But today's world is very different from the past. In order to make money, many people agree to exhaust the rules within the scope of the law.

The crew moved into the auditorium where the shareholders' meeting was held. This is also an ancient auditorium and can also show movies. The auditorium is divided into two parts, front and rear, separated by an aisle in the middle. The first half was mostly filled with professional actors hired by the crew, and the back was filled with some local workers. There were dozens of people standing behind the seats, making the entire venue very lively.

In front of the audience seats is a rostrum where people can sit and a microphone stand for important people to give speeches. Jorgensen sat to one side with Kate Sullivan and Mrs. Sullivan, the secretary and General Manager Bill. On the other side is Wall Street banker Garfield and his subordinates.

Both parties have the opportunity to make a canvassing speech, and finally vote on the spot to decide who controls ownership of the company and becomes the new chairman.

The structure of this synagogue seemed very familiar to Ronald. This kind of building used to be the standard configuration of churches in New England. If you don't have much money, you can follow this kind of architectural drawings and get one at a low price.

Later, with the export of services during the Great Depression, it came to the Soviet Union and became a public auditorium for the unit. It’s just that the cross has been transformed into a sickle and axe, and the person preaching on it has been changed from a pastor to a comrade secretary. Later, following the friendship of comrades and brothers, he came to the big country in the south...

"a!"

On both sides of the rostrum, the two groups began to whisper again, preparing for the strategy for the meeting. The atmosphere in the noisy venue gave Ronald a sense of intimacy.

The camera stared at the two large tables on the rostrum, and both sides were updating the latest situation. Only Garfield didn't seem to care about this. Whenever he had time, he would turn to look at Kate sitting over there.

"cut!"

This kind of scene where the male and female protagonists flirt with each other between the two camps before the battle is really interesting. Tom Hanks, in particular, played out the loneliness of having a successful career but losing love due to conflicts.

What follows is the most important scene in the movie. Jorgensen and Garfield compare the old version of the American spirit (starting a business, bringing jobs, and promoting community prosperity) and the new and upgraded version of the American spirit (global integration). resources, cross-border mergers and acquisitions led by Wall Street).

"a!"

The actors on the scene were all ready, and everyone seemed to be in high spirits like inflated balloons. This kind of scene, just like a real shareholders' meeting, made the actors suddenly become sharper.

"Everyone, please be quiet." Dean Jones walked to the microphone stand. "Welcome to the New England Cable and Wire Company's annual shareholder meeting. We all know that the most important agenda today is the election of the board of directors. vote……"

"Now I would like to introduce to you a figure who can truly be called a legend in the cable industry, the chairman of New England Cable, Andrew Jorgensen..."

Gregory Peck stood up, as he had done countless times as a lawyer, reporter, and politician who turned the tide, and walked to the microphone.

There was a long round of applause, and even Garfield had to applaud. This man's status in the hearts of the workers is unparalleled.

"Go get 'em! Andy!"

Suddenly, an extra who was sitting in the back suddenly stood up and shouted at Gregory Peck on the podium.

"cut!"

This time

"Hey, hey, what the hell are you doing here? What are you doing? Hundreds of people are watching you act? Are you out of your mind? Do you think you're Marlon Brando?"

For a big scene like this, the emphasis is on doing it all in one go. preferably

Anyone who has experience in giving speeches knows that a good speech requires a condescending momentum, like a waterfall, cascading thousands of miles. If you are interrupted in the middle, it is very likely that you will be full of energy, like a bulging balloon that was popped by a needle...

Marty Ewing is an old acquaintance of Ronald. He was on the set of "Flashdance" back then.

No one knew how to persuade him, so Ronald had no choice but to say, "Marty, let him go."

Ronald walked up to the actor. He was a very tall man, a little thin, and had a feminine temperament that Ronald didn't like very much.

"what's your name?"

"William de Acutis"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I felt Jorgensen needed a loyal fan, so that's what happened."

"It makes sense, but your drama ends here..." Ronald wanted to resolve this accident as soon as possible. There may be some truth to this person's improvisation, but such an accident made the crew dysfunctional and had to be eliminated immediately.

"I'm still a screenwriter, please take a look at my new work." Seeing that Ronald was easy to talk to, William de Acutis immediately took out a script from his bag.

Ronald winked, and Marty immediately directed two burly laborers who were carrying cameras to grab the troublemaker in mid-air.

"Let's take a break for 20 minutes..." Seeing that everyone was a little distracted, Ronald couldn't help but feel lucky that this reckless guy shouted earlier. If Gregory Peck had already started his speech and was interrupted, it would be difficult to deal with it.

"I repeat again, don't take the initiative to steal the show, otherwise not only will you not get paid, but all your shots in the future will be cut, and stealing the show will be useless." Marty Ewing began to emphasize to the extras with a microphone.

Ronald sat on the chair with his name on it. A big show is full of surprises.

"Ronald, your phone, just now..."

Richard hurried over and put a mobile phone in his hand.

"Francis, what do you think? Do you agree to direct a Coca-Cola commercial? Yes... the offer is very good. I told them that it would be best if they could hire you.

The reason why Pepsi's advertising is so effective is that they hired Michael Jackson as their spokesperson. His most famous movie, Captain V, was directed by you. They agreed as soon as I said it.

Yes, yes, Marty will also take over to shoot a movie. If you agree, we can all have fun together."

The chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola has already started negotiations with Coppola and Scorsese. They want to create a gimmick of multiple famous directors, one for each Coca-Cola commercial. Ronald's agent, Niceta, who is also of Italian descent, helped to make the connection, and the director was no worse than the Jewish director recommended by Ovitz.