Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Cameron Crowe (bsp;Crowe) is slightly older than Ronald, but looks more like a high school student than Ronald. He has long hair parted in the middle, shorter than the Beatles and longer than the bob. Wearing a T-shirt on the upper body, jeans and tennis shoes on the lower body, and carrying a backpack.

He is the author of "Fast\u0026\u0026 Hig****".

Ronald was surprised by his outfit, he looked more like a real teenager than an author.

Agent Richard asked the author to meet with Ronald through Universal Pictures. After the two authors introduced each other, Cameron Crowe took out a book with a blank cover and handed it to Ronald.

"This is a sample book that Simon \u0026 Schuster is slated to publish early next year, and they gave me a contract two years ago, and I spent a year undercover at Claremont High School in my hometown of San Diego. And then I wrote this. Universal The film company was very satisfied with the sample book and gave me an option contract to purchase the film adaptation rights.”

Ronald took the book and flipped through it. The book was less than 250 pages long. It was a youth book, and he could probably read it on the plane.

"It must be difficult to go back to high school undercover, right? Do you have to be very careful about people discovering that you are an undercover writer?"

"On the contrary, I was undercover at Claremont High School for 10 months, and no one ever found out that I was an adult. During the prom, the principal even forgot who I was." Crowe chuckled.

"He interrogated me for half an hour, and finally agreed that I would be an undercover agent after he found out that I had written a biography for singer and movie star Kris Kristofferson."

Ronald was also made to laugh by Crowe. He liked Crowe's personality very much. He had stayed in Hollywood for a long time and met a writer who didn't usually act. The two had a very pleasant chat.

"Actually, I think anyone who goes back to high school can quickly blend in with teenagers. Of course, I take advantage of being young." Cameron Crowe continued to talk about his experience, "The memories of those teenagers are just sealed in In our memory, as long as the right situation comes, they will be stimulated quickly. "

Ronald nodded, feeling the same way. "I also think so. When I was revising the script for 'Famous,' I was with some students from an art high school, and I could quickly understand their thoughts, and the memories of high school would flow out like a floodgate."

"That's right." Cameron Crowe was delighted to have a playwright who thought the same thing. "The really hard thing is growing up again. When I went to the prom at Claremont High School, my mother complained that I was stuck. Mellen, you used to be a very mature kid, and you never got so excited about prom and driving a car to the prom.”

"Hahaha……"

Ronald flipped through it. It contained many detailed descriptions of high school life. It begins and ends with two siblings, Brad and Stacey, from a middle-class family. Interspersed with many of their own emotional stories and stories with their friends, it is a group portrait of teenagers growing up.

He put the sample book on the table, closed the cover, and then said sincerely to Cameron Crowe:

"Cameron, I really like your beginning and end, and I think I will read it quickly. But you can adapt this yourself without my help. You are the best person to write it. The person who wrote this script.

There is no secret to the so-called script format. You can learn it by buying a few copies and reading them. But the emotions of those characters, the development of the story, and the detailed treatment, only you can do it in the world. "

Cameron Crowe scratched his head like a high school student, "Ronald, this is why I asked an experienced screenwriter to help me."

He took the book, opened the pages, pointed at the names one by one and said to Ronald, "Mark, nicknamed 'Mouse', is a good friend of mine. He is a nerdy Geek who is very good at understanding technological products. , but I’m not very good at making girlfriends.

This was Linda, the first friend I made at Claremont High School. She was a social butterfly and knew everyone in school. The main character, Stacey, is Linda’s best friend.

This is Jeff Spicoli. He is a good surfer. Sometimes his brain is not very bright, but his surfing is professional.

…

All of these people are real people that I know, and I can't let go of any of them. The movie is only 90 minutes long and cannot contain all the characters and plots. My emotions prevent me from choosing, and my lack of experience does not allow me to analyze which plot is important.

I heard Richard say on the phone, you don't want to take the credit away from me, and I appreciate that. But I do need your help, otherwise it won't turn into a successful movie, and I'll feel sorry for my friends. I've developed a friendship with these characters and their prototypes, and I want them to be brought to life on screen. "

Ronald nodded and put it in his bag. "I understand your creative impulse. I will watch it first and then decide. What does Universal think of your adaptation?"

Cameron Crowe has written a slightly more detailed story than a synopsis and submitted it to Universal Pictures.

"They had a lot of opinions and wanted me to eliminate half of the characters in the script and focus the story on Brad and Stacy. But I felt they didn't understand the story, which is a teenage coming-of-age story. , it would be imperfect without anyone.

Teenagers are full of hope for the future, and they think more about the world than most adults. Because they are busy with trivial things after adulthood and forget what kind of people they are. This age may be the most active stage of thinking for most people, full of thoughts and experiences about life and the whole world. "

"I understand your idea. You hope this is a group portrait of teenagers."

"That's it!"

Ronald also scratched his head. Just like the last book "Famous" he participated in revising, it was another loose group portrait script without a main story.

"My main focus now will be on the sequel to Universal's other movie script "Grease", so I'm afraid I won't have extra energy to revise your script in the rest of this year."

"It doesn't matter. Simon \u0026 Schuster and Universal hope to confirm the script after it goes on sale next year and understands readers' feedback and opinions. The editors of the publishing house are very optimistic about it now, but the market reaction cannot be predicted in advance after all. "

Ronald learned that Universal's investment and the direction of the script might need to be adjusted according to the sales situation. So he agreed to Crowe and seriously considered participating in the work of adapting this into a script.

...

After parting with Cameron Crowe, Ronald's bag had an extra book for young people and Universal's revision opinions on the sequel to "Grease".

After the high-intensity meeting, Ronald boarded the plane back to New York. The schedule was very tight this time, and he didn't have time to meet with old friends such as James Cameron and Gale Hurd. He called Gale and learned that she was valued by Roger Corman and had begun to supervise the progress of some crews and work as a producer.

Cameron received another call A special effects model job for Roger Corman's "Galactic Destruction". He is also a well-known low-cost special effects expert in Hollywood.

On the plane, Ronald finished Cameron Crowe's "Fast and Furious Richmond High" in one breath.

It is indeed very fast-paced, with more than 200 pages, telling the stories of seven or eight high school characters. In addition to the protagonists Stacey and Brad, there are also surfer Jeff, nerdy mouse Mark who has a crush on Stacey, Stacey's good friend Linda, the social queen, and Mike, a poor boy who knows everything...

Ronald was attracted by the plot and unknowingly arrived in New York.

"I can't watch it anymore. I have to concentrate on the sequel to Grease now." Ronald stuffed it into his bag and called a taxi back to his aunt Karen's house.

"Ronald, the American election every four years is coming soon. You are 20 years old this year and can vote. Can you tell your aunt which candidate you are going to vote for? "At the dinner table welcoming Ronald home, Aunt Karen asked Ronald with a little seriousness.

Yes, he was not old enough in the last election. This is something that Aunt Karen attaches great importance to. She thinks it is an obligation. Ronald doesn't care much about these things. If Aunt Karen hadn't mentioned it, he would have forgotten it.

"I haven't thought about it yet. I am not very satisfied with the current president. The oil price and economy are not good. But the governor of California used to be an actor. I don't know if he can really change all this." Ronald decided to delay it for a while and learn more about it first.

"That's right. The Women's Voting League will hold the second televised candidate debate next week. You can watch it together. It will help you make a better choice."

"Okay, okay..." Ronald agreed vaguely.