Exploiting Hollywood 1980

“Do you agree with the Screen Actors Guild’s bargaining plan to increase the daily minimum wage from $225 to $315 and the weekly minimum wage from $785 to $1,100?

agree. "

Diane Lane fills out her union's ballot on whether to end the strike on her couch.

"Is the Screen Actors Guild's strike about to end?" Ronald wore a new coat he had made and had a weekend dinner at his aunt's house as usual.

The time has arrived in the new year, and Ronald is planning to go to Los Angeles early to have a good chat with Universal about the movie's script before the Golden Globe Awards.

Cameron Crowe's new book is selling well and has made it onto the New York Times bestseller list for teenagers. Universal's interest in "fast-paced Richmond High" is growing.

"Yes, I heard that the elected commander-in-chief is a person with a tough attitude towards the union. This time the Producers Union has agreed to a one-time 40% increase in the minimum wage. Most actors want to quit as soon as they can."

"But I heard that the incoming commander-in-chief was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Will he oppose the union's strike?"

"Who knows? I also heard what others said. It's none of my business anyway." Although Diane Lane is not yet 16 years old, she already earns a salary of one hundred thousand dollars for a single film. , these minimum wages actually have little to do with her.

The strike that lasted for half a year is finally coming to an end. This time the minimum wage has been raised across the board. The bottom members of the Actors Union, which has the largest number, are very satisfied. In addition, a candidate for the leadership with an unclear attitude is about to take office. I will no longer be obsessed with the specific terms of pay TV and video tape revenue, and I will be ready to compromise with the management.

Ed Asner, the union's chief negotiator who insisted on a tough attitude, also became famous and became a hero leading the workers' struggle. Now he is preparing to compete for the position of the next president of the Screen Actors Guild.

On January 20, Ronald came to Los Angeles. Agent Richard Lovett came to visit as usual and talked about some issues that Ronald needed to deal with.

"Universal's production department is very satisfied with the sales of Crowe's new book, and is stepping up contact with David Lynch. They hope that you can join the meeting, discuss your script with Director Lynch, and increase the sincerity of the invitation...

The producer of 'Famous', David DaSilva, invites you to meet and says he hopes you can chat with him about the script for the 'Famous' TV series. He’s taking Erin Cara around on TV and singing ‘Fa’ every time…

Michael Gore, the composer of Fa, also invited you, saying that he has been invited to work on many episodes of film and television dramas, and he hopes to work with you...

Finally, Jane Fonda, she also invited you to meet her at home..."

"It seems I'm quite popular?" Ronald smiled.

"Ronald, I originally wanted to talk to you about this. After all, the center of the movie is still in Hollywood, and your script will be launched this year. Are you considering moving to Los Angeles?" Richard asked this question seriously. .

"I know you still have to complete your studies at New York University, but there are many people who graduate from film and television majors and can't find jobs. Now that you have a good foundation, why not just move to Los Angeles?

There is a lot of news that there are the most opportunities in Hollywood, and interviews are required to confirm various projects. If you are in Hollywood, those people can find you at any time, instead of accumulating it here and waiting for you to come and concentrate on it. "

"I know, Richard. If you can let me be a director, I will consider moving here. Now I am still in college and will graduate in more than two years. This is what my aunt hopes for me. "

However, on the first day in Los Angeles, Ronald did not meet any of the people Richard arranged. Instead, he went to chat with his old friends James Cameron and Gale Hurd.

Cameron had just returned from a trip to Santa Monica and Venice, where he was hired to do special effects production design for Roger Corman's new film "Out of the Galaxy." This position is a step further than the previous special effects engineer of "Escape from New York". He is not only responsible for managing the production of special effects models and special effects makeup, but also designing the background, props, etc. of the set, so that he can integrate with the style of the special effects model.

Gale Hurd will also serve as the production assistant for "Out of the Galaxy", working with the associate producer (associate producer) who will supervise daily production on the set and report daily progress to Roger Corman.

"I wonder when we can become directors?" Ronald and Cameron raised their beer glasses, clinked them, and drank them in one gulp.

"Who will direct your new script?" Cameron asked.

"Universal wants David Lynch."

"His 'The Elephant Man' is a favorite at this Oscar. Will he still direct such a youth exploitation film?" Gale asked, flipping through the novel Ronald gave him.

"This is not something I have considered," Ronald shrugged. "My agent has made a request to Universal. They will consider giving me the title of assistant producer, learn on the set, and report daily progress to Producer.

However, producer Art Linson also wants to be a director. Maybe he will go to the set to learn directing techniques in person, which is the same as what I want to do. "

"David Lynch is indeed a good artist. His Elephant Man and special effects makeup are very good, and they look very realistic in black and white films. However, if color negatives were used, his makeup would still have many flaws..."

Cameron brought the topic to special effects again.

"What happens after Out of the Galaxy? Which crew will you work on next?" Ronald asked.

"Roger is considering a sequel to 'Piranha,' but Joe Dante, the director of the original Piranha film, is making a werewolf movie, 'The Howlg,' so maybe it'll be another sci-fi horror movie, 'Alien.'"

"Maybe after you make one or two movies, Mr. Coleman will give you the opportunity to direct independently, just like Joe Dante did back then." Ronald comforted his old friend.

He felt a little emotional. If he had not gone to college at that time and continued to work at New World Production, he might still be working as an assistant director or editor now, waiting for Corman to give him a chance to make a small-budget film. If he could make money , there will be a second and third part.

"Actually, I'm not in a hurry. I'm very skilled in special effects production. When I was helping Roger do 'Battle of the Stars', we needed more realistic special effects synthesis than the old movies. I also studied Kubrick's 2001 Space. Wander's front-end projection method," Cameron said.

In the golden age of Hollywood, the most common special effects shots were front and background compositing. The protagonists sit in cars or motorcycles with a large electric fan blowing on them to make their hair float.

The screen behind was showing the background footage of the racing scene that had been shot in advance, and the scenery on both sides was receding rapidly. If the camera is used to shoot together in this way, the audience will feel as if the protagonist is racing.

This method not only allows ordinary actors to shoot racing scenes, but more importantly, speeds up the shooting efficiency. The protagonist doesn't need to go to difficult-to-shoot exteriors. The second team only needs to take the stunt team to shoot some usable background scenes.

The method of shooting this kind of background picture behind the actors is called back-end projection. The disadvantage is that the perspective ratio of the background picture projected on the screen is wrong. The audience can easily tell that it is a picture shot separately. The protagonist is not really driving or charging on horseback.

The opening scene of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" shows some apes fighting with bones, with a wilderness in the background. These actors, who wore holsters and made up with hair special effects, could only be filmed in indoor studios and needed to reapply their makeup at any time.

Kubrick used back-end projection to project the wilderness background onto the screen, and the effect was very fake. So he came up with a new method, using a projector to project onto the screen behind the actors on the same side as the filming.

In this way, the perspective ratio is correct, and the picture the audience sees is much more realistic. However, since the projector is located on the photography side, the interference is great, and the camera will capture the projected light together.

Kubrick solved this problem by using a very complicated one-way mirror that rotated the projector ninety degrees and projected it from the side.

But after "2001: A Space Odyssey" was released, there were no other science fiction film shooting projects. Many of Kubrick's inventions, including front-end projection equipment, were dismantled at British Pines Studios to make way for the next film.

In order to reproduce this realistic shooting effect, Cameron simply restored this technique based on the principles of magazine reports at the time collected in the library. He is also one of the few special effects designers in America who knows how to use front-end projection.

"I don't think I'm short of work, but Ronald, if you become a screenwriter, you may become a director faster. I have worked on several crews, and I have become more and more aware of the importance of screenwriters to film directors. Screenwriters are other than directors. , the only person who knows the effect he wants to achieve in the film before shooting. This kind of imagination with an overall view is the necessary step to become a director. "

Cameron, in turn, was envious of Ronald's screenwriting choices.

"Let's encourage each other and wish our dreams come true soon and become film directors."

"And you, Gale, I hope you become a producer soon."

Ronald asked Gail again about the work content of an assistant producer.

"The job of this position is actually determined by the game between the producer and the director. If someone like Cimino has the power of life and death on the crew, then the assistant producer is just an assistant to the crew, filling out forms every day.

If the producer attaches great importance to the crew and monitors the progress every day, then the producer will become the producer's personal assistant, helping to make coffee and prepare lunch.

The only kind of crew where the producer lets go and the director has no power, the assistant producer can keep an eye on the production progress every day and veto the director's unreasonable reshoots and reshoots, as well as a considerable degree of involvement in casting.

, filming, and other work, because he is the only source of information on the crew to report the filming progress to the studio.

You've seen Roger's working methods on the set. If he trusted the director, he wouldn't come to the set every day to inspect. But if the assistant producer informs him that the progress has been delayed, he will rush to the set and tear up the script that was too late to film..."

"Hahaha..." Ronald was reminded of the memory of working in the New World. It seems that what can be learned in this position depends on each person's ability and opportunity.

Back at the hotel, Ronald turned on the TV, and NBC was still replaying the inauguration of the commander-in-chief that day. His speaking voice is very rich, and his pronunciation is fast and slow, so that people can understand the content of his speech effortlessly. Unlike the previous commander-in-chief who just stepped down, he always used big words in his TV speeches and was not charming in his speech.

I don’t know what kind of chance it was that made a B-movie actor become the commander-in-chief.

Ronald's opportunity came quickly. Warner called Ronald and the novelist Cameron Crowe the next day and arranged for them to attend a meeting between president Tom Mount and David Lynch.