Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Ronald walked out of the administrative office and saw Gail, whose eyes no longer shed tears, talking to Jim.

"Hey, Ronald, do you know martial arts? You took down two Zachs easily."

"I was on the wrestling team in high school."

"Oh", Gale also imitated Ronald's moves and gestured twice, "Then will you still take pictures for me today?"

"You guys wait for me for a while, I'll bring my camera up to take pictures, and then I'll treat you to dinner."

"What? Is there anything worth celebrating?"

"Yes, Mr. Coleman asked me to direct the remaining second unit."

…

"Give me an emotion, Gale." Ronald was instructing Gale to pose and make expressions. "Think of something random, something happy."

"No, no, the thing you just thought about was a bit bad. Think of one more thing."

"This thing is good, I like it, keep it, good."

Gale seemed to suddenly think of something happy and gave the camera a beautiful smile. Ronald quickly pressed the shutter and captured it.

Jim walked from behind Ronald to Gail and handed him the coffee.

"I took a picture with Gail."

"Put it aside for a while, so as not to stain my lipstick."

Ronald clicked the shutter a few more times, and both of them looked very good.

Then I set the shutter to the timer and took a photo of the three of them.

Ronald put away his camera and tripod. The three of them walked out of the office and got into Ronald's car to go to dinner.

Without costing Ronald too much, the three of them found an ordinary restaurant for a meal. Ronald felt that the environment was very similar to the one where Aunt Karen worked in Staten Island. Big bright windows, sofa booths, not many people eating, maybe because it's Sunday.

The three of them took a booth, and the waiter brought them menus for them to order. It serves pasta, meatballs, pizza and other Italian food, as well as pure Italian espresso coffee.

After finishing their staple food, the three of them started chatting about what had just happened.

"...Roger asked me to take charge of the second team's shooting, and then asked me to ask you for the photographer's contact information and take charge of the photography." Ronald briefly explained what happened just now.

"Not using the original second team of photographers from 'Rock and Roll High School'?"

"Roger asked me to shoot with him. We will finish the second unit, but we will not continue Jerry Zucker's shooting schedule."

"So you set up a second unit to shoot the rest of the footage?"

"Then you're not..." Gale said, stopping and looking at Jim next to him.

"It doesn't matter, Jim and I are friends." Ronald took the coffee brought by the waiter and pushed it in front of Gale and Jim opposite.

"Union member?" Jim asked.

Ronald nodded.

"I already am," Jim said, taking out his wallet, pulling out a membership card and placing it on the table.

Ronald picked it up and said, "The United Teamsters..."

"Oh, not this one, this is my other union."

Jim looked for it again, took out one, and handed it to Ronald.

This is a cardboard card. In the upper left corner is the logo of the Directors Guild, an eagle with wings ready to fly. Below the logo are the words 1978-1979, indicating the validity period of this card.

Directly at the top is the word "American Directors Guild", below is Jim's name and address typed on a typewriter, and at the bottom is the signature of the director's union president.

It's such an ordinary little card. With it, you can get into the industry in Hollywood.

"Did you apply for that short film?" Ronald asked.

"Yes, my short film was made by dentists for tax rebates, so it must be registered with major labor unions in Hollywood to get a tax rebate certificate. The Directors Guild will send you application materials after seeing your registration."

Gale took Jim's Directors Guild card from Ronald and looked curious.

"Then you need to find three members of the Directors Guild to endorse you, then get the application materials notarized and send them back to the union. After they approve them, they will send you membership information. You then write a check for the membership fee. Give it to them and you can get this membership card.”

"Sounds a bit complicated."

"Yes, and the membership fee is not cheap. Short film directors like me belong to a relatively low level. Like advertising directors, documentary directors, director assistants, and drama site managers, they have to pay a membership fee of US$750. Oh, by the way, you still have to pay it every year. There is a $60 renewal fee.”

"But there are benefits. They will help you pay for medical insurance, and you don't have to pay extra for the lowest level. Compared with other industries, the film and television industry unions do this well."

Ronald was a little envious because he didn't have medical insurance. But next year he should be able to get an invitation to join the membership, and he still has to work hard to make money and pay the membership fee.

Jim took back the Directors Guild card that Gale was playing with and put it in his wallet. "Tell me about your college application. Have you decided?"

"I have already applied to two public universities in New York. But I would like to apply to film majors in some schools. I just asked Mrs. Coleman for advice. She said that several universities in California and New York have film majors worth considering, and she also said that you can contact her. Write letters of recommendation to Roger.”

"Then you have a good chance. Mr. Coleman knows some people in the circle, and his letters of recommendation are of certain value." Gale is a Stanford graduate and is familiar with these things.

"But the tuition is not as cheap as public schools. I heard that you need to pay for filming in college."

"Don't be too superstitious about those university professors." Jim said, "You can read their books and make some friends. But those professors have never made a movie themselves, how can they teach you? It's nothing more than reading from the textbook."

"Instead of spending money to learn how to make movies from professors, it's better to work and learn at New World Productions, and you can also enter the industry. Few graduates of those film majors can shoot better than me."

"That's not the case." Gail still prefers to go to college. "Look at the new directors now, they all graduated from college. Lucas who made "Star Wars", Francis Coppola who made "The Godfather"..."

"But Steven Spielberg who made "Jaws" dropped out of college." Jim laughed.

Gail hit Jim's hand, expressing his dissatisfaction with his argument, and giggled non-stop.

"Gail, can I use the company's copy machine? I want to prepare the application materials today. Please help me mail them out tomorrow. I will start shooting the second group tomorrow, and I am afraid of forgetting things."

"No problem, you can prepare the envelope containing the recommendation letter, and I will remind Roger for you tomorrow. Today is the 17th, and the Christmas holiday is not far away. Don't send the post office express letter, it is not fast at all. It is better to find that FedEx company. The documents they send can arrive within two days and are guaranteed to be before the deadline."

"Thank you so much, I will give you the postage first," Ronald turned to Jim's direction, "Jim, do you want to come to the second group to help me? Or do you prefer to learn from Alan in the crew."

"I will help you," Jim agreed, "Alan's next scene is mostly indoor scenes. I see that there is also an outdoor motorcycle chase in the script. Is it shot by your second group?"

"Yes, then I will let you shoot this scene." Ronald knew that Jim was interested in stunts and was also a motorcycle enthusiast.

"There are some introductory empty shots without actors. We also need to find a prop designer and make a school sign." Ronald began to calculate what kind of manpower was needed.

"No, I'll do it. I know these." Jim said, "What other scenes and props are there? Let me think about it together."

There is also a telephone booth scene, a sunrise scene on the mountain, and a concert entrance scene, all of which are trivial and scattered scenes. We can go back to the office to check them in detail.

After drinking the espresso in one gulp, Ronald put down the slightly larger tip, and the three returned to the office of New World Productions.

After checking the office phone book and the film industry directory, Ronald found the addresses of the admissions offices of four universities. Gail helped him type several blank envelopes and asked Roger Corman to write a letter of recommendation tomorrow.

"Mr. Corman attaches great importance to his own recommendations. He writes them himself." Gail said.

"By the way, is your short film in the company? We just happen to have time to take a look today." Ronald said.

"Oh, I left it at home. I'll remember to bring it next time."