Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Ronald spent his vacation days in New York very comfortably. He even had a sumptuous Christmas dinner with his aunt and cousin on Christmas Eve.

Perhaps because of the long preparation and directing of the filming, Ronald was somewhat out of touch with real life. He moved to his aunt's apartment and stayed at home for many days. He talked with his aunt every day and used the warmth of family to temporarily forget the film he had just filmed.

Early in the morning of this day, Ronald was watching TV in the living room again.

In order to watch the president's speech and new trends at any time, Aunt Karen paid for cable TV for the family. In addition to local channels and the three major wireless TV stations, the family TV can watch dozens of channels from all over the country.

This practice of moving local channels to the national cable TV network so that cable TV subscribers across the country can watch it is called syndication. Many TV programs that were originally local became popular after being syndicated.

Ronald picked up a small rectangular box and pressed it on the TV. The TV changed channels following his gestures. This is a remote control device equipped with a cable TV reception box. It can change TV channels while sitting. Ronald likes it very much.

"Hey, what is this?"

Ronald found a picture of Apollo landing on the moon on the TV, but the flag on the moon was changed from the national flag to a flag with a capital M on it.

Then a beautiful host began to announce, "Welcome to MTV, the world's first music TV channel. Day and night, stereo plays the world's best pop music for you."

Then the picture changed, and MTV began to play Rod Stewart's music video. Ronald began to be interested. This kind of music video, which is much shorter than normal TV programs, is very interesting. It changes every few minutes.

The rhythm of their editing is much faster than movies and TV series.

Ronald stared at MTV and watched several popular songs on the charts. He found that he had no difficulty understanding this fast-paced plot. Maybe it was because of the music and lyrics that helped the audience understand the plot, and it didn't take a long time to lay the groundwork like in movies.

"Next is the latest concert of the Rolling Stones," said the host.

"Oh, Ronald, you should go out for a walk, don't stay at home watching TV all the time."

Aunt Karen couldn't stand Ronald staying at home eating, sleeping and watching TV every day, so she came to drive him up from the sofa, "Go out, buy a copy of the New York Times, it's good for you."

"Okay," Ronald got up from the sofa, put on his coat and prepared to go out.

At this time, the phone rang, Aunt Karen answered the phone, and then handed the receiver to Ronald, "Looking for you, Ronald, it's a girl."

"I'm Ronald, who is this?"

"I'm Helen, Helen Slater, who filmed a gum commercial, do you remember me?"

"Of course, hello Helen." Ronald certainly remembered that before the filming of "Fast-paced Richmond High School", Ronald wanted to let this girl audition, but was rejected by her father Gerald who worked in the TV station because Helen was not yet 18 years old.

Speaking of which, it's almost the New Year, and Helen is now an adult.

Sometimes, there are many seemingly insignificant factors that affect movies. If Helen was a few months older, or the filming started later, maybe Helen Slater could also participate.

"Ronald, I want to invite you to be my date at the 'Debutante' dance, are you willing?"

"What?" Ronald didn't understand the name of the dance.

\u0026e, French for 'debutante', is a dance for American girls to appear in social occasions for the first time, and a male partner is required. "

"Dance? I have no experience, didn't Gerald arrange other suitable candidates for you?"

Gerald Slater, who was listening to the phone next to Helen, couldn't help it, took the phone receiver and said, "Hey, boy. My daughter wants you to be her date, what else do you want to do?"

"Gerald, hello. That's not what I mean. I have never participated in a debutante dance, and I don't know how to perform my duties. Helen said it seems to be a very formal occasion. "Ronald comes from a lower class background and is not very interested in this kind of upper-class atmosphere.

Gerald calmed down a little after hearing Ronald's reasons. It seems that this lucky silly boy attaches great importance to his daughter's coming-of-age ceremony.

"It's not so formal. It's a small-scale ball in our TV and film circles. The real international debutante ball is held in even-numbered years, and many princesses from European countries will come to participate.

We want to create an environment for our children so that young people who are interested in entering the entertainment industry can meet some people in the circle when they grow up. Helen thought of you first when she invited you, and you can also meet some young people in the circle. "

"It's my honor. "

"Remember the protocol's request, the debut ceremony in the morning, and the guest party after lunch..."

On the day of the adult debut ball for the children of senior film and television practitioners, Ronald wore a dark blue navy double-breasted metal buttoned suit, a crimson pocket square, gray pants, and combed his hair neatly, and went to the Waldorf Hotel.

This old hotel is the venue for the international adult ball held every even-numbered year. Gerald and his family also held the ball here, with the intention of improving the status of their daughters.

Arriving at the hall where the dance was held, Ronald felt a little regretful. None of the male companions who came were well-known people in the industry, and most of them were second-generation stars. He also saw the second-generation star from New York University who wanted to pull him into the fraternity.

The pace of the first appearance dance was very slow. Each girl walked down the stairs alone, and each had 10 minutes to appear. The host introduced the girl's family background information and the family background of the male companion. Then he showed the dress to everyone present.

After waiting for more than two hours, it was almost noon when the host finally announced Helen's name.

"Miss Helen Slater, her father is Gerald Slater, the vice president of PBS TV station..."

Ronald stood up quickly and looked up at the top of the stairs.

I saw a girl about five feet eight inches (1.73 meters) appear at the exit of the corridor on the stairs. She wore a creamy white dress and a white hat in the style of the 1920s and 1930s on her head. Her blue eyes were shining.

There were two sparkling pendant earrings hanging on her ears, and a string of pearls on her neck.

It was Helen Slater, whom Ronald had not seen for a long time.

They had not seen each other for more than a year, and had only talked on the phone a few times. Ronald felt that he did not know Helen a little bit.

American girls, at this age, are in a period of rapid change in appearance. In addition to her eyebrows and eyes, Helen's figure has become more outstanding, making Ronald feel like a girl from the neighborhood has suddenly grown into a beauty.

Helen walked down the stairs slowly, looking around, looking for her male companion Ronald. She saw Ronald dressed in a navy uniform, with trimmed hair and beard, and was obviously very satisfied. She came over and took his arm.

After the host finished the introduction, it was the photographer's photo session. Ronald faithfully acted as Helen Slater's male model, took several sets of photos, and then the two went to their seats and sat down.

"You are very good today, Helen. You can be said to be the most beautiful girl at the ball." Ronald felt that this was the first time he praised a girl without any exaggeration.

"Hehe..." Helen smiled, "You are also handsome."

The two smiled at each other.

"You have been waiting here for a long time, right?" Helen asked.

"That's right, I'm glad I saw you at last, and I didn't waste my time. You are in the lounge upstairs, are you waiting too?"

"Yes, but we have spies, hehe..." Helen laughed again, "We have friends who keep peeking at the door and tip us off about who has the most handsome male companion."

After chatting and laughing for a while, the two continued to wait for the remaining girls to come down the stairs.

"Don't you feel bored? Let's go first?" Helen waited for two or three girls and said to Ronald beside her.

"Didn't you say there will be guests in the afternoon?"

"They are very boring people, the son and nephew of the former President JFK. My father said that they want to enter the entertainment industry as actors."

Ronald was a little unconvinced. The former first lady would not allow his son to be a movie actor. Although there were news footage of Kennedy Jr. going to college on TV, he did look good enough to be the leading actor.

"Why, do you want to meet him?" Helen asked when she saw Ronald didn't move.

"No, I'm just wondering if this would be disrespectful."

"Don't think about it, this isn't a real international adult dance, we can sneak out the back door, I'll go change clothes first."

Helen pulled Ronald and sneaked out the back door of the hotel lobby. She secretly took out a bag from behind the door and went into the bathroom to change clothes.

It seems that she had planned to sneak out a long time ago.

After changing out of the dress, Helen changed into jeans and a men's jacket, and put the necklace into the bag, leaving only two earrings. From the celebrity style just now, she suddenly became a high school girl commonly seen on the streets of New York.

"I want to go to the New York Museum of Modern Art, will you accompany me?"

"Okay, Gerald gave me the task, but to accompany you for a day."

"Hahaha, don't you want to?"

"Of course, it's my honor." Ronald raised his arm for Helen to step on, and the two walked out of the Waldorf Astoria.

The New York Museum of Modern Art is very close to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and it only takes more than ten minutes to walk from Lexington Avenue. Passing Rockefeller Street and Fifth Avenue, you can see the unique appearance of the New York Museum of Modern Art.

This is the upscale area of ​​New York. There are many beautiful women and handsome men dressed fashionably along the way. The pace of walking is much slower than that of the elites in downtown Manhattan.

"Actually, I don't want to come to this dance, but I have to perfunctorily appease Gerald." Helen walked and talked all the way. "He promised me that if I am willing to come, he would find me a performance opportunity at ABC TV, but my mother encouraged me to find opportunities myself."

"Gerald also found me an agent, but he always told my father everything about me. My mother asked me to find another agent so that I can get rid of his tyranny. But I don't want him to be sad."

Helen looked at Ronald, the director who directed her first TV commercial and made her debut on TV. She felt a little kind in her heart and told him all the troubles of entering and leaving the entertainment industry.

"Actually, an actor can hire more than one agent. There is no law prohibiting this. I am like this."

"Really? That's good." Helen nodded and changed the subject. "Is my dress beautiful? My mother helped me choose it. There are many second-hand dress stores in New York. Many women will send their designer dresses to sell after wearing them once."

"Why buy a second-hand dress?" Ronald knew that Helen's father was a senior executive of a TV station and her mother was a lawyer. Her income would not be very low.

"Because it is environmentally friendly. My mother said that those flashy things are vanity and illusions, and we should focus on the essence. If everyone abandons vanity, the earth's resources will not be exhausted due to abuse."

"You are right..."

The two quickly walked to the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This is the largest museum in New York besides the Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are still many people near noon. Ronald bought a ticket to enter.

"I came to see the exhibition of modern artists last time. Which modernist artist do you like?" Helen took Ronald and asked as they walked in the hall.

"I don't understand these..."

"You are too modest. Aren't you a movie director? Last time my father didn't allow me to audition, and I had a quarrel with him. Later, my mother came out to talk to him, and he agreed that I could freely audition for the movie, but I had to report to him."

The two walked into an exhibition hall, and Ronald also looked at the modern art paintings on the wall.

"This is Van Gogh's Starry Night, this is Monet's Water Lilies, this is Dali and Cezanne..."

Helen Slater is very familiar with these famous paintings, and Ronald also stood close to look at the masters' works and appreciate them one by one.

"If you feel bored, go to the modern installation art exhibition that you are interested in first?" Ronald felt that Helen was already very familiar with these paintings, and was afraid that she would feel bored.

"It doesn't matter, I will accompany you to watch it again, the masterpieces of masters are always worth appreciating repeatedly."

Ronald patted Helen's hand to express his gratitude, and the two looked at the paintings one by one.

Ronald has not studied any paintings, but just watched the masterpieces of masters as an ordinary audience. In front of him is another master's work, "Red, Yellow, Blue" by Dutch painter Mondrian.

When Ronald saw this work, he felt a strange sense of familiarity in his heart. He stopped and stared at the painting for a long time.

There are no people or scenery in the painting, just some simple black lines, dividing the canvas into several cuboids. Some rectangular blocks of color are filled with red, yellow, and blue.

Helen looked at Ronald strangely. The paintings he had seen before were not so fascinating. Next to Ronald was a Chinese, dressed as an art student. He was holding a paintbrush and copying Mondrian's work on the easel next to him.

"What an interesting rhythm." After a long time, Ronald muttered to himself.

"Why, can you see Mondrian's rhythm?" The Chinese student looked at Ronald and said.

"Yes, although these are lines and blocks of color, it gives people the feeling that the painter is narrating a rhythm."

"Are you studying painting?" The Chinese student looked at him and didn't seem like it.

"No, I'm a filmmaker. My name is Ronald."

"Just call me Chen." The Chinese student stretched out his hand and shook his hand.

"Few laymen can see that Mondrian paints rhythm. They all think that Mondrian paints living room decorations."

Chen pointed to Mondrian's paintings to Ronald, "In fact, they don't understand the master's strength. Look at this brushstroke. His lines are all freehand. Different blacks have different shades, which make the lines feel three-dimensional."

Ronald looked in the direction of his finger. Indeed, the same black lines seemed to float above the other. Although the picture is simple, it is very appealing. This simplicity can only be achieved through overall design and attention to details.

"It seems that simplicity is not so easy to achieve." Ronald sighed. Art is interconnected. Many people say that Hitchcock's film narratives are simple, but it is not so easy to achieve this simplicity. Many people can't imitate his style.

"It seems that you have a good sense of art. The store at the door sells printed reproductions. If you like, you can buy one." Chen pointed him and said.

"Thank you, are you selling your copy?" Ronald was attracted by Chen's copy of the oil painting.

"I can't sell it. Mondrian's paintings are difficult to copy. My paintings don't look like them at all." Chen shook his head.

Ronald shrugged and turned back to continue visiting the installation art that Helen liked.

After the exhibition, Ronald and Helen ate hot dogs on the street. Now you need a license to set up a stall in Manhattan. The hot dogs tasted very good with the sauce, and Helen was particularly happy.

"Thank you, Ronald. I had a lot of fun today. I will listen to you and ask my mother to find me another agent. Maybe I will audition for your next movie."

After sending Helen home, Ronald took the print of Mondrian's painting he bought and went back to his aunt's house.

After the New Year holiday, Ronald returned to Los Angeles. He placed the copy of Mondrian's painting on the table in the editing room to remind himself to keep the rhythm when editing.

"This is Eric, the editor of this film, these are his two assistant editors, and this is director Ronald." Producer Art Linson introduced the editing team to Ronald. In the next two months, it would depend on Ronald and Eric to work together to edit the film.

"Hello, Ronald, the sound and picture synchronization has been completed. Do you want to watch it again from the beginning?"

"Okay, thank you, Eric, let's get started."