Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Walking out of the New World office building, Ronald happened to see the president's assistant Gail. She was struggling with the car. She started it several times but couldn't start it.

"Gail, where are you going?" Ronald walked down the stairs. "What's wrong with your car? It seems that there is a problem with the spark plug."

"Oh, Ronald." Gail simply gave up trying, got out of the car and grabbed Ronald. "Can you take me to the stunt company? My car is broken and I can't find a driver."

In 1979, American cars still broke down easily and often had to find a mechanic for maintenance. Otherwise, it would be easy to break down halfway when driving a long distance, and you could only call for a tow truck. In comparison, the quality of German and Japanese cars is more stable.

Ronald opened the car door, picked up Gail, and drove to New World Stunts where Cameron worked.

New World Stunts is an independent company newly established by Roger Corman, specializing in the production and shooting of stunt model shots in preparation for the new film "Battle of the Stars".

Roger Coleman heard that the model production progress was seriously behind schedule, but he was too busy to do it, so he called Gail, the president's assistant, and asked her to go to the site for inspection.

This was Ronald's first time to the stunt company. Gail pointed to the road. The stunt company was located on Santa Monica Beach, a little north of Venice where Ronald lived.

The car drove to the office of New World Stunt, which was in an abandoned port cargo warehouse. As soon as you enter the door, you can see all kinds of weird models, some are made of silicone, some are plaster, some are plastic, and some look like metal, which is very light and made of wood and painted.

"Jim," Ronald saw Cameron working on a large workbench, "Look who's here?"

"Gail, Ronald, you are here?" Cameron was very happy, took off his bib, wiped his hands with a rag, and shook hands with them.

"Where are the person in charge and other employees here?" Gail asked as soon as he came up.

"They were meeting in the cubicle, saying they wanted to find a way to solve the problem of the texture of the spaceship model." Cameron shrugged, "In fact, as long as the lens is designed well and the illusion of perspective is used, it can be indistinguishable from the real thing, just like in my short film."

"Really? Why didn't the stunt director do that?"

"He would rather make a full-size model that people can enter. After it is completed, the actors can perform directly and the camera can shoot directly," Cameron explained.

"This is too slow. It would be much faster if a model was used."

Gail looked at the unfinished models on other workbenches. Various materials and molds were placed on the table. Only Cameron had a few completed models. He was working on an alien mask, which seemed to be almost finished.

"Roger sent me to see why the progress was behind schedule." Gail asked Cameron.

"If you ask me, it's the stunt director's problem. He has never made a movie, never worked on the set, and doesn't know the magic of the camera. For example, when this monster speaks, its head will split open. We just need to shoot a close-up of the face first, then cut to the reaction shots of other actors, and then cut back to change the headgear with a split head. There is no need to make a mechanical model whose head will automatically split open." Cameron talked freely. "The same is true for the spaceship model." "There is no need to build a model that can really complete all the functions. Look at the robot R2D2 in "Star Wars". Isn't it a dwarf who puts on the robot shell and performs inside? There is no need to build a remote-controlled robot that can slide by itself." Gail took out a small notebook and recorded the production progress of the model. Then he found the special effects director and other special effects workers who were in a meeting, understood the special effects director's explanation, and conveyed Roger Corman's concerns. The situation is indeed not optimistic, and the progress has fallen behind significantly. The design and manufacture of the model are the hardest hit areas. As Cameron complained, they don't quite understand that movies are an art of fakery. While Gail was meeting with the special effects director in the cubicle, Ronald and Cameron were chatting outside. Cameron had a long beard and messy hair, which was covered with a lot of paint and dirt.

"Jim, looking at you like this, has your wife Sharon abandoned you?"

"Hey, don't mention it. She dislikes my long overtime work these days and told me not to go home to live. She doesn't quite understand my dedication to movies. Sometimes she misses my days as a truck driver." Cameron complained to his old friend.

"In fact, I have known Sharon since I graduated from high school. She was a restaurant waitress at that time and encouraged me to pursue my dream of movies. But when I really started working in the film industry, she felt that I was too devoted to my work and ignored her feelings."

"So you really didn't go back to live, and you lived here?" Ronald didn't quite understand Cameron's thoughts and his obsession with movies.

"Of course not. I have apologized to her and asked for her forgiveness and understanding. I was just catching up with the progress yesterday." Cameron pointed to his hair.

"By the way, how come you have time to come here today?"

"I came to ask you for a favor," Ronald took out a typed letter and asked Cameron to sign it.

"I hereby certify that Ronald V. Lee, working as the second director of the Rock High School crew, has shown qualified competitiveness..."

"Have you got the application from the Directors Guild?" Cameron signed happily and handed it to Ronald, "Don't forget to go to the court or bank and ask a notary to notarize it."

"Thank you," Ronald took the certificate and handed over an envelope, "This is for you." "I was admitted to New York University. I am the first generation of college students in my family. It is customary to give you a gift."

"Wow," Cameron opened it and took a look, "Thanks, Ronnie."

Inside were 10 McDonald's gift certificates and a large book of coupons that Ronald had put there.

Cameron, like Ronald, lived on McDonald's coupons, so he was not polite and put the gift away.

"Your progress here seems to be a little slow?" Ronald asked, looking at the messy models, silicone, paint, molds, dirty rags, and a McDonald's French fries box that was not thrown away on the table.

"On the contrary, it's almost done." Cameron said proudly, pointing to various models and introducing them to Ronald one by one. Basically, there are only one or two processes left.

Ronald felt something was wrong, but he couldn't say what was wrong.

"Why did I think you were slow when I came in?"

"Maybe I put some materials and tools on the same table?"

Ronald thought about it and realized that it was the right thing. If you clean up a table and put all the models on it, the look will be much better.

"You should do this... Jim. If the boss Mr. Coleman comes to inspect and has the same feeling as me..."

"Oh Shxt, you're right. I'll prepare a table to display the models." Cameron reacted and asked the employees to work with him to clean up a special display table for the boss to see the results.

...

Here, Gail had already learned about the situation without showing any emotion. She and Ronald were going to report back to the company. In the parking lot, she also gave Cameron a few instructions alone.

Ronald drove Gail to the office of New World Productions again. On the way, Gail asked:

"Ronald, what do you think of Cameron's stunt model technology?"

"I don't understand stunt model manufacturing, but I think Jim is right. There is no need to build a real full-size and fully functional model. We can use photography technology to cooperate."

"Do you think Jim can be responsible for model making?" Gail asked.

Ronald felt that Gail had the idea to recommend a change of leadership to Roger Coleman and let Cameron take charge of all model manufacturing.

He felt that something was wrong. Cameron worked much harder than others. Let him lead a group of people with more experience than him... Maybe they would fight.

After thinking for a moment, Ronald said:

"Of course, Jim has genius ideas and implementation capabilities. I believe he can ensure that the model is completed on time. But stunt photography is not just about models. If you shoot according to Jim's ideas, you need close cooperation between the model and the photographer."

Ronald applied the principle of the whole being greater than the part that he had learned in editing before.

Gail nodded, and Ronald continued:

"The model director's concerns are not completely unreasonable. If there is no photography director familiar with stunts, then the best way may be to make a full-function, full-size model, so that the photographer will not be exposed no matter how he shoots."

"Now the progress is not in time. If Jim's method is used, the photography department and the stunt department need to maintain excellent communication, so that the style of the film can be consistent."

"The details must be coordinated with the whole. If the coordination is not good, the film may not be as good as the original stunt director's idea."

Ronald summarized with the principles he just learned.

Gail thought about it and agreed, "I will report to Roger."

After sending Gail back to the company, Ronald took three letters of certification to the Los Angeles County Court and found a clerk with a notary license to notarize them. Each letter was charged $5 in exchange for a notary stamp.

He wrote a check for $750 for the membership fee and a check for $50 for the annual fee, and sent them to the Directors Guild of Motion Picture Directors with the application materials by express delivery.

Then fill out the admission confirmation form, attach a $200 deposit check, and mail it to New York University.

Two major things have been accomplished.

Ronald has completed these two major things to start his career as a director. Get a Directors Guild card, so that he can have more opportunities in the industry in the future. Go to the film department of a well-known university to lay a solid foundation of knowledge.

I, Ronald, the new generation of Hollywood directors, is here!

Next, I will have more free time in Los Angeles. Ronald plans to go to all the attractions near Los Angeles with Mara. By the way, I will wait for the preview of "Rock High School" to finish.

It's still early for the fall enrollment, and I still have plenty of time.