Exploiting Hollywood 1980

After a few days of repairs at his aunt's house, Ronald went to the Richmond Savings Bank in town and paid off a $2,000 home loan in one lump sum.

It just so happened that the account manager was a classmate of Ronald's in high school, and he also extended the remaining repayment plan, allowing Aunt Karen to pay a lot less every month.

However, the first-year tuition at New York University is US$3,300, plus rent, books, and equipment rental fees essential for film majors, Ronald's savings are about to be significantly reduced.

The top priority was to reopen a portrait photography studio in Manhattan.

I found a real estate agency in the classified ads section of the New York Times. Ronald called and talked about his needs: 1. Close to New York University. 2. Have a room for photography.

The agent picked Ronald up at the ferry terminal in the afternoon the next day and showed him three properties at once.

The first is a studio in Soho, a 1,200-square-foot (110-square-meter) studio that rents for $1,250 per month.

It is a large empty room, which is suitable for a real photography studio. However, it is not suitable for both commercial and residential use. Besides, the rent is also expensive, and the pressure of doing business every month is not small.

The second one is a small apartment in Brooklyn, with two bedrooms and one living room. The rent is only $280 per month. Although it is a little far away, it is connected by the subway, and it is only a few stops away from New York University.

The agent boasted that it was a historic house, and the landlord had equipped it with a modern kitchen and bathroom.

Ronald felt that the rent was cheap and was a little tempted. He agreed to go to the site to have a look, but he was disappointed.

It turns out that modern decoration means that gas and hot water are connected, while historical decoration means that the house is very dilapidated and leaks when it rains, leaving traces on the walls.

The third house is on the east side of New York University, at the junction of the Vilge district, in the artist's apartment on 2nd Avenue. The house is also relatively old, but it is well maintained. It is an apartment with three rooms.

Outside the door are restaurants owned by various ethnic minorities, including Jews, Italians, Ukrainians, Japanese, and Chinese.

Across the road is a Kodak printing store, and there is a deli and grocery store next to it, making life very convenient. There's a Wells Fargo bank a block away. Ronald fell in love with the environment at first sight.

The house was a low-rent house built by the government for the poor in the past, but now it has been turned into a rental apartment. Therefore, we do not pay attention to the rational layout, but pay attention to the housing acquisition rate.

The agent said that this type of house is called a train apartment, which is like three train compartments. The three houses are connected from front to back and there are no corridors or entrances. It's the same as the shotgun room at my aunt's house.

Entering the house, Ronald planned to use it as a living room and reception room for photography. The second largest room in the middle is used as a photography room. The last room is used as a bedroom and study room.

After some haggling, Ronald rented the train apartment on the second floor for $500 a month. There's no elevator, so you don't need to climb too high.

I talked with the caretaker and found out that this kind of house does not have separate water, electricity and gas meters, so it is shared among the residents. After paying the deposit and opening the phone, Ronald started preparing to open a photography studio.

The apartment was full of artists, the kind who didn't do too well. Of course it's not too bad, not reduced to living in Hell's Kitchen. Ronald found a Czech painter and asked him to simply decorate his small apartment in exchange for taking portraits.

Especially the portraits of Demi Moore and Natasha Kinski, enlarged and hung on the wall of the reception room, facing the door. In addition, a photo of Demi Moore was enlarged and posted behind the window on the second floor, with the artistic words "Audition Photography" written next to it.

Ronald was very satisfied and bought a typewriter and a Sony TV. This was like settling down in New York.

"At the 29th West Berlin Film Festival, the Soviet delegation, as well as delegations from the Eastern Bloc, collectively withdrew from the film festival to protest against Michael Cimino's participating film 'The Deer Hunter', which slandered the North Vietnamese People's Army..."

Seeing his old acquaintance Fatty again on TV, Ronald smiled and decided that he should just walk down the road steadily.

He used a typewriter to type up an advertisement for taking audition photos. After he was satisfied with the revision, Ronald went to the copy shop and made hundreds of copies to try out by distributing them around the area tomorrow.

Went out to Abe Lebevoir's delicatessen on the corner across the road and bought some meat. Went to the grocery store and bought some bread, cigarettes and red wine. Ronald asked a Czech painter to invite some artists in the house to hold a party at his house.

They were all artists, and they began to comment on the audition photos of the two beauties taken by Ronald. The unanimous view is that Ronald is very good at capturing the moment when the beauty expresses her emotions, but he is not artistically good and does not show the beauty's physical beauty.

"I'm casting for movie directors, you don't understand." Ronald scolded with a smile.

After distributing some of his advertising leaflets to various "artists", Ronald expected to have business coming to his door tomorrow.

Sure enough, at noon the next day, someone came to the door and wanted to take audition photos.

The person who knocked on the door was a beautiful black-haired woman. When Ronald opened the door, she seemed to be frightened.

The beauty shrank back like a frightened rabbit, and then combed her hair with her hands, "Are you the photographer who takes audition photos as mentioned in this advertisement?"

A pair of eyes moved flexibly, trying to look into the room. Compared with the flyer in his hand, he seemed not to believe that Ronald, who was so young, was the photographer.

Ronald stepped aside and opened the door wide, allowing the beauty to see the situation in the reception room. Pointing to the two sample pictures on the wall, he said, "I am Ronald, the photographer on the flyer, and this is my audition portrait studio."

The beauty watched Ronald open the door. There was nothing unusual in the room. She entered the room cautiously and looked at the two audition photos on the wall.

"Tea or coffee?" Ronald said, opening the kitchen door and reaching for the kettle.

"Coffee is fine. Were you the ones who took these two photos?" the beautiful woman's voice came from the living room.

"Yes, one is German actress Natasha Kinski, who played the female lead in Polanski's 'Tess.' The other is Demi Moore, who hasn't had a role in a movie yet , but I think it will be a matter of time.”

While chatting, Ronald filled up a cup of instant coffee and served it to the other party. Seeing the beauty gradually relaxing while drinking coffee, Ronald began to ask: "Is this your first time taking audition photos, or do you want to update them?"

"First time taking audition photos."

"Do you want to shoot it in color or black and white? For auditions for dramas or romantic comedies?"

Ronald asked as he filled out the form and handed it over: "Take a look and see if it's what you asked for. One audition photo, for the main drama, in color, 20 copies. The total is 60 US dollars."

The beauty took the form and looked at it carefully. Only then did Ronald have the opportunity to carefully observe the beauty's appearance.

Her black shoulder-length hair was neatly combed behind her ears, revealing two silver earrings. Wearing a black velvet turtleneck top, it highlighted her snow-white skin.

The beauty was still comparing project names and explanations one by one, and seemed a little embarrassed to ask. A pair of dark eyes stared at the form, as if she was stumped by the choice between a drama or a romantic comedy.

Looking at the beauty's black hair and black eyes, Ronald's heart moved and he suddenly blurted out: "Are you of Chinese descent?"

"How do you know?" The beauty suddenly jumped up from her seat, "Who told you?"

"Relax." Ronald was startled by the beauty's actions. He quickly stood up and apologized. "I just had an intuition that your facial lines are very Chinese and very beautiful. I usually only look in magazines. I’ve met Chinese people before, so I’m asking you, no offense intended.”

The beauty's top is tied with a belt, the belt buckle is inlaid with blue lapis lazuli decoration, and her lower body is wearing jeans and sneakers. She dresses in a bohemian style, combining cheap clothes and jewelry with a very elegant temperament.

The beauty smiled, but this photographer had just moved here and would not know her situation. So he held out his hand and said, "I'm Meg Tilly, nice to meet you."

After "Ronald Lee" shook hands, the two sat down again.

Meg seemed to have put down her burden and was no longer nervous. She began to confirm the columns on the form with Ronald one by one.

Ronald then took up his Nikon camera and began taking audition portraits of Meg. Meg is not very good at facing the camera, but she is in very good shape. When she stands in front of the camera, she has an upward energy.

"Are you studying dance?" Ronald asked curiously.

"Yes, I used to be a ballet dancer." Meg smiled, raised her left leg, did a standing split lightly, and put her foot on the wall.

"Oh, this pose is not easy. I have to take a picture. I can give it to you for free."...

After returning from Kodak printing, Ronald handed over the large audition photo with Meg's name written on it, "You can staple your resume to the back and you can show it to your agent."

Meg took the photo, but did not leave immediately. She looked at Ronald with a smile for a long time, glanced at the ground, then raised her head, "Ronald, I saw you taking audition photos for Natalie Kinski." , you also know how to take audition photos to impress the director. Are you from the film and television industry? "

"I worked on a film crew in Hollywood, and now I'm a freshman in the film department at New York University." Ronald liked talking to this elegant girl. "I think your body is in good shape and your face is photogenic. It should be There will be a place in the film and television industry.”

"Really? But I haven't joined the industry yet." Meg looked at her feet again and smiled shyly.

"Of course, I have also been a second-unit director on the crew, so I know who is suitable for movies." Ronald smiled, "Why don't we have lunch together, and I will slowly explain to you some of the requirements for entering the industry."

"Are you asking me out, Ronald?" Meg asked, tilting her head and smiling.

"Of course, I formally invite you, Miss Meg Tilly, to lunch with me."

The two found a Japanese restaurant and started chatting about each other's situation.

It turns out that Meg Tilley's father is a Chinese businessman named Chen. Her mother divorced her biological father when she was three years old and took her and her sister to Canada.

Canada, like America, has looming discrimination against Chinese Americans, and opportunities of all kinds are scarce. So Meg has kept the secret that she is half-Chinese. I was shocked when Ronald said something to me just now.

She studied ballet since she was a child, and later received a full scholarship to Skidmore College, a famous private dance school in New York. She studied under dance master Melissa Hayden, the former head dancer of the New York City Ballet.

Last year, she was admitted to the Connecticut Ballet Company and was supposed to embark on a career as a ballet dancer. Unfortunately, during a training session before going to the Connecticut Ballet, I accidentally fell while being lifted by a male partner. My back was seriously injured and I could no longer pursue a dance career.

The resilience in her character supported Meg to stay in New York and wanted to switch to acting, but she could not get into movies, TV, or Broadway.

If she did not get a new job and did not save enough, Meg might have to move to Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan to rent a house next month and work as a waitress while pursuing her dream.

The two chatted more and more happily, and Meg told Ronald all her difficulties.

"I heard that all actresses under 30 in New York are crazy now. MGM is going to invest in a youth drama with 10 starring opportunities. All agents are promoting their young actors to the casting studio." Meg Tilly said.

"Where is your agent?" Ronald thought to himself. This was the second time he heard about this casting studio.

"I haven't got the Actors Guild card yet, so I don't have an agent." Meg said timidly.

"It doesn't matter," Ronald held Meg's hand to comfort her, "I'm going to the casting studio tomorrow. You can go with me and see if there is a chance to recommend you."