Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"East 31st Street, Audition Studio."

Ronald took out a small book and matched it with the address the taxi driver at the airport told him.

"This is it."

Ronald and Meg found the address of the audition studio. It was a three-story building. The rough exterior walls were uniformly painted white. There were black iron handrails on the entrance steps. The simple decoration revealed something extraordinary.

However, a burly black security guard in front of the steps ruined the elegant atmosphere.

"Hi, hi... Self-recommendations from actors are not welcome here. If you want to audition, please ask your agent to send you audition photos."

The big black man completely blocked the entrance steps behind him, blocking a group of boys and girls who wanted to rush in. A few male actors who didn't believe in evil pushed the big guy's waist, but they bounced back as if they hit a wall.

"Don't accept self-recommendations as actors?"

Ronald touched his ears. It was the old problem of union qualifications again.

Regular Hollywood production crews will not contact the actors themselves, but will notify them of auditions through their agents.

However, projects registered by the Screen Actors Guild give priority to union members. If you want to join the Screen Actors Guild, you must obtain a short-term contract in a registered film. And agents generally won't sign someone who doesn't have a union card.

The door for newcomers to Hollywood is almost blocked, leaving only a tiny crack. Of course, those young actors with connections are not included. Someone will open the door and pull them in.

It seemed that the only way to find an agent for Meg was to submit her audition photos and resume, and then find a way to influence the casting director.

As soon as he turned his head, Ronald saw Meg holding his arms and looking at him with hopeful eyes.

Ronald's heart was pinched softly by this look, and he suddenly felt proud. We can't just give up today, we have to think of other ways to try.

If Meg can't audition for the movie, it's Meg's loss, and it's the movie's loss.

At this time, the white door of the small building opened, and a FedEx deliveryman wearing a purple uniform and baseball cap hurried out. Ronald had a bold idea in his mind.

"Give me your baseball cap," Ronald said to Meg. "You wait here for me and I'll go try it out."

Meg took off her New York Yankees baseball cap and handed it to Ronald, looking a little confused.

Ronald took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket, took the file bag containing the audition photos of Meg and the other two beauties, whistled, and walked forward quickly.

"I'm here to deliver the audition photos." Ronald opened the file bag, took out the audition photos and showed them to the big black security guard.

"Which company are you from?" The big black man still stopped him.

"I was an errand boy, and the Actors Studio asked me to deliver three additional audition photos and resumes."

Ronald pretended to be a courier boy and waved the document bag impatiently.

"Go in." The big black man put Ronald in, and then blocked the remaining boys and girls again.

As soon as you enter the door, you will see the front desk of the studio.

"Sending audition materials." Ronald repeated his trick and raised the document bag in his hand.

“The ‘Hot Lunch’ crew?”

"Um..." Ronald didn't know the name of the movie, so he pretended to look at the contents of the folder, "It's the crew with many boys and girls."

"That's right." There was no doubt that he was there at the front desk. "Enter the conference room on the right." Another wooden door was opened for him.

This studio is actually a renovated old house, and the rooms are all made of wooden doors.

Ronald was walking forward alone. Before he reached the conference room, he heard a woman's voice speaking.

"We have looked at the archives in the studio, all over New York and even all over Hollywood, of all the photos of suitable young film actors, as well as those in plays, musicals, and even TV series. It's just that the protagonist doesn't like it. Is there a suitable one? Are there no extras?"

A woman's voice was saying.

"No, this is not the actor I need. I need... I need an actor with a different temperament, the kind of actor who is very common in England. I don't know if it's because New York doesn't have it, or if you haven't found the right place." One of them said The young man's voice retorted.

Seeing this, Ronald quietly slipped into the room and closed the door behind him.

There were two women and one man in the room. The younger woman was so angry that she was about to quarrel with the man.

At this time, another older woman stopped the colleague and said, "Wait, Margaery."

Then after a pause, she spoke:

“Director Alan Parker, our casting studio, has always prided itself on finding a variety of actors who meet the director’s requirements.

This time, we spent several hours and still couldn't find a satisfactory actor to invite to audition. I thought, this is not normal. Is there some misunderstanding in communication? We haven't understood what kind of actors you need. "

"What I want are real actors, do you understand? Not the kind of American Hollywood stars." The middle-aged man waved his hands excitedly while making his own grand remarks.

Ronald looked at the director and saw that he had long shawl hair, but his huge face and stubby fingers betrayed the middle-aged man's attempt to grow his hair to give him an artist's temperament.

More like a carpenter, Ronald commented mentally.

"You have to know that in the real world, everyone doesn't know whether they can succeed. What I need is not the kind of natural winner, Wner, do you understand?"

"In England, every actor has been trained in Shakespeare's drama, and they know how to show an unlucky person, an unfortunate person.

The photos of the actors you are looking for are born winners with their temperament. One look at their faces and the audience knows they will win at the end of the movie. "

"And this ruins the tone of the entire movie. I don't allow the audience to guess their endings from the beginning. I want the audience to experience those misfortunes and dangers with them... worry about the characters and cry for the characters."

The director continued to talk.

The two ladies in the casting studio frowned more and more. They looked at each other and then communicated in a low voice.

"Margery, is this the script you got? How do I remember that the script I read originally had a very bright and upbeat tone?"

"I'm pretty sure our director got another script. His one had a darker tone. I don't know why he did that. Anyway, we have to adjust the direction of the audition..."

Mr. Director turned his head and continued to roar.

"In the film and television industry, no one can guarantee your success. In the film and television industry, the only thing that can guarantee you is a hot lunch. This is the meaning of the name of the movie. The people you choose are too confident. ”

The director picked up the audition photos spread out on the table in the casting studio:

"Look at these faces, do they look like a loser? Everyone has the word winner engraved on their forehead."

"Do you think he could have a role in my movie? What about her? And him?"

The director picked up the photos and distributed them one by one to everyone present, and also handed one to Ronald.

Ronald glanced at the director and found that director Alan Parker not only had a big face, but also had a nose that occupied one-third of his face. So much so that the eyes and mouth seem to be pushed to the edge.

"What I need is a real actor, give me an actor that I need, not these confident people, I need that kind of... you understand?"

"A real actor?" the older woman tried to answer.

The director shook his head and asked Ronald again, "Do you know? What kind of actors do I need? You can explain it to your colleagues."

It's over, I'm done with it now.

The two female employees of the casting studio also cast suspicious glances. They originally thought Ronald was from the director's side, but now it seems...

"Tell me, what kind of actor do I need?"

The director was still asking questions to Ronald.

"Well, I think you want loser."

Don't hesitate at the critical moment, just say whatever comes to mind. Ronald gave the answer he understood in his heart.

"Loser?" The two female employees looked at each other and saw a hint of understanding in each other's eyes.

"To be more precise, you need a group of losers who work hard. In the end, they may succeed or they may fail. But in the process of struggle, you need the audience to empathize with them and experience their joys, sorrows, and joys."

Ronald might as well say more, maybe he can impress the director?

"Ah, finally someone understands what I mean, God bless." The director breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let me tell you, although you Americans and us in England speak the same language, sometimes it is difficult for us to understand each other. Our cultures are completely different."

The two female employees of the casting studio stared at Ronald deeply: "Mr. Director, we now understand what you mean. The script we saw seems to be quite different from your current script. Why don't we make a few copies of the current script and discuss casting?"

"Okay, okay", Mr. Director handed over the script in his hand, "But you can only make two copies of this script. Do not make it public. It is only circulated to those present."

"By the way, what's your name?" The director turned to Ronald and asked.

"My name is Ronald, Ronald Lee."

We can no longer pretend to be stupid.

"I apologize to you. I am not an employee of the casting studio. I am an audition portrait photographer. I came here to seek cooperation. I came here unintentionally and disturbed your work. I am very sorry."

As he spoke, Ronald took out three audition photos. They were handed to several people present.

"Did you take Natasha Kinski's new audition photos?" The ladies who got the two photos asked Ronald first.

"Yeah, I took this one, and this one, for a romantic comedy."

"It turns out it's you. You don't know. The photos you took make many actresses jealous. We have been looking for you for a long time." The employee named Margery said.

"We contacted Natasha and she said you were at New World Productions, and then we found Roger Corman's assistant and she said you were coming to NYU, and we thought we wouldn't find you until school started."

Another female employee also smiled and said, "So you are the Ronald Lee. Sleepy Luo?"

"Um, that's me." Ronald was secretly annoyed as to why this nickname had been passed on.

"Oh, my God. This is the kind of face I'm looking for." The director got the photo of Meg Tilly that Ronald deliberately handed him.

He showed the photo to the two women and said, "That's what I want."

"Mr. Director, Miss Meg is outside the door. If you need, why don't you let her in and observe whether she is suitable for this movie?"

Ronald looked at the two female employees in the casting studio, and they did not object.

"Your doorman? Someone needs to notify him." Ronald thought of the responsible black man.

"I'll go with you." The employee named Margaret who had quarreled with the director at the beginning volunteered to go out with Ronald.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," Ronald apologized again.

"It's okay, we are looking for you too," Margaret blinked, "It's not easy to deceive the doorman Sean."

Ronald knew that they had seen through his attempt to break into the casting studio, and apologized to her again.

"Did you know Director Parker before?" Margaret asked.

"No, I met him for the first time today." Ronald said.

"Go and call your girlfriend." Margaret said.

"Meg, Meg, come here," Ronald waved desperately to Meg Tilly in the distance.

Meg rushed to the door, and Margery told the big black man to let her in, which caused a commotion among the boys and girls gathered at the door.

"The director of the hot lunch crew wants to meet you. He saw your photo and thought he could give you an audition opportunity." Ronald said to Meg who was expecting.

"This is Meg Tilly, this is Margery, um...Miss."

"Just call me Margery, your girlfriend?"

"Uh," Ronald was about to answer, but Meg had already rushed over, put her hands around Ronald's neck, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Ronald. Thank you."

Meg Tilly said, thinking of the days when she was against the wall before, buried her head in Ronald's chest, and shed tears silently for a while.

"Don't be like this, good girl, today is your lucky day. The director is still waiting, let's go in." Ronald comforted.

"This is Meg Tilly in the photo." Ronald introduced to the director.

Meg Tilly was waiting nervously on the side...

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