Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Baryshnikov is always so cold towards everyone. I don't think he is targeting you because of this matter." Niceta advised Ronald to calm down.

"I don't think so, otherwise why would he want me to watch his movie in the end and learn some of his bullshit performances?" Ronald said angrily.

"The key is whether the producers still have their original views on Ronald's creativity." Paula Wagner said.

"Let's get started..." Seeing that persuasion was ineffective, Niceta asked the public relations manager Paula had hired to start her proposal. Since a confidentiality agreement had been signed in advance and Paula had an old relationship, Ronald's predicament could be discussed with confidence.

"Thank you, the situation we are facing now is..." the PR consultant began as usual.

"Ring ring ring ring."

"Your phone", Richard answered the phone and handed the phone to Ronald.

"Ronald, I don't know about this."

It was the call from "Rocky" director John G. Avelson, clarifying to Ronald. This is all Stallone's personal decision. He didn't know it before, otherwise he would have stopped him.

"It's okay. I know it has nothing to do with you. Sly and I have a bit of history."

"You have to be careful. If a director encounters such rumors, the producer may question his creative ability."

"I understand, I will handle it, thank you for calling."

Ronald hung up the phone.

"Please continue..." He raised his hand and apologized for interrupting the PR expert.

The woman in front of her dressed as a white-collar worker is Eva, the chief public relations expert of a small public relations workshop in Hollywood.

The public relations profession mainly relies on personal abilities and relationships. Therefore, they generally focus on this kind of exclusive small workshops. Everyone recognizes the person as an expert rather than the company's brand.

"Okay, let me continue." Eva, wearing red glasses, twisted her waist and walked to the whiteboard. "Like I said, if no one knows about a scandal, then it is not a scandal."

Eva drew a circle on the whiteboard and wrote Stallone's name inside.

"But you have lost the opportunity to control this incident immediately. Stallone is a big star, and his talk show is watched by many people. The audience will believe his statement immediately, no matter how absurd the logic in it is. "

Eva drew lines indicating influence outside the circle.

Ronald nodded, but he still underestimated Stallone's status in the hearts of American audiences.

"Viewers have their own worries to deal with, kids' dental corrections, utility bills to pay, annoying customers, stern bosses, etc. They watch talk shows for nothing more than fun.

While coaxing their children and thinking about how they will deal with the boss's questioning tomorrow, they have limited energy and can only remember one or two sentences of gossip that are most easily spread.

That is, there is a movie "The Dragon King", which imitates Stallone's Rocky, and it seems to be pretty good. "

Eva put on a parental air and simulated to show Ronald the reaction of an ordinary audience member.

"This is the intimidating power of a superstar. When the audience hears his name, they can concentrate and listen to what he has to say for the next fifteen seconds.

We can only accept this result now. Most viewers who have watched TV have now assumed that you are imitating "Rocky". We have to start from this place and then find ways to reverse the situation. "

"Is there no way to refute his fallacy?" Ronald asked.

"There is no way, even if you go on your friend David Letterman's show and provide evidence to prove that you independently created 'The Dragon King', the audience will still only remember what Stallone said. People will not go in depth independently. Thinking about who is right and who is wrong, all they want is an interesting piece of gossip coming from the mouth of a star.

Then, boom! That's the fact. "Eva made a final gesture.

"But I wrote the script myself."

"Stallone was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay."

"But my boy Long Wei's story is completely different from his."

"In the end, the protagonist trained specially with the help of the coach and defeated the defending champion."

"He's doing boxing, I'm doing karate...uh..." Ronald himself lost his voice.

"The key to the problem is that Stallone did not say that you plagiarized, he said that you imitated. Although the Writers Guild has a clear distinction between the two. But in the eyes of ordinary people, your movie is the youth version of Stallone's 'Rocky' "You can't file an arbitration with the Writers Guild to clear your name."

For a superstar like Stallone to say on TV that Ronald's movie is very similar to Rocky must have been carefully planned. He uses his power to suppress others, and no matter how he responds, he cannot eliminate the other party's slander.

Both belong to the genre of action and inspirational films, and the structure of the story is inevitably imaginative. Coupled with Stallone's malicious hints on the show, in order to save trouble, he used the abandoned episode of "Rocky III" by Stallone.

Ronald was a little angry. Can celebrities be unreasonable?

Stallone was not very reasonable. He is of Italian origin, and he made his debut in exploitation films for Roger Corman. This kind of bad trick between colleagues is very skillful.

"What's our plan?" Ronald asked Eva.

"The first option is to simply admit that your movie did refer to Rocky's story. In this way, all his attacks are equivalent to marketing for your movie, right?

Anyway, the Screenwriters Guild knows that you did not imitate Rocky's story. I have read Albert's film review. Your movie is not an action movie in essence. Instead, it tells the philosophy of karate and a father-son relationship."

"This option is passed," Ronald didn't want to admit defeat. Being bullied for nothing, just endure it, for a little box office? He doesn't lack these box office. If he admits it, he will never be able to wash away this stain in the future.

Moreover, the executives of the studio don't know much about the ins and outs of this. If they think they are imitating, then their original ability may be questioned.

"Another option is to neither admit nor deny. Wait for this news to be covered by other entertainment news. The audience's word of mouth actually spreads after watching the movie. Stallone's statement can only influence some audiences who have not watched the movie."

"Anything else?" Ronald heard that he was submissive again, and he was choking.

This may be a more feasible option in reality, but being plotted against like this, I always want to fight back against him.

Stallone, you don't know how to pick up girls, so you can't vent your anger on me, Ronald.

"There is another way that can let you vent your anger, but I don't recommend it. Besides, it also requires unprecedented resources." Eva took off her red glasses and looked at Paula Wagner who recommended her.

"You say," Paula knew that Ronald was very angry now, and it would be good to let him listen to the plan and vent his anger.

"That is to find a star in the industry who can compete with Stallone to balance the halo brought by his fame. As long as there are stars who come out and speak for you, the audience will naturally shift their focus from whether you are imitating "Rocky" to the debate between the two stars.

But the disadvantage of this is that this storm will continue. Is it really beneficial to the purpose you want to achieve? This matter may leave a deeper impression in the minds of the producers."

Eva still advised that if you want to eliminate the impact on the producers in the industry, it may not be a good choice to continue to make a big fuss.

"What kind of star do you want?" Ronald immediately thought this method was good.

"A male star like him, or more famous than him, with more fans. Do you have any big-name friends in the industry who are willing to speak for you?" Seeing that persuasion failed, Eva had to put forward conditions.

She sighed secretly. There are still not many customers who can listen to the professional opinions of their public relations consultants and then choose the right strategy. Most customers in the entertainment industry are always more emotional.

"Do we have any?" Niceta asked.

Paula didn't say anything. Tom Cruise's fame wasn't enough, and she didn't want him to be involved in this kind of thing.

"Maybe, we can find a star represented by CAA?" Richard said when he saw that no one was talking.

The two more experienced agents didn't say anything. Ronald didn't have such a big influence, and he didn't have enough resources to exchange, so that the big stars of CAA could speak well for him.

"If not, I suggest..." Eva saw that everyone was silent and wanted to promote her first two plans.

"No, I have..." Ronald spoke up.

"Is this going to use Coppola's influence?" Nicita thought to herself, "If Coppola, a big client, is willing to help Ronald, then let him go. Anyway, he and Stallone are both Italian, and there are channels for communication between them. It's not bad to be a peacemaker in the end and resolve the matter."

"I can contact..." Nicita said.

"I wonder if George Lucas' influence is enough?" Ronald said a name that no one could think of.

"Lucas? Of course that's enough. If he can help you say a word, it will be very effective." Eva heard the name that made all the middle school boys scream, and immediately blurted out affirmation.

"But... you and him..." Paula Wagner asked halfway.

The four people looked at Ronald. Can he ask Lucas to come out and say good things?

Ronald felt it was a pity. When he helped Walter Merzi, Lucas said on the plane that he owed him one. He didn't expect to use this trump card so soon.

"As long as you can get Lucas to come out and say good things about 'The Karate Kid', no one will believe Stallone. After all, he is not good at directing." Eva stared at Ronald. She didn't expect that this young client had a thick thigh.

"I have some friendship with him. He will help with this." Ronald took out the phone book, "Please give me some privacy for the call."