Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Hey, you can't occupy the road. We are old acquaintances. The queue cannot be lined up on 43rd Street. Keep your queue within the porch of the Ambassador Hotel and turn the corner along the building." A New York police officer shouted to the hotel doorman.

"Sir, the queue has circled the hotel twice. If you don't relax, I'm worried that something will happen." The concierge manager (cierge) in the lobby came out of the hotel, shook hands with the police officer, and quickly and secretly handed over the $20 hidden in his hand.

"Okay, I will call other police officers to help maintain order. But the Knicks game next week?"

"It's all arranged, front row seats." The concierge manager said.

The hotel's concierge manager is a distribution center for various scarce resources and a distribution center for gossip. He quickly dealt with the police to help maintain order for the audition personnel of that damn crew.

"What kind of event are you doing? Why are there so many people."

"An audition for a movie crew." The concierge manager maintained a smile, but there was already some resentment in his heart. The business manager didn't tell him at the time that so many teenagers would come. It seemed that all the handsome boys and beautiful girls from New York high schools were gathered here.

"Calling headquarters, calling headquarters, this is the police..., near the Ambassador Hotel on 43rd Street, a large number of people gathered for the movie audition, more police are needed to maintain order, over." The police turned on the radio on the police car and began to call for support.

The crowd was still gathering in large numbers, and the queue that surrounded the hotel twice finally swung its tail to 43rd Street. The number of people coming to audition was still increasing, eroding the street layer by layer, and finally at nine o'clock in the morning, the street was blocked.

"Oh my God, it looks like there are nearly two thousand people now, excluding those who accompanied the audition, there are almost 1,000 people coming to audition. David, where did you find so many boys and girls for audition?" Director Alan Parker looked down from the window of the hotel room.

"Wow? How did these auditioners know about us? Was it from the newspaper? Or was it from the agent? None of them? The biggest source is the performing arts college? Why do they have so many people auditioning?"

Producer David Da Silva was on the phone with audition director Howard Fair, who was at the audition site downstairs.

"Let's go downstairs and take a look." Director Parker came up and hung up the phone, and took producer Da Silva downstairs.

"Listen to me, everyone, the audition is divided into four departments. Instruments and singing go to the hall on the left, and dance and performance go to the right. There is a dressing room there for changing dance costumes. Everyone will be treated equally, and we guarantee fair treatment."

Ronald stood on a table in the lobby, holding a loudspeaker and explaining the rules to the auditioners.

"After you go in, professional audition directors will come to interview you. Just do what they say and show your talents to the fullest. Anyone who gets a green slip, please go to the second floor from the front to continue the second round of interviews. Those who don't get a green slip, please leave from the back door of the hotel."

"Those who participate in interviews for more than two projects can queue up again. One project can only be interviewed once..."

Producer Da Silva stopped a student-like auditioner, "Hey, how did you know about the audition here?"

"Haven't you received the good news for art school students? Here, go call your friends, this is the best news in the New York entertainment industry in the past 10 years." The stopped student handed over a piece of letter paper.

"Here is the biggest good news for the New York entertainment industry in the past 10 years! A new film by an Oscar-winning director, 47 signed roles, 600+ group performance opportunities. If you think you are a talented actor, dancer, singer, or performer, please bring your talent to the Ambassador Hotel, 43rd Street, time..."

"Shxt, it was Ronald who did it. How many people did this guy find? Ronald! Ronald!" Producer Da Silva began to shout.

"Don't shout stupidly here, go and interview singers with Fair's subordinates. Remember not to find actors who are obviously inconsistent with the script"

"But Margaret and I...Okay, okay" Seeing that the producer started to glare at him again, Ronald raised his hands to surrender and went to the interview room.

"Don't sigh, let's go upstairs and wait for the auditions that passed the initial audition." Director Parker was very satisfied with all this and pulled the producer upstairs.

"Next!"

After saying hello to Margaret, Ronald also entered the singer's interview room.

Today he had a beard, a suit and a tie, giving the impression of a Hollywood big shot who could decide the fate of the auditionees.

Ronald sat with a middle-aged female manager from the casting company "Fell \u0026 Lizzel". Young people who were learning to sing came in one after another. Each of them had 30 seconds to sing and wait for the decision of their fate.

"Next!" The female manager called again.

"This one seems to sing well. Shouldn't we choose him?" Ronald was a little confused.

The female manager was Joanna Merlin. She whispered in Ronald's ear, "The producer has already chosen a black girl to play CoCo. We are just going through the motions. If she sounds particularly good, we will give her a pass to join the chorus."

Ronald nodded to show his understanding and said to the girl who was interviewing, "Did you bring the accompaniment tape?"

The girl put the accompaniment tape into the recorder and sang "You \u0026 He \u0026 Hat I Want" by Olivia Newton John.

The popularity of the movie "Grease" has not completely passed, and there are many singers who sang this song in the audition.

"Next." The female manager Joanna Merlin interrupted the girl who was half out of tune without hesitation.

The girl cried on the spot, picked up her accompaniment tape, and ran out of the interview room.

Ronald felt like a butcher, and the audition was like an assembly line in a slaughterhouse. His job was to kill the acting dreams of one girl after another.

Ronald didn't want to be a villain who killed dreams, so he usually let Joanna be the judge. After half an hour, he couldn't help it and asked:

"What kind of singer can be selected?"

"It's hard for me to describe it, you will know when you hear it." The female manager Joanna shrugged.

Finally, a singer was selected, and Ronald understood what Joanna meant. A truly good voice does not need to be judged, and it will naturally be different when it is sung.

Just like a swan calling among a flock of crows, you will know when you hear it.

"What's your name?" Ronald wrote her name on a green slip, wrote the word singer next to it, and handed it to her, "Go upstairs and turn left. There is a sign. Follow it and wait outside the second round of interview room."

The black girl took the green slip very happily. She shouted "Yes" and ran up the stairs.

"Next."

After a long time, Ronald heard another voice that stood out.

This time it was a white girl. She was not tall, had a neat short hair, and long and strong eyelashes, which made her look a bit like a doll. The only flaw was that there was a wide gap between her front teeth.

But when she opened her mouth, everyone forgot her appearance and focused on her singing.

The girl did not play the accompaniment, but sang Linda Ronstadt's song "Just One Look" a cappella.

This song is difficult to sing a cappella. The original singer relied on the bass to bring out the rhythm, and there was no clear melody line.

The girl can sing a cappella, not only does she have the right rhythm, but she can also sing out a hint of the original singer's charm, which is definitely a top-notch musical sense. I was about to write her a green note.

"Next," the female manager Joanna shouted Pass.

"Wait a minute," Ronald stopped the girl who was about to leave, tilted his head and asked Joanna, "Why, didn't she sing very well?"

Joanna leaned over and said, "She is white, and the producer doesn't want a too strong white candidate for Coco." She gave Ronald a look of "you know."

"But she is more than enough to sing in the choir group, right?"

"The director may take a fancy to her, you don't want to be fired, right?" Joanna heard about Ronald's support for the black Gene.

"Okay, I'll go to the producer to report first and see what he means." Ronald picked up his notebook, put a green note in it, and said to the girl, "Come with me."

The girl didn't understand, but followed Ronald upstairs.

"By the way, what's your name?"

"Madonna, two n's."

"Madonna, wait for me here, I'll ask the producer to come out and see if I can give you a role in the choir."

Ronald asked Madonna to wait at the stairs, and he went to confirm with producer Da Silva.

Madonna nodded in agreement, and her restless eyes began to look around at the people passing by.

Ronald walked into the second audition room, walked to Mr. Da Silva who paid him, talked about Madonna's strength as a singer, and asked him if it was appropriate for her to pass the preliminary selection.

Producer Da Silva smiled, and this time Ronald finally remembered who the boss was.

"This is Madonna," Ronald introduced the girl to the producer, "She sings very well, like a young..."

"Yes, like a young Barbra Streisand." Da Silva continued.

"I wanted to say Linda Ronstadt, but you are the boss, whatever you say." Ronald secretly complained.

"Are you Jewish?" Da Silva asked suddenly, looking at Madonna's big nose.

"No, I'm Italian." Madonna impatiently combed her hair with her hands.

"That's OK, you can play a Jewish person, your nose is OK." The producer gave Ronald an appreciative look, as if to say, little Ronnie, you did a good job this time.

"Come in with me, Madonna will sing a song by Barbra Streisand, The Ere, for everyone."

"You said that? When the director wants her to play Coco, it can't be my fault." Ronald thought.