Exploiting Hollywood 1980

Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer have always been very optimistic about the potential of the videotape market.

In the previous "Flashdance" produced by the two of them, they took the risk of releasing VHS and Beta videotapes simultaneously when the movie was only released for a few weeks.

Unexpectedly, the hot sales of the videotape attracted many viewers to go to the theater to watch the sexy dance scenes on the big screen again. When the box office of "Flashdance" declined after a few weeks of screening, it was given a shot of adrenaline and returned to the top of the box office.

At that time, they reduced the price of the videotape, which was usually priced at $99, to $69 and made a lot of profit. With this experience, the two producers planned to play a big one in "Top Gun".

This time they wanted to persuade Paramount President Ned Tanin to set the price of the videotape directly at $49, the first time to reduce it to less than $50, to see if they could sell it like Jane Fonda's aerobics videotape priced at $29, and sell it at a sales volume that no one expected.

"If it's $29, it's definitely possible that it will sell better than Jane Fonda's aerobics." Ronald is very clear about Jane Fonda's success.

At that time, VCRs had just entered the United States. When people bought VCRs, they wanted to buy a few videotapes to keep at home so that they could play them for their friends when they came. Compared with the 99 or 89 movies, this aerobics video of Jane Fonda only costs 29, and it's not impolite to play Jane Fonda's video regardless of whether the visiting guest is male or female.

"Top Gun" is a movie. If it can be bought at the same price, it is definitely a more respectable hospitality than watching Jane Fonda dancing in high-waisted leggings.

Even his own children will become good people that everyone in the school social circle wants to make friends with. After all, you can go to his house to watch Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis kissing in "Top Gun", and even watch air battles.

"29? Well, 49 is good, but 29 is 29 after all!"

Bruckheimer knew very well that in the market, the audience could not know how much a videotape should be worth. If it could be sold at the same price as aerobics, which knew how exciting the content was, then the audience would definitely know which movie to choose, right?

"Is there a possibility? We can let others pay the difference?" Sid Ganis said the plan discussed with Don Simpson and others.

"Others?"

"Yes, this movie is very popular now, and our low price has been approved by Paramount's senior management. I have talked to many large companies and advertising companies, and they all think that they can market their products through videotapes, so that they don't have to buy expensive advertising time on TV stations, and the money saved can be subsidized to the audience who buy videotapes."

"Oh, that's it."

Ronald thought this idea was brilliant. Inserting advertisements in videotapes is not a common practice now. If "Top Gun" can have a very good box office performance, those Fortune 500 multinational companies will definitely have the ability and idea to use the budget to subsidize the distribution of videotapes.

In this way, the audience bought the videotapes at a lower price. The film company sold more videotapes without losing income, and the enterprise also played more advertisements with a lower budget than the TV station.

Isn't this the legendary win-win-win situation?

"That's great? What enterprise did you find? What can I do?" Ronald looked at Don Simpson.

"We found Pepsi. They invest a lot in marketing every year and are willing to spend a part of it to try the effect of video marketing. As for you, we want you to direct the Pepsi advertisement."

"It doesn't have to be me who directs it, right?"

"First of all, this is good for you. In addition to the regular fees, we have agreed with Paramount that we are willing to give you a share of the profits of the video. Second, Pepsi specifically asked you to direct it. They want an advertisement that is related to the gun plot so that the audience will not fast forward when watching the video.

Finally, they once asked you to shoot a joint advertisement with Burger King, and the effect was among the top three of all their advertisements. So they still want to find you to shoot, but your agent doesn't take advertisements very often. This time they took the initiative to propose it. If it weren't for you, we would have to change a company and there would be no such good conditions.

They are willing to subsidize the price difference for each videotape and an additional subsidy of $5."

Don Simpson's last words were said in Ronald's ear.

"How much can I get?" Ronald also asked Simpson softly in his ear.

"I'll give you 50 cents per videotape. Plus $300,000 in compensation."

"1.5 dollars commission."

"Too greedy. Our money is squeezed out from the subsidies given by both sides. 70 cents." Don Simpson planned to squeeze the most money from both budgets.

"1 dollar, after all, Pepsi designated me to be the director."

"Deal!"

Very good, now the two producers and Ronald himself are also done.

Ronald asked New York agent Eddie, lawyer Lindsay Doll, accountant Lawrence and others to sign the contract.

In the next few days, he went to the cinema to watch "Top Gun" again and again, and took notes on the parts where he felt bad and the parts where he performed well, preparing to debate with Pauline Kahl when he visited her in New York.

Just when Ronald was in a movie theater, taking out a small recorder to record his thoughts while watching a movie, his agent Richard crept in. With the help of the ticket collector's flashlight, he found Ronald.

"Asshole, stop using the flashlight." The male audience in the back row cursed in dissatisfaction, and just saw McGillis's sexy figure in a silk white shirt, interrupted by the flashlight.

"That's right, pretending to wear sunglasses to watch a movie, just a fool." His girlfriend next to him just saw Tom Cruise's muscular upper body and was very dissatisfied with Ronald and Richard interrupting her fantasy.

"What's wrong?" Ronald asked his agent when he walked out of the screening room.

"The Navy Department sent two investigators, and they proposed to investigate your filming process."

"Wtf, what did you say?" Ronald looked confused.

"This is a special investigator from the Pentagon, and this is an investigator from the Navy Department." The next morning, in Paramount's office, the Navy's liaison officer Matthew brought Ronald two officers in navy uniforms.

"Hello," Ronald shook hands with them. "I heard that you are going to investigate the filming of the "Top Gun" crew? Did something happen? The plane accident was caused by a civilian stunt plane. It should have nothing to do with you, right? We also bought insurance for him."

"No, the Pentagon has some doubts about the filming of some scenes in the film. We want to question you." The Pentagon investigator was not very friendly. He chewed gum and looked at Ronald in a businesslike manner.

"Can I have a lawyer present?" Ronald looked at him and felt uncomfortable. I have hosted your Secretary of the Navy to watch a private dance. Why do you treat me like this?

"Don't get me wrong, Mr. Li. Before coming here, Minister Lehman specifically called to tell me that you are a friend of the Navy. We are just following the procedure and have to do a routine questioning with you." The investigator from the Navy Department Office was older and had a much better attitude.

"Okay, what's the problem? I heard from my agent, but I don't quite understand."

"Can we find a place to talk slowly?"

When they arrived at a separate conference room, the older investigator took out a snapshot of "Top Gun" from his briefcase and spread it on the table for Ronald to see.

"These are the photos we intercepted. In the whole movie, the Sidewinder air-to-air missile was launched four times, one missed the target, and three hit the target. But Minister Lehman only approved the quota of two. We want to know who approved the extra two for you in the Navy." The young investigator in the Pentagon took the photo, put it on the table, and chewed the gum faster and faster.

"Hehe, this kind of thing can actually be explained as long as you give me a call. We only shot the launch shots of the two missiles, and the rest of the explosion shots were made by us using special effects."

"Special effects? But the missiles were obviously launched four times? I have carefully looked at the photos." The young man was still not satisfied, and found all the launch shots in the photos and pushed them to Ronald to see.

"If you really look carefully, it's easy to find that the four launch shots are all edited from one shot and reused." Ronald smiled and pointed to the white track after the launch in the photo. The smoke on it was obviously the same.

"This?" The young investigator obviously didn't expect this result. "You mean, each launch is a real shot, and the explosion shot of hitting the enemy plane is made with a model?"

"Yes."

"Then aren't you lying?"

"This is Hollywood."

The Navy investigator stopped the young man, "Director Ronald, thank you for pointing out the problem to us. Can you show us a copy of the movie again and give us some video footage so that we can write a good report and explain it clearly to those stubborn generals in the Pentagon."

"Yes, but this needs to be consulted with Paramount's vice president. These copies are strictly protected. Now that the movie is popular, pirated copies are what we are most afraid of." Ronald stabbed the young man calmly.

Apparently he didn't chew his gum anymore. As a child of a naval family, he fell this time.

"Ronald, welcome. How come you have time to come to my office today?" Ned Tanin opened his arms and hugged Ronald warmly. The movie "Top Gun" looked like a big and thick cash cow, and even the director Ronald looked like he was emitting a faint golden light in his eyes.

"These two are investigators from the Navy. Because the special effects of the Sidewinder air-to-air missile are too realistic, they want to take a look at the copy and do an investigation to see if we have not abused the missile."

"Hahaha, welcome. I'll write you a note." Ned Tanin's eyes shone brightly. He didn't expect Ronald's movie special effects to be so realistic that even the Navy was fooled? Now he really has to consider launching a sequel immediately.

"Thank you, everything is clear. Thank you."

In the Paramount screening room, Ronald explained the basics of film editing to the two naval officers, and then asked the editing assistant to record the air-to-air missile shots in several air battles into a videotape for them to take away.

"It doesn't matter. This is an alternative compliment to my work as a director." Ronald had a good impression of the older officer and shook his hand.

"Your vice president seems very happy. It seems the box office is very good?"

"Yes, it took first place at the box office last week."

"I really want to watch this movie, but I haven't seen it yet. The last time someone made a positive portrayal of the Navy was in The Best Year So Four Live, which I watched when I was a kid."

"There will be more movies about the Navy." Ronald also felt a little emotional. The Golden Age is a movie that reflects the life of veterans after World War II. At that time, veterans were respected, but they didn't want to be portrayed as a group of perverts in Vietnam War movies. .

Ronald turned around and took a dozen movie ticket redemption coupons from the staff and handed them to the two investigators.

"This is a Paramount redemption coupon. You can exchange it for movie tickets at any theater showing 'Top Gun' across the country. If you have a few more, you can take your children to watch it when you go back. There are many people watching this movie. It’s all watched by father and son together.”

"Thank you. My two sons don't like to go to the cinema with me. This time I finally have a chance to watch a movie that all three of us like."

The two investigators walked out of Paramount and first went to the nearby Paramount Cinema.

"Shall we go see it? I haven't seen it yet?"

"Okay, let's go take a look."

The two took the exchange coupons and exchanged them for tickets to the best screening room.

"It's really exciting. I didn't expect the navy to be so handsome in the photo. I think it will be easy for those pilots to pick up girls in the future." The young man liked it very much after watching it.

"Haha, you are so handsome, there is no problem pretending to be a pilot. My two boys will definitely like it."

The two walked out of the screening room and happened to meet a group of teenagers who had watched Top Gun. They are clamoring to go to the box office to buy another ticket and watch the movie again.

"I said, the Navy is really cool. I want to fly Tomcat after I graduate from high school."

"Come on, you don't look like a pilot like that."

"I heard that pilots need a college degree, and many also have a doctorate." A high school student wearing glasses said something, but no one paid him any attention.

"I don't know where the Navy's recruiting office is. I have good eyesight and can become a pilot."

"Yes, their life is so exciting. They drive Tomcats, beat up MiGs, have beautiful women, go to the beach, and ride motorcycles. I also want to live such a life."

The two investigators looked at each other, quickly caught up with several high school students, and asked, "Sorry, we are from the Navy. Is it true that you said you want to join the Navy?"

"Yeah, you are from the navy? Where can we sign up to join the army?"