Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Ronald! I've known you're a genius for a long time. Come and sit down. I've prepared the best Italian brandy for you."

Ned Tanin, president of Paramount, had a loud voice and a rosy face. He personally went to the elevator door leading directly to the president's office to greet Ronald and his party.

"Top Gun's box office is expected to return to the top next week. I'm in a high-level meeting at Paramount right now. People listen to me a lot. This is all thanks to you." Tanin was obedient to directors who could make money.

"Mr. Tanin, this is your return of confidence in me."

"Hahaha, call me Ned, how many times have I said that. Come on, come in and talk."

Ned Tanin respected Ronald very much. His previous works, "Fast and Furious Richmond High" and "Night of the Comet," were all low-cost movies. Hollywood can produce one or two of them every year, but soon these famous directors will return to silence.

Some people in the industry have a special term for this kind of movie, called "one-time success." It is a miracle that cannot be replicated because it is not known in advance that it will be a hit, and it is difficult to summarize the real reasons for the hit afterwards.

Hollywood producers have never been very interested in "one-time successes" that cannot be replicated.

Unless the director and other main creators can continuously demonstrate their strength and let Hollywood know what type of movies they shoot will sell well, and then bet on them, this is the wisdom of the presidents and vice presidents with administrative titles.

Director Ronald is very different. He does not follow the rules of Hollywood at all. Unlike most directors, he did not focus on one subject. He started with youth musicals, then jumped to science fiction, then martial arts, and finally came to shoot air combat films that no one in Hollywood has picked up for decades.

All the executives of Hollywood studios were frightened by this random shooting method and began to study Ronald, hoping to find the secret of his success, but found nothing.

For example, for a successful director like Spielberg, everyone knows that his aliens, children-related themes, or horror animal films will definitely sell well, and you can compete to invest in him.

But the box office of other themes he shoots may not be able to break through and be worthy of his expensive director's commission. You can invest and bet, but you won't compete.

In contrast, Ronald had no idea how to choose movies. He tried all kinds of movies, but they all sold well. Everyone was a little jealous of Weintraub, who invested in "The Karate Kid". Who knew Ronald could also make martial arts movies at that time?

If he had known this, he might as well have blindly believed in this young director like this layman and let him shoot whatever he wanted. He would have gotten a hot star and could brag about it anyway.

Today, "Top Gun" is a foregone conclusion. Everyone has reached a consensus that Ronald may have some unknown secrets.

He seems to have seen through the aesthetic tastes and values ​​of the new generation of young people after the end of the baby boom. This subconsciousness rooted in the new generation seems to be mastered by only a few new directors such as Ronald Lee and John Hughes.

Hollywood executives now only know that the new generation of audiences are no longer interested in the anti-war, left-wing, and rebellious values ​​of the previous generation. But they have not returned to the silent generation before World War II, the values ​​of silence and hard work.

Like Alex, the young character in "The Family Ties" played by Michael J. Fox, they believe in the new economic policies brought by the president, just like their grandfathers, and accept the consumption concepts imposed on them by consumerist advertisements.

But on the other hand, they have inherited the sexual openness of their fathers. Traditional family concepts such as Puritanism and Catholicism are rapidly disintegrating. They are the first generation to grow up under the extremely high divorce rate of their parents, and there are always a few friends or classmates who are from single-parent families.

Almost everyone agrees that cohabitation must be done before marriage in order to be happy. Before getting married, it has gradually become a consensus among urban teenagers to get along with more than a dozen boyfriends and girlfriends and find the most suitable one.

High school sweethearts (high school lovers get married and live happily) have become something that only exists in fairy tales, and it is difficult to see them in real life.

But these characteristics that can be summarized in words do not seem to be able to well infer why Ronald can be a hit. What do audiences who like martial arts, fighter jets, science fiction, and high school life have in common?

He must have some special qualities that made him achieve success that ordinary people can't achieve. As long as we can be one step ahead and understand the secret of his success, we can discover a few more young directors like Ronald, and then we can enjoy the secret of success for at least five years.

In short, now as long as Ronald makes a movie for teenagers, Ned Tanin will rush to invest. What is he afraid of? Whether he shoots sweet love or tank battles, it must be another miracle.

"So, what new ideas do you have now?"

After talking about some good news about how "Top Gun" was widely mentioned in major media, Ned Tanin couldn't help but inquire about Ronald's next project.

"I'm still looking for inspiration. There is no script that makes me shine for the time being."

"If you have one, be sure to tell me. Paramount can sign a first-look agreement with you for three movies. We do not stipulate what movies you will cooperate with us, nor do we stipulate what movies you will cooperate with us. How many movies can we cooperate with? We only ask that if you are interested, please show it to Paramount first. We promise that you will give us priority if the conditions are the same as those of our competitors.

We compete fairly with others, and we only want an opportunity under the same conditions. You should consider Paramount first... no, consider me first. "

"This flatters me, but even if we don't sign such an agreement, I will first consider a company like Paramount if I have a project."

Ronald refused to sign the agreement, but he didn't say anything.

If Paramount had proposed such a condition before filming "Top Gun", even if Ronald did not agree, the agent would have begged him to agree.

However, two consecutive movies have grossed over 100 million in box office, and he has become a popular star in Hollywood. It was impossible to sign a long-term contract for several movies. Let’s talk about it piece by piece.

What's more, the script assistant he signed, David Simkins, has already recommended several good scripts. Some of them are in the film libraries of other seven major studios, or have been put on circulation lists.

As long as he raises his finger, the studio executives will hand over the script without hesitation and then negotiate an extremely favorable condition.

Anyway, I don't have a close relationship with Ned Tanin, and the other party has never given me timely help, so don't blame me for considering my own interests first.

"I knew you were a very commercially gifted director." Ned Tanin's heart was bleeding. If I had shown my full support to Ronald back then, I wouldn't be like this now.

There were rumors in the circle that Ronald was negotiating with Universal President Frank Price for a new film. Who made Price give the unknown Ronald a script purchase price of US$350,000 at that time?

"In short, don't forget Paramount's distribution strength. After this, you can clearly see that it is not without reason that Don and Jerry signed a long-term agreement with us. I can also give you the conditions they obtained, and even Even better. I don’t care about the subject matter, the casting, or the team. There is only one issue, just release it at Paramount.”

Ned Tanning raised his glass and clinked it with Ronald.

Who wouldn’t want a Ronald movie released? Now when he makes movies, it's like making money out of the air. With a wave of the magic wand in their hands, the audience obediently drove to the cinema, took out their money from their pockets, and lined up to hand it over to the box office staff.

It would be even better if there was an opportunity to embed some products in the movie. From sunglasses, to motorcycles, to fighter jet models, to Navy recruiting stands, the items that now appear in "Top Gun" are all being filmed with long lines of people obediently handing over money.

Ronald took a sip of the brandy. It tasted really good. It seemed to be made by a very good winery. "This brandy is really good."

"Do you like it? My friend gave it to me. You can take a few bottles with you when the time comes." Ned Tanin pressed the bell and asked his secretary to come in and ask her to load a box into the trunk of Ronald's car and take it away.

"Speaking of distribution, I have a movie here that you can consider." Ronald continued to taste the brandy. Paramount's distribution strength is indeed very strong. Among the seven major Hollywood studios, it has the most films and the most professional distribution team.

That Australian film hasn’t found a way yet…

"What movie? Are you a director, producer, or screenwriter?"

Ned Tanin immediately became energetic, and it was very useful to send good things to Ronald from time to time. Ronald was born a commoner, so he would have to give him some of these exquisite items from the upper class from time to time.

"No, it's a film made by Australians. I happened to see them filming on the streets of Manhattan, New York, before Christmas last year. I heard that their film broke the Australian box office record."

"It wasn't taken by you? You weren't involved?" Ned Tanin's interest dropped a bit. It seems like Ronald is doing a favor for a friend? Maybe there's a pretty girl in it as the main character?

This kind of thing can also help, but on the basis of official business, just sell a little face. As long as the quality is not too bad, there will be no problem if Paramount helps release and distribute the film.

"You didn't hear what I said clearly. What I said was that they broke Australia's box office records every year..."

Ronald was not satisfied with Tanin's look. Are you just casually recommending movies? After I saw the copy brought by Paul Hogan, I had long wanted to buy it and have it released through Roger Coleman or Minahan Golan's Cannon.

Just a good horse with a good saddle, and the quality of this film is very high, far exceeding Ronald's own estimation. Neither Corman nor Minahan was able to realize the film's potential. Whether it is from the perspective of profit or helping friends become famous, it is best to leave it to Qida.

If the quality of the film itself were not very good, Ronald would not recommend it to the seven major distribution companies for fear of delaying other people's opportunities.

"Is Australia's box office record so easy to break? In the past two years, Mel Gibson's two 'Mad Max' films were the highest box office record holders for foreign films introduced to Hollywood. They were very powerful wasteland road action films. They were directly Started a type of mountain monster."

"What do you mean? Broke Mad Max's Australian box office record?" Ned Tanin reacted, "What movie? Introduce it to me quickly."

"Crocodile Dundee."

"Crocodile Dundee? A horror animal movie like Jaws?" Ned Tanning touched his head?

"It's not a crocodile named Dundee. The crocodile is the nickname of the protagonist named Dundee." Ronald briefly explained the plot. A beautiful reporter from a New York newspaper went to a primitive reserve in northern Australia to interview a warrior who killed a super-large crocodile in a fight and survived.

Crocodile Dundee and the reporter went through many hardships on the primitive reservation, saved her life, and wrote first-rate reporting. Then the reporter came up with the idea to invite Dundee to New York to continue writing his story.

Dundee and journalist Sue came to New York and made all kinds of jokes like country people coming to the city. In the end, Dundee used the unique enthusiasm and directness of Australians to solve a lot of troubles, and finally the two got married.

"You also thought it was an animal horror movie? It seems that when it is released in North America, the word crocodile in the title must be put in quotation marks, so that the audience can know it is a nickname. This is not the first time Ronald has received this reaction.

"Actually, this movie is Tarzan and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. These two types of movies haven't been made in a long time, and they did a very good job.

If you are interested, I will let them chat. It is estimated that they have already come to Paramount, but were rejected by subordinates in your distribution department. If you're not interested, I'll go to 20th Century Fox. Their boss, Barry Diller, also told me that I welcome movie recommendations. And their new boss is Australian, so he will definitely agree. "

"No, no, no... what is our relationship? Don't look for anyone else. Just ask them to come over." Taning pressed the bell and called the secretary in. "I will be free tomorrow and the day after tomorrow to receive two guests from Australia. ”

"What role do you play in it? Producer?" Tanin set a time, asked Ronald to leave Paul Hogan's phone number, and then asked.

"Their movie was filmed through crowdfunding. Now there is no remaining cost, so they can accept a share arrangement. But don't think about buying it out at a cheap price. This will hurt the other person's heart. They may just make a sequel. Find someone else.

My Daydream Pictures is their distribution partner in America, and I will pay the initial expenses. When the time comes..."

"No problem. With your participation, I feel more at ease. I trust your vision in selecting films the most. A buyout is impossible, but they have to sign an agreement with Paramount. If there is a sequel, Paramount will Participate in investment and include distribution business.”

"You can talk to them about this. I'm just helping a friend." Ronald drank the brandy with satisfaction.

"Well, I will sign them as soon as possible and arrange for them to be released at the right time. You go to London to attend the royal premiere first. I have made all the arrangements... The wine is good, please have some more..."

After rejecting Tanin's invitation to add more drinks, Ronald, Daydream's general manager Eddie, and agent Niceta walked out of his president's office. Now Ned Tanning is basically in charge of the work, and most of the production business is managed by him. It is up to him to decide whether to give the green light or not.

"Hello, are you the director Ronald who made The Kid and Top Gun?"

Ronald, who had just walked out of the office, was stopped by a middle-aged woman sitting in the corridor waiting for a seat. She seemed to have been waiting outside Tanin's office for a long time.

"It's me. Ned and I have finished talking. It should be your turn soon." Ronald nodded to her. He reached out to shake her hand. Recently, many people have recognized Ronald as a director. Photos of me in previous scandals have appeared in the mass media, and many people know her face.

This middle-aged woman has thick eyebrows and a big Jewish nose. Although her facial features are actually good, the combination makes her look a bit ugly. She has a typical Eastern European Jewish appearance.

"No, Mr. Tanin has rejected me and my producer many times. We originally got the green light from MGM, but changes in the top management put my script in the back of hell again.

I don’t think my movie is good enough for the seven major studios to make a decision, I just want you to take a look at my script. If you also think there is no future, then I will give up and go back to writing TV series honestly. "

"I'm just a film director, and I don't read scripts that haven't been delivered by an agent." Ronald rejected the other party.

It seems she has the wrong person. I am just a director, and investing millions of dollars is equivalent to depleting my net worth. How can I take the risk to make a movie whose origin is unknown to others?

Moreover, the rules are such that if there is no agent to deliver it, and there is no legal agreement to give up copyright prosecution, I will never read other people's scripts.

Maybe if there is a plot in her next movie that is similar to her script, there will be many cases where people will take her to court.

The last time Don Simpson and his team were involved in "Flashdance", they were sued by the character's prototype, seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. If she hadn't had the agreement signed by the other party at that time to sell the story for $2,800, she might have been compensated tens or even millions of dollars.

"Ronald, can I call you Ronald? This is a teen movie that I wrote with all my heart and soul. I think you are the only one in America who can make it well. In fact, I came to Paramount just for you. I always I have a dream that you will direct my script.

I signed a contract with the producer, but she failed to make the project happen. My agreement with her will expire tomorrow, so I'll prepare the legal documents and send them to you tomorrow, okay? "

"Okay, you can send this address to David Simkins for review. Remember to be prepared to give up the copyright prosecution agreement." Ronald saw that what she said was very sincere, and he praised himself. It seemed that she really wrote it. I have been working on the script for a long time.

So he took out the business card with Daydream's address in Hollywood, wrote the name of his script assistant, and handed it to the other party.

"By the way, what's your name? Why did you say that only I can make this movie?"

"Eleanor, Eleanor Bergstein." The middle-aged woman took the business card and carefully put it into her notebook.

"Because I've seen a lot of videos you made, Madonna's 'Material Girl,' and Cyndi Lauper's 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun.' This is a musical based on my own experience, and I I feel that among all the directors in Hollywood now, you are the only one who can make good musicals.”

"Hahaha..." Ronald was very pleased with this flattery. He remembered that his debut film "Rock of Ages" had many singing and dancing scenes, and he almost filmed the sequel to the musical "Grease", which is of course the most commendable. It is still the v of the two female singers who dominate the TV screen.

"Then I'll wait to read your masterpiece..." Ronald and Eleanor Bergstein waved their hands and walked to the elevator with their right hand.

"Yes!" Eleanor Bergstein clenched her fists and shouted in a low voice. She ran to the payphone in the hallway and called her producer.

"Linda, I am Eleanor. I have found a well-known director in the industry who is willing to read my script. If you can't find a studio for me, our production agreement will expire tomorrow anyway..."

"Eleanor, don't be like this. I have already found a manufacturer that specializes in small-scale productions that do not go to theaters and are directly released on video tapes. They specialize in R-rated movies. As long as you renew the production agreement with me, I will You can arrange to meet with them about production. You don’t understand, Hollywood celebrities like to make empty promises, but they all have no money.

Although this video tape producer is not well-known and makes erotic R-rated films, they are really rich. You don’t know how profitable the video tape business is now..."

"No matter what, I will seize this opportunity to try. He is different from what you said. He is not only famous, but also has money to invest."

"Hey, Eleanor, don't you think about it anymore? I have full confidence in your script. It's very likely that they will agree to it this time. Don't look at it that they haven't done the distribution business. I've done all the work for you. Year... hello?”

Eleanor Bergstein hung up. I had given Linda a year and had seen hope at MGM, but it was shattered in the end.

On the contrary, Ronald seemed to have a good chance, and he promised to read the script himself.

And it was Paramount President Ned Tanin who personally sent him out just now. If he was willing to direct... no, even if he was just willing to name himself as a producer, there would be many executives from major studios chasing him to sign distribution contracts to them...

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