Exploiting Hollywood 1980

David Simkins is Ronald's script assistant. His main job is to select various potential and interesting scripts for Ronald.

This job is more interesting than the previous similar job in the TV station.

Because Ronald is a director who understands scriptwriting. He will communicate with David once or twice a week in person or by phone about the script. From Ronald's words, David Simkins learned a lot of tricks on how to look at the script from the perspective of the director and producer.

David Simkins, who used to look at the script from the perspective of the script itself, quickly understood what kind of script would be liked by the director and producer.

To be precise, the two perspectives are not quite the same. The director likes to find room for play in the script, what kind of performance space there is, who can be found to play what role, and how the final film will be different due to different roles.

The producer's perspective is all based on cost. How much does it cost to shoot these lines of words? How many costumes, makeup, and props are needed for this scene? Is there any way to control the cost expenditure? How to choose the scene to shoot at the lowest cost.

Of course, if an actor or star sees the script, he will consider more about whether he can show his acting skills, overshadow his co-stars on the screen, and deepen the star image of the audience.

David Simkins feels that he has received good training. The truth in the Hollywood industry is to give directors more room to play within the budget.

Now that major unions have strongly increased the minimum wage, the most popular way to save money in the past two years is to go to Australia or Canada to shoot. In addition to lower wages, more working hours, and tax refunds. .

He also works very hard. In addition to learning knowledge, Ronald also promised him that if the script he wrote meets the requirements, Ronald will also consider investing in it or recommend it to a suitable producer.

Of course, the most important thing now is to summarize various interesting scripts and discuss with the boss the possibility of directing it himself.

"Mr. Spielberg thought about it for a long time after talking to you, but he still didn't give in. He was a little worried about the script based on his deeds, and hoped that it wouldn't be too obvious in the script, so that people wouldn't guess it was him."

David Simkins handed over the words that Spielberg's assistant Catherine had told him over the phone to Ronald intact.

"Why? He still doesn't want to reveal the secret? Hmm..."

Ronald knew that Spielberg was essentially a shy person. This story based on his deeds as an apprentice at Universal in his early years made him a little uneasy. Directors make stories for others to see, not their own stories for others to see...

"I will talk to him after I come back from London. Should I reply to Mr. Frank Price in the same way? Anyway, Michael J. Fox has four months of schedule, and he can make movies during the inter-season break of Family Ties."

"So I will reply to Price in this way?" Nicita said from the side, "Fox is now focusing on preparing for the movie about the life of a rock band that he wants to make the most. I'm afraid he will focus on that."

"That's perfect. If Steven is unwilling to promote it, there will be some problems in the marketing of this movie."

Ronald is a little worried about the box office of this movie that Frank Price invited him to direct.

He talked about the script with Spielberg, and Spielberg pointed out on the spot that this movie, with ordinary marketing methods, might not attract enough moviegoers to watch it.

That was April before "Top Gun" was released. Ronald, Frank Price, and Spielberg met at Universal Studios under the arrangement of Michael Ovitz, the president of CAA.

The plot of this movie actually happened when Spielberg was working in the Universal Television Production Department in the 1970s.

Spielberg graduated from high school at that time and dropped out of college to work at Universal Studios. Because he looked young, no project was willing to hire him as a director.

Spielberg loved movies very much, so he grew a beard and tried to make himself look older. Then he imitated the senior executives of Universal, put on a well-ironed suit, and wandered around various studios and offices.

Because he had a Universal work card, the directors and photographers on the studios didn't know where this person came from. So they let him wander around the studio, asking others technical questions and artistic treatments everywhere. The on-site staff were also willing to answer his questions.

He soon discovered that as long as you put on airs on the studio and in the office, as long as you iron your clothes, wear a tie, and polish your shoes, as long as you show confidence, no one will find out that you are a liar.

This made Spielberg, who was introverted but imaginative since childhood, very proud. He played this trick for more than half a year, and even set up an office for himself in the Universal office building, put all kinds of script materials there, and went to work every day.

Until one day, Sidney Sheinberg, the then president of Universal, saw him and asked who this knowledgeable young man was, and Spielberg was exposed.

However, Sheinberg admired his efforts, courage, and adventurous spirit. Instead of blaming Spielberg, he gave him several opportunities to direct TV films, which led to the later filming of "Jaws".

Originally, Price wanted to show the script to Spielberg, but the other party was not interested at all. That's why I asked Ronald to take over.

Ronald was confused as to why Spielberg was not interested. The story was well written and the characters were well-developed. It was supposed to have the potential to win box office and critical acclaim.

But what Spielberg said to him at that time only deepened Ronald's doubts, and he even became a little unsure.

"You know this movie is talking to the Sound of Music audience, who have been missing for a long time."

"The Sound of Music? The Julie Andrews one?" Ronald didn't quite understand what Steven meant.

"You should understand, Ronald. I see that you have always known how to attract an audience when making movies. Do you know who the audience of The Sound of Music is?"

"I think those housewives and some adults who are fathers may take their children to see it." Ronald thought for a while and replied.

"Yes, they are the group of viewers who disappeared from the cinema after the invention of television. But sometimes, they will be inspired by a certain movie and enter the cinema again. We don't know what the key is here. This is a gamble. ”

"Oh," Ronald sort of understood what Spielberg meant, and figured out why Frank Price wanted Spielberg in the movie, using his true story as a marketing gimmick for the movie.

After the invention of television, the first people to disappear from the regular audience of movie theaters were housewives.

Their entertainment has shifted from movies specifically about housewives in the cinema to watching soap operas on TV.

Ronald has also read many market research reports on movies, and there is a proper term in them called movie audiences.

Hollywood has a clear definition of this, that is, viewers who have gone to the cinema more than ten times in the past year and have regular movie-watching habits.

These housewives may occasionally go to the movie theater once or twice a year, such as Ronald's "Top Gun" or Spielberg's "ET", but other than that, they stay away from the rest of the movies. .

If your movie's primary audience is these people, then you're taking a gamble. Bet your movie has some qualities that fill a gap in movies, tells some major real-life issues that have never been touched on by previous movies, and most importantly, it has to be good-looking.

In this way, you have the possibility to inspire more "missing audiences of The Sound of Music" who don't usually watch movies through word-of-mouth to come back to the cinema.

This possibility is actually relatively small, so mature directors like Spielberg stay away from it. Especially after his last film "The Color Purple", which reflected major real-life issues, completely failed in the awards.

This movie, which Spielberg has high hopes for, has already received more than 80 million at the box office in April due to large-scale publicity and the gimmick of his first exposure to realistic themes.

But at the Oscars, Spielberg was humiliated. The movie "The Color Purple" received 11 nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, but there was no single nomination for Spielberg for Best Director.

In the end, at the awards night, all 11 nominations were unsuccessful. Ronald felt very embarrassed at the scene, especially every time the camera panned Spielberg.

Even the above host Jane Fonda was extremely embarrassed when she announced the best picture award winners. Spielberg did not attend the after-party and walked away.

Anyway, in the short term, he and the Oscar organizing committee, which did not give him a best director nomination, had a conflict. Those members with voting rights did not want the young Spielberg to win the award so quickly.

Because of this experience, Ronald also had a lot of concerns about directing this reality-themed movie.

Plus……

"Is Helen still pestering you to play the leading role?" Niceta found an opportunity to ask Ronald alone.

"She thinks so, and I feel a little annoyed..."

Ronald was a little embarrassed because he didn't really want to direct Helen Slater. On the one hand, her acting skills are not very good, but she thinks very highly of herself. Ronald, a person close to me, felt that it was difficult to speak harshly as a director.

On the other hand, this movie has a lot of not-so-good plot points. The heroine is a lover who clings to the boss of the company. She relied on the relationship with the boss to become the director of the financial department. Although she finally got married to the male protagonist, this kind of plot was harmful to the actor's image.

But Helen Slater's demand for space for her acting skills exceeded everything else. She really wanted to play the heroine and pestered Ronald to flatter her. On the one hand, Ronald enjoyed Helen's tenderness, but on the other hand, he felt a little annoyed. It was best either not to direct it himself, or for Helen not to play the leading role.

But it was not easy to say it out loud, and it was a bit embarrassing anyway. Only the manager could find a way to mediate in the middle, not only to persuade Helen to give up, but also to find an excuse that would not hurt her self-esteem.

"I will talk to her more." Of course, Niceta would actively share Ronald's worries. "You go to London first. When you come back, I should be able to handle it."

"Well," Ronald turned back and asked his assistant David Simkins, "how about that script Eleanor sent?"

"The script is a good script, but it tells an old story from the era of Kennedy's leadership, and there is also a problem with the audience. The audience who loved to watch stories about little girls at that time are now middle-aged housewives, and they are also... "

“You are also the missing audience of The Sound of Music, right?” Ronald waved his hand and said, “Give me a copy of the script and I’ll read it on the plane. I’ll talk to you after I come back from the royal premiere of Top Gun in Britain.”