Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"It's also a small production, but your conditions are much better than mine."

Ronald came to the preparation office of "The Babysitter Adventures" to see Chris Columbus's situation.

Columbus was not very relaxed about Ronald's half-joking way of speaking. He reported to Ronald as if he was treating his superior.

"Touchstone has helped a lot. The copyright of the interlude "Then He Kissed" at the beginning of the movie has been bought."

"It seems that your conditions are really better than mine." Ronald really compared the difficulty of independent production. His music director Danny Goldberg has not yet obtained the copyright for a song.

"With Disney as your backing, your small production is actually similar to the medium-sized production of other companies." Ronald sighed, the efficiency of spending money is higher than that of his own "Dirty Dancing" crew.

"It's still difficult. 'The Nanny Adventures' has decided not to shoot on location in Chicago. I'm going back to Toronto, Canada next week to scout locations. I heard that the climate and house and street scenes on both sides are somewhat similar."

"Oh..." Ronald turned to the two female producers, "Is the Actors Guild in Chicago also very strong?"

"There are many drama performances there, but they are not as famous as Broadway."

The strikes of the Actors Guild over the years have increased the wages of actors, guaranteed their working hours and environment, and guaranteed their residual profit after their films are broadcast on TV or recorded into videotapes.

However, this rigid regulation has also made Hollywood more and more like the Pinewood Studios in London across the Atlantic.

When the time comes, you have to leave work, regardless of whether there are just a few more shots to be taken.

All extras should try to use union registered actors. Movies shot on location in big cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have gradually become synonymous with big productions.

Small productions have to go to remote and backward states such as Virginia to avoid union sneak shots, or go to Canada and Australia where there are a lot of preferential conditions to shoot, pretending that the exterior scenes are New York or Chicago.

"Your female lead audition is rented by the day, right? If you're done, I'll take your time. No objection, right?"

Ronald's "Dirty Dancing" director Adrian Lane, who had worked with him on "Flashdance", was somewhat interested in Ronald's project. However, his agent hoped that he would first shoot "Fatal Attraction" starring Michael Douglas.

Knowing that it was the salary he could offer, Attraction was not fatal enough. Ronald began to save money everywhere.

"No problem, if you don't mind, we can give it to you in the evening." The two female producers agreed.

...

"Tatum O'Neal, Jodie Foster, Michelle Pfeiffer, you have eliminated so many candidates."

When it was time for the audition, Ronald also sat in the audition room rented by the "Adventures of Babysitting" crew, looking at the female lead candidates who were eliminated in the previous rounds, he felt that this seemed to be a very popular project.

"Some of them were eliminated by us, such as Tatum, who was in very bad shape. After marrying tennis star McEnroe, her...abuse became more serious." Female producer Deborah Hill explained.

"Some of them were eliminated by us, such as Michelle Pfeiffer, who said she was too thin and not suitable for the role. In fact, there were other projects.

Jodie Foster was really too thin. When she auditioned, she couldn't act the persuasive role of a nanny who could face the gangs to protect children. After she knew about it, she said she had other invitations and gave up."

"Now the remaining three are Elizabeth Shue, Justin Bateman, and Valerie Bertinelli."

"Isn't Justin Bateman Michael J. Fox in the TV series "Family Ties"? Can her producer let her play it?" Ronald recalled that when filming "Back to the Future", the producer didn't let Fox go, and finally had to sleep in the car during the transfer.

"So her chances are slim." Director Chris Columbus knew that Sue was Ronald's, and he liked Sue the most among all the actresses. Her fearless personality and temperament matched the role best.

The audience also couldn't forget her image of Ali in "The Karate Kid", so they could transfer this good impression to the new role of nanny Chris Parker.

"This Valerie Bertinelli looks unfamiliar. Has she acted in any movies?"

"A bunch of TV movies..." Female producer Deborah Hill turned her audition photo over and showed it to Ronald.

"So she hasn't acted in any movies?" Ronald turned the audition photo back. This Valerie's face had an indescribable rusticity.

With a wide chin and short upper and lower parts, this face shape is actually not suitable for the protagonist.

"So Sue is basically your first choice?"

"Valerie too, the most likely choice is between them."

"Huh?" Ronald made a strange sound. With such a look, is there still a possibility?

"She's Eddie Van Halen's wife," Deborah Hill whispered in Ronald's ear.

"Oh." Ronald had met the leader of the "Van Halen" band on the set of "Back to the Future." The band was so popular that in Ronald's first movie, "Up," there was a joke about the expensive tickets to Van Halen's concerts.

"She has athletic ability, girl-next-door temperament, blond hair, and the audience can accept that she can confront gangsters..."

Ronald facepalmed.

Unexpectedly, this Valerie met all the conditions that were circled for Elizabeth Su. It seems that she used all her husband's connections and influence in this role.

The two main candidates came in one after another and performed some of the lines selected by the producer and director.

"Valerie and Elizabeth are doing well."

Ronald glanced at the producer who was speaking, and it seemed that someone behind her was also putting pressure on her. Valerie's face doesn't look very good on camera.

"Are you going to organize a third round of auditions?" Representatives of the Screen Actors Guild were observing the situation at the scene. They usually have no say. They will only report to the union if there is too obvious bias or secret operation.

"In our next round, let's try the opening dance." Ronald thought for a while, Valerie's performance was quite immature, and was quite different from Elizabeth Sue's acting skills. But in this kind of movie, the acting skills are too different, and there may be gossip, so Ronald came up with a scene that would leave everyone speechless for the audition.

"Ronald", after the audition, Elizabeth Sue was waiting outside.

“There was also a third round of auditions, which was a dance number to the score of ‘thenhekissed’. It expresses the mood of a girl waiting at home for her boyfriend to take her to the dance for the first time..."

Ronald told Elizabeth.

"I...I plan to drop out of Harvard and become a full-time actor if I can succeed this time." Elizabeth Su looked at Ronald and said what was in her heart.

"Relax, prepare well, I have confidence in your performance."

"Where are you going next, can I accompany you?"

Elizabeth Sue is in her final year at Harvard, and she compares the prospects of actresses with those of classmates who graduated from the same major.

Her family is not very rich and she cannot go home and be a rich girl. So be sure to seize the opportunity this time.

Ali in "The Dragon King" is just a supporting character to set off Daniel. In this "Adventures of Nanny", the entire story is centered on Chris Parker.

She knew the difference very well. In order to ensure that she got the heroine of this movie, Su did not care.

"Eon, we are old acquaintances. You are the actress I discovered, and I will definitely help you. You just need to concentrate on preparing for the role, and don't think about anything else. I won't go there later, and I will Audition for another movie.”

"Ah, then I, I'll go back first..." Elizabeth Su failed to take the initiative, and she didn't know whether she was happy or worried.

…

Looking at the producer on the other side who told Valerie the same thing, Ronald smiled at her and went back to the audition room.

"Dirty Dancing" screenwriter Eleanor was already waiting for him inside.

"Is this a casting pool for male leads?"

"Yes." Ronald asked the audition assistant and nodded yes.

"You promised me, Ronald. I want to see the leading actor." Eleanor held the pile of photos of handsome guys in her arms and looked at Ronald innocently.

"Of course, but we also have to consider other factors. For example, Tom Cruise wants to play." Ronald joked with the screenwriter, who was a lot older than a girl.

"Actually, Cruise is not my type. The guy in my dream is the kind of guy with black hair, full of masculine charm, small eyes, and single eyelids."

"Hehe..." Ronald chuckled inwardly. Eleanor never admitted that she wrote the heroine Baby based on herself.

The him in the dream now is so specific, it's really self-inflicted.

"I like him, he is the man in the dream."

Eleanor flipped through it for a while, pulled out a photo, and handed it to Ronald, very happy.

"Patrick Thwaites", Ronald checked and saw that he was indeed the hero in his dream.

"Sure enough, he has single eyelids and black hair. He has small eyes and looks very handsome at first sight." Ronald smiled and put the photo on the table.

"You don't mind." The union representative took the photo over. It was really that the female screenwriter's behavior was too disgusting. She was pretending to be a little girl even though she was so old.

"He can't dance. If you insist on choosing him, I will write a report to the union." The union representative smiled slightly, as if he had taken advantage of Eleanor.

"Can't dance?" Ronald exclaimed, how could he not be able to dance? In Dreams, Switz danced very professionally, and it was impossible to learn it on the spur of the moment.

"See for yourself, he wrote it on his resume."

Ronald took the audition photo and turned it to the back. Above is Patrick Schwytz's resume. Sure enough, there is a line with only two words written on it.

"Can't dance (nodang)"

"Is there something wrong?" Ronald was confused.

"Oh, what a pity, I think he is the Johnny that best fits my imagination." The screenwriter Eleanor didn't insist, which made the union representative a little disappointed.

"That one looks good too, Billy Zane."

"Well, he's been called the Marlon Brando of the new era." The union representative knew the actor.

Ronald also leaned over to take a look.

"How is he similar? His eyes are dull, maybe they just look a little bit alike."

Patrick Swayze is still the right choice. Ronald decided to ask why Swayze's resume said he couldn't dance.