Exploiting Hollywood 1980

The crew was on holiday, and Ronald wanted to continue preparing for the filming in Toronto, but almost everyone was under the control of the union, and everyone went back to celebrate Christmas, and there was no staff or actors to accompany him.

Ronald also slipped back to the town of Totville on the southern end of Staten Island to celebrate Christmas with Aunt Karen and Donna.

Ronald had not had a quiet meal with his family for a long time because he was busy filming outside and busy with publicity and marketing.

Donna began to think about where to go after graduation. Physics is not as lively as it was in the past 20 years. Donna wanted to work in other industries, such as finance or computer industry, which also requires a high level of mathematics.

Ronald was of course very supportive. Now her aunt didn't need her to work to make money. It was most important to choose a career according to her own interests.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

While chatting with her family about daily trivial matters, the phone rang again at Ronald's home.

"Can't you let me spend a good Christmas with my family?" Ronald was not very happy.

The call was from Niceta, urging him to attend the release ceremony of MGM's new film and attend some charity events.

"Ronald, it's unfair to me to say that. I didn't spend Christmas with Paula either. MGM invites you to some events to accumulate some resources for the movie you are shooting now. If you don't want more celebrities and stars to come to the theater when "Moonlight" is released..."

"Okay, okay, I'll go."

Calling Bud, Ronald returned to Manhattan.

MGM filmed a co-production at the Great Wall last year. It was a film about an elderly Chinese returning to the city where he grew up, the cultural collision between the two countries and the elderly recalling their childhood scenes. The box office was not good after it was released there.

This year, I came to America to try my luck.

The English name of the movie is "Agreat Wall". Ronald attended the movie's promotional reception in Manhattan.

Now the two countries on both sides of the Pacific have strong reasons and motivations to get closer, and the people of both sides are also full of curiosity and goodwill towards each other's people.

So all walks of life in Hollywood are also full of curiosity about the movies shot on that land.

Before the big studios and directors, such as Spielberg and Bertolucci, were allowed to shoot in the central areas of the two largest cities this year, a small independent producer quietly entered there last year.

The director and the lead actor is an old man named Wang Zhengfang who spent his childhood in the capital. In addition, a student Li Qinqin from the Film Academy was found to play the leading female role. A young man named Wang Xiao from a song and dance troupe in a southern province was found to play the second male role.

It was screened in China in 1985, but because the plot reflected the daily life of the capital, it did not cause any movie-watching craze and failed at the box office.

Wang Zhengfang found someone to put English subtitles on the copy, and this year it was screened in America again.

This time, he found the secret to success.

The people of America are wealthy, and this "Great Wall" ranked 18th in its first weekend. Although the box office was not high, it was more than enough to make up for the ultra-low cost of filming and printing there.

Roger Ebert, a famous film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times, gave the film three stars and specifically recommended: The greatest pleasure of watching this film is to see the different interpretations and attitudes of the people of the two countries towards life in the two countries.

With such a good response, MGM did a lot of marketing for the film.

The first was to participate in the Sundance Film Festival led by Robert Redford, but did not receive any award from the jury. However, the popularity on the other side of the Pacific was high enough, and Redford gave it a special jury award. This award, which does not exist in normal evaluations, is a special establishment. It is not so much for the film as for the title of the first film shot on the Great Wall.

With this title, this "Great Wall" continued to participate in film festivals in various parts of America and public relations with film critics associations in major cities.

However, although it was blessed by the place where the story took place, the film itself was shot in Chinese and was not very popular. In total, it only won the Best Foreign Language Film Award from the Kansas City Film Critics Association.

After going around in circles, it finally came to New York at the end of 1986 to participate in the selection of the New York Film Critics Association.

Ronald watched the movie. As a reincarnated Chinese, he was also curious about what the other side of the Pacific Ocean looks like now. In addition, he knew Chinese, so it was very interesting to watch the city scenery on the screen.

Ronald was fascinated by the various courtyards, old buildings, Soviet-style buildings, and the unique skyline composed of tall poplar trees.

"How is it? Is this movie good? We also think that there is a Chinese fever in American society now, and more and more Chinese are studying here, so we introduced it."

A senior manager in charge of distribution at MGM was very grateful to Ronald for participating in the screening and took the initiative to greet him.

"I heard that this movie ranked 18th at the box office?" Ronald was actually quite surprised that this movie could be released in America. This kind of foreign language film, subtitled film, is increasingly disliked by young people in America.

Unlike the 1970s when America was on the defensive in the Cold War, the 1980s was an era of regaining the upper hand.

Perhaps Ronald's "Top Gun" film contributed to the situation. Young people always think that America is the best country in the world, and there is no need to understand how people in other parts of the world live.

"Now it no longer participates in the box office rankings. The film is mainly shown in Chinatown cinemas in major cities across the United States. The Chinese there have not seen images of their hometown for decades, so they are very enthusiastic about watching movies.

There are also various art theaters, where there are also some college students and foreign film lovers who like to watch such foreign language movies.

We plan to send the film to the Independent Film Festival in California next March, where all independent films will compete..."

"Oh, you are really good." Ronald had the idea of ​​​​operating Director Huang's "Human-Ghost Love" in the same way. He first praised the other party's operation, and then asked the other party for advice.

This senior manager is also willing to communicate with Ronald. When "Moonlight", which he is currently filming, is released, he can also serve as his marketing director and be responsible for the marketing of the film.

The two had a very lively chat, discussing many details about the movie's announcement. Ronald also expressed a lot of his thoughts on the film's performance. A foreign film must have a selling point that attracts audiences in order to gain word-of-mouth.

In general, this movie lacks stars and does not have a particularly interesting story. Only Chinese audiences are interested in the daily life reflected in the movie.

'Moreover, there is a problem with their casting. Some Asian actors have never been there. From birth to growing up, they are all from America. "Ronald got excited about the conversation and expressed some of his judgment.

"Oh yeah? Why? Tell me, are those people born and raised in America?" The manager in charge of marketing still didn't quite believe it.

"First of all, the lead actor and director Wang Zhengfang was born there and has lived here for decades. Li Qinqin is definitely from the capital, and Wangxiao is from the south. As for that Kelvhanyee, it looks like he grew up on the West Coast."

"Oh, that's right. I have their background information. How did you do it?"

"The director's eyes," Ronald pointed to his own eyes. Of course he would not say that he had two lives. He would naturally be able to tell the difference if he saw more.

Perhaps it is a matter of food and language. Chinese Americans who grew up in the two places have some subtle differences in the distribution of facial muscles. On the other side, the people in the two big cities in the north and the south have very different temperaments and can be distinguished at a glance.

"I really admire you. It seems that being a director does require a lot of talent... hahaha."

"By the way, my name is Michael Gray. It's a pleasure to talk about movies with you, Ronald. How is the filming progress of your new movie?"

"The scenes in New York have been filmed. By the way, my movie will be released in the second half of next year. Will you be responsible for the marketing of the movie?"

Did Ronald meet a marketing manager who he could talk to and had a unique understanding of distribution?

"Of course, if you are willing, I am very willing." Michael Gray achieved his goal. He took two cocktails, clinked glasses with Ronald, and wanted to continue chatting.

"Ronald, we have to go." Niceta intervened. Ronald was about to rush to attend another Christmas charity dinner.

There are many celebrities there, as well as celebrities from various industries. Ronald's fame is gradually spreading beyond the Hollywood circle. This kind of charity dinner is a very good opportunity.

"Okay, we will keep in touch in the future. Rick is my boss, and I have to follow his arrangements. You can call him. We always run around when filming movies. You can find me there."

"This is my phone number. If you have anything to do with Ronald, just call me. I'm his butler."

Next, Ronald transferred to the St. Regis Hotel. This place was originally transformed into a social place for New York's richest people, and there are also independent designer suites for Tiffany, Dior, and other brands.

In the dinner hall, everyone sat down at a round table. Ronald came late and shared a table with the Wall Street bankers.

The light was not bright enough, so he could only see a few people at adjacent round tables, so Ronald chatted with the bankers. Bankers are all very social people, and I had a great time chatting with Ronald when we first met.

"I said, my child is particularly obsessed with fighter jets. Can you get me an autographed photo of Tom Cruise." This is for those who have little fans at home.

"Fighter dogfights are very exciting. We need more people like this. Here we also pay special attention to the winning spirit and keep winning." This is what I like about Ronald's movies.

"How about disclosing it privately. Which Hollywood movies can make money? There are many funds investing in Hollywood now, and we don't want to miss this good opportunity." This is because we want to make money.

"Maybe you don't believe this. I don't know either. No one in Hollywood seems to know. The box office of a movie is a metaphysical issue." Ronald shrugged, saying that he didn't know either.

"Is there really no secret? I heard that celebrities guarantee box office performance. Is this true?"

"A lot of you Wall Street bankers see it that way, but I gotta say, it's not like stars don't make movies that fail at the box office."

"Hey, it's true that there are movies made by big stars that no one has seen." Bankers resonated very much with Ronald's statement.

"You know, there's a poor guy there who invested in a single movie for some reason. The lead actor was Al Pacino, who became famous for 'Scarface', and the director was Hugh Hudson, who won the Oscar for Best Picture. What happened?

The big production 'Revolution', which cost $30 million, didn't even make $500,000 at the box office. No one has ever seen this poor guy fall."

"Larry? Some people say he jumped off the building. This is how our business works. We have to call countless clients every day. If you don't complete a project, no one will answer your call. If you lose a lot of money, your business card will be thrown out of the business card box on the table.

At that point, we'd better pray that we have earned enough commissions and retire. Otherwise, we can only go to Kansas to shovel horse manure."

"Hahaha..." Ronald clinked glasses with them. These bankers talked interestingly and nicely. It was quite pleasant for Ronald to chat with these smart people.

"Ah...let go..."

Ronald was about to continue chatting with them when suddenly a woman at a table next to him exclaimed.

It was a beautiful model, wearing a short backless dress and a bow tie, dressed a bit like a waiter. In fact, she was invited by the organizer to fill the place. Seeing that there was an empty seat, she sat down and chatted with everyone to avoid a dull moment.

For many print models who are not yet famous, this is a good job, with good pay and the opportunity to meet some successful people.

That model was a little different from other models. She didn't look very thin like those print models. She looked 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 meters) and weighed nearly 110 pounds, which was thin among ordinary people. She was unusually plump among models.

And there was a mole at the corner of her mouth, which was rare in the modeling industry. Most models are required not to have too many personal characteristics. After all, they are models to sell fashion, and models are more like mobile clothes hangers.

"Cindy?"

Ronald recognized the blonde with red lips. She was the model he recommended to "Secrets of Success" to shoot the New York street scene at the beginning, Cindy Crawford. He spoke up to help her out.

Cindy had no choice. In such occasions, harassment was a must. Usually they would just get rid of it and move on.

But today, the man was a designer from Europe. He relied on his power in the modeling circle and kept touching Cindy's buttocks.

Cindy Crawford wanted to avoid him. She didn't want to get promoted in this way. But the designer saw that she wanted to leave, and actually hugged her horizontally, locked her, and forced her to sit in his arms.

"Ronald?"

Cindy saw clearly that it was Ronald, who was very graceful. When he introduced her to the crew, he didn't forcefully ask for a return. Cindy immediately agreed. Then she stood up and walked quickly to Ronald while the designer didn't react.

The designer tied a ponytail. Seeing that someone here knew the female model and the model walked over obediently, she immediately felt that her self-esteem was hurt.

"Who is that? Why are the models so afraid of him?"

The guests next to him didn't like this person, "That's the famous Hollywood director, Ronald Lee."

"Film director? What's the matter? Models will eventually work in the fashion industry. What's the point of Isabella Rossellini having a boyfriend to help her shoot movies? In the end, she will still come back to shoot commercials for Lancome."

Ronald stood up, took Cindy Crawford's hand, and led her to his table. The banker gave her a seat.

"Thank you, thank you, you are all American knights, saving me from the monsters from Europe..." Cindy Crawford was very good at speaking, and thanked Ronald and several bankers.

But her hand kept holding Ronald's hand.

"Hahaha..." The bankers were not as rough as the designer. They surrounded the beautiful model and mainly communicated with words.

Ronald felt that Cindy Crawford's hand was holding his hand tightly. He looked at Cindy several times, and received a warm and low-key response.

After a while, Ronald saw Niceta standing in the corner signaling him, so he said goodbye.

The bankers exchanged business cards with Ronald again. Cindy Crawford also stood up and took Ronald's hand to go out with him.

The designer sitting over there was very dissatisfied when he saw his prey was leaving. He stared at Ronald fiercely and stood up to stop him.

Ronald felt something in his heart, glanced over there and smiled contemptuously. This European guy is just ignorant of the times. He also did this in such an occasion. He is a real arrogant narcissist.

As if he was angered by Ronald's contempt, the designer wanted to come over and reason with Ronald with his fist. But the dinner seat in the hotel was small, and he tried but couldn't squeeze in.

Seeing that Ronald had already started to move out, he was so angry that he made a middle finger gesture towards this side.

It happened that the banker who had a child was taking pictures of celebrities at the dinner with a disposable Polaroid. Seeing this situation, he pressed the shutter at the designer. Then he shook the photo quickly and it was developed quickly, and the designer's indecent gesture was caught.

Ronald thanked him after receiving the photo from him, then called Niceta and handed him the photo.

"Help me deal with it."

"Okay, I'll help you book a suite at the Four Seasons Hotel. Cindy knows how to do it. She hasn't returned your help yet. If you have other opportunities to appear, you might as well help her. If you don't have the chance, it's okay not to help."

Ronald nodded to express his understanding, took the hand of beautiful Cindy, left the St. Regis Hotel, got into Little Bud's car, and drove to the Four Seasons Hotel.

The disgraced designer was drinking heavily and was surrounded by two hotel waiters. Then a manager showed him an ugly photo of himself and said, "Sir, you don't have an invitation from us. Please go out." ”

"I came here with people from fashion magazines..."

Before he could protest loudly, he was carried out by two waiters, carried to the door of the hotel, and pushed outside.

"Damn..." The designer, who had drunk a little too much, was pushed and staggered to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.

…

"Your jacket." Cindy Crawford returned Ronald's jacket after entering the hotel suite.

It was cold outside just now, so Ronald put a short windbreaker on Crawford to cover the skin exposed by her halter top.

Cindy's style still maintains the style of a beautiful small-town girl born in a small town in Illinois. She yearns for the big city, but she has no stage fright for big scenes and knows how to distinguish between men.

She took off her high heels and walked slowly on the carpet with her bare feet.

"I don't mind women wearing high heels," Ronald said humorously.

"Hahaha..." Cindy was extremely happy, "My agent also said that I may not be suitable for the film and television industry, and there are not many male actors who can cooperate."

"Your conditions are very good and you have a unique temperament. I think even if you don't want to be an actor, someone will come to you in the future."

Ronald looked at Cindy's figure. After rigorous training, she had a tall and straight figure, and her figure was not like that of an ordinary model. She was very attractive.

There is also that beauty mark, which is also a rare asset for film and television heroines, and it is difficult for the audience to forget it once they see it.

What's even more unique is that Cindy has a special sense of relaxation when walking on stage and is not nervous at all. Whether walking on the catwalk, taking photos as a model, or doing odd jobs at dinner parties, there is always an attitude of not taking things seriously.

This unique temperament is also very suitable for acting. At least relax this level, many beautiful girls can't pass it.

"Really? Actually, I filmed The Secret of Success, and the director scolded us several times. I thought I had no talent." Cindy didn't believe it.

"Really, I have a director's vision." Ronald smiled, "If you become famous in the modeling industry...\

,"Seeing Cindy Crawford frown slightly, Ronald adjusted his words, "When you become famous in the modeling industry, there will be a lot of invitations like this. You will know by then."

It is also a routine operation for America for a model to become famous and switch to film and television.

"I haven't thanked you yet." Cindy finally approached Ronald, stretched out her hands to wrap around Ronald's neck, stood up on her bare feet and kissed him on the lips. "Well, it feels pretty good."

Ronald looked at the beauty in his arms. He was well-informed. He was also slightly distracted by this beauty with long hair and red lips. When he came back to his senses, it seemed that the other party was waiting for his further move. "Actually, you don't have to do this."

"Why don't you do this? I like you, Ronald. When we work as models, we are always bullied. We just think that one day, a knight will come back to save us. Today, you are that knight. Satisfy me when I was in high school. fantasy.”

Cindy was very spicy like a girl from the central region. As soon as she finished speaking, she jumped up, wrapped her legs around Ronald, and hung on him.

"Hmm..." Ronald lowered his head for a long kiss. The beauty in his arms seemed to be trembling with excitement because of the sudden passion, and his feet continued to exert force.

Ronald had no choice but to quickly carry her into the bedroom...

"Um……"

After a long time, Cindy was very satisfied, her legs still wrapped tightly around Ronald, as if it wasn't enough.

"By the way, why haven't I seen you in the magazine yet?" Ronald hugged Cindy and whispered in her ear.

"There are quite a few, but there are no covers. I still lack some exposure. Ordinary readers don't know much about me, so...but I think sooner or later I will be on the cover of a fashion magazine or a sports magazine..."

"Well... does it help to be on a late-night talk show?" Ronald thought of his friend David Letterman. He always welcomes famous beauties to appear on his show.

"Really? Can you help me?" Cindy clamped her legs tightly in excitement.

"Let me see what I can do..."

"Aww... I love you so much, Ronald. Come again..."

7017k