Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"You have a letter from the Screen Actors Guild, Ronald."

Daydream's colleagues called and told him that an official letter from the Screen Actors Guild had been sent to him. Not the white address taped to the printed envelope, typical marketing material. Instead, it uses a standard No. 10 envelope with a neat typewriter address, which looks very much like a legal official letter.

"Please help me unpack it and read it to me." Ronald was sitting leisurely on the floor of a high-end yoga studio meditating.

The number of dreams about movies gradually increased. Every time he dreamed, Ronald always had the same feeling, as if there was a door separating his body from the real world. He was in a world where he and the world could perceive each other, but But they are not together.

It's as if your mind is watching a movie in the living room while your body is still sleeping on the bed in the bedroom.

Ronald tried to increase the probability of dreaming by repeating various things he had done before the dream, but was unsuccessful.

This time he changed his mind and began to try various methods of meditating and relaxing the body and mind. He heard that meditation can also achieve this kind of effect on the mind and body. He hoped that using another method could achieve that kind of effect. A state of isolation.

Maybe this can inspire more dreams?

After trying guild halls in Chinatown and Japanese Zen teahouses, Ronald finally chose yoga.

The coaches here are easier to understand, so you don’t have to think hard about the meaning behind them. The coach's speech was also very direct. He only corrected Ronald's posture and breathing, but did not have so many metaphors and deep meanings behind the Zen.

Ronald really likes this breathing game, at least the quality of his sleep is improving. Don’t use an alarm clock in the morning and wake up naturally and energetically.

Eddie was on the other end of the phone. He opened the envelope and read to Ronald:

“To…Ronald Lee, Director.

During the filming of "Moonlight" in Toronto, Canada, you violated the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) regulations and did not strictly follow lunch breaks and lunch times, which caused the actors' physical injuries to be filmed.

The Screen Actors Guild will investigate you and impose corresponding penalties..."

"Huh? What the hell? What kind of physical damage...what kind of investigation, what kind of punishment?"

After listening to this, Ronald stood up from the high-grade rush cushion and said, "Let them dream."

"Ah, I'm sorry, I have some other things to deal with, so that's all for today." Ronald nodded and apologized to the coach, a middle-aged blonde beauty of Nordic origin, and ended today's class early.

"baffling!"

When he arrived at Daydream Pictures, Ronald read the letter completely.

The letter stated that after filming the movie "Moonlight" in Toronto, an actor complained that Ronald, in order to rush the work during the filming of the final table scene, did not allow the actors to have lunch, which caused health risks to the actors. There are also actors with diabetes who are at risk of fainting or even causing other more serious complications due to the onset of hypoglycemia due to delays in non-stop filming for several hours.

Therefore, after the investigation, the Screen Actors Guild formally established a project to investigate Ronald face to face. If the complaint is true, Ronald will be subject to a hefty fine and future placement on the Screen Actors Guild's warning list. All union members will be warned that Ronald's filming does not respect the basic needs of actors.

"Huh? That seems to be the case, but did anyone faint at the time?"

Ronald recalled the shooting situation at the time. In order to capture everyone's accurate and natural emotions, he really made them rehearse all the time without allowing them to rest.

Perhaps due to the irritability caused by hypoglycemia caused by skipping meals, the heroine Cher and the supporting actress Olympia Dukakis had a conflict, which unexpectedly sparked a chemical reaction between the actors. All the actors got into the groove quickly.

In order not to let the opportunity slip away, Ronald made the decision on the spot to shoot immediately while everyone was in the mood.

"But, I...I provided snacks to the actors. In the end, it seemed that I was the only one who didn't eat. In the end, I fainted due to low blood sugar."

"Then you are really unjust. The person who reported you must have put your problem on the actors. It is true that you greatly postponed your lunch break and lunch. This is indeed a serious violation of the regulations of the Screen Actors Guild. ”

"I...", Ronald was very angry, "I went to Toronto to shoot just to avoid this group of vampire representatives from the union. These people did nothing. They just hindered me from filming on the set, and they took things at every turn. Threatened me with a strike.

I treat them well enough, but they all hire union members as extras, and the minimum wage is more than ten times higher than non-union actors. Don’t they know that when creating, it’s common to take a few more photos? We are not office workers, so we can commute to and from get off work on time. "

"Oh, Ronald, calm down. When the union representatives investigate this matter, don't say that to them." Eddie quickly asked Ronald to sit down and poured him a glass of whiskey.

"Our Dirty Dancing is also a project registered with the union. If you fall out with them, it will be troublesome for them to find fault in this movie. You know, a crew has the largest number of actors, and there is no guarantee that there will be no one." If you are not satisfied with your salary, you will be in trouble if you report it.”

"Fuck it," Ronald put the whiskey down hard on the table. The whiskey splashed out of the glass and spread all over his hands.

Ronald shook his hands, and ended up wiping them with the tissue Eddie handed over. "Thank you, I'll bear it."

The power of the actors' union is very strong. Not only can they deliberately make trouble during the filming of a movie, but also cause delays in filming and economic losses. Moreover, the majority of the judges of the Oscars are actors, and they are all members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

"Since you violated SAG's decision on actors' lunch breaks and the crew providing lunch on time during the filming in Toronto, SAG decided to issue you a ticket.

A fine of $20,000. And this ruling will be published in the penalty column of the next quarter's Actors Guild newsletter."

In the afternoon, the representative of the Actors Guild, a very sanctimonious man, came to Ronald's daydream. After pretending to ask Ronald some questions, SAG announced the preliminary penalty decision.

"This..., in fact, the situation on the scene is not like this. I provided various snacks, and there was no abuse of the actors. This was determined by the nature of the scene. I had to extend the filming time..."

Ronald explained, hoping that the union representative could understand the situation at the time. But it seemed to be useless.

The representative of the Actors Guild grinned at Ronald, "We received an anonymous report and contacted the reporter. We got her testimony, proving that you delayed the shooting on that day and did not allow the actors to rest and eat, which caused serious consequences. Some people fainted due to low blood pressure..."

"I have told you repeatedly that it was me who fainted due to low blood sugar on that day. It was me! Not a member of your Actors Guild. They all had snacks provided by me on the scene, so they would not be hungry and have low blood sugar."

Ronald felt that this union representative seemed to be targeting him. He had made it very clear what happened on that day. The actors were not abused. He also submitted several witnesses, such as the director of photography David Watkin, or any actor who participated in the scene, who could prove it.

"This is the result of our investigation, Director Ronald. Of course, this punishment must be approved by the SAG Committee. If you have any objections, you can appeal." The union representative did not listen to Ronald's defense, but just repeated that this was their decision after a detailed investigation and careful review.

Ronald took the penalty notice expressionlessly, and the table told him not to turn against the union representative on the spot.

"I know," Ronald didn't take the penalty notice, but used his eyes to signal him to put it on the table, and didn't stand up to see him off.

Eddie, who was daydreaming, took Ronald's place and led the union representatives out.

"Don't worry, we have a good relationship with the top executives of the CAA and the Actors Guild. I used to have a client-agent relationship with their current president, Patty Duke. When her ex-husband divorced her, I helped her a little.

You pay the fine, and let Patty Duke make some concessions on the public report in the newsletter."

Nicita was relieved to see that Ronald could take the overall situation into consideration. This kind of disgusting thing is common among major directors.

Many union representatives seem to be specifically designed to show that they are not afraid of power, and they specifically grab big-name stars or directors to show their toughness, to brush up their tough image among the grassroots members of the union, and accumulate chips for their future union representative elections.

Not only Ronald, but top directors like Spielberg and George Lucas are often fined for not abiding by the rules of the union.

"What kind of person is the president of the Screen Actors Guild? Should I meet her?" Ronald felt very good about Niceta's connections. If he could talk to her, maybe he could clear up the misunderstanding.

Generally speaking, the people at the top of these union organizations are still very reasonable.

The previous president of the Screen Actors Guild was Ed Asner, who launched the largest strike in Hollywood in more than a decade. He led the actors' strike, which delayed Ronald's first script because of the strike, and Jane Fonda went to act in other movies, which eventually ended in failure.

Such a radical union president was indeed quickly elected.

Although he himself gained a lot of exposure in the Donkey Party's political arena, the actors did not benefit from it. The long-term strike caused heavy losses to the grassroots actors. Although the minimum wage was raised, many people no longer had roles to play - Hollywood went to other places to shoot.

Ed Asner, the former president of the union, was too ambitious and ended up getting nothing. After being elected, no one asked him to act in any film and television dramas, and he finally fell to dubbing the TV station's low-level animation.

Patty Duke, who was elected president this time, is an actress who is not so aggressive.

"Then I'll go talk to her first." Nicita smiled and picked up the copy of the punishment document.

"Who do you think is reporting me behind my back? I noticed that the union representative used the word actress."

Ronald asked Nicita who stood up and prepared to go to work first.

"It's hard to say. These union parasites are very good at provoking conflicts. It may be a man who said it on purpose. It may not be an actor, but a staff member."

"Well..." Ronald was very angry. For all his film projects that can take care of the union, he asked for it in proportion. These people are greedy. They get paid, appear on the screen, and maybe make progress in their careers, but they want to bite themselves back. "

"Damn it, I won't use you union people anymore if I get the chance."

…

"Hello Ronald," SAG President Patty Duke made a special appointment with Ronald at the union headquarters.

"Hello, Ms. Duke, I am your fan."

Before Ronald came to see her, he asked Niceta about the president's past history.

She is really a famous actress.

Ever since I was a child actor, because of my appearance, I have always played important supporting roles instead of leading roles. At the 1963 Oscars, Patty Duke won the Best Supporting Actress award at the age of seventeen. The youngest actor ever to win an Oscar.

She has always played supporting roles, and later entered TV series and played the leading role in several movies. A few years ago, she even won the Primetime Emmy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

She has been in the industry long enough, knows a lot of people, and is well-liked in supporting roles, so she was able to succeed her unpopular predecessor and be voted into the role of president of the Screen Actors Guild two years ago.

"Rick has already told me about your matter. I will intervene directly and will not let your name appear in the punishment column in the communication.

On the contrary, I will introduce some of your filming situations so that the union members can understand that sometimes for the sake of art, some compromises must be made. "

Patty Duke came up and talked about his decision.

This is not criticizing, but praising instead.

"Thank you then, Ms. Duke." Ronald was relieved to hear that he didn't have to publicly accuse the actors of not letting the actors have lunch.

"However, you still have to pay your fine."

"Well, I brought my checkbook."

The Screen Actors Guild, like the Directors Guild, suffered from a pension crisis, and Patty Duke heard a $20,000 fine, which he still had to pay.

"I see you have made guest appearances in many movies. Why don't you join the Screen Actors Guild?" Patty Duke looked at Ronald. Wouldn't it be great for such a director to join the Screen Actors Guild? At least he would have to pay a large residual dividend to the union's pension fund.

"I'm still a member of the Producers Alliance. It's inconvenient, so I won't participate. Besides, I'm just a guest star." Ronald declined.

"Okay, if there are any union matters in the future, you can call my assistant directly. You know that I am not busy with union matters full-time. Some people want to use the power of the union to achieve some of their own purposes. You don't have to talk to me. They're welcome. Come and tell me."

Ronald's heart moved. This was Patty Duke hinting to him that someone was behind this matter.

With that settled, Ronald went back to find a trainer to practice his yoga moves.

Taking some time to practice breathing techniques every day, Ronald felt that he was getting closer and closer to that state when sleeping, and it seemed that he might find a shortcut to dreaming about movies.

That day, he happened to be sitting on the floor of his bedroom trying to catch his breath, when Bannon's call came home.

"Ronald, those shameless Screen Actors Guild bugs are now in Arizona to turn against us."

Bannon speaks directly and is full of Wall Street's efficiency-oriented style. The shooting cost was one million less. In order to supervise the use and save money as much as possible, he flew directly to the location of Arizona to take care of things on site.

The film was not registered with the Screen Actors Guild, and all non-union extras and supporting actors were hired. Students from the drama club at a local public high school in Tucson, Arizona, were also hired as extras. This saves a lot of money compared to Hollywood.

Those drama club students who have received good training and played a few background roles are not much different from those union actors who mess around in Hollywood.

"Damn it, 'boys renting girls' is not a union project, you are so fucking scared." Ronald cursed directly on the phone.

"No, I heard that the Screen Actors Guild can decide to go on strike. They have a congressional law that can temporarily declare the extras of the crew to become temporary members of the Screen Actors Guild, so that they can organize a temporary member strike on the crew.

We are a small production, and a day's delay would be a huge loss. "

Bannon feels that making a movie is no easier than Wall Street acquiring factories. It also requires a game between capital and labor unions. Moreover, these actors' unions have a much higher self-esteem than factory workers and value their own rights more. The level of protest is often more severe, and the various demands are much more troublesome than those of the workers.

"Who the hell is going on strike to protest? We went to Cincinnati just to save money and give them a chance to appear on the camera. In fact, we are giving them a great opportunity. You dare to go on strike? Do you really think of yourself as a Hollywood actor? It’s not like being used as a weapon by trade union representatives.”

"You come here? I can't handle these students."

"Okay, let me show you a demonstration." Ronald immediately went to the airport with Little Bud, bought a plane ticket on the spot at a high price, and flew to Tucson, Arizona.

"Which one is it? Here to incite those idiots from the high school drama club to go on strike?"

Arriving at Tucson Public High School on location, Ronald found Bannon at the scene and asked.

"That's the guy in the suit and tie."

"Oh..." Ronald took a look and realized that wasn't the guy who gave him a 20,000 yuan fine?

"Ronald, are you the producer of this movie? I represent the Screen Actors Guild..."

When the union representative saw Ronald coming, he showed a smile on his face and came over to talk to Ronald about what a union is.

"Security, this person has no qualifications to be here on the set, let him get out."

Ronald doesn't care about this bastard. This is Arizona and this project is a non-union project. Don't look at this bastard's face.

"I am a union representative, how dare you..."

"This is a non-union project. The filming location we rented belongs to Tucson High School and is now used by the production crew. No one without permission is allowed to enter." Ronald turned his head and looked at the high school drama that had been inspired to cause trouble. The actors of the club said.

“You may be deceived by some people and think that we are some rich crew who want to use this project to get union cards and live the happy life of union actors from now on.

Let me tell you, our crew is an independent production and very poor. There is no money to hire union members as extras. All those who want to be union actors, please stand here and look for opportunities in other projects.

Anyone who is willing to participate in a non-union capacity, stand over there and our crew will register your name. Everything with scenes and lines will be signed. Those who do not have lines or scenes will also receive letters of recommendation and daily salary from us. "

"boom……"

The high school students were actually very naive. When they heard that the crew would not use union actors, they immediately crowded over to those who were willing to participate in non-union actors.

What a joke, Tucson, Arizona, a small city whose largest employer is the Navy and Air Force’s aircraft graveyard, hasn’t seen a movie crew come to locals to act as extras in several years.

The students in the drama club, except for a few bewitched and stiff-minded, all joined Ronald's side with a bang.

"Very well, those of you who insist on being a union, then I'm sorry, please get out."

"Children, don't be deceived by him. As long as we unite, we can..."

"go out!"

Ronald didn't have a good look on the union representative and scolded him loudly.

Originally, his behavior violated the charter of the actors union. The temporary union membership of actors who promised to participate in the film must be a project registered by the union, so that he has this power.

"I will complain to Ms. Duke, the president of the Screen Actors Guild, in person for your unprofessionalism and deliberate misleading about the temporary status of the extras. This is private property now, get out!"

Bannon came over with two male actors, stood in front of the union representative, and kept pressing him to get out.

"Isn't what he said true? You promised us that as long as we let the students of the high school drama club go on strike, we would get formal union status."

"Coax..." A few die-hards revealed the union representatives' private promises, causing other students to boo.

Amid everyone's contempt, he walked out of the filming location in despair.

"The demonstration is very good, I learned it." Bannon came over and shook hands with Ronald, "Let me introduce to you, this is our leading actor Patrick Dempsey, the handsome young man plays the leading actor Rona Miller.

This is Seth Green, who plays his best friend in a supporting role. Both of them have good acting skills. "

Bannon introduced Ronald to two actors who had kicked out union representatives and were acting in movies for the first time.

"Don't worry, it will be easy for you to apply for union status in the future. Although this project is a non-union project, as the protagonist, you can apply for Screen Actors Guild status as long as you receive another job as an extra for more than three days. Qualified."

Ronald looked at the two handsome boys, fearing that they would be psychologically burdened, and explained.

"Thanks, Ronald. We all loved your Top Gun."

"Amanda, look who's here."

Bannon greeted the heroine Amanda Peterson who was watching the fun from behind.

"Hi, Amanda." Ronald waved to her. It was Amanda Peterson who played the friend of the heroine Cindy with her. She failed to audition for the lead role of "Annie" and played the role of Annie in the Orphanage. Two girls who are friends.

They were also envious that Amanda could get to know the great director Ronald. They coquettishly came around Amanda Peterson and said hello to Ronald.

"Would you like to stay here for one night? By the way, I can guide the shooting." Bannon said to Ronald.

"That's fine, but I won't interfere with the director's work. This is the most important professional ethics of a producer." Seeing that it was getting late, Ronald agreed to stay.

Amanda Peterson was set in the middle position by the two actors. She seemed unaffected by what happened the day before. Her eyes still looked full of hope and sparkled with a kind of light. Ronald was relieved that this ray of hope had not been destroyed by a villain like Tom Mount.

Amanda Peterson has the air of an elite high school cheerleader.

Patrick Dempsey is a handsome guy with curly hair. Wearing old-fashioned black-framed eyes, he deliberately pretends to be a nerd, but it can be seen that he is a chic person. When the plot requires it, he will transform into a fashionable and handsome guy and match Amanda well.

Ronald is very satisfied with the casting. Bannon's aesthetic is similar to that of most boys and girls in small American towns. This is a guarantee that the movie will be a hit.