Exploiting Hollywood 1980

“Bang!” Two slices of bread jumped out of the toaster.

Ronald took the buttered and toasted bread slices, sandwiched thawed bacon, cheese slices, a few pickles, and chopped tomatoes from the supermarket. He drank milk and ate his homemade sandwich.

After earning several thousand dollars, Ronald improved his life. American electrical appliances are always suitable for lazy and busy people. While eating, I watched ABC TV's "Good Morning America"

"A shocking scene occurred during yesterday's Major League Baseball game held at Comisk Park in Chicago.

During the halftime of the rematch between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers, thousands of disco records were poured into the center of the field, doused with gasoline, and set on fire.

According to Steve Dahl, the Chicago radio DJ who launched this movement, it is time to destroy this kind of music exclusive to blacks and gays. This kind of immoral dance and lyrics bring shame to America and shame to God.

Steve called on the audience on his Channel 97 to bring a disco record into the venue, which would be collected by the staff during the halftime break and then destroyed on the spot.

He claimed that the thousands of spectators who rushed into the field and set fire to the records until they were driven away by the police were not responsible for the loss of control of the scene.

Due to the persistent smoke and the dangerous behavior of the audience, the referee announced that the game ended early and the Detroit Tigers, who were leading at halftime, won."

This news did not seem to have much impact in New York. The restaurant was still playing disco music, and the actors on the set were still dancing disco as usual during the intervals when the lighting group was setting up the lights.

America is big enough, and the conservative small town residents in the central and southern parts of the country have not yet affected the young people in the big cities on the east and west coasts.

…

Due to the use of leg warmers, the dancers wore dance costumes made of thinner and more transparent fabrics, which made them less likely to sweat, so the shooting progress was accelerated.

The crew will shoot a dance scene in the art school cafeteria today. This is also the scene of the original theme song "Hot Lunch", but because the movie was renamed "Famous", this song was downgraded to an interlude.

The carpenters have refitted the original cafeteria of Harlan High School according to the requirements of the production design. Two old pianos and a set of drums were stuffed into the small cafeteria.

This is the first big scene shot in the movie, with more than 30 dancers, more than a dozen musical instruments, and Irene Cara singing songs.

Michael Gore, the composer of the film, also arrived at the scene and was still thinking about his lyrics.

"High school students in art schools hate cafeteria food, but the prices provided by the cafeteria are low enough, so they have a love-hate relationship with the cafeteria."

"Hey, what did you eat in the high school cafeteria?" Michael Gore looked at Ronald who was passing by and suddenly asked him.

"What?" Ronald turned around, "What about me? In high school, it was just those mixed dishes, you know, whatever was cheap. It was either stew or porridge, or carrots with salmon."

"Well, the ingredients of the dishes are cheap." Gore turned around to record some inspiration.

"We're going to shoot today, are you still changing the lyrics? Is it too late?" Ronald asked.

"Ah? It doesn't matter. Today we're only going to shoot Irene Cara singing part of the lines, and I have to continue to change the other parts."

"That's it." Ronald saw that he was immersed in changing the lyrics again, shook his head and sat down.

"Dongdong, dangdang, dingding, dangdang." Gore began to press the melody on the piano.

"Today we have stew, porridge, and salmon with carrots. No, that doesn't make sense."

"If it's blue, it must be stew, if it's yellow, it's porridge."

Ronald hummed the lyrics of his dream softly along with the tune.

"What? Sing what you just hummed again!" Gore didn't hear clearly.

"If it's blue, it must be stew, if it's yellow, it's porridge." Ronald said, "We all line up to eat, and we can't see what dishes are from a distance, so we can only tell what kind of unpalatable dishes are today by color."

"Very good, this sentence is very good, what's your name?"

"Ronald Lee."

"I'm the composer of the crew, Michael Gore."

"Dongdong, dangdang, dingding, dangdang." Michael continued to play his melody.

"Macaroni and salmon,

Our favorite dishes.

She ordered a hot lunch,

The same for everyone."

Ronald couldn't help humming again.

"What? What? Sing it again." Michael Gore was excited again.

Ronald sang again, "The best lunch is salmon or macaroni, but it's only once or twice a week. So you have to rush to the cafeteria that day."

"The waitress, the food lady,

Don't mess with her,

She'll take every penny

Give you one lunch a day

She's nice to everyone

A hot lunch for everyone"

"If it's blue,

It must be stew,

If it's yellow,

It's goo."

"Macaroni and salmon,

Our favorite dishes.

She got a hot lunch,

For everyone."

"Wait a minute, I'll sing it to Irene Cara's agent, and I'll use this word today." Michael Gore took the newly revised lyrics and ran to discuss with everyone.

"It's the original lyrics anyway, so it doesn't matter if I give it to him in advance, right?" Ronald thought, and began to sit down and observe the choreographer designing movements for each dancer.

This scene is a big scene, and it's okay for those who play various instruments, because the camera will allocate fixed shots. But the dancers have to fight for themselves. They are still in the rehearsal stage, but they have already begun to squeeze each other's positions.

At that time, a big battle may break out. Ronald thinks whether he should discuss it with the producer first.

Michael Gore rushed back and interrupted his thoughts, "Hey, Ronald, ask your agent to come. Irene Cara's agent is very happy. The producer said that you will be listed as half of the lyricists."

"I don't have an agent yet. I'll ask my lawyer to come."

"I graduated from Dwight Englewood Music School. Which music school did you go to?"

"I didn't go to music school."

"Then you are a talented lyricist. Why don't you have an agent with such talent?"

"Actually, I'm studying directing and will be enrolled in a few months."

Called lawyer Lindsay Doll and asked her to handle the lyricist contract. Ronald started watching the dance rehearsal again.

The dancers began to deliberately bump into each other, knocking each other out of the camera's lens range, and tripping and stepping on each other's toes.

"Ah..." A girl cried and pulled up her pants and ran outside. It turned out that her pants were taken off.

Over there, Lucy leaned against Gene and was arranged by the choreographer to dance in a fixed position, so she didn't have to worry about her appearance time.

The crew is actually a group of monkeys. The powerful monkeys divide the scope of power, and the powerless monkeys either find a backer or rely on themselves to compete.

"David, you have to come and see the competition among dancers. We have to draw a line for them. If they want to compete, they can only be limited to the scope of dancing skills. They can't use bad tricks like stepping on toes and pulling pants, otherwise they will get into big trouble." Ronald found the producer David and put forward his own views.

After a while, the choreographer announced the new discipline. The competition was limited to fighting dance. Whoever danced brilliantly would get more camera time. Although it can't completely eliminate off-the-board tricks, it's much better than before.

"Ronald, you graduated from a public high school, right? Why do you have so many skills? You can take pictures, write scripts, and write lyrics." Ronald's personal lawyer Miss Lindsay Doll handed him the negotiated lyrics contract.

"I can't explain it." Ronald began to read the contract.

"Okay, here is your signature, second to the lyricist, and here is your share. After the movie is released, they plan to release the soundtrack record at the same time, and you can get some residuals from the lyricist."

"How is the dividend calculated?"

"A small part of the total sales. As long as the record sales exceed a certain number, you will receive a check every quarter."

Ronald signed the contract and handed it to the lawyer.

"Also, although I can help you with these things, you'd better find an agent. In addition to the contract, they can also find new business for you."

Agent? Ronald touched his ear, it seems that he has to find an agent.

"Record, camera, start shooting!"

"If it's blue, it must be stew, if it's yellow, it's goo." Irene Kara sat at the piano and sang the lyrics written by Ronald to the music. The dancers began to jump onto the piano and the dining table, dancing hard, hoping that the camera lens could stay on them for a few more seconds.

Gene and Lucy's roles are guaranteed, and they dance happily.

Even the two extras recommended from the audition studio who played the cafeteria aunts were very happy. They twisted their thickened waists and had a frontal shot.

"Cut! Very good, this one is printed. The afternoon scene is finished." Alan Parker announced that the lunch scene in the cafeteria was finished, and all the actors shouted happily.

Irene Kara had the most frontal shots in today's scenes. She was happy to thank Ronald. She liked the humorous lyrics very much and sang them comfortably.

"Everyone, today is my birthday. I invite everyone to my house for a party!" Gene invited all the actors after the shooting.

"Okay, I'll go." The voice was from a group girl. Soon she was pulled by her companion next to her and whispered, "Gene is from Harlem, how dare you go?"

The silent scene made Gene very embarrassed. Everyone left the scene silently. Gene used force and smashed a plastic prop water cup to the ground.

"Wow..." The water splashed all over the ground, just like his mood.

After everyone left, Ronald came up to Gene and asked, "It's a good idea to invite everyone to your birthday, but why did you invite them to your home? Instead of finding a restaurant, like the four of us did last time?"

"I... I want to show those bastards from the neighborhood."