Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"The Weddi"

The next morning, Ronald saw the script that Ang Lee brought in his office. Except for the title and the first dozen pages of the synopsis, which were translated into English, the content was all written in Chinese, and the English was a bit bad.

This story is about a Chinese male student who lives with another Western young man. In order to meet the expectations of his parents, he married a female student from Xujiahui in a fake marriage, and the female student could also get a green card.

Who knew that as family disputes and cultural conflicts continued to develop, their plans gradually became more and more complicated...

Ronald read it quickly and read the Chinese part at the back. Then he closed the script and put it on the desk. After hesitating for a while, he still asked Ang Lee across from him:

"Are you going to shoot English dialogue or Chinese dialogue?"

"The most important thing is Chinese, and some small parts will be in English." Ang Lee was still wearing the suit he wore yesterday to see Broadway. In order to celebrate his wife's successful teaching position, the two spent money to watch a musical, and they didn't expect to meet Ronald by chance.

"Well..." Ronald sighed, knowing that this was the case.

"We have known each other for a long time, Ang. I will speak directly. In fact, judging from your script, the cost of this movie will not be very high. But as an investment of the company, I also have to be responsible for the company's board of directors and employees. The market for Chinese movies in America is very small."

"I understand that many people have told me that there is no future in the box office in America, but I feel that this story can touch me. This is the script I started writing at the beginning of the year. My wife was annoyed to see me not working at home, so I ran to my friend Feng Guangyuan and discussed with him while writing." Many of the plots in it are my own experiences. So if it is changed to English dialogue, I will lose my original idea of ​​writing the script. "

"Tsk..." Ronald knew that Ang Lee was a person who insisted on his own artistic views, and from an artistic point of view, his views were not unreasonable. This is originally a story of the conflict between Eastern and Western cultures.

"Then let's do this, I will decide on your script and sign the option. I will ask my colleagues to ask if there are any American Chinatown theater distribution companies that like your story. If there are, my daydream can contribute half of the funds.

If during this period, you can find other people willing to invest, we can also transfer it at the original price. If this movie can be made, it will be very good. "

Although Ronald said that he was talking about business, his feelings about the script told him that although the subject matter of this movie was sensitive and the language was not understandable, it might be a breakthrough in art.

"Thank you, Ronald." Although Ang Lee did not get the promise of immediate investment, he was even happier in his heart.

Before, Samuel Goldwyn Jr. said a lot of things, praised himself very highly, and said that he would make a big splash in Hollywood, but when the heroine was decided to be Julia Roberts, he suddenly said that he would withdraw the investment and not make the movie.

In contrast, Ronald's way of setting up the battle and speaking the reasons and reasons frankly is what the Hollywood producers who follow the right path do.

"By the way, do you have other work now?" Ronald glanced at Ang Lee's leather shoes and asked casually.

"I just co-wrote a script called "Mail Order Bride" with Joel Ross. I help him. He has a vacation home in Long Island. I can go out to work every day to avoid being disliked by my wife. ”

Ang Lee speaks very slowly. His spoken English is worse than his written English. He is also a little shy. Although they are classmates, Ronald has made rapid progress in his career after not practicing for many years. There is always a little awkwardness when they talk.

“If the script can be solved as soon as possible, I would like to ask you to be an expert in the script department for my daydream, help select it, and do some script doctor rewriting work when necessary. When you are not busy at work, you can also participate in the work of other crews and get familiar with the set. ”

Ronald still cares about Ang Lee's face and asks him to help his company. “We are a small company and can't afford a high price, but we can give you a salary based on the industry level. If you are willing..."

"Of course I am willing", Ang Lee was very happy. Ronald was worthy of being the famous figure of the fraternity of Delta Oga Epsilon at the Tisch School of New York University. He was still like a timely rain.

Although he dropped out of school after one year, the legend of this man was circulated throughout New York University, including other universities in New York - a fraternity that invited Playboy cover girls to be party girls.

"That's great. We have an office in New York. The script department is yours. You can work until any time you want. If you want to rest, get the key from the secretary. We have two apartments next door for rest." Ronald stood up and shook hands with him, "Welcome to join..."

"Thank you, thank you", Ang Lee also shook Ronald's hand very hard this time. He was in the worst time. He only had a few dozen dollars on his body. He could only be a househusband at home. "Well... I have a question about the company's treatment." Ang Lee's face was a little red. Ronald treated him so well, and he still had to make demands.

"Please speak..." Ronald raised his hand to signal him to speak.

"Can Daydream help me apply for a green card? If it's not convenient for you, I will follow the path of my wife's partner, which means I have to wait a few years after she officially joins the university teaching position..." Ang Lee's personal experience was also written into the script.

"Ha, no problem, my lawyer will help you write a recommendation letter. We have a good relationship with Mr. Molinari, the congressman from Staten Island. With his recommendation, your green card will be approved soon."

Ronald smiled. If Ang Lee didn't get a green card, he couldn't return to his hometown, and he had to apply as his wife's accompanying student. Now he can get a green card with his own ability, and he also has a job in the Hollywood industry, which greatly improves his family status.

"The head of our script department is David Simkins. I will introduce him to you when he comes to New York. You have to review all the scripts here, then write your comments and estimate the shooting costs. I need help from a capable person like you."

Ronald felt like he was encouraging his old classmate, "In addition, your comments and evaluations should be written in English. You can practice English. If there are problems with English in Hollywood scripts, it is difficult to send them to the real decision makers. This is also to prepare for your future filming."

Ang Lee has been in America for so many years, and he has a wife and children. Why is his English still so bad? How can he communicate complex meanings on the set and guide actors?

】

Ronald not only helped his old classmate, but also Ang Lee's script showed his talent on paper. The four-act structure of the script was very compact, and the ending of the reconciliation between the father and the son also moved him.

Judging from Ang Lee's graduation work as a student and his ability to help him shoot commercials, this person not only has artistic talent, but also understands various techniques on the set. Once there is a good opportunity, he will definitely succeed, and he can be considered to have made a good relationship.

…

“Here are your classmate’s green card application materials, this is a letter of recommendation from Councilman Molinari, this is the certification materials written by her daughter, Councilman Susan, and this is your certification materials, saying that Mr. Lee is a director with outstanding talent…”

Private lawyer Lindsay Doll quickly helped Ronald to handle various materials. Now, as a single mother of a one-year-old child, her work pace has slowed down, and she is concentrating on serving several big clients including Ronald.

Originally, the strong woman who graduated from Harvard Law School has now become a happy mother. After talking about work, she began to show Ronald the photos of her son she took.

Ronald liked it very much, and took an unopened Sony home video recorder from the office and gave it to Lindsay, “Children grow up quickly. You should keep more of his childhood images. It will be very interesting to watch them when he grows up.”

Lindsay Doll opened it. This video recorder is very small, and she, a woman, can hold it with one hand to shoot. The videotape is neither VHS nor Sony’s BetaAX, but a format called Video 8.

The technology of this videotape is inherited from the movie camera. The video quality is high, the recorder can also collect stereo sound, and the volume of the videotape is small, so the recorder is also small. Unlike VHS recorders, which are all shoulder-mounted.

The only disadvantage of this recorder is that it cannot be played on a VHS recorder (now the most common home video recorder in America). It can only be played directly through an external TV and then transcribed to a VHS tape.

However, partner lawyers like Lindsay Doll will not care about these extra costs. Sure enough, she happily handed over the gift.

"By the way, I have found a suitable target for you about what you told me last time." The lawyer took out a few documents from her leather briefcase and handed them to Ronald, "This is the medium-sized Hollywood production and distribution company that best meets your requirements. It is now in financial difficulties and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy."

Ronald took the documents. He had previously entrusted Lindsay to help him keep an eye on the Hollywood court. The Writers Guild continues to strike, and the original projects continue to suspend filming, and they have to pay high interest. Many small and medium-sized producers and distributors who are already operating with high debts are going to be ruined. This is a good time to pick up bargains.

Chapter11 A number in the bankruptcy law of American companies. Companies that apply for this bankruptcy method can also seek financial support to restructure their businesses and debts while operating the company. It is very suitable for companies like Hollywood.

The news from Hollywood producers and agents is true and false, and the timeliness is not good, so Ronald took a different approach and asked the lawyer to keep a close eye on several bankruptcy courts in Los Angeles. Once the court clerk receives the news, he can act in advance.

"Twenty-First Century Pictures?" Ronald couldn't help laughing. Isn't this a scam? Twentieth Century Fox is the merger of two old film companies, Twentieth Century Fox and Fox. This small company, which was founded in the 1970s, just used some tricks on the name, and it has one more century than others.

However, as he watched, Ronald's expression gradually restrained and he stopped laughing. I have to say that the lawyer is very professional. The bankruptcy court receives new applications every day. The conditions of this company are very suitable for the expansion needs of Daydream.

When this company first opened in the 1970s, it was also a Roger Corman-style company that integrated the production and distribution of low-cost exploitation films.

In addition to producing horror action films such as "Demon Lover" and "Blood Tide", this company also introduced many foreign films like Coleman, and put them on the market with English dubbing.

These include the sequel of the Italian "Yin Manniu" series and many Hong Kong action films. There are also Bruce Lee's Wing Chun documentary and "Trickster" before JA became famous.

Ronald smiled. Doesn't this just fit his strategy? With the copyright of these films, he can immediately reorganize the videotapes, and then the talents who are familiar with Hong Kong kung fu films, the purchasing channels of Italian lead yellow films, and the one-stop dubbing can be used by me immediately in the 21st century.

"How much do you estimate it will cost to restructure this company?"

"It won't be expensive. They are in debt now. After Chapter 11 bankruptcy, you don't have to pay the full amount. Instead, you can work with them to negotiate a compensation plan with the creditors. They still have a distribution contract with EMI, which can also be worth some money. As for the copyrights of these old films, I guess no one except you think they are valuable. A total of one or two million dollars can be won."

"Very good, I now ask you to form a negotiation team with my accountant Ed Bastien and Gray Eyed Mickey in Los Angeles, and then go to buy 21st Century Pictures."

"I have to accompany my children and can't serve you all the way." Lindsay Doll shook her head. Now her son is a more important part of her life. "I can't be away on business for more than three days a week. You have to pay for my travel and babysitting expenses."

"Everything is easy to say. You are the person I trust most in the negotiation team. Just help me keep an eye on the entire negotiation process." Ronald needs a trustworthy person to represent him.

"Also, I suggest you find a consulting company. They may not be as smart as Mickey Kanter, but a team with different interests can also give you a second opinion."

"Very good, you help me get it done, so I don't have to bother two people with one thing."

The acquisition team was quickly formed, and the team with lawyers as the core issued an acquisition and restructuring invitation to 21st Century Pictures. Under the coordination of the bankruptcy court, they will soon sit down with the management of 21st Century and the creditors to discuss (quarrel) the debt restructuring plan.

Ronald also happened to be back in Los Angeles, and he had other things to deal with.

This time back in Hong Kong, when Ronald's conditions were mentioned, many martial artists began to get excited. Going to Jinshan to make movies to make money and sleep with foreign girls, how impressive and impressive?

Similarly, because Ronald insisted that he come up with a complete script before the start of filming, he found a talented person in the circle who had studied in America, Ronald's translator in Hong Kong, Tsui Hark, and invited him to come to Hollywood to discuss cooperation matters.