Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"This dance is really good, and it makes me very creative." Michael Gore, the film's composer, praised the enthusiasm of the dancers.

"The melody of the song Hot Stuff is really great. You know what? Ronald, every time I write, I need to listen to some classic pop songs. This Hot Stuff makes my creative juices flow. Maybe I I was nominated for an Oscar for this song.”

"Shouldn't the song win a Grammy?" Ronald is an outsider in the record industry. He only knows that the Grammy is an annual music industry award, just like the Oscars are to the film industry.

"No, the Grammy only awards for Best Score for a Motion Picture. The theme song I'm writing now is a song, and only the Oscars have an award for Best Original Song."

"So that's it." Ronald sat on the stool and looked at Alan Parker in the distance directing the camera crew to move the camera.

The time has come to the third day of filming on 46th Street, which is the afternoon of the last day of closed filming that the producer applied for.

Two days ago, Ronald beautifully solved the accident caused by the driver, allowing Lucy and the other three extras dancers to have a front-facing appearance in the final graduation performance.

Lucy is a blessing in disguise. Although her ankle is sprained, she will be in the front row of the choir, sing a line of lyrics at the graduation performance, and have a one-second front-facing scene.

The producer was also very satisfied. Ronald used his little prestige among the group performers to get the dancers to agree to his solution of compensating money, adding more scenes, and expelling the driver who caused the accident. This prevented the crew from falling into the hell of overdue filming caused by a strike.

The only one who seemed dissatisfied was director Alan Parker. Without the driver who dared to carry out a surprise attack, it can be said that the street dance scene did not satisfy his personal artistic wishes. It lacked a confrontation scene between a dancer and a passerby driver.

In fact, this shot may be on the screen for less than a second. However, Director Allen is a tyrant on the set. Any crew member who disobeys him will be scolded by him until you do what he wants.

After so many days of filming, this was the only time Ronald didn't let him realize his wish, and he didn't bother Ronald afterward.

Ronald felt that things would not go away so easily. Instead of thanking him for solving the accident two days ago, Alan Parker looked at him strangely. Ronald always felt that there was a gloomy side to this Briton's character. He should avoid it if he could, and don't provoke the director again.

In this crew, I am just accumulating qualifications and learning experience. There is no need to have a big conflict with the director. Speaking of which, being "famous" not only gave him a stepping stone to join the screenwriting industry, but also gave him the qualifications of the Screen Actors Guild. Ronald was really satisfied with this.

So Ronald stayed away, far behind the camera, discussing the theme song "Famous" with composer Michael Gore.

"What, you don't believe that I will be nominated?" Michael Gore looked a little absent-minded, thinking that he didn't believe in himself.

"Of course I believe it. I'm just a little surprised by your confidence. Why are you so sure? The movie hasn't been finished yet." Ronald was indeed a little surprised by Gore's confidence.

"This is the law of the industry." Gore's sister is a famous singer in the record industry. He knows more about records and movies than Ronald.

"Best Original Song and Best Score, these two awards are not eligible for all movies. They usually fall on dramas, musicals and other movies. The theme song of Grease won it a few years ago. Nomination. In fact, the quality of the song is very average.”

"Ronald, please write the lyrics for my theme song. Let's work together again. My sister wrote the lyrics for another solo song by Irene Kara. I feel that your lyrics are better than hers. Your lyrics have a certain Kind of poetic, let’s do another song together and beat her.”

Composer Michael Gore was educated by his sister since he was a child. In terms of career, his sister Leslie was also more successful than him.

"Of course, do you already have the melody?" Ronald played back a piece of the theme song in his mind. The fragment in the dream happened to include the entire theme song, so copying it would not be a problem.

"There's already a section, let me play it for you." Gore pulled Ronald and ran to the rehearsal room of Harlan High School next door, and played his opening melody to Ronald on the keyboard synthesizer.

“Beep, beep, beep beep beep, beep”

The sound produced by the synthesizer was a bit sad. It's like an art school student talking about his experience with tears in his eyes.

“Baby look at me.

Tell me what you saw?

You haven't seen the best of me yet.

There's more inside me,

Waiting for your relief.

I can hold the moon in my hands,

Don't you know who I am?

Remember my name!

He will be famous all over the world!

"

Ronald sang the lyrics smoothly.

"Oh oh oh, you are such a genius, Ronald. How did you do it? Why was it that the first time you heard me play the melody, you could sing the lyrics in real time? I've always heard that Bob Dylan could do this, singing while I’m making up lyrics, but this is the first time I’ve seen a real person do it. You’re so awesome!”

"Well, I just feel that this is the way this song should be sung." Ronald couldn't explain his impatience.

"No, no, genius is different from ordinary people. Some songs are written in just ten minutes. I feel like I have inspiration, as if the melody is there. I was just inspired by you and the dancers, dreamed of this song, and copied down its notes."

Gore played the melody of the whole song. Ronald compared it. Some parts of Gore's draft were not complete, but it was not much different from the original song in the dream.

Since Gore was also inspired, Ronald simply wrote the lyrics of the whole song on paper, signed his name and date, and handed it to Gore.

Gore sang while talking, and also modified the unnatural transition in the melody. He wrote the melody on the music paper, then handed it to Ronald, indicating that he should copy the lyrics under the notes. The two signed at the end and noted the time to commemorate this pleasant cooperation.

Gore wrote on the head of the music paper:

"To my friend, Ronald Lee. In memory of our two collaborations in the movie Fame. You are the most talented lyricist I have ever seen." Michael Gore.

"Oh, thank you, Michael, this is too high a comment." Ronald took the music paper, folded it carefully in half, and put it in his notebook. "I have to keep it well."

"Should you let your beautiful lawyer sign the contract?" Gore asked.

"Yes, I can't find a music agent to sign me." Ronald joked.

"Do you want me to introduce one to you?"

"No, my focus is still on making movies. I wonder how much dividends these two songs can give me. Can I earn some money for my college graduation movie in addition to the lawyer's fees?"

Ronald began to think about good things. The two songs may receive a few thousand dollars in dividends from the lyricists, which will relieve some financial pressure on himself.

"Well, this may not be much money. There are not many cases of movie interludes entering the charts. I think you should look forward to the awards. Maybe you can get your first Oscar nomination. The nomination for the interlude is shared by the songwriters." Gore explained to Ronald.

"I hope it will be a nomination for Best Original Screenplay, so that I have the opportunity to make my own movie." Ronald and Gore began to brag to each other.

"Ah, Ronald, you are here. The producer and director are looking for you. Go to the shooting site."

An assistant came up and saw Ronald, and hurriedly pulled him to the shooting site on 46th Street.

"No, why are you looking for me?" Ronald was puzzled. He was already very low-key, why did he come to him?

"The director and the producer had a quarrel because of Gene. I asked you to ask something." The assistant didn't know the details, but only knew that it was related to Gene's play.

"Impossible, Alan. The role of Leroy is the protagonist of the TV version of Famous that I booked." When I walked into the set, I heard producer David Da Silva shouting loudly.

This is a bit abnormal. It is rare to see producer David Da Silva and director Alan Parker talking in such a loud voice. David has actually been coaxing the director to satisfy his artistic pursuits.

"I don't understand this plot setting. What's the problem? Isn't the character of Montgomery also out of the closet?" Alan Parker asked with squinting eyes and disdain.

"This is different, Alan, this is different. I invited you to participate in the TV series a long time ago, but you refused. You promised me that you would not ruin my business." David Da Silva was very excited and spoke very fast.

"Leroy is the number one male lead of the TV series. Half of the ratings of the teenage audience depend on him. Today, his background was suddenly changed to a two-way plug for coming out. This is killing the character of Leroy. I absolutely disagree."

"But you wrote him as a heterosexual who is popular with girls, which really castrated the dramatic conflict of the character of Leroy. This is my movie, and I have the final say."

"Today, Alan Parker proposed to add a coming out scene temporarily," choreographer Louis Falco quietly walked to Ronald and told him the reason for the conflict.

It turned out that the director and the producer had a conflict because of a scene added to Leroy played by Gene today.

Leroy had to wear tights and tight pants for dance class, and was laughed at by his neighbor children in Harlem. They called him a sissy, a fag, and a midnight cowboy.

In the end, Leroy had a fight with those guys and said something in front of the camera. The two-way plug was also a confession of a person.

Ronald felt that this scene was a bit redundant. The character of Montgomery already had a scene in which he came out in an acting class and revealed his deepest secret that he was gay. This sensitive subject matter already had enough dramatic conflicts, so why did Gene have to do it too?

"Hey, Ronnie, you're here. Alan said you can understand his intentions in this scene," David Da Silva saw Ronald, "Isn't this scene redundant?"

"It's indeed a bit redundant," Ronald was about to answer.

Alan Parker spoke his opinion in a cold tone:

"Don't you want to fight for your own equal status, Ronald? You and Gene have always been good friends. I added this scene specifically for you. You have to let him be brave and stand up for himself in the movie."

Ronald felt that he was being stared at by this venomous snake. The cold and slippery British venomous snake spit out its tongue without warning and wanted to bite his neck.