Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"Ronald, has Herbert's matter been resolved smoothly?" Ovitz called to communicate with Ronald. TriStar Pictures agreed to release Steel Magnolias, which was produced by Ronald. Columbia used the brand name of TriStar Pictures, which was on the verge of bankruptcy before being acquired, to help Ronald release two films at once, which made him interested in recruiting Sony. The rumor that Ronald will be the general manager after the merger is more believed.

"It went very smoothly. Mr. Ross is very excited about the preparations that are about to begin. He plans to spend two months preparing, starting in July and packaging in September, just in time for his wedding to the former first lady's sister." Ronald replied Ovitz with a smile.

Caroline Lee Radziwell, no, the "princess" soon to be called Caroline Lee Ross, was a socialite whose interest in Herbert seemed to be waning. So letting his fiancée see him directing a movie with a large number of stars as soon as possible would be good for Herbert Ross to regain his male glory.

"If you have any difficulties, you can call me directly." Ovitz rarely communicates directly with the company's clients like this. This time Steel Mulan can give many actors under CAA opportunities. "Also, don't forget that you gave William Morris the heroine this time, and don't forget the CAA client actress I asked you for last time. Don't forget her if you have a good opportunity."

"This role is Michelle Pfeiffer's replacement. I can't use her," Ronald explained. "Actually, I have the heroine of another movie here, and I'm going to let her audition. In addition, I do need help with something."

Ronald was referring to the actors' accent issues in "Steel Magnolias." Except for Dolly Parton, who has a southern accent, several other actresses have some accent problems. Shirley MacLean and Sally Field had experience playing Southern women and needed some refresher.

The more difficult ones were Olympia Dukakis and Diane. Ronald struggled not to know where to find a top accent coach. Ovitz happens to be the most powerful agent in Hollywood, so his connections must be good.

"I will call Stern, he is the best accent coach." Ovitz agreed immediately, "Don't forget your promise... When you go to New York, I may be there too, We can get together more.”

"Hello, Mr. Stern." Ronald quickly received a call from Ovitz's assistant and arranged a meeting with the accent coach.

"Hello Director Li, I'm looking forward to working with you. It will be an honor for my accent correction laboratory." David Allen Stern, a slightly bald man, used several words in one sentence. Her accent is sometimes similar to Scarlett Scarlet in Gone with the Wind, and sometimes closer to that of a southern farmer.

"Haha, you have convinced me." Ronald was very happy. This man has excellent professional qualities. He attaches great importance to accent training, because the accent of Steel Magnolias is very important to southern audiences, so Ronald did not just find an actor with a southern accent like Moonlight, such as Dolly Parton (she is a typical Southern accent) to teach others.

"Dolly Parton's accent leans towards the accent of the small town's farming population, so I would train Diane Lane to speak that accent as well, as close to Dolly as possible. Olympia Dukakis, the richest in town women, so I trained her to be closer to the wealthy 'plantation' style. The characters of Sally Field and Shirley MacLean have seen the world, so their southern accents should be lighter and retain more of a special flavor. Close to a Midwestern accent.”

David Allen Stern demonstrated the accents that several actresses should adopt, which not only fit their characters, but also resembled their own characteristics, and also read some of the subtext in the story. For example, the psychological positions of Dolly Parton and Diane Lane are similar to mother and daughter.

Not only does this person help local actors learn regional dialects, but his main job is to help taillight actors remove the special English accents of Australia, South Africa and other places, or the accents of actors in Europe who speak other native languages.

After talking to the accent coach and scheduling his training, Ronald met with screenwriter Robert Harlin. He is a native of Natchitoches, Louisiana, a place rich in history where the story takes place. This is the earliest white settlement in Louisiana, and there are many plantations that have been passed down for a long time.

Robert Harlin is considered the biggest artist to come out of that town. The last time someone came here to shoot a movie was John Wayne's movie "Horse Soldiers" thirty years ago.

“I have many friends in my hometown who are very excited. The trustees of Northwest Louisiana State University (NSU) offered to provide us with a shooting location for free, and also allowed us to set up a temporary studio on campus, all for free. "Robert Harlin was very excited. This movie could include his hometown and show the simple style of the south. Many old friends were very excited and rushed to provide him with various conveniences.

"What, can college students from the school come to work as extras and do some assistant work on the crew?" When Ronald heard that there was such a good thing, he immediately pushed forward and asked for more benefits.

"No problem, State University is mostly local people, and they are very proud that their hometown can be put on the screen. My friend Tom Whitehead, a journalism professor, is an expert on colonial history, and he will help coordinate the filming at the university, as well. He will help us select houses and exteriors that are more in line with the history of the time.”

Robert Harlin said with a smile that this is actually a win-win situation. During the filming in his hometown, it is expected to bring almost four million U.S. dollars of investment to Louisiana, and there will be many job opportunities, even if the salary is very meager. For this It is also very precious for an agricultural state.

He was very happy to be able to continue to contribute to the filming of the film, especially since Ronald respected him so much during the casting process. He couldn't help but feel that Hollywood producers like Ronald were going to become extinct. of rare animals. Maybe because he is a director himself? So I have special respect for artists.

"How is the location in your hometown of Natchitoches? Is Herbert satisfied?" Ronald knew that director Herbert Ross had already gone there to inspect the scenes.

"My friends are very enthusiastic, and Herbert is very strict, but it doesn't matter. Everyone in the town will free up their houses for filming, as long as the director likes them. In addition, all actresses can live wherever they want. The town council has passed a resolution to provide a home away from home for Hollywood stars."

"Hahaha, it seems like this movie would be impossible to make without you." Ronald rubbed his hands happily. He didn't know how much money he could save this way. With local people participating, the movie can save a lot. matter.

In this way, I only need to drag two more mobile toilets and a few trailers. With Harlin helping to coordinate, the film was much better than the rush-hour situation Diane had in "Lonesome Dove."

…

After finishing the preparations for "Steel Magnolias", Ronald went to the "In Love" preparation office to have a meeting with producer Polly Platt and director Cameron Crowe as an investor.

"How's the casting going?" Ronald asked when he came up.

Diane got a supporting role in a big production, Helen Slater, and Ronald recommended it to Cameron Crowe. The heroine in "Love to the Heart" doesn't have any difficulty in acting. She is a rich girl who is not too involved. She is moved by the enthusiasm of a poor boy. In the end, after her father went bankrupt and went to jail for a scam, she still has a scholarship and a scholarship. The father's property had been isolated in advance.

The most important thing here is not acting skills, but that the heroine must have the kind of temperament that has been well protected since childhood, and the kind of beauty that everyone in high school admires. Helen meets these conditions very well.

"Now there is a more troublesome part. I have seen more than 30 actors, but I haven't found the right one yet." Crowe is a little anxious. It is his first time to be a director. While he is excited, he also wants to do everything. most.

"Huh?", Ronald thought to himself, when I say "recommended", do you really take it as a recommendation? If I were to direct this movie, personal relationships aside, Helen Slater would be the heroine.

After Kathryn Bigelow's previous guidance, Helen seems to have gotten the hang of it. She can be said to be getting started in film acting, at least she won't act awkwardly anymore.

"Cameron was very worried about the male lead and the role of Helen's father. One is a passionate boy who dreams of becoming a karate champion, Long Wei. When he saw Helen's character, he felt that he wanted to be with her. The other is usually kind and open-minded. , a fraudster who communicates with her daughter on an equal footing, it takes some serious picking.”

Polly Platt, who was standing next to him, noticed Ronald's unhappiness and came over to explain. Crowe was a little overjoyed as a director for the first time. He didn't even understand the subtext of Ronald's questions, and he really started talking about the difficulties of casting.

"Ah, fortunately, I have the trump card of Helen Slater. She is very suitable for the heroine in the script. But with the right candidate, the overall film will be better."

"Give me your requirements, and I'll go to CAA and Julia Taylor to register you." Ronald thought to himself that it was his first time to be a director, so nervousness was inevitable. Fortunately, Crowe was worried about the perfection of the film. This kind of moderate tension actually helps his performance.

"Do you have any suitable candidates?" Ronald asked Polly Platt next to him. He knew that Pratt had been in Hollywood for many years and must have her own unique insights. However, as a producer, she would not be the first to say some things.

"Do you remember the actress who played Tess' friend Sheen when we did Working Girl?" Polly Platt asked Ronald.

"Joan Cusack from Chicago, I admire her very much, her performance is very natural." Ronald thought to himself, if her chin was not too prominent, she would have become a star long ago.

"I plan to ask her to play the male lead's sister, the sister who cares about her younger brother but also wants to focus on her own small family." Polly Platt did not tell the truth, she has experienced the peaks and troughs of Hollywood. She has long understood that even if you have the truth in your hand, you should not show off your knowledge too much in front of those who pay for it. It’s best to let them feel like they figured it out themselves.

"Huh?" Ronald saw Platt's meaning from his eyes, and his heart suddenly changed, "I remember she has a younger brother who made a guest appearance in Working Girl?" It was Ronald who had to say this. It is said that Cameron Crowe is a director for the first time, and no one knows what his temperament is like as a director. It would be better to have Ronald, the person who supports him, as the recommender.

"Yes, the name is John Cusack." Polly Platt took out an audition photo, which showed a stunned face. He was not too handsome, but he was still pretty among ordinary people.

"Would you like to give it a try? It seems okay in terms of appearance, and the look in his eyes makes him look like a leading actor." Ronald pushed over and asked Crowe.

"Of course, Polly, you should have recommended him earlier, so that Cameron would have had such a hard time finding someone."

"Hahaha, I just thought of it." Polly laughed.

It seems that Cameron Crowe is still the good-tempered and gentle gentleman. Ronald was relieved. Such a director is much easier to "manage" than Kobe Herbert Ross.

Polly's idea inspired Ronald. He began to think slowly in his heart who could play this sanctimonious fraudster father among the actors he had worked with in the past.

He looks very graceful, speaks elegantly like a university professor, and has a kind of affinity. How about Roger Corman?

No, he is not bad enough. The role of this father finally swallowed a large sum of pension fraud money from retirees and did not hand it over. It was to leave it to his daughter. It is hard to imagine that Roger Corman can be so cruel. It is better for him to come to play the role of a high school principal.

"By the way, do you remember the university professor who flirted with Olympia Dukakis in Moonlight?" Ronald suddenly remembered the supporting role in Moonlight, John Mahoney. In Moonlight, he played a university professor who was interested in flirting with his female students. Later, he and Olympia Dukakis had a good impression of each other because of their witty conversations. This kind of middle-aged man who is friendly to everyone from old ladies to young women is like a scammer.

"Mahoney? Hahaha, he does look like a scammer." Polly Pratt also appreciated it and said that she would send an audition invitation.

The two more difficult roles have been settled. Ronald asked them if they had any difficulties.

"Our budget is limited, so it is not easy to find the heroine's classmates and the location in Los Angeles." Polly Pratt was not polite and asked for money and resources.

"This is indeed a problem." Ronald felt that he did invest a little money. This kind of group performance is also very important to the quality of the film. Although the budget is not large, it is not a B-level film. Any supporting role must match the image and temperament.

But it’s not like I haven’t made low-budget movies before. Ronald quickly came up with a plan.

“Ask Nancy if there are any children of music stars who want to join the industry. I’ll also ask my friends in the industry if there are any nephews who want to join the industry.”

Ronald naturally remembered that when he was filming “The Karate Kid”, Weintraub did the same thing. He got a lot of children of movie stars to do free marketing and save on pay. These second-generation stars usually have certain performance abilities due to what they see and hear, and they don’t care about pay in order to join the industry.

“As for the venue issue, go find these people.” Ronald wrote down a few names on a piece of paper, including the dance studio opened by Debbie Reynolds, the mother of Princess Leia in Star Wars, and the karate dojo opened by Daryl Vidal. These people would be happy to provide a location for filming for their own sake.

…

After solving the practical problems of the “The Depth of Love” crew, Ronald met with the screenwriter of another unnamed romantic love movie he invested in, Nora Ephron.

"I want salad. Tomatoes should not be placed among the vegetables, but on the side of the plate. Don't mix salad dressing in. Damn it. Damn strike. We have to postpone it again. Michelle Pfeiffer can't act again. It's really distressing." Nora Ephron came to Los Angeles and complained that the waiter in the restaurant could not make salad according to her requirements, and then she opened fire on Ronald.

"Well, give me a glass of dry ginger water and a sandwich on your counter." Ronald was afraid that the people in the kitchen would spit on the food on his table when he heard Nora Ephron being so picky, so he quickly asked for some food that could be eaten on the counter outside the cafe.

"No problem, Director Li. We are all fans of your movies." Fortunately, the waiter recognized Ronald and thought he would not spit.

Unlike the previous two movies, this unnamed movie was established after the strike, so it could not be exempted from the strike. Nora Ephron could not make changes openly now, and could only chat with Ronald quietly.

Michelle Pfeiffer, one of the original female lead candidates, is involved in a scandal again. It is unknown when the strike will end. The special negotiator sent by the President for the second time will convene a second emergency meeting, and both parties must not shirk the negotiation.

However, the conditions of the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild are too different, and the industry is generally not optimistic that they can reach an agreement this time.

"Actually, I found a suitable candidate for you and Rob (· Renner, director)." Ronald saw that the waiter recognized him, and was afraid that he was also a member of the Writers Guild and was doing odd jobs here to make money, so he did not take out the audition photo. "Let's find a place later, and I'll show you my secret weapon."

】

After saying this, Ronald found that the old lady at the next table seemed to have misunderstood his meaning, and cast a look that said, "So you are such a person, I understand..."

"Well, I don't mean that..." Ronald muttered and stopped talking halfway through, and it was unclear now.

"Meg Ryan." The two moved the battlefield, and Ronald took out the audition photo in his bag. This is the candidate that Ovitz of CAA had suggested.

Meg Ryan's boyfriend, Hollywood lover Dennis Quaid, is a client of CAA and is highly regarded by Ovitz. Not only does he look like a Hollywood leading man, but he is also very good at dealing with women. Such a male star has untold benefits for the agency.

However, Ronald made some comparisons and left the opportunity to Julia Roberts. There would not be many benefits to being completely tied to CAA, because they already have some senior Jewish partners. But there are many disadvantages. Being completely tied to CAA means that other agencies will no longer have a sincere interest in their projects.

Fortunately, he has many projects, and the opportunities that he turned down at "Steel Magnolias" can be provided here.

"Take some time and find a chance to meet Rob (Reiner) in New York. She is now practicing piano with Dennis Quaid in New York, and her boyfriend is going to play the early rock star Jerry Lee Lewis."

"Good, where did you find this actress?" Nora Ephron was very satisfied with the sweet girl in the photo. Meg Ryan, who was pouting a little, was indeed the most similar from that angle. Like him, they are all perfectionists.

"Remember the country wife of the silly goose in Top Gun? She played that role, but that is not her nature. I think she may be more suitable for a professional woman in the city." Ronald said as he looked at the look in Meg Ryan's eyes in the photo.