Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 147 Vegetarian Extremists

   "I'm sorry for the inconvenience caused by my job change, but I've dealt with it all. Now we can talk about whether I can represent you."

   There is something magical about the voice on Rick Nisita's phone that is so relaxing. The two discussed on the phone how Nisita would work together to sign Ronald as a screenwriter's agent.

  Ronald insisted on keeping the contract of New York agent Eddie Cohen, and left Eddie in charge of short-term directing work such as his commercials. At least in the near future, his focus is still in New York, and he still needs to shoot commercials to earn money and industry reputation, and does not want to end his cooperation with Eddie.

  Even if he mainly focuses on Hollywood in the future, he still needs someone to help him in his hometown of New York. In Ronald's vision, he hopes Eddie Cohen will be his representative in New York.

  Nisita mainly focuses on Hollywood, and was not very interested in representing Ronald's advertising business. The reason he wanted to sign a fledgling screenwriter was simply because CAA president Michael Ovitz required all CAA agents to sign a screenwriter as a client.

  Nisita has made considerable achievements in William Morris. After being poached by CAA, he did not want to share a screenwriting client with the original agent, so he simply developed one by himself to deal with Ovitz's KPIs. With potential clients like Al Pacino and Christopher Walken in hand, he has no worries about business.

   The two sides agreed on the phone that in the future, Ronald's screenwriting contract would be handed over to Nisita's team. If Ronald has the opportunity to direct a film independently in the future, it will also be handled by Nisita.

  Team work is the invention of Michael Ovitz, the founder of CAA. For each client, there are several brokers with different levels to form a team to represent them, and the extracted agency fees are also distributed by the team.

  The five founding veterans of CAA who betrayed William Morris. He knew the power of fleeing with customers, so he designed the system from the beginning to prevent other companies from digging into the corner of CAA.

   "So that's it? Do you have any questions?" Nisita asked over the phone.

   "Mr. Nisita, why did you choose me? Your colleagues at William Morris don't want to sign me" Ronald asked.

   "I'm always one step ahead of everyone else, they just asked director Alan Parker about you, and I asked producer David Da Silva."

   "Thank you, Mr. Nisita."

"I'm in Los Angeles to talk to Mr. Michael Ovitz about the new film contracts of two of my actors. I'm also helping him deal with CAA's top actor, Sean Connery's film. So this time I went to New York and Your interview is with two of my colleagues, Richard and Paula. They will be in New York on the morning of the XX."

   Ronald took out his notebook and checked it out: "I'll be busy casting 'Endless Love' that day, so I'm afraid I won't be able to pick them up at the airport."

   "It doesn't matter, Paula is a New York girl, I believe a New York girl can handle everything."

  …

  The red-eye flight landed at JFK Airport in New York. A man and a woman, who looked like professionals, walked out of the waiting hall and waited for a taxi.

"Are we going to the casting studio first to find the young Ronald?" Richard is a newcomer to CAA. He worked in the Mailroom for 6 months and was promoted exceptionally because of his excellent performance. for apprentices. This is the first time he has been sent out to meet a client.

"We'll go to Little Italy next to Broadway to eat authentic pizza, and then we'll go to the casting studio to find him." Paula is a woman in her early 30s. Her ex-husband is the creative proposer and director of the famous Broadway drama "Singing and Dancing Online". Stage design. I am very familiar with New York, and it is a revisit to the old place.

  Richard was still a little tender and didn't think about Nisita's intentions, but it's no wonder that this is the young man's first official business trip, so it's understandable to be excited.

"The pizza here is really good, I've never had such a good pizza outside of Chicago." Richard pushed his glasses, "Paula, why did Nisita sign a budding screenwriter? Does he have any qualities worth paying attention to? "

   "Did you know that our CAA started with TV shows?" Paula drank Coca-Cola and ate the pizza she used to eat, and she was very happy. While Hollywood is the entertainment center, New York is the center of the universe in other industries.

   "Yes, I heard the old man of the company say it. In 1975, the five founders relied on daytime TV dramas to get through the difficult period of starting a business."

"Yes, but our development has encountered a bottleneck. The big-name actors we signed all want to act in movies. And our connections in the film industry are weak." Ovitz promotes the culture of a big family within CAA and encourages agents to interact with each other. Help and support the younger generation. Richard was on the apprentice list. Anyway, he had to learn these sooner or later, so he might as well have a good relationship with him.

   "So the way Ovitz thought was to sign the screenwriter first, use the screenwriter to impress the eight major studios, and then recommend our contracted directors, stars, etc. to enter the project."

   "That's why he requires every agent to sign a screenwriter?"

"Yes, Richard, you are very keen. CAA and your apprentices have just passed 40 agents. We are a team system. A screenwriter will have 3-4 agents in charge, so in fact, we only need to find a total of 40 agents. More than 10 screenwriters will do.”

"I see. Thank you for telling me this, Paula." Richard wisely didn't ask the question of why Nisita wanted to sign Ronald, and lowered his head to eat the pizza. of."

  Ronald is organizing auditions in the casting studio. The actors who came this time are much stronger than the last time in the circle.

  Deborah Wenger is not amazing, but her wonderful eyes are very understanding, as if they can talk to people with their eyes. Polaroid took a snapshot of her, and her eyes were very bright. No wonder the director of "Midnight Cowboy" must try to ensure her performance. This kind of eyes, coupled with close-ups, is so catchy on the big screen.

   "Princess Leia" Carrie Fisher came to New York to audition for a TV interview on CBS6's "The Empire Strikes Back."

   She did not have the princess hairstyle that everyone expected, but had long shawl hair, which lacked the decisiveness of the princess, but added a bit of gentle femininity. Before several assistants gossip about Fisher on the set of Star Wars is very bold and slept with all the male actors. With a casual glance, there is a glamorous light, which is similar to the character of the movie's protagonist Jade.

   Looking at the strength of these candidates, Ronald felt that the Michelle Pfeiffer he recommended was not enough. In particular, she looked a little timid, holding the large bottle of vegetable juice handed to her by the manager who looked like a husband and wife, drinking it in small sips, frowning from time to time.

   "This vegetable juice is very good for you to maintain energy, keep your skin clear, and resist addiction to cigarettes, alcohol and drugs. You have to drink it every day." The wife-like agent was comforting Michelle Pfeiffer.

   "Don't be afraid, I observed that none of your competitors are vegetarians, you are very hopeful." The husband also began to criticize other actresses.

Ronald couldn't help laughing when he heard it, "Michelle, it's you next, you come with me alone, go to the entrance of the audition room and wait." The agent who looked like his wife put a large bottle of vegetable juice in her hand. As soon as it was delivered, Michelle Pfeiffer took it, with a heavy look, his hands sank, and he slowly followed Ronald in.

   Walking down the long aisle to the front of the audition room, Michelle Pfeiffer looked even more unconfident, walking slowly with the vegetable juice in her arms, her face shrunk into a ball, looking very painful.

   "What's the matter with you? Michelle, cheer up, you performed very well in the last audition, and you played naturally. You are the top six in the Miss California pageant, so be confident."

  It's okay not to say, after saying this, Michelle Pfeiffer seemed to cry.

"I... I... spend all my money on these all-green vegetables and fruits. If I don't get selected this time... No one on the TV station will give me a new role... I'll..." Michelle Er did not have the strength to speak, and looked in the direction of the lounge intermittently.

   Ronald followed Michelle Pfeiffer's eyes and saw that it was a Burger King fast food he had bought before, and he hadn't had time to eat it.

   "Take a bite, I haven't touched it yet, I see you are very hungry, and taking a bite can restore your energy."

  Michelle Pfeiffer looked at Ronald and heard the words for him to eat, and for a moment there was no room for anything other than beef burgers in his mind. After a few steps and one step, he jumped over, opened the wrapping paper, and ate.

  Ronald poured her a glass of warm water and handed it over, "Don't worry, eat slowly, why do you want to look like you haven't eaten for a day?"

Michelle drank the water and swallowed the last piece of beef, "My two agents wouldn't let me eat meat, saying it would help me quit smoking and drinking, you know, I was with the pageant girls before. ..." said a little embarrassed.

   The voice of the director Zeffirelli in the "Next" audition room recalled that Michelle was called in after the last audition was over.

   "Put down your hair and be more natural." Ronald helped her down with her braided hair and led her into the audition room.

   "Hello, Michelle." Director Zeffirelli, executive producer Peter Guber, and casting director Julia Taylor greeted her above.

   "Good morning to you. My name is Michelle Pfeiffer."

   "Ronald will take a snapshot of you first, and then we'll start auditioning."

  Ronald picked up the Polaroid camera and pointed it at Michelle Pfeiffer's **** face, which was slightly like a cat's face, very young, and 22-year-old Michelle looked very convincing to play 16-year-old.

   "Here..." Ronald pointed to the corner of his mouth and lip-synced to Michelle Pfeiffer, silently reminding her that the hamburger just now was too rushed.

   Michelle Pfeiffer understood, a flush of red rose on her face, and then she stuck out her tongue, poking the corners of her mouth, and wiping out the food residue.

   "Meow", the men in the audition room dub her in their hearts involuntarily, this action is too sexy.

  …

   "Very good, we will notify your agent of the audition results." Michelle Pfeiffer, who had finished the audition, thanked everyone, and then Ronald walked out with her.

   "I think they like you so much that even the director Zeffirelli is swallowing." Ronald whispered to Michelle that she had a good chance.

   "Miss Brooke Shields below," Ronald called again, "Hello, Brooke. Hello, Terry."

   "Hey, who told you to give Michelle a beef burger." Michelle Pfeiffer's male agent rushed up and pushed Ronald, wanting to reason with him.

   "First of all, you are her agents, not her guardians. Michelle is free to eat what she wants. Second, this matter has nothing to do with me. Don't do anything to me."

   "You evil person, you actually tricked her into eating beef, and only when she's full can she have the strength to audition." The man came up and punched Ronald.

  Ronald dodged, then twisted his arm and pinned him to the ground, "Do you want to call the police? Michelle?"

   (end of this chapter)