Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 22 Directors Guild Card

   Ronald walked out of the executive office and saw Gail, whose eyes were no longer teary, talking to Jim.

   "Hey Ronald, do you know martial arts? It's easy for you to bring down two Zacks."

   "I was on the wrestling team in high school."

  "Oh", Gale also imitated Ronald's tricks and gestures, "Then will you take pictures of me today?"

   "You wait for me for a while, I'll take a photo with my camera, and then I'll invite you to dinner."

   “What? Is there anything to celebrate?”

   "Yes, Mr. Coleman put me in charge of the remaining two groups of directors."

  …

   "Give me a mood, Gail", Ronald was commanding Gail to pose and make an expression, "Think of anything, be happy."

   "No no, this thing you just thought about was a little bad, think about it again."

   "This thing is good, I like it, keep it up, good."

  Gail seemed to suddenly think of something happy and gave the camera a beautiful smile. Ronald quickly pressed the shutter and captured it.

  Jim walked from behind Ronald to Gale and offered him coffee.

   "I took a photo with Gal."

   "Put it aside for a while, don't stain my lipstick."

  Ronald clicked the shutter a few more times, and both of them had good expressions.

  Then set the shutter to the timer and took a group photo of the three of them.

   Ronald put away his camera and tripod. The three walked out of the office and got into Ronald's car to eat.

   didn’t let Ronald spend too much money, and the three found an ordinary restaurant for a meal. Ronald felt that the environment was very similar to the one where Aunt Karen worked in Staten Island. Bright big windows, sofa booths, not many people eating, maybe the reason for Sunday.

   The three sat at the booth, and the waiter brought the menu and asked them to order. It serves Italian food like pasta, meatballs, pizza, and real espresso.

   After eating the main food, the three of them started talking about what happened just now.

   "...Roger asked me to be in charge of the shooting of the second group, and then asked me to ask you for the photographer's contact information to be in charge of the photography." Ronald briefly explained what had just happened.

   "Without the original second set of photographers from 'Rock High School'?"

   "Roger asked me to shoot with him, we will finish the second set, but not continue with Jerry Zucker's shooting schedule"

   "So you set up a second 2nd group to shoot the rest of the shots?"

   "Then you're not..." Gail said and stopped, looking at Jim next to him.

   "It's okay, Jim and I are friends." Ronald took the coffee from the waiter and pushed it in front of Gail and Jim.

   "Union members?" Jim asked.

   Ronald nodded.

   "I've already been," Jim said, taking out his wallet and pulling out a membership card and placing it on the table.

  Ronald pick up, "National Truck Workers Union..."

   "Oh, not this one, this is my other union."

  Jim searched again, took out one, and handed it to Ronald.

   This is a cardboard card with the logo of the Directors Guild in the upper left corner, an eagle about to fly. Below the logo is the words 1978-1979, indicating the validity period of this card.

   The words of the American Directors Guild are directly above, the name and address of Jim on the typewriter are below, and the signature of the chairman of the Directors Guild is at the bottom.

   is such an ordinary little card, with it, even in Hollywood.

   "This is what you applied for with that short film?" Ronald asked.

   "Yes, my short film was made by dentists for tax rebates, so it must be filed with major Hollywood unions in order to get a tax refund certificate. The directors' union will send you application materials after seeing your filing."

  Gail took Jim's director's union card from Ronald and looked curious too.

"After that, you need to find three directors' union members to endorse you, and then take the application materials to a notarization and send them back to the union. After they approve, they will send you the membership materials. You write a check for the membership fee. Give it to them and you can get this membership card."

   "Sounds a bit complicated."

"Yes, and the membership fee is not cheap. Short film directors like me belong to a relatively low level. Like advertising directors, documentary directors, director assistants, and drama site managers, they pay a $750 membership fee. Oh yes, every year. There is a $60 renewal fee."

   "But there are also advantages. They will help you pay for medical insurance, and you don't need to pay extra for the lowest tier. Compared with other industries, the unions in the film and television industry have done a good job in this regard."

   Ronald is a little envious, he doesn't have medical insurance yet. But next year he should be able to get an invitation to join the membership, and he has to work hard to make money and pay the membership fee.

  Jim brought back the Director's Guild card that Gale was playing with and put it in his wallet. "Tell me about your college application, have you decided?"

"I have already applied to two public universities in New York. But I want to apply to some schools for film majors. I just asked Mrs. Coleman for advice. She said that several colleges in California and New York are worth considering for film majors, and said that she can be found. Write a letter of recommendation with Roger."

   "Then you have a good chance. Mr. Coleman knows some people in the circle, and his recommendation letters are of certain value." Gale is a Stanford graduate and is familiar with these.

   "However, tuition is not as cheap as in public schools. I heard that you need to pay for your own filmmaking in college."

   "Don't be too superstitious about those college professors," Jim said. "You can read the books there and make some friends. But those professors haven't made movies themselves. How can they teach you?

   "Instead of spending money to follow a professor to learn how to make movies, it is better to work and study at the New World Productions here, and you can enter the industry. Few of those film graduates have shot me."

   "Can't say the same," Gail still prefers college. "Look at the new directors who have graduated from college. Lucas in 'Star Wars', Francis Coppola in 'The Godfather'..."

   "But Steven Spielberg who did Jaws dropped out of college." Jim laughed.

  Gail slapped Jim on the hand, expressing dissatisfaction with his bar raise, and giggled.

   "Gail, can I use the company's copier? I want to get the application materials ready today. Please help me to mail them out tomorrow. I'm going to shoot two sets from tomorrow, so I'm afraid I'll forget it."

"No problem, you can prepare the envelope with the letter of recommendation, and I'll remind Roger tomorrow. Today is the 17th, and the Christmas holidays are not far away. Don't send the post office express letter, it's not fast at all. Look for that. FedEx, the documents they send will arrive in two days, guaranteed to meet the deadline.”

   "Thank you so much, I'll give you the postage first." Ronald turned to Jim's direction, "Jim, do you want to come to the second crew to help me? Or would you rather study with Alan on the set."

  "I'll help you", Jim agreed immediately, "Alan's next scene is mostly indoor scenes. I think there is a motorcycle chase in the script. Is it your second group?"

   "Yes, then I'll let you shoot this scene." Ronald knew that Jim was interested in stunts and was also a motorcycle enthusiast.

   "There are also some introductory blank shots. If there are no actors, we have to find a prop design, and we have to make a school sign." Ronald began to calculate how much manpower was required.

   "No, I'll do it, I'll do it." Jim said, "What other scenes and props? I'll think about it together."

   There is also a phone booth scene, the sunrise scene on the mountain, and the scene at the door of the concert, which are all trivial and scattered scenes. We can go back to the office to check in detail.

   drank the espresso in one gulp, Ronald put down the slightly excessive tip, and the three returned to the office of New World Productions.

   checked the office phone book and the film industry directory. Ronald found the addresses of the admissions offices of four universities. Gale helped him type several blank envelopes and asked Roger Coleman to write a letter of recommendation tomorrow.

   "Mr. Coleman pays more attention to his own recommendations, and he writes them all himself," said Gale.

   "By the way, is your short film in the company? We just have time to watch it today." Ronald said.

   "Oh, I left it at home, I'll remember to bring it next time."

   (end of this chapter)