Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 25 Shooting Packed

  The next day, the cameras of the second group were recruited to shoot the blasting scene.

  Why a youth rock movie, and a blasting scene?

  The plot goes like this:

  The rebellious girl Liv and the good girl Kate invited the rock band Ramones to the high school, held a live concert, and renamed the high school Rock High School. In the confrontation with the old-fashioned headmistress Ms. Toga, the academic master Kate used her A+ chemistry skills to configure some things, which the rebellious girl Liv used to lift the roof of the headmaster's room.

   There was only one chance to shoot this scene, and Roger Coleman specifically applied for a blasting permit with the Los Angeles police.

  Director Allen arranged for a dual-camera shoot, and a little more material was shot, which was helpful for post-editing.

   Ronald took a Nikon SLR camera and became a stills photographer, taking a lot of photos of each actor, and then the staff. These photos, together with themselves and their group photos, will be placed in the photography studio in the future, and the client will immediately believe in his own strength.

   PJ Sols, who played the rebellious girl, was very happy. She tried to get the boss's evaluation of the sample film through her relationship. Knowing that Ronald made a beautiful photo of himself, she came over to chat about gossip.

   When filming a concert at Roxie Bar yesterday, the bar charged $600 for the venue fee all day.

  Because of this money, Roger Coleman sold tickets publicly in the newspaper. Divided into three classes in the morning, noon and evening. Not only subsidized the cost, but also got a lot of group performances.

  The fans bought tickets thinking there would be a concert. But only six songs were filmed at the scene, and fans only saw the band singing these six songs over and over again, often interrupted by the director. Just when this group of fans was about to quit, it was time to replace the next group of fans.

   Ronald only had to write a service in his heart. This money-saving technology is also unique in Hollywood.

   Today's explosion scene also has a "money-saving coup". There is a press conference scene that requires a lot of group actors to play reporters.

  The boss, Roger, informed the gossip reporter of the real Hollywood newspaper to interview the Ramones. On the one hand, I thanked the reporter for helping to suppress the scandal of the band members into the police station, and I returned my favor. On the other hand, real reporters are always freer than group acting reporters.

   Ronald laughed when he heard it, and learned a few more money-saving techniques from Roger Coleman.

  The time came to the evening. The Ramones band and the fans set up a concert stage under the national flag at the gate of the high school. Director Allen called out Action.

   starring PJ Sols took a prop modified with a pump and hit the pump hard to the end.

   "Boom!"

   This loud noise completely exceeded Ronald's expectations, and his ears were buzzing a little. The huge fireball even caught the national flag behind the stage, and the actors ran away screaming.

  The surrounding neighbors turned on the lights one after another, opened the windows to check the situation, and some people started calling the police.

   This grass stage team has miscalculated their power. Ronald covered his face with a wry smile, but fortunately there was no accident.

  The crew speeded up to pack up and retreat, just before the police arrived.

  …

   The last day of the shooting schedule is December 22nd. The crew arranged the best indoor scene for today.

  The two heroines are wearing gymnastics vests and sports shorts, and behind them are a group of invited high school gymnastics team members. Today's shooting is the scene of class in the gymnasium.

   A few years ago, America's Cold War rival, the women's gymnastics of the Solville Union, dominated the Olympic Games. Their female athletes introduced acrobatic difficult movements into gymnastics, getting rid of the original ballet-style gymnastics that emphasized graceful beauty.

After that, the women's gymnastics team of the Solville Union visited America. The little girl with two pigtails turned somersaults on TV every day. The parents of girls in the United States went crazy and started sending their daughters to learn gymnastics like crazy. Many high schools have opened gymnastics class.

  The youth exploitation film will naturally not miss this theme, arrange some cool pictures, energetic gymnasts, wearing gymnastics vests and sports shorts, playing vault, balance beam, and uneven bars to the accompaniment of rock music...

  PJ Sowers picked up the microphone again and began to sing the movie's theme song "Rock High School". Dancing with her are the **** bombs Chrissy and Mara, who have only been on screen for as long as PJ and Day Young.

   The girl from the gymnastics team behind the background, began to perform various gymnastic movements on the gymnastics equipment: Hmm... This vaulting action seems to be a shuttlecock cartwheel and a straight forward somersault for a week... One foot stepped out of the mat...

   "That's a lot of points," Ronald thought secretly.

  The costumes and dances are all designed to satisfy the audience's need to eat ice cream. The staff at the scene watched it with relish, and it seems that the effect will not be bad after the screening.

   There is something wrong with the makeup of PJ Sols in this scene. She plays an 18-year-old high school student, but she is actually 28 years old. Although the sense of youth did not subside, the skin on her legs betrayed her. Some blue veins are exposed, which does not work well in close-up shots.

  Everyone was a little helpless. The makeup artist tried their best to apply powder, but as soon as they danced, the powder fell off. It was really impossible to shoot.

  The director wanted to shoot without powder, but PJ Sols didn't agree. Actresses take their image on the screen very seriously.

   Ronald had an idea and found PJ's husband who came to visit the class, "Does PJ have pantyhose? You can let her wear it in sports shorts. This will cover her weakness without affecting her **** image."

  Her husband hurried to get his bag and pulled out a pair of pantyhose. After PJ put it on, he passed the shooting smoothly.

   During lunch, PJ was very happy and came over with her husband to thank Ronald for his suggestion. If an actress is not beautiful on camera, it may mean that she will not have the opportunity to play a young protagonist in the future, and she will turn to an older supporting role.

   Ronald's suggestion extended PJ Sowers' acting career for several years.

   "Ronnie, this is my husband Dennis Quaid. He is also an actor.", PJ officially introduced her husband to Ronald.

   "Hi Dennis, I'm Ronald Lee."

   "Thank you for your advice, Ronald, you know how beautiful PJ is." Dennis laughed.

  PJ Sauls relentlessly beat his husband Dennis on the chest a few times, and buried his head in his chest again, changing the image of the rebellious girl in the movie, making him look as cute as a bird.

   Her husband, Dennis Quaid, looks like a bear, and his slender and beautiful wife contrasts with each other.

   Not long after they got married, they are still in love.

   "So I'm going to call you Mrs. PJ Quaid in the future?" Ronald asked with a smile.

   "No, she won't change her surname." said PJ's husband Dennis.

  Ronald was a little surprised that it was quite rare in America for a husband not to change his wife's surname.

  PJ's husband Dennis Quaid explained why:

  PJ is already well-known to a certain extent. He has a lot of film appointments in Hollywood and will receive a lot of scripts. The audience is already familiar with their names, and suddenly the surname is changed. The audience does not know who she is, and it is not worthwhile in career.

  Secondly, PJ has made a lot of successful movies, and the actors can receive a lot of follow-up income after the movie is released. In particular, she filmed "The Witch Carrie" and "Moonlight, Panic", which were bought by the TV station, and each time they were broadcast on HBO, they got a share. The Screen Actors Guild receives thousands of dollars in checks every year.

If the surname is changed, the IRS system of the tax bureau is likely to be wrong, and the income of one person is counted as two people, resulting in a series of troubles, and there may be fines for wrongly applying the tax rate. The bureaucratic system is very slow to deal with this kind of problem, so simply Not changed.

   "There's the last phone booth scene in the afternoon, don't forget PJ." Ronald reminded them and went to line up to get a hot dog.

  The scene of the gymnastics hall was successfully completed. Director Allen and Joe discussed it, and simply took the last shot that Ronald was in charge of. They arranged a surprise for Ronald.

  This scene is also the last scene of the whole film. It is about:

  The rebellious girl Liv Randall and the good girl Kate Rambo heard the lottery on the phone when they were driving out. The listeners who answered the correct answer first would get two tickets to the Ramones concert.

   The two hurriedly found a phone booth, dragged out a man who was proposing to his girlfriend in the phone booth, and grabbed the phone to call the radio.

   Director Allen held up the electric horn, "Our crew is very grateful to a boy who stood up and took up the responsibility at a difficult time. He was the temporary director for a day. He is..."

   "Ronald!" Everyone answered together.

   "This boy helped a lot in the crew, got along well with everyone, made our efficiency unprecedentedly improved, and made the actresses so beautiful, he is..."

   "Ronald!"

   "In the last scene of the day, we want a boy to play the boy who proposes. Who is most qualified to play the man who proposes?"

   "Ronald!" Everyone laughed when they finished.

   starring PJ, Day Young, put La Ronald on stage and pushed into the phone booth.

   DP Dean Candy also came over to measure the focus for him himself.

   Ronald also wanted to try what it was like to be on the other side of the camera, so he took a fake beard handed over by makeup artist and hairstylist Gigi. The fat dresser handed him the suit and tie...

everything's ready…

   Ronald put his hand on the phone, took a deep breath, and stood still in the booth.

   "Action!" Allen ordered.

   Ronald picks up the phone and starts performing:

   "This is a very special question, I'll only ask one woman in my life... Please don't hang up, it's a little difficult for me... I'm here to ask you..."

   The two beauties and girlfriends slammed on the brakes and parked the car outside the phone booth. PJ rushed to the phone booth, opened the door, and shoved Ronald out.

  The man who proposed to him, played by Ronald, took a few steps back in coordination, and fell with garlic under his feet, still muttering: "I'm here to ask you to be my wife."

  Dai Yang supported him from behind, and said, "I'm sorry, you're not my type."

  “Cut!”

   Director Alan Akush yelled.

   "This one is over."

   Everyone applauded warmly.

  Allen raised his electric horn to the applause: "I'm announcing that the 'Rock and Roll' filming is packed."

   Ronald took off his suit, tore off his fake beard and handed it over to make up. Looking at the phone booth, he suddenly thought:

   "Just in time to call Demi Gaines, a client who is going to take an audition photo, and make an appointment to come and take a photo."

   "Come on Ronald, let's pack a party and let's have a good drink."

   "I'll call you..."

   Chapter 24 is already available for viewing. Readers who haven’t read it please move on, thank you.

   (end of this chapter)