Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 250 Chapter 201 Winning Allies

  The apartment rented by Ronald is introduced by Universal. It is a two-bedroom, one-living room with modern appliances in place. The landlord is a collaborator of Universal, and for a film worker like Ronald, the rent can be half cheaper, and the price is good.

   Ronald installed the computer that his cousin and Diane had given him, and connected the monitor. Then apply for a printer to the crew, and you can start working for Spielberg. But don't worry about it, you can do it yourself at night in the future. The most important thing now is to prepare your own movie.

  The next day, Ronald packed up a new hairstyle, neither long nor short, with the classic Ray-Ban aviator sunglasses, very handsome. The deliberately unshaven beard made him look at least 5 years older.

   This is a way Ronald deliberately designed to make himself more authoritative as a director. People who don't know always use their age to infer a person's experience and professional level, and a beard will make them look more mature.

   Came to the office, the bronze nameplate of "Fast-paced Richmond High School" hung on the door. Ronald wiped it with his hand, satisfied.

   Opened the office with the key, sat down at his own wooden desk, and waited for the arrival of Producer Art Linson and Associate Producer Amy Hecklen.

  Lin Sen and Hecklin came to the office almost at the same time. They didn't expect Ronald to be working at the desk ahead of time, and made a big cup of black tea on the table, which was steaming hot.

   "Good morning, Art, Amy." Ronald looked up. "I did a time breakdown. Our main task now is to determine the director of photography, the art director, and the casting director."

  Ronald pointed to the whiteboard on the wall behind him, on which magnets were used to hold three cards with the positions of three important candidates written on them.

   Hecklin, who was preempted, looked at the whiteboard and quickly responded, "There is also music selection. The sooner we start, the more time we can leave for copyright negotiations."

"Very good, I looked at the playlist you left on the table, and you are responsible for this, Amy. We will take your playlist and have a meeting with Mr. Azov to determine the difficulty of purchasing the copyright, and then authorize a person to negotiate."

  Ronald immediately complimented Heckling's work, then wrote a music rights negotiation card and attached it to the wall with a magnet.

   Ronald is unfamiliar with rock, pop, etc. He has listened to the music of the veteran radio station for a few years, and he has the same taste as the Vietnam War veterans. They are all songs from the 1960s. A selection of tapes sent by my cousin Donna only recently improved my taste.

   "Director of photography and art direction, Universal has drawn up some shortlists of candidates. Mr. Linsen and I will interview with them to select suitable candidates as soon as possible. Do you have any suggestions? Amy?"

  Ronald assumed a business-like attitude and asked Heckling's opinion. She is an associate producer, and in principle, unlike the director, who has the right to participate in interviews and decisions on these matters. Now that she chose to show herself in the soundtrack, other aspects need to be given up.

  Hecklin thought about it, but still felt that these candidates were not important, "I have no opinion, after all, you are the director."

   "Casting director?" Ronald proposed the most important person arrangement in the early stage.

   "I have some candidates here, all from the American Film Institute (AFI)." Heckling said.

  America Film School is where Hecklin studied and worked after graduating from New York University. Her contacts in Los Angeles all came from this.

   "Their standards are very good. The film academy's small productions are all actors they hired. Our films can't afford too high fees for casting, so they can try it."

  Hecklin is obviously more nervous about casting power. During filming, the director's main job is to guide and inspire the actors' performances. If she can have a certain casting power and make her own person the protagonist, then there is no doubt that her power base will rise in the crew.

   "Mr. Linson, is there any suitable candidate here at Universal?" Ronald asked the producer Art Linson noncommittally.

   Hearing this, Lin Sen smiled, "Of course, my old partner on the 'Mavin and Howard' crew, Don Phillips, he's been working for Universal.

   "Are the three of us to meet him?" Ronald asked the two of them for their opinions, and then wrote on the whiteboard hanging on the wall.

   Then he put Don Phillips' name on the casting director's card.

  Amy Hecklin looked at Lin Sen and didn't speak again.

Seeing that there was no objection between the two, Ronald stood up, "Since there is no other opinion, then we will proceed as is, I will go to see the candidates for the director of photography and art director, Mr. Lin Sen contacted the casting director Mr. Phillips, Amy Discuss music rights negotiations with Mr. Azov and see you tomorrow morning."

After   , Ronald put on his baseball cap, said hello, and went out.

   Ronald and New York's old employer Julia Taylor inquired, this Phillips was also in the New York casting studio, and the founder Marion Dolotti worked and studied. Julia called him, and Don would cooperate with him in the casting, at least not deliberately favoring Hecklen.

   Soon, the casting director was selected as Don Phillips.

Immediately after the casting director was identified, casting notices began to be sent to major brokerage companies in Hollywood and New York through Universal. With such a large demand for teenage actors, after becoming famous all over the world, few films could achieve this level. kind of scale.

   And even better than "Famous in the World", this "fast tempo" has no requirements for actors' singing, or ballet. All the time, all the economic people are looking for Ronald and Don Phillips.

   The first person to call was, of course, Nisita from CAA.

   He asked Ronald to give CAA enough places, and it is best for CAA to cover all the main actors.

"I can't do this, Rick. Heckling is still fighting against me on the set. I need to at least make sure that the actors and characters are in harmony and are the right people. You have anyone's client here, you can transfer the information, except Rapke's client, let him go to Hecklen to hand over the information.

   In the same situation, I would certainly give preference to CAA's clients.

  Would Tom Cruise be willing to play it? Of course I welcome. "

After a while, Paula Wagner called, "Ronald, I appreciate your invitation to Tom, who has taken over 'Losing Your Virginity' from Embassy Pictures and invested 7 million in a mid-scale production. hero."

   "Did you and Tom convey my message?"

   "Ronald, fast pace is a group show..."

   "Youth Comedy"

   "It's a youth comedy, with three male leading roles and one supporting role. Which one do you decide for Tom to play?"

   "As long as he comes, you can pick it first." Ronald really hopes that Tom Cruise will participate, and handsome guys can always attract a lot of box office.

   "He is the big male lead in The Story of Losing Your Virtue, and he plays in every scene."

   "Okay, you tell him that I have approached him and let him make his own decision, or I'll tell him myself." Ronald felt he had to fight for it.

   "Well, Ronald, you're a tough guy."

  Tom Cruise called at night, apologized to Ronald in person, and turned down the play. He read the script of Losing Zhenji and felt that it was very suitable for his play style, and he had already agreed to that.

   "An actor who played Sergeant with me in 'Lights Out' is very suitable for teen comedy, do you want to try it, he is also a client of CAA." Tom also recommended a candidate on the phone.

"Who?"

   "Sean Penn."

  Ronald knew him. At that time, "Endless Love" almost chose him as the male lead, but he was given up because his height did not match Brooke Shields.

After    and Nisita checked the number of passes, Sean Penn was not a client of Rapke, so he asked Nisita to pass the information and invited him to come for an interview.

   A potential ally.

   The second person to know the news was WMA's Italian-born agent Ed Limato.

   "Hi Ronald, congratulations. Theatrical director who just turned 21."

   "Thank you, do you also recommend actors to me?"

"Yes, but I'm mainly thanking you on behalf of Pfeiffer, she has passed the second round of interviews. Director Patricia Birch admires her, and every time she is in the back row or in the corner, Birch puts it. She picked it out."

   "Why?" Ronald became curious, and according to the candidate he recommended, Birch would give her a good audition position, or even interview alone.

   "Pfeiffer knew that you were a screenwriter, and she guessed that you were recommending her. I felt grateful and embarrassed, so I hid in the corner of the back row."

   It may be this kind of embarrassment that can maintain a beautiful quality, which makes director Birch fancy. Ronald laughed. "I didn't call Birch, it's all her decision. You don't stir up the flames, Ed."

   "Well, I understand, you don't want others to use your name. I'm here to recommend a strong foreign aid to you."

"What do you mean?"

   "It's rumored that Tom Mount's girlfriend wants to take back the directorship."

   "Uh, okay." Ronald didn't expect this kind of news to spread so quickly, and it was all these agents who talked a lot.

   "Who's your candidate?"

   "I know you need to establish your authority on the set, so I'll find a way to get Francis Coppola on set and give you a stage? He happens to be in Los Angeles."

Um? Ronald, who was said to be the center, was surprised. It seems that I am not the only one who knows this trick.

   "As far as I know, Coppola's brokerage contract is not with you." Ronald replied, Limato's statement is a bit bragging.

"I'm not bragging, although Francis's contract is not with me, but it may be soon." Limato said, "I signed his eldest brother's son, Nicolas. We Italians are family-oriented, as long as you If I can give him a big role, I can bring Francis."

   "Send his information to the casting director, I will give him a chance under the same conditions."

   "Why, isn't Coppola enough to impress you?"

   "I have to make sure that the characters and actors fit first, Ed, and I'll take care of the rest." Ronald hung up the phone.

"This guy, it looks like someone else is helping him." Limato took out the audition photo labeled "Nicholas Coppola" and handed it to the assistant in an envelope, "Please send it to Director Ronald Lee. one serving.

   has two potential supporters.

  Ronald straightened his beard in the mirror. The beard grows so fast that it often needs to be trimmed.

   The next person I went out to meet was one of the most important supporters, Cameron Crowe, the original author of the novel. As a writer, if he can get him to participate in the casting meeting, when he needs to support his decision, it is 2:1. Even if Art Linson supports Hecklen, he has room to maneuver.

  Cameron Crowe lives with his girlfriend Nancy Wilson, one of the lead singers and songwriters of the rock group Heart. Crow met Nancy when she was a reporter for Rolling Stone magazine, and the two quickly fell in love.

  Ronald has pitched Cameron Crowe that he needs his support in casting. Moreover, the other party is also interested in filming and can learn and watch from the crew throughout the whole process.

   "I can support you, but I don't want the characters in my novel to be unsuitable because of the power struggle, Ronald." Cameron Crowe hesitated, but still put forward his own conditions.

"Of course, this is also my idea. The fit of the character and the actor's temperament is the most important guarantee for the success of a film. I have worked in a casting studio in New York, and I know this very well. It's just that when the conditions are balanced, you can support me."

  Cameron Crowe and his girlfriend looked at each other and were about to speak.

  Ronald saw their eyes and couldn't help but look at Nancy Wilson. She's a blond sweetheart with big, photogenic eyes and perfectly straight white teeth.

   "Nancy, I think you look very good, can you come to the crew for a cameo role?"

   "Me? I can't act in movies." Nancy was a little interested.

   "You don't have to act, just be yourself. Cameron will tell you a character, a character that is very similar to you."

   "Which character?" Cameron also came interested.

   "It was when Brad put on a pirate outfit to deliver meals and laughed at his beauty in the sports car next to him."

   "That's a lot like you, Nancy." Cameron said with a smile.

   In the script, this character is a big beauty, driving a roadster, seeing Brad's strange pirate outfit, parked in a parallel position with his food truck, and looking up and down. At first Brad thought it was a beautiful woman who admired him, but he almost got the wrong idea.

   Such a role, played by a girlfriend, is not too difficult, Cameron Crowe looked at Nancy a little moved, so he happily agreed.

   The third ally, a very solid candidate.

   At the same time, Amy Heckling was not idle either.

   "I see that Ronald has been very busy these two days, and he didn't bother me. He seems very confident that he can make the movie well."

   "Have you communicated with Azov about the music? It's a decent showing."

   "I have found someone to negotiate the copyright, but I also have my own person in casting."

   "Which character do you like? What actor? Honey."

   "The heroine Stacey and my best friend Linda, these two characters, I read through the script, are the axis of the whole film. All the people and things are radiated from them."

   "Give me the person you think is suitable, preferably the child of a well-known actor, so that I can arrange it easily."

   (end of this chapter)