Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 318 The Impact of Piracy

   Ronald turned on the TV, he received a call from his aunt, the famous movie star Ingrid Bergman died.

   "Ingrid Bergman dies in London. After a long battle with illness, the famous movie star passed away on her sixty-seventh birthday, accompanied by her ex-husband La Schmidt.

   She won two Best Actress Oscars for "Under the Gaslight" and "True and False". In her personal life, her affair with Italian-born director Roberto Rossellini shocked American society.

   But her performance with Humphrey Bogart in "Casablanca" may be the scene people are talking about when they remember her. "

   "Ronnie, have you read the news?"

   Helen also called, she also saw the news of Bergman's death.

  America's favorite "Casablanca", the TV station has begun to review Bergman's life, and the video of her previous interview to shoot "Casablanca" was also found and replayed.

   "When I played 'Casablanca', I didn't know that this movie would become a classic." The old Bergman on TV was being interviewed by Dick Cavett, the host of the three major talk shows.

"I asked them, should I love my husband or Humphrey Bogart, and they (referring to the director and screenwriter) said it was not decided yet, so you would play the middle way. When I watched the film's own performance later, They're all expressionless because they don't know who should love that character."

   "Sudden news." Ronald also sighed. This big star with a heart-wrenching demeanor is reaching the third golden age of actresses. When a large number of grandma plays come to the door, unexpectedly...

   "I called her daughter, Aunt Pia, and said that Bergman's body will be buried in her hometown in Stockholm. They plan to hold a memorial service and will invite us to attend."

  Pia is already an American, and her sister Isabella has also lived in New York for many years. The memorial service was held in accordance with American custom.

   There is not a lot of sadness, but the relatives and friends of the deceased talked about the details of getting along with Bergman, and some people's speeches were very humorous, and the audience smiled to dilute the sadness a lot.

   Bergman's formal funeral will be held in Stockholm afterward.

   At the memorial service, Ronald also saw Isabella Rossini, another daughter of Bergman, and the two chatted a few times.

  Isabella decided to debut as a model. Although she is in her thirties, the daughter who looks the most like Bergman is still very beautiful. She has her mother's legacy in the fashion industry, and many brands and photographers are rushing to work with her.

   "I wish you all the best." Ronald wished her all the best. In any case, being a model at this age is indeed a bit of luck. "Is Marty okay? I saw that he was not in good health last time."

   "He should be fine." Isabella said goodbye to Ronald and Helen, and went back into Pia's house.

   "Did I say something I shouldn't have said?" Ronald asked Helen beside him.

   "She seems to be separated from her husband." Helen heard some gossip.

   No wonder Scorsese did it last time... Ronald thought.

  The beautiful woman wants to be an actress, but the famous director's husband threw himself in his own movie and didn't let his wife play any role. The last time Isabella acted in a movie was an Italian film in which her Italian colleague Roberto made a cameo appearance.

   But this kind of thing, in America, which pays attention to privacy, it is difficult for outsiders to know the real reason for the breakup if the parties do not speak up.

  It was late when he got home, Ronald saw his cousin Donna was still looking at the stars with a telescope.

   "Have you seen Halley's Comet?"

   "No, but I saw the two split comets." Donna saw that her cousin had returned, and moved aside to let him also look at the telescope.

   "Is that the big broom?" Ronald looked into the telescope and saw a large comet with a bright head, a stubby and curved tail, and a large star.

"Yeah, you might not believe it, Ronnie. That bright comet tail is sweeping across the Earth. But we don't feel it at all. It's made of very thin gas and dust that reflects sunlight to shine... "

   "I don't think Earthlings feel it? It's interesting." Ronald thought it was a good thing for Donna to go to a key high school, and a lot of knowledge as a cousin would be incomprehensible.

  The next day, Richard, CAA's agent, came to see Ronald again.

   "Universal sold the 'fast-paced' TV broadcast rights for 2 million, and the movie box office has exceeded 25 million. The TV station couldn't ask for it and quickly agreed to the price.

   The TV version of your edit has been reviewed by the TV station, they are happy with your edit, the dirty words and **** scenes have been replaced by dialogue and given a G rating directly.

According to the latest directors' union collective agreement, you will receive a "residual" for TV broadcasts more than ten times and videotape sales. You will receive a quarterly check from the directors' union for this part of the money. .

   Ronald nodded, "What's up with the videotape sales? I don't think I've seen anyone selling movie tapes. There are only Jane Fonda workout videos in department stores and supermarkets."

  “Universal is in a lawsuit against Sony, the maker of video recorders. They think videotape will destroy the movie industry like TV did.

  Mr. Spielberg has officially rejected Universal's request to sell ET alien VHS tapes, although VHS and Universal are arguing that Sony's BetaMax is not a standard video tape, they are a competitive relationship. "

"I don't understand, can't I make a lot of money selling video tapes? Why did Spielberg refuse?" Ronald dreamed of watching video tapes. It seems that video tapes will become the main way to watch movies in the future. Why refuse?

   "Now Hollywood is very afraid of video tapes. The people of Dongying have made video tapes very easy to copy. As long as two VCRs are needed, they can rip them at home, so who else goes to the cinema to watch movies?"

   "Yeah," thought Ronald. "What about our movies?"

   "Mr. Simberg has decided not to release a videotape, no matter what format. Universal and Sony's lawsuit has reached the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the whole of Hollywood is watching the outcome of this case, and his verdict will become a precedent in the future.

  Universal will not be against the whole of Hollywood. "

   "Then will we win?" Ronald felt a little nervous when he heard that it would become a precedent.

  The impact of the TV invasion on Hollywood still lingers. At that time, a large number of creative talents were unemployed and the market shrank. If I really have to be replayed by the video recorder, I am afraid that there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to make films by myself in the future.

"It's still optimistic. Universal and other major studios sued Sony in the Central District of California in 1976, when we were defeated by a judge on the grounds of the First Amendment, and the court ruled that it was not illegal for ordinary customers to use VCRs. .

   However, after appealing to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, a very favorable result was obtained. If users pirate and rip videotapes, Hollywood does not need to bear the burden of proof, while companies such as Sony, which sells VCRs, will automatically bear joint and several liability.

   Now Dongying people appealed again, hoping to reopen the hearing. But Hollywood is generally optimistic about the prospects of the case. "

   "Then I can rest assured. It's a good thing that we don't have video tapes. At least we can sell more tickets at the box office."

  …

   "FBI seizes movie pirate gang!"

   A few days later, the headline of The Hollywood Reporter released an amazing news.

  ET Alien was pirated, Universal was reluctant to release official videotapes, but pirates helped him sell hundreds of thousands of pirated videotapes.

   This is the first time a Hollywood movie has suffered serious losses due to pirated videotapes, and it has also affected Ronald's "fast-paced" box office.

   The cause of the incident is simple. "ET Alien" continues to be popular. In many small-town movie theaters, there is no copy for a long time. The residents of the town complain a lot. Any movie theater that can borrow a copy of ET can become a town hero.

   Piracy gangs noticed a shortage of copies in small towns and bribed a Tennessee projectionist to borrow a copy for a pirate to copy.

  Based on this copy, the pirate managed to create a videotape master. Then a large number of VHS and Beta formats were copied, which were sold all over the country through the bootleg network.

  Because ET is too popular, many regular stores have also sold it. The pirated videotape is sold as a genuine videotape. The price of a copy is ninety dollars, and many people still buy it.

   Although the projectionist was captured this time, and the pirate factory in the Bronx, New York. However, a large number of pirated video tapes have been circulated, and new pirated copies have been dubbed on this basis, and have flooded the country.

   "How much is the estimated loss this time?" Ronald called his agent and asked about the loss to ET's box office from this piracy.

   "The estimated value of the case is more than 20 million." Richard replied, "If the pirated video tapes are copied again, and the lost box office is not seen in the cinema, the total loss is estimated to be 30 to 40 million."

   "What about the impact on us?"

   "Universal's management of copies has been ordered to be rectified, and 'Fast Pace' will no longer make new copies. Movie theaters on the East Coast and Central China will not be able to get copies until the West Coast is released."

   "What a disaster." Ronald lamented.

  ET's copy of the aliens was stolen, which made the global executives furious. Originally expected to break Star Wars A New Hope's box office record by the end of the year, it has now only been delayed until next year.

   Distribution agencies all over the country have begun to strengthen the management of copies because this piracy was bought by projectionists who stole copies of the film and copied them.

  , while insignificant, managed to slow down the rotation of a copy between local movie theaters. It also caused resistance from major studios such as Universal to print more copies.

   Orders for the last reprints of "Fast Paced" were canceled, and instead the older prints were moved to the Central and Southern states after a two-week early release in West Coast theaters.

   "That's good, even my box office is a few million less." Ronald complained.

   "It's all to blame for those pirates." Auntie also echoed.

   "Actually, Universal is also responsible. If they were willing to sell genuine videotapes, there would not be so many pirated copies." Donna had just chosen economics and also came to express her opinion.

"Forget it, this is not something I can control. Besides, the box office has far exceeded my expectations." Ronald ignored these troubles, and started to organize his clothes, ready to meet Helen, and go to Flushing Park to see the The actor of old friend "High School of Rock", Vincent van Patten, played.

  The actor/tennis player made it to the third round as he wished, and met the world number one "bad boy" John McEnroe who he had defeated before.

   (end of this chapter)