Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 55 Intrigue

"Well, she's Stella Adler. There are also short-term training courses for actors." Julia Taylor picked up her notebook and copied a number to Ronald: "This is the phone, you can ask ask."

   "The broker?"

   "Don't Meg have an agent? You can let her call Eddie to try. The agent must be chosen by herself." Julia Taylor copied the phone number of her agent Eddie to Ronald.

   "Thank you, Ms. Taylor."

   Turning his head, producer David Da Silva also came to look for Ronald.

  David da Silva is a tall middle-aged man with a bald head and a mustache on his upper lip. He was wearing the relatively rare suspender trousers, very old-fashioned.

"Ronald, Allen asked me to sign an agreement with you, he wants to hire you as a casting assistant, in the name of driver and car rental, $200 per day, for one month, if the casting is not over, it will be postponed ."

   "Thank you, Mr. Da Silva."

   "But I still have my conditions. Have you read the script?"

"I have not yet."

   "Here is the latest version of the script, take a good look at it. All eight protagonists must be focused on, and any actor Parker tries to choose that is obviously inconsistent with the script, you must notify me, understand?"

   Producer David Da Silva said to Ronald seriously.

   "What?" Ronald thought to himself, why is there so much intrigue in the crew? When he was in the New World Company, the crew was very harmonious?

   "Remember who pays you, Ronnie. I talked to Julia and know you're a smart kid."

  David Da Silva was threatening, Ronald had to obey.

   "Okay, Mr. Da Silva, I'll do what you ask, in the end, I'm working for you, Sir."

   "You're very good, let's sign the agreement. Take this check and remember to make a copy of the receipt for the car." Da Silva took out a check for $6,000 and handed it to Ronald.

   "Remember to buy a better one, Ronnie."

   "Am I a double agent?" Ronald thought.

   "Read the script, Ronald." Director Alan Parker came over to instruct him again.

   "Remember your intuition, this movie is a realistic film that reflects the real dark side of life in high school specializing in acting. David should have told you about his request?"

   "Yes, Director Parker. He made me stay true to the script," Ronald hinted.

   "You're very nice, I like to deal with smart people." Alan Parker understood.

"But always remember that the script is just a creation on paper. When a director selects an actor, he must be imaginative, and he must rely on his own intuitive judgment to imagine the actor and the final effect of the script. After all, the audience is going to the cinema to watch the film. , instead of reading the script."

   "So when casting roles, the director's judgment should prevail, not exactly what is described in the script, do you understand?"

   "Okay, Mr. Parker, I'll do what you ask, after all, I'm working for you, Sir."

   "It's three sides now."

  Director and producer, who really speaks well?

   called and asked about the actor training class of Stella Adler Studio. You can also participate in the training class with zero basis. The fee is 260 yuan / 8 classes, and it is not expensive to arrive.

   Then call the agent named Eddie.

   Eddie was very positive. After asking about the situation, he took the initiative to say that he could come to sign the contract tomorrow. Ronald settled the time with him and went to the car market to see the car.

   Since the political turmoil in Persia caused international oil prices to soar, gasoline prices at gas stations have risen by more than 50%. Ronald wanted to pick a fuel-efficient European car, like the last Volkswagen Hare.

   But on the newsstand next to the subway station, Ronald saw an advertisement on the back cover of Time magazine.

   "Honda Accord, a new generation of four-door compact sedan, power steering, central control trunk switch, power windows."

   It seems that Dongying's car is not bad.

   Take the subway to the dealership and take a look: the four front headlights are very powerful. Although it is a compact car, the interior space is quite large.

  It was him. For $5,600 in exchange for a pale green Honda Accord, Ronald drove back to the artist's apartment.

   Parked the car downstairs and Ronald went to get Meg to have dinner first, then plan her agent and acting lessons together.

   But Meg also had plans, and as soon as she saw Ronald, she started talking about her plans.

   After a long phone call with her sister Jennifer in Los Angeles, Jennifer, through her own relationship, arranged for Meg an agent for William Morris. Sign up tomorrow.

   "This... Didn't you discuss it with me? I asked Julia for advice, and I have found an agent named Eddie to discuss in detail tomorrow."

"William Morris' agents are well-known in the industry, and I've already spoken to them." Meg saw Ronald's face as he spoke, "Are you angry? Ronnie, I can't find it. When it comes to you, when I hear the name of William Morris, I agree."

"I'm not angry. Your sister introduced you to a big company. It's just that tomorrow I have to apologize to Eddie for letting him go for nothing." Ronald was relieved by Meg's arm shaking twice. .

   "What about your acting training class?"

   "Jennifer told me a lot of common sense. She said that it is best to learn methodical acting when making movies. If she was in Los Angeles, she would introduce me to an acting teacher named Peggy Fury."

   "Los Angeles..." Ronald frowned again.

   "In New York, she suggested that I go to the Actors Studio."

   "I've heard of that place, and some say it's the best." Ronald heard Natasha Kinski say. "I'll send you to sign up when I'm free."

   Seeing that Meg had done everything, Ronald was not unhappy at all, but felt that he had not done much. "Fortunately, I didn't help her sign up for Stella Adler's training class."

  The two began to turn to the topic of Qingqingmeimei.

  The next day, Eddie, who was introduced by Julia, came to visit the artist's apartment as scheduled. Ronald invited Eddie in and apologized straightaway:

   "Sorry, Eddie...Mr. I didn't know Meg had found William Morris's agent to sign through her sister. It was my fault that you went to waste."

   Eddie is a small man who looks very friendly, which is a very big advantage in the profession of an agent.

   "It doesn't matter, just call me Eddie. I represent an independent small agency, and there are often actors who jump to William Morris after becoming famous. We actually have nothing to do. The law stipulates that we can only sign a contract with an actor for a maximum of 3 years."

   "If a big company is willing to pay for the actor contract in our hands, we have no objection. Because more famous actors need more powerful agents to win resources."

   "Julia and I talked about you. In fact, I am more interested in you today."

   "Me? I'm not an actor." Ronald said.

   "But you might become a director later." Eddie was frank.

   "The director is the most scarce resource in the industry, and even a TV commercial director is something we value very much."

   "I now have a lot of young actresses who have just entered the industry. If you can support one or two films in the future, it will be a huge help to our business."

   "You seem to be too honest, Eddie." Ronald said with a smile, "There are very few people in this business who take things too seriously."

   "But an antique dealer who takes the initiative to point out the cracks at the bottom of his china, wouldn't it be more able to win the trust of customers?" Eddie also smiled, "It's not a difficult secret, I try to keep the quality of honesty."

  Ronald felt that Eddie was a very interesting person. He also acted as a center girl for some men's magazines, but his business was strictly separate from that of actors.

   drove Eddie back to the office, and bought a few new daily variety shows on the way. The Hollywood Reporter, Ronald is gradually developing a good habit of watching industry news every day.

   "High School of Rock" opened in Georgia, was a poor box office, and is a typical Roger Coleman-esque teen exploitation film that may have to rely on the east and west coasts to gain more audiences. "

  High School of Rock is out?

  Ronald made a phone call to Gale, the assistant to the president of New World, "Gail, I heard that Rock and Roll High School is on?"

   "Ronnie, nice to hear from you."

   "Yes. Rock High School did poorly in Georgia and Arizona, and Roger may cancel the release in California and New York."

   "This is too bad, I'm still waiting to invite my family and friends to see it."

   "It's not that there is no chance, it depends on the release results of the next few states. What are you doing now? Ronnie"

   "I'm waiting for school to start, and by the way, I'm getting a casting assistant for the new film directed by Alan Parker."

   "That's pretty good, he directed the Midnight Train box office hit last year, and now he's a Hollywood celebrity."

  …

   hung up the phone, Ronald began to read the script of "Hot Lunch" carefully, and drew portraits of several protagonists in the dream. If you come across it during casting, you can recommend it to director Alan Parker.

  The script of "Hot Lunch" is very interesting. The few clips I dreamed of were all songs and dances, but this film was not an old-fashioned orthodox music and dance film like Hollywood.

The    singing and dancing part actually has a plot. Some kind of music sounded, and a group of art students began to dance spontaneously. This makes sense in life, and it's not just awkward dancing when a word disagrees.

   And old-fashioned musicals, like "Grease," used singing instead of dialogue and dancing instead of action.

  The new generation of young people seems to be less and less fond of old-fashioned orthodox musicals, this form of expression.

  In life, a person does not speak, but sings his meaning; instead of walking, he dances all the way, it is really embarrassing.

   Turning around, it was time to go to the New York Performing Arts High School and discuss the audition with the school's senior management. Ronald first took over the director Parker, and then drove to the Performing Arts High School.

Margaery of    Casting Studios, Howard Fehr, partner at Fair & Lizel Casting Company, and producer David Da Silva are already waiting in the large conference room.

   Ronald took out his notebook and waited in the back row to take notes after the meeting began.

  The door was pushed open with a slam, and the principal of the Performing Arts College walked in with several teachers.

   (end of this chapter)