Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 573 Chapter 203 The Navy refuses to assist

After    signed the contract, the two producers continued to live in Ronald's new home, and the three began to discuss how to fill the script to achieve the level of starting shooting.

   "In short, there must be a beautiful air force instructor to associate with our male protagonist." Bruckheimer first proposed the romantic part.

   "Of course, what kind of beauty do you want to play?" Don Simpson deliberately tested Ronald's thoughts.

   "I'm looking for an older actress with mature female charm to play." Ronald thought of the long legs in retro stockings and enchanting short skirts in his dream, who was the back of a mature beauty.

   "Oh, why?" Don Simpson clearly felt sympathy.

   "Our audience is mainly teenagers. What high school boy hasn't secretly admired that beautiful female teacher? Isn't it the realization of their dreams that are difficult to achieve in real life when we make movies?"

   "And what about the female audience?" Don Simpson asked another question.

"So I went with Tom Cruise, he's handsome and he's always in a state of jitters like he's going to break out for his girlfriend the next moment and hit the bad guy. I think female audiences must have fantasized about having a high school Such a handsome hero to save himself."

   "Fuck, did you often use this mentality to succeed when you were in high school?"

  Don Simpson saw Ronald's words so clear, and suspected that the young director must have many beautiful friends in high school.

   "No, I'm on a boring wrestling team, nothing like those football teams."

   "Very well, I regret now that I didn't let you direct 'Lightning Dance'. I rarely see a director who has a sufficient understanding of the audience's psychology."

   The more they talk, the more speculative they become, and Don Simpson is also a person who often daydreams. He has a unique insight into audience tastes.

"We've got to have a pretty girl, fighter jets, dogfights, so that the male audience can come. We've got to have Tom Cruise, and a bunch of handsome guys, get them topless, so that there's a lot of female audiences. ."

   "Topless?" Ronald thought of the beach volleyball scene.

"Yeah, that's what you should think about, think about plot arrangements, let their toned bodies show, the more the better. A lot of people don't understand that women are also an important audience in the American market now, and now women only look at family The days of soap operas are over, and they want to be entertained, you know?"

   "Okay," Ronald took shorthand for this point of showing the male body.

   "You know why we think of you in the first place? It's the Saab fighter commercial you shot." Bruckheimer continued.

   "Saab, right?" Ronald wanted to refute, but thought that the Saab fighter had also put his image in the company's promotional video, so he was silent.

"Yes, there are very few people who can make fighter jets so attractive. After I saw it, I felt that the director must be you." Don Simpson was still as excited as ever. up scene.

"This is actually a helpless choice," Ronald said about the scene of going to Stockholm to shoot at that time, "The speed of modern jet fighters is too fast, even with the farthest telephoto lens, at supersonic speed, it will be a In less than a second, the time disappeared from the picture. Most likely the audience didn't even find where the plane was."

   "So I focused on shooting the aircraft on the ground, turning, and the engine before takeoff. These powerful images make up for the lack of high-speed flight footage."

  Ronald also simulated a plane with his hands, and quickly passed by the two producers and made a point.

   "Yeah, modern planes are too fast, and they go supersonic at every turn. That's why we must get the military's assistance, otherwise, without aerial combat footage, it's impossible to make a blockbuster movie anyway."

  The three people filled some plots into the plot. The protagonist is a navy fighter pilot who was selected for training in the Navy's combat skills school, known as "Top Gun", because of his excellent flying.

   After some training, the protagonist gradually turned into an elite who scored first. During a mock fight, his plane got caught in the exhaust of an imaginary enemy and got caught in a spiral. The gunman in the back seat was unfortunately killed during the ejection.

   After a psychological reorganization, the protagonist regained his energy. Finally, in the real air combat confrontation, he shot down the MiG fighters patrolling the Caribbean Sea, defending the safety of the aircraft carrier and his comrades.

   Ronald typed out the filled story on the computer and printed it out. After going to the photocopy shop and binding it, I sent the script to the Pentagon for assistance.

  At the same time, Tom Cruise was still talking about it. In short, Paula Wagner said that he could talk. Cruise was very interested and looked forward to chatting with the producer and Ronald, but he just didn't say it to death.

  Ronald learned privately through Nisita that Paula Wagner wanted to get a million-dollar salary for Cruise, trying to enter the million-dollar salary club. If successful, Tom's movie invitations will be negotiated on the basis of one million in the future. A great boost to his career.

   Of course Ronald wouldn't hurt her, so he also pretended to call Tom and made an appointment to discuss it together when he came back from London after filming the rest of the "Legend".

  Just like that, everyone waited at Aunt Ronald Staten Island's house for the results of the Pentagon. The two producers, who cooked and ate all of Aunt Karen's food, drank all of Ronald's stockpile of red wine, and wailed in the building.

  Don Simpson couldn't take it for a day because Ronald wouldn't allow them to do petty tricks at home, clamoring to go back to the free world of Los Angeles. There was really no way, he and his partner Bruckheimer had to go to the town hotel to open another room to satisfy their hobbies.

  Aunt Karen couldn't stand these two hippies either. When she waited for Simpson to go to the hotel, she discussed with Ronald about the use of the proceeds from the transfer of the factory that had received more than 600,000 dollars.

  Aunt Karen’s focus has now shifted from being busy with her daughter and career to fighting for a better standard of living for the Vietnam War veterans and widows of Staten Island.

  Ronald called Lawrence, an accountant, and after discussing it with his aunt, they decided to use the old method, buy Coca-Cola stock with the money, and then live on dividends every quarter, and then have some spare time to help the unfortunate veterans and widows.

   On the third day, Jerry Bruckheimer suddenly broke into his aunt's house, "Ronald, the Navy has officially rejected our application."

   "Why?" Ronald frowned and took the reply that was sent back, signed by the Department of External Relations of the Admiralty.

   "After consideration, the Navy believes that the film cannot truly reflect the training and life of the Navy. While expressing thanks to you, I regret to inform you that the Navy cannot cooperate with the filming of this film."

   Ronald frowned, not expecting such a rejection. When we shoot the movie of the Navy, we are helping the Navy to create the image of a heroic pilot. Why should the other party refuse?

  The two producers suffered a blow, with Don Simpson screaming and kicking desperately against the railing of Ronald's house. While Bruckheimer was calmer, "Ronald, you stay here to continue revising the script and preparing to shoot, we will go back to Los Angeles, Paramount and Hollywood, there are some old friends of the great leaders, we are going to have a walk. "

   "I think I might be able to write a letter to the lieutenant commander, who was also a navy pilot when he was young." Ronald remembered Barbara's hospitality and believed she would do him a favor, right?

  "We split up", in fact, the two producers also don't believe that Ronald's letter can play any role, it's better than nothing.

   "Dear Your Excellency Deputy Commander,

  I take the liberty of writing to you, hoping for your assistance.

   I'm currently working on a film that reflects the training and life of a Navy pilot, and keeping our country safe at sea. The tentative name is now called 'Top Gun', with some footage of modern aerial combat.

   From my professional point of view as a film director, if the film could get the help of the Navy, it would be more realistic. We have every reason to believe that this film can bring back the love of the American people for the military, especially the navy..."

  Barbara saw the letter from Ronald at the deputy commander's mansion. This is what she asked the Secret Service to add to the list of contacts of special concern. All Ronald's calls and letters will be immediately put into the pile of documents that are waiting to be dealt with.

   "What do we need to do with this matter? Should I inform the deputy commander?" The secretary came in and saw the letter in Barbara's hand, opened the notebook, and prepared to record the next arrangement.

  Barbara is different from the first lady. She is the person who speaks within this big family. She takes care of many affairs that the deputy commander does not have time to deal with.

"No, don't tell my husband about it yet. His most important thing right now is to prepare for a televised debate with Geraldine Ferraro, the candidate for deputy leader of the Donkey Party. You must not disturb his preparations and his staff with anything. "

  Barbara pressed Ronald's letter.

   The first televised debate of the chief commander did not perform well, and audiences across the United States were looking forward to this round of the deputy commander debate of their husband. If you want to run for election in four years and live in a big house, this debate is the best time. Perhaps voters will realize that it would be nice to have picked another Elephant candidate four years ago.

   At this time, don't bother him with such insignificant things. Barbara put away the letter and instructed the secretary, "Before the debate is over, send me all the business work."

   "Hello, I'm Ronald Lee. I'm calling to ask, have you received the letter I sent to the vice-commander yesterday?"

Ronald didn't receive any feedback at home. He called and asked. The staff at the official residence just said that they had received letters. Since there are too many letters sent by people across the country, the deputy commander will read them all, but will only select some of the responses. , ask him to wait patiently.

   "You can't believe the words of these politicians!" Ronald said angrily. Or in the business field, people in high positions are more calculated. Politicians said a few days ago that they could come if they had any problems, but now they treat themselves as passers-by.

   Ronald was angry and had no choice but to hang out with his old friend Douglas Jr. The two fought at the wrestling club again, then showered with a massage from a personal trainer.

  The two are like after the high school wrestling team, after the fight, they sat together watching TV, drinking and eating meat, and chatting about movie investments.

   "I can't fully count on the projects of big companies. They can invest 15 million to 20 million per movie, but the project is limited by many limitations, and it is very likely to be stranded."

  Ronald drank the whiskey that Douglas Jr. had turned out, "I'm doing okay in breakdancing, except for most of the Coca-Cola and McDonald's stocks, the rest is invested in Daydream Pictures.

  We set up the equipment in Staten Island, and then found some good students in NYU to make some exploitative films by ourselves, and release them through the second round of theatrical release. That way there is at least one way out. "

   "Great, you're finally going to start making your own movies." Little Douglas was delighted, "Do you have any ideas?"

"I was invited by Madonna to direct her MV. I want to start with the MV and commercials, shoot first, train technical talents, and then find a suitable script and director, and then I can start making low-budget movies. This road will sooner or later. Let's go, it's better to open first."

   "The first question is for His Excellency the Deputy Commander", the live broadcast of the second round of the election debate of the Chief Commander came from the TV.

   "These politicians are all liars, don't watch it." Ronald was going to switch to NBC, and it happened to be MiamiVice on the weekend. The actor drove a huge and arrogant Ferrari on the streets of Miami.

  …

   "Honey, how was my performance yesterday?" The deputy commander ended the debate and returned to Washington, D.C., on Air Force Two.

In the mansion, Barbara was waiting for him in the study.

   "You did a great job."

   "Yes, are you satisfied with my answer to the question about that woman's work?"

   "Honey, I only care about that handsome guy on TV."

   "Hahaha..." The deputy commander kissed his wife who had been married for nearly forty years.

"Here is the first thing you need to deal with", Barbara took out a stack of letters and documents, Ronald's letter came first, "Because you are busy with the most important TV debate, I put the other Things have been held up for now. Now that you're done, it's time to help the kids deal with the problem."

   "Okay, let's deal with these issues." The deputy commander took out his glasses and put them on, and began to open the first letter on the desk.

   "The bureaucrats in the Navy are still as good as ever. I'll ask Lyman for this matter." He picked up the phone, "Please pick up the Secretary of the Navy for me."

   (end of this chapter)