Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 788 Fake Ending and Ending Cookies

   "By the way, Chris, what did you just say, there was a problem with the editing?"

   Putting down the phone, Ronald asked the guest Chris Columbus.

  Columbus has wrapped up his shooting schedule in Toronto, Canada, and has also returned to Los Angeles to start editing.

   When he was a director for the first time, he did not follow Ronald's advice and took a few weeks off, for fear that he would not work hard enough.

   In fact, taking a vacation is beneficial. It can make the director forget the details of the shooting, so that when editing, he can have a more objective perspective on each shot.

   Editing and directing have inherently different ideas. When a director sees a shot, he may remember how difficult it was to shoot and how many shots were taken to get a satisfactory shot.

   And the editor regards all shots as equals, and sometimes the shot that was shot unintentionally is the most suitable for use in a certain place.

   So it is no surprise that Columbus did not go through the process of forgetting on vacation. He fell into a thinking trap when editing, and quarreled with the editor for a week or two before he found the feeling of editing.

  After adjusting from the director's way of thinking, Chris Columbus discovered a big problem that had to be solved by Ronald nodding. So he rushed to Ronald.

   "I missed a few shots."

"what?"

   Ronald shouted.

   This is a low-level error, how could this happen?

   “Our shoot in Toronto was going well, but in Chicago we only applied for a full day of access to the skyscraper. At 11pm, the Screen Actors Guild reps forced me to end the shoot.

  The shooting plan was too late to complete, and there was an important villain's ending that was not well explained. I just snapped an ending before the filming time was over.

   But Disney's production director did not agree to make up the next day. I thought there would be no problem with the ending, but the editing effect is not good, and there are splits everywhere. "

   "Uh..." After listening to the details of what Columbus said, Ronald said in his heart that it was the "credit" of the Screen Actors Guild.

For every extra day of filming, you have to pay for an extra day of work and venue rent. Disney is a poor studio. Under Eisner, he was more concerned about the cost of the film and would not agree to an extra day of filming. In particular, this shot has only a few shots, but has to pay an extra day's rent for the skyscraper exterior.

   If it wasn't for the Actors Guild's 11:00 p.m. time, no minors would be allowed to shoot after that. Originally, this plot worked overtime, and the filming would have been finished on the same day.

   "What did Disney say?"

   "They said they wouldn't pay for reshoots..."

   "I'll go to the editing room with you tomorrow."

   Ronald said in his heart, this is a waste of money, and I don't want to pay.

  …

  This is where the nanny Chris Parker rescued the girl Sarah from the outer wall of the high-rise building by ropes.

  The bad guy who chased here and wanted to kidnap the girl Sarah, no one pulled him in the end, he was helpless on the steep glass outer wall, and finally he was left there abruptly.

   The next day, Columbus pointed to Ronald the screen on the monitor.

That's where the    editing difficulty comes from, an ending the writers have arranged for the bad guy, who is stuck on the narrow outer edge of the glass facade. One step forward and he fell off a skyscraper, and no one came back to help.

   The audience is really relieved when they see this.

   But on the other hand, this is a side story. To achieve this effect of letting the audience relieve their hatred, there must be some foreshadowing in front.

  Otherwise the nanny Chris Parker, who has rescued all the children, will send the children back to their rooms to sleep a few minutes before the adults come home, and then take the magazine and make it look like nothing happened tonight.

   The ending of this villain cannot be directly inserted after the main ending. Otherwise the audience will somehow not be able to connect.

   "What do you want to make up for?" Ronald also felt that it was really difficult to do.

   "I wanted to add some shots of him struggling on the outer wall of a skyscraper, and his accomplices came to rescue him. In the end, there was no way, so I had to call the police. Good people rescued him and caught the thief by the way."

   "Well, that's a good idea."

   Ronald nodded.

   "Nanny Adventures" was originally a light comedy, plus adventures, and the heroine's love story. This arrangement is actually very suitable for the atmosphere of the whole film.

   "But it's going to cost a lot to make reshoots like this. The cast and crew have to be recalled. They've been on vacation for several weeks, and it's even less likely that Disney will pay."

   "So what?" Columbus knew that there was no hope for reshoots.

   "Using existing footage, figure out how to cut it together."

  "This...", Chris Columbus adjusted his glasses, "I've been thinking a lot these days, but it's impossible for the audience to cut the ending of the main villain smoothly without the drama."

   "It now seems that we just need to cut off all his ending scene." Columbus also felt that as long as the two evils are the lesser of two evils, the bad guy's ending will be cut off altogether. In this way, the audience may not notice that after the protagonist escaped with the child in the movie, there is still a big villain's ending that has not been explained.

   "Ordinarily, it can be obtained. The commercial film is an emotional ups and downs, and there are some flaws in the plot that the audience will not notice."

  Ronald also felt that this was the only way to do it, "But you will be a little bigger next time. That rescue scene outside the skyscraper is too close to the end, and maybe many viewers will remember it.

   And this kind of bridge section of chasing on the outer wall of a skyscraper and finally using a rope to escape, the audience in America has not seen much, and it must be very novel and beautiful. You have a very thrilling feeling to shoot again. If you have enough budget, you should actually shoot more. "

  Ronald sighed again, Columbus's director level was academic, and he was very disciplined. But sometimes, the director needs some street smarts, and at the critical moment, he has to dare to show the spirit of self-respect.

  The camera was filmed at the time, and at most I was fined by the Actors Guild, but the camera was already available.

   "Let me ask the experts for you." Finally, Ronald thought about it, and asked the masters of editing and directing to ask them how to deal with this situation.

  …

"Is that so? My suggestion is not to cut this shot into the movie. The audience's thinking and attention follow the path carefully arranged by the director. Rushing in a jumping shot will destroy the audience's thinking, and the gain will outweigh the loss. ."

   Sure enough, Walter Murch didn't support the idea of ​​cutting the ending in.

   "But a main villain left a tail in the climactic scene before the ending. If you don't explain it, will there be problems?"

   "A lot of times, you can't have both, Ronald. It's not a problem that can be solved at the editing stage. Unless you reshoot some shots, it's better to just cut them out, unless..."

   "Unless what?"

   "Unless you have the writing ability of Billy Wilder to unexpectedly reverse at the end."

   "Is that so? Then I'll ask him to go."

   Ronald has seen many old films directed by Wilder, and he knows that this emigrant director with a heavy Eastern European accent has an iconic directorial characteristic, that is, there are unexpected reversals and false endings at the end.

   The ending had already come naturally, but with his skillful training, he was able to add a new ending after the ending. After the audience is satisfied, there is another aftertaste.

   This is his unique stunt, and few people can imitate it in Hollywood after that.

   Makes an appointment with Billy Wilder on the phone, and Ronald comes to visit with a converted videotape.

   "That's the situation, I don't have the money to reshoot the footage, and Disney can't get extra production funding. But the ending of the main villain, we have to find a way to add it.

  I've seen a lot of your classics and thought if anyone in Hollywood could help us with this, it would be you. "

  Billy Wilder put on his reading glasses and watched the tape Ronald brought on TV several times. He swayed back and forth in the rocking chair.

   Chris Columbus, who came with Ronald, was much more nervous than Ronald. He was also wearing glasses, and nervously wiped with the lens cloth again and again.

  My debut novel, I would have been able to get the personal instruction of the masters I admire and admire in the university. If it wasn't for Ronald, I would never have imagined it.

   "Are you trying to make a fake ending? This is indeed a stand-up to please the critics and awards." Billy Wilder couldn't see the all-powerful look back then, like a kind old neighbor from a neighbor's house.

   "If the big studio system was still there, you wouldn't have to worry about such a thing at all. Those actors and technicians are long-term employees of the studio, and it is very simple for them to come back and make some shots."

  Billy Wilder recalled his feat when he filmed "Peachy Apartment". The heroine Shirley MacLean learned to gamble with several actors from the Rat Gang. She finally demonstrated the superb skills of dealing cards to everyone on the set, and then said something classic gamblers often say, "Shut up and deal the cards. .(ShutupandDeal)”

   Wilder thought it was very good, so he asked the studio to recall the set, rebuild the bedroom set that had been dismantled, and let Shirley MacLean make up the scene, which finally became the ending scene of the peach-colored apartment.

   But such a false ending, coupled with the aftertaste technique, still needs to be paved with.

   "That's it, Ronald, Chris. The technique of switching to the real ending after the false ending, between the two endings, requires a reversal scene to pave the way.

   The audience's emotions are lifted to a climax by the fake ending, and suddenly switching to the real ending will make them emotionally ride on a roller coaster twice, which is not a good idea.

   So you need to set up a slow-paced scene between the two endings, in which the protagonist's success seems less successful, and he paid a huge price for this ending. Just when the audience felt sorry, let the real ending come in.

  The original regret is made up by the real ending, which is like giving people two climaxes, and finally can transfer to the third ending to give people a lingering rhyme.

   This shot of you is like the end of the third aftermath.

  It's like in "Peachy Apartment" where Shirley MacLean went back and forth after the fake ending, saw Jack Lemmon popping champagne at home, thought he shot himself. After this real ending, the two officially confirmed their relationship while playing cards. This is the correct use of this shot. "

"Yeah, just like Marlene Dietrich in 'Witness for the Prosecution', who saw her husband and lover walk out of the courtroom and finally stabbed to death the murderer who was finally rescued in court. Charles Laughton The lawyer finally said that he would give Deidley another defense."

   Chris Columbus is excited, the opportunity to teach by the master himself is hard.

   Ronald almost laughed when he saw it. Columbus was really an academic. Seeing the real knowledge ahead, he could forget his own problems.

  It was Ronald, who was at the bottom of the crew, and when he heard Wilder say that, he knew there was no drama.

   This multiple ending must have a relief after the fake ending, so that the audience's psychological rhythm can also be put down. The current material can't be cut at all.

   It seems that Billy Wilder's trick is the result of careful arrangements after thorough consideration, not a flash of inspiration. "The Nanny's Adventures" still had to cut the villain's ending.

   "Hey, no, he just wants a soothing rhythm, not necessarily the plot to soothe it."

   Ronald had an epiphany:

   "Mr. Wilder, Chris, how about I put the villain's finale after the end credits?"

   "Behind the end credits?"

Billy Wilder adjusted his glasses and said, "This is a practice in TV dramas before, and no one has ever done it in a movie. It should be feasible in theory, after the audience passes the end credits and kills some emotions in the ending. , you can insert the ending of this lingering rhyme."

"Yes, at the end of the heroine, the nanny Chris Parker was pursued by a handsome college student. The audience's excitement for the nanny's love was diluted with more than a minute of subtitles. It is indeed suitable to join this villain ending. They will smile again."

   "It's just that many viewers can't wait for the subtitles to end. This is not a TV series, and many people leave after seeing the subtitles." Wilder has a deep understanding of the audience's psychology.

   "That's it, there's no better way."

   Ronald felt that doing so was already the optimal solution under the existing conditions.

   "At that time, you can also make a stunt in the publicity. To watch the whole movie, you must read the subtitles."

"It makes sense," Chris Columbus was excited again, "just like Mr. Wilder's prosecution witness, in the final subtitle, there is a subtitle asking the audience not to spoil the ending to their friends, although this does not prevent this from happening. This is a spoiler, but it has caused some discussions and indirectly let more people watch the movie.

Right? Mr Wilder. "

   "Actually, I wanted the audience to avoid spoilers, but the result didn't work out, and instead let more people know the ending. It's a good thing for the box office, but it's not in the habit of appreciating movies."

  …

   "What a great idea! It's like giving the audience another cookie after the end credits."

  Disney's marketing manager was also very happy to see such an editing method. Disney is not going to spend too much money on the promotion of "Nanny Adventures", there is a gimmick for the audience to spread, and it is a very good box office accelerator.

   "End credit cookies? That's a good name, good, so let's do it"

  Ronald is happy to have solved the film's problems, and maybe a little more at the box office.

  He went back to his editing room.

   The whole film of "Moonlight is sultry" has almost been edited.

   "I'm still not involved in the final assembly work."

   After such an episode, Ronald also has some new views on the assembly of his own film.

  Directors always tend to keep the shots that they worked so hard to get. Only editors can look at the whole film with an objective attitude, and consider which shots should be removed from the rhythm, even if they took a lot of hard work to shoot.

   And Walter Murch is a connoisseur, give him the movie and it won't go wrong.

"Also, you wait for me to finish the editing and then watch the finished film, the effect is better." Walter Murch also thinks it is better. He has fully understood the content and rhythm that Ronald wants to express, and finally controls the overall control. When the time comes, it is better to decide the effect of one person alone than to discuss it with two people.

   Ronald lets Murch work out the final rhythm problem.

   He took time out himself to go to Tom Cruise to talk about the script he wanted to direct.

  Scientology's Technology Center, in the Guarantee Building at Hollywood Reach.

   When Ronald arrived here, he felt as if he had entered a physics laboratory for middle school students. Many people walked around with auditing instruments like multimeters.

   Ronald greeted the beauty at the front desk and went to the reception room, where Tom Cruise was listening to the tape.

   "Ronald, you came just in time. This is the script I mentioned. Mr. Ovitz strongly recommended it. He said that if I acted, there is a good chance of being nominated for an Oscar."

   Cruise saw Ronald come in, and quickly got up and handed him the script. He also put down his headphones with the script tape recorded by Mimi Rogers for him.

   "RainMan?"

  Ronald thought the name was a good one, it was catchy when he heard it, and it also made people curious to know what Rain Man was.

   Of course, Ronald knew. He had heard of the script, and Rain Man was actually a name for the mentally retarded protagonist.

   His name is "Rayman", because of his slight mental retardation and inaccurate pronunciation, he became "RainMan".

"Hey, Ronald, you're here." Mimi Rogers came in from outside at this time, "This is a script recommended by Mr. Ovitz, and it was originally intended for Dennis Quaid and his brother Randy to play together. Brothers in the script.

   Later, Mr. Ovitz believed that the script had the potential to win the Oscar, so he urged CAA clients Dustin Hoffman and Bill Murray to star. He knew that Tom didn't get a nomination for "The Color of Money" at the Oscars this time, and he was specially invited to participate. "

   "It's great that you brothers make it together, if you want."

  Mimi Rogers talked about the process of getting the script to Tom Cruise.

   "I have to read it several times before I can give you an answer." Ronald nodded and accepted the script.

"Would you like to visit the Scientology Technology Center, there is an upgraded version of our teachings, we don't show it to ordinary people, it must be audited to a certain level, but Ronald, you have Confucius Educational literacy, our president David Miskevich promised to make an exception to show you."

   "Uh, I won't watch it. Let's read the script first." Ronald rejected Mimi Rogers' enthusiastic solicitation.

   "Sorry, Ronald doesn't have any interest in this. I want to accompany Tom too." Mimi went back and reported the situation to President David Miskevich.

   "You stay with Tom, I have prepared an actress for him to guide him."

  …

   Ronald went to CAA with the script.

   He took the script and asked Nisita, "Isn't this book prepared last year? Why is it still in the preparation stage, and the stars have changed several times."

   "Rain Man is Ovitz's leading project, I can't participate", Nisita shrugged, "Tom Cruise got it recently, and Bill Murray before him hesitated for a long time and refused.

  It is Dustin Hoffman, who has not had a successful movie after My Fair Lady, and now he needs this movie to turn around so that he can continue to receive a salary of 5 million US dollars. "

  Nisita gave a brief introduction to the general situation. This movie is very interesting. Many stars fell in love with the script as soon as they saw it, but after a long time, they began to shrink back. So did the original Dennis Quaid brothers.

   "Oh?", Ronald is more curious about this script, is it so magical?

   "By the way, who was the director candidate before? It's impossible for Ovitz to only look for stars and not directors, right?"

   "Steven Spielberg, and Sidney Pollack were serious preparations, but after a while, they both quit."

   "Oh?" Ronald was even more curious. These two are heavyweight directors. Spielberg did not say that Sidney Pollack won the best director for "Out of Africa" ​​the year before.

but…

   "It seems that Ovitz still put me in a lower-level movie director position?" Ronald said half-jokingly, "Or are they all Jewish?"

   "Half and half, you have a look first, if you are interested, I will arrange a meeting between you and Ovitz." Nisita also laughed. This observation is accurate, both directors, along with Dustin Hoffman, are Jewish.

   If they hadn't given up, it wouldn't have been the next turn for Ronald and Cruise.

   "Okay, I'll go back and have a look first."

  Ronald doesn't know if this movie is worth directing by himself, so go back on vacation to relax, and try to dream of a finished film as a reference.

   (end of this chapter)