Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 833 The Oscar winner

   "What do you mean on the phone? How can I get nominated for an Oscar for Best Director?"

   Ned Tanin refused to disclose the details on the phone, so Ronald had to come to Paramount's president's office to have an interview with him.

  The Oscar nomination for best director is a great temptation for any Hollywood director. Ronald was no exception. After he entered Tanin's office, he asked directly.

   Ronald is confident when it comes to the box office, but he is not confident when it comes to awards.

   "Dirty Dancing" continues to soar at the box office, earning $4.45 million in its fifth week of release and finishing third at the box office, trailing only two new blockbusters.

In second place was 20th Century Fox's "Pick Up," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Molly Ringwald, which opened in more than 1,120 theaters, narrowly surpassing "Dirty Dancing." $100,000, the runner-up.

   And the box office winner was Paramount's new film, "Fatal Attraction" starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. Although it was shown in more than 700 theaters, the box office was as high as 7.6 million U.S. dollars, and the box office of a single theater exceeded 10,000 U.S. dollars, more than twice that of "Dirty Dancing" and "Pick Up Girls".

  The movie reviews for this movie are also very good. Adrian Lane, who worked with Ronald and served as the director of "Lightning Dance", has a lot of experience in shooting this kind of **** film, and he is very smart, always condemning cheaters and marriage destroyers at the end.

  This kind of condemnation is also liked by film critics, saying that Ryan is showing the destructive power of immoral **** to the audience on the screen, warning people who have such thoughts.

  The audience can also use this as an excuse to go to the cinema to watch passionate performances.

   This kind of applause and popularity is exactly what Ronald's works lack.

  If there was an award in Hollywood that was based on the box office of movies, "Dirty Dancing" would undoubtedly be the nominated film. If there is another award that is awarded according to the film's return on investment, then "Dirty Dancing" has a very high probability of winning the award.

   But the Oscar is different. It is voted by members of the American Academy of Film Technology and Art according to the principle of one person, one vote. "Dirty Dancing" does not have a particularly eye-catching performance in terms of director skills and actors' performances. Even if it is to be nominated, it is not an easy task.

Ronald knew this from his experience judging commercially successful films such as "Fame", "Dragon Boy" and "Top Gun", and "Dirty Dancing" could win a best original song The nomination is very remarkable. This award has the most to do with the popularity of the song.

   These three films that Ronald participated in all received good results in this award.

  So, Ronald is self-aware of the film path he has chosen, and next year's Oscars and other awards are just looking forward to a best original song.

   Ned Tanning suddenly said that he could help him get nominated for an Oscar. Ronald didn't quite believe it, but out of respect for Paramount's past award-winning history, he still came to the office to listen to the clever plan in person.

Although the biggest winner of the Oscars in recent years is the mid-sized studio Orion Pictures, which produced and released Oliver Stone's "Platoon" and Woody Allen's "Sister Hannah" last year. Won Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and many other awards.

But Paramount can still make the successful small-budget commercial film "God's Children Fall Out of Favor" and win the best actress by surprise. They are good at making commercially successful films win Oscars at the same time. The route to boosting a film's box office is entirely different.

  Maybe Tanin has another trick that can make "Dirty Dancing" work miracles?

   "Relax, Ronald," Ned Tannin was buoyant and content. Ronald has always been a loner, unwilling to bind a long-term contract with any studio, and now he has finally found his weakness. It turns out that you are not so lofty. You want to win awards if you make movies that are popular, don't you?

"Hahaha, I'm just curious, you can get Dirty Dancing nominated? If you can do it, what will I have to pay?" Ronald realized that he had lost his composure, but since Tanin was willing to ask for a price, compared to It's not nonsense, just spread the word out.

   Did Tanin want him to direct a film for Paramount, or was it something else? You can talk about it.

   "Wait a minute, let's wait for another person." Ned Tanin was not in a hurry, he lit a cigar slowly, then poured a glass of brandy and handed it to Ronald.

   "Come On!" Ronald saw Tanin put on airs, but he was eager to know how to operate Oscar, so he had to sit down, drink and chat with him slowly.

"Then what's the matter with you and Shirley Lansing? I was called by her and scolded me inexplicably." Ronald took a sip from his glass, then groped around on his table, looking See if Tanin still has that expensive-looking cigar in his mouth.

   "Here", Tanin opened the drawer, took out one, cut it for Ronald himself, then struck a special extended poplar match, and lit it for him.

   "Wonderful!" Ronald took a puff, and spit it out without letting the smoke enter his lungs. It is indeed the best Ashton cigar, locally produced in Philadelphia, and a good thing exclusively for American old money.

   "Did you know? She and her partner, Stanley Jaffe, have been eyeing my seat for a long time." Ned Tanin watched the match burn slowly, and then said leisurely.

"Shxt, do they deserve it too? Besides, your performance is so good, you can't get two independent producers to threaten your position?" Ronald squinted, no wonder Tanin wanted to borrow his name , to suppress Lansing's new film.

   "Huh..." Ned Tanin lightly blew out the match. This kind of poplar wood match only has a fragrance when it burns, and it will not pollute the high-quality cigars with the smell of burning kerosene like Zippo lighters, which are low-end products.

   "Actually, I don't want to stay in this position anymore, but I don't want someone like Lansing to take over Paramount after me."

"How do you say that?" Ronald suddenly heard a big gossip, because he filmed "Top Gun" and handed over the transcripts that are no less than Michael Eisner's time, why didn't he do it? up?

   "I heard that you also set up your own production company, Ronald." Tanin shifted the topic to Ronald again.

   "Yes, I am a small company, and all the funds are only enough for the production of a medium-sized film..."

   "But the success of Dirty Dancing, you have more than this capital." Tanin interrupted Ronald's fake polite. Who in Hollywood now doesn't know that Ronald has already made a fortune, and this kid is very loyal to the main creative staff, which caused a sensation among the artists.

   "I mean, who do you think is more enjoyable for me as the president of Paramount than for you as the owner of a small studio?"

   "This..." Ronald stopped and thought for a while, and he understood what Ned Tanin meant.

  Different from his predecessor Michael Eisner, Ned Tanin's succession is not a popular choice, but a compromise between several candidates. This has caused him to have many uneven hills inside Paramount. He does more balanced work. It is estimated that independent production companies like Shirley Lansing that have signed a long-term distribution contract with Paramount are not very respectful in front of him.

"But, after all, he is the president of Paramount." Ronald still spoke his mind. After decades of standing in Hollywood, the prestigious president of Paramount is better than his own small production company. .

   "Do you know that Frank Price, the president of Columbia who promoted you back then, resigned twice from the president positions of Columbia and Universal, how much severance pay did he get?"

"what?"

   "And if we are in our position, we can also sign a long-term distribution contract with the company. We will establish a small production company ourselves, and the films we shoot can have limited distribution rights."

"It's not bad if you say so." Ronald took another sip of his cigar. This kind of golden parachute for the resigning president comes with a large amount of severance pay, plus investment in their personal production company, plus the priority of future movies. distribution rights. In fact, in the final analysis, it is all to keep their mouths shut and prevent them from revealing all kinds of dirty deals during their tenure.

"Do you think this is a good place to sit? More and more presidents of film companies are occupied by people from TV stations. I am taking advantage of the box office of the few films you helped to film and produce..." Ned Tanin said half of it, and Ronald must understand the following words.

Twentieth Century Fox was taken over by an executive from the original ABC TV station. Ned Tanning took advantage of the big sales of "Top Gun" and other movies to get the golden parachute he had dreamed of and leave. Sitting on the top was exactly his dream when he was in power, a wise choice.

  The position of president of a film company is becoming less and less attractive now. Everyone just wants to work for two or three years, make a blockbuster movie, and then retire immediately with severance pay and enjoy life.

"Then what do you mean by coming to me? What can I do for your retirement arrangements? Also, who are we waiting for?" Ronald felt that Tanin must have wanted to help himself when he confided his thoughts. Take a look at his retirement arrangements in exchange for an Oscar nomination for himself.

   "These two things are actually one thing." Tanin laughed, and then began to talk about romantic things.

"Tuk-tuk..." The knock on the door interrupted the fruitless conversation between Ronald and Ned Tanin. A tall and handsome guy walked in. He had a well-tailored suit, long hair and a beard. The charm of a movie actor.

   "Sid, you know Ronald." Tanin sat and nodded to the people coming, and then turned to Ronald, "Ronald, this is Sid Ganesh, the director of marketing and public relations at Paramount."

"I have known you for a long time, Director Ronald. It is an honor to meet you." Sid Gannis is personable. As a senior management talent in charge of marketing and public relations, he is really suitable for the film industry. If no one introduces you, everyone Most people would think he was an actor.

   “Sid was in charge of the entire marketing of Top Gun, and he was in charge of the first two Indiana Jones releases, which was impressive.

   In addition, he is also responsible for the entire Paramount awards public relations, "Children of God who fell out of favor" is his pen." Ned Tannin smiled and introduced Ganesh's achievements to Ronald.

   Unlike Ronald, everyone in the industry knows that his movies are blockbusters. Sid Ganesh's ability is only known in a small circle.

   "The honor belongs to me", Ronald stood up and shook hands with him specially. He pulled out the chair and invited Gannis to sit down. Ronald also took a special look at Tanin who was sitting behind the desk. Obviously, it was a special arrangement to invite this award-winning general to come over today.

   "The youngest actress in history? Huh? Impressive." Ronald turned his head and expressed his affection to Gannis. Today, it seems that he can hear what the award-winning experts have to say.

"Ronald is a very good director, but the critics don't like him very much. He wants to cooperate with us at Paramount. The next film will focus more on the artistry. So I came to you and explained to him that Paramount The Oscars operation." Tanin said to Sid Ganesh, and then played a trick on Ronald.

   "Actually, the current movie directed by Ronald has great potential for winning awards." When Sid Gannis heard that he was trying to get Ronald to come to Paramount, he immediately became interested.

   "I brought both ears, Mr. Gannis." Ronald looked at Gannis with interest. "Is it still too late to operate Dirty Dancing?"

   "Your new film 'Moonlight', which has not yet been released, is actually more in line with Oscar's taste, as long as the distributor is MGM..." Sid Ganesh paused.

"Ronald is one of our own. You can tell him how we gave the new film 'Fatal Attraction' a public relations award." Ned Tanin's favorite is this hand-picked confidant Sid Gump. Nice, take over the position of president, so that his retirement benefits can be guaranteed.

  And Ronald was his biggest support during Paramount. After he left, Gannis also needed such a commercial talent to help him achieve good results. Now is the time for them to get to know each other.

   "Fatal Attraction", Sid Ganesh smiled, this movie is a new work by the production company of Stanley Jaffe and Shirley Lansing, and it has good box office potential. The heroine, Glenn Close, plays a perverted woman who has an extramarital affair with Michael Douglas and tortures their family if the forced marriage fails. It is hoped to hit the Oscar queen.

   "Let me talk about our operation of this kind of film with award-winning potential. Director Ronald can learn about our influence in the film critic circle, technology and art academy."

   Gannis began to talk about his standard award-winning operation. In fact, it is impossible for him to go all out for the awards for the people of Jaffe Lansing Production Company, who is competing for the next president, but he just took this opportunity to hint how Ronald could talk to MGM and help him go for the awards.

   "First of all, your film needs to have the strength to be recognized by industry associations."

  Gannis began to tell the mystery of public relations for the Oscars.

   To be eligible for nomination, the film must first be screened in more than 10 theaters in America for at least two weeks before the end of 1987.

  Secondly, the nomination is voted by the industry union where the award is located, together with senior film critics. For example, nominations for the director award are selected by the directors union. Nominations for the Actor Award are chosen by the Screen Actors Union. Best cinematography, best screenplay, that's all.

   Therefore, before the nominations are announced early next year, awards from many important film critics associations in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and their unions will be announced one after another. These trade union awards and Film Critics Association awards are the vane of nominations. Because in essence, they are selected by a group of people.

  After the nominations are selected, winning depends on luck. Because when it comes to the award-winning stage, all members with voting rights of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Technology will be selected by a unified vote.

   That is to say, everyone, whether they are actors, photographers, screenwriters, or directors, as long as they have voting rights, they can vote for all awards and finally decide the winners.

In the 69th Oscar this year, the reason why Paramount's "Children of God Fall Out of Favor" was able to make the heroine Mary Matlin the youngest actress in history is because Sid Ganesh, through Public relations operations are hyping her status as a deaf-mute.

Finally, in the group of actors with the most votes, a consensus was achieved, defeating the outstanding former and actress Jane Fonda, Sissy Spacek, and the nominees Katherine Turner and Sigourney Weaver Waiting for others, the first nomination won the title of the youngest actress.

   As for actor Paul Newman, it is because his acting skills have been recognized by the industry and the audience over the years, but he has never won the championship, and he has won many sympathy votes, and he got what he wanted.

   "So, the most important thing is how the actors feel about you." Finally, Sid Ganesh summed up his own operation ideas.

Ronald secretly wrote down the key points. This is all a matter of experience. How to deal with the Film Critics Association, how to transfer benefits secretly, reasonably and legally, and how to make those old judges have a better impression of him, many of them are The untold secret of a major film company.

  If you have the numbers, at least you won’t be cheated by the cooperative publishers in the future. At least this time MGM will have an idea of ​​how much resources MGM will invest in helping "Moonlight" win an award next year.

   "Thanks, Sid. I think Ronald has seen enough of what Paramount is capable of, and he'll take him into consideration, who to work with for the next movie."

   "Thank you, Mr. Gannis."

   The two sent Sid Ganes away tacitly, and then smiled at each other.

Ned Tanin is unwilling to be the owner of a semi-independent production company under Paramount, and Jaffe and Lansing are candidates for succession, so he uses Gannis to wake up Ronald and try his best to win next year's Oscar , can't let the "Fatal Attraction", which has become popular recently, become a bargaining chip for those two people to succeed in the awards.

  And Ronald passed Gannis' introduction and learned the key points of Oscar's public relations. In addition, Sid Gannis himself is also a strong contender for Paramount's next president. This kind of interest entanglement, as long as Gannis knows how to do it, seems to weaken the public relations in the "fatal attraction"...

  Superimposed on both sides, Ronald's "moonlight sultry", it seems that the opportunity is really good.

   "I hope your film will be loved by academy members and film critics." Tanin sent his sincere wishes to Ronald.

   "Thank you", Ronald accepted his kindness, and as his **** to weaken the strength of Jaffe Lansing Production Company, he actually benefited.

   "Besides, it's purely out of curiosity." Ronald got up to leave, and then pretended to be casual and asked about the "Robbery of Ewha", "What do you think about the casting of female victims?"

  Anyway, I see Shirley Lansing unhappy, let's see what Ned thinks here to suppress her, and help Jodie Foster and Kelly McGillis fulfill their wishes by the way.

   "You really don't want to direct that movie?" Tanin confirmed Ronald's wishes.

  “Actually, I’m preparing an action movie. I have no interest in this kind of movie for the time being. The script makes me physically uncomfortable.”

   "Well, you know Lansing's character." Ned Tanin nodded in agreement.

  In this male-dominated industry, a woman like Shirley Lansing has to be tougher than men in everything to be successful.

   Ned has been confronted several times by Lansing. This former actress, who had played opposite John Wayne for more than ten minutes, always likes to argue with the qualifications of an expert. Her theories are all heard from other directors or producers, and they are often absurd.

   It is not a good thing for such a person to be in power, to guarantee his own interests. After retirement, if Lansing became the president, she would in turn question the film project. Ned Tanin must try not to let this happen.

Therefore, the "Fatal Attraction" led by Lansing and his partner Jaffe, it is best not to win too many Oscars, especially the five most valuable awards: Best Director, Best Picture, and Best Actress, Best Actor, and Best Screenplay.

"Molly Ringwald, her new hairstyle, she made it with $2,000, and now all high school girls want to be her." Ned Tanin was a little worried that Lansing wanted to use Ringwald , this girl is still the hottest pop icon right now. Although the box office of the new film "Picking Girls Expert" is average, her personal acting skills are still praised by film critics.

  More film critics mainly criticize the performance of the leading actor Robert Downey Jr. He has no chemical reaction with Ringwald in the romantic comedy.

With this kind of idol starring in "The Robbery of Pear Blossom", whether it is the box office growth brought by it or the critics' pursuit of Molly Ringwald in the transformational role, the film will have a head start at the box office and reviews .

"Your candidate Jodie Foster is obviously better. After all, she is a mature woman. Ringwald in the pick-up expert is obviously not convincing enough to play a mature woman." Ned Tanning said that he Can support Ronald's candidates.

   "But the production rights are in Lansing's hands. She called me yesterday very rudely." Ronald shrugged.

   "Yeah, I can't stand her either, I have to find a way."

   "By the way, you just said that Ringwald is still the idol of high school students? How old is she this year?"

   Ronald suddenly found a blind spot.

  "Let me take a look." Tanin dug out the folder of "Robbery of Pear Blossoms" from the desk drawer, and found Molly Ringwald's audition resume, "She was born in 1968 and is not yet 20 years old."

   "You know what? It's completely irrelevant to this matter, but I remembered something from the past." Ronald touched his chin.

   "Oh? What's interesting?" Ned Tanin answered jokingly.

"When Tom Cruise became famous in 'Crazy Boys', he originally wanted to find Diane Lane as the heroine. At that time, I was on the crew of Coppola's 'Outside the World'. I saw it with my own eyes. Tom Diane invited."

   "Then what happened later? Why was it replaced by Rebecca Demorny?" Now Tanin was really interested.

   "Diane's father said he would never let his daughter play a call girl. At that time, Diane was under twenty, so..."

   "Ah, to say something completely irrelevant... It's really a pity. Diane Lane should have deserved a better career." Ned Tanin smiled wickedly, and shook hands with Ronald to say goodbye.

  …

"Molly Ringwald announced her withdrawal from the casting of 'Rob of Ewha' before filming started. Her mother claimed that this decision was her daughter's own immature decision. After they saw the complete script, the cast would not let her daughter Playing a victim of aggression, especially if the script has more violence than usual..."

  In the evening of the next day, Ronald saw the news of the actor change of "Robbery of Pear Blossom" on the gossip page of "Hollywood Reporter".

   Ned Tanin is still so fast...

   Hahaha, Ronald wanted to laugh out loud. Ms. Lansing, if I actually interfered with the casting, it wouldn't be that way.

   "Ronald, Ronald, you are God! I came to you to fulfill my promise, uh... uh..."

  In the evening, Jodie Foster called, with a slightly magnetic voice. She had just received a call from Lansing, directly making her a candidate for the heroine.

  Excited Jodie Foster threw away the GRE test materials in her hand, rushed into the bathroom and began to dress up.

"Where are you going? You already know you've been chosen?" Kelly McGillis entered the room and was about to tell Foster the good news, when he suddenly found that Foster had painted the bewitching eyeshadow and was wearing a Dressed as an office girl, with black stockings and high heels, she exudes a strong **** charm and is about to go out.

   "Hey, I have to thank the biggest hero."

"Ha...", McGillis is also wearing a light gray office girl coat, with neat pants underneath, and her long hair is made into big waves again, with red lipstick. This is what she did for the lawyer image of the district attorney Prepare.

   "Ronald? Just ask him to come over."

   McGillis lay lazily on the sofa in the living room, took off the phone, and played the speed dial number, "Hey, Ronald, there are two ladies feeling hot here, can you come to put out the fire?"

  (end of this chapter)