Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 929 Gather talents at the packing party

   "My God, is your trailer free enough?"

Ronald took Polly Pratt, the production manager from Fox, and got into Melanie's trailer to talk to him. When they entered the door, they felt a sour smell, and they all frowned. , looking around for the source of the flavor.

  Looking around, Ronald realized that the woman's trailer was really dirty. It seems that no one has tidied it up for a month, and there are all kinds of garbage in it.

"Sorry, I've been focusing on movies recently, so here..." Melanie and the manager hurriedly cleaned up the table and sofa, and put all the takeaways, vegetable salad boxes, empty Coke bottles, etc. Trash is thrown in the trash bags and sorted out to make a place to sit.

   Ronald pretended not to see the two empty whiskey bottles that Melanie secretly hid. Melanie did not delay the filming afterwards, her private life is undergoing a sudden change, anyway, it is good not to delay the filming.

   "Listen, Melanie. You're great in the movie, but we know how good you can be when you're addicted to alcohol and drugs."

Ronald glanced at Melanie, wondering if her current shame came from acting, and continued, "I told you, the production company deducted 100,000 dollars from your salary for reshoots. But after Your performance satisfied Fox once again, and Mr. Goldberg was also amazed at the dailies you sent later, they decided to treat you better, and the cost of reshooting the wedding scene was paid by the crew’s funds.”

   "Oh...I...thanks..." Melanie Griffiths is not a successful actress, $100,000 is a lot of money for her.

   "This is a check," Ronald signaled to the production manager, and the other party handed over a check, which was issued in the name of a bonus. Melanie's manager took over, and she too was happy for the client.

   "In addition, I have already booked the best rehabilitation center in Los Angeles for you, and there is a four-week short-term treatment course waiting for you."

   "Ronald..." Melanie Griffiths didn't expect that Ronald would send her to a rehabilitation center, which stunned her. I heard that this kind of place is not very good, similar to a mental hospital.

   "Don't worry, it's a great place, you've got someone to look after you there, it's the most upscale place, and I've had actor and producer friends from the past too... I can't name names... Went there and got sober.

  Life there is very comfortable, like living in a service apartment for a month, except that there are no excitement and parties every night, and you can even treat it as a vacation there. There are also many Hollywood celebrities going there, you will know when you arrive.

  I have already paid the fee for you. If you want to go, just call them. "

Before she could answer, Ronald looked at Griffith's manager, Phyllis Carlyle, "I just think Melanie is a talented actress, and she might have a career, if you care about her If so, help me persuade her to clean up her body thoroughly. After all, actors' bodies are their most important props. An addicted actor only has about five years to create characters..."

  Phyllis and Melanie whispered a few words, she was persuaded and agreed to go to the rehabilitation center.

   Melanie Griffiths, who was taken to a California reservation by her mother to live with wild animals when she was young, has rarely been cared for like this.

With the exception of her ex-husband, Miami Vice star Don Johnson, who took advantage of her and lived with her when she was very young, there are no men in Hollywood who just want to take advantage of her without being responsible... let alone Some people don't even want to take advantage of it.

  Melanie felt the warmth of being cared for, and she didn't know how to express it, so she turned her head away from Ronald.

   Ronald handed over the contact information of the rehabilitation center to the manager, and he and Polly Platt left the trailer that looked like a trash can. He let out a sigh of relief, the smell inside was like vomit.

   "It seems that you value her very much? I rarely see directors fighting for actors like this, especially when she almost broke your business." Polly asked Ronald.

"Actors today are not like the big studios in the past. Some people create images for them, choose suitable roles for them, and even customize scripts for them. Some are just agents who only look at the salary and their own income. Actresses rarely have Long-term planning, I don't want her to have to accept those bad movies for money in the future.

  So I am quite generous to the actors of my films. With money, they will not only consider the salary, but not the long-term consideration when choosing a film. "

Ronald is good to the actors. Dirty Dancing also gave the protagonists extra dividends. The heroine Jennifer Gray can afford all kinds of expensive clothes and jewelry in a short period of time, and she has time to choose the script slowly. .

"You have the style of an old-fashioned gentleman, you remind me of Roger (Coleman, Polly Pratt faintly heard Melanie's suspected whimper in the trailer, and she looked at Rona De, I like the principles of this young man's work.

"My ex-husband, Peter (Bogdanovich), abandoned me and the kids for Sybill Shepard, and I was home alone with no new job, and almost didn't make it through. Kind of abandoned woman, not very sympathetic..."

   Polly Pratt talked about the past, and she is also very touched today. Not only did Hollywood not sympathize with her, but some people felt that she was negligent in dressing up and did not know how to please her husband Peter, and she deserved it for being robbed of her husband by Sybil.

"We have so many friends, only Roger (Coleman) called me and asked me to go to his company to work at any time. Although the salary is not much, he is the only one who gives me a job and is willing to pay me. The only one who doesn't make fun of me, for whom I am forever grateful."

   "Hahaha, I have been to Huaguo. There is a saying in the people there that a true friend will pay you for heating fuel when you are cold."

"Your business ability is also very similar to his. For big projects funded by others, you try to achieve artistic perfection as much as possible. For projects funded by yourself, you only make low-cost movies. Of course Roger does not have your artistic ability. , he just imports some good foreign art films."

   "Hahaha..." Ronald laughed. He was indeed a bit like Roger Coleman. For movies that he paid for himself, not losing money is the top priority.

  "Then would you agree to come to Daydream to help me? I don't just want to make low-budget films, it's just that reliable producers are hard to find. Most people just want to empty the shooting budget and put it in their own pockets.

  And a responsible manager with a financial background, but he doesn't have the artistic taste required for filming. "

  Ronald took the opportunity to propose an invitation to Polly Pratt. After working with her for a few weeks, Polly is experienced and has the ability to control the quality of the film. She is the best candidate for the producer.

   "Come to me after you get a good script. It's too cheap. I won't accept a project as cheap as 'hairspray'... Hahaha."

  Ronald took Polly to the World Trade Center. This time, everyone filmed a lot of scenes in the World Trade Center, but they didn't have the chance to go to the revolving restaurant in the sky or the high-end club. After filming and packing, Ronald took this opportunity to let the staff come up to enjoy the treatment of Wall Street elites.

  Kevin Wade, original screenwriter. And Cameron Crowe, the screenwriter who modified the ghostwriting later, because the filming ended and the ban of the screenwriters union was no longer in effect, Ronald sent a car to pick him up and went to the high-level restaurant.

  There are several restaurants here, one of which specializes in high-end dinners. Ronald took advantage of the noon to book out the restaurant and made a relatively cheap buffet lunch. He also brought a lot of fragrant cakes and red wine to make the hard-working employees happy.

   After eating and drinking, Ronald drove the bus again, and pulled people to the previous top card in New York, Club 54. Since disco has become less popular here, and the boss has been sent to prison by Rudy, the trusted attorney general of New York, on charges of tax evasion, suspected of selling alcohol without a license, and money laundering, there have not been as many people coming here as before.

  Most of the high-society stars went to a batch of small-scale, less conspicuous clubs newly opened in Midtown. But the fame is still there, and there are remnants of the extravagant moments of the past, much to the delight of the crew at the party.

  Ronald didn't like a messy environment, so he entered the private room with the two screenwriters. He felt that Kevin Wade and Cameron Crowe were both screenwriting talents, and he just tried to recruit them.

  Kevin Wade is a fledgling film screenwriter, and a big director expressed his appreciation, and he was very happy from ear to ear. He said that as long as Ronald is called, he will give priority to cooperating with him.

  Ronald heard that the other party was very happy that the first film became a big production. Maybe he misunderstood that this is the norm in Hollywood, and he might not like the projects that are not the top seven. But it's also good to want to cooperate.

  As for Cameron Crowe, it is much more realistic. He's been through the ups and downs and knows how rare the opportunity is. Ronald's small production here asked him to revise the script, and he was very willing.

  However, Crowe became interested in film directors after this revision of the play. He really wants to try to direct a movie by himself, to make up for the regret of failing to be a TV drama director before.

   "Since you want to be a director, I will pay attention to giving you a chance. In this way, you will work with me tomorrow. As a director, you must be familiar with all the work."

  The next day, Ronald brought Cameron Crowe to Carly Simon's house first.

   She is a well-known pop singer and composer of the theme song and soundtrack commissioned by Ronald.

   "I've already finished the recording of the first version, Ronald. The script you gave me has made me feel very challenged. I have been thinking about the theme of that Wall Street hymn you mentioned."

   Carly Simon's studio is at home, and things are messy. She opened several drawers and rummaged through the tapes.

   "Generally speaking, we need to let the composer know the plot in advance, and then let them understand where this piece of music will be used." Ronald explained to Crowe next to him, who kept recording with a notebook.

   "Of course, like most people, you can also find some ready-made music, or find a composer to make the soundtrack after the filming is completed, but the degree of tacit understanding between the music and the movie screen is not as good as intervening in the early stage..."

  Ronald has experience since "Top Gun". Large-scale productions generally require multiple producers to work in parallel, so that the quality of creation is guaranteed.

   "Ha, here it is." Carly Simon found the tape and handed it to Ronald, with the words "Riverun" written on it.

   "Is this the name of the song?" Ronald asked.

"That's right. This is my husband, Jim, who guides me to read books that inspire me. He recommended 'Finnegan's Wake' is the book that inspired me. The first word in the text is' Riverun'."

   As she spoke, Carly Simon put the tape into a professional recorder, and a hymn-like melody came slowly. Ronald was suddenly attracted by the beautiful melody.

   "This must be the song in my dream, very exciting, very touching..."

   A few seconds after the intro of the choirboys, Carly Simon's powerful voice cuts in, making both Ronald and Crowe sit up straight.

   "Let the river run

   Let all dreamers wake up this country

   Come, New Jerusalem

  Silver Cities Rising

  Morning lights up the streets leading to them

  The sound of the siren calls them forward with a song

  …”

   "What do you think of?" Ronald was excited by the music, and he asked Cameron Crowe in a low voice.

  “I felt like I was sitting on the Staten Island ferry, facing the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center.”

   “Is there a sense of purpose, as if God is calling you?”

   "If you say that, it's true..." Crowe felt as if he had been summoned from somewhere, maybe he was born to be a film director, maybe he wasn't as successful as Ronald...

"Well, this is the melody that I thought of during the weekend that Jim and I traveled to Martha's Vineyard, and then it flowed out like water. I temporarily named it Wall Street Hymn." Carly Simon saw the two The state seems to like it very much.

   "Yes, I think the intro in the choir is very good. Your voice has an ancient impact. I like it. It makes my hair stand on end."

   "I like it too, the climax part makes me want to cry..."

"I'm so glad you guys say that. I just thought of the hymn feeling, and when I was writing it, my mind was filled with images of the Staten Island ferry, the yellow steamer crossing the river, that I sang as a kid. The hymn just popped in my heart."

   "Very good, I like it very much. You make a version with the official soundtrack of the orchestra, and I will take it to the editing room."

"I'm very happy, really, Ronald. My record company listened to it, and they didn't like it very much. They didn't want it on my new album. I told them, it's my best song in ten years. A satisfying song."

  Holding the sample, Ronald left and came to see Walter Murch with Crowe.

   "Is this one? What's its name? It fits the long shot of aerial photography at the beginning and the end." Murch also listened to this episode. He is a dual-capable person in image and sound editing, and he is in charge of Ronald's post-editing production.

   "No name, why not use the first sentence as the name?"

   "Let the River Run? Nice."

  Murch accepted the tape, and wrote on it the words Let the river run, "This time, your vacation time will probably be very busy, and the Oscars will be awarded soon."

   "Yeah, I have to go canvassing. My agency has been urging me for a long time." Ronald looked at Crowe, and the two were going back to Los Angeles soon. Crowe went on to follow Ronald through all the work of a film director.

"I wish you good luck, although in private, I would rather you nominate. The nomination has proved your ability level. If you win the award, you may have the Oscar curse. You will have a few years of bad luck." Mr. Walter Murch Talking about the bad luck, and then knocking on wood, he didn't want Ronald to report too high expectations.

   "I understand that this kind of award is usually not awarded to me for the first time." Ronald smiled.

  (end of this chapter)