Hollywood Hunter

Jonathan Friedman watched Matthew Broderick walk away rudely, frowned slightly, motioned Simon to enter his office, and asked: "Simon, do you know Matthew?"

Simon didn't conceal it either, and simply explained a few words about the last airship bar.

"Oh, it's a trivial matter," Jonathan smiled casually, sat down behind his desk, and said: "Take a moment to make an appointment with Matthew, have a meal together, and shake your hand and it will be fine. Between you young people, it shouldn't be Is there any insoluble contradiction."

Simon nodded, he didn't take the last event too seriously either. Feeling that Jonathan was obviously distracted when he spoke today, and his expression looked a little tired, he asked, "Joe, have you not rested recently?"

"It's nothing, it's just a bit busy these days."

Listening to the concerned tone of the young man opposite, Jonathan hesitated, looking through several documents on the desk, and suddenly did not want to take out the draft contract.

After hesitating so much, Jonathan passed a blue folder to Simon after all, and made up his mind to compensate the boy as much as possible. He said softly, "Simon, the script has a result. However, the studio is there. I checked your information in WGA in advance, knowing that you are a newcomer, so the price is not too high. Moreover, they also want another script from you. I also saw the outline of the story yesterday at Paramount, which is very exciting . In this way, you can take a look at the contract first."

Simon felt that Jonathan's words had obvious reservations, and he probably had some premonitions, but he opened the contract in his hand and read it carefully.

Looking at Simon who was reading the contract carefully, Jonathan actually wanted to hide.

He knew very well that Simon was definitely not the kind of rookie who would cheer as long as he could sell the script in his hand. Therefore, I really don't want to face the reaction of this boy after reading the contract.

God seemed to hear Jonathan's heart, and the office door was knocked suddenly, and Owen Wright probed in and said, "Mr. Friedman, Mr. Broca is here."

As soon as the assistant's voice fell, Norman Broca, who was standing outside the door, just glanced at Simon, and beckoned to Jonathan: "Joe, can you come out? I have something to talk to you."

Although he didn't want to communicate with Norman Broca at all these days, Jonathan was even more unbearable to face Simon at this time. If he stood up casually, he introduced to Simon who stood up with him on the other side: "Simon, this is the president of our WMA, Mr. Norman Broca. You continue to read the contract, and I will have a few words with Norman. come back."

Simon looked at the old man outside the door who didn't mean to come in. He was wearing a black suit, gray hair, a slightly shorter man, and a standard Jewish nose.

Nodding to the other party, Simon waited for Jonathan to leave the office before sitting down again, again focusing on the contract in front of him.

Then, as the reading progressed, Simon's brows became more frowning.

In all fairness, Simon is not too concerned about the basic remuneration of $100,000 involved in this contract.

As a newcomer, such an offer is actually very good.

$100,000 is probably enough to complete "Lola Run" by himself.

However, this is a complete buyout contract.

US$80,000 to buy out all copyrights of "Butterfly Effect" and US$20,000 as a deposit to buy the priority right of "Death Is Coming" in the next three years. Moreover, as long as Fox intends to shoot "Death Is Coming" within the next three years, when the price is renegotiated, it will still be a full copyright buyout contract.

Probably turning over the contract in his hand, Simon even didn't believe it, how could Jonathan give himself such a harsh agreement.

In Hollywood, screenwriting is also a very unstable profession. Even WGA union members are basically unemployed for most of the year, and many people have to rely on finding other jobs to make ends meet.

Therefore, in order to gain more rights, Hollywood screenwriters are also a group that strikes most frequently in the industry.

After decades of confrontation with studios, the screenwriters union has gradually reached a "Basic Agreement" with the Hollywood Producers Union to protect Hollywood film and television screenwriters in basic treatment, minimum wage, medical insurance, and pension plans. And other rights.

For film screenwriters, the most important clause involved in the "Basic Agreement" is not actually the minimum script remuneration stipulated therein, but a sharing agreement that can bring long-term income to the screenwriters.

According to the latest version of the "Basic Agreement" signed by the Screenwriters’ Union and the Producers’ Union in 1985, in addition to the two levels of minimum basic remuneration stipulated by the division of film production costs, film writers can also obtain the rights to follow-up video tapes and television broadcasts. Get a corresponding share of income.

Among them, the video tape share ratio is 0.3% of the sales revenue within 1 million boxes, and 0.36% of the sales revenue after 1 million boxes.

In addition, the revenue sharing of TV broadcasting rights is divided according to different types of platforms such as public television networks, basic cable stations, pay-per-use cable stations, pay-per-view stations, and even overseas TV stations. There is no agreement income for screenwriters in general. Subdivided into video tape.

Since the 1980s, with the explosion of the video tape market and the continuous development of television networks, the income of Hollywood movies in these two areas has continued to increase, and it has reached the level of one-third of the income of theaters.

Therefore, even for a movie with a global box office of only 30 million U.S. dollars, its video tape revenue can probably reach this figure.

According to the average selling price of home video tapes of about 30 US dollars, the sales income of 30 million US dollars is exactly equivalent to the sales of 1 million video tapes. According to this figure, the screenwriter of the film can successively get about 90,000 U.S. dollars in revenue from the sales of these 1 million video tapes.

The subsequent revenue share of the television broadcasting rights will basically be equivalent to the share of video tape sales.

The sum of the two items is almost $200,000.

This is much higher than the average transaction price of Hollywood scripts in the 1980s, and it is usually several times the basic remuneration reached by the screenwriter and the film company.

Moreover, the two aspects of the sales share are still a long-term continuous income, which means that even if the film screenwriter cannot find a job at all in the next few years, the sales share he receives at regular intervals can ensure his life.

Simon has full confidence in "Butterfly Effect" and "Death Is Coming" that was picked up by the studio in advance.

According to the usual consumption habits of popular movie fans, as very classic horror films, the performance of these two films in the videotape market in the future is likely to be even better than in theaters, and sales will even far exceed 1 million boxes.

Therefore, if you can get a share agreement and include the same scale of TV broadcast rights income, Simon will definitely get hundreds of thousands of dollars in follow-up income from these two scripts in the future, far from the basic $80,000 at this time. The remuneration is comparable.

Simon is not a member of WGA, there is nothing wrong with it.

In fact, Simon did not plan to join the WGA in the future, so he could not enjoy the protection of WGA's complete "Basic Agreement".

However, in Hollywood, where the film industry system has been quite complete, the sharing clause for screenwriters is actually an industry practice.

As long as the screenwriter can find a reliable agent, or even if he knows a little bit, the partner is a regular Hollywood film company. Then, both parties can basically sign the terms of the collateral sharing agreement.

But now, a vice president of Hollywood's largest talent agency has only ‘fought’ for himself a buyout agreement that treats him as a fool.

At a certain moment, Simon really had an urge to jump up and throw the contract in his hand on the agent's face.

However, thinking of some details of Jonathan's expression just now, Simon calmed down, turned his head and glanced at the office door, waiting patiently for the agent to return.

At the same time, in Norman Broca's office, Jonathan Friedman, who has been heartbroken since yesterday afternoon until now, could not help raising his voice and waving his arms when he heard the request of his immediate boss: "I don't like it? Just because he didn't like it, he would kick Simon out? It's too unreasonable. Norman, do you know how embarrassed I was when I just handed the contract to that kid? I'm a WMA vice president, But he gave his client a stupid agreement that even a third-rate agency agent might not be able to come up with. Now, you still let me tell him that he was kicked out and he will never have a relationship with this movie. Anything, can you tell me how to say it?"

Norman Broca looked at Jonathan, who was about to lose his usual graceful posture, concealed his disdain, his tone was severe, and said: "Joe, you must know that you are now the vice president of WMA. As the management, you It must be considered for the interests of the entire company. What's more, it's just a brat who doesn't understand anything. If you can't handle this kind of thing, how can you still be able to take up your current position?

You must consider it for your benefit!

This thought flashed through Jonathan's mind. Hearing Norman Broca's words had begun to threaten his position, his tone was a little calmer, but he still argued: "Simon is already reading that contract. "Butterfly Effect" "The total authorship remuneration was originally only 80,000 US dollars, the first edition remuneration of 50,000 US dollars, the 20,000 US dollars in accordance with the studio's request for revision fees, and the 10,000 US dollars of follow-up editing costs. These terms are clearly written. Even if he agrees to withdraw , How do you count this money? Do I just go back and tell him that there is only 50,000 dollars left?"

"Of course there is only 50,000 dollars left. In the entire Union, how many people can earn 50,000 dollars at the age of 18, and what is he not satisfied with."

Norman Broca saw Jonathan's attitude soften, so he strengthened.

Before introducing the script to the studio last week, Norman Broca originally wanted to revise the script to add Matthew Broderick's role, but was rejected by Jonathan as the script was perfect.

Now, taking advantage of Matthew's dislike of Simon's opportunity to kick the opponent out, he can just let his trusted screenwriter do this.