Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 158 Chapter 109 Dessert in the 73rd Minute

  "202-707-9100", at nine o'clock in the morning, Ronald called the Library of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.

   "Hello, I need two copyright registration application forms." After waiting for a long time, an operator finally answered Ronald's call, "Yes, it is the PA form, please send it to the East Village of Manhattan, New York..."

Michelle Pfeiffer watched him busy on the phone, a little strange, and when Ronald put down the receiver, he asked, "I've seen a few screenwriters in Hollywood who put their scripts in envelopes and mail them. To yourself, wouldn't this prove copyright?"

   "Honey, does the screenwriter you know have an agent?" Ronald put a copy of the "Cross Point" and a copy of the "My Brother's Protector" script in his purse.

   "I don't know, probably not, they all do odd jobs in cafes." Pfeiffer himself laughed, "Is this method unsafe?"

"Yeah, my agent Richard reminded me to go to the official agency to register the copyright." Ronald began to dress, "The method of mailing the script to myself is called the poor man's copyright certificate, but in case there is a copyright If there is a dispute, the court will not accept this evidence.”

"why?"

   "How do you prove that you didn't mail yourself an empty envelope 10 years ago and then put the script in today?"

   "So generally in order to protect one's own rights and interests, they spend $30 to file with the Writers' Association, so that others can inquire. However, the filing requires a 5-year renewal contract, and after being infringed, it is necessary to prove that the other party made a profit.

   A safer way is to make a backup in the US Library of Congress, so that it can be automatically used as evidence of infringement after being infringed, that is, it takes a long time to file. That's why the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. "

   "Didn't you already call the Library of Congress to request the application form? Why are you going to the Writers Guild for filing?" Pfeiffer stretched out his jade arm and wrapped his arms around Ronald, who was holding the document package.

   "Producers usually go to the Writers Guild to inquire about copyright registration. Richard said it's better to do a record. It's only $30 a script, and I don't need to go to a coffee shop to work."

"Then are you not afraid that your agent will deceive you? Or he will send your script to other producers, so that the producer also has the script and can't register first?" Michelle Pfeiffer does not really have This concern, but it is strange that under the same conditions, the agent will not harm the screenwriter?

"To be honest, I'm not afraid. The agent relies on me to make money, so naturally protecting my interests is the right choice. Just like your agent won't secretly give the role to others unless he has someone more beautiful than you. actress, or he doesn't want to."

   "As for the producers, they are too busy. Instead of plagiarizing, they might as well spend a small sum of money to buy the option of the script. For filmmaking, the purchase cost of the script is a small amount of money."

   Ronald turned back and kissed Pfeiffer, ready to go out.

"By the way, my agent Limato has come to New York. I will meet him later. I won't be able to come back until tonight." Pfeiffer went back to his yoga practice with satisfaction, wearing high-slit yoga clothes on her body. Very charming, for beautiful Pfeiffer also put on a long leg warmer.

   "Okay dear, see you tonight."

   went to the Writers Guild office in New York and spent $60 to file two of his plays. The staff gave him two notes with registration codes, which are the registration codes of his scripts. Ronald put it away carefully.

   "In the future, your outline can be used for registration. Many screenwriters here do this, and the outline can also prevent others from plagiarizing." The staff reminded.

   "Okay, I will." Give them an extra $30, Ronald doesn't care.

   Back at the apartment, Pfeiffer has not returned. Ronald went on to break down the scripted scenes for "Endless Love." This kind of practice is also a kind of training for future directors. Each director has different ideas, and different directors take different shooting methods for the same scene in the script.

   Ronald refers to the "Romeo and Juliet" script and scene breakdown table given to him by Zeffirelli to try to figure out Zeffirelli's directing style. It seems that Italians like to shoot movies as operas, a lot of the time with a still camera that moves with the protagonist's face.

   is similar to the movement of the eyes of the audience when they watch an opera.

   Having mastered Zeffirelli's style, Ronald began to arrange shooting scenes according to the director's preferences. This shooting method will be slightly rigid, and some movies have unique audio-visual language, which has no place to play. But the benefits are also great. It saves money and shoots fast.

  The time passed quickly, rubbing his sore eyes, Ronald got up and made lunch for himself. Take out the butter from the refrigerator, pick a small lump and melt it in the pan, then take out two slices of bread and fry it slowly, then spread the salmon sauce on one side of the bread and heat it up.

At the same time, I cut some tomatoes and pickled cucumbers bought from a Ukrainian restaurant. Finally, I melted two pieces of bacon from the supermarket and fried them. I sandwiched the two pieces of bread, cut them into two angular shapes with a knife, and bit into the crust. Paired with ginger-flavored sparkling water, it tastes really good.

   Turn on the TV while you eat and watch the CBS midday news.

   "At the recent National Elephant Party Congress, the former governor of California, as expected, defeated the former CIA director and the director of the country's representative office in China, and was elected as the Party's leading candidate.

  The former governor of California said that he would invite Gerald, the former leader, to be the vice president candidate. In the election campaign four years ago, many Elephant Party representatives bluntly voted wrong after listening to the former governor's defeat speech. In 1976, when the representatives of the Electoral Colleges of the states voted to confirm the candidate for the chief commander, there was also a representative of Washington state who broke his oath and voted for the former governor instead of Gerald. "

   On the other side of the Donkey Party, the current commander defeated Edward, the third brother of the challenger President Kennedy, and got the candidacy of the Donkey Party.

  Edward's hit-and-run scandal has greatly affected his election this year. Even though his two older brothers were assassinated, the public sympathized with the Kennedy family, but that sympathy quickly turned into anger.

   "This year's election will be between the current leader and the former California governor. Let's listen to the experts' analysis."

   "Really qualified for the candidacy?" Ronald finished his last sandwich, "America is really free, and the governor of California doesn't matter, and the chief commander might let an actor be?"

   "Bell bell bell..."

   Ronald answered the phone, and it was two of his agents, Richard Lovett and Rick Nisita.

   "Ronald, we received your script. The script reads perfectly, but you seem to have forgotten something?"

   "Forgot what?" Ronald couldn't think of it.

   "You forgot the 73rd minute dessert."

"what?"

  Nisita laughed, "Don't you know what dessert means? No wonder, it's a popular saying in Hollywood, you're in New York. Dessert means passion show."

   "A passion scene? But isn't this a Vietnam War scene?"

   "Why can't there be a passion scene in a Vietnam War drama? Isn't 'The Return' a passionate scene about Jane Fonda and a disabled veteran?"

   "Oh, yes." Ronald forgot what was called America's first disabled passion scene on the screen. It is said that Jane later became a **** icon for all disabled people.

"For the script to be favored by the producers, the most important thing is that the stars are willing to participate. You add a paragraph of love between the platoon leader of the protagonist and the female volunteer who takes care of the veteran's family, and lengthen the entire movie script to 120 minutes. I think I can go to the studio and sell it.”

   "Okay, I'll change it now." In order to set up the project as soon as possible, Ronald can agree to any modification, "But if you add a love scene, will the studio be willing?"

"Sure, did you forget how many hands it takes for the script to get to the producers? If a star likes your script, you can jump all the stairs and get on the elevator to the top floor and we can make sure you The script was put on the desks of people above the vice president level in the eight major studios."

   "Do you have a choice?" Ronald heard some confidence from Nisita's words. Maybe he already has a suitable star candidate in his heart?

   "There is no specific candidate yet, but after Jane Fonda's successful second posthumous title with "Return of Honor", many female stars think that filming the Vietnam War theme is a shortcut to posthumous sealing, and many celebrities' agents are frantically looking for a suitable Vietnam War script.

   For example, Barbra Streisand, Farrah Fawcett, the newly minted Meryl Streep, and even Maggie Smith of Britain...you make a list of Hollywood female stars, and I guarantee that the people above will be interested. "

   "Okay, I will revise it as soon as possible." Ronald felt that his whole body was full of fighting spirit. Even if he decomposed the script of 'Endless Love' during the day, and worked overtime to revise 'My Brother's Protector' at night, he was still full of energy.

   "Remember to put the biggest passion scene on page 73 of the script."

   "Why?" Ronald wondered.

   "73 divided by 119 equals?"

   "Ronald took the calculator, it's equal to 0.613"

   "That's the Golden Ratio, I'm waiting for your good news." Nisita hung up the phone.

   Ronald reacted. According to Hollywood standards, one page of script is basically equivalent to one minute of finished film. Generally, subtitles are required at the last minute. The real duration of a 2-hour movie is more than 119 minutes.

   Page 73 is the golden section of a 2-hour movie. Adding the best passion scene here is just enough to cheer up the audience when they are tired and enter the second half of the plot.

   Ronald was thinking about how to set up the female character. She is a volunteer who takes care of the families of veterans, and eventually became lovers with the platoon leader. What kind of identity should be arranged for her? Is it a young female college student, or a mature divorced woman?

  The sound of the key being inserted into the door came, and it was Michelle Pfeiffer who came back with his agent Limato.

   "Ronnie, I have to go to Los Angeles early." Pfeiffer looked at Ronald and said.

   "What? You're not playing the supporting role of Endless Love?" Ronald asked curiously.

   "No, she can't act. Waiting here is a waste of time. I arranged everything for her in Los Angeles, acting training classes, inside parties, appearances, etc." Limato replied instead of Pfeiffer.

   Ronald and other Pfeiffer originally planned to go to Los Angeles after filming "Endless Love". It happened that he also needed to go to CAA, and President Ovitz would interview each contracted client once.

   "Why can't Michelle play?"

   (end of this chapter)