Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 159 The thing that capitalists fear the most has happened

   "The strike ultimatum for the two major actors' unions will expire tomorrow night, very inside sources, tell me that the Producers Guild refuses to compromise.

   All film and television actors will officially start their strike at 2:00 am the next morning. All American movies, TV series, live broadcasts, and radio programs will be stopped. From the day after tomorrow, major TV stations can only broadcast episodes that have been filmed.

   After the next weekend, TV stations can only show replays of old dramas or imported dramas. The production of the films also stopped altogether, and after half a year the people of America did not see any new films. ' said agent Limato.

   "What? All entertainment production stopped?" Ronald looked sluggish.

  America's film and television actors belong to two major actors' unions: the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA, also known as the Television Actors Guild).

  Beginning in March 1980, the two major actors' unions began to negotiate collectively with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) for better treatment.

The two parties to the negotiation, one of which is a government-registered trade union, can initiate collective wage negotiation and negotiation on behalf of all trade union members, and initiate a strike when the negotiation breaks down. All trade union members must be compelled to obey, and those who do not obey the strike resolution can be labeled as “workers”. Thief" was fired.

   The other party is the Association, which has no coercive power over the member institutions. But this association is an association of producers, an association of capitalists. No one is willing to let trade unions share more benefits for no reason.

   Coupled with the fact that the AMPTP is smaller, more united, and more tolerant of strikes, in a sense, it has more negotiating leverage than the two major actors' unions.

  The two sides have been talking about May since March, the Producers Association AMPTP will not give in, and the two actors' unions have vowed to strike if they fail to achieve their goals.

At this stage, no one has taken the threat of strike seriously. Two years ago, in December 1978, when Ronald participated in the filming of "High School of Rock", the two actors' unions also threatened to go on strike. A compromise was made and the labor dispute ended.

   But this time, the news from agent Ed Limato is not optimistic.

  The reason is that the two actors' unions have made seemingly unreasonable demands, and their negotiator Ed Asner is a desert cobra who will not let go if he bites his opponent.

   The Screen Actors Guild and the Television Actors Guild made two major demands.

  Article 1: Continue to raise the minimum wage for actors, increasing the minimum wage by 40%, and raising the daily wage from $225 to $315. As soon as Ronald heard it, it was even more difficult to enter the Screen Actors Guild.

   What is even more life-threatening is the second article, the Actors Guild requires a share in the home video department. In addition to being paid a fixed salary for film and television production, all actors must also participate in VHS tapes, beta tapes, and pay TV revenue sharing.

  The union requires that 12% of the pay-TV operating income of all videotapes must be included in the surplus of the actors, and the film and television dramas should be handed over to the two major actors' unions, and then the actors' union will write checks to members to distribute the surplus value.

   "Is there a lot of income from this part of the videotape?" Ronald didn't know how much this part of the money was.

   "The percentage of viewing is high, but the total amount is small," replied Limato, Pfeiffer's agent. "Only 2% of households in America now have VCRs, and the proportion of pay TV is similar, which is a small amount of money."

   "But will it become more popular in the future?" Ronald owns a VHS recorder, which has recorded a lot of classic movies, which is very convenient to use.

"It's hard to say who would go to a movie theater with a videotape? The big eight studios hate this stuff. Now Universal is suing Sony, the maker of beta tapes, over the possibility of banning the sale of VCRs in America. very large.

   So many people don't understand why union negotiator Ed Asner is so tough? "

  Limato is well informed. Just like TV destroyed many segments of Hollywood, housewives stopped going to the cinema to watch movies, but watched TV at home. If teens are watching videos at home, Hollywood's last cream cake will be gone.

   "It's not for the interests of the union and the actors, then it's for your own interests." Ronald is no longer a naive child. If things go wrong, there will be problems, and this Asner is probably no exception.

   "Yes, you're smart, Ronald. The grapevine says Asner is seeking SAG chairmanship."

"Isn't he a TV actor?" Michelle Pfeiffer, who has been in TV circles and knows Asner's name, is one of the hottest TV series of the 1970s, CBS' "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" Resident actor, playing a character named Lou Grant.

   This character is very supportive. After the Mary Tyler Moore show ended, CBS also opened a spin-off show for him, called "The Lou Grant Show"

"How can a TV actor have the social influence of a movie actor?" Limato hated this cobra very much, which made the work of his actors stagnate, and Limato's subordinates were all star actors, and he didn't care much about the union. Fight for the interests of the underlying actors.

"He's on the far left of the Donkey Party, an activist with the Socialist Association of the Donkey Party in America, inspired by the former California governor's win for the leadership of the Elephant Party, and he wants to follow suit." Limato pointed to Asner ambition.

   "How long will the strike last?" Ronald asked.

   "No one knows, but Asner will at least hold on for a month, otherwise he won't be in the headlines a few times, and it's his goal to make headlines during the election season."

Limato held Ronald's shoulders and continued: "I know about you and Michelle, but Pfeiffer is a rare star seed. Her face shape is naturally suitable for the wide screen, and her hair color and temperament are the best choices. It's just one chance to soar into the sky."

"I contacted the advertisement of Lux soap for her. The news of the strike has not been leaked to the public. As long as we quickly go back to Hollywood to sign a contract, we can get very few job opportunities during the strike period. Lux is a mass consumer product, and her advertisement will It is known all over the country.”

   Ronald looked at Michelle Pfeiffer and wanted to ask her what she thought. But seeing the desire for success in her blue eyes, she suddenly understood that she didn't need to ask, and she knew Pfeiffer's answer.

"when are you leaving?"

   "Tomorrow morning." Limato answered on her behalf, I'll pick her up at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning, and you can have a good chat in the evening. He turned around and went out the door.

"Ronnie, I owe you twice forever. You helped me drive away the liar and signed a good agent for me. You will come to Hollywood sooner or later. I know your ambitions. I will wait for you in Hollywood." Michelle Pfeiffer approached Ronald and said hesitantly.

  Ronald also didn't want to make the brief separation feel sad, "Do you know that I'm an advertising director? If you go to a commercial for Lux soap, you can show it to me first, and I'll tell you about the drama."

   Pfeiffer smiled and hugged Ronald. The smell of Lux soap evaporated from his body and spread into Ronald's nose through every strand of hair.

With   's slightly damp hair draped over his shoulders, Pfeiffer hugged his chest with both hands, looking back and smiling, "Lux soap makes my skin smoother." The smooth back and the perfect curve are fascinating.

  Ronald picked up the Nikon camera and snapped it.

   "That's it, Michelle. The way you look back and smile is the most charming."

Putting down the camera, Ronald finished the "special acting instruction", the two lay together hugging, Pfeiffer drew on Ronald's chest with his fingers, "I am a person who is afraid of loneliness, come to Los Angeles as soon as possible. ."

"Yes, if the script progresses this time, I plan to suspend my studies at NYU. After the endless love of the crew, I will go to San Francisco first, and I have a relationship with Coppola's editor, Mr. Murkey. An appointment, I will go there to study for a while, and I will go to Los Angeles to meet you on the weekends."

   "Kiss me, Ronnie." The two of them were very close all night.

   The next morning, Ronald got up and prepared a hearty breakfast for Pfeiffer, and ate it with her with a smile, until Limatola, the agent, knocked on the door.

   "Aren't you going to take me to the airport?" Pfeiffer noticed that Ronald didn't get up.

   "No, I found that I couldn't stand the farewell at the airport. Why don't I just say goodbye here, just like an ordinary couple say goodbye in the morning."

   "Hahaha, it's not common in America for a husband to send his wife out for work."

   "Settle down and call me." The two kissed affectionately goodbye, and Ronald helped carry Pfeiffer's luggage downstairs and into the taxi called by the agent.

   Sending off Pfeiffer, Ronald started calling people he knew. First, his agent Richard.

   "Strike tonight, I got the exact news."

   "Oh, Shxt. Is the news reliable?" Richard's level was obviously not high enough to know this inside information in advance.

   "Reliable, Pfeiffer's agent brought her to LA, giving up the role in Endless Love."

   "I'm going to tell Nisita right away that he has several actors on his hands that will be affected, and that Jane Fonda's 'Golden Pond' will also be stopped. I'll get back to you later." Richard hung up the phone.

   "Paula, there's going to be a strike tonight, you have to rearrange Tom's plans."

   "Is the news reliable? ... Well, I'll let him go back to Hollywood first, rent him an apartment, we need to keep as much love as possible for that character, now what he needs is an appearance on the screen."

   And then Eddie, his own advertising agent.

   "Eddie, have you heard? The two major unions have decided to strike tonight. Calvin Klein's advertising project can continue.

Brooke Xiaosi's mother got the news, she will go to the 'Endless Love' crew to cut the price first, Guber will shake the balance of the heroine back from the girl named Meg Ryan, we have to catch During the period of the strike, which led to the shooting of the ad, Terry would not tolerate her daughter not working for a month. "

   "Give it to me, you wait for my call." Eddie Cohen put down the phone and went to contact Calvin Klein, the designer of CK jeans.

   Then the director, Zeffirelli, "Franco, it's me Ronald. I got the news that the two major actors' unions are going to announce a strike tonight. It will last at least a month."

   "Fanculo! Ed Asner, the viper, I knew he was going to take a tough line. We have to stop filming and I'll go to Mr. Guber."

   "He may already know. I will break down the script and hand it over to you. I think your assistant director should be free."

   "Sorry, Ronald, but I welcome you to the crew when filming resumes."

   "Thank you, Mr. Zeffirelli."

  Ginger is still old and spicy, Ronald remembered Helen Slater's father Gerald, who had apparently been busy with this before. PBS programs are mostly educational, documentaries and TV series imported from Britain.

  These programs do not have video tapes and pay TV, and the contracts are different, so they are not affected by the strike. On the contrary, the three major public TV stations still need to buy programs from PBS TV stations to fill the gap of the lack of new TV series from the strike.

However, if the strike lasts for a long time, then the movies scheduled to be released next will also be affected. The copies of "Rock High School" that have entered long-term screenings and midnight shows can sell more, and it seems that they will soon reach second place. The condition of the sub-dividend.

  Ronald touched his chin and thought maybe he could ask Mr. Roger Coleman for more bonuses.

   Today is the third watch to see if you can keep up with your rhythm. If I have time to write more in the future, I will add more at noon.

   (end of this chapter)