Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 162 I Never Lie

  Ovitz quickly walked back to the office, picked up the phone and dialed Sylvester Stallone.

   "Sly, Ovitz, I have a notebook..."

"NoNoNo Michael, I just got back from Hungary, don't tell me the script. This **** football movie, the Hungarian government won't allow us to shoot during the Screen Actors Guild strike. I don't understand why the unions in America are on strike, the Hungarian government also support?

   Now the director John Huston went to Paris to look for a location, we only had 5 days of filming, and the **** ghost struck and made the production stop. Originally, I went to a socialist country to shoot to save money, but now I might as well shoot in Hollywood. "

   "Sly, this script is of good quality, don't you read it?"

   "Stop **** the script, I'm still jet lag. I played goalie on the set in Hungary, got slapped by Bailey, and now have bruises."

   "Well, Sly, your intuition is the best...beep...beep...beep..." Stallone had hung up the phone.

  Ovitz rubbed his hands and found Sean Connery's phone number. But he hesitated before dialing.

   The first star client signed by CAA is now in a crisis. Signing stars is the best way to expand your agency's strength. The problem is that celebrities generally don't watch TV shows, but prefer to make movies.

  Ovitz spent a lot of energy trying to enter the film industry from the TV industry, and proposed the policy that every agent should sign a screenwriter, just to enter the film industry and guarantee the film contracts of its stars.

  Especially Sean Connery, in order to attract other stars, CAA spent resources that did not match his identity on this out-of-date Scotsman, in order to set a model for the company and attract more stars.

   "Even Sean Connery can sell them." This is the biggest reason for CAA to attract other star customers.

   But Sean Connery is not a worry-free client. He thought that 007 limited his acting and quit the Bond film. But he did not find a new way of acting, Roger Moore took over as 007 and was well received, and Connery was a little regretful.

  Because of his regrets, CAA overturned his previous idea of ​​changing the way of acting. Put your focus back on the lone hero. But it's easier said than done for actors to go uphill after going downhill.

   Sean Connery hasn't received a satisfactory 007-style role for over a year. Every time he communicated, he threatened to switch jobs again, and Ovitz was also a little annoying. In fact, it was impossible for him to sign any other agent to return to Lianyi to shoot 007.

   But for the sake of the company's overall reputation, he had to try his best to find him a suitable movie role.

  Ovitz thought for a while, and then called Sean Connery.

   "Sean, this is Ovitz..."

   "Is my new job settled?" Connery asked in a strong Scottish accent.

   "Yes, I have a book here, Vietnam War, Anti-War, Brotherhood..."

"Stop, although I don't play 007 anymore, but I still have an image to maintain, it's impossible to fight against war... Listen, Michael, I like you, I like Mayer, but my patience is not unlimited, you have to Find me a role as soon as possible, like James Bond."

   "Beep...beep...beep..." The Scot hung up.

   "You like Bond so much, why don't you continue to play it? Are there any more 007 movie roles than 007?" Ovitz complained in his heart.

Taking off his glasses and rubbing his nose with his hands, Ovitz picked up the CAA agency's star list and looked at it. He slid his fingers over the names one by one, and finally stopped at the name starting with F, and then Find a phone number and dial it.

  Because of the union strike, the filming of the new film "Golden Pond" was postponed, and the double actress Jane Fonda, who returned to her home in Los Angeles to rest, answered the phone.

   "Jane, this is Ovitz."

"Oh, Michael, this place sucks." Jane picked up the receiver and began to complain, "Golden Pond is a script I bought especially for my father Henry. Mann's body is also in bad shape.

  I finally got Katherine to agree to film, and she was not satisfied with my role as my daughter. Henry is in poor health, Michael. As a result, the New Hampshire set was stopped by a union strike again, and I was afraid of Henry's health... We had to apply for a special exemption to hurry..."

"No, Jane, stop. I'm not here to hear you talk about strikes. I have a book in my hand, Vietnam War, brotherhood, anti-war, fools, religion, love between men and women... do you want it? A package of solutions, including screenwriters To the director. It just so happens that your production company, IPC Pictures, can be considered for the next film."

   "Go on..." Jane Fonda instantly got rid of her complaining state. Her own production company, IPC Pictures, signed a three-film distribution deal with Universal that is about to expire. Just in need of a suitable script to move on to the next distribution deal with the eight studios.

"...A fool is forced into the army, is a normal person a savior, or is a fool saved? That's it, this screenwriter is a graduate of Roger Coleman Film University and understands business. He also changed the script for British director Alan Parker. , have artistic ability.

  Have you seen the 'Famous in the World' written by him? Now the industry's evaluation is very good, and there will be big gains in the awards season.

  Also, the name of the script he wrote is 'My Brother's Protector', listen, the scriptures are hand-picked and full of gimmicks. If I say, the name alone is worth a million. "

   "I want to discuss it with Bruce." Bruce Gilbert is the general manager of IPC Pictures and a partner of Jane Fonda. Produced for her first three IPC films, "Hua Guo Syndrome," "Nine to Five," and "Golden Pond."

"Tomorrow at 10:30, my office? You and Bruce? I'll have screenwriter Ronald Lee talk to you guys too, he's a great guy." Ovitz suggested, "I'll let the office run. The courier will make a trip and send the script to you immediately."

   "Well, I'll read the script first. If the script is as good as you said, I'll go to CAA with Bruce at 10:30 tomorrow morning."

"Believe me."

   "Okay, Michael, I trust your taste in scripts. Tomorrow at half past ten. Bruce and I will be there."

  Jane Fonda agreed to hang up, and then suddenly said to himself, "Ronald Lee, I seem to have heard this name somewhere."

  …

   Ronald was in the conference room listening to Ron Mayer introducing CAA's star strategy.

"CAA now has three leading male stars, Bill Murray is the representative of CAA's key strategic comedy films. Stallone is a popular star, self-written, directed and acted, triathlon, and the target of eight major studios. There's veteran 007 Sean Connery, the first male movie star to sign with CAA."

  Ronald understands that Mayer is saying this because he wants him to tailor the script for several stars, but he is a little absent-minded.

  Rick Nisita says Ovitz and Mayer value each client very seriously and are now focusing on writing strategy, pitching the script to the studio, and then bringing in directors and actors to the project. Provide a package of solutions. So their CAA has a lot of respect for screenwriter clients.

   But Ronald didn't see any respect for himself today.

  Mayer just wanted to finish his lines routinely. Ovitz had disappeared. In short, he came to see CAA's partners and was very dissatisfied with the result. It seems that he is not a customer they value at all, but seems to make up the number.

Among my three agents, Rick Nisita is busy with his own affairs with pencils, Paula is devoted to Tom Cruise, and the only one who values ​​her, Richard Lovett, has the lowest position. There was no opportunity to speak at the meeting.

   Frustrating reality, Ronald also understands his place on CAA's customer pyramid ladder - bottom. He took a chance and interjected between Meyer's routine speeches:

"Mr. Mayer, thank you and Mr. Ovitz for taking the time to interview me. Gave me a 'deep' understanding of the scope of CAA's business, and the client list. You are all busy, and the things on my script will be consistent in the future. Just get in touch with Chad."

   "Okay", Mayer smiled, "Michael, as usual, will take a photo with the client he meets for the first time, Mary, you go ask him about the next arrangement."

Freed from the task of explaining work, Mayer started working in the conference room on the spot, took out her work log, picked up the phone and dialed her secretary, and asked her to bring the schedule book and come over to arrange the time .

   When Ovitz is done, come over to take a group photo and go back to work. Stallone's new film "Victory Escape" encountered a strike problem, and the Hungarian government was forced to support the American Actors Guild, which also belongs to the working class, due to ideological problems.

The suspension of filming caused a huge financial overrun to the film, and the main actors also included Bailey, the former England goalkeeper Banksy, and many active professional players. If the filming is suspended for too long, the new professional league will start immediately. It will be difficult to recall them.

  Director John Huston had to go to Paris to see the set, hoping to find a suitable location to shoot with only a week left.

   In fact, Hungarian government officials prefer to continue filming, so as to earn valuable foreign exchange in dollars. You can use this to get the Hungarian Ministry of Culture to endorse and apply for a special exemption from the union, allowing them to finish filming for the rest of the week.

  Ron Meyer began to prepare the next work plan.

The door was suddenly pushed open, and President Michael Ovitz rushed in quickly.

   "OK, you and Jane Fonda, her producer Bruce Gilbert, discuss the script together, tomorrow at half past ten." He pointed to Ronald and said loudly.

  Ronald was so surprised, he raised his wrist and looked at his watch, "Are you kidding me? You arranged for Jane Fonda to see me in just 10 minutes?"

  Ron Meyer and Rick Nisita both laughed.

   They are no strangers to Ovitz's ability to make deals quickly, and they often see this reaction from Ronald's clients who are working with CAA for the first time. The old brokerage companies in the industry, WMA and ICM are too old, and they are inefficient. Many brokers actually work from 9 to 5.

   Ronald misunderstood the meaning of their laughter and said sternly:

"You have a great sense of humour, Mr. Ovitz. You can make jokes, but please don't make such jokes on me in the future. I'm a young man, and I'll take it seriously, and if I don't schedule a meeting later, I'll think you CAAs are lying. "

  Ronald hates this kind of tactic that Alan Parker often uses. He talks about business in a joking tone. It's his own credit for doing it. If you don't do it, you don't have a good sense of humor.

Ovitz was about to walk out of the conference room again and continue to contact the studio to discuss "My Brother's Protector". Hearing this, he stopped in the door, turned to Ronald, slowly. And he said firmly:

   "I never lie!"

   (end of this chapter)