Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 172 The Art of Brag

   On his first night in San Francisco, Ronald didn't sleep at all, thinking about the sale of the "My Brother's Protector" script.

   Simply walk to the front desk of the Motel6 hotel and find the staff to inquire about interesting places nearby. After giving directions, Ronald came to a bar that was open late, serving cheap and delicious drinks, and a live band singing some country and rock music.

The best thing about    is that there are no strange fringe crowds here, all of them are straight steel men and cool babes, who obviously have the same aesthetic orientation as Ronald.

   Ronald, who came alone, found the bar, sat on the high stool, and ordered a glass of "Pina Colada". Now he is more and more fond of this cocktail originated in Puerto Rico, the fresh coconut milk flavor, mixed with rum, pineapple juice, strangely appeared some cola taste, it is a good product to cool down.

  Ronald hummed the "Pina Colada song" softly to the band as he drank, and most of the people in the bar dressed up as cowboys and shook their bodies to the accompaniment of the live band, which made him feel good.

"Hey, young people like this kind of soft songs these days, it's not like we could drive across several states to the Woodstock Music Festival." One was also sitting at the bar, in a cowboy dress The young man broke Ronald's calm drinking and listening to music.

"Yeah? Yeah, the young people back then were even more angry. Now kids just go to McDonald's to work and they can earn money to buy toys they want, or to pay for college tuition." Chat, Ronald said his true thoughts, "anger comes from dissatisfaction with life."

   "You know what? You may be right." The middle-aged man wore a blue plaid shirt with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, jeans and a pair of Martin boots. Beneath the slightly longer blond hair are a pair of piercing eyes.

  Uncle may have been a hippie when he was young, and he spoke with a philosophical flavor.

"But human beings are inherently lonely. As Confucius said, even if a person is not understood, as long as he is noble and wise, he should not be angry. When we got together, young people at that time had a sense of mission."

   "Did you know? You are the first American I have seen who can accurately quote Confucius." Ronald raised his glass to the middle-aged uncle.

"But obviously you can also accurately understand Confucius' writings, and you are very familiar with Confucius's speeches and selected speeches." The middle-aged man was a little confused. In fact, he was also familiar with the Analects in Quaronade, otherwise it would be impossible to tell the difference. I have really read the works of Confucius.

   "Actually, I just read it." Ronald thought to himself, "Who can't learn the first chapter?"

   "My name is Ronald, and I'm a screenwriter."

   "John, you may not believe it. I'm a singer. I made a few records when I was young. I used to be quite famous, but I don't sing anymore."

   "Of course" Ronald actually didn't believe it in his heart, "I'm actually quite successful, and soon my script will be starred by an Oscar winner."

"That's great," the middle-aged uncle took a sip of beer, "Actually, I also have a glorious past. I used to go to the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, and it was my turn to take the stage in the middle of the night, and I drove back to Virginia the next day. I also wrote a song when I was there.”

   "That's awesome." Ronald clinks glasses with him. It's a good feeling to brag to strangers in a bar.

   The middle-aged man could see his insincere words, "Why, you don't know me? Do you think I'm lying to you? If it wasn't for the owner of the record company who cheated me of all my money, I wouldn't have sung.

   This **** boss is called Sol, and he bought a few other **** in my band to sign a deal, and now I write songs that I can't sing myself. "

ah? Can American Law deprive you of singing your own song? Ronald was even more certain that the other party was bragging about the story.

"I'm telling you, that **** boss Thor, took my money to invest in movies and won an Oscar, **** it, it's all my money. You're a lot more charlatans making movies than making music. already."

   "Then your boss is really going too far." The more Ronald thought about it, the more amusing he felt, and he simply echoed the uncle, "To be honest, I also think there are many liars in the movie industry."

The middle-aged man became more and more angry, ordered another large beer, and began to yell at Sol, the owner of the record company, saying that he deposited his money in the bank opened by the boss, and the bank went bankrupt, and the money disappeared. Only took hundreds of thousands of federally guaranteed deposit compensation.

"San Francisco people are still more interesting. You can brag about it in bars. We can only brag about making a lot of money. The old man in San Francisco is an artist. I can't write these plots even a Hollywood screenwriter." Ronald thought, after drinking the leftover wine, he took out two banknotes and pressed them under the wine glass, and went back to the hotel to sleep.

   That uncle's voice is a bit familiar, as if he'd heard it somewhere.

  …

   At the same time, the office of the president of Hollywood CAA was still brightly lit. President Ovitz, and his deputy, Ron Mayer, were on a conference call with Columbia's president, Frank Price.

   "Michael, you have to promise that Columbia can get this project, and I need Jane Fonda to make a movie for Columbia." Frank Price was already speaking very fast, and he could hear that he was a little anxious.

   "Otherwise, Sean Connery doesn't want to get that role. You CAAs can prepare to kiss the ex-Mr. 007 goodbye."

"Don't say that, Frank. I'm Jane Fonda's manager first, and then I'm the setter for this movie project. I need to keep her interests first or I'll be fired," Ovitz said. Ron Mayer, beside him, winked.

  Meyer was listening with the other receiver, covering it with his hand to prevent Price from hearing that he was also there.

   "Fair trade." Meyer wrote a few words on a piece of paper and shoved Ovitz in front of him.

Ovitz nodded, "Mr. Price, this is a fair bid, we've sent out invitations to every studio, and Jane will be there to see your faxed bids. I can't have such a big deal with her. influence to make her give up the highest bid."

   "I can't get Jane, and you'll lose Sean, it's that simple." Price's tone became more and more impatient.

   "Come on, Frank, we've known each other since you were the president of Universal Television, and we've done several deals. You know I'm not a betrayal of friends." The more Ovitz said, the more skilled he became.

"In this way, I will not treat my friends badly. I will reveal a bottom line. This is the psychological bottom price that Fox, Orion, Paramount, and Warner Bros. peddled. As long as your bid can be significantly higher than them, Jane is equal. Why not choose you under the conditions?"

   "So you're raising the price again? How much this time? You vampire."

   "On the contrary, I'm risking my reputation for work ethic to help you get the star you desperately need to star in the movie you're leading.

As far as I know, Jane is a little bit more Orionist, after all they have the reputation of Xiaolianyi, you know, artists have high requirements for artistic autonomy, including director James Bridges, who has a lot of respect for Jane influence. "

   "But they can't afford the money, they can only make it in the early 3 million, and Fox is also a poor guy. Your biggest competitors are Paramount, and Warner Bros. I estimate that they will not pay more than 3.5 million at most.

  I think it is slightly higher than their bid, for example, 3.8 million is a price that Jane cannot refuse. "

   "3.6 million."

   "You need an insurance factor, not 100,200,000, Frank. Well, 3.75 million."

   "365."

   "3.7 million, don't argue with me, I will reduce the agent's agency fee at most."

   "365."

   "Okay, okay, 3.65 million. In order to make this project, I have reduced the commission rate to a minimum. But you have to make sure that other actors in our CAA can participate in this project as much as possible."

"make a deal."

   "So there is an agreement? Very good."

   "Let's talk about Jane's contract. Jane needs a guaranteed contract, and it's time for me to tell Jane the terms of the contract." Ovitz reconfirmed.

   "She wants 'PayorPlay'?"

   "Yeah, she insisted. Listen, Frank, Jane is so hot right now, it's so hot, and everyone wants her, so you have to lock her up with this kind of contract."

   "So if the movie can't be made for some reason, I have to pay her 2 million as well."

"Frank, Jane is very popular, but the Vietnam War theme is also very popular, she will not give up, if she gives up, we will go to Mary Tyler Moore, or British Maggie Smith, you think Jane will watch Did her main competitor get a script that she saw first? This contract, just to lock her in and get her to say no to scripts from other studios."

   "Okay, okay, I'll give this contract. How do you plan to distribute the remaining 1.65 million?"

   "The screenwriter is 350,000 yuan, and the remaining 1.3 million yuan is used as the service fee for hiring directors and producers, plus Jane's IPC production company to participate in the production, and enjoy the corresponding box office share."

"350,000 for a 20-year-old screenwriter? Is it too much, it's beyond the standard Hollywood price. John Milius, the screenwriter genius, I remember that one script sold for 350,000. But he was John Milley. Erth, the screenwriter of Apocalypse Now."

"Hollywood's regular price doesn't guarantee the heroine's 2 million PayorPlay contract, Frank. Our purpose is to create momentum in the media, so that the accusations of the hostile takeover Kerkorian will become vexatious, and go back to him. Go to Las Vegas.

   Also, if you can win the most popular Jane Fonda in Hollywood, who would doubt your ability to control in Colombia? frank. "

   "Let's start with the newspapers, hype Ronald as a talented screenwriter, and then move on to your managerial skills, Frank. I'm going to do this..."

   "You're right. I'll find a way to get CBS TV to work with your publicity plan."

   "Yeah, Bingo." After arranging the details of the bidding with Columbia President Frank Price, and the after-the-fact publicity plan, hearing the other party hung up the phone, Ovitz couldn't wait to high-five with Ron Mayer.

   "So what was Paramount's bid? Less than 3.5 million?" Mayer asked.

"A total of 3.2 million, which is 450,000 less than Colombia. The others are less than 3 million. We won 2.35 million for Jane and Ronald, which is a total commission of nearly 200,000. As for the director, who told him not to What about our client? Let him take the market price."

   "A script worth 350,000 dollars, so you're really going to sell that rookie Ronald Ronald's script for $350,000? Our other writer clients will go crazy."

"It's not about the quality of the script, it's about the ability of the CAA, Ron." Ovitz seemed confident that if we could sell a 20-year-old rookie's script for 350,000, John Milius' price , what do you think other screenwriters would think? What would the writers who signed with other agencies think? "

   "Well, that's the truth, and of course, Frank Price, the big head, must cooperate."

   "Yes, after all, there is a legend in Hollywood that his most suitable profession is a script reader. The only major studio president who reads the script himself."

   (end of this chapter)