Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 23 Jim's Talent

   Ronald and Jim began to look at the shooting materials of the second group, and the two made a plan, which shots to shoot in the next five days.

  Gail helped contact the photographer and agreed to meet at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow Monday to go to Mount Carmel High School to shoot the opening shot.

   The next morning, Ronald met the photographer, a British photographer common in Hollywood. Ronald deliberately changed the tone of the "New Concept English" recording slightly, with a bit of British BBC radio.

  The photographer laughed happily and told some jokes about being drunk and making a fool of himself to get closer.

   The three of them quickly became acquainted and prepared to shoot together.

   "I want a still shot, about 3-5 seconds, with a gentle ray of sunlight shining on the teaching building."

   "Wait, wait, gentle sunshine? How do you want me to shoot gentle sunshine." The photographer protested.

   "Normal shooting, the sunshine after sunrise is more gentle, right?"

   "In this way, I adjusted the parameters to make the aperture smaller. This Kodak daylight film is an old model. It is estimated that it has been out of the factory for a year, and it will be slightly whiter, so that the yellow morning sun can be 'softer'."

"Listen to you."

   "Roger Coleman gave the **** left over from the last cast." Jim complained.

  Cut!

Finish.

   "Where are we in the next shot?"

   "Wait, under a big sign with the school's name on it."

   "That's not it, let's get in the car and look around to see if there is anything suitable."

   Removed the camera from the stand, and the three packed up and got into the crew's van.

   "You know that big sign there? We're going to take a close-up." Ronald asked the driver.

   "Big sign? Well, there is a billboard on the back wall of the school, can you see it?"

   As soon as the driver stepped on the accelerator, the car came to the back of Mount Carmel High School. Where it turned out to be the stadium, the weeds grew to half the height of a person. There is a barbed wire fence around the stadium, just close to the road, and there is a big billboard on the side of the road, the height is just right.

   "Very good, your vision is very good, the place is very good."

   "Post the name of the school that Jim drew."

   The four people took off the folding ladder and put it on the billboard. Ronald and the driver were on the side, and Jim commanded from below, "Left higher, higher, okay, just right."

A    billboard was affixed with the words "Vince Lombard High School" in green on a yellow background.

  Vince Lombardi is the most famous football coach, winning two consecutive Super Bowls. He coached an army football team with an emphasis on discipline. Similar to the philosophy of Principal Toga in "High School of Rock". In other words, the character of Principal Toga was created by imitating Vince Lombardi.

  The photographer confirms OK through the viewfinder.

  Ronald took out the slate himself, filled in the scene number, slapped it in front of the camera, and raised his hand to look at the watch, "One, two, three, four, five... Okay, Cut!"

  The shooting of the second group was scattered and trivial. It only took one or two shots in one place. Most of the time was waiting for the light, assembling and disassembling the camera, and arranging the scene props.

  Ronald thoroughly understood what Roger Coleman taught him to focus on the scene, and it was too slow to shoot a shot in such a place.

  The three of them have some experience and cooperated tacitly. In three days, they took seven, seven, eight, eight shots that Jerry Zucker planned to shoot.

  Jim also directed a motorcycle scene. He rode the motorcycle himself, and the cameraman sat in front of him and took a subjective shot with the camera. According to the photographer, the audience will see the scene as if they were racing on a motorcycle.

  This is of course Jim's idea, and he resorted to the old method of downgrading the shooting. The 20-mile motorcycle was running at a slow speed, which made him feel like a racing car.

   After shooting that day, Ronald and the others sent the filmed film to New World Productions, waiting to be sent for printing, when they happened to meet the boss, Roger Coleman.

   "Good afternoon, Mr. Coleman."

   "Oh, Ronald, how are your shots?"

"We have completed most of the second set of shooting, and we will go to Mount Carmel High School tomorrow. Director Allen will shoot the explosion scene in two cameras, and there will be a phone booth scene the day after tomorrow. We have to wait for PJ and Day Yang to shoot the two main characters After the gymnastics class scene, then the 'Rock and Roll' filming can wrap up (WrapUp)."

  Package is a Hollywood jargon, which is equivalent to the end of the Chinese filming stage. Everyone packs the camera and film to indicate that the shooting is complete.

   "Very good, I really like your work style, fast, accurate, and artistic." Roger praised him.

   "I've written your letter of recommendation and asked Gail to send it along with your application. After graduating from college, don't forget to come and make a movie for me."

"Of course, Mr. Coleman. Not all Hollywood bosses give opportunities to newcomers like me and Jim like you did." Ronald thanked Roger Coleman from the bottom of his heart, a talent the boss recognized for himself. , is very letting go, Ronald has the opportunity to direct alone.

   "Where's Jim? Let him come to the office to find me, and I'll let him report to the stunt department of the new film. This kid's mind is full of stunts and models, and he's been looking for me several times."

   "He seems to be waiting for you at Gale's, Mr. Coleman, and you can see him up there."

  Roger Coleman nodded and walked into the office.

   Hearing that his application had been sent, Ronald couldn't help but look forward to college life. Is Columbia in the Ivy League better, or New York University in Manhattan? Speaking of which, the sunshine in the Westwood District of Los Angeles is also very good, and UCLA, which is located there, is also very suitable, and it is very close to Hollywood.

   Ronald stood at the front desk, sipping instant coffee and thinking about his college career.

   After about two drinks, Jim came downstairs and shouted to himself with joy,

   "I'm going to do a stunt model, Ronnie!"

   "Congratulations!" Ronald hugged Jim tightly. People, being able to realize their dreams and turn their hobbies into jobs is something worth celebrating.

   "When do you go to work?"

   "After Christmas Holidays"

   "That's right, we can also go to the 'Rock High School' packing party."

   Jim's excitement has not subsided, he suddenly remembered:

   "By the way, I brought my short film, can we watch it together later?"

   "Okay, do you want to wait for Gail? Has she seen it?"

   "She said she only watched the last minute, not the whole thing."

   "Then call her, and I'll call the photographer to prepare the VCR in the conference room." Ronald really didn't know how to connect a VHS VCR to the TV.

  After a while, the four of them started watching Jim's short video in the conference room.

  This VHS tape is of poor definition, and the title of the film appeared at the beginning "Xenogenesis"

  The letters appeared on the screen like typing on a typewriter, and Jim also added some electronic sound effects, a bit like the popular Atari game console.

   Then came the credits, the Sony TV was only 21 inches in size, and the subtitles were not clear. Ronald and the three have to be carefully distinguished.

  The subtitles are very long and boring. The 12-minute short film took just one minute for the opening subtitles in white text on a black background. Fortunately, I finally saw the words of the director appear, and Ronald knew that the subtitles were finally over.

  Hollywood's practice, the last line of the opening credits is the director, America's habit, to put the most important people at the end of the list.

   Director:

   Then the letters spelled out a name.

  James Cameron.

   "Is this James you, Jim?" Jim was James' short name, and Ronald didn't even ask Jim's full name.

"Yes."

   (end of this chapter)