Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 359 In 1985, Best Director!

   Ronald took the standard film distribution contract drafted by Roger Coleman, returned to the CAA's office, and began faxing to Lindsey Dole, a personal attorney in New York.

  In the first few years of the 1980s, cheap Toyo fax machines began to enter the American market. Send faxes without the bulky and expensive machines of Xerox. Lindsay Dole's small law firm also bought a small Toyo fax machine.

   "Squeak..." Lindsay Dole stood by the fax machine, and the thermal paper printed Ronald's contract line by line under the roller of the small fax machine.

   "Hey! Ronald, page 5 and page 29, ... repost it, I'm hanging up." Dongying's fax machines are cheap, but they are often unclear in certain places. Some key legal clauses are one word short and may mean the exact opposite, and caution must be exercised.

"Hey, Ronald, is this Roger Coleman from Hollywood? Why doesn't he have any traps in his contract? I've read it several times, you can sign it, some terms seem strict, but in fact they are also for you. Protect.

   This is not like a Hollywood contract, but a wholesale contract between a food company and a supermarket channel. ' Lindsay Dole called Ronald a few hours later.

   "Hahaha, he's not really from Hollywood. Although he's also filming in Hollywood..." Ronald explained Coleman's background to Lindsay.

  Colman and those big studios have to split the box office with various investors in the end, and the contract is always different from the battle of wits and bravery among all parties. He always sells the film to get the advance payment before making a film. With such a small investment, fast filming, and quick turnaround mode of multiple filming, reputation is more important.

"Very good, then there's no problem. But this is the first film you've made, are you setting up a new corporate entity to operate it? This way you can isolate the investment in the film from your personal and other assets? "

   "Okay, I'm going back to New York recently, and I'll entrust you to do it. I'm going to invest in this part first, and there's still a lot of money left."

   hung up the phone, and Ronald began to pull his agent Richard to take stock of the small and medium production companies he could talk to.

   "I remember this Atlantic company once asked me to make a film?" Ronald asked Richard, pointing to a company in the file.

   "They are now working on the 'Valley Girl' that they wanted to invite you to direct last time. I'm afraid the small company doesn't have the financial resources to release two films at the same time."

  The Atlantic Company is also a company that does its own theatrical distribution. Ronald still asked Richard to help him inquire about the meaning of the Atlantic Company. This time Ronald asked New World to release a new film, and Atlantic could also take a stake if he wanted to.

   "What about the two Israelis? You don't want them to vote?" Richard asked.

  Ronald knew that he was talking about brothers Meinahan and Yoram, nodded and said, "They have already expressed their intention to invest in my film project."

   "They don't have any real connections in Hollywood. You've helped them a lot, and it's time for them to repay you."

   "I'll visit them."

   Called Minahan to make an appointment, and Ronald came to visit.

   "Ronald, it's been a while since you came to see me. How about a look at our new office?" Minahan stretched out his beer belly and took Ronald to visit his newly expanded office.

   On the basis of the original rented office, Cannon Films has expanded several rooms, and those employees who used to work in the aisle finally moved into the serious office.

   "It's very nice here, are these all your new movies?" Ronald looked at the various movie posters posted on both sides of the corridor, some of which he had never heard of.

"Hey, some we made, some we did overseas," Minahan said, pointing to a poster on the wall. "This is the Toyo Ninja movie we just released." EnterTheNinja , which is good at the overseas box office. "

   turned out to be a B-rated exploitative film that plagiarized Bruce Lee's "Enter The Dragon" from its name and content.

   "This is the best action movie sequel of the '70s, and we've got the original hero, Charles Bronson." Best action movie? Ronald looked at it, it was the sequel to DeathWish.

   "It seems that your company's operations are going well. How about Brooke Shields' 'Sahara'?" Ronald felt that he underestimated Minahan's ability. With so many film productions and distributions, it seems that he made a lot of money. It is no longer a newcomer who wanted to jump off the building because of the failure of "Apple".

"In January next year, we will start the machine in the Negev desert in Israel. It is still very hot there, and January will be the coolest time in the desert. Then you should also watch this film aiming at the 1984 Oscars. blockbuster."

   "Then I'll wait and see." Ronald said and handed over his "Night of the Comet" script. He had already expressed his intentions to Minahan on the phone.

   "Uh...hmm...it's very good here, it's too slow here, the rhythm here can be quickened." Minahan picked up his faults while watching. His voice was not low, which made Ronald frown a little.

"Ronald, although your idea of ​​the Valley Girls and Zombie Wars after the meteorite disaster is extraordinary, and I have seen good designs for various scenes, your script has a major flaw, and it is difficult to invest in such a script. people's favor.

   Maybe you don’t care about the box office and want to entertain yourself and make the movie you want, but I still recommend you to make a few changes. "

   "Oh? What?" Ronald didn't expect Minahan to give himself a bluntly negative comment.

"Stars! Your script lacks stars. Your shooting plan says you only need 1.5 million. How can you hire a star with such a small amount of money? We should invest at least 15 million so that we can hire someone like Brooke Shields. Celebrities come to play the heroine. Do you have a choice for the male lead?"

"Uh, Minahan, I'm afraid I can't make it into a big production. I took the script to find a circle of big studios, and they don't have confidence in me to do a big production..." Ronald opened his mouth tenfold. I think Minahan is a little bit loose.

"I have confidence in you, Ronald. How about I invest in this film? This year my funds are mainly in the filming of 'Sahara' starring Brooke Shields. When it comes out, I have enough funds, and I will invest in you. This sci-fi masterpiece.

  1500...not at least 20 million investment. Let's go to Europe together to find investors, and then choose the best actor, Oscar in 1984, we will let Brooke Xiaosi hit the actress, Oscar in 1985, we will get you a best director, at least nomination... Hahaha... "

  Ronald took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He will shoot again in 1984, so you have no money now.

   "I've already found a distributor who is willing to release my film. So this time I'm here to see if you're interested in investing in shares."

"How many?"

   "New World is willing to invest 500,000 yuan."

   "They do domestic distribution?"

   Ronald nodded.

"Hollywood is the holy land of movies. It's unfortunate that no one pays hundreds of thousands of dollars to make movies for an artist like you. I don't know why they still say that they have the largest movie base in the world. Every year, those actors and directors make a maximum of two movies. months, then golf, tennis, vacation, waste!

   They should invest more in directors like you who are capable and have box office guarantees. Those actors, Stallone, what are they doing after taking such a long break? You should make more movies, and let them stop picking girls and drinking at the beach, and you should make more movies. "

   Ronald would love to say - you're right. But Hollywood doesn't have the confidence to invest in itself. It's so plausible that I don't know how much I can invest in myself? Is there a hundred thousand?

   "Give me the overseas distribution package, and I'm willing to invest 300,000... The domestic income is in accordance with the usual practice." Minahan stated his conditions.

   "Thank you, Minahan, I didn't expect..." Ronald was really moved. Overseas issuance generally requires country-by-country sales, and overseas market returns are generally not as large as domestic ones.

   Minahan did not dislike his small production, and immediately allocated 300,000 investment in proportion. Now he is only short of 500,000 to 700,000 to start the project.

   "You are my true friend!" Ronald stood up and hugged Minahan.

   "But I have one condition." Minahan raised three fingers and said after separating.

   "Please say..." Generally, investors will always bring some conditions, such as putting a girlfriend as a supporting role or something.

   "You will go to Cannes with me next year and help me watch movies. I know you have found a lot of good movies in Montreal."

"no problem."

   "Also, you're coming to the press conference for the start of 'Sahara', I need some Hollywood friends..."

   "That's fine too."

   "You have a chance later to direct a movie for my cannon."

   "This... I can't promise you, but if the opportunity is right, I will."

   "Hahaha...Okay! Boom boom..." Minahan kissed Ronald three times left and right on the face according to Eastern European customs.

   "Come on, I'll show you our newly released movies, they're all good ones. Let Yoram draft the agreement for you."

  …

   Faxed the agreement of the Minahan Cannon to lawyer Lindsay. Ronald continued to work with Richard to identify the ten or so most promising production companies to invest in. He was going to call to make an appointment and visit them one by one.

   However, after Ronald returned to the apartment, the first call was not to the producer, but to his high school classmate and wrestling teammate, Staten Island landlord Douglas Hansen III.

   "Doug, how are you in New York?"

   "Hi Ronnie, are you back for Christmas?"

After a few greetings, Ronald asked, "How was the last time you raised money for Katherine Bigelow's movie?"

   "Forget it, Bigelow's film has not yet found a distributor willing to release it. All my money is stuck in it and I haven't gotten it back."

   "Ahem, that's unfortunate."

   "Ronnie, are you looking for me for something? Do you need money to make a movie?" Little Douglas was very sensitive, and he heard the overtones from the words of his good friend.

   "I found a publisher, both domestic and overseas, but it's still a little short of the budget. I wanted to ask you... Since your investment has not been recovered..."

"I invest, you are my best friend in the film industry, who do I invest in if you don't invest? I don't want to go back to Staten Island to be the owner, my interest is in the film and television entertainment industry, and there is a chance for 40 million directors to lead me Entering the industry, I can't ask for it."

   "Thanks, Doug."

   "But I don't have much money. I only have 100,000 yuan to invest in movies. I can send you a check right now."

   "Wait when I go back to New York. I have to register a film production company. We'll talk about buying shares at that time. I'll give you the best conditions."

   "My check is waiting for you at any time." Douglas hung up the phone, "Haha, I finally don't have to go back to Staten Island. Ronald's movie is sure to be a success, so I can show Grandpa some results."

   (end of this chapter)