Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 448 Refused to be a spare tire

  Ned Tanin gave Ronald a job offer. He suggested Ronald be a producer on "Sixteen Candles."

  John Hughes is a rookie who has never worked on the set. He has only visited the shooting site as a screenwriter for the previous two big-selling movies. Tanin is actually full of doubts about such a novice who doesn't even know how to shoot in Hollywood.

   And Ronald has a wealth of experience. He has done various jobs on the set and in the later stage. If he can be hired as a producer, watching Hughes, Tanin is like adding an insurance to his investment.

   Even if Hughes is proven to be unable to serve as the director after filming starts, there will be a candidate who can successfully take over the directorship.

   This arrangement of old and new (although Hughes is about ten years older than Ronald) is not uncommon in projects of independent producers and major studios, but Ronald declined after considering it.

   He quit for two reasons. The first is a spare tire, and now Ronald is not very interested in being a producer, and still wants to be a creator.

  Secondly, this is also not enough respect for John Hughes. This kind of arrangement to replace him is hidden from the other party. An inexperienced director could not see that Ronald was ready to take over his directorship.

  This made Ronald think of when he was shooting "Fast-paced Richmond High School", he was also assigned such a candidate who could take over at any time. This feeling was very uncomfortable for the director.

"Every director has his own first time. Even if you want to guarantee the filming of the film, there is no need to do so. It is better to assign him an experienced director of photography and art director. My first movie was made by two people. Very high-level talents have overcome the difficulties of the first debut."

   Hearing Ronald say this, Ned Tanin stopped trying to persuade him.

But he turned around and went to Michelle Manning (Michelle Manning) under Coppola's "Diorama Productions" to take over as the producer. She had served as the "Old Boy" and "Betta Fish" scene. director. And Ronald is also considered acquaintances.

  Taning recruited this female producer, who has both directing experience and has also operated the shooting scene, so she has rich experience. She came to serve as the producer of "Sixteen Candles", and the spare tire plan is still in execution.

   On the other hand, the "Longwei Kid" project also had some problems.

  Evelson has repeatedly refused Pat Morita to play the role of Master Miyagi to Weintraub. He no longer tried to persuade the other party in a detour, but directly gave an ultimatum.

  If Weintraub doesn't agree with Pat Morita, he will also resign as director and stop working on the project.

   Weintraub did not expect Evilson to be so hard-headed. He thought that Evilson would surrender to himself if he had not directed a good movie for a few years.

  The habit of doing business is like this. In the beginning, try to make some rude demands. If the other party backs down, then they will use this scale to extract the remaining value of the other party as much as possible.

  If you find a reasonable balance, refute their rude part, and be more clear about the conditions that you can offer in the market, the Jews will think you are an expert and respect you more.

  Evilson's attitude was quite low at the beginning, but when it came to this casting, he was very tough, which caught Weintraub by surprise.

   "Susan, what do you think?" Weintraub found his assistant and lover Susan Atkins in the office. He wanted to find someone to chat with and find some inspiration. Should we give in, or should we simply fire the other party and find another director?

   "Well, I think Director Evelson must have his reasons, although I don't like him very much." Susan said slowly, snuggling beside the boss.

   "Oh, he flirted with you again yesterday?" Weintraub hated in his heart, and the scales tilted a lot in one direction.

   "Yes, Jerry. I don't know how to respond to him. I've shown him my distaste for his actions, as you taught me."

"It's okay, I'm sure he won't bother you again." Weintraub stroked Susan's long red hair gently, he had a special feeling for this girl, not like those blond stunners who just play. .

   "No, I don't want you to fire him for my reasons, Jerry. You have to focus on the prospects of the project." Susan sensed Weintraub's determination and hurriedly discouraged.

"It's not like this. I feel that Elvisson has other options. Even if I agree to his request, he may not wholeheartedly hope to turn around with this movie." Weintraub explained some of the project to Susan. Tips.

In addition to finding a former Oscar best director to cooperate with the promotion and marketing, after winning the award, Evelson has never reproduced his own miracle, and made a movie that is praised or sold at the box office. own correct opinion.

   I also liked the fact that he hoped to turn around and hoped that the other party would fully devote himself to the director's work.

   "Then what do you do? Who are we going to direct? Besides, it's not too far from the scheduled shooting time, if..."

   "It doesn't matter, I have already prepared candidates, and I am also the winner of the Oscar for best director." Weintraub smiled, a successful shrewd Jew would not let himself fall into such a crisis.

   "Who is it? Do you want to ask Coppola to direct? I heard that his recent 'Old Boy' has not been very good at the box office and reviews." Susan came to be interested.

   "It's not him, there are still many people in Coppola who are willing to gamble on him. I'm talking about another person, Michael Cimino, who once made United Art suffer a lot."

"He? I heard he's also playing tricks in Paramount's new film, spending tens of thousands of dollars on field interviews in the South." Susan Atkins has heard Cimino in "All Over" It's what the crew did.

   Shirley Lansing, who is also a female manager, spread this thing everywhere in the Hollywood female professional manager circle.

"Oh yeah?" Weintraub didn't know what to do. He didn't expect that Cimino would still be so unclear after he was considered the sinner who led to the bankruptcy of United Arts. The idea of ​​asking him to direct this way has to be reconsidered. .

   "Why don't you try to have Ronald Lee direct?" Susan Atkins feels good about Ronald, who is polite to himself every time.

"He's good, but we need a name. We can't afford big-name stars, so we can only find big-name directors." Weintraub was very patient with Susan's questions, and he also wanted to train her into his own film business in the future. senior manager.

"Have you seen the latest issue of 'Rock', magazine? Kubrick's interview above specifically mentions Ronald." Susan Atkins got up and found "Rock" magazine and turned to the page Hand it to Weintraub.

   "Oh?" Weintraub accepted the interview. Kubrick commented on several Hollywood directors, and finally he talked about one of the young people, Ronald Lee.

   "There was a recent movie 'Night of the Comet', which was very interesting. The director, Ronald Lee, is a cunning guy. I think he's talented and has a way to make a good movie on a small to medium budget."

   "Aha..." Weintraub didn't expect Kubrick to mention Ronald's name in the interview, so wouldn't there be material for hype?

  Ronald received a call from his agent, Weintraub, the producer of "Longwei Kid", intending to let him take over the directing job.

   So the next day, Ronald and Nisita went to Weintraub's mansion in Beverly Hills again to interview him.

   "Thank you, Jane," Ronald thanked Mrs Weintraub, the famous singer Jane Morgan, who opened the door to let them in.

   "Hello, Jerry is waiting for you upstairs." Jane Morgan said and went out.

"Ronald, I have to admit that I'm in trouble. Evelson and I have some irreconcilable contradictions in casting. I think you will take on more responsibilities. As a producer team, you will enter the preparatory stage. The process, if Elvisson still won't give up that Pat Morita actor, you take over as the director and we move on."

   "What does this mean? I'm on the set again as a producer? And then take over when Elvilson can't do his job?"

   Ronald was dissatisfied when he heard the conditions offered by Weintraub. The abacus of these Jews is too good, and they will not budge on anything.

   "I can't accept this condition." Ronald refused immediately, "I have no ill will towards Mr. Evelson, and I don't want to do anything behind his back. If you want me to take over the director's job, I have two conditions."

   "What conditions, you said." Weintraub frowned, and he encountered hard resistance for the first time.

"Number one I had to sign as a director. Number two I had to talk to Mr Evelson first and I wanted to make sure I wasn't hiding what he was doing when he hadn't given up the job. "

   "Talk to him first? There's nothing wrong with that." Weintraub had no objection to Ronald's second condition, which was actually within the scope of his concessions. "But can you tell me why?"

"It's very simple, when I was shooting the first movie 'Fast-Paced Richmond High', there was this guy next to me who would take over whenever I didn't do what the producers wanted. I didn't like that part. Experience, so I don’t want to be that spare tire.”

"Spare tire... Your analogy is very interesting. I promise you, let Susan contact Evilson, and you can talk to him yourself. But the first request, I also want to see the result of your chat, if Evilson agrees to If there is a concession on the casting, I will continue to have him as the director."

   Weintraub stared at Ronald for a moment, and then said.

   "How is it? Do you still insist on your choice?"

   "Of course, you ask Miss Atkins to make an appointment with him, and I will visit him."

   (end of this chapter)