Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 50 The young man who broke into the casting studio

   "East 31st Street, Audition Studio."

  Ronald took out his small notebook and matched the address given to him by the taxi driver at the airport's brain gate.

   "This is it."

   Ronald and Meg found the address of the audition studio. This is a small three-story building. The rough exterior walls are uniformly painted white. The steps at the entrance are black iron handrails. The simple decoration reveals extraordinary.

   But a black security guard with a big shoulder and a round waist in front of the steps ruined the elegant atmosphere.

   "Hi, hi... Actors' self-recommendations are not welcome here. If you want to audition, please ask your agent to send audition photos."

   The **** man completely covered the entrance steps behind him, blocking a group of boys and girls who wanted to rush in. A few unbelieving actors tried to push the **** man's waist, only to be bounced back like hitting a wall.

   "Don't accept the actor's self-recommendation?"

  Ronald touched his ears, another old issue of union qualifications.

  The regular Hollywood production crew will not contact the actor himself, but will notify the audition through the agent.

   However, the projects registered by the Actors Guild give priority to members of the union. If you want to join the Actors Union, you must get a short-term contract in the recorded movie. And brokers generally won't sign a white man without a union card.

  The door for newcomers to enter Hollywood was almost blocked, leaving only a tiny crack. Of course, those young actors who have connections are not included here, someone will open the door and pull them in.

   It seems that the only way is to help Meg find an agent first, hand in the audition photos and resume, and then find a way to influence the casting director.

As soon as    turned his head, Ronald saw Meg holding his arms and looking at him with hopeful eyes.

  Ronald's heart was softly pinched by this look, and he suddenly became proud. You can't just give up today, you have to think of other ways to try.

  If Meg can't audition for this movie, it's Meg's loss, and the movie's loss.

   At this moment, the white door of the small building opened, and a FedEx deliveryman in a purple uniform and a baseball cap hurried out. Ronald had a bold idea in his mind.

   "Give me your baseball cap," Ronald said to Meg, "wait for me here and I'll try it."

   Meg took off the New York Yankees baseball cap and handed it to Ronald, looking puzzled.

  Ronald took off his sunglasses and put them in his pocket, took the file bag containing the audition photos of Meg and the other two beauties, whistled, and stepped forward.

   "I'm here to deliver the audition photos." Ronald opened the file bag, took out the audition photos and showed them to the **** security guard.

   "Which company do you belong to?" The **** still stopped him.

   "I'm running errands, and the Actors Studio asked me to send three additional auditions and resumes."

   Ronald pretended to be a courier boy and waved his document bag impatiently.

   "Go in." The **** man put Ronald in, and then blocked the remaining boys and girls again.

   When you enter the door, you will see the front desk of the studio.

   "The one who sent the audition materials." Ronald repeated his old trick, raising the file bag in his hand.

   "The 'Hot Lunch' crew?"

   "Uh..." Ronald didn't know the name of the movie, he pretended to look at the contents of the file bag, "It's the crew of many boys and girls."

   "That's right." The front desk doubtless had him, "Enter the conference room on the right." He opened another wooden door for him.

  This studio is actually an old house remodeled, and the rooms are all wooden doors.

   Ronald walked forward alone, and before he reached the conference room, he heard someone talking.

"We've already looked at the archives in the studio, all of New York and even all of Hollywood, all suitable photos of young film actors, as well as dramas, musicals, and even TV dramas. Don't you have any extras?"

   A woman's voice was speaking.

"No, this is not the actor I need. I need...I need an actor of a different temperament, the kind that is common in our England, I don't know if New York doesn't have it, or you haven't found the right place." The young man's voice refuted.

  Ronald slid into the room and closed the door again.

   There were two women and a man in the room. The younger woman was about to quarrel with the man.

   At this time, another older lady stopped her colleague, "Wait, Margery."

   Then after a pause, she said:

   "Director Alan Parker, our casting studio, has always prided itself on finding all types of actors that fit the director's requirements.

   This time, we have spent hours and still have not found a satisfactory actor to invite to audition. I thought, this is not normal. Is there some misunderstanding in communication? We haven't yet understood what kind of actor you need. "

   "What I want is a real actor, do you understand? Not the kind of American Hollywood star." The middle-aged man waved his hands excitedly while expressing his grand comments.

  Ronald looked at the director and saw that he had shawl and long hair, but his huge face and stubby fingers betrayed the middle-aged man's attempt to bring artist temperament with long hair.

   More like a carpenter, Ronald remarked in his heart.

   "You have to know that in the real world, everyone doesn't know whether they can succeed or not. What I need is not the kind of natural winner, Winner, you know?"

   "In our England, every actor has been trained in Shakespeare's plays, and they know how to represent a hapless person, a unfortunate person.

   These actor photos you are looking for are all natural winners. With their faces, the audience can see that they will win at the end of the movie. "

   "And this ruins the tone of the whole movie. I don't allow the audience to guess their ending from the beginning, I want the audience to go through those misfortunes and dangers with them... Worry for the characters, cry for the characters."

  The director continues to talk eloquently.

  The two ladies in the casting studio frowned more and more tightly. They looked at each other and exchanged low voices.

   "Margery, is this the script you got? How can I remember the script I read at the beginning, the tone was very bright and upbeat?"

   "I'm pretty sure our director got another script. His tone was darker, I don't know why he did it, we'll have to adjust the direction of the audition anyway..."

   Mr. Director turned his head and continued to growl.

"In the film and television industry, no one can guarantee your success. In the film and television industry, the only thing that can guarantee you is to have a hot lunch for lunch. This is the meaning of the movie's name. The people you choose are too confident. already."

  The director picked up the audition photos on the table in the casting studio:

   "Look at the faces, look, do they look like a loser? Everyone has the word winner engraved on their forehead."

   "Do you think he can play a role in my movie? What about her? And what about him?"

   The director picked up the photos one by one and sent them to the people present, and also handed one to Ronald.

   Ronald glanced at the director and found that the director of Alan Parker not only had a big face, but also had a nose that took up a third of the face. So that the eyes and mouth seem to be squeezed to the edge.

   "What I need is a real actor, give me the actor I need, not these self-confident people, I need that kind of...you understand?"

   "Real actors?" the older lady tried to answer.

The director shook his head and asked Ronald again, "Do you know? What kind of actors do I need? You can explain it to your colleagues."

  It's over, let's wear it now.

  The two female employees of the casting studio also cast doubtful glances. Originally, they thought Ronald was from the director's side, but now it seems...

   "Tell me, what kind of actor do I need?"

  The director is still asking questions to Ronald.

   "Uh, I think you want Loser."

   Don't hesitate at critical moments, just say whatever comes to mind, Ronald said the answer he understood in his heart.

   "Loser?" The two female employees looked at each other, and read a trace of understanding in each other's eyes.

   "More precisely, you need a group of losers who work hard, and they may succeed or fail in the end. But in the process of struggle, you need the audience to empathize with them and experience their joys and sorrows."

   Ronald simply said more, maybe he could impress the director?

   "Ah, finally someone understands what I mean, God bless." Mr. Director breathed a sigh of relief.

   "I want to say, although you America, and we English, speak the same language, but sometimes we have a hard time understanding each other, our culture is completely different."

The two female employees of the casting studio stared deeply at Ronald: "Mr. Director, we now understand what you mean, and the script we saw seems to be quite different from your current script. Why not let us make a few copies of the current script and then discuss the casting?"

   "Okay, okay", the director handed over the script in his hand, "However, this script can only be copied twice, not to be made public, only for those present to circulate."

   "By the way, what's your name?" The director turned his head and asked Ronald.

   "My name is Ronald, Ronald Lee."

   Can't play stupid anymore.

   "I apologize to all of you. I am not an employee of the casting studio. I am an audition portrait photographer. I came here to seek cooperation. I came here by accident and disturbed your work. I am very sorry."

   said Ronald took out three audition photos. They were handed to several people present.

   "Did you take the photo of Natasha Kinski's new audition?" The ladies who got the two photos asked Ronald first.

   "Yes, I took this one, and this one, for a romantic comedy."

   "It turned out to be you, you didn't know, the photos you took made many actresses jealous. We have been looking for you for a long time." said the employee named Margery.

   "We contacted Natasha and she said you were producing at New World, and then we found Roger Coleman's assistant, she said you were coming to NYU, and we thought we wouldn't find you until school started."

   Another female employee also said with a smile, "So you are that Ronald Lee. Sleepy Luo?"

   "Uh, that's me." Ronald was annoyed, how come this nickname came over.

   "Oh my god. That's the kind of face I'm looking for." Mr. Director got a picture of Meg Tilly, which Ronald deliberately handed him.

   He showed the photo to the two ladies, "That's what I want."

   "Mr. Director, Miss Meg is right outside the door. If you need her, why not let her in. You can see if she is suitable for this movie?"

  Ronald watched the casting studio's two female employees, and they didn't object either.

   "Your doorman? You have to find someone to inform him." Ronald thought of the **** man who was conscientious.

   "I'm Going with You" The employee named Margaery who was arguing with the director at the beginning volunteered to go out with Ronald.

   "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," Ronald apologized again.

   "It's okay, we happen to be looking for you," Margery blinked, "It's not easy to fool Sean, the doorman."

  Ronald knew they had seen through their attempts to break into the casting studio, and apologized to her again.

   "Did you know Director Parker before?" Margaery asked.

   "No, I saw him for the first time today," Ronald said.

   "Go and call your girlfriend." Margaery said.

   "Meg, Meg, come here", Ronald waved desperately to Meg Tilly in the distance.

   Meg rushed to the door, and Margaery ordered Big Black to let her in, causing another commotion among the boys and girls gathered at the door.

   "The director of the Hot Lunch crew wanted to meet you. He saw your picture and thought he could give you a chance to audition." Ronald said to Meg, who was looking forward to it.

   "This is Meg Tilly, this is Margaery, er...Miss."

   "Just call me Margaery, your girlfriend?"

   "Uh," Ronald was about to answer when Meg jumped up, dangling Ronald's neck with both hands, and kissed him on the cheek.

   "Thank you, Ronald. Thank you."

   Meg Tilly said, remembering the days when she ran into a wall, buried her head in Ronald's chest, and wept silently for a while.

   "Don't be like this, good girl, today is your lucky day. The director is still waiting, let's go in." Ronald comforted.

   "This is the Meg Tilly in the picture." Ronald introduced to the director.

   Meg Tilly waited nervously...

   (end of this chapter)