Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 81 Bargaining

"Ronald, you surprised me." Lindsay looked at the evaluation of Woody Allen's script that Ronald gave him, "I didn't expect you to have this trick, I think this time you can make the director switch as well. position."

   "Do you think so too? Then let's go to negotiate with them immediately. The other party's lawyer said that he will leave the crew at 5 o'clock this afternoon."

   Lindsay looked at the clock on the wall, 12:30. "Okay, we'll be going right away."

   "David, this is my attorney, Miss Lindsay Dole. Please get the director and attorney Mitch Canter and we'll settle this afternoon."

  Ronald introduces Miss Attorney to the producers and asks for a meeting.

  David da Silva watched him for a long time, "I hope this time nothing will surprise me again". As he spoke, he instructed his assistant to ask for the director and lawyer.

  Wait until director Allen and attorney Mitch Kanter are seated. Ronald introduced them to Miss Attorney again.

   "Let's get to the point? What's the attitude of your client?" Mitch looked Lindsay Dole up and down again with grey eyes.

   "My client wants to communicate with director Alan Parker for 5 minutes alone." Lindsay made the first motion.

   "What the **** are you doing?" the producer got angry.

   "Just a private conversation, I promise, he had only a positive impact on solving the problem today," Ronald said.

  The producer and attorney Mickey whispered to Ronald, "Okay, we'll give you 5 minutes, hope you don't play any more tricks."

   "And you, Lawyer Dole"

   Ronald nodded to the lawyer lady, who also left her seat and went out with the other party.

   "Say, what do you want, Ronald. If you don't think $3,000 is enough, I can give you some more." Director Parker said.

   "I wrote a new version of the script for Doris's plot, and this is the conclusion I asked someone to evaluate." Ronald handed over a copy of Woody Allen's note.

"what is this?"

   Allen looked suspiciously.

   "Director Woody Allen, commented on the plot I wrote about Doris"

   "You know Woody?" The director was a little surprised.

   Ronald shrugged, "I'm not exactly a Hollywood newcomer."

   "Is it true? Did you really find a solution to Doris' problem?"

   After reading the note, Alan still had some doubts.

   "This is the evaluation given by director Woody Allen after reading my script. He was casting at Julia. If you don't believe it, you can call and ask."

   Allen stood up and went out to make a phone call.

  The producer and lawyer Mitch outside were a little surprised to see Alan coming out to make a phone call soon, so they returned to the room and asked Ronald what he had done.

   "Alan just went to confirm one thing. We'll just have to wait patiently."

   After a while, Director Allen returned to the conference room.

   "Ronald, I talked to Julia and she also gave a good review of your script, tell me, what do you want?"

   "I just want what I deserve." Ronald wanted to continue to answer, but was stopped by the lawyer lady.

   "I'm Lindsay Dole, attorney representing Mr. Ronald Lee. Now we can talk about the details of the contract, I think."

   Attorney Lindsay Dole, hand Mitch Kanter a draft contract. Attorney Mitch opened it and looked through it.

   "Also, I've got a photo here that can help this movie solve a big box office hazard. If you guys are willing to sign with me, I can tell you right away, David."

   Ronald took out another envelope and waved at the producer.

   "What do you mean? What hidden dangers will the movie have?"

   "I can't tell you right now, you can choose not to believe it, David." He put the envelope away.

   The producer and director exchanged glances.

   "I have no objection to Ronald's signature on the script." The director nodded.

   "He can be co-authored under the name 'Script'. 'Story' belongs to original author Christopher Gore." I went to call him. The producer got up and walked away.

   After a while, producer Da Silva returned to the conference room and nodded to Lawyer Mickey to indicate that it was done.

   "So he was prepared." Ronald thought to himself.

  Mickey handed a piece of paper, "My client, agree to let your client sign the script of 'Hot Lunch' in the following form:"

   Ronald and Miss Attorney saw that there were two lines on it.

  Story: Christopher Gore

   Screenplay: Christopher Gore & Ronald Lee

   Attorney Lindsay Dole took a look, crossed out the &, and re-written "and" in pencil

"In the handbook of the Screenwriters Guild, it is clearly stipulated that if two screenwriters use & to connect, they belong to the same team. If they use and to connect, they belong to independent modification. Our party obviously belongs to the latter, which can better reflect his screenwriting ability. ."

  Mitch Kanter retracted the piece of paper, "I have no objection."

   "It seems to be a deliberate trap?" Ronald and the lawyer looked at each other.

   "Your party, has the authority to author the script, but does not have the right to win screenwriting awards, including Oscar nominations." Mitch Kanter went on to propose the next clause.

   "Since our client has one of the signatures of the 'script', it should have the corresponding power when the film is nominated for the screenwriting award."

   "No, Ronald, Christopher's condition of accepting the contract modification is that if he wins the award, he will have the exclusive honor of taking the stage to accept the award." Producer Da Silva interjected.

   "This is not in line with industry practices and union regulations." The lawyer protested.

Mitch Kanter watched the quarrel between the two sides, "Well then, Ronald Lee has the script signing rights, if he is nominated for an award, he will be mentioned in the Gazette, but the crew does not offer him an invitation to attend the awards ceremony. Letter. If you win, you won't be allowed to take the stage to accept the award, so Christopher can still enjoy the honor."

   "I want to make a phone call to confirm, in principle there is no problem." The producer went out to call again.

   "Your party, voluntarily waive any cash remuneration, and any subsequent derivatives..."

   "Wait a minute," Lindsay interrupted Mitch, "Our client received a contract for $3,000."

   "That's an offer from the screenwriter doctor, and your client has given up."

   "No, our client is based on the excellent work done, and we have additionally obtained the director's approval and given a signature. The quotation contract should still be considered valid."

  Mickey and the producer looked at each other, "We can agree, for $3,000."

   "No, according to industry regulations, the price of modifying the script should be equal to the purchase price of the script, or 10 times the script option."

   "Your client is not a member of the Screenwriters Guild."

   "But it doesn't affect the results of his work. Authoritative directors and screenwriters in the industry have affirmed that his work is excellent."

  The lawyer is arguing with the other lawyer about Ronald's benefits.

   Ronald's mind has gone elsewhere. He was happy that he could sign the script, and then joined the screenwriters union by virtue of it.

  Director Alan has bright eyes, waiting to see the updated script after the negotiation is over.

  The producer walks in from the door and confirms with Mickey that Christopher, the original author, has agreed to the arrangement for winning. He looked a little upset, maybe a little pecuniary.

   "$40,000 is out of the question" Mitch attorney denied.

   "You can make a counter-offer," said Lindsay.

  Mickey and the producer whispered a few words, wrote a number on a piece of paper, and handed it to the lawyer lady.

   "It's $5,000." Lindsay opened the paper to Ronald, looked at it, and whispered in his ear, "I suggest no."

   Ronald nodded.

   "We believe that Woody Allen thinks that a good script should be worth at least this." Lindsay wrote down the number of 25,000, folded it and handed it over.

   The two sides went back and forth several times, and finally stopped at $8,000.

   Lindsay Dole showed Ronald the numbers and whispered again in his ear "I think it's acceptable."

  Ronald nodded in agreement.

  Mickey went out to prepare a formal contract.

   Moments later, producer David Da Silva, and Ronald signed the contract on behalf of both parties. After Lindsay Dole reviewed it, she said yes.

   Ronald took out his script and handed it to the director.

   "It turned out that the problem was in the admissions interview. Changed Doris from the music department to the performance department."

   "The Rocky Horror Show? Was a natural transition, so that Doris' drive to overcome her shyness made more sense."

   "Woody is right, you did make Doris' character from mediocre to great."

   Director Alan Parker took a deep look at Ronald after reading the script.

   "Where's my share?" The producer stretched out his hand, indicating that Ronald could hand over the box office hidden danger.

"Here's a photo I took at the Midnight Theater, where someone followed suit and made an adult film called 'Hot Lunch' by director Alan Parker. The director's signature is AL Parker, which is very reminiscent of You." Ronald handed over Antonia's photo of the poster.

   Director Parker picked up the photo and looked at it, and threw it back on the table in annoyance: "This is too much, I want to find out who did it..."

   "What? Why did MGM not lock the title at the Las Vegas West Film Festival in April?" Producer Da Silva was surprised and asked Mickey's lawyer.

  Mickey frowned, "Maybe the secretaries at the company headquarters have some problems. I will report this to the president when I go back."

   "I'll call him too. But anyway, we have to think about changing the title. The movie has already been shown in theaters in New York, and the impact has already been made." The producer began to scratch the few remaining hairs on his head.

   "Let's think about this in the future. Let's finish today's work." Mickey said.

   Soon Ronald got a check for $8,000 in an envelope. After confirming that it was correct, he stood up and shook hands with each other one by one.

   "Ellen, Hollywood rules, don't hurt?"

   "Don't hurt." Director Alan Parker shook hands with him.

   "David, I hope that after changing the title, the box office will increase."

   "You're great, Ronald." Next up is producer David Da Silva.

   "Mickey, maybe you won't have to wait a year or two, you can do it now."

   "You impress me again, Ronald. And you, Attorney Dole." Mitch Kantor shook hands with them.

   "Ronald, are you all right?" Jean, Antonia and Lucy saw Ronald walk out of the conference room and gathered around.

   "No, it turned out well. The director and the producer agreed to my request, they are all good people." Ronald was a little tired and sat down on the long chair.

   "Let me explain to you, Ronald is a little tired, let him rest for a while." Lindsay Dole pulled the three actors aside.

   "...So Ronald is the screenwriter of the movie?" Gene asked.

   "Yes, you can understand that." The lawyer replied.

   "Oh, Man, I just said he's very good, it's fine." Gene and Lucy danced rhythmically all the way back to the rehearsal room.

  The lawyer turned back, Antonia was beside the long chair, looking at Ronald, who was dozing off with his eyes closed. She took two steps forward and whispered to Antonia, "She looks a little handsome when she's asleep."

   "Yeah." Antonia stretched out her right hand and touched his eyelashes lightly.

   "Hehe..." Seeing Ronald seemed to feel a little itchy and sniffled, both Antonia and Lindsay Dole couldn't help laughing.

   (end of this chapter)