Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 911 The screenwriter has the right to decide?

"Hello, Nick? It's hard to find you, Mr. President!" Ronald angrily called the president of the Producers Association, Nick Kunt III, a lawyer who was hired by the producers. the president.

   "Ronald, don't be angry. You only need to direct your anger to me. I have to deal with all the member companies of the Producers Union, as well as the negotiator appointed by the Eastern and Western Screenwriters Union."

"Ah, I'm sorry. I always call you on the answering machine. What's the situation now?" Ronald apologized to the president Nick. , Waiting to get a good result, saving the producer a lot of work.

   "It sucks, and I have to be honest with you, it **** this time." Nick grew up to be an athletic athlete, a star high school football player, and a star boxer. This kind of tough person said bad things out of his mouth, which made Ronald start to worry.

   "Where did the differences arise?" Ronald felt impetuous for a while. The Hollywood union strike was not just a joke. Especially the two major screenwriter unions, which have a large number of people, with more than 9,000 union members, can send volunteers to supervise on duty 24 hours a day, and they are on duty on the set and live TV broadcast.

   This is not the directors union strike that I participated in at the end of last year. The number of people was very small, and many people had communication channels with the producers.

"Well, you know, the first is money. The screenwriters' union participated in the directors' union's strike last time. Their observers learned about the content of the agreement between the directors' union and the producers' union in detail, so they demanded to be on par with the directors' union. One hour The above-mentioned programs are broadcast on TV stations and pay TV, and the surplus will be used for dividends.”

  Ronald rubbed his chin. The directors' union is not like the traditional blue-collar unions, and lacks experience. The directors who went on strike at the gate of the NBC headquarters in New York were caught in the details of the agreement by the beauties of the screenwriters union. Seeing that the directors had a much higher dividend ratio than the screenwriters, the red-eyed screenwriters decided not to give up unless they got a reasonable ratio.

  "All negotiations end with a number, isn't it?" Ronald asked Nick. The meaning behind this is that the Producers Guild paid a lot of money to hire you as president, isn't it just for today? Take out the energy of your boxers and rugby players, no matter what means, you must sign a reasonable dividend ratio after the price is reduced, and then everyone will continue to work quietly for three to five years, and then wait for the next collective salary negotiation.

   "This is the easy part. The second requirement is that the two major screenwriter unions propose more consulting powers."

   "What is the right to consult?" Ronald was confused. When the director is shooting, he must discuss it with the screenwriter. From the first film to the present, I have discussed each film with the screenwriter.

"That is to say, they have the right to say who will be the actor. They also have the right to say who will be the director." Nick Kunt told Ronald the screenwriter's request, and then took the receiver away... He has done this action many times, and he is already very proficient.

   "What the Fuxk!" Sure enough, as he expected, Ronald's furious voice came from the phone receiver. "How much alcohol did they drink, and they still used SpeedBall, to actually make such a request, who is the negotiator of the other party, is their brain flooded?"

Nick picked his ears with his fingers, "His name is Brian Walton, and he is... Let me describe it to you. He is a British, but he graduated from Brigham Young University in Utah in political science, and he is a lawyer in Utah. license…"

   "Oh my god..."

   Ronald has seen a lot of people of all kinds in recent years, and those Mormons in Utah are one of the most troublesome people for him. Stubborn, conservative, and low IQ (Utah is one of the best states to get a bar license in America) and love to pick fights as a means to honor their god. The best way to deal with this kind of people is to avoid doing business with them and avoid potential landmines. But now the union has found such a person to be a negotiator...

   "Is it a 'fighter'?" Ronald was taken aback for a moment, this kind of person doesn't care when he is stupid.

"Exactly, let me tell you this, he has a poster of Al Pacino's 'Scarface' (gangster movie) hanging in his office, if someone else is negotiating, they will want to get the benefits as soon as possible, He's the type to pick up a fight or two if he ends the negotiations decently. He won't stop until he gets into a fight with me."

   "Gee, why did the screenwriters union let him be a negotiator? Such a person is not good for screenwriters, is it?"

   "Then blame the idiot in your directors' union who was stunned by the beauty for leaking the agreement between the directors' union and the producers' union."

  Nick Counter carefully explained the history of this Brian Walton on the phone. In 1985, during the last collective salary negotiation, he collected a lot of information from the Producers Association, and proposed to the two major screenwriter unions that they could go on strike to force the Producers Association to make concessions.

  Brian Walton assured that this fight is almost a sure win, and the Producers Association has a problem with the calculation of the residual residual of the TV network broadcasting film and television series. He expects not only to get more dividends from the Producers Association, but also has a good chance of getting compensation for the past three years-about a total of 200 million U.S. dollars that should be distributed to the screenwriters without arrears.

  Who knew that the Writers Guild didn't believe in this figure like a fantasy at all. They thought Brian Walton was a brazen liar, how could they get so much compensation for the Writers Guild? There are only about one-tenth of the screenwriters in the association who can participate in the remaining dividends of the film and television broadcasts, which amounts to more than 20,000 US dollars per person, and there will be more every year in the future. When did Hollywood producers become so talkative?

  At that time, the union bypassed Brian Walton and reached an agreement with the Producers Guild.

  Unexpectedly, a beautiful screenwriter who went to the directors union to observe this year actually got the details of the new version of the directors union contract. Not only do they have a far higher dividend ratio than screenwriters, but they also have many privileges that screenwriters can't think of.

  For example, which screenwriter doesn’t want to appoint the most suitable director and actors in his mind to shoot his own script? The director can have this power, and it is expressly guaranteed in the contract. The director has the power to choose roles other than the main star.

  So Brian Walton spent the first month of the new year with copies of his directors' union contract, and was peddling his plans to WGA members all over New York and Los Angeles.

  The screenwriters' eyes of various colors, seeing green dollars, and beautiful women (or handsome men) waving to themselves, all surrendered. When it came time to vote, Brian Walton received more than 90 percent of the vote. This time he got the full power to negotiate with the Producers Association, and he will not give up until the goal is achieved.

   "In short, you have to stand by my side. Our Producers Association is not a compulsory union, Ronald. If Brian is willing to negotiate, I am very happy to reach a feasible plan with him.

   But now he wants to hit the ball hard and give us a hard one. My inside sources at the Writers Guild say that it is very likely that he will reject our first offer regardless of the conditions and then go on strike. So, I want to make sure everyone stands with me, this is not a soft ball for the women's game, this time they are for real. "

"Okay, I assure you that I support all your decisions. I have seen the situation when the actors went on strike back then, and no one really benefited." Ronald saw that things were turning bad, and felt empowered to Nick Kunt, let him handle it.

  Nick Kunt put down the phone and ticked the notebook. Ronald was surprisingly easy to talk to. This person not only has the level of artistic creation, but also has a business mind. It is not unreasonable to achieve great success at a young age.

  Half of the medium-sized production companies have agreed to form a united front, and the rest depends on those foreign-invested production companies. They are backed by foreign investment. If there is a strike, they will have the output of screenwriters from their home country. For these companies, it is hard to say whether it is a crisis or an opportunity.

  Ronald continued to make phone calls. The news that the Screenwriters Union was preparing to launch a formal strike was really bad news for him. There have been many labor negotiations before, and there have been temporary prohibition measures, but most of them are just gestures for ordinary members to show that the union is doing its best to help them negotiate.

  This time, this Brian Walton is going to make a big deal out of it, and it is only serious to prepare for it quickly.

   "Hey, Rick (Nisita), how is the British screenwriter you are looking for? Is there anyone who is willing to come, and I am willing to pay double the salary."

"Double is impossible. Now that the price is tripled, it is difficult to find British, Australian, and Canadian screenwriters. This time, it is not just a problem in Hollywood. All TV dramas and TV shows with scripts are preparing to go on strike. I found you a screenwriter in Britain, and he is willing to help you as a screenwriter, modifying the script according to Harrison Ford's request."

   "Who is it? How is your level?" Ronald asked impetuously. This person won't offer any conditions that can't be met, right?

   "His name is Warren Scullen, and he is the screenwriter of the second Beverly Detective. Last year, he also filmed a 'Beetlejuice', which will be released next month."

   "That's good, how much does he want?" Ronald heard that he had worked on major Hollywood productions, so he was a pro at it, and he could make a decision after seeing the situation himself.

   "He doesn't want much money, but he has a condition. He wants you to invest in his movies," Nisita said.

   "Then invite him over, let's talk." When Ronald heard that there is still such a good thing, buy one get one free?

  …

  Warren Scaron was in New York, and the next night he was chatting with Ronald about his writing arrangements.

   The two found a private restaurant and ordered some snacks and cocktails to chat. Because the volunteers of the Screenwriters Union have already started to stay in Ronald's office, anyone who comes here to discuss scripts will be disturbed by them, and they will send an "Open Letter from the Screenwriters Union to the Screenwriters", informing the union of the imminent general strike programs that softly disable them from working.

   Avoiding the nasty screenwriters union, the two chatted very well about the script, and Ronald was also very satisfied with Warren's professional ability and understanding of screenwriters. He is also a British, and he did not join the two screenwriters' unions in America, and the unions had no right to stop him from working.

   "Let's talk about remuneration. This is a good time to negotiate. In fact, I am ready to agree to whatever you want." Ronald took the initiative to chat about remuneration.

   "In fact, I only need double the income, but I also said that I have a script, and I hope you can facilitate the shooting of the project."

  Ronald smiled and asked him to take out the script.

"I wrote sequels to Michael Douglas' 'Emerald' and 'Treasure of the Nile' series of movies, and I hope he will star in the third one." Warren Scaron took out a synopsis and put it in On the table.

   "What?" Ronald raised his eyebrows in surprise, did he hear it wrong? He opened the outline of the script, and it turned out to be the third script of the Emerald series, called "Crimson Eagle".

   "Yeah, I'll just make twice as much if you can push through the project. I hear Michael Douglas is on good terms with you." Warren Scallon came prepared.

   "Huh?" Ronald felt inexplicable, why does this person feel so good about himself? Screenwriters' scripts have always been selected in the studio. When will it be their turn to appoint themselves to facilitate the filming and use this as a condition?

   "This... you indicated that it is the sequel of their series of Treasure Hunting movies, so you must also appoint Catherine Turner as the heroine?" Ronald asked the other party after taking a sip of his wine.

   "Yes," Warren popped a peanut into his mouth, with a smile on his face that seemed to say, "Yes, you understand me."

"In fact, after the end of the second part, Catherine publicly stated that she would not make the third part. They couldn't get along on the set. In the end, it was almost Catherine who specified to the script which ones could be filmed and which ones could not be filmed. Don't you think Is the plot of the second 'Treasure of the Nile' loose?

   If you like the story, I can also find a producer to cooperate with, we can start anew and find other stars to play. "

  Ronald held back his anger. After all, this is one of the few people who has experience in Hollywood blockbusters and is not a member of the screenwriters union. In this extraordinary period, resources are very scarce.

"Actually, when I came to New York this time, besides you, I also met with Warner and several Disney project producers. This condition is open to all projects. I will work for whoever can make a movie project approved." Warren · Scullen collected the outline of the script. It turned out that it was the director who was critical of the script. Now it was his turn to choose the director.

"But you can't force a star to star in a movie project he doesn't like. Katherine Turner has clearly expressed her rejection of this series. She is a star, and it is difficult for me to convince her." Ronald also wanted to explain that if If the quality of the script is good, he doesn't mind looking for the Seventh University to invest together and change to a star actress.

"I'm sorry, this is a fair condition. I think my script, only the two of them are the most suitable. My script can bring them back to the top." Warren Scullen still looked like you are now begging me expression.

"I'm sorry, maybe you didn't hear clearly, I can't do this kind of thing, the script outline tells me that this is a good script, we can talk about candidates. There is no movie project, this is how it works." Ronald felt Warren doesn't know anything about filmmaking.

   "I'm also sorry, there is still a meeting at Warner, I'm leaving first. If you change your mind, remember to call me." Warren Scullen left his business card, patted his **** and left smartly.

   "Shxt!" Ronald swept off the plate containing the nuts in a rage, and the nuts crackled all over the floor.

  A waitress with a round face saw, came to see the situation, looked at Ronald's bitter face, smiled sweetly at him, and then knelt down to clean up for him.

   "Sorry, I was careless..." Ronald felt sorry for the mess his anger had caused, and asked this girl to clean it up, so he also knelt down to clean it up.

"No, no, you're a guest, I'm a waiter, I'll just come." The round-faced waiter hurriedly stopped Ronald, cleared the plates and the table by himself, and then sweetened Ronald Sweet smile, "I'll ask them to serve you another."

   "Is Sandra right? Thank you..." Ronald took out five or six twenty-dollar bills from his wallet, and handed them over without counting them. This girl looked like a girl next door, and that sweet smile made Ronald feel better.

"Thank you..." Sandra picked up the tip, apparently in a good mood, and put the banknotes into her pocket, "This is the biggest tip I've ever gotten here. What are you doing? Hmm …Let me guess, you are a Wall Street banker? No, no, they are not so generous after the stock market crash, are you a lawyer? Lawyers’ suits are as close-fitting as yours.”

   "In fact, I am a director", Ronald felt that today's mood fell on this sweet girl.

"Director, you can..." Sandra patted him. "Actually, I'm an actor. I even played the leading role in the off-Broadway play 'No Time'. I also speak German, and my parents German, I studied in Nuremberg until I was twelve."

Sandra, who was laughing and joking, also spoke a paragraph of German. From the perspective of Ronald, who didn't understand German, this girl's line skills were not bad, and she was exactly the kind of high society that Ronald wanted Sigourney Weaver to talk about. accent.

   "Who did you learn your acting and lines from?" Ronald felt that this girl must have undergone professional training.

   "I took Sanford Meissner's acting class. The tuition is not cheap, and I have to work as a waiter to earn tuition." Sandra smiled again. Being a waiter is a part-time job that many actresses have done since their debut.

"Do you know? You made me feel better today. Here is my business card with my agent's phone number on it. You can ask your agent to call him, just say I asked you to call." Yes, I'm preparing for a new play, you can go to the audition to see..."

   "Business card...you can do it." Sandra didn't care, took it and put it with the tip. In Manhattan, New York, near Broadway, two of the three men who approached him said that their director was preparing a new play.

"Jack Colton, and his partner Joan Wilder, took their two teenage children on vacation to Thailand, where they would find themselves blackmailed by criminal groups into stealing from the Thai royal family. A priceless statue."

  Ronald returned home with the outline of the script that Warren Scaron forgot to take away in his hand. In fact, it was very well written. It borrowed the concept of "The Maltese Falcon" and started the plot from a statue of an eagle.

  Unfortunately... Ronald threw him in the trash.

  These screenwriters are whimsical, thinking that with strike force, the Producers Association will be able to make concessions, transfer the most important production rights, and let the screenwriters intervene in the selection of directors and actors?

  Hollywood's current ranking of discourse power is a system that has been formed with great difficulty after decades of practice and games. To gain significant power, one must be prepared to take significant risks. Otherwise why would a producer like Joel Silver dominate a film project?

  He is not good at screenwriting, directing, casting, photography, editing, or sound. There is no machine he can manipulate. Why does such a producer who knows nothing have the greatest say in a movie? Because he was the last person responsible, he misread the market reaction, and he was responsible for the loss of money.

   It's a whimsical idea for the screenwriters union to do this, and it was fooled by that lunatic lawyer from Utah.

  …

"Hi, are you Mr. Richard LeWitt? I'm a waiter in New York. Someone named Ronald Lee gave me a business card with your phone number on it." Sandra After getting off work at 11 o'clock, thinking that it was still early in Los Angeles, I tried to take out my business card and make a phone call.

   This director named Ronald Lee, whose name has never been heard on Broadway. Although it may be a blank check, you can also try your luck.

   "Huh? Wait a minute," the man named Richard on the phone sounded a bit surprised, "How did he give you your business card and what did he say?"

"I'm an off-Broadway performer who works part-time as a waitress in a restaurant, and today I helped a customer clean up his spilled plates, and he gave me this business card saying there's a new play coming up, let me Call this number to audition." Sandra said quickly, "What's the new play? Can I ask? Is it off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway?"

"Girl, what's your name? Sandra? What's your full name? Sandra Bullock." Richard clamped the receiver around his neck and reached out to write down the other person's name. "Today is your lucky day, not Broadway. It's Hollywood. Ask your agent to send audition photos to this address tomorrow..."

  Sandra Bullock was still dizzy after talking on the phone. Why did a Hollywood director ask her to audition?

  She hurriedly called her agent again, "Hey, a director has taken a fancy to me today and asked me to send audition photos tomorrow... Yes, a Hollywood movie, the name of the director? Ronald Lee"

   "Girl, today is your lucky day. Don't you know him? Director of Dirty Dancing."

   "Oh, God..." After Sandra Bullock listened to the call, she was also in a daze, not knowing what role she could play. Hurry up and get ready to rest, otherwise the edema will be bad at the audition tomorrow.

  (end of this chapter)