As the future owner of Lianyi, who is about to change hands, Ronald was invited to attend the MPAA and met with Mr. Jack Valenti to discuss Lianyi's future arrangements.

As an association of the Ameriga film industry, MPAA has an important power, which is rating. For a movie with many gunfights, violence, or erotic elements, it can be rated as PG-13 or R-level.

It means a box office gap of 50%-100%.

If it is a typical Hollywood commercial film production, taking the production cost of 100 million as an example, it means a income gap of tens of millions for studios.

This rating agency is affiliated with MPAA. Although in theory, all movies will obtain the same rating principle, there are still many things that can be influenced in actual operations.

The previous documentary "Basketball Star Dream" that appeared in the Oscars did not receive the best documentary nomination, and was eventually investigated by the Academy of Film Technology and Arts, opening a corner of the award that has never been publicly evaluated.

The MPAA rating is even more a corner of the black box that outsiders don’t know.

The movies Ronald shot during his career were basically completed in cooperation with large studios, and he rarely produced them independently. So he was not too troubled by the MPAA rating, and there were large studios helping him.

Get it done.

However, after spending a long time in the industry, I have heard and seen many movies shot by small and medium-sized studios, and encountered the shady scenes of ratings.

It is obvious that their violent scale is much smaller than the Universal films produced by Spielberg, and their erotic elements are much smaller than the feature films produced by Samsung Pictures or Colombia.

But they are often rated as R-level, while large manufacturers can earn PG-13.

In so many years of history, few people have been able to successfully challenge the MPAA rating. There are even fewer people who have successfully appealed and corrected the rating.

One of Ronald's purpose of acquiring Lianyi brand is to squeeze into the internal circle that can influence movie ratings and become a member of the player on the table.

"Welcome, child, when I first met you in Cannes, I knew you were different from others. I also met your business mind in China, and then I also met your directorial level in Hollywood.

It's really great to see you here."

MPAA Chairman Jack Valenti personally met Ronald here. After shaking hands and greetings, Valenti took him to visit some of the historical displays of MPAA.

"I'm also very happy. When I was on the set, I followed Steven (Spielberg)'s advice and made you the director of the fast-paced Richmond High School, although you were still very young at that time..."

Accompanying Jack Valenti was former Global CEO Sidney Himberg. After he retired, he also served as a director position in MPAA. This position is highly respected and respected by many people in the industry.

Only big names who have helped many people can be responsible.

Of course, Ronald was also very satisfied. This time, as a future board member, this time, two acquaintances could lead the way when he came to MPAA. However, he was a little confused. Only two old men who did not work full-time.

, looking at the direction they were walking, it was not a conference room, but a historical showroom.

"In 1922, it was the MPAA, which was also called the American Film Producers and Distributors Association (MPPDA), and has five film studios, Paramount Pictures, Fox Films, Loways, Universal Pictures and

Joint artists…”

Jack Valenti personally introduces the background of some photos on the wall.

"Loves? It's later..." Ronald heard a strange name.

"Yes, it's MGM. They were merged in 1924 by Loways, Metropolitan Pictures, Godwin Pictures and Louis B. Meyer Productions... That year Columbia also joined the MPAA.

, In the previous year, Warner Bros. became one of the members. By 1928, RKO Lei Dianhua also joined... The production company represented by MPAA accounted for almost 70% of Hollywood's films at that time."

Ronald nodded. He noticed that these eight film studios were almost the eight major studios he entered the industry. However, Lei Dinghua was removed from the list and joined Disney. However, why is Disney not on the list?

"By the 1930s, the films produced by our MPAA members had already accounted for more than 95% of the entire Hollywood... You know, the reason is very simple, it is Hays Code..." Jack Valenti continued to introduce the MPAA

history.

Ronald also came out of his thoughts, and he nodded in understanding. Although Hays Codex has a bad reputation, it actually played a positive role in the marketing of Hollywood movies across the United States.

At that time, América did not have federal censorship laws, so states often rejected or accepted the release of a certain movie based on their own feelings. This was a very troublesome thing for production bases like Hollywood.

Because some states have unimpeded movies, they may be banned when they go to other states, and different versions have to be filmed for different states. Because each state has different reasons for feeling unhappy, this version varies from state to state.

It has caused great trouble for Hollywood and increased the cost.

The Hayes Code is equivalent to the industry's self-correction. They have adopted a set of operable content to provide various movie plots that may cause dissatisfaction among the states, and stipulate an operating procedure that everyone can accept.

For example, kissing the camera stipulates how many seconds the male and female protagonists cannot kiss on the screen. As long as the regulations meet, they can be broadcast. Even if a director like Hitchcock takes advantage of the tricks to make Grace Kelly and Cary Grant

He kissed intermittently while making a phone call to avoid Hays Code, and did not take any action against him.

Because William Hayes, the founder of the Hayes Code, was the first chairman of the MPAA. He was a politician of the party and a devout Catholic. At that time, the United States recognized the moral code of Catholics, and he agreed.

The movies, generally viewers and states, feel that there is no problem.

With this code, although it is subject to various constraints and tied its head and feet, many directors expressed dissatisfaction. However, with this code, it can be screened unimpeded in various states, and there is no longer any prohibited release by state courts.

Instead, it greatly promoted the marketing of Hollywood movies and became popular throughout the United States.

Therefore, everyone is proud to join the MPAA. Once they enter, they can enjoy the profits brought by the unified market they have opened up.

"In 1945, after the war, everyone hired four times the President of the American Chamber of Commerce, Eric Johnston, to replace Hayes. Johnston was praised by the studio because he revised the code according to the evolution of the times, as long as it meets the good situation.

The taste of the content that violates the code can be filmed. The Film Export Association is established to promote the export of Hollywood movies.

However, it’s a pity that Johnston unfortunately died of a stroke in 1963. Three years later, I was invited to become the new chairman…” Jack Valenti continued to introduce.

"That is the Hollywood era we are familiar with. Mr. Chairman is equivalent to recreating Hollywood's reputation in the world."

Ronald took the opportunity to flatter Jack Valenti's three major achievements, one was to abolish the Hays Code and instead adopt a hierarchical system, which greatly promoted the enterprising spirit of Hollywood studios.

The second is to continue to explore overseas markets. Ronald met him for the first time in Cannes, Teng Country. He negotiated with the then Minister of Culture of Teng Country on behalf of Hollywood to open European cinemas to Hollywood movies.

Third, it is to establish a Piracy Regulatory Bureau, which will take the initiative to crack down on piracy in the United States and other parts of the world.

The three major strategies to revive Hollywood movies, and the producers love their Mr. Chairman very much.

Valenti waved her hand, but there was a smile on her face, "Do you know when Disney joined MPAA?"

"Hey, I'm just about to ask..." Ronald replied.

"They joined in 1978, when MPAA expanded to animated films, and Disney started shooting live-action movies since then. However, when they joined, they were just a mini studio, not a large studio...

"Jack Valenti is going to focus on the difference between large factories and mini factories today.

"I don't quite understand, what's the difference?" Ronald has also heard many so-called major studios and mini studios. He originally thought it was a kind of

The general term in the industry now seems to have a different position within the MPAA.

"The so-called eight Hollywood stars were actually divided first, and they were called the five stars and the three stars..."

Jack Valenti knows this kind of history, and few people now mention it except historians and film researchers.

In Hollywood back then, there were actually five film factories with the largest scale. In addition to studios, there were also cinemas that were controlled by themselves throughout the United States.

They are Paramount, Warner Bros., MGM, 20th Century Fox, and RKO Leidian Hua Film. These are all big shots with vertical monopoly. They not only have studios, theaters, but also distribution theaters.

Columbia, Global and Lianyi are called Sanxiao. They have not completed the monopoly of their own theaters and owned some cinemas but are not on the scale.

Later, the Paramount antitrust case appeared in the film industry, and the vertical monopoly was broken up. RKO Lei Dianhua went bankrupt and his position was replaced by Disney. The five majors and three minors were no different from theaters, so everyone was collectively called the eight major film studios.

It is also because of the lack of these assets that in the era when the TV industry significantly invaded movies, Colombia and Universal, the three small-scale girls, had the opportunity to innovate and became the more profitable company since the 1980s.

What they adopted was a way of giving directors freedom of art, but firmly grasping the shooting schedule and budget that did not exceed the standard. Lianyi, which gave directors complete freedom of filming, went bankrupt first and was annexed by MGM.

"This is the standard of the old era. In recent years, many film companies have entered the MPAA, such as the Avco Embassy in 1975, and the Filmways in 1980.

In the mid-to-late 1980s, there were also DeLaurentes Film and Orion Film. When the number of films increased, they were absorbed into official members of the MPAA when they started shooting large-scale productions.

The identity of the factory (Mini Major)...

After that, Minahn Gran's Cannon Films had a chance, if he hadn't gone bankrupt so soon. These medium-sized studios came and went, and once their ability to shoot big productions disappeared, they would no longer have the MPAA.

The seats are interested.

Now staying within MPAA is not a founder company, there are only a few companies you are familiar with, such as Samsung Pictures, Sony Pictures, Miramax, etc..”

Ronald understood that this was Valenti's introduction and inquiries to him. If you want to enter MPAA, you have to shoot enough large productions every year. You also have to have celebrities appear or promote stars yourself.

.

Otherwise, the obligations that MPAA has to bear will not be cost-effective to you.

Moreover, after entering MPAA, there are two levels. Major studios naturally own a seat on the board of directors, thus having the right to vote for rating work. They not only have an influence on their own company's movies, but also on other

Film companies' film ratings can exert influence.

This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content behind! The second level is the so-called Mini Major. With this identity, although you cannot join the board of directors, you can send ratings to your own company.

There is a certain right to speak in the movie. Others can't bully you very much, and they will blatantly give you a lower rating.

"But, as you said, the company that joined at the first stage of MPAA has the power of the board of directors. If I complete the acquisition of Lianyi, I will naturally be able to inherit this seat, right?"

Ronald is not to be outdone. The so-called big factories and mini factories actually do not have a clear standard. It is also in line with the cinema chains that you own and control on the East Coast and the high-end theaters on the West Coast.

Standard.

Unless, they have revised the standards and now companies that need to integrate with the media group can obtain seats on the board.

But this new industry change is still underway. Companies like MGM and Sony Columbia have not yet developed comprehensive media groups like Disney, Paramount Viacom, and MPAA wants to deprive them of such comprehensive media groups.

Are their board seats?

This is obviously impossible, which shows that in the end, Jack Valenti's personal influence can still play a lot in this matter.

Ronald immediately hinted that he would definitely support Jack Valenti’s request, and he would be the MPAA chairman as long as he wanted. Others don’t know that Ronald was the first to stand up and support him.

"In fact, it is not the first time that Lianyi has regained the founder seat of MPAA..." Jack Valenti laughed with satisfaction, "In 1956, they withdrew from MPAA due to the controversy in ratings, ten years later

It was not until 66 years since the board of directors that the board members at that time rejoined the founder seat after the unanimous vote."

Ronald understood that the existing board of directors must vote and agree. He calculated with his fingers, except for Warner Bros., Ronald and the CEOs or chairman of the other major studios.

The relationship is good, it seems that I can still find a way.
Chapter completed!