Chapter 121 The President of Columbia Reads the Script in Person
"That's not an easy task." Katzenberg laughed. "It's relatively easy to make an Oscar-winning movie or a box-office hit, but you have to make a movie that's a regular
It’s not easy to make a movie that can stand the test of time.”
"Why? I don't quite understand, Mr. Katzenberg."
"Anyway, there is still some time. If it ends now, my secretary will bother me with the list of calls to be returned." Katzenberg was passionate about movies and simply chatted more deeply with Ronald.
“Do you know how many movies Hollywood produces in a year?”
Ronald shook his head.
"Today's film production has shrunk significantly, but there are still more than 300 films a year that can be released in theaters across the country. And Hollywood produces at least 10 times this number of films every year."
"In the golden age of thirty years ago, when there was no television, this number would have increased several times. But how many movies released before 1950 are still remembered today?"
Ronald was lost in thought. He had only watched nearly 100 old films in Scorsese's film classic appreciation class, plus the TV evening theater recorded on video tapes.
And this is a classic movie that has been filtered through thirty years of time from the birth of the movie to 1950, all the movie production in the past 50 years.
It seems that it will last for thirty years, and there are still people who remember it. This is indeed a very high requirement. But I just want to direct a movie that will be remembered. Maybe I will work towards this goal, plus luck, and the opportunity to dream
movie, maybe it can be achieved?
"Yes, Mr. Katzenberg, I know how difficult this is, but this is also the goal I want to pursue in this life."
"Well said, I like young people like you." A middle-aged man opened the door and walked in.
"Mr. Eisner." Katzenberg and Ovitz both stood up and greeted the president of Paramount.
Michael Eisner shook hands with Ovitz, then pulled him into his arms for a hug. "How about Jane Fonda's new film?"
"As long as your bid is the highest, Jane Fonda demands fair competition." Ovitz answered with a very professional smile.
Ronald also stood up and took a look at the most powerful person in Paramount.
Eisner's sunken eye sockets and square chin look a bit like Superman in the comics. He is wearing a yellow T-shirt and a lavender jacket. The lower body is dark gray trousers and white leather shoes with a tie on the belly.
He wears a white belt, which is very eye-catching. Only the hairline seems to be further back than Katzenberg's.
Eisner looked like he had just come back from the golf course.
"You must be Ronald, the author of the script. I heard Jeffrey mention your name. Hollywood needs young people like you." Eisner actually knew Ronald's name and shook hands with him.
, a word of encouragement.
"Michael, you and Jeffrey continue to discuss the details. I'm waiting for good news."
Like Caesar in purple robes, Eisner visited the centurion's tent, chatted with each soldier, and then walked away.
This style is completely different from that of Disney's top management, and it gives you the illusion of dealing with friends.
After talking about the bidding methods and details, Michael Ovitz took Ronald out of the Paramount door.
"With the first bidder, the subsequent negotiations will be much easier to handle."
Sure enough, as Ovitz expected, the negotiations became smoother and smoother over the next few days. With each additional studio that was willing to bid, the negotiation with the next one became less difficult.
In the film market, no one knows whether a project will make money or lose money, but since other people are optimistic about the project, the prospects must be good. You can borrow the vision of popular producers in the industry like Katzenberg to
Judging the film's box office prospects, several subsequent studios agreed quickly.
"So your script is definitely going to be sold?" Pfeiffer came to the hotel to stay with Ronald that night.
"I don't know, if it can be sold, it is also Jane Fonda's credit." Ronald and Pfeiffer sat on both sides of the dining cart pushed by the waiter, eating the dinner that was delivered.
"Now I don't trust anyone's promises. In the past two days, Mr. Ovitz and I met with Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Orion, and Warner Brothers. I was responsible for selling the script for about half an hour.
Speech, hoping to impress the producer."
Ronald put a piece of pizza in his mouth and took a sip of soda.
"The answers I heard were: We are willing to invest in any project approved by Jane Fonda, we like the Vietnam War theme very much, and we like this script very, very much... But in the past two days, I have not heard from any studio executives
I was told on the spot to prepare bids to compete for the contract."
"I'm not sure. In Hollywood, "very, very like" means "I don't like it" as New Yorkers say. "Very willing" means you can find someone else, right?"
"Giggle..." Michelle Pfeiffer was amused by Ronald and laughed, "I don't know the producer's speaking style, but her agent Limato said that many stars speak like this."
"So I'm not very confident that I can finalize the contract this time, and I have to meet with Columbia President Frank Price tomorrow."
"You're going to make it, Ronald," Pfeiffer said, shaking his hand.
"How are you? Are you still getting used to the acting class?" Ronald held Pfeiffer's hand with his backhand and asked about her situation.
"It's okay, but my emotional memory often makes me collapse."
When Ronald heard this, his hands visibly shook. The memories of the Actors Studio in New York came back to his mind.
"What's wrong, Ronald?" Pfeiffer felt Ronald's nervousness, "Don't worry, I've met some classmates, and they are all more experienced than me. Peter told me that as long as you select the emotional memory that is suitable for use,
, such as the crying scene. It’s not a big problem.” Michelle Pfeiffer in turn asked Ronald to relax.
"Really? What memory did you pick?" Ronald drank more water and suppressed his nervousness, "Would you like me to help you analyze it?"
"Hahaha, you are not an actor, but you don't know that emotional memory doesn't work when you talk about it."
"Okay...that's what you said." Ronald remembered the method of emotional memory. The emotion must belong only to the actor himself in order to achieve the best effect.
When you have time, ask Diane's father, Bert, who used to run acting training classes. Maybe there is a better way.
"By the way, who is Peter?" Ronald forked another piece of pizza.
"Hahaha... I thought you wouldn't ask. Peter is also an actor and often plays supporting roles in TV series. He is a classmate in my acting class." Michelle Pfeiffer laughed at Ronald's jealousy.
"I won't come over tomorrow. There are a lot of exercises in the afternoon acting class and physical training."
"I will miss you." Ronald reached out and wiped away a little tomato juice on Michelle's mouth, and the atmosphere in the room immediately became ambiguous.
"Are you an actor to become famous or to make money?" Ronald hugged Pfeiffer and the two whispered on the bed. He remembered what Katzenberg said, it is easy to make money and become famous, but it is difficult to defeat the passing of time.
"I don't know, I just like acting. After I became the Miss Orange County beauty pageant champion, I called the agents in the yellow pages and asked them how I could act in movies." Michelle hugged Ronald
said the shoulder.
"I was really naive at the time, but I was pretty lucky. My first agent treated me well. Unfortunately, I met those two scammers later. He was older and was no longer willing to represent me. I heard
Later he retired."
"Why did you enter this industry?" Pfeiffer told Ronald about his original intention of entering the entertainment industry.
"Me? First it was to make money. Then I wanted to create something, preferably to leave some traces in Hollywood."
"Hehe..." Pfeiffer took the initiative. She liked the warmth of Ronald's body, "By the way, who were your parents before? I've never heard you talk about them."
"They were just ordinary people who lived outside of Boston, Massachusetts," Ronald said. "Our family used to have a house, but after their car accident, I had no money to repay the mortgage, so I was sued by the bank and had it auctioned in court."
"I've never heard you say this. You must be very upset."
"I stayed in the hospital for a long time and suffered from aphasia. Some of the insurance money and the remaining money returned to the bank after the house was auctioned were spent on medical expenses."
"Poor Ronnie..." Pfeiffer hugged Ronald tighter.
The next morning, Ronald reunited with Ovitz, and the two went to the last studio, Columbia Pictures, to promote "My Brother's Keeper."
Of all the senior studio executives Ronald had ever met, Frank Price was the least executive-like. He looked more like a senior accountant or a high school math teacher. His forehead
It's very big, but the suit doesn't fit very well. A red tie wrinkles the shirt.
"Welcome, my friend Michael. Welcome, too, little Ronald." Frank Price hugged the two of them very warmly. This sale was more like a conversation between friends about a script.
Ronald did not expect that the president of Columbia would be so familiar with his script, and asked many detailed questions. How did he come up with the name "My Brother's Protector", why did he set up a fool, and why did he make the fool become the hero of all soldiers?
Protector?
Ronald answered one by one.
This made him feel that all the previous studio executives may not have read his script carefully. Compared with Price, Katzenberg was more like asking his subordinates to read the script and write a synopsis. And he himself
Just read the summary and comments from subordinates.
"Who is your favorite director?" Price asked Ovitz.
"James Bridges, the director of China Syndrome," Ovitz replied, "He works well with Jane, and Jane is hers."
"I know him. Paramount just released 'Urban Cowboy', which he also directed. The leading actors and actresses are John Travolta and Debra Winger, both of whom are notoriously difficult to deal with.
Actor. I agree in principle."
"Jane also wants Bruce Gilbert to serve as producer..."
Frank Price scratched his head and said, "Ronald, can you give me and Mr. Ovitz a private space to talk." Then he pressed the button on the table and called in his secretary, "Please.
Take Mr. Li to the lounge to sit for a while."
Ronald followed the secretary to the break room and drank the coffee brought by the secretary. Knowing that Ovitz might have to discuss some key issues with Price, he couldn't help but worry about gains and losses. Frank Price read the script most carefully among all the people.
Yes, maybe he is most likely to pay for the filming.
At the same time in the office, Frank Price was a little angry, "Michael, you have increased the conditions again. Do you want Jane's IPC Films to participate in the investment?"
"Bingo, Orion and Paramount all agreed to the terms."
"But none of them could afford a $3.5 million filming budget."
"Yes, but they weren't bitten by the hyena either."
Frank Price was silent. Last year, the Las Vegas tycoon Kirk Kerkorian, who took control of MGM and then ruined it, set his sights on Columbia again. In the capital market
It aggressively increased its holdings in Colombia, holding nearly 25% of the shares.
Later, the Department of Justice launched an antitrust investigation into Kerkorian. He controls two major studios, MGM and Columbia, as well as some theater chains, which has touched an antitrust red line.
Kerkorian's connections are so deep that he actually won the antitrust lawsuit in his favor. He was not allowed to increase his stake in Columbia or any of the major Hollywood studios, but he was not forced to sell the shares he had already acquired.
25% shares.
During this time, Kerkorian was even preparing to sue Columbia Pictures for the strange reason of failing to do its job to create benefits for shareholders. This was a combined punch aimed at Price and other executives, with the intention of purging the original management.
, teamed up with other non-movie industry shareholders to gain controlling stake, and then slowly hollowed out Columbia and MGM.
After seeing what Kerkorian did with MGM, most of Columbia's shareholders were dissatisfied with the casino operator's troubles. However, it is also a reality that Colombia lacks profitable star productions.
Now Price needs this Jane Fonda movie more than anyone to win the support of all shareholders.
"So what are your full terms?"
"With a production budget of 3.85 million, Jane Fonda stars as the lead and gets a guaranteed contract of 2 million, with director James Bridges, producer Bruce Gilbert and IPC Films joining the cast."
"Let's talk about any other conditions."
"How about announcing a big investment to the outside world and I'll help you create a buzz in the media, starting with a young screenwriter selling a sky-high script?"
"Do you have a complete publicity plan?"
"Yes, let this news slowly ferment and appear repeatedly in the media. It is best for Ronald, a young screenwriter, to fire the first shot. The 20-year-old screenwriter wrote the Vietnam War script and attracted Oscar-winning actress Jane Fang
After reaching the attention of the media, five Hollywood studios finally bid for it, and it was settled in Colombia..."