“Do you agree with the Screen Actors Guild’s negotiating plan to increase the daily minimum wage from $225 to $315 and the weekly minimum wage from $785 to $1,100?
agree."
Diane Lane fills out her union's ballot on whether to end the strike on her couch.
"Is the Screen Actors Guild's strike about to end?" Ronald wore a new coat he had made and had a weekend dinner at his aunt's house as usual.
The time has arrived in the new year, and Ronald is planning to go to Los Angeles early to have a good chat with Universal about the movie's script before the Golden Globe Awards.
Cameron Crowe's new book is selling well and has entered the New York Times bestseller list for teenagers. Global interest in "fast-paced Richmond High" is growing.
"Yes, I heard that the elected commander-in-chief is a person with a tough attitude towards the union. This time the Producers Union has agreed to a one-time increase of 40% in the minimum wage. Most actors want to quit as soon as they can."
"But I heard that the president-elect was the president of the Screen Actors Guild. Will he oppose the union's strike?"
"Who knows? I heard what others said, and it's none of my business anyway." Although Diane Lane is not yet 16 years old, she already earns a salary of one hundred thousand dollars for a single film.
, these minimum wages actually have little to do with her.
The strike that lasted for half a year is finally coming to an end. This time the minimum wage has been raised across the board. The bottom members of the Screen Actors Guild, which has the largest number, are very satisfied. In addition, a candidate with an unclear attitude is about to take office. There is no need to worry about pay TV and video tapes.
We are ready to compromise with the employer on the specific terms of income.
Ed Asner, the union's chief negotiator who insists on a hard-line attitude, has also become famous and has become a hero in leading the workers' struggle. Now he is preparing to compete for the position of the next president of the Screen Actors Guild.
On January 20, Ronald came to Los Angeles. Agent Richard Lovett came to visit as usual and talked about some issues that Ronald needed to deal with.
"Universal's production department is very satisfied with the sales of Crowe's new book, and is stepping up contact with David Lynch. They hope that you can join the meeting, discuss your script with Director Lynch, and increase the sincerity of the invitation...
The producer of 'Famous', David da Silva, invites you to meet and says he hopes you can chat with him about the script of the TV series 'Famous'. He is taking Irene Cara around on TV shows, and every time
Every time I sing that song 'fame'...
Michael Gore, the composer of fame, also invited you, saying that he has been invited to work on many episodes of film and television dramas, and he hopes to work with you...
Finally, Jane Fonda, she also invited you to meet her at home..."
"It seems I'm quite popular?" Ronald smiled.
"Ronald, I originally wanted to talk to you about this. After all, the center of the film is still in Hollywood, and your script will be launched this year. Are you considering moving to Los Angeles?" Richard asked this question seriously.
.
"I know you still have to complete your studies at New York University, but there are many people who graduate from film and television majors and can't find jobs. Now that you have a good foundation, why don't you just move to Los Angeles?
A lot of news is that you have the most opportunities in Hollywood, and the confirmation of various projects also requires interviews. If you are in Hollywood, those people can find you at any time, and they will not accumulate in me, waiting for you to come and then focus on processing."
"I know, Richard. If you can let me be a director, I will consider moving here. Now I am still in college and will graduate in more than two years. This is my aunt's expectation for me.
"
However, on the first day in Los Angeles, Ronald did not meet any of the people arranged by Richard. Instead, he went to chat with his old friends James Cameron and Gale Hurd.
Cameron had just returned from Santa Monica and Venice. Roger Corman's new film "Escape from the Galaxy" asked him to do special effects production design. This position is more special than the previous special effects engineer of "Escape from New York".
Furthermore, he is not only responsible for managing the production of special effects models and special effects makeup, but also designing the background, props, etc. on the set to integrate the style of the special effects models.
Gale Hurd will also serve as the production assistant for "Out of the Galaxy", working with the associate producer (associate producer) who will supervise daily production on the set and report daily progress to Roger Corman.
"I wonder when we can become directors?" Ronald and Cameron raised their beer glasses, clinked them, and drank them in one gulp.
"Who will direct your new script?" Cameron asked.
"Universal wants David Lynch."
"His 'The Elephant Man' is a favorite at this Oscar. Will he still direct such a youth exploitation film?" Gale asked while flipping through the novel Ronald gave him.
"This is not something I have considered," Ronald shrugged. "My agent has already made a request to Universal. They will consider giving me the title of assistant producer, learn on the set, and report daily progress to
Producer.
But producer Art Linson also wants to be a director, and maybe he will go to the set to learn directing techniques in person, which is what I want to do."
"David Lynch is indeed a good artist. His Elephant Man and special effects makeup are very good and look very realistic in black and white films. However, if color negatives were used, his makeup would still have many flaws..."
Cameron brought the topic to special effects again.
"What happens after Out of the Galaxy? Which crew will you work on next?" Ronald asked.
"Roger is thinking about a sequel to 'Piranha,' but Joe Dante, the director of the original Piranha film, is making a werewolf movie called 'The Howling,' so maybe it will be another sci-fi horror movie, 'Alien.'"
"Maybe after you make one or two movies, Mr. Coleman will give you the opportunity to direct independently, just like Joe Dante did back then." Ronald comforted his old friend.
He felt a little emotional. If he had not gone to college at that time and continued to work at New World Production, he might still be working as an assistant director or editor now, waiting for Corman to give him a chance to make a small-budget film. If he could make money
, there will be a second and third part.
"Actually, I'm not in a hurry. I'm very skilled in special effects production. When I was helping Roger do 'Battle of the Stars', I needed more realistic special effects synthesis than the old movies. I also studied Kubrick's 2001 Space.
In the golden age of Hollywood, the special effects shots we often saw were front and background composites. The protagonists sat on cars or motorcycles, with a large electric fan blowing on them to make their hair float.
The background footage of the pre-filmed racing scene is projected on the screen behind, and the scenery on both sides is rapidly receding. In this way, the cameras are used to shoot together, and the audience will feel as if the protagonist is racing.
This method not only allows ordinary actors to shoot racing scenes, but more importantly, it speeds up the shooting efficiency. The protagonist does not need to go to difficult-to-shoot outdoor scenes, as long as the second team leads the stunt team to shoot some usable background scenes.
This method of shooting background pictures behind the actors is called back-end projection. The disadvantage is that the perspective ratio of the background picture projected on the screen is wrong. The audience can easily tell that it is a picture shot separately and that the protagonist is not really driving.
, or charge on horseback.
The opening scene of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" shows some apes fighting with bones, against a wilderness background. These actors wearing leather jackets and hair special effects makeup could only be filmed in indoor studios, which required
Touch up your makeup anytime.
After Kubrick used rear-end projection to project the wilderness background on the screen, the effect was very fake. So he came up with a new method, using a projector to project onto the screen behind the actors on the same side as the filming.
projection.
In this way, the perspective ratio is correct, and the picture the audience sees is much more real. However, since the projector is located on the photography side, there is great interference, and the camera will capture the projected light together.
Kubrick solved this problem by using a very complicated single-sided reflecting mirror, turning the projector ninety degrees and projecting it from the side.
However, after the release of "2001: A Space Odyssey", there were no other science fiction film shooting projects. Many of Kubrick's inventions, including front-end projection equipment, were dismantled by the British Pinewood Studios to facilitate the filming of the next movie.
In order to reproduce this realistic shooting effect, Cameron simply restored this technique based on the principles of magazine reports collected in the library at the time. He is also one of the few special effects designers in America who knows how to use front-end projection.
One of the teachers.
"I don't think I'm short of work, but Ronald, if you become a screenwriter, you may become a director faster. I have worked on several crews, and I have become more and more aware of the importance of screenwriters to film directors. Screenwriters are other than directors.
, the only person who knows the effect he wants to achieve in the finished film before filming. This kind of imagination that has an overall overview is the necessary step for an advanced director."
Cameron, in turn, was envious of Ronald's screenwriting choices.
"Let's encourage each other and wish our dreams come true soon and become film directors."
"And you, Gale, I wish you can become a producer soon."
Ronald asked Gail again about the work content of an assistant producer.
"The work of this position is actually determined by the game between the producer and the director. If you have the power of life and death of the crew like Cimino, then the assistant producer is just an assistant to the crew, filling out forms every day.
If the producer values the crew very much and comes to monitor the progress every day, then the producer becomes the producer's personal assistant, helping to make coffee and prepare lunch.
The only kind of crew where the producer lets go and the director has no power. The assistant producer can keep an eye on the production progress every day, veto the director's unreasonable reshoots and reshoots, and be involved in casting, filming, etc. to a considerable extent.
Waiting for work, because he is the only source of information on the crew to report the filming progress to the studio.
You've seen Roger's working methods on the set. If he trusts the director, he won't come to the set every day to inspect. But if the assistant producer informs him that the progress has been delayed, he will come to the set and take pictures that are too late to film.
Tear up the script..."
"Hahaha..." Ronald was reminded of the memory of working in the New World. It seems that what can be learned in this position depends on each person's ability and opportunity.
Back at the hotel, Ronald turned on the TV, and NBC was still replaying the inauguration ceremony of the commander-in-chief that day. His speech had a very rich voice, and his pronunciation was at an appropriate speed, making it easy for people to understand the content of his speech. Unlike just now
The former commander-in-chief who left office always used big words in his televised speeches and was not charming in his speech.
I don’t know what kind of chance it was that made a B-level movie actor become the commander-in-chief.
Ronald's opportunity came quickly. Warner called Ronald and the novelist Cameron Crowe the next day and arranged for them to attend a meeting between president Tom Mount and David Lynch.