When Ronald returned to his apartment, he saw that his mailbox in the hallway was full, and the mailbox door was bulging with letters, slightly bulging outward.
"I have so many letters?" Ronald was a little confused. No one usually sent him letters, just bills. He was busy editing videos on the night shift a few days ago and didn't pay attention. How did he accumulate so many letters?
"This...could it be..."
Ronald rushed to the mailbox, took out the key and unlocked it. He was so excited that he stuffed it twice without putting it in.
Hold your right hand with your left hand to calm down.
Slowly opening the lock, the mailbox door could not withstand the pressure of the letters forced inside, and a large pile of letters fell out, clattering to the ground.
Ronald quickly squatted down, gathered the letters, and tapped the edges of the envelopes on the ground to sort them out.
There were four extra-large envelopes in total, mixed with several utility bills.
Stand up and look at the big envelope. There is a prompt on it.
Rejected
This is UCLA Los Angeles.
Rejected
This is from Colombia.
There were two large envelopes with red rejection stamps on them, which extinguished most of Ronald's hopes at once.
Ronald felt nervous and turned out the third large envelope.
Waitlisted
It's USC!
I quickly opened the envelope and found a pending notice inside.
“Dear Ronald Lee,
Hello.
Your application to the USC School of Cinematic Arts this year fully meets our school’s admission requirements.
However, since the number of applicants this year far exceeded expectations, our admission number has reached the upper limit. We are unable to send you an admission notice and can only put you and other students on the waiting list.
It should be pointed out that the final decision on the pending list may be delayed until late May 1979..."
In other words, we have to wait for the situation of the previously admitted students. They may also get several admission notices and choose to go elsewhere. Then there will be vacant seats at the University of Southern California.
I don’t know where I am on the waiting list? Can I get a spot?
What about the fourth letter?
Ronald turned the last large envelope out...
A big word "Accepted" on the cover
Hahaha……
As a Chinese soul, the happiest moment is when I get the admission notice from a prestigious university.
When it is opened, it looks like New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
"Congratulations, you have been admitted to NYU Tisch School of the Arts
Admission to the Department of Film and Television.
…”
New York University is very close to home, just a ferry ride away from Staten Island.
"Please sign and submit the confirmation form before April 30th...
Along with the $200 enrollment deposit...
If you want to apply for dormitory...
Reporting Guidelines…”
No matter that it was so much, and no matter that it was already 11 o'clock in the evening in New York, Ronald first called Aunt Karen to tell the good news.
"Ring ring ring ring..."
“Aunt Karen!
I'm Ronald.
bingo,
I hit,
I passed the exam,
I got accepted into NYU!”
Aunt Karen was crying on the other end of the phone.
After several years of hard work, my sister's son was finally admitted to a prestigious university. As a single mother raising two children, Aunt Karen's hard work was finally over.
Ronald told his aunt that he had earned enough for the first year's tuition and book fees, and the money he sent home could be used to pay off the housing loan or buy a bank certificate of deposit.
There is basically no interest on deposit accounts in America. Inflation is so high now that it depreciates by more than 10% every year.
The bank then provided Certificates of Deposit for depositors to purchase, which is equivalent to China's time deposit. The interest rate is 15% per year, which is enough to beat inflation and still make a profit.
Ronald himself is also buying certificates of deposit. After all, the annual inflation of 13% is really outrageous.
The good news was exciting, and the discomfort caused by ordinary life in the past few days seemed to be cured. Ronald wanted to find someone to share his joy.
However, in Los Angeles, Ronald didn't have many friends with whom he could share his joy. Except for Mrs. Weber's family next door, other acquaintances and friends were all working at New World Productions and the "Rock of Ages" crew.
Ronald is a so-called "first-generation college student". Neither his father nor mother went to college. Neither did his aunt or uncle who has passed away. Ronald doesn't know about them further up.
If it is a normal American family, it is a very honorable thing to have a first-generation college student. Just like in China, it should be celebrated grandly. Last year, Ronald's classmates on the wrestling team invited him to a dinner celebration.
, and the parents also gave speeches, and it was quite grand anyway.
Ronald also wanted to share his joy with more people. He bought some gifts to give to others, some commemorative gadgets.
Early the next morning, Ronald ran to McDonald's and bargained with the store manager. He bought 100 family gift vouchers at a 20% discount and was given a large book of coupons as a gift.
Each gift voucher can be used to purchase a family amusement park package. It also comes with a small badge that can be worn.
Then he drove into New World Productions and gave a set to everyone he met. Although the price was not expensive, the family gift vouchers could get small toys that children liked, and the colleagues who received the gifts were still very happy. Ronald was also
Many congratulations and congratulations received.
Going upstairs and seeing Gale there, Ronald stepped forward quickly.
"This is a gift for you, Gail."
"Congratulations, Ronald." Gale congratulated him immediately when he saw him.
"You already know?" Ronald asked curiously.
"You already know?" Gale also asked at the same time.
"Who told you?" The two asked the same question at the same time.
"I received the admission notice from New York University," Ronald said, handing over a McDonald's gift certificate. "Thank you. Is Mr. Gale Coleman here? I want to thank him in person."
Gale laughed loudly, found an envelope from the drawer and handed it over, "So you have been admitted to college, and here is a surprise."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Ronald took the envelope and saw that it was from the American Directors Guild: "My application for membership?"
Gale nodded.
"Wow! Today is really my lucky day." Ronald's eyes were a little sore.
"Come here, Ronald." Gale gave him a big hug.
"Who's out there?" Roger Coleman asked from inside.
"It's Ronald."
"Oh, Ronald, please come in." Roger Coleman said happily.
"Mr. Coleman, thank you for helping me." Ronald entered the office and respectfully presented a set of 5 McDonald's children's park meals and a gift certificate co-branded with Disney. This set was specially chosen by him.
Yes, there were Disney character dolls. He knew Roger Corman had three children.
"I received an admission notice from the Department of Film and Television at New York University, and I'm here to thank you for the letter of recommendation you wrote for me, Mr. Coleman." Ronald said.
"And just now Gale told me about the Directors Guild's application. Thank you very much, Mr. Coleman."
Roger Coleman reached for the gift certificate and nodded.
"Congratulations, Ronald." He stood up and shook his hand.
Roger Coleman then said some words of congratulations and gave some advice on Ronald's college life.
Ronald saw that there were still many documents on the boss's desk, thanked him again and prepared to leave.
"By the way, Ronald, I'm a film professor at New York University. Martin Scorsese also made a movie for me. Have you seen his "Taxi Driver"? Say hello to him if you have a chance."
Ronald agreed, turned around and walked out of the office.
"What movie is Taxi Driver?" he asked Gail.
"Oh, directed by Martin Scorsese," Gale replied.
"Movies from 1976," Gale made a gun gesture with his hand, "Are you talking to me?"
Ronald shrugged and said he hadn't seen it.
"Um, what about '74's 'Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore'?" Gale a little despised Ronald's ignorance of Hollywood.
"I've seen this movie." Ronald remembered that he went to the movie theater on Staten Island with his Aunt Karen and cousin Donna. The movie theater there often showed outdated old movies.
This movie tells the story of a single-parent hotel waitress who works with her son while searching for her dream of a singing career and love. Aunt Karen was so moved by the scene that she was very excited to watch it, and she talked about it for several days.
good.
"Ellen Burstyn, who played a single mother, even won the Oscar for Best Actress."
It seems that this powerful director has also been very productive recently. I must contact him more and become familiar with him. Maybe I can join his crew. Ronald made up his mind.
Gale handed over the application from the Directors Guild and said, "Just fill it out here." Then he handed over a pen.
Ronald had never seen a pen of this shape before. It was black and he didn’t know what material it was made of. The pen clip on the pen cap was made of metal. Ronald tried to turn the pen cap away.
"It's pulled out, not turned around," Gail reminded.
"Thanks."
Ronald took out the pen and started to fill in the form. The pen wrote smoothly, filling in his name, date of birth, contact address, application level...
"By the way, people from the Directors Guild said that the name Ronald Lee is already used by five or six actors and producers. They suggest that you add your middle name or give it a stage name."
I said.
"Okay, I will." Ronald neatly wrote in the column of the registered name: Ronald V. Lee.
Americans generally sign only their initials in their middle names, and Ronald's driver's license and checks were signed this way.
"I still need the endorsement of three members of the Directors Guild. You should be able to find it, right?" Gale asked.
"I think so, thank you." Ronald thanked him again, took the application materials from the Directors Guild and went downstairs.
Find the editing room, knock on the door and enter. It happens that director Alan Aikush and Joe Dante are watching the mixed "Rock High School" sample. Ronald asked them to sign the certification letter and handed it to McDonald's
Gift certificates to tell them the good news that they are a first-generation college student.
I received a few more congratulations and hugs.
Allen and Joe also told Ronald that the mixing of the entire "Rock of Ages" film will be completed soon, and when it is sent to the MGM lab, several copies can be made, and a test run will be done in Los Angeles in April.
Show. He must come to see it then.
In April, it seems that I will come to the company more often to inquire about news.
After getting two letters of recommendation, Ronald got in the car and drove to the stunt company. Cameron was also a certified member, so the third letter of certification fell on him.