"Ronald, welcome, we meet again." Jeff Katzenberg, Paramount's vice president of production, met Ronald who came with his agent in the office.
"Hello, Mr. Katzenberg." Ronald shook hands with him generously.
"I watched the very exciting narrative of 'The Dragon King'. I admit that when I was watching it, I felt it was a bit like the work of an old-school director. The character portrayal and the final action scene were all very exciting."
"Thank you." Ronald thought to himself. Sure enough, when he came to Paramount before, he didn't get this kind of treatment.
"Mr. Eisner happens to be out of Los Angeles. He called and asked you to come and have a chat when he gets back." Katzenberg took out a script and said, "This is the new film we are planning to shoot, the science fiction themed 'Out of Space'."
days(explorers)'.
I originally wanted to talk to you about this movie, but after watching ‘The Dragon King’, I feel that writing and directing it yourself might be more suitable for you. What do you think?”
"Mr. Katzenberg, I don't have any inspiration for the new script yet."
Katzenberg nodded and pushed the script of "Out of Heaven" over, "Then you should read this first. If you have new ideas in the future, you can come and talk to me at any time."
"Why do I feel like he has a much better attitude toward me?" Ronald walked out of the office and asked Niceta.
"A movie with a budget of one to two million is not the same thing as a movie with a budget of one to twenty million. Big studios need good directors, but can you control big stars and direct huge actors?
Whether the work team can produce the performance required by Hollywood needs to be examined.
Fortunately, you have proven it to them yourself, and you don’t need them to take the risk of asking you to make a trial film, and you have already graduated." Niceta explained to Ronald in the car.
"Jeff, how was the conversation with Ronald?" Paramount President Michael Eisner seemed to be very concerned about this matter. When he called back and talked to his subordinate Katzenberg, he specifically mentioned this matter.
thing.
"He is very nice and has a good impression of us. However, I don't think he is very passionate about his recent creations. Maybe he has just succeeded and needs some time."
"Very good, you give him the best conditions and wait until I come back to see what his wishes are. As long as he signs a film contract with Paramount in three months, it will be a good explanation to the board of directors.
"
…
"Ronald, I'm so glad you came." Ned Tanin, who was originally from Universal Group and is now the owner of an independent production company, warmly received Ronald.
"I asked, when are you going to give me a movie called 'The Dragon King'?" Tan Ning changed from his very tough attitude back then, to a director who is capable and has proven himself that he can also be a polite and virtuous corporal.
"If you have a chance, what movies are you working on recently?"
"Hey, it's the movie John Hughes wanted to make." Tanin asked the secretary to bring him coffee. "He wanted to make his 'Breakfast Club' last year. I asked him to make 'Sixteen Candles' first."
Hand, this year he clamored to bid, and I agreed. Anyway, the budget is not much, only one million US dollars."
Tanin watched Ronald holding up his coffee and felt a little helpless. It would have been great if Ronald had directed "Sixteen Candles" at that time. However, Hughes' directorial debut was met by his "Break Dance"
beat.
John Hughes is still not very good at portraying characters and shooting those very "heavy" performance scenes.
"He is a very good screenwriter. With this experience, he will definitely get better and better." Ronald replied casually.
"Well, there is another one, 'St. Elmo's Fire' written by your friend Cameron Crowe." Tanin also picked up the coffee, "Are you interested?"
"Cameron", Ronald saw Cameron Crowe, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, in that row of bungalow offices.
"Ronald", Crowe still had long hair, came up and hugged Ronald warmly.
"I watched your new movie, it's really, really..." Cameron Crowe looked at Ronald in front of him. The scene when the two of them were filming "Fast Pace" was right in front of him. Ronald could shoot it in the blink of an eye.
This is a blockbuster film that has been praised by many film critics.
"Haha, I heard Mr. Taning say that your new movie is also a youth movie?"
"Yes." Crowe took a script and handed it over with both hands. "This is my script. I think your opinion is very important."
"Of course, I will watch it. How are you and Nancy?" Ronald put away the script and started chatting with Crowe.
"Very good, we still live in the same place." Crowe was very happy that Ronald still treated him as a friend as before.
"Don't you think about directing it yourself?" Ronald quickly flipped through the script and saw that the pseudonym "Xiaohan" was written on the cover. It was really similar to the movie "Big Han" two years ago. It was a group drama with many stories.
The protagonist's love and work after graduating from college.
"I don't have experience yet, so this time I will stay on the set and learn from the director." Crowe looked at the other person. Ronald asked him to learn directing last time, but he didn't take it too seriously. If this time
If you have the chance, you can follow him and carefully study the directing skills."
"I can't promise you yet, Cameron," Ronald said to his old friend, "I want to contact more scripts before I make a decision."
"Of course, you can come and visit me often when you have time. I will be working here during this time."
…
"Tan Ning, why do you want to cooperate with this bastard?"
In the offices of Amblin Productions, Ronald met Robert Zemeckis. Zemeckis heard that Ronald and Tanin were talking about cooperating on the next film, and he complained about him.
"You may not know that our last movie was made pornographic by this bastard." Zemeckis took the "Back to the Future" script and handed it to Ronald. Look at the big villain.
His name was Biff Tanin."
"Ah ha ha ha ha..." Ronald opened the script and turned to the villain who bullied the protagonist Marty McFly, and sure enough, he was given the surname of Tanin.
It seems that no one can be offended by the screenwriter.
"The advice you gave is very good, Ronald. We have examined Eric Stoltz in detail. He has indeed made great progress. He is also very good in Peter Bogdanovich's crew. Peter has praised him many times.
He can perform very well even in a huge ugly headgear, and his Methodism is passable."
Zemeckis invited Ronald here this time, firstly to thank him for his pertinent evaluation of the actor.
"Look at his audition tape," Zemeckis took a tape and started playing it.
Ronald saw Stoltz wearing a black jacket with a confused look on his face.
"This is his performance suddenly going back to the 1950s." Zemeckis introduced to Ronald.
"This is very good. He has indeed made progress." Ronald commented as he looked at Stoltz on the screen. "The confused expression is very real, but the traces of his Methodism are heavier and a bit too heavy." Ronald
I thought to myself, of course it is not convenient to say this, Zemeckis has his own considerations.
"Your introduction is not wrong." Zemeckis greatly appreciated Ronald's vision in selecting actors, "So this time, I want to ask for your help."
"Who do you want to invite?" Ronald understood that Zemeckis wanted his help to find actors.
"We wanted to use Elizabeth Shue, your main character from 'The Kid', and she seemed perfect for the role of McFly's mother in the movie.
"She went back to Harvard to study. Didn't you contact her?" Ronald read the script and knew that Marty McFly's mother was not played by a middle-aged actor, but a young character. Marty traveled back to his fifties.
In the 1990s, I met my parents who were still in high school.
Such a girl needs a bit of classical temperament and considerable acting skills to be able to act like a high school student in the 1950s.
"That's why I want to ask you to help convince her." Zemeckis adjusted his glasses, "You know, we signed an agreement with Universal. If we can't finish filming within the stipulated time, they have the right to cancel the release.
Agreement. I can't wait until her spring break next year, but I really want Elizabeth to play."
"Oh." Ronald knew that sometimes, a director would like a certain actor and definitely want her to play a certain role. Perhaps Zemeckis also hopes to take advantage of Elizabeth Shue's current high popularity.
"She actually had a strong desire to go to school. My producer Weintraub asked her to participate in a marketing event, but she declined because she was busy with her studies."
"Hey," Zemeckis sighed. He was also rejected by Su for this reason.
"However, if you need an actor with girl-next-door temperament, I still have someone to choose from." Ronald thought of the actor who had better acting skills when he was filming the "Burger King" commercial...
"Lee Thompson," Ronald said her name, "is the one with Sue in that Burger King commercial."
"Oh? Really?" Zemeckis was surprised, how could Ronald have photographed so many young actors with good acting skills.
"That's her, that's her, call her agent!" After seeing the image of Lea Thompson, Zemeckis felt that Thompson's reaction was too good.
"Thank you, Ronald. If you come here more often, I will be here next time. Your judgment and training of young actors are really good."
"I will, I'm also very curious about the special effects of this movie." Ronald saw a lot of novel special effects descriptions in the script, and wanted to see how Zemeckis shot them.
"Why don't you take over another 'Young Sherlock Holmes' film produced by Steven, so that we can both direct a new drama here, wouldn't it be great fun?"
…
"Ronald, why do you want to make that kind of old-fashioned detective movie? It's an antique. Who still watches detective movies now, Mason Detective?" Weintraub heard that Zemeckis persuaded him to take over Spielber's job.
Ge's new film, "Hate the Iron But Not Steel" said a few words about Ronald.
"Your reputation is already very famous. When I went to Columbia, the producers and executives there were all talking about you. There is no need for you to work for Steven like a director who has never made a big production.
.”
Weintraub hinted at Spielberg's Jewish businessman style.
"I'm different from him. Although I always think about saving money, you know, I never point fingers at real artists."
Weintraub took out a piece of paper and said, "Look, this is the synopsis of the story I wrote yesterday. Let's strike while the iron is hot and make the second part of 'The Kid'."