Chapter 316 Real-life fighting between global high-level executives
Ronald knew nothing about Tanin's little moves.
He and Niceta are currently busy preparing for the new film "Secret of Success" led by Universal President Frank Price.
In fact, this movie is not a purely commercial movie. It is a rare business war movie in Hollywood, but it mixes a lot of love between men and women and the plot of the little guy's counterattack.
In addition to the part adapted from Spielberg's personal experience, the climax of the movie is the acquisition of a large listed retail company and the process of counter-acquisition. This part attracted Ronald, and he found someone to do his homework and went to Wall Street for interviews.
It has attracted many fund managers and lawyers engaged in mergers and acquisitions.
In addition, what attracted Ronald was the ubiquitous sense of humor in the script. Including the scene where the executives were ignorant, ran and exercised on the rooftop of the building every day, and took a lot of dietary supplements, Ronald was attracted to
De couldn't help laughing.
In a large organization, no one knows who you are. You can pretend to be someone and participate in high-level meetings without being discovered. The core of the story also makes Ronald feel very real. Today's large enterprises often have tens of thousands of people.
With such a large scale, it is indeed possible for scammers to take advantage of this loophole and get in without being discovered.
"The so-called 'aunt' of the protagonist must be a coquettish middle-aged actress, otherwise the whole story will not be convincing. We can try the most popular Kim Basinger to see if she has the schedule and interest.
.
In addition, for the vase role that Helen wanted to play, I considered using the height difference between her and Fox to persuade her to give up. Oh, it’s really troublesome..."
Ronald is also a star director now, and most producers want to support him, so he can now enjoy many privileges that he could not enjoy before.
If you want an actress, just contact her. If you don’t want an actress, someone will help you.
"Here are the videos of the models you asked for. Which one do you like?" Niceta took out a lot of video tapes from a big box, put them into the machine and showed them to Ronald.
The beginning of "The Secret of Success" is the scene where the protagonist Brantley is shocked and eye-opening when he first comes to New York from rural Kansas.
Here is a shot of him seeing a row of fashion models taking street photos on Fifth Avenue, greeting them, but being ignored. It perfectly depicts the appearance of a country boy who first entered New York.
Ronald asked for real models to shoot, so Niceta contacted a modeling agency and found a group of fledgling models for him to choose from.
"This one is good. It looks very distinctive. It looks like a model." Ronald saw a good one.
"Paulina Porizkova, Czechoslovakian immigrant. You have good taste."
Ronald glanced at Niceta.
"I mean her swimsuit photo was on the cover of GQ magazine, so she is very famous."
The competition for female models working hard in the fashion industry may be more fierce than that of actresses in Hollywood. Therefore, being selected for this movie can greatly add points to their modeling career, so some models are willing to exchange themselves for a chance to appear.
It goes without saying.
It was not that Ronald had any prejudice, but he was afraid that the model he found was not beautiful enough and the opening scene was not powerful enough to shock the audience, so he insisted on choosing his own.
"This is not bad, very photogenic."
"Linda Evangelista is a Canadian model, but she has been spotted by Chanel. Signing her requires some skills and salary."
"Well, I think it's good. She can try it if she wants." Ronald thought this one also looked like a fashion model.
"Look at me." Niceta seemed to understand something.
"This is not bad, this mole looks very charming." Ronald finally took his fancy on a model with a mole at the corner of his mouth.
"Cindy Crawford, this is an authentic domestic product. Just signed with New York Elite Model Agency." Niceta found her name in the catalog.
"I think these are good ones. Please recommend the others."
"Okay..." Niceta hurriedly wrote down Ronald's choices. Except for Linda Evangelista, these three were not difficult to win.
For the remaining places, you can do favors yourself.
"Let's go to the Universal office and talk to Frank Price. Don't let him wait for us." Niceta looked at her watch. The next step was to go to Universal to report the results to the president.
One of the benefits of being a popular and blockbuster director is that you can find the best technical experts in Hollywood to cooperate with you.
Ronald has made two major blockbusters in a row and has been a hit, and now that the third one, "Dragon Boy 2" is about to be released, except for a few first-line stars, he can find almost anyone he wants to collaborate with.
This time, in addition to his choice of photography director, the art director was the famous Polly Platt.
She is the ex-wife of the famous director Peter Bogdanovich. During the filming of "The Last Picture Show", her husband Bogdanovich abandoned her and lived with the heroine Sybil Shepherd.
After she fell into trouble, Ronald's former boss Roger Coleman gave her a job so that she could get back on her feet and raise her children.
Polly Platt once served as the art director for the Oscar-winning film "A Mother and a Daughter" and also wrote the script for Brooke Shields' debut film "The Story of a Baby." Ronald had always wanted to work with this legendary art director.
Cooperation, this time finally got what we wanted.
In addition, for the soundtrack, he also named John Williams, the composer of the Star Wars, Jaws, and Superman series.
These people all have one characteristic. They are rare among technical experts, big names whose names are known to outsiders. Ronald also plans to ask Walter Murch to be his editor. In this way, he can get rid of the heavy editing work.
, just be a bystander and adviseer, maybe you can learn a few tricks from Mo Qi.
Niceta personally drove the cash cow to the Universal Studios office next to Universal Studios.
When Ronald took over this movie, his faction in CAA could fill in a lot of actors. Many supporting roles, such as the protagonist's uncle, Helen, if she doesn't play the vacant heroine, there are many important supporting roles.
For example, the protagonist's friend in the communication room, etc.
"Please wait a moment. Mr. Price is watching the preview. He was supposed to be waiting for you. There may be something delayed."
Frank Price's secretary was a middle-aged woman who had no pretensions like her boss. She treated Ronald with great respect and even made him the black tea that Ronald loved to drink.
"Okay, it doesn't matter. Mr. Price is the benefactor who helped me debut, so I should wait for him. I wonder what movie he was watching for a test screening? Is it convenient to reveal it?"
Ronald asked curiously.
"It's the new George Lucas movie. I originally wanted to see it. If it's good, I'll take my daughter to see it with me."
"Sorry to disturb your arrangements."
"Hahaha, Mr. Li, this is my job. I have never seen a big-name director with such no airs as you."
While drinking black tea and eating snacks, Ronald didn't expect it to be Lucas's new movie.
At that time, Diane Lane also auditioned, but unfortunately she couldn't really sing, so she lost to Leigh Thompson. If there are internal previews now, it seems that it will be released in August anyway.
It’s best not to collide with your own Top Gun and the sequel to The Kid. Lucas’ lightsaber is too sharp. His Star Wars and Indiana Jones series are really box-office harvesting tools.
Whoever touches it will die.
Fortunately, they were aiming at the center of the summer schedule, so there was not much competition with them. Presumably at the film ordering meeting in Las Vegas, Paramount and Universal were coordinating the release dates of several large-scale productions with high hopes.
of.
Looking at it this way, there is still a gap between myself and the truly big-name directors like Lucas and Spielberg. At least the Seventh Group would not dare to compete with them head-on on their own.
Fortunately, my friend Paul Hogan's "Crocodile Dundee" also avoided the limelight of his new film, and no one wanted to meet him head-on.
"By the way, what's the name of Lucas's new movie?" Ronald couldn't remember it. He also agreed to attend the premiere of Lucas in return for attending the premiere of Top Gun.
"It's called Howard the Duck. Don't forget when you meet Price later that this is their biggest project this year. A duck made by Lucas using special effects is an alien who came to earth and fell in love with a female rock star...
…”
"Yeah, thank you." Ronald quickly made up for the plot so that he wouldn't be unable to answer the question.
"Mr. Li, Mr. Niceta..." The secretary came over to call the two of them. Frank Price seemed to have finished watching the internal preview and was walking towards his office from the nearby screening room.
Next to him seemed to be another acquaintance of Ronald. In his debut novel "Fast-paced Richmond High", he had helped his Universal parent company, the senior leader of Gulf West, Sidney Sheinberg.
gentlemen.
Ronald straightened his clothes and tie. This time, two Universal commentators appeared together. He must maintain corresponding respect. If there were anyone else in the seven major studios, Ronald must listen carefully to what they said.
If so, then these two are undoubtedly the most important two.
"dxmn it! Who gave the green light in the first place?" Shenberg walked behind, his face under his gray hair looking downcast, and he cursed as he approached the office.
"Sidney, what do you mean? You were the one who strongly advocated winning over Lucas at the beginning." Frank Price was also in a bad mood, and the nasolabial folds on his face were getting deeper. When Heinberg heard
If so, he ignored Ronald waiting for him in the office and turned back to argue with Sheinberg.
"Me?" Shenberg's face darkened, and he pushed up his large square-framed glasses, "I just said that I should pay attention to win over Lucas, and I didn't directly give instructions to win this Howard the Duck."
"We have to catch him, Frank. He will be the most profitable producer and director in the next ten years. Don't you make the mistake of letting the aliens go in Colombia again... You don't admit what you said?"
Price's face turned gloomy.
The finished film of "Howard the Duck" is very poor. The protagonist is a duck who has always been a special effects model. The audience does not like this protagonist at all, and his character is not likeable.
The story of the whole movie is extremely confusing, and the sex scene between the heroine played by Lea Thompson and the duck was simply a disaster. Frank almost cried laughing at the scene.
Such a movie must be a catastrophe for Universal. With a production cost of nearly 40 million, plus the inevitable 20 million in publicity and distribution costs, it has basically been predicted that Universal's financial report this year will be very ugly.
Now at this stall, Sheinberg actually wants to shirk responsibility and say that he is the one who gave the green light?
"What do you mean, Frank? We're in a boat. If the movie sinks, we're both going to be dead."
"So you asked me to take the responsibility for the sinking of the Titanic? And then you escaped in a lifeboat?" Price also lost his temper and waved his fist at Sheinberg.
"Don't lose your mind. You are the president of Universal. Of course you are responsible for a movie with such a large investment."
"Okay, you really have the idea of letting me take the blame, you Jew! Traitor! Judas!"
"You have to calm down, Frank, take back what you said. I can pretend that I didn't hear you..." Shenberg also rolled up his sleeves... to show that he was no weakling.
"Ah..." Shenberg soon received a slap on the face.
"You old bastard..." He also punched out, but unfortunately missed.
"You Jew, you are all such bastards. When you encounter problems, you push it to others, and when encountering benefits, you take it yourself."
Ronald and Niceta looked on in shock. These are the two most powerful old men from Universal Company, one of the seven major Hollywood studios. Why are they staging a real-person fight?
"Come and help, Ronald, and Mr. Niceta." The middle-aged secretary saw the fight between his boss and his immediate superior and quickly called for help.
"Uh..." Ronald rushed forward and hugged Price who punched again. Niceta went to Rasenberg.
Frank Price was hugged by Ronald and could not reach Shenberg. He was so angry that he couldn't hit Shenberg with his fists, so he raised his leg and kicked Shenberg.
"Ouch!" Shenberg was hit in the thigh and hit Price in the face with a swinging punch.
"Quickly, separate them."
Ronald quickly hugged Price and pulled him away, "Calm down, Mr. Price, calm down!"
"Be careful, Mr. Sheinberg, don't let others see it." Niceta understood the thoughts of these executives better and started fighting on the spot. If this was seen and spread, it would become a laughing stock.
Unfortunately, the two people made too much noise and alarmed many senior managers and their secretaries in the office.
They went out to investigate one by one, and when they saw that it was two bosses who were doing it, they immediately shrank back in embarrassment, hoping to God that they would not be recognized by the two bosses.
"Calm down, I'll come back tomorrow." Shenberg calmed down first and walked to the elevator, ready to go back to his office.
"You have to calm down, Mr. Price." Ronald scratched his head, not knowing what to say.
"I'm very calm. These Jews from Eastern Europe are like snakes and scorpions, lying on America's body to suck blood. I'm sorry, Ronald, for causing trouble to you."
"No way? Mr. Sheinberg won't take out his anger on me, right?" Ronald thought, he's not so stingy, right?
"No," Price calmed down and shook his head, "Sheinberg is not so stingy. But after this incident, and Lucas's new film is destined to fail at the box office, I will leave immediately.
.The secret of this success is no longer under my care, and the person who takes over will most likely vent his anger on Sheinberg and embarrass you."
"I'm sorry," Frank Price simply started to sort out his things. He had no hope and was preparing to submit his resignation as soon as possible.
"Um...this...can't be right. If I make a good movie, it won't be a loss to him, right?"
"Do you think Sheinberg can continue to maintain his position of power in Gulf Western, the parent company of Universal, after this fiasco? He is right about one thing. It is very likely that he will leave with me this time. For
If he is not tied to me, he can do anything."
Ronald and Niceta looked at each other, what's going on?