Chapter 338 Scorsese teaches the experience of working with stars
Holding Cher's contract in his hand, Ronald felt as if he had bought something from TV shopping. When he got the goods in the mail, he realized that the goods were not the right version.
It is impossible to terminate the contract, not to mention that in the dream, Cher is the protagonist, because of an incident in another movie, I have to terminate the contract with the actor of another movie, and I don't have the capital to be so willful.
But no matter what, you still have to prepare in advance. When celebrities become famous, it is very troublesome.
The drama between the actors of "Witches of East Town" is even more exciting than the story of the movie. If this kind of thing happens to your own crew, then... it's best not to happen.
Since Ronald started making films as a director, most of the actors he chose were newcomers who had just debuted. In exchange for a place in the industry, these people would basically try their best to do whatever he asked them to do.
But it seems that star actors who already have fame and status are not so easy to deal with.
For the sake of her acting career, Cher deliberately chose a role in a movie that would make her more famous. But in order for her to participate, the director and producer agreed to her in private, regardless of the roles they had already promised to others.
At the same time, they were afraid that the original actress Susan Sarandon would resign in anger if her role was snatched away. So they deliberately did not tell her and suddenly attacked her when the movie was turned on.
In this way, the schedule has been determined. Unless she admits that this schedule will be wasted, Sarandon has no choice but to play another female role.
He had no experience in how to deal with these stars, so Ronald wanted to talk to a director he knew well and learn the tricks of Hollywood.
Therefore, Ronald did not return to Los Angeles immediately. Instead, he came to New York and asked to see his teacher in college, Martin Scorsese.
Scorsese was revising the script in his studio and was very surprised to see Ronald.
"Why are you here, Ronald?"
"I have something to ask." Ronald handed the high-end red wine prepared by his agent to a lady, "Barbara, hello."
This woman is Scorsese's new wife, Barbara Fenner. She looks frail and bookish, but she is actually a strong woman and the producer of Scorsese's new film "The Color of Money."
"Hello, Ronald." Barbara accepted the red wine and prepared some coffee for them. She also sat down and wanted to participate in the conversation. Her voice was also very delicate.
"What script are you changing? Marty?" Ronald glanced at it and saw a person named "Mary Magdalene" on the paper.
"It's a movie I've been wanting to make for a long time. Fortunately, with the help of Barbara and CAA, we can start shooting soon."
"Oh, congratulations." Ronald had heard about this movie and it was Scorsese's favorite script.
"Nowadays, actors' salaries have increased dramatically. My original lead actor, Aidan Quinn, was postponed because I was filming 'The Color of Money', so he immediately increased his salary. I had no choice but to find a new actor."
"Celebrity salaries have increased dramatically recently. Everyone is jealous of the huge salary that Stallone received. Even Stallone can get so much, why can't I?"
"I can only choose him, Willem Dafoe." Scorsese took out a photo. It was the actor who played the villain in Diane's "Streets of Rage."
"Do you know him? How is his acting skills? Have you seen his performance on the set?" Scorsese saw that Ronald seemed to know Dafoe, so he asked Ronald.
"I have seen his performance on the set of 'Streets of Rage'. He is probably the only actor with acting skills. Stone, he was used in Oliver Stone's new movie, and he also asked me about it before filming started.
, you can give him a call."
"Marty..." Barbara winked at Scorsese, Ronald came to visit with something to do, so why did he just talk about his own affairs?
"Ronald and I have an old relationship. We don't need to be polite when talking to each other." Scorsese smiled and turned the topic back to Ronald's purpose. "What brings you here? He said on the phone that you have a problem.
Ask me."
"My new film has signed the heroine Cher. This is my first time directing a star actor. I have seen some not-so-good phenomena and am a little worried. I want to ask you how you should deal with big stars on the set.
"
"Hahaha, how could you have such an idea? I don't know how to deal with big stars." Scorsese laughed. After he got married again, he was much better than before, both physically and mentally.
"Didn't you cast Paul Newman for your last movie The Color of Money?"
"Paul is different." Barbara Finner interjected from the side.
"Yes, Paul Newman has the most professional ethics among stars, and he is also the one who pursues acting skills the most. So when dealing with him, just treat him as an actor who is popular with the audience.
If there is anything you should pay attention to, it is not to delve into his private parts. If your character has similarities with the star's own experience, you should be careful not to involve them in scenes that expose the star's privacy." Scorsese
Si talked generally about his experience working with Paul Newman.
Ronald was a little confused by this, "What do you mean Paul is different?" He turned to Barbara, the producer's wife. Maybe it would be better to ask a producer who has more dealings with stars.
.
"Ronald, you have made many movies. When you shoot a dialogue scene, when you use an over-the-shoulder camera to shoot front and back, the actor behind the camera who is talking to the actor you are filming needs to be present.
You're the one doing the acting yourself, right?"
"Yes, if the actor is not behind the camera and plays against the opponent actor who is filming the frontal shot, the other actor will not be able to enter the scene." Ronald didn't know why.
"Have you ever experienced a stand-in?"
"Of course, some high-profile actors, when arranging lighting and moving positions, will ask a stand-in of similar height and weight to take their place while they prepare for the role."
"It seems that you have never directed a real star. Generally, stars will not shoot a scene opposite another actor. When shooting an over-the-shoulder shot of a dialogue scene, the one who talks to the actor behind the camera is specially
Conversation stand-in.”
"Huh? Is this the case?"
Whether Ronald was working as a studio assistant or as an assistant director, he had never encountered a big star participating in a film.
Tom Cruise, the most famous actor I have ever worked with, would not use this so-called dialogue double on the set. Maybe Cruise is trying to sell himself a face, or maybe he is more dedicated to his work?
As for the filming of the second part of The Dragon King, Ralph Marzio and Noriyuki Morita, who were already stars, were a little afraid of themselves. After all, he made their debut in the first part, so they might not be the same.
How dare you do this on the set of Longwei Boy.
"Very common." Barbara nodded affirmatively.
"Did Paul Newman do the same thing in The Color of Money?" Ronald asked Scorsese.
"No, this is why I said that Paul is different. When he is behind the camera, he is very dedicated and personally cooperates with Tom Cruise who is filming the opposite scene. Of course, the reverse is also the case.
."
"So Paul Newman was a special case?"
"Do you remember that movie 'Hell's End' I showed you in college?" Scorsese told the story.
"Of course, it was a classic hard-boiled detective movie. A masterpiece from the sixties."
"Do you still remember that there was a scene in the movie where Robert Wagner, who played the bad guy, couldn't help but cry because the woman he loved was slandered by the detective played by Paul?"
"Crying, ah... I remember. Wagner's acting skills are good, and his true feelings are revealed." Ronald thought for a while, and this was the scene in the movie that he still remembered. Robert Wagner was obviously really crying, and his emotions were obvious in the close-up shot.
, it is definitely not fake crying replaced by eye drops.
"Do you know why he cried so much? Because Paul Newman was opposite him. Newman was already a big star at the time, and he was still behind the camera opposite the unknown Wagner, but he was moved to tears."
"Ah? What should I do if a real star performs this kind of dialogue scene and hires a stand-in to read the lines?" Ronald was worried. Does directing stars depend on luck? If someone like Paul Newman is very artistic,
Even if you pick up a good star?
However, looking at Cher's behavior of competing for roles on the set, she is definitely not a kind person like Newman.
"You probably have two ideas." Seeing Ronald's worried look, producer Barbara gave him some advice, "either to conquer them artistically and make the star feel that he can make a difference in art or star status with the help of the movie.
Breakthrough, they will condescend to shoot some important scenes themselves according to your request.
Either you accept the fact that the star will not star in the opposite role. Or you can find a dialogue stand-in with good acting skills so that the actor who plays the opposite role will not be unable to get into the role.
Or find an actor with excellent acting skills to play the supporting role of the star, the kind of actor who can give you the feeling you need when facing a puppet."
"It seems that I have to do both," Ronald thanked the Scorseses.
The first thing is to find a good casting director. The heroine Loretta has many opposite roles in the script, including her father, mother, fiancé Johnny, lover Ronnie, uncle and aunt, and the whole family.
All these require finding actors with strong abilities.
The second thing is to find a way to give Cher an impression. She will get a lot of benefits by participating in this movie.
If the box office can be satisfactory, or film critics can praise her performance, she can be paid higher for future films, receive better scripts, or be able to have more control over future crews.
In short, it is to make Cher feel that by temporarily giving up the privilege of playing a big name on the set of "Moonlight", she can play a bigger name on the set in the future.
After thinking of a countermeasure, Ronald called his agent Niceta.
"Hello, Ronald." Niceta was not in Hollywood. His secretary called him, and Niceta called Ronald back.
"It's me." Ronald told Niceta some of his thoughts and asked him to help recommend some actors with excellent acting skills. In addition, he also helped him think of some ideas to convince Cher.
"Your ideas are very good and very valuable. Ronald, you always surprise me. How long will you stay in New York? We can meet in New York or in Los Angeles. It's best to talk about this matter in person."
"Are you in New York? I have to wait for the release of Diane's new film "The Monster in Chinatown". I promised the leading actor Kurt Russell and the director John Carpenter."
"I'm in New York. After I finish my work here, I will go to your hotel to chat face to face in the evening. I will take you to meet those good actors on Broadway tomorrow. Broadway actors are the most suitable for the acting skills you need."
"Where are you now? How about I go find you." Ronald couldn't wait any longer.
"I'm helping a client of CAA solve a problem. He has a slight conflict with the distributor Orion due to the marketing promotion of his new film. I'm helping to solve it."