I tentatively called New World Production Company, and luckily I found Gale, the assistant to the president who was working overtime.
"Gail? It's great to hear your voice. I'm Ronald. I'm calling you from New York."
"Listen, I want to ask how the release of Rock High School is going? I found a great opportunity in New York with a target audience that is about to become available."
"There is a group of teenage viewers who regularly go to midnight theaters to watch exploitation films. The Rocky Horror Picture Show four years ago is about to be discontinued, and they are now looking for new late-night exploitation films."
"Mr. Coleman is... what? Mr. Coleman is coming to New York?"
"Yes, Mr. Ronnie Coleman will fly to New York tonight to discuss a big deal with CBS for movie broadcast rights tomorrow," Gale replied.
"Then I'll pick him up at the airport tomorrow morning and take him to the CBS building. How about we talk to him about this idea after he's done?"
"Okay, Mr. Coleman likes free cars the most, hahaha... I will tell him. His flight number is..."
"Here, Mr. Coleman." Ronald waited for Roger Coleman at the boarding gate. After the two hugged, Ronald took the luggage and walked to the parking lot.
Coleman was still in good spirits after a night of red-eye flights. The two chatted while walking.
"Mr. Coleman, should we go to the CBS building first?"
"Okay, I made an appointment with them to meet in the morning. I heard that Gale said you wanted to see me about film distribution?"
"Yes, Mr. Coleman. I saw an opportunity."
"I found an audience of teenagers. In major movie theaters in New York, many teenagers go to midnight shows. The public security in New York is not good now, and many parents don't want their children to go out and hang out at night, but they feel safe going to the movies.
"
"The main purpose of them going there is to have fun and date, and exploitation films suit their tastes. The Rocky Horror Show, an exploitation film, has been showing at midnight for 4 years. If High School of Rock and Roll could accumulate a million like The Rocky Horror Show,
If it attracts a loyal audience, it may be converted into a long-term screening."
"But let's wait until you finish talking to CBS and let's discuss it in detail. I heard Gale said that they want to buy the movie rights to New World?"
"You know, I asked Ron Howard to direct and star in a movie in 1977. It was called "Grand Theft Auto."
The president of CBS, Robert A. Daley, has adopted a new strategy and is buying the rights to broadcast youth movies on a large scale, and this time he is here to discuss the TV broadcast rights deal with them."
The car arrived at the Blackstone Building, where CBS is headquartered. As its name suggests, the building is a black rectangular building, quite regular and nothing fancy. Roger Corman got on the elevator, and Ronald waited alone downstairs in boredom.
A female host who often appears on CBS hurried out of the elevator, struggling with the zipper of her bag as she walked.
"Taxi! Taxi!" When she saw the taxi, she rushed out and dropped the interview book from her bag.
"Ma'am, your notebook." Ronald stepped forward to pick it up, ran to the taxi, and handed it to the female host who was already sitting in the car.
"Oh, thank you. I would be in trouble if I lost this notebook. All my interview informants are in it." She said she wanted to take out the money to thank Ronald.
Waving his hand to indicate no need, Ronald turned around and walked back to the hall to wait.
"You can see a lot of celebrities on TV in this building."
Roger Corman talked very quickly and came downstairs in an hour and a half.
"Ronald, find a place to celebrate, the deal is done."
"Why don't you go next to the apartment where I live? There are many restaurants there, not far from here."
The two came to a Ukrainian restaurant, ordered some affordable meals, and opened a bottle of ordinary table wine.
"For $1.1 million, the TV rights to grand theft auto belong to them. The luck you brought me, Ronnie boy. cheers!"
"Cheers!" Ronald clinked glasses with his former boss.
"This is the first television rights sold by New World, and I'm really happy about it. Do you have a phone at home? I have to call Ron Howard and tell him the good news."
"Lon? I'm Roger Corman. Great news, your grand theft auto was sold to CBS, yes, for $1.1 million, which means you get 7.5%, 82,500
Dollars, hahaha. Of course that also means my 92.5% is super fucking good news.”
"Ronnie, now let's talk about the midnight movie." After announcing the good news, Coleman began to talk to Ronald about the idea of "Rock and Roll" entering the New York movie theater at midnight.
Ronald told his former boss Coleman his observations and analysis.
"Your observation makes sense. Let me make some phone calls to ask."
Roger Corman took out his notebook and started calling the managers of major independent theaters in New York City. Many of New World's so-called own nationwide distribution networks were actually finalized on the phone on such a temporary basis.
"You're right, Ronald. The midnight show has been affected by the box office decline of The Rocky Horror Show. Now all major independent theaters are looking at new candidate films. I finalized with them and sent 10 copies to New York.
Let’s do a test screening to see the effect.”
Ronald remembered the previous phone call where Ron Howard got the score and asked Roger Coleman:
"Mr. Coleman, I discovered this market opportunity. Can I also enjoy the same sharing treatment as Lang?"
Roger Corman looked at him, smiled and asked:
"How much do you want?"
"This? I don't know the price, how can I raise it? But this should also be a test for Coleman." Ronald thought to himself.
Looking at Ron Howard's quotation, he is the director and starring, and gets 7.5%. So he has made a small contribution as a director, even if he gets 0.5% of the 3.25% director's share. This business opportunity he discovered should be worth it.
1.5% means a 2% share.
"I think I should be worth 3%." Ronald offered.
"This is impossible. Lang can get 7.5% because he has become a big star all over the United States because of "American Gracious Painting". Stars are the guarantee of box office, and he can bring investment and theater arrangement by directing and acting.
That’s why he can get 7.5%, and Ronald, you are just a nobody, you can’t get so much anyway.”
Ronald was actually very happy when he saw Coleman settling accounts and bargaining with him, which meant that Coleman was seriously considering giving him a share.
"So, I can leave you a 0.5% share. If the copy rental fee in New York exceeds $100,000, this share will be automatically activated.
"What if it's sold to a TV station?"
"Same proportion"
"1.5%"
"1%"
"make a deal."
Ronald hurriedly agreed, shook hands with Coleman, confirmed the cooperation in an old-fashioned way, and made his first film distribution business.
Roger Corman is flying back to Los Angeles this afternoon, and Ronald thinks he's working too hard.
Roger also feels that it may be time to retire:
"Spielberg and Lucas are using large production budgets to make B-level movies with themes like the New World. In the past twenty years, science fiction and horror themes have been my butter and bread. Because big movies
Studios will not produce these types of films so that they can survive in the new world market."
"But now that the audience has become accustomed to Star Wars, I have to increase the budget by US$2 million for the new film 'Battle of the Stars' in order to get a theatrical release. This is my biggest investment in many years." Roger said.
In the car, I really confided some of my thoughts.
Ronald didn't speak. He mainly listened to what Roger Coleman said. It seemed that his New World Company took a lot of effort to run.
"Jim is working on your "War of the Stars" crew. How is he doing? Mr. Coleman." After a while, Ronald couldn't help but ask about Cameron.
"Haha, he is a good guy. Like you, he knows that cost control is the basis for making money in movies. Last time he used McDonald's plates and trash cans to build a spaceship interior for me in one night, and it only cost 40 US dollars.
"
Ronald stopped talking again.
"What's wrong with you Ronnie? You seem to have something on your mind?"
"Ah, yes, Mr. Coleman. I am now working as a casting assistant on the set of MGM's 'Hot Lunch', and I am revising some scripts part-time. I always feel that although their budget is 8.5 million US dollars, it is far less than
It’s great to work for you in the New World and make a $200,000 movie.”
"I'm not just saying this in front of you, Mr. Coleman. In the new world, everyone is united and working hard for the movie. But in the studio crew, it feels like everyone is looking out for their own interests first.
Benefits. The director will scheming with the producer. The director of photography first buys the camera and then rents it to the crew. If you are dissatisfied, you say, this car also operates in the same way, so I can afford it."
"This is normal. All things in New World are decided by me personally. There is no middle management. But under the structure of a large company, from the company president, executive producer, project manager, to the crew, there are 4-5
layer. Agency problems inevitably arise here.
Many middle-level managers are thinking about their own interests, and directors and producers are not working solely for the box office. They can make a lot of money and develop their own personal relationships during the filming process."
"I really miss the atmosphere of the Rock and Roll High School crew. After I graduate, I still want to work for you."
"welcome any time."
After seeing off Roger Coleman, Ronald walked out of the airport.
"Hi, it's you again, young photographer."
Ronald heard someone calling him, and when he looked back, he saw the taxi driver with the same forehead whom he met when he first flew back to New York.
"Yeah, it's me again, are you here to pick up your daughter again?"
"No, I'm here to pick up guests this time. Do you want to take my car?"
"I drove here this time." Ronald shook the car keys in his hand.
"Honda Accord? Are you rich? Is portrait photography so profitable?
"No, I work for Alan Parker's crew as his driver and the crew's financial operations, you know."
"Ha, it seems that Allen likes you very much and will give you a chance to make extra money."
"He's asking me to change the script for him."
"That's no wonder, but you have to be careful. Alan Parker, this English guy, is a tyrant on the set, and he will do whatever it takes to get the effect of the film. My friend Brad Davis is the star of Midnight Express, and he was tormented by him.
He said that the director also did not allow the actor playing his cellmate to take a shower during the filming."