Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 79 Law and Business

"Okay, that's it. If they still don't budge tomorrow, then I will take legal action and send them a lawyer's letter first."

On the phone with attorney Lindsay Dole for more than an hour, Alan Parker's actions are legally impeccable.The regulations of trade unions are respected by the law, and less than one-third of the revisions can be made without signature.

Of course, Ronald could argue that he was writing a more important plot, but that would require the writers union to intervene in arbitration.

It's back to the old Catch-22: You can't apply for arbitration for authorship disputes if you're not a member of the writers' union.To join the Screenwriters Guild, one needs to have the signature of the screenwriter of a screened film.

The two decided to go to court next.Attorney Lindsay Dorr, explained the preparation, evidence and witnesses required for the prosecution.

The lawyer lady said that there was little hope of winning, and that Ronald's most realistic goal was to force MGM to settle out of court.

This scandal of stealing scripts will be picked up by the gossip media when the movie is released. If the audience has a strong negative perception of it, it may force the studio to calm down.

For example, Fat Boy director Michael Cimino quarreled with Deerek Washburn, the screenwriter of "The Deer Hunter" in the previous paragraph.Fat Boy said that writer Dalek's first draft was so bad that he completely rewrote it himself.The screenwriter Dalek said that Fat Boy only modified a few dialogues, so he wanted to keep the script as his own.

The controversy broke out when "The Deer Hunter" was released, and the publisher Universal quickly reached an understanding with the screenwriters' union, and the screenwriter's signature was arbitrated to Dalek.

Ronald and Miss Lawyer also pinned their last hopes on a similar situation.

But the side effects of doing so are also great, Ronald is a little hesitant.Completely offend the director, the producer doesn't say anything.MGM will also add itself to the blacklist, and other major studios will also know their "brilliant deeds".

It is better to send a lawyer's letter first and see the other party's reaction.

If it can be resolved, it is better not to go to court.

"Ring, ring, ring..." The phone rang.

"Hello, I'm Ronald."

"Ronnie? I'm Roger Coleman. Gale told me about you. How did this happen?"

Ronald, who was thinking, received a call from Roger Coleman.

He told Roger Coleman the ins and outs of the whole thing, his general to the producer, his almost successful retaliation by the director, and the legal action he planned to take next.

"Are you really going to take legal action?"

"I'm still undecided. Both my lawyer and the opposing lawyer told me that the chances of winning the lawsuit are slim. I want to hope that the studio will make negative public comments when the movie is released and make them back down."

"Then what? You take the script you signed, and you are kicked out of the film industry forever? Lock the script in the bookcase at home? When you are old, tell your grandson that grandpa also had the opportunity to be The director made the film?"

"I appreciate your business eye for discovering midnight movies in New York. I'm a little disappointed in your plans to go to court, Ronnie. I thought you could find a better way."

"What should I do, Mr. Coleman?" Ronald immediately asked the other party.

"Let me tell you some common sense about lawyers, Ronnie."

"Lawyers make money not by winning or losing lawsuits, but by litigation. As long as you go to court, they make money. So under the same circumstances, they always tend to let you use legal means to solve the problem."

"But business people don't think like this, you know? Ten years after World War II, I made films for the American International Film Distribution Company. I never signed a contract with them. The two parties just shook hands. Even if it was agreed, we kept the promise afterwards. ,Do you know why?"

"Because the folk customs were simple back then?"

"Hahaha, of course not. Because at that time, the bosses who negotiated contracts were all self-made bosses, unlike professional managers now."

"Business cooperation is based on the mutual benefit of both parties. The role of a lawyer is to fix this mutually beneficial cooperation in the form of law. As long as the two parties still have mutual benefits, why change the original promise? In that slow-paced era, there are Without a single contract, there is no big difference."

"You are a business-minded person, and the idea of ​​Midnight Cinemas is very good. When encountering things in the future, don't just look at it from one angle."

"I see, Mr. Coleman, thank you." Ronald felt that his perspective was indeed somewhat limited.

"Confucius, a wise man in the East, once said that when looking at a problem, we must grasp the main contradiction."

"Back in Hollywood, in order to make Gone with the Wind, several opposing major film studios even joined forces to contribute their own movie stars and cooperate to complete this masterpiece. earn."

"As long as there is an expectation of increasing profits, the two parties in conflict will also bridge their differences. As long as there are common interests, there is no fear of the two parties not cooperating."

"Of course legal means are also very important, but they are mainly used to deal with untrustworthy scoundrels, or to reduce losses afterwards."

After hanging up the phone with Roger Corman, Ronald began to re-examine the issue of the script's attribution.

The reason why the producers and directors are unwilling to change the contract and sign for themselves.Nothing more than two reasons:
1. The value of your own script is not high enough to improve the final box office and artistic achievement of the film.

2 I don't have the backing of a union, and I have less trouble dealing with myself than I did with the original screenwriter, Christopher Gore, a union member.

Miss Lawyer Lindsay Dole's strategy has solved the second problem.Now the director Alan Parker is mainly stuck on himself, as long as he feels that his script can solve his artistic achievement problem and help him make a classic masterpiece...

Ronald took out the script again and read it carefully.

The problem is still with Doris.Director Alan Parker seemed to feel the contradictions of this character subconsciously, so he urged himself to modify it from time to time.

A shy singer who can't sing can't pass the entrance interview.Only an actor is likely to be admitted because of his looks and body.

Ronald loaded the typewriter with letter paper, started writing again, and changed the setting for Doris. It was no longer the singer Barbra Streisand Jr., but the undebuted actress Jane Fang Jr. Da.

During the admission interview, Doris couldn't perform the scheduled script, but her shy, shy and anxious appearance was very real, and her appearance and voice were very good.The interview teacher gave her a pending decision, and she was lucky enough to enter the performing arts college.

When watching the midnight show of "The Rocky Horror Show" with the Latin boy Ralph Garcia, Doris was infected by the enthusiasm of the audience, rushed to the stage, joined the performance, and the desire to perform finally broke through the shyness of obstacles, a real actor is born...

All the main scenes of Doris, interview, love, transformation, etc. have been modified.It wasn't until Ronald realized that it was already 4 o'clock in the morning.When I entered the state, I really couldn't remember the passage of time.

After being busy for most of the night, Ronald's total scene modification has far exceeded one-third, close to half.This is mainly because Doris, like CoCo, is a tie figure connecting multiple main characters.

The protagonists in the acting department are all driven by her plot.He fell in love with Ralph, a Latino boy, and was also a good friend with Ji's student Montgomery.

Ralph made his stand-up stand-up debut for the first time, and Doris called a lot of students to join him.The character of Montgomery was also able to come out publicly in acting class because of Doris' encouragement.

Ronald poured himself another small glass of whiskey and honey to soothe his weary nerves.

With this bomb, I am not afraid that director Allen will not appreciate it.In that case, he would turn to support himself, right?
However, I can't directly show the script to the director.

Allen played a trick today, took out his own script, rewrote two pages and replaced it.If you show it to him without finalizing the signature issue, then he will definitely repeat the same trick, take his own creativity, and then change some details, treating it as his own creation.

Ronald put down his glass and started rubbing his forehead again.Using the brain for a long time overloaded made his head a little swollen.

You can't let him see it in advance, but you have to let him recognize the value of his own creation, so that his film can be raised to a higher level in terms of art.How to do it?

Unless you find a middleman who also recognizes the artistic vision of the director, and there is no immediate conflict of interest with the two parties.

Ronald took out his address book and business card book, and started flipping through them one by one.

There are still too few people in the circle I know.

Roger Corman is far away in Los Angeles, and Alan Parker doesn't necessarily approve of his exploitation film mogul's artistic vision.

Erin from the Stella Adler Center, she is just an acting coach, and her opinions are not authoritative.

If only I knew an Oscar best director.

Michael Cimino's fat boy's face jumped out.

Forget it, Ronald waved his hand and drove away the image of the fat boy.Just ask Julia Taylor from Casting Studios tomorrow.

Unlike Margery, she no longer works on "Hot Lunch."And she is much older than Margaery, maybe the director will believe her vision.

By the way, speaking of hot lunches, is that snapshot of the adult movie poster still there?Ronald found a snapshot taken by Antonia, which was also a weapon that could be used.

This adult film of the same name will definitely drag down the box office of the film. If the producer is told, he should change the name of the film to increase the box office.

It's still the problem of the middleman. If you say it directly, the card will be invalid, but if you don't say it, the producer will not believe it.

Where to find a middleman that both parties can trust?
Ronald fell asleep thinking about it.

　During the National Day period, the monthly pass is doubled. Please ask for the monthly pass, thank you.

　
(End of this chapter)