Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 1299: The True Strength of Movie King Nicholson

"Thank you, George, I'm grateful for your help with the visa issue..."

"Ah, hahahaha... This is also a contribution to our investment. Those visa officers have nothing to do and are messing around. They are interfering with America's appeal to the world's elite. It's really boring..."

Wang Ying, the director of "The Joy Luck Club", went to the film academy there to cast and spotted a student who was said to have great potential, and a famous actress from Xujiahui. Both of them have a common feature, that is, they have traditional Chinese faces and a classical aesthetic, which seems to be very suitable for the story of the movie.

However, when they applied for visas at the embassy and consulate after receiving the casting contract from the crew, they were rejected by the bureaucratic visa officers there. As a result, they were unable to come to America to film the scenes here.

The original production cost of this movie was not high. Going there to shoot the scenes here, or vice versa, would far exceed the cost.

Wang Ying was very confident in her casting vision and did not want to change the candidate, so she turned to Ronald for help.

Ronald was also furious. He called George Jr. and asked him to help solve the problem. Originally, this kind of thing could be accelerated by asking a congressman or at most a senator to write a letter. This time, the first lady wrote a formal letter, talking about the important role of this film in the culture of American liberal values, and asked them to consider visas for the two important actors.

After the letter from the White House reached the embassy, ​​the two actresses Xiao Yu and Lao Xi, who came for the second time, did not use the large stack of materials they had specially supplemented when they went back. The high-level consul personally talked to them about the "Last Emperor" and they got the special long-term visas for artists.

Both of them were a little confused, until they received an international long-distance call from Wang Ying, and then they realized that it was the result of Ronald's mediation. For a while, in the two units of the Film Academy and the People's Theater, rumors spread that Xiao Yu and Lao Xi's "cousin/nephew" was the godson of the President of America, and they all said that they were going there to enjoy a good life.

This time, the two of them took a flight to Los Angeles. After Ronald picked them up and asked Xiao Yan to arrange a translator and an assistant, he remembered to call George to thank him.

"Please also thank your mother Barbara for me. Her letter was very useful. It was not easy for the two actors to get artist visas this time, which is very beneficial to our filming..."

If it weren't for this special work visa, the two would not be recognized by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). The proportion of actors in this group cannot exceed a certain level, and a written statement is needed to explain why the union actors cannot achieve the desired effect...

"Ahahahaha, my mother likes to say recently that American liberal values ​​defeated the alliance. She now looks down on this behavior (refusal to apply for a visa for normal work)... I will convey your gratitude."

Ronald didn't expect Barbara to personally take action. In fact, it is now the primary stage of the presidential election, and the President's family should be busy.

But having dealt with the Gulf War and the breakup of the alliance, George Sr.'s latest public approval rating is as high as 89%... Even the biggest economic recession since the s has not shaken this.

Not only did no one from the Elephant Party challenge his re-election, but even his rival, the Donkey Party...

Several people who had posed serious challenges to Dukakis in the last primary, such as New York Governor Mario Cuomo and black civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, have refused to seek the nomination.

Another senator from Tennessee who was not old enough to run last time, Al Gore, also said that his child had a car accident and needed treatment, so he gave up the presidential election. However, what the media did not elaborate on was that his son's car accident actually happened in 1989.

The upcoming primary election will probably be just a formality for George Sr.

Unexpectedly, he ignored his campaign promise and increased taxes on the middle and wealthy voters. However, this major event that happens once in decades did not harm his re-election. He is truly a very lucky president.

……

"A Few Good Men" has already started filming, and Bob Reiner plans to finish filming Jack Nicholson's scenes first. His scenes are concentrated in the courtroom scene, and he is a famous Hollywood acting master. If the filming is delayed, Reiner is afraid that it will cause great mental pressure on the actor, and he has been thinking about acting with him...

Ronald also wanted to go to the scene to observe Nicholson's acting skills and see how big the gap was between him and ordinary actors.

Yang Yanzi came over and told him that two actresses from China heard that there was a Jack Nicholson movie and wanted to go and see it. Ronald saw that they were still very concerned about their professional ability, so he agreed to take them with him.

"Here are your credentials. When filming, you must stay outside the cordon and not make any noise that interferes with the filming. These two weeks are the time Ronald spent five million dollars signing. If the progress is affected, it will be a huge loss..."

When they arrived at the scene, Yang Yanzi explained the rules of Hollywood to Xiao Yu and Lao Xi. When they heard that they would be paid 5 million for two weeks of filming, per person, and in US dollars, they nodded their heads eagerly.

Hollywood capitalists are not as arbitrary as one might imagine. They don't just promote a star actor. From this perspective, these rules are normal. Otherwise, a day's delay would be a waste of $500,000, which is enough to make a movie in China.

"You calculated it wrong. Five hundred thousand is just Jack Nicholson's salary. The main star Tom Cruise's salary for the whole film is 12.5 million... And this is because Ronald gave him his first supporting role back then, so he paid him a friendship price out of respect for his old friend..."

Xiao Yu and Lao Xi were so frightened by the number that they dared not say a word and just watched obediently from the side.

"Hello everyone……"

Jack Nicholson arrived late and hadn't changed into his costume yet. But he had a good attitude and was not arrogant when reading the script with the actors, so everyone didn't dislike his personality.

"Hey, look, the producer has come to check if his investment is worth it..." Seeing Ronald on the scene, Jack Nicholson would definitely not miss the opportunity to make a joke.

"Listen to Bob here... I'm just a humble investor..." Ronald pointed at director Bob Reiner, indicating that his role was to watch the show.

On the set, there can only be one voice, and that is the director. Otherwise it will cause great chaos.

Ronald's respect for the director is also setting an example for everyone. From now on, no matter whether it is Nicholson or Cruise, or Demi Moore and a group of supporting actors who can also play the leading roles in other movies, Reiner must have the final say in matters of the play.

After waiting for a lot of things like setting up the lighting, measuring the focus, and moving the players, nearly two hours passed. Finally, everyone was in position. This was a court debate scene, and many shots needed to be shot repeatedly.

Bob Reiner knew the importance of this play, so he shot it with one camera, and the lighting had to be rearranged for each camera switch in order to achieve that carefully designed effect, integrating the light, the performance, and the opponent's reaction into one, giving the audience a sense of repetition and taking them on an emotional roller coaster.

……

"Colonel, you were aware of Santiago's letter, and you had a conference with the two longer serving soldiers, correct?"

Not only Xiao Yu and Lao Xi who were watching from a distance were nervous, but Ronald and director Reiner were also nervous, as were Tom Cruise and Demi Moore who were acting opposite Jack Nicholson.

This is the advantage and disadvantage of acting with an acting team. If your performance can compete with Jack Nicholson on the screen, then the audience will accept your acting skills as a big step forward.

If you can't catch the other person's reaction and are obviously weak, then it's better not to act with such an actor. Or find an actor who is not so good, or just play a supporting role without a long scene with him.

If the audience can see that you and capable actors are passable in a limited setting that can be obscured by the plot and the camera, then they can still say that although you are a star, you acted well.

So since Tom Cruise entered the industry, he has been acting opposite actors of the best actor level. It is hard to say whether this is right or wrong. Although his own acting skills are improving, he is overshadowed by his opponents. Even if he has wonderful performances, he is often suppressed by his opponents.

“Yes… … ”

Jack Nicholson only responded with one word, but it also put a lot of pressure on Cruise. Sometimes, actors really have aura, and he just doesn't say a word, which also puts pressure on the actor opposite.

"Cut!"

The word "stop" was not shouted by the director, but by Tom Cruise himself out of nervousness.

Ronald frowned, which showed that he was under a lot of pressure...

"I have to use this pickup microphone I brought with me. The one you are using won't work. I feel like it can't pick up the characteristics of my voice very well."

Tom Cruise waved his hand, and a man who looked like an assistant brought an instrument.

"Hey, hey..." Cruise patted the pickup.

Ronald saw a Scientology logo on the pickup...

The faces of the sound crew on the scene were all unhappy. Was this overstepping the boundaries? Everyone turned their eyes to Ronald.

Ronald didn't say anything, he went forward and picked up the crew's tape recorder, played it backwards and listened to it. There was nothing wrong with the live recording, he went over to discuss it with Reiner...

"Celebrities have their own microphones?" Xiao Yu and Lao Xi nodded silently. These Hollywood celebrities are real celebrities. We only complain about whether there is meat in the lunch box...

"Try this..." After discussing with the director, Ronald agreed to let Tom Cruise use his own recording equipment. On the one hand, it was because of his personal relationship with Scientology, and on the other hand, it was also because he was under pressure from Nicholson and wanted to do his best.

Anyway, he only uses this thing, and others can use the equipment of the crew, so everyone is satisfied.

I didn't expect that Cruise was persuaded by his ex-wife Mimi Rogers to believe in Scientology. Now Mimi Rogers has divorced him and betrayed Scientology. But Cruise believes in Scientology even more than his ex-wife...

……

"Colonel, why was Santiago…"

The filming resumes and the camera continues to focus on Tom Cruise.

After several attempts, he finally felt that his voice was clear enough. Stimulated by Nicholson, who was acting opposite him behind the camera, Cruise was now in great shape.

"Sometimes, good people fall into the hands of bad people..." Jack Nicholson cooperated with the filming wholeheartedly.

"But you said that all the people and things in the base are under your control. Nothing can happen without your consent. No one can touch Santiago without your consent, Colonel..." Tom Cruise was impressed by this 100% perfect supporting role. The stronger Nicholson's reaction, the stronger his reaction was stimulated.

An emotional Tom Cruise stepped forward, raised a finger, pointed at Jack Nicholson and started talking.

Bob Reiner's specially designed scene, the green of Nicholson's uniform, the dark blue of Cruise's uniform, and the blurred black and gold light in the background, formed a sharp contrast, making the dramatic conflict more and more intense.

The lighting of this scene is obviously inspired by the opening scene of "The Godfather". The light creates contours on the faces of the two protagonists. The light on Cruise's face gives him a positive character feel. Just like the lighting in Rembrandt's paintings, the outlines are clear, and the dark blue top and white shirt contrast with his face full of justice...

When the time comes to turn around and shoot Jack Nicholson's scenes, Ronald guessed that Director Reiner would ask for some top light to blur the focus and form a shadow area on Nicholson's face, and the image of a powerful villain would emerge...

"I want the truth!"

Tom Cruise's reaction was getting louder and louder, and it was about to reach its climax. His handsome face was a little distorted, and the image of a lawyer who was seeking justice for a cowardly soldier who did not violate the rules and died accidentally due to corporal punishment from his comrades because of cowardice emerged.

"You can't accept the truth!" Jack Nelson also exploded. His acting skills were obviously more refined, and the climax was still controlled. In addition to anger, there was also an inexplicable pride in his own actions on his face.

"This world needs men and women with guns to protect it. Who? You? Or you?"

Jack Nicholson's face showed a layer of disgust. These people would only deal with red tape. If they were not so tough on the cowardly deserters, how could they deal with the alliance and the Cubans in Guantanamo Bay?

"Cut!"

Director Bob Reiner's face showed satisfaction and a hint of regret. Jack Nicholson's performance in this scene was simply perfect. When the camera turns around to hit him, he may not explode to this extent...

Oh, if I had known earlier, I would have used two cameras. I would have sacrificed a little bit of the photography quality to capture this tense rivalry.

"Oh, a big star who gets five million dollars for two weeks also acts in person like this?" Xiao Yu and Lao Xi looked at each other and were both shocked.

Some so-called big names in China don’t have the best acting skills, and they put on airs a lot. They don’t necessarily do the scenes behind the camera themselves, especially when they’re acting with young actors, they either find someone to replace them or just do it perfunctorily…

No wonder he was able to earn $5 million in just two weeks. He really puts his life into acting. No actor in China can match the quality of his performance in this simple role. It is both lifelike and highly dramatic, with first-class tension and layering.

"Good fellow, why don't you take it easy?"

Ronald was also shocked. Is this for me? Are you afraid that I will come to supervise you, so you show your real ability? If I had known you could perform like this, how about letting Director Reiner shoot you first? You see, he also looks regretful over there.

"Jack, would you like to save some effort in acting? Director Reiner is very satisfied with your acting skills and is regretting not filming you..."

Ronald and Reiner chatted for a while, and he was the one who communicated with Nicholson. As a director, he couldn't say such words as asking people to hold back and not act too well.

"I'm fine, Ronald...just watch." Jack Nicholson looked very happy.

"You don't know, after I won the award, many movies invited me to play supporting roles. After I filmed Batman, many more movies asked me to play a supporting role, as if I was a mascot, and putting me in the movie would make it a box office hit.

What's wrong with you? I offered them a sky-high salary and they all agreed, hahahaha... I just went to the set to fool around. Anyway, those unlucky directors and producers can't tell what a good performance is...

But I feel very uncomfortable, I am a person who is addicted to acting. I am getting more and more disgusted when I am always asked to shoot those rubbish.

You really enjoyed making this movie, Tom also acted well, I haven't had such an enjoyable acting experience in a long time. Every time I act with him, I treat it as an enjoyable experience, you can rest assured, I am happier and better as I act more and more...

Few people who hire me to act know how to use me. You understand me best. With five million dollars, I can perform like this. You got a great bargain. Hahaha..."

After that, Reiner filmed several more takes, and Jack Nicholson's performance was indeed even better. Each time, there were some different treatments. What was particularly good was that his rhythm was always very accurate. If you use a stopwatch to record each of his lines, you will find that the rhythm is as accurate as a Swiss watch.

"Teacher Xi, do you think all Hollywood actors are so terrible? Are there any actors in our country who can reach such a level?" The more Xiao Yu watched, the more guilty he felt. Isn't the acting standard in Hollywood too high?

"Some old actors may be able to do this, such as Lan and Yu from your place, and Zhao and Shi from our place, but unfortunately they are too old and some are no longer with us..."

As Nicholson said, his performance was even better after the re-lighting. At the end of the day, the entire crew was impressed. The most difficult scene was solved so easily, and even Tom Cruise was inspired to give his best performance.

"I feel relieved now. I don't have to worry about anything when I go to Kansas to win awards." Ronald was also very satisfied with his casting. He was also very happy that the experienced director Bob Reiner repeatedly said that he was the best producer he had ever worked with. After saying goodbye to everyone, he went to win various Oscar-preliminary awards with the "Silence of the Lambs" crew.

(End of this chapter)