Exploiting Hollywood 1980.

Chapter 180 A zero is missing from the check
"Richard, it's nice to see you again." Ronald met his agent Richard Lovett who came to see him in a hotel in Los Angeles.As soon as he got off the plane and checked into the Holiday Inn, his agent Richard came to visit him. This efficiency made Ronald very satisfied.

"This is my new business card. CAA has uniformly changed the style of the business card. Take a look." Richard handed over a brand new business card.

Ronald took a look. On the front was Richard Lovett's name, and the title below was replaced with "Literary And Talent Agent".

"I remember that in your CAA, it turns out that the actor's agent comes first, and the literature comes after (Talent And Literary Agency)?"

"Yes, Mr. Ovitz's new strategy of using screenwriters to open the way, and then selling directors and stars in a package has been a great success. Now the name of CAA has also been changed to put literary agents first."

"Great thing! Whether it's for me or for you." Ronald was very happy.

"Yes, we can go to Columbia Pictures to sign the contract today and get your check." Richard said with a smile.

Ronald likes the attitude of his agent who is eager for customers, and he doesn't have any pressure to get along with Richard. He is very good at understanding the thoughts of customers, and always speaks out the questions he wants to ask first. Answer.

Different from Ovitz's professional attitude, which is always serious, restrained and slightly aggressive, which makes people unable to relax, Richard is more like a friend.

"You also have offices in London and Rome?" Ronald found a new label "New York·London·Rome" under the name of CAA company.

"That was Mr. Ovitz's idea. In fact, we only have partners' offices in London and Rome, but we have a permanent agent in New York."

"Global layout, huh?" Ronald joked.

"Yes, with a global perspective. Mr. Ovitz often said that a real star can only be considered a star if he is well-known to a global audience. Therefore, our agent must also be based on the world." Richard Lovett said with a smile.

"We can go to Columbia Pictures to get a check in the afternoon. If you want to take a day off, you should go today."

"I follow your arrangement."

The two took a short rest and came to the office of Columbia Pictures in the afternoon. Ronald met the producer under President Frank Price, a die-hard who followed him to the film industry from the TV station.

"Mr. Li, this is the contract for Columbia Pictures to purchase the 12-month option of your script 'My Brother's Protector', please sign here." The producer pointed to the place where the signature was signed, "After signing this check You can take it."

Ronald glanced at it. It was a light blue cash check from the Bank of America, with the signature of President Frank Price underneath it, and it was written to Ronald Lee, and the amount was $35.

Missing a zero?

Ronald and Richard Lovett looked at each other and found that the other was also a little confused.

Take another look at the uppercase numbers on the check, Thirty Five Thousand Dollars And 00 Cents.
It was indeed thirty-five thousand dollars, not the promised $35.

what happened?

The producer seemed unaware of all this, with a professional fake smile hanging on his face, "If you have any doubts, you can call Mr. Ovitz for consultation."

"Thank you. Can you?" Ronald asked if he could take the script contract and study it. "I need to discuss it with my lawyer."

The producer raised his hand from the contract, indicating that he could take it.

From this sudden attack without informing himself of the signing details, Ronald intuitively sensed a hint of danger.Just like the battle for the authorship of the famous script last time, there may be some conspiracy waiting for him.

Be careful before signing.

Ronald's first call was to attorney Lindsay Dole in New York. She was out of the office and left a message for Rebecca at the front desk to ask the attorney lady to call back.

The second call was to Michael Ovitz.

"Mr. Ovitz, I got a script purchase contract at Columbia Pictures, which seems to be different from what I thought...Richard didn't know the reason for the change. . . It’s only one-tenth of the original price.”

"Ah, the twelve-month script first option, that's standard practice in the industry. Richard's a rookie out of the mailroom, and he hasn't been exposed to script contracts.

In fact, not many CAA have been in contact with script contracts.Let's put it this way, the studio will not buy the property rights of the script until the day before the filming starts.

They all pay about 10% of the price to buy a pre-emptive option.Then pay in full the day before the shoot starts. "

"This is new information for me too, do you mind if I consult my lawyer?"

"This is my negligence, Ronald. I forgot that you are also a novice screenwriter. Your script and serious attitude towards work made me forget that this is your debut." Ovitz apologized repeatedly.

"Of course I have no objection. In fact, I suggest you do so. You can ask Richard to send you to the CAA office, and we can figure this out together."

Holding the contract, Ronald went back to the hotel first, asked Richard to wait in the room, went to the business center to fax the contract to the law firm in New York, and connected with the lawyer lady.

"This is indeed a common practice in Hollywood, Ronald. Since I took you as a client in the entertainment industry, many other people in the industry have also sought me out for consultation. I have read a lot of related contracts. The contract you faxed, There is no legal problem. But whether there is a specific business problem, I can't answer you."

Then call Eddie Cohen, an advertising agent in New York.

"Usually, there is no problem with this kind of contract, but your matter has been announced to the media, and several major studios are bidding for your script. In this case, the possibility of Columbia buying the script in one go bigger.

But it is not impossible to buy options first.I can't say no, Ronnie.

If you feel that there is a problem, you have to think about it. Is there anything unusual in the past two days? Who is on your side?Who is likely to sacrifice your interests?I don't believe in any so-called 'coincidence'. "

Eddie was not familiar with the situation, but his words opened Ronald's mind.

I am just a small screenwriter, ignorant of the ubiquitous traps in Hollywood.It is like a person navigating through the fog, knowing that there is a storm in the distance, but not knowing in which direction.

I lack the information I need to make a decision, and I also lack the time to think before making a decision.If you make the wrong decision, you may not only lose money, but also lose a valuable opportunity to participate in a big-budget movie.

Those who can rely on are those who are in the same boat as themselves.First of all, you have to figure out who has the same interests as you, and who will sacrifice yourself for the greater good.

His main agent, Richard Lovett, is undoubtedly on the same boat.He has no other customers but himself, and his check is missing a zero, and his is also missing a zero.

But Ovitz is not necessarily the case. He has many stars under his command. If anyone's interests need to be prioritized in this project, it is not impossible to sacrifice himself.

So who is this person who needs to be prioritized?
Ronald returned to the room and pulled Richard to analyze it together.

"Ronald, this was an oversight on my part, I didn't expect Columbia to offer a right of first refusal contract."

Ronald waved his hand to stop Richard who wanted to criticize himself.

"I believe you, we have the same interests, there must be something going on somewhere that we don't know about."

"Thank you for your trust, Ronald." Richard rubbed his hands and sat down. Just now Ronald left him alone in the room and didn't let him participate in the communication with the lawyer. It seemed that he was also a little uncomfortable.

"What has Jane Fonda been up to lately?"

"She was exempted from filming and joined the crew of 'Golden Pond'." Richard's eyes flashed, apparently also thinking of the possibility of a conflict of interest.

"Is there anything new about the 'My Brother's Protector' project recently? I mean anything other than the New York Times report."

"Progress?" agent Richard was lost in thought. "Ms. Fonda went to New Hampshire to film Golden Pond. Her co-producer Bruce Gilbert went there after we finalized the director."

"Director candidate?"

"Yes, that's James Bridges, who worked with Jane Fonda on 'Hua Guo Syndrome', and his new film 'Urban Cowboy' not only did well at the box office, but was also critically Home sought after.

Bridges is the new hot thing in Hollywood right now, with every studio wanting him to direct new films.And he..."

"What's wrong with him?" Ronald saw a look of anger on Richard's face, which was rare in him who was always hardworking and polite.

"Fuck, now Lapke is after him."

Agent Richard Lovett got himself a glass of tap water and drank half of it in one gulp.Then sat down with Ronald and talked about what the problem might be.

Not long after Richard graduated from college, he joined CAA. He worked in the mail room, where the elimination rate was high, the salary was low, and the work intensity was high. Unless he was picked up by a formal agent, he would have to hang out there for a year or two. .

Jack Rapke (Jack Rapke), the official agent who jumped over from William Morris, approached Richard, hoping that he could read the script to himself every weekend, and then write the synopsis of the plot, so that he could get rid of the burden of reading. Freed from script work, spend more energy on clients.

Richard conscientiously and responsibly helped him read the script, and the summaries he compiled were of high quality. Lapke asked him to read more and more every weekend. graduate.

But Lapke reneged, and he jumped in line to promote another celebrity relative with industry connections, leaving Richard in the mailroom.The next Monday morning Richard threw the script back to Lapke to read it himself.

"I said to him at the time, you broke your promise, I don't trust you anymore, so our deal is cancelled, and you can read the script yourself in the future. I read a few more for Rick Nisita, one of your agents. Months of scripts before I graduated from the mailroom."

"So Lapke wanted to sign Director Bridges, but why did he mess with my contract?" Ronald vaguely thought of the key, but there was always a little fog shrouded in it. , Colombia is impossible to film."

Richard said word by word, "Director Bridges also started as a screenwriter and wrote the script for 'Hitchcock One Hour' before."

Ronald turned his head sharply and stared at Richard, "How dare they do this?"

"I'm afraid so. Remember, Ronald, your name never appeared in that New York Times story."

(End of this chapter)