MTL - Exploiting Hollywood 1980-Chapter 89 The power of unions

  Chapter 89 The Power of the Union

"I am a representative of the International Cinematographers Union, and we received a call to report that you are spreading these powders that are harmful to human health on the set. According to our union's charter, you must now suspend filming until the test results confirm that the powder is harmful to human health. No harm to photographers, or until you stop using the powder."

   One morning a few days later, a man in a suit and leather shoes rushed into the shooting site with a glass bottle filled with some powder and announced the shutdown.

   "Hello, I am a representative of the Screen Actors Guild, and for the same reason, I announce that all union actors will temporarily suspend their work with immediate effect."

   After a while, the representatives of the Actors Guild who were resident on the set, after consulting with the representatives of the International Cinematographers Union, also announced a temporary strike of the actors.

   "What the **** is going on here?" Englishman Alan Parker, after closing the door, began roaring at producer David.

   "It's very simple, you were reported by the Americans in the photography team." David Da Silva is very calm, he has encountered many bad things about the union.

   "Your team of photographers is mainly English. Although the International Cinematographers Union is named "International", more than 80% of its members are American and Canadian, so their headquarters is registered in New York."

"The whole thing is very simple. The people in the union are not satisfied with the fact that you are not hiring local people, so they come to the door to make trouble by reporting the matter. As long as you are willing to hire more local union members, everything will be discussed. The sky didn't say anything, but it's just that the photographer's union has forced it to make a statement."

"How do I hire him? He belongs to the photographer's union. I hire other types of jobs, and he won't be satisfied. Camera crew electrician, push-pull operator, camera operator, assistant operator, follow focus operator, etc. 14 people, 10 of them from the British Isles and Europe, do you want me to fire some of them and hire locals?"

  David made a look that I meant it.

   "No, that won't work." Alan Parker thought for a moment and denied David's idea. Not only the camera crew, the sound crew, the lighting crew, the electrician crew, but many of the crew's technicians were all brought by Allen from the British Isles and Europe. If their teammates were fired for trade union reasons, the morale of the team would be high in the future. will be greatly affected.

   "Then what are you going to do?"

   "I discussed with the director of photography Michael, just use the multi-light method commonly used in America instead of using the powder and single light."

   Removed the charcoal stove and incense powder, and the director of photography, Michael Ceresin, began to direct the lighting team to put multiple lights on the scene.

  The representative of the International Cinematographers Union, seeing that the powder was removed, smiled and shook hands with the director and producer, "We will meet again."

   Representatives of the Actors Guild also announced the end of the temporary strike, and the crew can continue filming.

   In order to achieve the same effect, the director of photography added 4 lights to the lighting group, strong light on the front, and fill light on the side, which reluctantly reproduced the original dreamy and mysterious atmosphere.

The inevitable price of    is that the actors who are directly exposed to the light are hotter than before.

The female generals in the makeup and hairstyle groups were even more nervous than the previous filming. The flow rate and flow of sweat were greater than before. They had to be ready to go on makeup at any time. They would be scolded by the director for a long time. , I will be scolded by the director of photography if I wear it.

  Ronald was also busier than before. He didn't need any fragrance powder, and the electric fan was moved back to the filming site. But the noise is too loud and can't be turned on when the live radio is on. It can only be turned on during the shooting interval to cool down the actors.

  Ronald kept changing the ice pack with new ice cubes to ensure that the actor did not pass out on the spot.

The accident still happened. A female group dancer, wearing thick wool dance pantyhose, was very hygroscopic. In the airtight filming site, she was sweating profusely when the light illuminated the light. The sweat soaked the soles of her feet, and her dancing shoes were loose and slipped on the floor. Down, fortunately, it didn't cause any serious problems, just a fall.

   Ronald felt he couldn't go on any longer. Pulled over producer David Da Silva: "Meg Tilly broke her back because of an accident and gave up her ballet career. If it goes on like this, I'm afraid there will be an accident"

  David felt the same way, "Yeah, our insurance company representative will also stop the filming. I'll discuss with Alan, you come with me."

"No, absolutely not. Being famous is a story that happens in the fall. Entrance is the fall, and the rehearsal, performance, study, and graduation all take place in the fall. They have to wear autumn and winter thick wool dance socks to perform." Ellen Parker is absolutely unwilling to compromise for the authenticity of the film.

   "But if it goes on like this, the actors may be in danger, and the insurance company will not agree, they will stop your risky behavior."

   "Can't you install an air conditioner?" Ronald suggested in a low voice.

"No, the noise of commercially available air conditioners will affect the simultaneous recording, and the disturbance of the air conditioner to the airflow will also affect the stability of the camera lens capture. Unless it is the kind of central air conditioner built in the studio for shooting." David gave Luo Nader Cope.

   "Then can we switch to summer fabric dance clothes? At least let their legs wear cool and breathable thin tights, otherwise slipping is inevitable." Ronald made another suggestion.

"I understand your concern for the actors, Ronnie," Allen said, pointing to Ronald, "but the most important thing in movies is authenticity, and audiences don't buy the drama in the studio anymore. You have to go for the costumes. Authenticity. All of the costumes, I have the costume department wash three times and wash out those brand new colors before using them.”

   "If you wear summer fabrics in autumn, you will definitely wear them. Sometimes we have to take a little risk for the final effect of the movie."

   Ronald couldn't help but start to recall the fragment in the dream, how did it solve this problem? It's impossible to wear thick woolen tights that absorb moisture and release heat all the time, right? There must be a solution to this.

   "Huh, what's this?" Ronald recalled the scene in his dream where the dancers were wearing accessories woven from wool. Like a long sock, there is no part below the ankle, like a woolen sleeve that goes over the actor's ankle.

  The wool is not covered, and the wool fabric with large holes actually leaks air, so that the actors can dance in thin pantyhose made of summer fabrics, and the audience can feel that the story takes place in autumn.

   "Director, I have an idea for the costume department to try?" Ronald asked Allen for a costume assistant and went to experiment.

"In this way, cut off the part below the ankle, and then close it here." Ronald found the costume assistant who sewed the lucky T-shirt for the director last time, and found the woolen long socks in the clothing library and transformed them into the dream That woollen sleeve.

   "Yes, it's better to use an elastic band to close it here. If the wool falls to the heel below the ankle, it will easily slip, so I need to close it here and let it be fixed on the ankle."

   Ronald advises the costume assistant.

   "Do several sets, the short ones can only cover the ankles, the long ones can extend below the knees, and the longest ones can also be covered above the knees, so they look good."

   Ronald recalled that the woolen sleeves in his dream were long or short, and he also asked the clothing assistant to make three styles of long, medium and short according to the pattern.

   Holding the three types of woolen sets, Ronald rushed into the dance rehearsal room to shoot.

“These actors have been contracted by the crew, meet the minimum wage requirements of the Screen Actors Union, and have pay slips issued the previous week to testify. Under the Taft Hartley Act, they have been treated as temporary members with the same treatment as union members. .

   Therefore, according to the relevant regulations of the Screen Actors Guild, we can initiate a strike against Aaron Parker's continued filming without regard to the actor's health and a serious threat to the end of his artistic career. "

  Alan Parker still didn't listen to the opinions and continued shooting despite objections. The actor's emotions are very high. All ballet dancers are most afraid of being injured. The previous actor's slip made the actor unwilling to continue shooting.

  Although there is a little chance of becoming famous, but for this reason, she gave up her ballet career that she had been practicing for more than ten years. No girl would be so stupid.

   They found a trade union representative on site. After some negotiation, the trade union representative formally threatened Alan Parker with a strike.

  New York and Hollywood are the two most powerful places in the entertainment industry. The crew that started working here were all afraid of the threat of a strike from union representatives. Once the strike, it represents a huge loss of money. Generally reasonable, or slightly unreasonable requirements, the crew will yield.

   Continuing to film will be opposed by the Actors Guild. Going back to single-lamp fragrant powder lighting can solve the problem of sweating and slipping, which in turn will cause objections from the International Cinematographers Union.

  Alan Parker was at a loss, and began to seriously consider hiring a few more members of the local union's photography team to save money and avoid disaster.

   "Director, I have found a way to try." Ronald said to Alan Parker, holding up three pairs of woolen sleeves.

   "Antonia, go and change into the breathable thin dance tights you wear in summer."

When Antonia changed into the breathable dance socks and walked in front of him, Ronald knelt down on one knee, put Antonia's feet in soft-soled dance shoes on his knees, and put a long woolen sleeve on her .

   "Pin it here to prevent slippage." Ronald instructed the costume assistant to temporarily deal with the slippage of the following woolen sleeves, and if the director agreed, add elastic bands.

  Then Ronald lifted the sock up Antonia's calf, all the way up to her knee, "Tie it here too."

   "Then this foot" Ronald followed the other foot's wool cover.

  Ronald put down Antonia's feet, "Try it, will you be suffocated and sweaty?"

  Antonia turned around lightly, "I won't hold my breath, I can feel the wind blowing through the holes, much better than wool fabrics.

   "Director, do you think it's okay to handle it like this?"

   "Very good, I think it can express the feeling of autumn better."

   "Ooh", the girls thought that Antonia looked very good in this woolen set, so they rushed up to try it on.

   "What's the name of this woolen sleeve?" Antonia made a ballet pose, completely unobstructed. She was satisfied with the invention, tilted her head and asked Ronald.

   "This... is called a LegWarmer, right? The wool fabric looks warm."

   Recently, there have been a lot of things, and there have been more typos. If you find it, please point it out in the book review, thank you.

   (end of this chapter)