Chapter 15: Go to College or Make a Movie?

"Two McFish burgers, please."

Catholics have the tradition of not eating meat on Fridays, which is why McDonald's, which mainly sells meat burgers, also invented fried cod burgers. Ronald doesn't eat often, and today he ran out of Big Mac coupons.

When I got home, I boiled a pot of water, took out a teabag, and made a large cup of black tea. I simply drink black tea and finish dinner quickly. Ronald sat at the table and stared.

Ronald applied to two public universities in New York. One is the State University of New York at Albany, and the other is the newly created City University of New York at Staten Island. The economy is in recession, and inflation is severe. Even if you get a diploma from a normal university, you might not be able to find a good job.

Ronald chose two affordable public universities. Aunt Karen is a resident of New York State and can enjoy a significant reduction in tuition. The accounting major I applied for is a type of job that all companies need. Even if the Great Depression hits again, I can still make a living sorting invoices and keeping track of the supermarket accounts.

In New York, in the northeastern United States, people often hear about Ivy League private schools, like Harvard, Yale, Columbia, etc.

The starting point of class separation in the United States is college, and Ronald also wanted to attend a prestigious school. There is no money or scholarships, and tuition fees at prestigious private schools are several times higher than those at public schools. SAT and high school scores are enough to qualify, but state-sponsored low-interest student loans are not available.

Hey, if I had no choice but to go to the Staten Island campus of the City University of New York, which had just been promoted from a community college (a college to a bachelor's degree), I would probably have to admire those prestigious school students for the rest of my life.

...

I joined a film company and worked as a temporary director for a day. At first, I just wanted to find a job in the industry so I could earn more money taking pictures.

However, the conversation with Gale about dreams and the feeling of having a final decision among a team of dozens of people at the end of the day ignited a wildfire in Ronald's heart.

...

In the film industry, only those with talent can make a lot of money. You must have talent, right?

Also, last night I had that strange dream. If you can dream of more future movies, you can film them in advance and make a lot of money, right?

Not necessarily.

Film is the most expensive art.

Unlike a novelist who can write for just a dollar on pencil and paper. If you want to be a painter, you only need to spend $100 on buying brushes, paints, and canvases, and you can start painting.

If you want to make a feature film that will premiere in theaters, the minimum requirement is $200,000.

Even a 10-minute short film like the one Jim made, which has no chance of being shown in theaters, costs more than $20,000.

To make a movie with a normal budget, I'm sorry... it starts at 3 million dollars.

...

Or erase the script and send it to the studio? Then be appreciated by the producer, become a director, make a masterpiece, marry Bai Fumei, and reach the top of life?

I'm afraid it's not that easy.

Not to mention other things, judging by my experience reading scripts for several months at New World Productions, many of the movies that will be filmed this year actually had their scripts written five years ago and are still sitting in the warehouses of the eight major studios. They have been hidden for more than ten years.

As a young person without successful jobs or connections, I'm afraid that if the script you write is sent to the eight major studios, it won't even pass the test of a critic like him.

...

Join a new world, gradually earn the appreciation of Roger Corman, and then be like Alan and Joe?

This path is also difficult.

This is no longer the era of major studios twenty years ago, where as long as you worked at a big studio and had talent and worked hard, you could get ahead. Write scripts for your company's stars, find directors from your company to shoot, and stay there for five or six years. You could rise to assistant director until you become a director and start filming your own movie with a budget of $3 million.

In today's Hollywood, everything is a free market. One finds their own investments, their own actors, and their own negotiations with distribution companies.

Before getting a ticket to enter the free market, just like Ellen and Joe, they have to earn the minimum wage of $200 per week stipulated by the union during filming, and their income will be cut by more than half when they are not filming. It takes five or six years to start shooting a small, low-cost production valued at $300,000. This is still in the hands of Roger Coleman, a kind and well-known man in the industry.

Not only that, in the New Hollywood movement of the last 10 years, the new generation of great directors that has emerged are all university graduates. George Lucas who made "Star Wars," Francis Coppola who made "The Godfather," Martin Scorsese who made "Taxi Driver"...

After graduating from high school, can I compete with graduates from these famous schools?

...

But thinking about it, it's not easy for me to enter the film industry.

How many handsome men and beautiful women want to enter this industry but can't find the door?

I accidentally stumbled upon New World Production and participated in the filming of the movie. You could say it's a lot of luck. At another time, I might not even pass the interview.

If you go to the City University of New York to study accounting for four years, you will likely become an accountant yourself. What was once a filmmaking dream can become a youthful memory, like Chris and Marla did.

...

Ronald held the cup and took a sip of black tea. The feeling of responding to everything on set came back to his mind.

Smiling bitterly, I began to enjoy remembering that moment. Anyone who has lived this decisive creative experience would probably want to relive it.

After going to college, you might find a stable job with an average income and then forget about making movies as a dream.

You can make a lot of money working hard in Hollywood, or you can remain poor, but whatever happens, one thing is certain: you will continue to be poor for several years.

How to choose between going to college and making movies? If only there were a way to get the best of both worlds.

If you get the best of both worlds... maybe it's not impossible.

...

"Ring ring ring ring..."

The phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, this is Ronald."

"Um, hi, I'm looking for Mr. Lee, he's a portrait photographer." A pleasant mezzo-soprano voice came through.

"I am, please call me Ronald, who are you?"

"Okay. Ronald, my friend recommended you, and you see, I called you several times this week, but no one answered, so I tried one last time tonight."

"I'm sorry, I've been working on a film crew since Thanksgiving, so I haven't been home during this time."

"So do you still help people take audition photos?"

"Yes, but I'll be filming on set next week until the 22nd."

"So you're busy before Christmas?"

"I should be free on the 23rd, and the morning of the 24th is fine. Everyone celebrates the holidays in the afternoon."

"Okay, I would like to ask you to take a series of audition photos. Let's take the 23rd."

"What's your name, please?"

"My name is Demi Gaines."

"Okay, do you want to update your audition photos or is this your first time?"

"First."

"Alright, do you want to shoot in black and white or color?" Ronald opened the drawer, took out a notebook, and began to take notes.

"Um, I don't know, what do you think?"

"It depends on whether the movie you want to audition for is in black and white or color. If you're just filming it and sending it to the casting director, then I recommend color."

"Okay, then color."

"Well, do you want to shoot outdoors or indoors? Oh, if it's your first time, you might consider indoors. Nowadays, more movies are shot in studios. If you're just starting out, you can use indoors and add more later if necessary."

"Oh, I hear you, you sound professional."

"Thank you. You can come to my house to shoot. I live in Venice Beach..."

"Wait a moment, Ronald. I'm a graphic model with an agent. I don't go to the photographer's house." The girl seemed very cautious.

"I completely understand. If you have a free photography studio, I can rent it at your house. If I rent a photography studio, I need to spend extra money. Or if you have a larger room at home, I can also bring lights and shoot at your place."

"That's great, my boyfriend's house in West Hollywood is huge."

"In general, when taking audition photos for the first time, I recommend taking two versions, one suitable for a drama and the other for a romantic comedy. The total cost for the two sets of photos is $50, including five 6X8 inch photos each version and negatives."

"Okay, it's settled."

"What's your phone number, Miss Gaines? I will contact you on Friday the 22nd to schedule the time and place for shooting."

"Oh, my phone number is 689-8425."

...

To my surprise, I received another order.

I have created a reading group. If you are interested, you can join the group.

Rock and Roll High School

869791240

End of chapter