"You were not selected. Coppola gave the internship position paid by the Directors Guild to a relative of Warner Bros. executives. You have to understand him. Ronald Coppola's current financial situation is not good, and he hopes for this film

The movie turned around. It was impossible for him to refuse the request from Warner executives."

Ronald heard the bad news from his agent Niceta the next day, and he had no choice but to do the next best thing:

"Okay, I understand. Rick, can you help me contact Director Coppola? I want to ask him about the consistency of actors' performances in person. I will only delay him for half an hour. I know you can help him finalize it."

Coppola would agree to the distribution contract for the new film.

Can you help me? Think I owe you this once?"

"Hahaha", Niceta's serious face suddenly burst into laughter, "Although that position was not given to you, Coppola wants you to help on the set and be his special assistant. Because of financial constraints, he can only give it to you.

The minimum wage will have to be paid after the machine is started.

So he asked me to ask you. He knows that you have directed a feature film, and he is afraid that you will not accept such a low-paying position."

Ronald was overjoyed and said, "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you don't give it or I can give it to you."

As long as you can see up close how great directors deal with the issue of performance consistency, you can arrange it in any way. This is something you can't learn without spending money.

"This is the place of work, the peep show studio. Remember to help Tom Cruise and other CAA contracted actors." Niceta handed over a list.

The list of actors signed by CAA to audition was listed above. There were more than ten actors, and clients of Niceta and Paula were specially marked with asterisks.

Ronald happily accepted the job and came to the Peep Show Company's studio in Los Angeles to report the next day.

"Coppola is very busy today. He asked me to teach you how to use this new toy and then start filming the audition video."

The person speaking was Fred, the casting director who had worked with Coppola for ten years and was once responsible for the casting of The Godfather.

Ronald picked up a camera on the table. It had a black appearance and exquisite metal processing. On it was the Japanese manufacturer's logo "Sony", and below the logo were the words "betacam".

"It's made by the same manufacturer as the Walkman." Ronald thought to himself, picking up the machine and carrying it on his shoulder.

"The zoom of the lens is here, and here is the buckle for the microphone. After it is installed and right next to the lens, the sound pickup effect within five meters is very good."

"Here's the video button... Hey, have you ever used this little toy?" Fred, the audition director, couldn't help but wonder when he saw Ronald finding the video and stop buttons and deftly placing the viewfinder hood on his right eye.

Surprised.

"No, it's my first time using it, but its button design is the same as that of the video recorder, and it's also in a convenient position." Ronald put the betacam video recorder down from his shoulder.

"You can connect a tripod below, and you will be responsible for the audition for that position." Fred pointed to a corner of the studio, where there was a small "room" enclosed by wooden boards.

"Here are the video tapes. Each tape can record thirty minutes of images and sounds. There will be a red light warning near the end. Remember to change it. This is the audition log. Remember to write down the name and other information of each audition actor.

.

Then ask them to report their name, age, height, and which half of their face is more photogenic during the audition. Then you ask them some role-related questions. Here is a list of questions. By the way, actresses are not allowed to wear makeup."

"I see."

Ronald turned on the betacam, then sat across from the camera and began to say, "My name is Ronald Lee. I am twenty-two years old. I am six feet two inches tall. I don't know that half of my face is more photogenic."

The audition director Fred pressed the stop button and connected the camera to the TV. "My name is Ronald Lee..." The scene of Ronald filming himself just now was played on the TV.

"A camcorder?" This betacam can not only take pictures, but can also be connected to a TV for playback. It's a really good toy, but it's a bit too big and not suitable for taking out for fun. Although it is smaller than the current general-purpose cameras.

a lot of.

"How much does this thing cost?"

"It hasn't been officially launched yet. This is a sample given to Coppola by Sony Corporation of Japan."

Ronald set up a tripod and a camera in the temporary audition room surrounded by wooden boards. Then he laid the audition diary flat on the table, put a list of questions on it, and asked Fred, "How many auditions are there today?"

actor?"

"All actors in America under the age of thirty-five are here."

It seems that Director Coppola's appeal is still very strong. Although it only has a budget of less than 10 million, the size of the actors who came to audition is almost the same as that of Leon's 30 million US dollar masterpiece.

Sony's betacam still has a slight problem. Its three color channels are not symmetrical. The shots taken are slightly green, which is somewhat different from the colors in the real world, giving it a sci-fi feel.

"Please tell me your name, age, and height." Ronald turned on the video button and asked the first actress to audition to introduce herself.

"Kate Capshaw, I'm five feet seven inches, a little bit longer." The actress raised her hand to make a "a little bit" gesture.

Capshaw has golden curly hair and is probably close to thirty years old. She is trying her best to make herself look younger with playful moves. Looking at Ronald's smile, she knows that her little trick has been seen through, and she is embarrassed.

Laughed.

"What is the age range of the characters you can play?" Ronald knew that she deliberately did not mention her age, but he still had to ask clearly, so he used a less hurtful method.

"Ah, that's a very good question." Capshaw lowered his head sadly. He was over twenty-eight years old and had not yet had the opportunity to make a famous movie.

The heroine of "The Naughty Child" is only sixteen years old, but her agent still urged her to give it a try, "What if Coppola likes your look?" These were the agent's exact words.

She sorted out her emotions, then raised her head and said to Ronald behind the camera, "I think twenty..." She looked at Ronald's eyes and adjusted her answer, "Twenty-one...

..., twenty-one to...thirty? What do you think?"

Ronald felt that the actress was about to burst into tears, "Your answer is very good. Director Coppola will inform you after he has seen everyone's auditions."

"Next person……"

The actresses filmed their audition videos one by one. Just as the audition director said, actors under the age of thirty-five from all over Hollywood and Broadway came here. Ronald and another audition assistant were in charge of a video recorder, which was specially used to film actresses.

audition video.

There are two video cameras at the other end of the studio filming male actors' auditions.

"Hi, Ronald! Why are you here?"

Ronald looked up from behind the camera. This was an acquaintance he hadn't seen for a long time, the star of "Rock of Ages", PJ Soles.

"Hi, PJ. I'm working as an audition assistant for Director Coppola, will you come to audition too?"

Ronald couldn't help but marvel at the charm of director Coppola. P.J. Soles, already thirty-two years old, also joined in the fun to play a high school student.

"I'll just give it a try. Actually, I'm here with Dennis." Soles's husband, Dennis Quaid, is 28 years old, but he looks younger, so he might be able to play the role of the eldest brother of the protagonist Ma Zai.

"Okay, please introduce yourself to the camera." Ronald wrote PJ Soles's name on the audition log and asked another audition assistant to operate the camera.

"We're out of tape," Ronald reminded the audition assistant.

"How did you change this?"

Ronald picked up a blank video tape and helped him replace it. The two exchanged positions again.

"Next person……"

This time, a beautiful woman, a nationally renowned youth idol, walked in. The photography assistant stood stunned on the table without saying a word.

"My name is Brooke Shields, I'm sixteen years old and six feet tall."

"Hey? Brooke, you're here too." Ronald poked his head out from behind the camera.

"Hey, Ronald, is that your director? How did my mother say it was Francis Coppola?"

"I'm just his assistant." Ronald quickly denied, "Let's do it again, you say it to the camera."

Ronald went back ten seconds and started recording again.

"My name is Brooke Shields, I'm sixteen years old and six feet tall."

"Have you ever had the experience of... falling in love with someone?" The audition assistant saw that Brooke Shields was a little excited and stammered the audition question.

"Well, I have never really fallen in love with anyone, if you mean romantic love. But I love my mother, my classmates, and my fans.

You know, I've done 'Endless Love' and 'The Blue Lagoon', and I can also play a girl in love on screen."

"Okay, thank you. Director Brooke Coppola will watch the audition together and will notify your mother Terry at that time."

Ronald shook his head secretly. Although he didn't know why Coppola asked this question, the heroine "Cherry" in the novel was a girl in a relationship, and Brooke's audition did not show a relationship.

Brooke's acting skills have always been problematic, although her appearance is suitable for the role, and her fame will help market the movie. All she needs to do is dye her hair a reddish blonde.

"Do you know Brooke Shields? Can you get me an autographed photo?" The audition assistant smiled and came up to plead.

"You can ask her yourself, her mother is here too, and she is willing to do it to ordinary fans."

The audition assistant ran out.

"Next person……"

"Please introduce your name, age, and height..." Ronald looked at the chair from behind the camera, and then spoke the opening remarks of each audition semi-automatically.

A figure squeezed into the frame of the camera. He was quite tall, wearing a turtleneck sweater. His brown hair looked a bit blond in the camera's view. His shawl was loose, and he looked a little disheveled.

"My name is Helen Slater, I'm five feet eight inches tall and I'm eighteen years old."

Ronald smiled and asked the audition question, "Have you ever fallen in love with anyone?"

"Yeah, I feel love is the feeling at first sight, a kind of flame, a kind of lightning..." Helen said to the camera with her big blue eyes open.

Ronald felt that Helen seemed to be talking about love in an orthodox Shakespearean accent. Did she study drama at the Academy of Performing Arts?

"Okay, Director Coppola will have watched the audition video together, but I will notify your agent."

"Also, Helen, do you have any plans for lunch? Let's go have a cup of coffee?"

"Ronald?" Helen Lu covered her mouth with her hands and showed a surprised smile. Then she stared at Ronald with her big eyes and asked, "Are you asking me out?"
To be continued...