"Ronald, you surprised me." Lindsay looked at the Woody Allen evaluation of the script that Ronald gave him. "I didn't expect you to have this trick. I think the director can also switch this time." position."
"Do you think so too? Then let's go negotiate with them right away. The other party's lawyer said that they will leave the set at 5pm today."
Lindsay looked at the clock on the wall, 12:30. "Okay, we'll leave right away."
"David, this is my lawyer, Miss Lindsay Dole. Please find the director and lawyer Mickey Kanter, and we will resolve this matter this afternoon."
Ronald introduced the lawyer lady to the producer and asked for a meeting.
David da Silva looked at him for a long time, "I hope nothing unexpected will happen to me again this time." Then he told his assistant to ask for the director and lawyer.
Wait until director Allen and attorney Mickey Kanter are seated. Ronald introduced Miss Lawyer to them again.
"Let's get to the point, shall we? What's your client's attitude?" Mickey looked up and down at Lindsey Dole again with his gray eyes.
"My client wishes to communicate alone with director Alan Parker for five minutes." Lindsay made the first motion.
"What the hell are you doing?" the producer fumed.
"It was just a private communication. I guarantee that he will only have a positive impact on solving the problem today." Ronald said.
The producer and Mickey's lawyer whispered a few words and said to Ronald: "Okay, we'll give you five minutes and hope you won't do any more tricks."
"And you, Lawyer Dole"
Ronald nodded to the lawyer lady, and she also left her seat and went out with the other party.
"Tell me what you want, Ronald. If you think $3,000 is not enough, I can give you more." Director Parker said.
"I rewrote the Doris plot, and this is the conclusion I asked someone to evaluate." Ronald handed over a copy of Woody Allen's note.
"What's this?"
Allen looked suspiciously.
"Director Woody Allen commented on the plot of Doris I wrote."
"Do you know Woody?" The director was a little surprised.
Ronald shrugged, "I'm not exactly new to Hollywood."
"Is this true? You really found a solution to Doris's problem?"
After reading the note, Allen was still a little skeptical.
"This is the evaluation director Woody Allen gave after reading my script. He cast Julia. If you don't believe it, you can call and ask."
Allen stood up and went out to make a phone call.
The producer and lawyer Mickey outside were a little surprised when they saw Alan go out to make a phone call soon, so they returned to the room and asked Ronald what he had done.
"Alan is just going to confirm one thing. We just have to wait patiently."
After a while, Director Allen returned to the conference room.
"Ronald, I talked to Julia, and she also thought well of your script. Tell me, what do you want?"
"I just want what I deserve." Ronald wanted to continue answering, but was stopped by the lawyer.
"This is Lindsay Dole, the attorney representing Mr. Ronald Lee. I think now we can talk about the details of the contract."
Attorney Lindsay Dole handed Mickey Kanter a draft contract. Lawyer Mickey opened it and looked through it.
"Also, I have a picture here that can help this movie solve a major box office problem. If you are willing to sign a contract with me, I can tell you right away, David."
Ronald took out another envelope and waved it to the producer.
"What do you mean? What are the hidden dangers of the movie?"
"I can't tell you now, you can choose not to believe it, David." He said and put the envelope away.
The producer and director exchanged glances.
"I have no objection to Ronald signing the script." The director nodded.
"He can co-sign as 'script'. 'Story' is attributed to the original author, Christopher Gore." I went to call him. The producer got up and walked away.
After a while, producer Da Silva returned to the conference room and nodded to Lawyer Mickey that it was done.
"So he was prepared." Ronald thought to himself.
Mickey handed over a piece of paper, "My client agrees to let the nun's client sign the script of 'Hot Lunch' in the following form:"
Ronald and the lawyer lady took a look and found two lines of words on it.
Story: Christopher Gore
Screenplay: Christopher Gore & Ronald Lee
Attorney Lindsay Dole took a look, crossed out the &, and re-penciled "and"
"In the handbook of the Screenwriters Guild, it is clearly stipulated that if two screenwriters are connected by &, they belong to the same team. If they are connected by and, they are independent revisions. Our client obviously belongs to the latter, which can better reflect his screenwriting ability. .”
Mickey Kanter took back the piece of paper, "We have no objection."
"It seems like a deliberate trap?" Ronald and the lawyer lady looked at each other.
"Your client has the right to sign the script, but does not have the right to receive screenwriting awards, including Oscar nominations." Mickey Kanter then proposed the next clause.
"Since our client has one of the signatures of the 'script', he should have corresponding rights when the film is nominated for a screenwriting award."
"No, Ronald, the condition for Christopher to accept the contract modification is that if he wins an award, he must have the exclusive honor of going on stage to receive the award." Producer Da Silva interjected.
"This is not in compliance with industry practices and union regulations." The lawyer protested.
Mickey Kanter watched the two sides arguing and said, "Well, Ronald Lee has the right to sign the script. If he is nominated for an award, his name will be mentioned in the communiqué, but the crew will not provide him with an invitation to attend the award ceremony. Letter. If he wins, he is not allowed to go on stage to receive the award, so Christopher can still enjoy the honor alone."
"I want to make a phone call to confirm. In principle, there is no problem." The producer went out to make another call.
"Your client voluntarily gives up any cash remuneration and any subsequent derivatives..."
"Wait a minute," Lindsay interrupted Mitch, "my client received a contract quotation of $3,000."
"That was the script doctor's offer, and your client has given up."
"No, our client was additionally recognized by the director and given his signature based on the excellence of the completed work. The quotation contract should still be regarded as valid."
Mickey and the producer looked at each other and said, "We can agree to it for $3,000."
"No, according to industry regulations, the price of modifying a script should be equivalent to the acquisition price of the script, or 10 times the script option."
"Your client is not a member of the Writers Guild."
"But this does not affect the results of his work. Authoritative directors and screenwriters in the industry have affirmed that his work is excellent."
The lawyer lady was calculating Ronald's income with the other party's lawyer.
Ronald's mind had already turned to other places. He was happy that he could sign the script and then join the Writers Guild by virtue of it.
Director Allen has bright eyes and is waiting to see the updated script after the negotiations are over.
The producer walked in from the door and confirmed with Mickey that the original author Christopher agreed to the arrangement of winning the award. He looked slightly distraught, and perhaps a little bit at a financial loss.
"$40,000 is impossible," Mickey's lawyer vetoed.
"You can make a counter-offer," Lindsay said.
Mickey whispered a few words to the producer, wrote a number on a piece of paper, and handed it to the lawyer.
"It's $5,000." Lindsay opened the paper and gave Ronald a look, then whispered in his ear: "I suggest rejecting it."
Ronald nodded.
"We believe that Woody Allen's excellent script should be worth at least this." Lindsay wrote down the number 25,000, folded it and handed it over.
The two sides went back and forth several times, and finally stopped at $8,000.
Lindsey Dole showed Ronald the numbers and whispered in his ear again, "I think that's acceptable."
Ronald nodded yes.
Mickey goes out to prepare a formal contract.
After a while, producer David da Silva and Ronald signed the contract on behalf of both parties. After Lindsey Dole reviewed it, she said it was OK.
Ronald took out the script he wrote and handed it to the director.
"It turns out that the problem lies in the admission interview. Doris was changed from the music department to the performance department."
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show? was a natural transition so that Doris' drive to overcome her shyness made more sense."
"Woody's right, you really took the character of Doris from mediocre to great."
Director Alan Parker read the script and took a deep look at Ronald.
"Where's my share?" The producer stretched out his hand, indicating that Ronald could hand over the box office risks.
"This is a photo I took at a midnight cinema. Someone followed suit and directed Alan Parker and made an adult movie, also called 'Hot Lunch.' The director's signature is AL Parker, which is easy to associate with You." Ronald handed over the poster photo taken by Antonia.
Director Parker picked up the photo and took a look at it. He was so angry that he threw it back on the table: "This is too much. I want to find out who did it..."
"What? Why didn't MGM lock in this title at the Las Vegas Western Film Exhibition in April?" Producer Da Silva was surprised and asked Mickey's lawyer.
Mickey frowned, "Maybe the secretaries at the company headquarters have some problems. I will report this matter to the president when I get back."
"I will also call him. But no matter what, we have to consider changing the title. The film has been released in theaters in New York and the impact has been caused." The producer began to scratch the few hairs left on his head.
"Let's consider this matter later. Let's finish today's work." Mickey said.
Soon, Ronald got an $8,000 check in an envelope. After he confirmed that it was correct, he stood up and shook hands with each other one by one.
"Ellen, it's the rule of Hollywood not to offend people?"
"No harm." Director Alan Parker shook his hand.
"David, I hope that after changing the title, the box office will increase."
"You're great, Ronald." Next up was producer David DaSilva.
"Mitch, maybe you don't have to wait a year or two, you can do it now."
"You impressed me again, Ronald. And you, Attorney Dole." Mickey Kantor shook their hands and said goodbye.
"Ronald, are you okay?" Gene, Antonia and Lucy saw Ronald walking out of the conference room and surrounded him.
"No, the result is very good. The director and producer agreed to my request. They are both good people." Ronald was a little tired and sat on the long chair.
"Let me explain to you, Ronald is a little tired, let him rest for a while." Lindsay Dole pulled the three actors aside.
"...So Ronald is the screenwriter of the movie?" Gene asked.
"Yes, you can understand it that way." The lawyer lady replied.
"Oh, Man, I just said he's great, it's okay." Gene and Lucy danced rhythmically all the way back to the rehearsal room.
When the lawyer lady turned around, Antonia was sitting next to the long chair, looking at Ronald, who was dozing off with his eyes closed. She took two steps forward and whispered to Antonia: "He looks a little handsome when he is sleeping."
"Yes." Antonia stretched out her right hand and lightly touched his eyelashes.
"Hee..." Seeing that Ronald seemed to feel a little itchy and sniffed, Antonia and Lindsay Dole couldn't help laughing.
