Marvel: I traveled through time a little early

Chapter 50 Playboy
George visited the company under the leadership of Jack Daniel, the company's general manager.Film Production Department.Performing Arts Department.Business Department, Finance Department, Administration Department, Legal Department.Everything is available.Have your own signed actors.Sign a director and editorial team.

With all the equipment, he is fully capable of producing a film independently, and he also has the right to distribute it.Judging from these conditions, this company definitely surpasses most film and television companies and is already considered very powerful.

After convening a management meeting, Jack introduced George, the new boss.

George just encouraged these people, and then everyone dispersed.But the head of the editorial department and the head of the entertainment department were left alone.The editorial department is responsible for editing film stories and reviewing submitted scripts.The responsibilities of the Performing Arts Department are mainly responsible for signing artist contracts.Training, arranging performances.Things like casting actors for movies.

"Are there any new stories in the editorial department recently?" George asked.

"I've been thinking about a story about an unlucky farmer recently. The outline of the story has basically been written," the head of the editorial department replied.

"Okay, you can polish it slowly. After you finish writing it, you can plan it. You can invest 2 US dollars and take a photo of it." George said.

Before coming, George also knew about the current market.The films of this period were mainly short films.In addition, the company has all the equipment and facilities, so an investment of [-] yuan is completely enough.In terms of performance, George didn't count on them at all, so it would be good if they didn't lose money.

"That's right, I have a script here, you can take a look." After George said that, he took out a stack of manuscripts full of text from the documents he brought.The title reads "Final Safety."

George remembers that this month, there will be a movie by the comedy master Chaplin, which will be released soon.The film is called "The Story of a Child" and tells the story of a poor London woman who abandons her illegitimate child in a car in front of a wealthy man's house.However, the car was stolen and the baby was dumped next to a dumpster.The glassmaker Charlotte passed by and picked up the baby and took him home to raise him.When the child grew up to four or five years old, Charlo took him out to work.The child first threw stones at someone's window, and then Charlo stepped forward to replace the glass. The father and son had a lot of fun.Later, the national charity organization wanted to send the child to a kindergarten, and Charlotte felt confused.Deciding to get the child back, he climbed over the roof, caught up with the speeding truck, and finally took the child into his arms again.Charlotte could not return to the attic where he had longed to live, so he took his children to a nightclub to stay.At this time, Xiao Leilizao's mother Bangcaizhuiyu already had money and offered a reward to find her child.Someone secretly took the child away from Charlo and returned it to his mother for money.In his dream, Charlotte came to the paradise of back alleys, where there were quarrels and laughter.When Charlo woke up, he found his mother and child standing beside him. He finally found happiness.This movie grossed US$250 million at the box office that year. It can be said to be Chaplin's masterpiece, and it was also his first comedy.

The films of this period were still black-and-white silent films, also known as the "silent film era." This era created a figure at the pinnacle of comedy art performance - Chaplin.

But alongside him there are two comedy masters, Harold Lloyd and Buster Keaton, who are also known as "the three greatest comedians in the world".They were among the most talented and influential figures during the silent film period, laying the foundation for modern comedy films.

At this point in time, in addition to Chaplin already having his own company, the two Lings were still going through their own hardships.

And the script of "Last Safety" that George took out was the work of Harold Lloyd.

Harold played the role of a young man who left his hometown and came to the big city to make a living. His life was so difficult that he could only work as a low-level clerk in a department store.On weekdays, guests boss him around, but in real life, Harold has to pretend to be a successful person and save money to buy gifts for his girlfriend.In the end, this "white" lie was about to be revealed when his girlfriend hurriedly came to visit him. For this reason, Harold racked his brains and tried every means to make up the lie for himself.For commercial promotion, the company hired a stuntman to perform a stunt by climbing from downstairs to the roof of the building. Unexpectedly, the stuntman had a dispute with a traffic police officer on the way and was unable to arrive.In order to explain to the onlookers, the department store had to let Harold act as an actor and perform stunts in full view of the public.

Harold Lloyd, this bespectacled man wearing a straw hat and a nerdy appearance, also won the title of civilian hero because of the movie "Last Safe" and was recognized as the "King of Adventure Comedy".

The key reason why the movie left a deep impression on the audience lies in the thrilling and shocking climax of the final process - reckless and careless, funny and witty stunts, performed on the edge of a twelve-story building, and the bottom is A noisy street with lots of traffic and people.One step follows another, step by step, like walking on thin ice.Each new floor encounters new difficulties, and the level of thrills is enough to attract the attention of the audience.

And the script that George came up with was detailed down to every detail.Leave it to any director with experience in real-life shooting, and George believes that he will achieve the effect he requires.

While the editor was reading the script, George handed another piece of paper to the acting department.The above records some of Harold Lloyd's situations during this period.George told the acting department that the play needed this man.In 1920, Lloyd had an accident while filming the short film "The Haunting". A prop bomb blew off his right hand. Since then, Lloyd had to wear a prosthetic limb, lest the audience would notice the danger behind his hard-working performance.I'm currently at a low point in my career.

George asked them to sign Lloyd as a perennial player.They will naturally do the rest.

While George was waiting for several people to discuss the script, he saw a pile of photos of beautiful women on the table.These girls all have dreams of becoming stars, so they took some photos and sent them to various film companies, hoping to be selected.

Seeing this reminded George of his previous idea of ​​filming Playboy.

He interrupted the editor's discussion with Jack and the acting department.

"Okay, gentlemen, you can continue to discuss the script slowly. Del, how many actors do you have in the performing arts department now?"

"Both of them will contact acquaintances after they have the script, or the director has a strong impression of the actor and find someone to participate in the performance." Del, the director of the Performing Arts Department, replied.

"Well, in this way, the next step is for the Performing Arts Department to set up an independent company. It will be responsible for the discovery, training, work arrangements and other matters of actors and artists. It can give four kinds of contracts, for newcomers, the lowest contract, for handsome men and for women. If you are beautiful and feel promising, you can sign. You will be given a certain salary, some training and performance opportunities. You can sign for a longer period of time..." After talking about it for a while, George also felt a little dry in the mouth.In fact, it was a move in advance from the later brokerage companies, but George was trying to win over talents, so in terms of salary, even the initial contract for newcomers was [-]%, and food and accommodation were provided.

Compared with later generations, who still have to pay for food and accommodation by themselves, the management company only knows how to suck blood, which is already a lot more merciful.

Moreover, George also specifically reminded that all actors under his company are not allowed to have such unspoken rules.Of course, George has nothing to do with love.

George is not a Virgin, but he knows that only in this way can he make golden lumps out of the mud.With comparisons with other companies, George's agency will definitely be the first choice for all newcomers.Other brokerage companies can only ask him to pick the rest.

Then he said to the lawyer who was following him: "Help me acquire a publishing house. The sooner the better."

During this period, magazines and newspapers were similar in form and could easily be confused.There was no word "magazine" to specifically distinguish it from newspapers.And it's not the kind of hardcover that later generations would have.

He said he talked to a few people about the script and the agency.Went back to the hotel.

The acquisition of the magazine was relatively simple. On the third day, the boss of the magazine agreed to the sale, but asked that he continue to work at the magazine.George agreed, mainly because there was no better replacement.

"Okay, Zeref, let's talk about the future of the publication. What are your plans?" George asked after signing the contract.

"Boss, since you are going to buy a publishing house that is about to go bankrupt, you must already have an idea?" Zeref replied.

"Haha, I have indeed considered this issue, so what do you think about starting a magazine specifically for men?" George asked.

"Men's magazines, are they pornographic publications?" Zeref looked at George with that look.

George did not discuss with him the issue of whether he was pornographic or not.Instead, he said directly: "The name of the magazine is Playboy. And the logo is a rabbit with a bow tie. The cover of the magazine must be the most beautiful and sexiest girl. And it must be within the scope allowed by American law. Show as much as you want and be as sexy as you can."

"Also, I also have a film and television company. You can contact Del later. If the cover character is suitable, you can sign her. However, each beauty can only log in to one issue of Playboy magazine."

"Also, the magazine can also have a large number of exquisite color photos. Make people's blood swell when they see the name Playboy. Make it a paradise for beauties and men. Inside "Playboy" The photos are touted as having "high taste" and "enjoyable but not obscene", and follow a high-style, middle-class entertainment consumption route. It allows male readers to understand a good life and makes it a life guide for urban men."

"Playboy is published monthly. In addition to nude photos of women, it also contains articles on fashion, food, sports, consumption, etc. It also contains short stories, celebrity interviews, and commentary on news and current affairs."

"Remember the tone of Playboy: national affairs are not our concern. We are not looking to solve world problems or prove some great moral truth. If only we could provide some An extra laugh, a distraction from the anxieties of the atomic age, and we felt like we'd justified our existence."

"Although our magazine has beauties, the style should not be vulgar but should be more elegant and refined. Today's American society is still a bit conservative. We must break tradition, emancipate our thoughts, and advocate freedom. I believe this will make our magazine stand out."

Then George gave him instructions on how to bind and other things.

"But boss, if this happens, the cost will increase a lot. In addition, the cost of binding a magazine may reach 3 US dollars."

"Then we will sell it for 3.5 US dollars. Our target customers are not the general public, but the middle and high-level people. Only by treating Playboy as a luxury product can we make it better."

Zeref nodded. Anyway, George is the boss now, so just do as he asks.And after thinking about the results, you can decide whether this method is feasible.

"Okay, let's make the arrangements next. Make the first sample and show it to me before selling it." As a boss, I have already described things in such detail. If I can't complete it anymore, I can only change it. People come and do it.

(End of this chapter)