hollywood melon man

Chapter 57 New Assistant Director

"Hey, little Gilbert, I need your help with something."

Little Gilbert, who was busy with preparations, received a call from Francis Coppola: "What's the matter? You said..."

"It's like this, my daughter Sofia Coppola, she wants to be a director, and I asked her to learn from you." Francis Coppola explained the purpose of his visit.

"Okay, of course, but Director Coppola..."

"Just call me uncle."

"Uh, Uncle Coppola." Little Gilbert had a question: "With your connections, uncle, you can definitely let Sophie learn from a better director, or let her direct independently.

Why do you still want Sophia to study with me? "

Francis Coppola didn't hide it: "She worked with David as the executive director of "Alien 3" before, but she came back and said she couldn't learn anything.

She has acted herself, but the film critics criticized her badly. The critics are very vicious, and you know it. "

When Sofia Coppola starred in "The Godfather Part III", she won the Razzie Awards for Worst Supporting Actress and Worst Newcomer.

It is true that film critics will not be lenient because Sofia is the daughter of director Coppola.

After all, Hollywood in the 1990s was still a place for men. Paramount CEO Shirley Lansing and director Kathryn Billoge were both fierce women born from heaven.

But not all women who break into Hollywood can be like these two strong women.

Francis Coppola added: “Originally, I wanted to introduce her to Paris and become a fashion designer in the future.

But she worked for a few months and then came back from Paris, still wanting to make a movie.

I thought you young people would have more topics to talk about, so I introduced her to you. "

"No problem, you can ask her to come anytime. I welcome her." Little Gilbert said with a smile: "Uncle Coppola is helping me solve a big problem. The crew is short of people!"

"Hahaha, okay, then I'll let her go to your place."

"Okay, just call me then."

Within a few days, little Gilbert received a call. A thick nasal voice came over the phone: "Are you Director Gilbert Landrini?"

"Yes, it's me."

"I'm Sofia Coppola, dad introduced me." He said with a thick nasal voice.

"It's Miss Coppola! Okay, I'll have my assistant pick you up right away." Little Gilbert said, and arranged for his assistant Anna to pick up Sofia Coppola.

Soon, Sofia Coppola came to Little Gilbert's office. Maybe it’s because she’s been hit hard in recent years, but Sofia Coppola doesn’t have the arrogance of the daughter of a great director.

"Are you little Gilbert? Hello, my name is Sofia Coppola."

"Hello, Miss Coppola." Little Gilbert shook hands with Sofia Coppola.

"Just call me Sofia," Sofia Coppola's thick nasal voice, which little Gilbert couldn't get used to for a while: "My father said that I can learn something from you, please take care of me."

"Okay," little Gilbert agreed: "You can stay with me for the time being and be an assistant director!"

"OK," Sofia Coppola had no objection and agreed directly.

The weather in Los Angeles gets cooler in December. Compared to New York, which is unbearably cold in winter, the climate in Los Angeles is undoubtedly much milder.

Even in winter, just adding a sweater and a coat can solve the problem of keeping warm.

If that doesn't work, you can also wear thermal underwear and you will never feel cold.

"Death" finally ended its days in North American theaters. It finally harvested more than one million U.S. dollars at the box office and ended its theater journey with $6302.5 million. This achievement actually ranked eighth in the North American market in 1992, which is really amazing.

But it’s nothing to make a fuss about. The famous sci-fi movie “Alien 3” and the movie “Earth” starring superstar Tom Cruise are both ranked behind “The Last Day”.

The Los Angeles Times gave little Gilbert a nickname, the Little Prince of Horror Movies.

Sarah, a reporter from the Los Angeles Business Journal, interviewed little Gilbert again and learned that the next film of the Little Prince of Horror is an action movie.

This news got out and made fans of The Little Prince of Horror a little worried.

The horror movie was well shot, what's wrong with this little prince? Are you actually making action movies that you are not good at?
  And I heard that the starring role is Keanu Reeves. Although he is handsome, he has nothing to do with action movies!

Movie fans are worried because the film has already been approved and is ready to be filmed.

"Death Comes", which ranks eighth on the box office list, is not safe because there are still many movies in theaters and the box office is accumulating very quickly.

For example, "Aladdin" released by Disney itself, as well as "Home Alone 2" by th Century Fox, and "The Last Day Out" starring Keanu Reeves as the second male lead.

Fortunately, the contract between "Speed" and Keanu Reeves was signed relatively quickly. If he signed it when "The Vampire 400" was released, his salary would probably increase.

With these films released, it is estimated that the ranking of "Death is Coming" will drop a bit, but it should not fall out of the top twenty.

In addition, the film's overseas screenings are almost coming to an end. The final global box office was set at 1.26 million, making Disney a huge profit.

Two consecutive thrillers and horror films have grossed over 100 million in box office. It’s no wonder that the Los Angeles Times dubbed Little Gilbert the Little Prince of Horror.

But for little Gilbert, apart from paying attention to the money he should get from dividing the cake, the work on "Death is Coming" is over.

Next, little Gilbert will go all out to film "Speed". This film is his certificate to enter the mainstream film market in North America.

On December 12, filming of "Speed" began at Warner Studios.

There is no nonsense, no superfluous movements, little Gilbert just explodes and explodes.

A movie, especially a movie with a high investment, is a large-scale battle. The most tiring people in the whole process are undoubtedly the screenwriter, producer and director.

The script has been decided a long time ago and will not be changed easily unless there are special circumstances. However, as the director, Gilbert Jr. has to coordinate the filming of the entire crew.

Fortunately, the two producers, Charles Rowan and Kane Waxman, are capable enough, and the assistant director Anne Burton and the newly joined Sofia Coppola are talented people who understand the film business.

Little Gilbert only needs to control the overall direction, and after discussing some details at a meeting, he can just let his subordinates take care of them.

If he had to do everything by himself, little Gilbert would be exhausted.

After the training of two movies, the start-up team of Little Gilbert has a tacit understanding.

But despite this, the crew still needs some running-in period.

In the first week, Gilbert Jr. did not film any scenes with the main actors. It was not good to use the leading actors to try to harmonize the crew. The leading actors also have tempers.

So little Gilbert filmed scenes as extras to get used to the crew.

Nothing is smooth sailing, so little Gilbert needs to find problems and conflicts during the running-in process, and then solve them.

Fortunately, through two movies with a box office of over 100 million, he has initially established his personal prestige, and the crew did not irritate him.

Even Keanu Reeves was honest, so the initial filming went quite smoothly.

After more than a week of running-in period, the crew of "Speed ​​of Life and Death" gradually got into the groove, and the filming progress also accelerated.

(End of this chapter)