Chapter 792 Supported by the President of the Actors Guild

   "You have a letter from the Screen Actors Guild, Ronald."

  Daydream's colleague called and told him that an official letter from the Screen Actors Union had been sent to him. Not the white address stamped inside the envelope containing the printed, typical marketing material. Instead, use a standard No. 10 envelope, and the address is well-typed, which looks very much like a legal official letter.

   "Help me disassemble it and read it to me." Ronald was sitting leisurely on the floor of a high-end yoga club and meditating.

The number of times he dreamed of movies gradually increased. Every time he dreamed, Ronald always had the same feeling, as if there was a door between his body and the real world, and he was in a world where he and the world could perceive each other, but But not together.

  It's as if your consciousness is watching a movie in the living room, while your body is still sleeping on the bed in the bedroom.

  Ronald used the method of repeating various things he had done before dreaming to increase the chance of dreaming, but it was not successful.

This time he changed his mind and began to try various methods of meditation and relaxation. He heard that meditation can also achieve this kind of effect on the mind and body. The state of isolation.

  Maybe this can stimulate more times to enter the dream?

  After trying the guild halls in Chinatown and the Zen teahouses of the Dongying people, Ronald finally chose yoga.

  The coaches here are easier to understand when they speak, without having to think hard about the meaning behind it. The coach's speech was also very direct, and Ronald only corrected his posture and breathing, without so many metaphors and deep meanings behind the twists and turns of Zen.

  Ronald likes this game of adjusting breathing, at least the quality of his sleep is improving. Wake up in the morning with no need for an alarm clock, and wake up naturally full of energy.

  Eddie was on the other end of the phone. He opened the envelope and read it to Ronald:

   "To... Ronald Lee, Director.

  Because you violated the regulations of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) during the filming of "Moonlight" in Toronto, Canada, you did not strictly follow the lunch break and lunch time, and ordered the actors to shoot under the condition of physical damage.

  The Screen Actors Union will initiate an investigation against you and impose corresponding penalties..."

   "Hey? What the hell? What physical damage... what investigation, what punishment?"

   After hearing this, Ronald stood up from the high-grade rush cushion, "Let them dream."

   "Ah, I'm sorry, I have some other things to deal with, let's stop here today." Ronald nodded and apologized to the coach, a middle-aged blonde beauty of Nordic origin, and ended today's class early.

   "Baffling!"

   Arriving at Daydream Films, Ronald read the letter in its entirety.

  The letter said that after the filming of the film "Moonlight" in Toronto, some actors complained to Ronald that during the filming of the final table scene, in order to catch up with work, the actors were not allowed to eat lunch, which caused the actors' health risks. There are also actors with diabetes, because of the delay of several hours of non-stop shooting, the onset of hypoglycemia symptoms, and the risk of passing out or even causing other more serious complications.

  So, after the investigation, the Actors Union formally set up a project to come and investigate with Ronald face to face. If the complaint is true, Ronald will be fined heavily and placed on the warning list of the Screen Actors Guild in the future. All union members, will be warned that the filming of Ronald does not respect the basic needs of actors.

   "Huh? It seems to be the case, but did someone pass out at that time?"

  Ronald recalled the shooting situation at that time. In order to capture the accurate and natural emotions of everyone, he really asked them to rehearse all the time without rest.

  Maybe due to the irritability caused by the hypoglycemia caused by skipping meals, the heroine Cher and the supporting actress Olympia Dukakis had a conflict, which unexpectedly brought about the chemical reaction between the actors. All the actors get into shape fast.

  In order not to let the opportunity slip away, Ronald made a decision on the spot and decided to shoot immediately while everyone was emotional.

   "However, I... I provided snacks to the actors. In the end, it seemed that I was the only one who didn't eat. In the end, I fainted due to hypoglycemia."

"Then you are really wronged. The person who reported you must have transferred your affairs to the actors. You have postponed the lunch break and lunch significantly. It is a fact that this is indeed a serious violation of the regulations of the Film Actors Union. .”

"I..." Ronald was very angry, "I just went to Toronto to shoot to avoid this group of vampire representatives from the trade union. These people don't do anything, they just obstruct my filming on the set, and they always strike come and threaten me.

  I treat them well enough, I always find union members to do group performances, and the minimum wage is more than ten times higher than that of non-union actors. Don't they know that when creating, is it common to take a few more shots? We are not office workers, so we can commute to and from get off work on time. "

   "Oh, Ronald, calm down, and when the union representatives investigate this matter, don't tell them that." Eddie quickly asked Ronald to sit down and poured him a glass of whiskey.

"Our Dirty Dancing is also a project registered with the trade union. If you fall out with them, it will be troublesome for them to find fault in this movie. You know, a crew has the largest number of actors, and there is no guarantee that there will be no one If you are dissatisfied with your salary, it will be troublesome to report it when the time comes."

   "Fuck it", Ronald put the whiskey heavily on the table, the whiskey splashed out of the glass and threw his hand.

  Ronald shook his hand, but Eddie wiped it with the facial tissue that Eddie handed over, "Thank you, I will bear it."

  The Actors Union is very powerful. Not only can it intentionally disrupt the filming process, apply eye drops, and cause economic losses due to delays in filming. Moreover, the largest number of Oscar judges are actors, and they are all members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

   "Because you violated SAG's decision to provide lunch on time for actors and crew during filming in Toronto, SAG decided to issue a ticket to you.

  Fine $20,000. And this ruling will be published in the penalty column of the Screen Actors Union's newsletter next quarter. "

   In the afternoon, the representative of the Screen Actors Union, a very well-dressed and pious man, came to Ronald's daydream. After pretentiously asking Ronald about the situation, SAG's preliminary penalty decision was announced.

   "This... Actually, the situation on the scene was not like this. I served all kinds of snacks, and there was absolutely no abuse of the actors. This was determined by the nature of the scene. I had to extend the shooting time..."

   Ronald Yitong explained that he hoped that the trade union representatives could understand the situation at that time. But it doesn't seem to work.

The representative of the Screen Actors Union grinned at Ronald with a half-smile, "We received an anonymous report, and got in touch with the informant, and got her testimony, proving that you delayed the shooting that day. The actors were allowed to rest and eat, which caused serious consequences, and some people fainted due to low blood pressure..."

   "I told you repeatedly that I was the one who fainted from hypoglycemia that day, it was me! I am not a member of your actors' union. They all have the snacks I provided on site, and they will not suffer from hypoglycemia due to hunger."

  Ronald felt that the trade union representative seemed to be targeting him specifically. He had made it very clear about the situation that day, and the actors were not abused. And he also submitted several references, such as director of photography David Watkin, or any actor who participated in the scene, can prove.

"This is the result of our investigation, Director Ronald. Of course, this punishment has to be approved by the SAG committee. If you have any objections to this, you can appeal." The union representative did not listen to Ronald's defense. Just repeating that this is their decision after careful investigation and careful scrutiny.

   Ronald accepted the penalty notice with a blank face. Under the table, the agent Nisita who came over specially grabbed Ronald's hand desperately to prevent him from falling out with the union representative on the spot.

   "I see", Ronald didn't go to accept the punishment notice, and motioned him to put it on the table with his eyes, and didn't stand up to see him off.

  Daydreaming Eddie takes Ronald's place and leads the union reps out.

"Don't worry, we have a good relationship at the top of the CAA and the Screen Actors Guild, myself and their current president, Patti Duke, used to have a client-agent relationship. When her ex-husband divorced her, I helped her a little bit. .

  You pay the fine, and let Patty Duke accommodate that public report in the newsletter. "

  Nisita was relieved to see that Ronald was able to take care of the overall situation. This kind of disgusting thing is not uncommon in major directors.

Representatives of many trade unions seem to be specifically to show that they are not afraid of power, and they specifically grab big-name stars or directors to show their toughness. Accumulate chips on behalf of the election.

   Not only Ronald, but top directors like Spielberg and George Lucas are often fined for failing to abide by union rules.

   "What kind of person is the president of the Screen Actors Guild? Should I meet her?" Ronald felt very good about Nisita and this contact. If he could chat with her, the misunderstanding might be cleared up.

  Generally speaking, these trade union organizations, those at the top, are still very reasonable.

  The last president of the Screen Actors Union was Ed Asner who launched the largest strike in Hollywood in more than a decade. He led the actor's strike, allowing Ronald's first script, because of the delay of the strike, Jane Fonda went to act in other movies, and finally died without a problem.

   Such a radical trade union president was indeed quickly elected.

  Although he himself gained a lot of exposure in the political arena of the Donkey Party, the actors did not benefit. The long strike caused heavy losses to the low-level actors. Although the minimum wage has been raised, many people have never played roles since then-Hollywood has gone to other places for filming.

   Former union president Ed Asner was too ambitious, and ended up getting nothing. After being selected, no one asked him to appear in any film and television dramas, and finally he was reduced to dubbing the low-level animations of the TV station.

  Patty Duke, who was elected president this time, is a less aggressive actress.

   "Then I'll go talk to her first." Nisita smiled and picked up the copy of the punishment document.

   "Who are you saying is reporting on me behind my back? I noticed that the union representative used the word Actress."

   Ronald asked Nisita who stood up and was about to go to work first.

   "It's hard to say. These trade union parasites are very good at provoking conflicts. It may be a man. He said it on purpose. It may not be an actor, but a staff member."

   "Hmm..." Ronald was very angry in his heart. For his film projects, all those that can take care of the trade union should be taken care of in proportion. These people are not greedy enough, get paid, get out of the camera, and maybe make progress in their careers, but they want to bite themselves back. "

   "Damn it, I won't use you people from trade unions when I have the chance."

  …

   "Hello, Ronald," SAG's president, Patty Duke, made a special appointment with Ronald at the union headquarters.

   "Hello, Ms. Duke, I'm your fan."

  Before Ronald came to see her, he asked Nisita about the president's past history.

  She is really a famous actress.

  Since she was a child actor, because of her appearance, she has always played an important supporting role instead of a leading role. At the Oscars in 1963, Patty Duke won the Best Supporting Actress award at the age of seventeen. He is the youngest actor ever to win an Oscar.

  She has always played supporting roles, and later entered the TV series and played a few leading actresses. A few years ago, she won the Primetime Emmy Award and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress.

   She has been in the industry for a long time, knows many people, and is popular as a supporting role, so she was able to succeed her unpopular predecessor two years ago and was voted as the president of the Screen Actors Union.

   "Rick has already told me about your matter. I will intervene directly and will not let your name appear in the punishment column in the newsletter.

   On the contrary, I will introduce some of your filming situation, so that members of the trade union can understand that sometimes for the sake of art, some compromises must be made. "

  Patty Duke came up and talked about his decision.

   This is not criticism, but praise instead.

   "Then thank you, Ms. Duke." Ronald was also relieved to hear that he didn't need to publicly show the crime of not letting the actors eat lunch.

   "However, you still have to pay your fine."

   "Well, I've brought the checkbook."

  The income of the actors union, like the directors union, suffered a pension crisis, and Patty Duke heard that a $20,000 fine was issued, and the money was still not collected for nothing.

   "I see that you have guest starred in many movies, why don't you join the Screen Actors Guild?" Patty Duke looked at Ronald, wouldn't it be good for such a director to join the Screen Actors Guild? At least he'll have to pay a large surplus to the union's pension fund.

   "I'm still a member of the Producers Union. It's not convenient, so I won't participate. Besides, I'm just a guest star." Ronald declined.

"Well, if there is any trade union matter in the future, you can call my assistant directly. You know that I am not busy with the trade union affairs full-time. Some people want to use the power of the trade union to achieve some of their own goals. You don't have to talk to me. They're polite. Just come and tell me."

   Ronald's heart moved. This was Patty Duke hinting to himself that someone was behind this matter.

  Things have been settled, Ronald continued to go back to the trainer to practice yoga poses.

  Take some time every day to practice breathing methods. Ronald feels that when he sleeps, he is getting closer and closer to that state. It seems that he may find a shortcut to dreaming about movies.

  He happened to be sitting on the bedroom floor to catch his breath that day, and Bannon’s phone call came home.

   "Ronald, those shameless Screen Actors Guild bugs, are now coming to Arizona to fight us."

  Bannon speaks directly, full of Wall Street's style of focusing on efficiency. The shooting cost was one million less. In order to supervise the use and save money as much as possible, he flew directly to Arizona, the location of the location, to take care of things on the scene.

   This film was not registered with the Screen Actors Union, and all non-union extras and supporting roles were found. In the local public high school in Tucson, Arizona, students from the drama club were also found to do extras. This saves a lot of money compared to local Hollywood.

  Those drama club students, who have received good training, have a few background roles, and there is not much difference from those union actors who work in Hollywood.

   "Damn it, 'Boys Rent Girls' is not a union project, you are so **** afraid." Ronald cursed directly on the phone.

   "No, I heard that the Screen Actors Union can decide to go on strike. They have a law of Congress that can temporarily announce the extra performance of the crew and become a temporary member of the Screen Actors Union, so that they can organize temporary member strikes on the crew.

  We are a small production, so a day’s delay will be a big loss. "

Bannon felt that making a movie was not as easy as buying those factories on Wall Street, but also had to go through the game between capital and labor unions, and these actor unions had a much higher self-esteem than factory workers and valued their own rights more. Often the level of protest is more severe, and the various demands are more troublesome than the workers.

"Fuck, who wants to go on strike to protest? We went to Cincinnati just to save money, and to give them a chance to appear on camera is actually giving them a big chance. How dare you go on strike? Do you really think of yourself as a Hollywood actor? It’s not being used as a weapon by union representatives.”

   "Come here? I can't handle these students."

   "Okay, let me show you a demonstration." Ronald immediately went to the airport with Little Bard, bought a plane ticket at a high price on the spot, and flew to Tucson, Arizona.

   "Which one? Here to instigate those high school drama club idiots to strike?"

   Arriving at Tusson Public High School on location, Ronald found Bannon who was on the scene and asked.

   "It's the guy in the suit and the tie."

   "Hey...", Ronald looked, isn't that the guy who gave himself a 20,000 ticket?

   "Ronald, are you a producer on this movie? On behalf of the Screen Actors Guild..."

   When the trade union representative saw Ronald coming, a half-smile appeared on his face again, and he came over to talk to Ronald again about what a trade union is.

   "Security, this person is not qualified to be here on the set, let him out."

  Ronald just ignored this bastard, this is Arizona, this project is a non-union project, don't look at this bastard's face.

   "I'm a union representative, how dare you..."

"This is a non-union project. The filming location we rented belongs to Tucson High School, and it is now used by the crew. Anyone without permission is not allowed to enter." Ronald turned his head, facing the high school drama that was bewitched to make trouble The actors of the company said.

  "You may be deceived by some people, thinking that we are some kind of rich crew who want to use this project to get a union card and live a happy life as a union actor.

  Let me tell you, our crew is an independent production, very poor. There is no money to hire union members as extra performers. All those who want to be union actors, please stand here and look for opportunities in other projects.

   All those who are willing to participate in the performance as non-union, stand over there, our crew will register your names, and everything with scenes and lines will be signed. Those who don't have lines and take the camera will also get our recommendation letter and daily salary. "

   "Boom..."

  The high school students are actually very simple. When they heard that the crew would not use union actors, they immediately crowded to the side who were willing to participate in non-union actors.

  Are you kidding me? Tucson, Arizona, a small city where the largest employer is an aircraft cemetery for the navy and air force, rarely has a film crew come to the locals for extra performances in a few years.

  The students of the drama club, except for a few who were bewitched and their heads were stiff, all joined Ronald's side with a clatter.

   "Very well, those of you who insist on union status, then I'm sorry, please get out."

   "Children, don't be fooled by him, as long as we are united, we can..."

"go out!"

   Ronald didn't have a good look at the trade union representative and scolded him loudly.

  Originally, his behavior violated the constitution of the actors' union. The temporary union membership of actors who promised to participate in the performance must be a project registered by the union for him to have this right.

   "I will complain to the president of the Screen Actors Union, Ms. Duke, about your unprofessionalism and intentional misleading of the temporary identity of extras. This is now a private domain, get out!"

  Bannon came over with two male actors, stood in front of the union representative, and kept pressing him to get out.

   "What he said can't be true, right? You promised us that as long as the students in the high school drama club go on strike, we will get formal union status."

   "Coax..." Several diehards spoke out the private promise of the trade union representative, which caused other students to boo.

  Amid everyone's contempt, he walked out of the shooting site in despair.

   "The demonstration is very good, I learned it." Bannon came over and shook hands with Ronald, "Let me introduce you, this is our leading actor Patrick Dempsey, and the handsome guy plays the leading actor Rona Miller.

  This is Seth Green who plays his good friend, the supporting role. They both acted well. "

  Bannon introduced to Ronald two actors who ended up driving away the union representatives. They were also acting in movies for the first time.

"Don't worry, it's easy for you to apply for union qualifications in the future. Although this project is a non-union project, the status of the protagonist allows you to apply for the Film Actors Union as long as you receive an extra job for more than three days. Qualified."

   Ronald looked at the two handsome boys, fearing that they would be burdened, so he explained.

   "Thanks, Ronald. We all love your Top Gun."

   "Amanda, look who's coming."

  Bannon greeted Amanda Peterson, the heroine who was watching from behind.

"Hi, Amanda." Ronald beckoned to her. It was Amanda Peterson who played the heroine Cindy's friend with her. It was Amanda Peterson who failed to audition for the protagonist Annie in "Annie" and played Annie's orphanage. Friends of two girls.

  The two of them were also very envious of Amanda getting to know the great director Ronald. The two of them coyly surrounded Amanda Peterson and said hello to Ronald.

   "Stay here for one night? By the way, guide the shooting." Bannon said to Ronald.

   "That's fine, but I won't interfere with the director's work. This is the most important piece of professional ethics for a producer." Seeing that it was getting late, Ronald agreed to stay.

  Amanda Peterson was set off by two actors in the middle position, and she didn't seem to be affected by the events of the day before yesterday. Her eyes still looked full of hope, shining with a kind of light. Ronald was relieved that this light of hope had not been destroyed by villains like Tom Mount.

  Amanda Peterson has the air of an elite high school girl cheerleader.

  Patrick Dempsey is a handsome guy with curly hair. Wearing old-fashioned black-rimmed eyes, I deliberately pretended to be a nerd, but I can see that I am a handsome person. When the plot requires it, I will be a good match with Amanda after I transform into a handsome handsome guy.

  Ronald is very satisfied with the casting. Bannon’s aesthetics are similar to those of most boys and girls in small towns in America. This is the guarantee that the movie will be a hit.

  (end of this chapter)