"This place is so beautiful. Daenerys Studios is definitely the most special movie studio I have ever seen."
On the second floor of Daenerys Studios in Malibu, CNN female reporters Dana Rogan and Amy Pascal were walking side by side in an office loft, surrounded by lighting, photography and other staff. Everyone was recording an event. File interview.
Walking in the open corridor outside the office area, Amy smiled and said: "Simon designed it himself. It is said to be based on the old factories where many artists gather in SoHo, Manhattan."
Dana Logan looked at the busy workers in the open office area around her and nodded: "If I could work here, I would be willing to work overtime every day."
"We have been trying to create the most comfortable working environment for our employees as much as possible," Amy said, and her expression calmed down a little, and she solemnly said: "However, I still want to state again that Daenerys Entertainment will never force Any employee working overtime.”
Dana Logan did not shy away and asked: "So, regarding the recent lawsuits filed by the three major labor unions on this basis, Amy, how do you explain it?"
Amy thought for a while and said: "I think this is due to the natural aggressiveness of a new company. Everyone is working for Daenerys Entertainment to develop faster and better. Moreover, it is not just a comfortable office in the movie theater Regarding the environment, the basic salary of employees of Daenerys Entertainment is at least 20% higher than that of other companies in the same industry. Therefore, I think the accusations and lawsuits made by the three major labor unions against Daenerys Entertainment are very unreasonable. "
Dana Logan nodded slightly, but immediately asked a somewhat pointed question: "But, Amy, how do you explain the cooperation memorandum that Daenerys Entertainment just signed with Australia? If Daenerys Entertainment With the acquisition of MCA and another increase in market share, does it mean that more Hollywood jobs will be lost overseas?”
Amy did not answer directly, but looked at Dana Logan and said: "Dana, if there is an invitation to you from a job with more generous salary and very good benefits, will you accept it?"
Dana Logan paused and said, "Probably."
"This is the truth. Employees have the freedom to choose better jobs. Similarly, companies also have the freedom to shift to a more relaxed operating environment. Unions abuse their power to force companies too much, and corporate flight is inevitable. It's not just Daenerys Entertainment, In recent years, due to the many restrictions on the California film industry, many studios have continued to move filming overseas."
Dana Logan couldn't help but said: "I suddenly thought of Detroit."
"Indeed, the decline of Detroit is a very regrettable thing, and the labor unions really have to bear a lot of responsibility. Just like some Latin American countries, their politicians, in order to win over voters, completely ignore the economic capacity of a country and engage in uncontrolled Continuously promising high welfare results in economic collapse, and it is ordinary people who ultimately suffer.”
"Amy, are you saying that this lawsuit by the three major labor unions is abusing their power?"
"As one of the Hollywood studios, we strictly abide by the basic agreements of the major unions. Even after the acquisition of MCA, this situation will not change. Any union member who cooperates with Daenerys Entertainment We will receive due salary, insurance and a series of welfare guarantees, even higher than what we receive from other studios. We have fulfilled all the obligations we should bear, and the three major labor unions still come forward to obstruct Danielle It’s hard for me to imagine any other reason for Silk Entertainment’s acquisition of MCA other than abusing its own power.”
The interview took two hours to record, and Amy and Dana Logan traveled throughout Daenerys Studios.
The interview finally ended and the CNN team was temporarily arranged to take a rest. Pat Kingsley, who had been serving as a public relations consultant by Amy's side, came over, turned over the memo and said: "There are a lot of topics about Simon, which can easily distract the audience. , I think all the conversations in the administrative area at the beginning can be cut out, and we can start directly from the scene in the office loft."
Amy looked at Kingsley's memo, thought for a moment, and nodded: "No problem."
Pat Kingsley added: "Also, the remarks about Latin American countries are also inappropriate and can easily be exploited. Daenerys Entertainment still has a lot of business in Latin America, and there is no need to trigger the anger of those in power. Disgusted."
Amy recalled the situation just now and said, "Does this section need to be re-recorded?"
"No, just do the editing."
Kingsley shook her head and talked about other issues.
The two discussed for more than ten minutes. Kingsley went to discuss the editing plan of the interview with the CNN team, while Amy rushed to a meeting in the administrative district. The content was about Daenerys Entertainment’s public relations at the media level surrounding the three major union lawsuits. and counterattack, trying to push the direction of public opinion to your side as much as possible.
After Thanksgiving, Simon briefly returned to Los Angeles for a few days, and then returned to the East Coast again to focus on the operation of the Bell Atlantic acquisition.
The acquisition of Bell Atlantic was much smoother than that of MCA. Simon planned to acquire the company in one go. To this end, he also arranged for Amy to make the public opinion in Hollywood as loud as possible and attract more people's attention. In order to reduce the public resistance that Westeros Company may encounter in acquiring Bell Atlantic.
Today's interview is just one of Daenerys Entertainment's recent frequent promotion arrangements.
During the interview, Amy focused on the topic of the three major trade unions' abuse of their power, which was also a well-thought-out media public relations strategy. Doing so can label the top leaders of the three major trade unions as a 'bureaucracy' that is opposed to ordinary union members, implying a subconscious impression that the top leaders of the unions are just playing with power and do not sincerely seek benefits for the union members, thereby creating a Differentiating the role within trade unions.
In fact, this lawsuit by the three major labor unions cannot bring any direct benefits to their members.
Moreover, it has to be admitted that, relying on salary benefits that are much higher than those in the same industry and more opportunities for fame and promotion, Daenerys Entertainment is definitely the most popular studio in Hollywood in recent years. Entertainment from all walks of life Industry practitioners are very inclined to cooperate with this company.
The cooperation agreement Daenerys Entertainment previously signed with the Australian government of Victoria and the plan to establish a film and television production base in Toronto, Canada, have aroused resentment among some Hollywood practitioners, but more people still see that this matter is very important. To a large extent, it was also provoked by the three major labor unions who took the lead in launching lawsuits. Daenerys Entertainment only made its own counterattack.
Different from ordinary strikes, this lawsuit of the three major labor unions is unlikely to bring direct benefits to its members, but it has caused many people to lose countless job opportunities. Under Daenerys Entertainment’s deliberate public opinion campaign, the three major labor unions The pressure faced can be imagined.
Amy's interview appeared on CNN the next day, followed by an investigative article in the Los Angeles Times about employee compensation data at Daenerys Entertainment.
In the lawsuit, the three major labor unions accused Daenerys Entertainment of acquiring MCA, which may lead to an industry monopoly and worsen the working environment for industry insiders. However, in fact, Daenerys Entertainment, which is far more comfortable and luxurious than other Hollywood studios, City, or Daenerys Entertainment’s salary levels that are significantly higher than those of studios in the same industry, all prove that the accusations of the three major labor unions are difficult to sustain.
Universal Studios Burbank.
When Barry Gordon, president of the Screen Actors Guild, arrived, Lou Vassalman had just watched the video of Amy being interviewed, and his face was gloomy.
Barry Gordon was by no means in a good mood, but he was relatively lucky.
Two days ago, the "Hollywood Reporter" exposed a scandal about George Cogo, the chairman of the West Coast branch of the Writers Guild of America. A member of the Writers Guild of America who has the right to vote for the Oscar for Best Screenplay came forward and publicly testified that the original "Pulp" When the novel" was selected for the Oscar, George Kogo personally called him and asked him not to vote for Simon Westeros.
George Kogo immediately firmly denied it and threatened to launch a defamation lawsuit against the screenwriter.
However, everyone knows what the truth is.
Naturally, this incident could not have arisen out of thin air. A series of articles immediately appeared in the media, pointing out that since Simon’s debut, he has released "Run Lola Run", "The Butterfly Effect", "Death is Coming", "Pulp Fiction", "Supernatural" The Sixth Sense" and other excellent works. As a result, as the best screenwriter in Hollywood, he even received recognition in the technical category for Best Editing and Best Score, but the Writers Guild of America deliberately ignored it. Not to mention awards, it rarely even gave out a few nominations.
In fact, everyone in the circle knows that the root of this matter still lies in the strike in 1988. Daenerys Entertainment’s reality show that did not require the participation of writers made the strike appear very passive, and the WGA finally had to make a compromise. However, under the operation of Daenerys Entertainment, this incident has become another clear evidence of the Hollywood union's abuse of its power.
George Cogo's term began in 1987 and he was not supposed to leave until the end of 1991.
Affected by the "Hollywood Reporter" report, George Kogo may be forced to resign early as president of the WGA Western Chapter in the near future.
In fact, what has left the three major unions most helpless during this period is Daenerys Entertainment's ability to control and guide media public opinion.
Many careful people in the circle have discovered that Daenerys Entertainment pays more attention to the management of media connections than other studios. What is even more difficult is that Simon Westeros is also wealthy enough.
At the end of the year alone, the promotional campaign for a series of films produced by Daenerys Entertainment was significantly stronger than in the past. It is said that Westeros has approved an additional US$20 million in promotional budgets for several films. Even many companies such as Gucci, AOL, and Cisco under Westeros suddenly launched a powerful publicity offensive at the end of this year.
All of this means huge investment in advertising.
As we all know, the main source of income for North American mainstream media, whether it is TV platforms or print platforms, is advertising.
Although Daenerys Entertainment’s advertising is not enough to cover all types of media platforms, its areas of involvement are broad enough.
On the other hand, mainstream media in North America basically exist in the form of comprehensive media groups, such as Hearst Group and Newhouse Group, which own hundreds of newspapers, weeklies, and magazines, or the Public Television Network, Cable Television, Radio, Metropolis/ABC Group and more.
Daenerys Entertainment just placed ads to some of these media groups, which is enough to make these media groups short-talked.
As a result, the efforts of the three major unions to fight back in the media these days have had little effect. Many articles refuting Daenerys' entertainment views were blocked before they could even be published. This makes the three major unions appear very passive. Coupled with Daenerys Entertainment's move to move film and television production overseas, not only are there voices within the unions against continuing to confront Daenerys Entertainment, but even the initial complaints to Daenerys Those who were involved in the attack at Silk Entertainment all backed down.
It is always difficult for ordinary people to understand the power of capital. When they are in the middle of the situation, they have to admit that a super rich man with a personal net worth of more than 20 billion US dollars and a business empire that has risen rapidly is not that easy to offend.
He handed Barry Gordon a cigar, and after the secretary brought the coffee and left, the two old men puffed away in silence in the office.
Things are by no means good for Lou Vassalman these days.
Especially after Westeros Corporation suddenly announced the Bell Atlantic acquisition.
MCA's shareholders were not too anxious at first and were patiently waiting for the management led by Lou Vassalman to gain more benefits for them. However, the Bell Atlantic acquisition made many shareholders nervous, worried that MCA management's deliberate delay in pricing would lead to the failure of the acquisition.
Or, even if the acquisition is finally completed, will the transaction price be lower than Daenerys Entertainment’s last offer of US$7 billion
You know, MCA's stock price has been falling since the Bell Atlantic acquisition was announced.
Coupled with the withdrawal of Panasonic and the disruption of the three major labor unions, it is difficult to say in which direction things will develop. At present, the dark clouds of the Gulf War have enveloped the world, and the U.S. economy is already weak. Looking back on the trauma caused by the Vietnam War to the U.S. economy, if this acquisition becomes protracted, when the war breaks out and the stock market goes down, MCA will only become more passive. .
These days, Simon Westeros is clearly turning his attention to the East Coast Bell Atlantic acquisition and has even ceased contact with MCA. Although they are in tit-for-tat confrontation with the three major unions in the media, many people feel that Westeros may be deliberately delaying in anticipation of the outbreak of war.
Counting from Halloween's "Dangerous Days" to "Dances with Wolves" and "Pink", Daenerys Entertainment has already produced three blockbuster films this year. This is enough to show that Dany Even without MCA, Liz Entertainment is still developing rapidly.
On the other hand, MCA is far from having such confidence.
As of now, there is not even one movie produced by Universal Pictures in 1990 that has a box office of over 100 million. The best-performing "Back to the Future 3" ended up with a box office of just over 87 million US dollars in North America. "Ten Days in Danger", a collaboration with Daenerys Entertainment, was also a hit, but it did not reach the level of over 100 million.
Therefore, Daenerys Entertainment’s need for MCA is indeed not that urgent.
If the management controlled by Lou Vassalman continues to delay and Simon Westeros loses patience, the other party will only need to pay an exit fee of a mere US$60 million if they want to cancel the acquisition. Not to mention 60 million US dollars, even more, it seems to be just a painless thing for Simon Westeros.
As for Lou Vassalman himself, he was now beginning to hesitate.
Some of the bargaining chips handed over to him by Michael Ovitz have shrunk significantly compared to the agent's original plans.
Paramount Communications, which was strong enough to directly confront Daenerys Entertainment, withdrew. Meg Ryan, who might have caused a scandal, withdrew. Dustin Hoffman and Tom Clark, who had originally planned to speak out publicly against the acquisition, Ruth and other Hollywood celebrities also backed down.
Now, the three major labor unions in Hollywood that are most likely to suppress Daenerys' entertainment have also been losing ground under the recent public opinion offensive.
Although he still holds some trump cards, Lou Vassalman really doesn't have much confidence.
Even if Westeros is pressed, Vassalman is not sure whether the young man will directly bypass the MCA board of directors and contact shareholders. He understood that the reason why Westeros did not do this was to achieve the goal of acquiring all MCA shares at once through standard procedures such as board approval and shareholder voting.
Buying MCA shares directly from shareholders with cash may allow Simon Westeros to easily gain control of MCA, but if he wants to buy all the shares of MCA, it will become more and more difficult as time goes by. The shareholders who did not sell in the end will definitely wait for the price and make Westeros pay an increasingly higher price.
However, even if the shares are not purchased directly from shareholders, Westeros can actually convene MCA shareholders to hold an extraordinary shareholders meeting and vote to remove the current board of directors.
At that time, Lou Vassalman will lose his biggest support.
Of course, the biggest disadvantage of doing this is that the acquisition will become protracted.
However, no matter what aspect he considers, Lou Vassalman does not feel that delaying the MCA acquisition for several months will be detrimental to Daenerys Entertainment. No one thinks that after the war breaks out next year, the U.S. economy will not continue to decline but will recover quickly. This is contrary to common sense.
After smoking a cigar in silence, Barry Gordon was the first to speak: "Lou, we plan to reach a settlement with Daenerys Entertainment and withdraw the lawsuit by next week at the latest."
Lou Vassalman just smiled bitterly when he heard this.
This is a lawsuit that is difficult to win. Daenerys Entertainment is not one of the second- and third-tier film companies at the mercy of the union. In addition to settling as soon as possible to prevent Daenerys Entertainment from doing more things that endanger the foundation of the union, the third-tier film company The big unions really have no other better choice.