《Hollywood Production》


 Chapter 1: Youre not suitable for this industry

    Chapter 1: You''re not suitable for this industry

    Duke was squatting between severalrge boxes in the small living room. He nced at his CalArts diploma and then threw it into the glove box. He took the tape to seal the box and prepared to ship it back to Santa Monica.

    "What about graduating from film and video with all A''s? Tens of thousands of people go to Hollywood every year to seek opportunities, how many of them are really sessful?"

    Duke muttered to himself as he threw the tape on the old sofa and returned to the bedroom. He was ready to change his clothes and go out. "It''s been 21 years since you came to this world, and you haven''t aplished anything yet, poor Duke."

    Having said that, Duke sat in a chair, as the memories came to him again. Some things can never be forgotten.

    Although he was born in 1970, Duke has lived in the Greater Los Angeles area for 21 years. He cannot forget the real experience and memories that happened across the Pacific Ocean as if they happened just yesterday.

    The other person graduated from a famous film school on the other side and has been in the circle for a while, but has not been sessful. It is difficult for neers to get ahead without apany or big person in this circle.

    The other person has worked his way up to the position of dream film director step by step, umting qualifications in various jobs in multiple crews. He has worked as an assistant in the props group and fireworks group, and with hard work and research spirit, after several years of hard work, he became a well-known pyrotechnician in the circle. He has also practiced the ability to create explosions and shoot explosions. Finally, in his thirties, he got the position of an assistant director of low-cost war films, specializing in shooting the explosions.

    However, before he could enjoy his sess, an explosion on the set turned him into Duke Rosenberg, who was just born in Los Angeles.

    God is fair, he took away the possible sess of the previous life, but also give him a good life in this life.

    He grew up in a single-parent family with his mother, Leah Rosenberg. Like most shrewd Jews, his mother, is a shrewd Jew who, like most people in her position, has her own property. She is not very rich, but has a worth in the tens of millions due to her close business dealings with Hollywood through her advertising agency. and she has been friends with George Lucas since the 1970s, when George Lucas had not yet made his fortune.

    In this life, Duke is no longer ignorant. He knows what he wants and has been working hard for it. The family environment also provides enough convenient conditions. During his childhood and adolescence, he frequently entered and exited La. It was a rare experience to be on the set of the film that Lucas made, and even yed a small role in "Star Wars", although it waspletely cut outter.

    On the set, he observed the Hollywood-style production model, and was silently familiar with everything in the world''s film factories. This is the future path he chose.

    Directing is a profession that requires high concentration and deep umtion. In addition to participating in several sports that interest him, most of his time is devoted to his beloved film knowledge, such as screenwriting, photography, editing, coordinating, etc. Film knowledge is an essential element of sess.

    Duke is like a sponge absorbing water. He has absorbed knowledge that is useful to him for more than ten years. He did not choose the business school suggested by his mother after graduating from high school, but joined the California Institute of the Arts, which is closely rted to Hollywood and the film industry.

    I found an agent who was also a novice after the age of 16. With the help of a wider family rtionship, I increased my experience by going back and forth between many crews as an extra and a temporary worker in the crew.

    Up to now, Duke has yed more than a dozen roles without lines and front-facing shots, and has also worked in multiple crews, including Spielberg''s "Captain Hook". After ten years of umtion, he has always been like a thirsty desert traveler, never feeling satisfied.

    As a member of the Rosenberg family, Duke has been responsible for his living expenses, excluding tuition and other expenses, since he was sixteen years old. No one can deny that the process of learning to be an excellent student is actually a very expensive process.

    Duke is bothered by all of the financial burdens thate with buying rted books, expensive film stock, and renting camera equipment, even now that he is officially graduated from college. Since graduating, his financial situation has not improved and his credit card is in a negative state.

    "What should I do next?"

    Back at his home in Santa Monica, he can eat his mother''s food temporarily, but he is in urgent need of a suitable job, "I used to struggle for more than ten years to achieve the position of assistant director. do I Still need such a long process?"

    It is now 1991, and every year that passes, the opportunities he can get will be reduced by one point. Duke has waited for 21 years, and has umted more than ten years of study. He is desperate for an opportunity to make a real film.

    "But who doesn''t want a chance? Who wouldn''t want a chance in Hollywood?"

    Thinking of this, Duke stood up and opened the closet, took out his formal clothes, and walked to the full-length mirror, "Maybe Lovett can help me?"

 Chapter 2: Youre not suitable for this industry

    Chapter 2: You''re not suitable for this industry

    Lovett is Duke''s agent, he has been with Duke for a few years and is good at drilling camps. After several years of hard work, he is now an agent of the younger generation that CAA attaches more importance to.

    Duke is very clear about what CAA means in Hollywood now. In fact, his brokerage contract is about to expire. This time when he will meet Lovett, he wanted to initially discuss the renewal of his contract. After all, if he could use the power of CAA, he would not need to take a lot of detours.

    After changing into more formal attire, Duke checked himself in the mirror once more. He didn''t want toe across as untidy in such an important meeting.

    The dark brown, medium-length hair inherited from his mother is neatly divided on both sides of the top of the head. Above the tall nose are deep eye sockets, with ck eyes that show depth and restraint, different from his age. The tough lines on the face seem to have been carved by Michael Angelo.

    "Perhaps, It will be easier to be sessful as a vase man in amercial film.?"

    Looking at his apparently half-breed appearance, and his six-foot-one height, Duke shook his head.

    He doesn''t want to be a vase, he wants to be the man in charge of the set.

    After tidying up a little, Duke locked the door to the rented apartment and went downstairs. He got into his second-hand Chevrolet on the side of the road and drove towards the location of the California Institute of the Arts.

    As a satellite city of Los Angeles, Valencia is not too big, and Duke''s residence is not too far from the school. After passing through Center Street and turning two intersections, the car sessfully arrived at the entrance of the California Institute of the Arts.

    Duke drove to the location Lovett specified, which was a caf next to the side door. He found a parking space on the side of the road.

    As Duke entered the door, he saw Lovett in the quiet corner of the caf. However, it was different from what he thought. There was another person beside Lovett.

    "Why is he here?"

    With a slight frown, Duke strode over. Lovett obviously saw him and nodded, "Duke."

    "Hi, Lovett."

    Duke greeted him familiarly, pulled out a chair and sat directly across from Lovett, stretching out his hand to the other side. "Hello, Rick Solomon. I didn''t expect to see you here."

    The other party did not intend to shake hands, but waved instead.

    Withdrawing his right hand, Duke chose not to pay him any mind, his was his ssmate from CalArts. The two had a very general rtionship; Duke was the quarterback of the college football team and Rick was the captain of the cheerleading squad. They were in directpetition with each other.

    Of course, Rick Solomon was the loser.

    Duke wasn''t looking to get into a fight with the other party. He looked directly at the opposite side. Lovett, like all Hollywood agents, had on a sharp suit and an indifferent poker face.

    "Lovett,"

    Since the other party remained silent, Duke took the initiative and said, "New contract..."

    "Sorry, Duke!"

    Putting down the coffee cup, Lovett directly interrupted him, "Some things were not made clear on the phone. I came to Valencia this time to discuss the brokerage contract with Mr. Solomon..."

    He paused for a moment and said rudely, "CAA will evaluate every artist under its umbre, but Duke, your acting skills are very bad, and you haven''t made any progress. As for what you said about bing a director, sorry, I don''t see any chance of sess, so neither CAA nor I will be renewing the contract with you."

    Hearing these unexpected words, Duke''s hopes of hugging CAA thighs failed. He looked up at his manager with surprise.

    "Terribly sorry."

    Having said that, Lovett didn''t have any regrets, "The management of thepany has officially invited me to be one of the partners, and I will cross-manage some well-known artists. The work and resources in my hands will increase, and there is no extra energy. nning for the future for those with no hope..."

    Lovett may have been trying to hide it, but Duke could tell that he was feeling self-satisfied just from looking at his face. Lovett''s eyes were curved and his mouth was upturned, which are both signs of smugness.

    Indeed, to be a partner of CAA, there is indeed a sense of self-confidence, it''s understandable to give up on a neer who seems to have no future.

    Almost in the blink of an eye, Duke''s surprise disappeared and returned to his original expression. He didn''t say anything more.

    "You know what, Duke."

    Lovett stood up, patted him on the shoulder and said as he passed by in a condescending tone, "You have disappointed me. You''ve only yed seventeen roles in five years and your career has failed. There is no progress. Just follow my advice. You''re not suitable for this industry. You''ll only waste your time and energy if you continue."

    After he finished speaking, he walked towards the door of the caf without looking back, never looking at his partner of five years, as if he wanted to use this method to show his attitude of giving up on Dukepletely.

    "You hear that, you''re not for Hollywood."

    Rick Solomon said these words to Duke, who he thought was bleeding in his heart. His tone was bitter and mean. "Lovett is known as the best-sighted agent among the newly-rising agents, and he just give up on you."

 Chapter 3: chances of success is close to zero

    Chapter 3: chances of sess is close to zero

    "CAA will soon sign a formal contract with me to help me develop aplete future n."

    Taking a sip from the coffee cup in his hand, Rick Solomon showed off unabashedly, "Lovett also won a supporting roll for me in a CAA''s package project "Alien 3". Sess is very simple for me."

    He looked duke up and down, "And you, Duke Rosenberg, you yed small roles in movies since you were sixteen, no lines, no front shots, and no name in the media, you are aplete loser!"

    Duke looked at Rick Solomon with his hands folded on the table. He had an amused expression, as if he was watching a clown at a circus.

    Probably stimted by Duke''s attitude, Rick Solomon raised his voice slightly, "What do you have to be proud of? Want to be a director? Wake up, stop dreaming! let me tell you, Lovett signed you only because your family is on good terms with George Lucas and has some connections in Hollywood. This is just shameful nepotism!"

    "Is Robert Solomon your father?" Duke asked abruptly. His voice wasn''t loud, but it was harsh. "If I remember correctly, he''s the executive vice president of Warner Bros. ording to you, CAA signed you because..."

    "That''s because I have talent and potential, and you don''t!"

    Rick Solomon waved to interrupt Duke''s words. He is not a fool and quickly changed the subject. "You used despicable means to squeeze me out to be the main quarterback, so what? Can you enter the Major League or the Super Bowl? Also, Anne Bet has promised to be my girlfriend..."

    Before he felt the joy, Duke asked in a very strange tone, "Sorry, who is Anne Bet?"

    In Rick Solomon''s wide eyes, Duke patted his forehead, and said: "Oh, I remember now. It turned out to be the blond cheerleader. I only got with her for two nights, and then I threw her away. I didn''t expect you to bring it up now."

    Hearing this, Rick Solomon stood up and said, "Boy, I..." Pointing to his chest, "I will be a big star in the future, I will participate in the Oscars, and my name will be resounding all over the world."

    "And you, you''ll be anonymous and a shameful loser for the rest of your life!"

    "I believe the first half of your sentence."

    Without waiting for the other party to say anything, Duke got up and walked towards the door. He didn''t want to waste his time with someone like him. Rick Salomon from his past life was indeed famous, but not as a movie star, he was brifly famous because of his sex tape with Paris Hilton.

    "Don''t think you can be a director by making two inexplicable experimental films!"

    Because of the extremely quiet the caf, Duke barely heard what Rick said before leaving the caf. Perhaps this is the most reliable sentence the other party said today. If he ry on just his experimental films, he won''t be able to enter Hollywood as a director.

    The meeting wasn''t pleasant!

    When he drove back to the apartment in the second-hand Chevrolet, Duke was still thinking about the content of the conversation. CAA has abandoned him without hesitation.

    What should he do next?

    Look for a crew to umte qualifications, wait for opportunities, or...

    Back at the apartment, Duke continued his packing. Hundreds of nearly ripped books, hundreds of videotapes, dozens of rolls of film tape, and a 16mm camera and a small film setter were taken by him. They were carefully ced in several boxes, to be shipped home tomorrow.

    These are the wealth he has umted as he practiced over the years.

    Early the next morning, Duke settled the lease transfer of the apartment with thendlord. After the movingpany arrived and loaded all his luggage into the van, he drove his Chevrolet, followed the van, out of Valencia. They were headed straight to Santa Monica, a small seaside town on the west side of Los Angeles.

    This small town is not only a tourist destination, but also a ce where the wealthy like to buy residences. The Rosenberg family''s vi is in a good location, not far from the marina area of Santa Monica. Although the area is not toorge, it has a vestibule and a small garden. It is less than an acre.

    When he arrived, it was almost noon. Duke skilfully parked the Chevrolet in the garage and instructed the servants to settle the fee with the movingpany workers and put the luggage in the storage room.

    After taking a long look at the familiar off-white building, he stepped on the stone steps of the same colour, and walked in.

    Duke grew up here, although he hasn''t been back in a long time. He doesn''t feel any strangeness.

    Walking over the smooth marble floor, Duke skillfully turned into therge living room of the main house. His mother, who had always been busy with work, was waiting for him.

 Chapter 4: chances of success is close to zero

    Chapter 4: chances of sess is close to zero

    This woman is middle-aged, with hair and eyes the same color as Duke''s. She is tall and has a distinctly Jewish face. Despite themon problem of Western women''srge skeleton, she can be regarded as beautiful. In particr, she is well-maintained and looks like she is in her early thirties.

    "Mom, I''m back."

    Looking up at Duke, Leah Rosenberg nodded and said quietly, "Well, Let''s eat."

    She put down the fashion magazine in her hand and walked towards the dining room with Duke following quickly behind her.

    Duke has long been ustomed to his mother''s attitude. His mother is shrewd and capable, but doesn''t speak much, and is especially strict with him. Even if she really misses him, she rarely reveals it in her words and demeanour.

    Duke knows that she really loves him, otherwise she wouldn''t go out of her way to make lunch and wait for him toe home with her busy work Schedule. He respects her enough to know that anyone who spends that much time caring for someone else, even if they''re not rted by blood, must deeply love them.

    I went to the bathroom next to the restaurant, washed briefly, and then walked into the restaurant. he habitually sat on the left side of his mother. The lunch was not rich, simple vegetable sd, barley bread, roast beef and oatmeal. He just tasted it and knew that it must havee from his mother''s hands.

    They don''t have that many dining etiquette at home. His mother asked with concern after eating a few bites, "Have your thoughts what you are going to do in the future?"

    "Yes, Mom." Duke looked at his mother and said very seriously, "I want to be a film director! the sessful kind!"

    In fact, he knew that ording to his mother''s idea, he should go into business.

    "Do you know how difficult this road is, Duke?"

    "Are you mentally prepared?"

    "I''m ready, Mom." Duke''s determination never wavered, "Only you know how much time and energy I''ve put into this, how much effort I''ve put into this, I have been working toward this goal for the past ten years.

    "What is your n?" she knew that Duke was not impulsive, he was a man with a n.

    "In the next few weeks, I will stay here..."

    Pointing to his head, Duke continued, "I had an idea a long time ago, I will turn it to a suitable script, and then I''ll look for investors, and I will direct it."

    Looking up at his mother, 20 years of getting along was enough for him to read the disapproval from her beautiful face, "Mom, I know that I have only made two experimental films, and qualifications and age are both an issue."

    "But don''t forget, Hollywood is not without young directors. Last year, when Columbia Pictures bought the script of "Boyz N the Hood" from John singleton and made him the director, how old was he? He was only twenty-two years old. He''s still a ck man!"

    "Hollywood nevercks scripts!"

    Because her advertisingpany has multiple business dealings with Hollywood, she knows this very well. "John Singleton is not the norm; he is the exception."

    Duke''s mother reminded him. Duke thought about it and said, "ording to the normal Hollywoodw, I should enter a TV ormercial crew after graduation, starting from the position of assistant director or even lower, which can not only help me umte experience while Waiting for an opportunity. But, Mom, time is really tight for me, I have so many ideas to realize, and I can''t wait endlessly."

    "Duke."

    As a businesswoman, she always keep her head calm, "Now your chances of sess are infinitely close to zero!"

    "You have to understand that 99.99 percent of the people who enter Hollywood fail."

    Despite not having much experience in Hollywood, Duke has experienced many struggles in a simr circle in another country. He never backs down from a challenge, "Mom, if I try, the chance of sess is infinitely close to zero. If I don''t try, the probability of sess must be zero!"

    Duke''s confidencees from his over 20 years of experience and study in both his past and present life. While he may not always seed, he doesn''t stand to lose much, as he wouldn''t have qualified for the positions he''s going for anyway. The worst that could happen is that he bes a joke to Hollywoodpanies and investors, and right now he doesn''t even have the qualifications to be discussed by them.

    This is a road full of hardships, even more difficult than taking over his mother''s advertisingpany in the future, but Duke has long decided to take this road, even if he encounters a bloodbath, he will not back down.

 Chapter 5: Finalize the first choice

    Chapter 5: Finalize the first choice

    The second day after returning home, Duke unpacked his luggage, went to his mother''s advertisingpany, fetched a typewriter from the office, and set up temporary studio in an empty room on the second floor with a balcony that overlooked the sea. Afterwards, he made some ck tea and sat on a rattan chair on the balcony to enjoy the cool sea breeze while he thought about what movie to choose.

    A long time has passed since he transmigrated. He doesn''t have aputer-like brain, and many things have already be blurred, even those Hollywood movies that he spent a lot of time studying, he still clearly remembers the main plot, but many The details are almost forgotten.

    Especially the movies he watched once or twice, he basically only have a very light impression of them, some he can''t remember at all.

    This limits his options.

    In addition, he has shot two experimental films in the past few years, but he has to admit that he has not independently directed any formal film projects andcks real experience. He is aplete novice. ording to his and his mother''s perception, the chances of getting a chance are very small, but he needs to shoot the type of film he is best at to give himself some hope.

    In that case, literary and artistic films must be excluded first.

    There are also horror movies, unfortunately, he was not a horror movie fan, and has only seen a limited number of them.

    Lightly sping the armrest of the chair, Duke''s thoughts gradually shifted to the present. Movies are deeply influenced by the social environment. so the movie must be popr and eptable to the majority of the audience.

    What are the most popr movies in Hollywood today? Romantic romance and hot action movies!

    The former can also be thrown away, while thetter... Duke''s mind immediately thought of the names and general plots of several movies.

    The former can also be thrown away, while thetter... Duke''s mind immediately thought of the names and general plots of several movies.

    After careful research, he has concluded that these action films are the most suitable choices, based on the direction of the plot, thenguage of the shots, the acting skills of the actors, the lighting and scenery, post-editing, dubbing and soundtracking.

    After careful research, he has concluded that action films are the most suitable choices, based on the direction of the plot, thenguage of the shots, the acting skills of the actors, the lighting and scenery, post-editing, dubbing and soundtracks.

    After drinking the ck tea in the cup, Duke walked out of the makeshift studio, made a few appointment calls, and went straight to the Western Association branch of the Writers Guild in Los Angeles. After paying a fee, he checked the current scripts at the Screenwriters Association. Fortunately, they were all archived on theputer, with a clear brief introduction.

    After spending an entire afternoon, Duke finally determined that the scripts of several films in his mind were not registered with the Writers Guild, so the chances of a copyright problem is much smaller.

    Of course, it''s also possible that the script is being written or not registered with the Writers Guild, but even if he get used in the future, he can say it''s just a ''coincidence''.

    The rest of the work today is to choose the most suitable film from these options.

    It wasn''t difficult to make a decision, and Duke had already decided that a film with the least investment was the best fit.

    ---

    His Mother had a party that night, Duke had dinner alone, went back to the studio on the second floor, sat in front of the typewriter, tried hard to recall a film that he had studied as a model, and gradually sorted out his thoughts.

    The structure of this film is very simple, the theme is also very simple, even the name has only one word - "Speed"!

    This is one of the most ssic Hollywood action films of the 1990s, even though the investment for this movie is a little high, it is still lowpared to the other action movies.

    Fortunately, the Soviet Union has not disintegrated, Bill Clinton has not yete to power, and even though the dor has been depreciating, it is not as bad as a few yearster.

    Even so, this will be a movie with an investment of more than ten million dors.

    Shaking his head, Duke let out a long sigh and struck the first letter of the typewriter.

    As he said to his mom, hope is indeed slim, but if you work hard, there may be a little chance of sess, if you don''t do it, there is really no chance.

    "Only people with perseverance can create extraordinary achievements!"

    Duke thinks this statement makes perfect sense.

    For more than a week, Duke forget his financial troubles and worries about the future, and devoted all his heart and energy to put together a detailed script outline.

    In this way, Duke has a pre-made temte. Next, he only needs to fill in the nks, and then a standard Hollywood-stylemercial script can be obtained.

    Even if there are many details that he has forgotten, the streamlined script writing can still be filled with suitable paragraphs.

    If you want to have any chance of sess, you need to make your script conform to Hollywood''s operating mode and aesthetic standards. As a neer with no name, being innovative will only set you back.

 Chapter 6: Finalize the first choice

    Chapter 6: Finalize the first choice

    Time gradually came to the middle of May in 1991, Santa Monica was also shrouded in the scorching sun in the sky. Only at night, the cool wind from the sea could slightly dispel the heat and dryness of the day, making people feel a little morefortable.

    Duke was sitting on a balcony on the second floor of the vi, surrounded by white lights. In the center of the balcony was a small, round stic table, and Duke was sitting in a rattan chair next to it, engrossed in thought. He was so deep in thought that he didn''t even notice the asional mosquito thatnded on him. The cool sea breeze blew from the west, the hands he ced in front of the typewriter slowly lifted andnded on the typewriter keys.

    ---

    The first scene, the first act.

    The security door to the elevator room on the ground floor was pushed open from the outside. A security guard with a walkie-talkie walked in and followed the vague sound until he found an elderly maintenance worker repairing something.

    "Hey, you''re not supposed to be here!" He walked over and asked routinely.

    "I know," said the elderly maintenance worker, only showing half of his figure. "I was called to repair the wiring."

    "Why didn''t you notify me?" The security guard asked in a curious manner, "Show me your maintenance order."

    "Wait a minute." The maintenance worker bent over to look for the receipt in the bag. His left hand had no thumb and was obviously disabled. "I found it."

    He slowly stood up, concealing the knife in his right hand behind the document. When the security guard''s attention was focused on the document, the knife in his right hand pierced the security guard''s ear.

    "This is not personal!"

    Duke''s writing has greatly improved with the use of the temte. Many of the scenes in the film are borrowed from other films, but they are given new meaning with the addition of "Speed" plot. Duke is able to reference many of these scenes from the videotapes he has watched in recent years.

    Writing is not a smooth process. Even though he has long-term learning and umtion, he also has things he is not good at, such as emotional dramas.

    Fortunately, this film does not need to highlight emotional dramas, and the male and female protagonists are just going through hardships and don''t have time to get together.

    For several weeks in a row, Duke basically stayed at home. He had no good friends at all. Only when his mother was not busy, he would asionally spend time with her.

    "You don''t know how to write emotional dramas?"

    At the dinner table, Mrs. Leah narrowed her eyes and looked at Duke and said. "It seems to me that you''ve had a lot of girlfriends since you were fifteen?"

    "Mom, my time is precious, I don''t want to waste my time and energy on love."

    Probably because of theck ofmunication with other people during this time, Duke has been talking a lot with his mother recently, some words jumped out without much thought, "I was just having fun with them."

    As soon as the words came out, Duke immediately noticed that his mother''s eyes had changed, and quickly said, "I''m full and I''m going to continue working."

    Going back upstairs and reading the finished script, Duke began to wrap it up. Including the outline and character setting, he has spent six full weeks, and the script for "Speed" is about to bepleted.

    The main plot of the script has not changed much, but he re-added most of the minor details. In addition, he also added a rough estimate of his own estimated budget to the back of the script. Although he is not a professional, he has been on many studios, and is no stranger to today''s Hollywood. Even if the estimated numbers are inurate, they will not be much worse then what a professional ountant will give.

    ording to Duke''s idea, a lot of unnecessary plots were removed, most of the props will be rented, and some expensive scenes will be shot with reduced-scale models. Which will reduce the cost from between 14 million and 15 million. to about 10 million dors.

    However, that is still arge and scary budget.

    "No studio would put such arge sum of money on a new director."

    After the script waspleted, Mrs. Leah naturally became the first reader. she first gave her opinion on the budget figures and said, "Even though Hollywood productionpanies have multiple financing channels, a lot of the money lost is Investor''s money, but..."

    She paused, as if she was thinking about something, but finally shook her head and sighed, "A rational person wouldn''t make such a big gamble."

    "Then..." Sitting across from his mother, Duke asked earnestly, "Mom, do you think any filmpany would adopt this script?"

    "Apart from limiting the danger to enclosed spaces like elevators and buses, the race against time is a bit creative." She shook her head and said a bit bluntly, "Frankly speaking, Duke, I''ve seen a lot of movies andmercial scripts, this is at best average."

 Chapter 7: dont look back

    Chapter 7: don''t look back

    Duke was not at all phased by his mother''s evaluation, he knows that scripts and films are twopletely different carriers. After a short rest to adjust his mental state, he, like all other neers who are eager to get ahead in Hollywood, plunged headlong into this unfathomable circle.

    He has his own advantages. Being a native of Los Angeles, his family is also somewhat connected to Hollywood. He is very familiar with Hollywood studios, he will not be like a fledgling, Crashing around like headless fly.

    Before he set off, Duke made preparations and set his eyes on a target.

    In Hollywood, if a screenwriter writes a script that he thinks is good, there are generally two paths.

    One way to get your project off the ground is to approach influential producers or brokeragepanies, such as CAA, and sell them your idea. If you can get the other party to appreciate your idea, these rtionships can be very beneficial to you. Thepany will rmend your project to the productionpany, and after a rigorous review, they will pull in the necessary investment.

    The best way to get your script into the hands of a productionpany is to go directly to the relevant department and deliver it in person. This way, you bypass the usual screening process and have a better chance of getting your script read and evaluated.

    Duke knew a few producers, but none of them knew him except George Lucas, who had a rtionship with his mother.

    So Duke wanted to try the second option first, and even if he failed, he would have nothing to lose.

    Duke drove to Century City in Los Angeles with a few script drafts. Century City is arge-scalemercial district where many film, television and musicpanies are located. Duke''s target is thergest of them "Twentieth Century Fox", which upies the entire Fox Building!

    Duke walked into the main entrance of the Fox Building, carrying a handbag. His eyes quickly swept across the wide hall, then he walked towards the front desk unhurriedly.

    "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

    The receptionist at Twentieth Century Fox was professional and showed Duke a warm smile.

    "I''m looking for Mr. Tim Fisher from the editorial department."

    "is he there?"

    "Do you have an appointment?" Thedy at the front desk still smiled brightly.

    "No..." Duke shook his head slowly, "I really want to make an appointment, but I don''t know his secretary''s desk number."

    I''m afraid that even if he knew, the other party would not make an appointment with him.

    "May I ask the purpose of youring here?"

    Hearing the skilled questioning from the front deskdy, Duke gestured to her with his handbag, "I am a screenwriter and director, and there is a script that I want Mr. Tim Fisher to read."

    "What, don''t I look like a writer?" Duke said, seeing the slightly surprised expression on the receptionist''s face.

    "That''s not what I meant." Thedy at the front desk slightly apologized, "It''s just that you look too young."

    With a sigh, Duke can only secretly say that it is true, His age and qualifications are indeed a w.

    "Can you make the phone call for me?" he asked again.

    "This"

    Seeing that the other party was a little embarrassed, Duke immediately showed a sincere expression, just like all young people who yearn for opportunities.

    "I can get in touch with Mr. Fisher''s secretary desk."

    I have to say that Duke''s sincere and handsome face yed a big role. Thedy at the front desk quickly dialed a phone number, said a few words, and then hung up.

    "Sorry, mr. ..."

    "Duke, you can call me Duke."

    "Okay, Duke, Mr. Fisher doesn''t have time right now. You can send the script directly to the editorial department on the seventh floor, and someone will handle it."

    "thanks!"

    Duke said sincerely. After all, they were strangers, and the other party could not do more.

    Taking the elevator to the seventh floor, Duke did some inquiries and found an office. This is the department that Twentieth Century Fox specializes in handling scripts. To put it simply, the number of scripts received every month is in the Hundreds.

    "Speed?"

    A man in his thirties received Duke. He took the script draft and handed over a form. "Please fill out your name, phone number, address, and email address. We will notify you as soon as possible."

    "Thanks"

    Picking up the carbon pen, Duke quickly filled out the form and handed it back to the other person. The man took it and nced at it, clipped it into the script, then he ced it on the cab next to him.

    Duke has been watching all of this, especially the thick stacks of scripts waiting to be reviewed, which are obviously scripts waiting to be reviewed, some of which even have a lot of dust on them.

    He didn''t raise question about him being the director''s, and it was pointless to say it to the staff at this level. From the situation on the scene, the chance of 20th Century Fox''s calling him... Well, he didn''t hold too much hope.

    Although he is unwilling, even though he wants to see a big man with more say in Fox, Duke knows that, with how things are, this is almost impossible.

 Chapter 8: dont look back

    Chapter 8: don''t look back

    Duke waved to the receptionist as he headed back to the lobby on the first floor. He found a spot where he could see the entrance and exit of the elevator and sat down to wait patiently.

    Sess has never been easy, let alone for a nobody like him, who used to wait for an opportunity, and he has enough patience.

    Sess has never been easy, for somebody like him, who used to wait for an opportunity. He has enough patience.

    As noon approached, Duke''s concerned eyes caught sight of three figures who had just walked out. They were walking on the side closest to him, almostpletely blocking the people behind him. One of the people who had appeared in the newspapers looked very simr to Tim Fisher, Duke thought to himself.

    Taking out the script from his handbag, Duke walked over without hesitation, but instead of running to them immediately, he followed them out of the Fox Building.

    "Duke?"

    Just as he walked out, a very familiar voice called to him, "Why are you here?"

    Hearing this voice, Duke turned his head slightly to find that one of the three men was was his agent Lovett.

    No, it should be the former agent. The contract between the two parties expired as early as May. Duke nodded slightly to the other side, then turned to face Tim Fisher.

    "I''m sorry to disturb you, Mr. Fisher," he said very quickly and politely. "I have a script here, please take a look."

    Perhaps Tim Fisher was often encountering this situation and wasn''t surprised. He reached out his hand to stop the security guard who wanted toe over. He took the script handed by Duke and turned his head to look to the other side. "Lovett, is this someone under the CAA?"

    "Mr Fisher, Mr Bob."

    Lovett, the outermost, said respectfully to Tim Fisher and Martin Bob in the middle, "He used to be my signing actor, and thepany did not renew his contract after the contract expired in May."

    His meaning is very obvious, CAA is not optimistic about Duke, and voluntarily gave up on him.

    "Actor? No contract renewal?"

    Tim Fisher frowned, and let go of the hand that was about to turn the script, "Duke, right? I''ve epted the script, and if there are any questions, I''ll have someone contact you."

    After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, stopping what Duke wanted to say.

    Duke is not an idiot. He knew that if he was insisted on talking to him, the security guard behind him would definitelye over. He politely said ''thank you'', turned around, and left slowly.

    "Is this the kid from the Rosenbergs?"

    A middle-aged man''s voice sounded from the rear. Duke knew that this was Martin Bob, one of the big five in CAA and now a top Hollywood figure. "I thought he had some potential," Bob said, "but in CAA''s evaluation of its artists this year, his ability evaluation was D, his potential was E, so was abandoned by CAA."

    Even if Duke doesn''t look back, he can guess Tim Fisher''s expression. anyone who has been abandoned by CAA probably have no future in Hollywood?

    Resisting the urge to turn back, Duke turned his head slightly and nced back as he walking around the corner of the Fox Building, only to see Tim Fisher hand over the script one of the staff member who turned around and entered the Fox Building without looking back.

    Actually, this was not surprising?

    After starting his second-hand Ford, Duke turned the steering wheel and slowly drove out of the parking lot. Big people need face, and they also need to show that they value talent in public. After Lovett''s words, Tim Fisher didn''t even think to ask his name and contact information.

    Maybe the other party doesn''t have the right to directly decide what movie can be made, but it is not difficult for him to reject a script.

    Duke stopped for lunch outside of Beverly Hills and then continued on his journey. He wasn''t discouraged by failure, instead it made him more determined.

    He went to Burbank this time. The car drove into the city and he found the Warner Building easily. He asked at the front desk and took the elevator to the Warner Bros office floor.

    Probably because of God''s blessing, when Duke went to deliver the script, he actually met Jeff Robinov, who was in charge of the film business of Warner Brothers. Duke was only given five minutes for the meeting because Robinov was Jewish.

    "...a Los Angeles police officer Jack thwarts retired bomb squad member Howard Payne''s attempt at taking hostages, angering Payne in the process. In revenge, Payne arms a bus with a bomb that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per hour. With the help of spunky passenger Annie, Jack and his partner try to save the people on the bus before the bomb goes off, while also trying to figure out how Payne is monitoring them..."

    Five minutes is neither too short nor too long. Duke only briefly exined the main idea of the script and his desire to be a director.

    The slightly bald middle-aged Jew leaned back on the office chair, looked at Duke who was sitting in front of him, and asked, "If I understand correctly, Mr. Rosenberg, you ... want to direct your own script?"

    "Yes." Duke nodded seriously.

 Chapter 9: dawn

    Chapter 9: dawn

    Without any ident, Duke walked out of the Warner Building, hopeful and full of fighting spirit. Although, he hit a wall one after another, this didn''t stop him from pursuing that tiny opportunity.

    This circle is one that pays attention to connections, qualifications, and sessful experience. Duke''s resume iscking in this area and if there is a movie with a box office of millions or even 100,000 dors in his name. The treatment he would enjoy from filmpany''s will certainly be very different.

    Unfortunately, the hardest part of entering the Hollywood circle is taking the first step. Opportunity is often more important than talent in Hollywood. You have to create and fight for opportunities; if you don''t, you''ll never get a chance.

    For the next ten days, Duke was incredibly busy, going in and out of various studios in the Greater Los Angeles area like a Spartan. He left his footprints at Paramount, Disney, MGM, Universal, and Sony - all first-tierpanies in Colombia. He also stopped by second-tierpanies such as New Line, Carlock, and the newly emerging Miramax in Los Angeles.

    During this period of time, Duke sent out a copy of the script and received numerous rejections. His head hit so many Hollywood doors, but he did not flinch!

    After he went to all therger filmpanies, he temporarily suspended his search for opportunities with filmpanies. He did not need to go to the remaining small film studios. They themselves did not have the strength to invest in this level of film, tens of millions of dors will is a rtively high-investment after all.

    James Cameron''s "Terminator 2" was released in July to much fanfare. Duke began finding ways to get to those famous producers, including Jerry Bruckheimer, Katherine Kennedy, Jon Landau, Annie Spielberg and others. However, all of his attempts to contact them have been met with refusal.

    Not allpanies and producers are not optimistic about the script. Paramount and Jerry Bruckheimer were interested, but shook their heads at Duke''s request to be the director.

    Even when Duke offered to sell them the script for a token dor in exchange for the chance to direct, the answer was still a hard no.

    Even if Duke were to speak out, these people would not invest such arge sum of money into someone with no sessful directing experience. After all they were neither friends nor rtives.

    In addition to producers and productionpanies, Duke still has a way to seek investment from banks or foundations. Although there are not as many film investment funds in Hollywood in this era, there are still a few.

    ----

    In Malibu, Duke met a film fund manager.

    "I Have made two experimental films, and graduated from CalArts'' film with all A grades, which can''t exin any problems..."

    However, even with those qualifications, he couldn''t get his hand on the the AUG film fund.

    Although big Hollywoodpanies often resort to falsifying ounts and concealing box office reports to defraud investors of their funds, Duke does not have the conditions to extractrge sums of money from these vampires.

    When nearly ten days passed in July, Duke, who was running into a wall, had to prepare to take the road he didn''t want to take, and the road that was slightly more likely to seed, to find his mother''s best friend, who was famous in Hollywood and even the world. George Lucas.

    Duke really wanted to use his own ability to win opportunities, but he also knows how to take advantage of favorable conditions to create opportunities for sess, which is not a bad thing.

    Of course, he took this as a final chance.

    Duke won''t have long to prepare, ording to the previouspany''s and producers he met. Even if he makes some preparations, he won''t have much room to perform. It''s different with George Lucas. Duke won''t go straight to Lucas film, he will go to Lucas'' estate in the suburbs of San Francisco.

    Before going, in addition to the script, Duke also nned to shoot a video. This is a video where the main plot will be in the car, and Duke''s shooting is naturally rted to the car.

    This is a video where the main plot will be in the car, and Duke''s shooting is naturally rted to the car.

    He retrieved his 16mm camera from the storage room, swiped his credit card to buy film, and used the weekly mowingwn worker to drive his second hand car. He shot several times in the co-pilot and outside the car, it took half a day to basically get the shots he wanted.

    As Duke edited the video, added a heavy metal soundtrack, and turned it into a videotape, an informal meeting about his script was quietly unfolding in Warner Bros CEO''s office.

    "Kevin, I think the script of is operable."

    Jeff Robinov, who Duke had met before, gave advice to CEO Kevin Tsujihara who was sitting in arge office chair, "If you we capture the thrills in the script, and the quality is the chase scenes ..."

    "Jeff..." Kevin Tsujihara interrupted Jeff Robinov and looked at his assistant next to him. "Robert, what''s your opinion?"

    Robert Solomon, a heavyweight in the industry, rested his arm on the armrest of the chair and rested his chin in his palm. After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "There is a situation, you can refer to it, Duke Rosenberg used to be a signed artist of CAA, and he was just given up by CAA this year. You know the way CAA do things, if he has potential, they will never give up on him."

    "And..." He moved his hand away and nodded at the script on the desk, "It''s never a wise idea to invest tens of millions of dors in the work of someone who has no qualifications!"

 Chapter 10: dawn

    Chapter 10: dawn

    "It''s never a wise idea to invest tens of millions of dors in the work of someone who has no qualifications!"

    He said this with emphasis, "Don''t forget, he also asked for the director''s position! A 21-year-old who has never made any official film ..."

    As executive vice president, Robert Solomon''s meaning is very clear, and his words are hold more weight than Jeff Robinov. After all, considering the actual operation, The risk is indeed a bit big, so Jeff Robinov didn''t insist strongly.

    "That''s it."

    After a few minutes of consideration, CEO Kevin Tsujihara said "This script is temporarily put on hold and is included in the script library."

    Duke, who had just entered the Lucas Manor, was not aware that an opportunity had passed him by during the discussions among several senior executives of Warner Bros.

    After parking his car, Duke greeted the people at Lucas Manor familiarly. Although he doesn''t visit as often as he used to, he was a frequent visitor here before entering college.

    Perhaps it was because of Lucas''s sons and daughters going on a trip that the manor seemed unusually quiet. Duke walked into a spacious living room. There was no one here, only George Lucas, who was sitting on a low-backed chair waiting for him.

    "Uncle George..."

    Duke politely greets George Lucas and puts his bag down on the table in front of him. and sat in chair, Lucas looks at him with interest and said, "Why not call me George."

    Smiling slightly, Duke did not answer, In the past, you could sell the image of little boy, but it can''t be done now.

    "You can call me George, just like before."

    The two families have been friends for more than 20 years. After the servant brought the ck tea, George Lucas was not polite and directly extended his hand, "What about the script you talked about on the phone?"

    "here."

    Opening the bag, Duke handed over the script with less than 200 pages. When he called yesterday, he mentioned the script, "In the past month or so, I have been to many Hollywood filmpanies."

    "I''ve heard from the CAA folks,"

    Turning over the script, George Lucas said while watching, "The ipetent son of Leah Rosenberg of the Santa Fe ad agency, naively wants to be a director."

    Duke frowned, then quickly returned to his normal expression.

    After the two of them said a few words, George Lucas kept his mouth shut and devoted his energy to the script. Duke has met a lot of people this month, but it was the first time someone had read the script so seriously in front of him. And this person is close to his family, this is kind of ironic.

    At the same time, Duke, who has been lingering on the edge of this circle, has seen the harsh realistic side of Hollywood. Without qualifications, contacts and achievements, you are just a weed that no one pays attention to.

    Hollywood would rather invest heavily in bad movies of well-known figures than take a second look at neers. After nearly an hour, George Lucas put down the script, took a sip of the ck tea that had long turned cold, and asked Duke, "Do you have anything else?".

    "I have!"

    Taking the videotape out of his handbag, Duke walked over to the TV cab, turned on the TV and the VCR, and inserted the videotape. After a brief few seconds, a clip without much post-processing, apanied by a drum beats soundtrack appeared on the TV screen.

    This video is notplicated, it always switches between the front wheel of a car and the speedometer, but the spinning wheel and the pointer hovering above 50 are obviously carefully edited, and the length of each short shot is absolutely no more than In one second, frequent and smooth switching can easily trigger a sense of tension in people''s minds.

    Although the picture is a bit monotonous, George Lucas watched it very seriously. He thought of the setting in the film that the bomb would explode below 50 miles, and connected these with the image...

    "Duke,e and sit."

    George Lucas told Duke to turn off the TV and then pointed to the chair opposite him. "Dazzling motion shots, sharp editing style, well done."

    "Uncle George..."

    "George." Lucas corrected.

    "Okay, George."

    When Duke sat down, George Lucas''s business attitude changed. "The script is not very good. It''s at best a medium-to-highmercial script. In Hollywood, a good idea can be made into a bad movie. and a bad idea can also be made into a good movie. And the role of the director is extremely important. If the script is handed over to an experienced director, there''s a half chance it will be profitable."

    Hearing these words, Duke showed a helpless smile, the meaning of George Lucas was very obvious.

    "I have seen your estimated production cost. Even if the special effects of the film are all handed over to Industrial Light and Magic, the cost cannot be reduced to less than ten million US dors."

    In an instant, Lucas turned from a businessman to an elder again, "Involving such arge amount of investment, even Lucas film has to be cautious. Duke, you are still young, exercise for a few more years, in the future There will definitely be a chance."

    Afterwards, George Lucas then changed the subject to Duke''s mother and talked about some of the things the two started when they were young. He refused to let Duke leave until after dinner.

    Not long after duke disappeared at the entrance of the manor, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

    "George, it''s me."

    The voice in the receiver was clearly Leah Rosenberg, "Have you seen Duke?"

    "Yes."

    "I have something I want to talk to you about. Are youing to Los Angeles or should Ie to San Francisco?"

    "I''lle."

 Chapter 11: You are the director

    Chapter 11: You are the director

    "Are you sure you want to do this, Leah?"

    Putting down his coffee cup, George Lucas broke the quiet atmosphere of the cafe with, "This is too risky!"

    "I''m Duke''s mother."

    "I know how realistic Hollywood is," Leah Rosenberg said slowly, sipping her coffee. "If I don''t help him, who else in the world will help him?"

    She raised her eyes and looked at George Lucas, her ck eyes were as calm as water, "I''m just doing what a mother will do."

    "After you called mest night, I carefully studied the script."

    After seeing his friend''s firm attitude, George Lucas quickly regained hisposure and said. "If the movie wants to produce the effect of the script, it will definitely require an investment of tens of millions of dors. I watched Duke''s video and he really has a lot of ideas. The fast and sharp editing is also very characteristic, but he is inexperienced!"

    "George, give me an exact figure." Leah Rosenberg directly ignored George Lucas''st words, "How much money he will need in your estimation?"

    George Lucas carefully observed his friend for a while before saying slowly, "If it''s produced by Lucasfilm, the special effects will bepletely handed over to Industrial Light and Magic. I estimate it will cost around 12 million US dors. It can be done, but Duke is a rookie so the number is bound to increase to at least $15 million."

    "I''m going to mortgage two properties one in Santa Monica and San Francisco as soon as possible." Leah had this idea when she first saw the script, and after weeks of deliberation, she made up her mind. At this time, she seemed to be Talking about trivial matters, "With some of my savings, I have no problem getting together $10 million, and I''ll figure out what to do for the rest."

    "Leah, you''re taking a big gamble!" George Lucas reminded her.

    "George, think back twenty years..."

    Leah''s eyes finally revealed a light as she said to George, "Think back twenty years to when we started our business. Do you remember the situation when shooting "Star Wars"? Ny percent of people in Hollywood were saying you were a fool, and All the film critics in North America are scolding you for making rubbish, so what happened?"

    Leah''s eyes finally revealed a light as she said to George, "George, think back twenty years in the past to when we started our business. Do you remember the situation when shooting "Star Wars"? Ny percent of people in Hollywood were saying you were a fool, and All the film critics in North America are scolding you for making trash, so what happened?"

    Hearing his best friend mention his favorite thing, George Lucas couldn''t help but smile, took a sip of coffee and said, "You have so much confidence in Duke?"

    "no confidence."

    Leah Rosenberg''s words almost made George Lucas spit out his coffee. "But as a mother, I am willing to create a chance for him to seed, even if he fails. I will just lose two properties and some money. I can bear this loss."

    Seeing George Lucas nodding slowly, her voice gradually lowered, "George, we have known each other for 30 years, and I have never asked you to help me with anything, the production and distribution of the film..."

    "These are all handed over to Lucas film."

    Now that Leah has decided to take on most of the investment and said such solemn words, George Lucas is no longer persuaded her. He thought for a while, and said: "If they know I am interested in this script, those film funds are sure to pay for the rest of the investment..

    It''s easy for Hollywood bigwigs to do things like borrowing chickens toy eggs and selling human feelings.

    After reaching an agreement on the general direction, the two discussed some specific aspects. It was not until half a dayter that they left the caf separately.

    Duke didn''t know anything about his mother''s decision. Although he never gave up hope, he also clearly realized that the opportunity would not appear in a short time, and he had to find a suitable job to support himself.

    He started contacting an assistant director of the "Captain Hook" crew. After Spielberg''s crew experienced a financial crisis that led to a shutdown, but they finally got the investment needed and started filming in Universal Studios again. Duke wants to return to the crew to work, even if just as a temporary worker doing chores. It is a rare learning opportunity to be able to watch Hollywood''s fastest film maker at work.

    Most importantly, he must have a certain source of ie, if he want to slowly wait and look for opportunities.

    Duke thought about asking his mother to invest, but ultimately decided against it.

    There is no mother who owes her children that much money in this world, and Mrs. Leah has also expressed that she is not optimistic about the script. He can''t ask for more.

    Even if his mother is willing to invest, without the support of a filmpany, it doesn''t really matter much.

    Forming a huge crew without the support of the filmpany is aplex problem. If the film is made, the distribution and release is also a huge problem.

    In this huge industry, the distributionpany is always at the top of the food chain. Duke would not be nave to think that the distributionpany would spend millions of funds for the film just because he signed a contract with them. He would be foolish to think that the other party would make announcements and then share one-third or even half of the profits with him. The executives of the publishingpany are not idiots.

    Don''t forget, he''s aplete rookie, and no distributionpany would invest such arge amount of money in a work of a rookie director, they''re not in the phnthropic business!

    Therefore, he needs the support of the productionpany or a well-known producers. And if the producer of the film is arge productionpany like Lucas film, some problems will be solved easily.

 Chapter 12: You are the director

    Chapter 12: You are the director

    A Duke solo production is apletely different concept than a Lucasfilm production or a Warner''s kind of production, and the benefits you receive from the publishers will be vastly different.

    Why do directors who have just debuted always seek out producers or filmpanies? In fact, this is an unreasonable choice

    Because he had previously worked as a temporary worker on the crew of "Captain Hook", Duke got the job after just two phone calls.

    He is a temporary worker and doesn''t have a fixed position, so he will have to do whatever the crew needs him to do. It''s often dirty and tiring work.

    Like the vast majority of Hollywood production crews, the atmosphere of this crew is definitely not harmonious, there are endless battles in the open and in secret. This is an extremelypetitive circle. If you want to get ahead, you must use all means to climb up, especially for aspiring young men like him.

    Of course, the king here is called Spielberg, but even a sessful director like Spielberg will sometimes have funding problems and have to shut down the crew for a while to search for investment. Likewise, there will be challengers to his authority, such as the heroine Julia Roberts.

    Before the production was suspended, Duke once witnessed that after taking drugs, Julia quarrelled with Spielberg over a trivial matter, and even pushed Spielberg once. If it wasn''t for her being pulled away by the crew, it''s very likely that they would have had a fought.

    Probably due to funding issues and the fact that Big Mouth has already filmed a lot of scenes, Spielberg didn''t rece her, but it''s hard to say that string of bad luck Julia Roberts faced from the early 90s to the mid 90s has nothing to do with this incident.

    At the end of the day''s work, Duke found a random corner, changed out of his overalls, put on his jacket, walked out of the studio, and walked slowly towards the parking lot along the narrow road among the many buildings.

    Although he is just a temporary worker with no status, Duke enjoys the special treatment of driving his own battery car. Despite the tiring work, his back is straight and his tall frame is as strong as a palm tree.

    The sound of brakes screeching suddenly came from behind, and a white six-seat electric car stopped steadily beside him.

    "Duke Rosenberg?"

    A somewhat familiar voice came called to him, and Duke turned to see that Rick Solomon was sitting in the driver''s seat of the battery car.

    With a slight nod to the other side, Duke turned to leave.

    "Hi Duke!"

    Rick Solomon honked the horn of the battery car to get Duke''s attention, then said loudly, "I heard that you wrote a script and are still looking for an investment from Hollywood studios, how about it? Great director, When will your movie start?"

    His tone was full of sarcasm, "Could it be that your film has already started filming at Universal Studios? This is big news..."

    Without waiting for Duke to react, he pointed to the badge hanging around his neck and said, "Did you see it? A pass for the "Alien 3" crew to Universal Studios! I''m the supporting actor in it!"

    "David Fincher''s work?" Duke said lightly with a smile, "Congrattions.".

    Seeing that Duke was still not showing any envy or jealousy, Rick Solomon said condescendingly, "By the way, Duke, I heard from my father the other day that Warner Bros once held a meeting to discuss your script"

    Duke raised his eyebrows, as Rick Solomon said with a smile, "It''s a pity that your movie was rejected by Warner!"

    He tapped the steering wheel lightly, "Duke Rosenberg, you are just wasting you time chasing your director dream! You should continue your promising career as a temporary worker on the crew!"

    Suddenly, a battery car came from behind. They were obviously blocking the road, so Duke took the initiative to give way to by driving his battery car to the side of the road.

    But the battery car behind them did not leave, but stopped.

    "Duke?"

    A young woman in her twenties leapt out of the battery powered car. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a striped pattern and blue jeans, she was thin with an angr face. She had a hooked nose, dark eyes and full lips.

    "Hi, Sophia."

    Duke waved to the girl who came over. Although he was not very familiar with her, he had met her many times at George Lucas''s house. Her father was the famous Francis Copp. "Why are you here?"

    "I''m working at "Alien 3" crew", she said with a faint nasal voice. "As a temporary assistant for David Fincher."

    "Hello, Sophia."

    Rick Solomon also jumped out of the battery car and came over to say hello at some point.

    "Hello."

    Sofia Copp lightly tapped her chin, ignored the warm smile sent by the other party, and patted Duke''s arm hard, "Congrattions!"

    "Congrattions?" Duke didn''t understand.

    "I went to see Uncle Lucas in San Francisco yesterday. He mentioned you and said that your script was about to be approved by Lucasfilm, and you..."

    She said with a hint of envy in her tone, "You are the finalized director candidate."

    "Is this true?" Duke''s first reaction was in disbelief.

    "When have I lied to you?" Sophia said while crossing her arms. "They will probably inform you soon."

    "Okay, let''s not talk about that." She pointed to her battery car, "Get in, I''ll take you to the parking lot."

    After getting on the battery car, Rick Solomon who was still just standing there said to Sophia, "Hey, Sophia, are you kidding?"

    However, the only response he got was the wind from the battery car.

    After standing there for a while, Rick Solomon said with a frown on his face, "This... how is this possible?"

 Chapter 13: Start Preparing

    Chapter 13: Start Preparing

    "Duke, this is Robin Grande."

    In the conference room of Lucasfilm, George Lucas introduced a middle-aged man to Duke, "Robin is the production manager hired by us for "Speed".

    "Hello, Duke."

    The other party stood up and extended his hand for a handshake, "I''ve seen the video you edited, it''s impressive."

    "Nice to meet you, Robin."

    Duke also stood up and shook his hand, "I''m happy to be working with you."

    Since Lucasfilm has a mature system and perfect production system, they were able to start preparatory work a week after notifying Duke to participate in the first meeting. They even have candidates for the important crew positions, which shows thepany confidence.

    As the spokesperson for producer George Lucas on the crew, Robin Grande undoubtedly has a lot of power. Since Duke has not signed a formal director contract with Lucasfilm, he first focused on the issues of Duke''s treatment.

    "Your director sry is $120,000."

    He continued speaking after seeing that Duke didn''t say anything, "We will pay $50,000 up front; after the filming ispleted, another $50,000 will be paid, and the final $20,000 will be paid after the film is pulled from North America cinemas."

    Duke understood that it was the Hollywood norm, "I have no opinion."

    Later, Robin Grande talked about a series of director''s rights and obligations. Combined with Duke''s own requirements, he will participate in the preparation of the crew and the pre-production of the film, but like most new directors, he has the right to speak and advise, but not the final say.

    Duke also has the right to advise on the selection of main actors, but not to make the final decision.

    "I hope you will take my suggestions for actors into consideration." Duke will definitely fight for the appropriate power for himself within a reasonable range. "I want to participate in the post-editing of the film, and the final editing."

    If a film''s editing is done poorly, the film will likely not do well. Duke understood that he would not have the ability to control the editing of his film, so he did everything he could to achieve the editing effect he wanted.

    These demands are beyond the scope of Robin Grande''s power, so he looks at George Lucas who was sitting at the head of the table.

    "As long as your suggestion is reasonable." George Lucas didn''t mean to refuse at all.

    Duke breathed a sigh of relief because it is very rare for a rookie director to get such power. Under the Hollywood production model, quite a few directors will be excluded from the editing work, not to mention the final editing rights.

    "There''s one more thing."

    When the meeting was about to end, Duke tentatively put forward a request, "Uncle George... well, George, put my $100,000 upfront payment into the production cost of the film..."

    "And then you get a proportional share of the film''s revenue?" George Lucas look at him with a tilted head.

    Probably knowing that his request was excessive, Duke made a few meaningless gestures and thenpletely gave up on this unreliable idea.

    But what he didn''t expect was that, when he signed a formal director contract with Lucasfilm that afternoon, apanied by his mother''swyer, this use was added to the additional terms of the film.

    Of course, his share of money can only be distributed after deducting various expenses such as theatre''s and distributors.

    After signing his name on the contract, Duke suddenly had a strange feeling that he seemed to have gained more power, right?

    That''s a good thing, isn''t it?

    George Lucas is only responsible for the general direction of the film. The specific matters are basically handed over to the production team headed by Robin Grande. he will be the representative producer during the preparation, shooting and production stages of the film.

    "The film''s budget is currently set at $15 million, with $10 million of that already being funded."

    When he came out with Duke, Robin Grande was still talking about the preparations, he was apparently asked by George Lucas to teach Duke some lessons, "the remaining $5 million. Lucasfilm will be raising funds for it soon, and our studio will be located in West Hollywood, near Santa Monica."

    "Does the studio have a name?" Duke asked.

    "Not yet." Robin Grande shrugged.

    "How about ''speed''?"

    "Not bad"

    The two walked to the parking lot while talking, got into their respective cars, and left separately.

    ---

    Duke had quit his temp job, and for the rest of the day, he would report to the ''Speed'' studio in West Hollywood on time every day.

    The studio system can be said to be the practice of major Hollywoodpanies. Whenever a film with a high investment is approved, the productionpany will set up a corresponding studio to coordinate the films funds, preparations, personnel, shooting, advertising, sponsorship and surrounding areas. Depending on the work, some studios that make big movies can often exist for several years or even a dozen years.

    Pre-production and post-production for a film can often be more tedious than the actual shooting, especially formercial productions with lots of big scenes...

 Chapter 14: Start Preparing

    Chapter 14: Start Preparing

    Duke had quit his temp job, and for the rest of the day, he would report to the ''Speed'' studio in West Hollywood on time every day.

    The studio system can be said to be the practice of major Hollywoodpanies. Whenever a film with a high investment is approved, the productionpany will set up a corresponding studio to coordinate the film''s funds, preparations, personnel, shooting, advertising, sponsorship and surrounding areas. Depending on the work, some studios that make big movies can often exist for several years or even a dozen years.

    Pre-production and post-production for a film can often be more tedious than the actual shooting, especially formercial productions with lots of big scenes.

    Lucasfilm has a strong background and appeal in the industry, while ''Speed'' studio has only been established for a little over ten days. some crew positions were already filled by the people who work with Lucasfilm on a regr basis.

    For many positions, Lucasfilm can fill the positions internally. For example, the soundtrack was handed over to "Skywalker Sound", and the special effects production was handled by Industrial Light and Magic.

    The entire preparatory process is closely rted to the director. What kind of lensnguage is needed, the potential impact of the actors'' performances on the film, the inspection of the studio and other departments to determine the lighting and scenery, rifying the post-editing ideas, and exchanging the sound effects with "Skywalker Sound". This is what Duke must prepare in the early stage.

    Renting props, making sets based on Duke''s advice, contacting cheap rental cars, finding suitable roads and locations, etc., will all be done by professionals. Hollywood''s production line is both cooperative and highly specialized.

    In the following month, Dukepleted most of the sketches for the split shots, and the preparatory work for the film was more than halfway done. ording to Robin Grande, they will probably not be able to start shooting before mid-September.

    "There will be at least fiverge explosions during filming."

    In the meeting with the crew, Duke said of his request, "The two explosions in the opening scene of the film, and the scene of the bus colliding with the ne, we can use a scale model to shoot on set..."

    He had to save money, there was no way out. "As for the first bus explosion in the street and the house explosion, it has to be filmed on the spot."

    "Duke..."

    One of Robin Grande''s subordinates said at this time, "The approval for the street explosion has passed."

    "I''m looking for the right home," another one said. "We''ve got people looking at city hall records looking for detached homes in the greater Los Angeles area waiting to be demolished."

    "Model making is in progress..."

    When Duke looked over, the head of the Industrial Light and Magic''s special effects team said, "We won''t affect your shooting n."

    The atmosphere of the meeting seemed to be good, at least on the surface. But Duke knew that he can''t convince all of the crowd. The cast mostly used Hollywood veterans. These people were very shrewd. Whatever thoughts they had in there heart will not be shown on the bright side.

    Duke doesn''t care what these people think because he knows he has the support of George Lucas. He doesn''t think he needs to prove himself to anyone because he knows he is good at his job. He knows that it is not realistic to try to be friends with these people, but he also knows that their doubts about him will disappear once they start shooting.

    It took many of them several years or even more than ten years to get to where they are now, but he has risen to such high level and be a director with an investment level of tens of millions of dors. This creates a feeling of imbnce and envy among many of them.

    None of this is important to Duke. As long as they can maintain a working rtionship on the surface and do not affect the production of the film, he doesn''t care about it. What he needs most now is sess!

    One sess in Hollywood can change a lot for an individual. They will no longer be the same person. They will also have the money to set up their own productionpany. In the future shooting, he will try to reduce the inevitable internal friction of each crew as much as possible!

    After discussing some special effects production issues, the dominance of speech was gradually taken away by Robin Grande, who is the most powerful person in this office.

    ---

    As the early preparations for the film entered the final stages, the selection of suitable main actors was naturally put on the agenda.

    After the rest of the group left the office, which was being used as a conference room at the time, only Duke, two associate directors, and a few producers remained. Robin Grande was one of the producers who stayed.

    "I rmend Keanu Reeves for the male lead."

    After Robin''s assistant changed the coffee for everyone, Duke was the first to say, "Although he''s not a great actor, but he''s good enough for this role and he has a certain reputation. Plus, the pay is low enough."

    "I''ve seen his movies and I''ve seen him in person."

    Crone, the first assistant director, has nearly ten years of experience in the industry raised a different opinion at this time. He said, "Keanu Reeves is too skinny! Don''t forget, this is an action movie, he needs strong muscles!"

    Duke''s eyes scanned Crone''s face quickly. he was not in a hurry to refute. This was not the first time the other party objected to his opinion.

    "Let''s put Keanu Reeves in the scope of the audition and send an invitation to his agent." Robin Grande took over the topic, "Our main priority for the next two weeks is to finalize the hero and heroine, as well as a few key supporting roles."

 Chapter 15: Hero and Heroine

    Chapter 15: Hero and Heroine

    The night was getting darker, and thick fog shrouded the seaside residential area. The salty moisture crept through the cracks in the windows, and slipped into the nose of the busy figure in the room.

    "Achoo~"

    After sneezing, Duke turned off the air conditioner, and looked at the drawing board in front of him again. He did some stretches and then picked up a pencil and drew a few simple lines that formed a pattern representing the male protagonist.

    In just a few minutes, the image in his mind turned into a storyboard.

    Many young directors in his past life prefer this split-shot painting method because it is concise and direct. In today''s era, it can be regarded as a futuristic painting method.

    Duke''s artwork may be simple, but it is clear and allows him tomunicate effectively with the crew in various departments.

    Duke put the pages he had drawn into a file bag, his work was done for the time being. If he had any new ideas in the future, he could change it at any time.

    After simply tidying up the desk, Duke walked out of his bedroom and knocked lightly on his mother''s study door. As expected, there was a sound inviting him in.

    "Mom..." Duke pushed open the door and walked in.

    "Is there something you want to talk about?" Mrs. Leah, who was sitting at the desk, took off her sses and looked at him.

    "It''ste," he pointed to the clock on the wall. "You should go to bed."

    "Sure, I will just finch this." she nod at file in front of her.

    Seeing his mother nod, Duke finally said, "Good night."

    "Good night."

    Duke was in his room, trying to sleep, but he couldn''t. He was thinking about all the preparations he had to do for "Speed". Even though the preliminary preparations had been going smoothly, he was still feeling a little bit of pressure because it was his first time.

    When an opportunity doesn''t present itself, he look forward to it; but when the opportunityes, he is afraid of failing to grasp it.

    This is amon problem for most people, and Duke is no exception, he is still a normal person.

    This is a rare opportunity that cannot be missed. Duke is well aware of this fact. If he makes a mistake, he will not have another chance for a very long time.

    Pressure can be transformed into motivation, which is easy to say, but not so easy to do.

    Laughing at the famous sayings of those people who engaged in inspirational training, Duke finally fell into a deep sleep.

    ---

    Perhaps a good night''s sleep is the best way to relieve stress. After getting up in the morning, Duke''s face was full of determination and confidence, as if no force in this world can defeat him.

    After going for a run in the mourning, having breakfast made by his mother, and changing into formal clothes. Duke drove his Chevrolet to West Hollywood.

    Today the crew is holding a second audition for the heroine, in which Duke has a certain say.

    Duke and Robin Grande did not participate in the first leading actor and actress audition because Duke didn''t care too much about whether Keanu Keeves, who epted the audition invitation, passed or get brushed off. Duke believes that there are no actors in Hollywood who can''t be reced, even if that person was Meryl Streep.

    As far as "<b>Speed</b>" is concerned, does it matter who the hero Jack is? For such a role, as long as you find a handsome white boy with a bit of toughness, who can pass the basic acting skills, it doesn''t really make any difference.

    Duke suggested that they cast Keanu Reeves in the role because he is popr now and his sry is low enough. He isn''t as popr now as he will be in a few years and the role can definitely be done for under $500,000.

    With most of the budget going into things like special effects and shooting, the total amount of money spent on actors'' sries is only $2 million, even Duke and Robin Grande have agreed to try and keep this expenditure below $10 million.

    Even though this is the case, one-third of all cast and crew sries will be paid only after the film is released in North America.

    As for whether the film can be released in North America, these people, including Duke, are not worried. Lucasfilm is a top notch productionpany in the industry, finding distributors is easy.

    Fox has already been in contact with George Lucas, there goal was to encourage him to restart of the Star Wars series, so signing a distribution contract is basically not a problem.

    Of course, the specific release conditions will not be determined until 20th Century Fox has seen the samples.

    ---

    When he arrived at the ''<b>Speed</b>'' studio, Duke discovered that many of the actors who had auditioned came earlier than him, which is not surprising. Actors are the mostpetitive group in Hollywood. Nowadays, even well-known directors have only half the fame of an actor. An actor is the most morous job in Hollywood.

    Most people who go to Hollywood to pursue their dreams want to actors, super star actor to be exact!

    The crew has no clear preference for the heroine. This is Hollywood, and the news will definitely be picked up by people who are interested in it. These actresses who have yed a few small roles but are not really famous will definitely not miss this opportunity.

    Although the crew may not be widely recognized, it''s important to remember that the film producer is Lucasfilm, which is George Lucas''pany.

    The actresses''petitive mentality is evident from the way they are standing apart and not talking to each other. They didn''t even touch the water bottles the crew has procured for them.

    Hollywood is a ce where people will do anything to be famous. Thepetition between actresses is often intense and insidious.

 Chapter 16: Hero and Heroine

    Chapter 16: Hero and Heroine

    Although he has not witnessed it himself, Duke has heard many rumors in this regard, and 90% of these rumors have been proved to be true.

    For example, the assistant director of the crew of "Captain Hook" mentioned to him that if there is fiercepetition among several actresses in a crew, they will start to be careful, especially when ites to their diet--they will only trust their personal assistants. Often a bottle of mineral water is unscrewed and taken a sip, and they would never take another sip from that water bottle again if it left their hands or their sight.

    It''s not that someone has to do something, but it is the most basic sense of self-protection.

    After getting a cup of coffee from his office, Duke went into the audition room, greeted Robin Grande, nodded to the assistant director Crone, and then walked directly behind the monitor connected to the camera, and sat on the chair in the middle.

    The audition began shortly. It was very much like a Hollywood production line, with the audition being mostly stylized. The iing actress would briefly introduce herself, read a line, perform a scene from the script ording to the interviewer''s request, and then talk about her understanding and perception of the role.

    If you can make it past the first audition, you must have at least some talent for acting and meet the basic requirements for appearance.

    A total of six actresses entered the audition room in the morning, including many names that Duke had an impression of. For example, <b>Uma Thurman</b>, <b>Naomi Watts</b>, and a ck actress, <b>Halle Berry</b>.

    The film''s requirements state that the heroine must be white, which means that ck people will not be able to audition for the heroine role. Duke did not know who hosted the first audition, she does not meet the film''s requirements at all.

    Other then the heroin the other roles can be of any skin color, but For the film to be sessful, the heroine in the driver''s seat must be white.

    This is the simplest movie political correctness.

    After a simple lunch, the few people who had a say in the selection of the hero and heroine returned to the audition room and gathered together to watch the morning audition video, to decide the heroine candidate as soon as possible.

    "Duke, you are the director."

    Robin Grande, asked Duke, who was standing next to the monitor, "What''s your opinion?"

    After taking a videotape, Duke put it into the video recorder, pointed to the tall woman on the screen and said , "Uma Thurman, she is the best Anne of all people."

    "I do not think so."

    Deputy Director Crone stood up, and walked over to the monitor, "She is only twenty-one years old, she is too young, her acting skills are rtively young, and she is not beautiful enough."

    Saying that, he took a videotape and reced the one that was ying, "I think she''s good, Naomi Watts is more likable in terms of image."

    Turning his head to look at Crone, Duke frowned a little and said directly, "I don''t agree!"

    He turned around and took two steps to the left, and stood opposite the assistant director, "I need a typical American big girl. A silly big sister with a bit of a wild temperament. Not a sweetheart!"

    "I stand by my opinion!" Crone did not back down.

    "How about you, Robin?" Duke asked. "What''s your opinion?"

    With George Lucas not intervening, the real decision making rests with Robin Grande.

    "That''s it," said Robin Grande. "for now Naomi Watts will take the role of side character in the back of the bus, and Uma Thurman will take the lead role for now."

    "I agree."

    Walking back to his seat, Duke sat down. Although Robin Grande was supporting him, his move was smooth enough, and with his outstanding ability, it was not unreasonable for George Lucas to choose him to control the crew.

    Duke took the lead in making apromise, and Crone naturally no longer insisted on his own opinion. As long as the crew signed a formal contract with the actors, they would send the script belonging to the character to their respective hands.

    The next day, Duke and Crone had another disagreement during the male lead audition, while Robin Grande once again expressed in an indirect way his support of Duke. and Keanu Reeves took the role of Jack.

    In the face of these actors who are eager to be famous and do not have much capital themselves, the crew will definitely not offer high sries.

    After some back and forth, Keanu Reeves'' agent was offered $400,000, and another major actor, Dennis Hooper who will y the viin, was paid $200,000.

    In Hollywood, where female actors are paid significantly less than their male counterparts, Uma Thurman only receives $80,000.

    In the end, They managed to keep all actors'' sries under $1.5 million.

 Chapter 17: Running-in

    Chapter 17: Running-in

    Producing, directing, and writing a movie, especially one with a high investment, is a lot of tiring work that requires careful nning.

    The script has already been finalized, and will not be changed at will unless there are some special circumstances. In the past two months, Duke has also made sufficient ns as the director, but it''s still will not be easy. The director must be involved in many matters.

    The director is responsible for making sure that the equipment and props needed for the production meet his or his needs. If they do not, the director must find a recement. The director is also responsible for the production, photography, and art direction in the early stages of preparations.

    The photographer needs to figure out how the camera works and shoot in the real-life environment; where he, the director, feels that there is a gap between the site and the scene in his mind, he needs tomunicate with the set designer and the art director to see how to make it closer to the desired feeling; As for the venue, the producer will discuss the rental matters, discuss the time, cost, precautions and so on.

    The cast and locations have been determined. Duke rewrote the script again to match the actual situation and developed sub-shot drafts ording to the n - how many scenes to shoot for each scene, what cameras to use, and what kind of emotions the actors need to show at those times. Or how much control...

    In addition to the sub-shot script, Duke also wrote a schedule to ensure that the different scenes taking ce in the same location were filmed at the same time. This way, the director would have a clear idea of what was happening. and he won''t make Low-level mistakes that could make him theughed stock off crew.

    In addition to hiring several assistant directors to help with the scheduling, Duke also has to deal with keanu reeves passive-aggressive behaviour from time to time. The work environment is very tense and Duke is under a lot of pressure, which has caused him to almost lose his temper a few times.

    Fortunately, Duke knows that he won''t gain anything by getting caught up in petty arguments and struggles. He would rather focus on his work and what he''s good at. In the end, it''s better for him to stay out of drama and just do what he loves.

    It took more effort than expected to get the set things up, which made Duke think of another thing. He desperately needs an assistant who is smart and capable and understands the film business. If there is such an assistant, he can basically solve theseplicated affairs . Which will free up Duke''s time so he could focus more on film shooting.

    It''s a pity that he didn''t even have the money to pay off his credit card bill, so where would he have the money to hire an assistant.

    Compared to the crews he worked with in his past life, the preparatory work for Hollywood movies is moreplicated and meticulous, and it also takes more time, and it takes time for the actors to study the characters. The preparation period for "Speed" was dyed for two whole weeks. It was not until October that the preliminary preparations came to an end.

    On October 3, 1991, Duke, who had been suffering from insomnia due to stress, was reborn from the ashes and regained his spirit when "Speed" finally started in the studio of Universal Studios!

    The filming started without any press conferences, shing lights, orplicated ceremonies.

    "Cut!"

    Just ten seconds after the first test shot, Duke called to stop. He stood up from behind the director''s camera, walked back and forth between the props and sets arranged as the elevator room on the ground floor of the building several times, and finally stood in the middle of the shooting site.

    Dennis Hooper, who yed the viin, and another extra, stepped aside.

    Some scenes look good to the naked eye, but when they are filmed with a camera, the smallest problems will be magnified. Duke has beenmunicating with various departments of the crew for more than two months, but this is the first time they have worked together, so it will definitely take some time to get used to it.

    "Dim the lights a little bit, I need the grey metallic texture to be stronger."

    Duke realized that there were problems with the scene and camera position after a few minutes of thinking and looking at the pictures he had just taken. He tried to adjust it by saying, "The second camera position is moved 30 degrees to the left, you only need to capture the back of Dennis, the clothes..."

    The costume designer immediately raised his hand beside him.

    Walking over to Dennis Hooper, Duke pointed at his somewhat worn work clothes and said, "Change to a greyer one."

    Then Duke turned his head and said to the extra, who was ying the security guard, "Come with me."

    Duke walked to the door of the elevator, turned to look at the extra who was following him, pointed to the ce where he came, and said, "Your surprised expression just now was too heavy, you have to be careful, You have to be careful and walk along the outside of the elevator ."

    Seeing the other party''s solemn nod, Duke observed the scene again, and then returned to the director''s camera.<b> - </b>

 Chapter 18: Running-in

    Chapter 18: Running-in

    "Apart from being younger, you still look very much like a director."

    Hearing the monotone nasal voice, Duke turned his head to look at Sofia Copp, who was standing beside him, but he said nothing in response.

    After the adjustment was made, Duke signaled for the assistant director to start the scene.

    Duke focuses intently on the footage from the camera, ignoring all distractions. The security guard in the picture approaches Dennis from the side, and the camera catches a glimpse of the maintenance order in Dennis hand.

    "This is?"

    Duke frowned and shouted directly, "Stop!"

    He strode over to Dennis Hooper grabbed the repair order and scanned it quickly. It was full of letters in a jumble that even God might not be able to understand.

    "Props!" Duke''s voice was not loud, but it was very loud, "I want a fake repair order, not this!"

    He gestured to the props manager toe over, and the other party hurried over. Without waiting for him to exin anything, Duke said directly, "You have ten minutes to solve it!"

    Duke''s words did not carry any emotional overtones,pletely business like.

    This is not his team, and it will not be his team in the future. There is only a working rtionship between them. Whoever has a w in his work will be responsible for it.

    Sitting in his seat, Duke rubbed his forehead. The first time he called a stop, it could be said that his inexperience caused the problem. This time, it was because the props team was careless... or ipetent.

    "Need something to drink?"

    The temporary assistant assigned to him by the crew suddenly said, "Coffee or ck tea?"

    "I don''t need it for now." Duke shook his head and looked around curiously, "Sophia, why did you join the crew?"

    "I need money, money that will allow me to live in Europe for a while."

    "After filming ''Alien 3,'' I called Uncle Lucas and came here," Sofia Copp said directly. "Don''t forget that I''ve worked as a temporary assistant for David Finch, I can be considered your senior."

    "You''re going to Europe?" Duke thought about it for a bit, but he couldn''t remember anything about it. He only knew some of the experiences that Sofia Copp had after 2000.

    "Mom helped me get in touch with Karl Lagerfeld."

    "I really want to intern at Chanel next year," Sofia said longingly, "Karl Lagerfeld has promised to reserve a spot for me."

    It can be seen from Sofia Copp happy expression that she was very happy about working at Chanel, and perhaps her trip to Europe, is also rted to her performance in "The Godfather 3" that was vilified by film critics.

    Duke certainly wouldn''t bring up this topic, he wouldn''t make a woman relive her trauma.

    The filming resumed quickly and the props team produced another repair order in less than 10 minutes. No matter if these people doubt Duke or not, professionalism is still there. Taking money to do things is the most basic thing in Hollywood and if they can''t even do this, these people won''t have the qualifications and status they have now.

    However, the shooting still didn''t go well. The crew had to make constant adjustments to the venue and camera position. On the one hand, the crew was just starting work. On the other hand, Dukecked enough experience. It took a full two and a half hours. to finish filming the first shot.

    Duke is not an all-powerful genius, despite his hard work and experience in his previous life. He makes mistakes and needs to adjust to the rhythm of his crew.

    All of this takes time.

    Duke needs tomunicate with the different types of workers on the set, as well as the actors. The long shooting time in the morning has exhausted the older Dennis Hooper, and he also made some smallints through his assistant.

    "The assistant to Dennis Hooper have made a request."

    During the intermission, Sofia Copp conveyed to Duke in a timely manner, "He said that Mr. Hooper has been too busy with work recently and and isn''t feeling well. He hope that we will shot the extras scenes to give him a break."

    "Looks like I made another inexperienced mistake again."

    Muttering softly, Duke waved to the curious Sofia Copp, indicating that he understand.

    This is a very simple mistake, but it was ignored by Duke. He is a rookie director. With some famous actors in the crew, they are bound to be dissatisfied.

    There are many actors in Hollywood with different quirks. If you are a great director, the problems thate up during shooting can be easily handled. However, if you are a new director like him, you have to be careful in many aspects. Even though Dennis Hooper is an old actor with a little fame, he can still have a bad temper.

    The people who work on the set will never get along unless the person in charge can control everyone and make them do what they want.

    Duke knows what he wants and is willing to do what it takes to get it, even if it means making somepromises and ignoring dissenting voices. He doesn''t have the ability or qualifications to fully control the crew, though.

    After changing the shooting n and moving more extras to the front, it took Duke a whole week to sort things out. However, after more than a week of collisions and contradictions, the crew''s performance started running smoothly.

 Chapter 19: Explosion Madman

    Chapter 19: Explosion Madman

    The set was busy but not chaotic. Duke held the loudspeaker and kept giving orders, "Cruz, There is something wrong with your second camera aperture. Readjust the white bnce. The third camera, you just have to keep your eyes on the heroine!"

    Throwing the loudspeaker to Sofia Copp next to him, Duke stepped into the built bus, bowed to the actors who greeted him, and walked directly to the driver''s seat.

    "Uma, you also had a problem with the test shoot."

    Sitting in the driver''s seat is a blond woman who is five feet ten inches tall. Like most Hollywood actresses, she is very thin, perhaps it is a bit exaggerated to describe her as skinny, But she was almost anorexic.

    "You were too wild just now." Duke reminded her, "Be restrained, and don''t re, this is a very bad habit, your facial lines are already tough, which make you look too fierce!"

    Turning around, Duke looked at Keanu Reeves again. Maybe he had been with Johnny Depp and River Phoenix for many years, or maybe he hadn''tpletely gotten rid of hisst role.

    Turning around, Duke looked at Keanu Reeves again, maybe because he has been hanging out with Johnny Depp and River Phoenix for many years, or maybe he hasn''tpletely gotten rid of his previous role, there is a bit of a reckless aura about him.

    "Keanu, put away all your cynicism! I don''t expect much of you, tighten your face and put on your most serious expression!"

    "I see."

    Keanu Reeves waved his hand at will to indicate he didn''t want to hear any more.

    ncing at him again, Duke turned and walked into the back of the bus. From the moment he entered the crew, Keanu Reeves has been acting like this. Maybe he should also be d that at least the other party isn''t taking drugs while filming.

    "And you!"

    In the back seats sat an Asian, Russian, African, Latino and white actors including Naomi Watts, Duke''s eyes swept over them one by one, "You are not a decoration, every expression of yours , will have an impact on the male and female protagonists, don''t let me see any more nk stares. If I do, I''ll rece you!"

    After getting off the makeshift bus, Duke returned to his position and called for various departments to clear the scene. The shooting continued shortly after.

    For this type of film, the requirements for actors are not very strict, and Duke does not need difficult long shots. After more than ten days of working, the efficiency of the crew has improved somewhat, although he still need to adjust the camera position in many scenes. The crew has to reset the set sometimes to make up for mistakes, but in general, they are much smoother than they were the first week.

    His careful research in his past life still has a little effect.

    Especially in the nning, the length of the final release version of the film is between 90 and 100 minutes, and he will not shoot many unnecessary scenes that will consume film and money.

    However, Duke will never hold back when it''s time to spend, such as when a few explosions needed to be filmed.

    After the shooting in the morning, Duke didn''t eat lunch either. With several teams of photography and special effects, they left Universal Studios in several cars and went to a small town on the eastern edge of Los Angeles. A few days ago, the crew was there. There was a detached house that was about to be demolished, which was suitable for photography.

    After the shooting in the morning, Duke didn''t eat lunch. With several teams of photography and special effects, they left Universal Studios in several cars and went to a small town on the eastern edge of Los Angeles. A few days ago, the crew got the news that there was a detached house that was about to be demolished that was suitable for photography.

    They bought hamburgers and cokes on the road as a temporary lunch, which is the norm for a busy crew.

    "Not to your taste?"

    Sitting in the back of the pickup truck, Duke saw that Sofia Copp hadn''t touched her burger.

    She looked at the hamburger with its tempting aroma and said "This kind of thing is the natural enemy of women."

    Hearing this, Duke remembered that Sophia used to be an actor, and even now, she can be described as thin.

    Duke''s wasn''t very hungry. He only ate half of his hamburger and didn''t drink any soda. Taking advantage of the rare free time he closed his eyes and took a nap. He was then woken up by Sofia Copp when they arrived in town.

    "thanks!"

    Pulling off the nket covering him, Duke said to Sophia, "You''re wee."

    The crew''s motorcade drove through the town, turned into a fork, and drove for about five minutes before stopping in front of a white wooden house.

    The house was small, around a few hundred square feet. It was recently renovated by the crew, so it did not run-down from the outside. The most important thing is that it''s quite far from the surrounding neighbors. At such a distance, even an explosion the size of a Tomahawk missile wouldn''t affect anyone else.

    All the formalities have already beenpleted, and after Duke and others got off the bus, they immediately started getting busy.

    The special effects team and the pyrotechnic team were busy arranging the explosives, the two producers weremunicating with the owner of the house, and Duke directed the camera team to set up the cameras.

 Chapter 20: Explosion Madman

    Chapter 20: Explosion Madman

    This is a live shoot, so there is no opportunity to retake the scene after yelling "cut." The only fortunate thing is that he has shot a lot of explosive scenes independently.

    "Cruz, ce Unit 1 and Unit 2 on the front."

    "We''ll set up the two wide-angle cameras on thewn," Duke told the director of photography Cruz. "The other two cameras should be ced at a forty-five-degree angle to get the close-up of the explosion. I also want to use a wireless high-speed camera."

    "This one is ready." Cruz gave Duke a look at the camera that was ready.

    "This is Unit 5." Duke looked at the dummy in the police uniform on the side. "Put the camera on it."

    Apparently, Duke was going to use it to capture the internal explosion.

    Just as Cruz was about to leave, Duke grabbed his arm and reminded, "Cameras are set two hundred feet away!"

    Although he valued the shoot, Duke didn''t want a tragedy.

    After exining what he wanted, he went back into the house and walked into a bedroom. The props team was there, trying to restore the scene like the one in the studio. This is also where the first explosion will happen.

    Duke felt itchy when he saw the pyrotechnic group bury explosives at the support point of the house. In his previous life, he was a good expert in the pyrotechnic industry, but now he will not take other people''s jobs. For him, shooting explosives is more important than creating an explosion.

    After leaving the house, Duke checked the four cameras on the frontwn to make sure they were set up properly. He then walked around to check the shooting angles from different perspectives. Finally, he returned to the vicinity of the first camera to check it again.

    "Why use line control?"

    Looking at the person who was wiring in the distance, Sofia Copp asked him curiously, "Isn''t it more convenient to have a wireless remote control?"

    "You don''t know?" Duke exined when he saw her nk face.

    Wire-controlled explosions are the guidelines that the crew must abide by when shooting. Many people think that explosions are operated by pyrotechnicians with remote controls, but they are not. Because there are too manymunication tools now, it is easy to interfere with signals and cause false explosions. Wire-controlled explosions are more effective and safer.

    This misunderstanding is also due to Hollywood movies. The characters in the movie always press the button dashingly, blowing up the vehicle or building to shreds, never looking back at the explosion...

    Under normal circumstances, the explosives used by the crew for filming are alsopletely different from military or mining explosives. The principle of thetter two is that solids instantly turn into gas, and the explosive power is huge; for filming, special soft explosives are mostly used. The principle is thatbustion generates pressure The explosion is much less destructive.

    If you want the explosion to look more powerful in your shots, you can try filling the bomb with some dirt before detonating it. This will cause a cloud of dust to be sted into the air, making the explosion appear more forceful.

    Of course, if you want to blow up a boat, a big car or a house, you have to use military explosives.

    In order for the building explosion scene to meet Duke''s requirements, the amount of explosives required is quiterge. The pyrotechnic team ced nearly 30 pounds of explosives in various key parts of the house. Obviously, it is not just to blow up the house, but to let it copse. They were enjoying the chance to blow something really big.

    "You mean..."

    After listening to Duke''s words, Sophia said slowly, "You are using military explosives? but why use that much?"

    "Because I want an earth-shattering explosion!"

    With his arms crossed, Duke calmly looked at the house in front of him that was about to fly into the sky.

    "You''re crazy!" Sophia said, it was rare that she didn''t have a nasal voice.

    "I want the best visual effects." Duke''s face had a hint of frenzy.

    "Robin didn''t stop you?"

    "The film has no stars, and the director is also an unknown little character like me." Duke suppressed the frenzy in his heart and regained his calm. "Only thrilling scenes can attract the audience."

    After three hours, the work on theyout was finished, all the cars had been driven away, and Duke was standing behind Unit 1 with a megaphone.

    "Clearance?"

    "Clearing isplete!"

    "Photography?"

    "Ready!"

    "..."

    After the routine questioning, Duke signalled to the pyrotechnic team, and the pyrotechnic team immediately responded with an ''OK'' gesture. and another person shouted the countdown sound in a loud voice.

    "10, 9, 8, 7...3, 2, 1!"

    "Detonate!"

    An invisible electric current set off the bomb, which caused a sudden, loud explosion. An orange-red fire rose about fifty feet into the air, as the white wooden house disintegrated. Countless fragments were scattered by the force of the explosion, and the air around them was heated to the point of scorching.

    A lot of debris fell less than 50 feet in front of me. The wind was so strong that it blew his hair back, and the ground seemed to be trembling under him...

    None of this distracted Duke, he was just focused on controlling the camera and making sure the shot of the fire was perfect, like a religious fanatic would use a lens to worship something.

    "My God!"

    With trembling hands, Sofia Copp slowly took off her earplugs, bent over to support her throbbing thighs, and stared at the guy who was still controlling the camera. She and Duke had been getting along on the set for more than half a month. But at this moment, Duke was still calm and indifferent. He was simply a lunatic!

 Chapter 21: Keanu Reeves

    Chapter 21: Keanu Reeves

    The explosion this time around ended up costing more than 300,000 dors. On top of that, it also caused another impact. Sofia Copp was probably frightened. The next day, she called Duke and told him that she was sick and needed a few days off. However, that was most likely a lie.

    Frankly speaking, Duke is not very satisfied with the effect of the shoot. Compared with the explosions he saw in his previous life, the explosion they created and shot was really nothing. The pyrotechnician and photography team signed by Lucasfilm are not the top yers in this area.

    However, Duke couldn''t ask for more, after all, there are not many such top professionals in Hollywood.

    The crew returned to the studio and began shooting with models instead of live action, as was originally nned. This saved money and time by avoiding having to shoot expensive and unnecessary scenes, like the bus leap. The models were realistic and created by Industrial Light and Magic, so there was no loss in quality.

    At the end of the day, most of the models ended up exploding. On the outdoor studio of Universal Studios, a 20-foot-long Boeing freighter model and a miniature bus model of the same scale were both destroyed in the explosion.

    The crew also ushered in the best period since the start of the film. In the first week of November, Duke evenpleted the shooting task that had been nned for two weeks. This is not only rted to the gradual maturation of the crew, but also has something to do with him always making ns from the most difficult shots.

    Robin Grande, the de facto controller of the crew since the start, has been almostpletely invisible, and like all good production managers, he basically handed over control of the set to Duke.

    In fact, Duke is very clear that Robin Grande has been keeping an eye on the crew, but he has not made anyments so far, which shows that he is generally satisfied with the scenes he shot, and The assistant director Krone has kept a low profile, this may be due to Robin''s secret warning.

    Although it''s not too obvious, if a discerning person took a closer look, he can see that Robin Grande is taking care of him.

    What is the reason the other party did this? Duke wondered if it has something to do with the rtionship with George Lucas. He never thought there was a deeper hidden agenda, he was just focused on making the movie the best it could be.

    However, In Hollywood, it''s not always smooth sailing for everyone.

    "This is the shooting schedule for this afternoon."

    On the set, Sofia Copp put a schedule on the table in front of Duke and said, "The male lead hasn''t arrived yet, should we take another shot first?"

    "He''s twenty minuteste."

    All the scenes being filmed in the afternoon were with Keanu Reeves, Uma Thurman and Dennis Hooper were already waiting in the rest area of the studio.

    Just as Duke was about to change the shooting n, a loud noise came from the entrance of the studio. Keanu Reeves, who was whistling, walked in staggeringly. A staff member stepped forward to remind him to put on makeup, But he was pushed back, which made him fall to the ground.

    "Hey, kid!" Keanu Reeves said in a high and hoarse voice. "Don''t make trouble!"

    Throwing down the schedule, Duke strode over. Before he could get close to Keanu Reeves, he faintly smelled a faint smell of smoke. This smell was very familiar. Although he had not tried it himself, he smelled a lot it in high school and college, and thinking about Keanu Reeves'' absurd life in the early ''90s, the answer was pretty obvious.

    "You''rete, Reeves!"

    Duke reached out his hand and helped the staff member who was on the ground.

    "Just a few minutes!" Keanu Reeves said, waving his hand vigorously.

    "Find a ce to wake him up."

    Duke reminded the assistant behind Keanu Reeves, who was about to pull him, but Reeves pushed him away.

    "I want to film!"

    Keanu Reeves, who is in a state of excitement, is obviously a little confused, and his voice is getting higher and higher, "I want to film, understand? I want to film!"

    Keanu Reeves, who is in a state of excitement, is a little confused, and his voice was getting higher and higher, "I want to film, understand? I want to film!"

    He stumbled towards Duke, but before he could get close, he swayed and swerved and mmed into the ''wall''. Probably because he was in a hurry to get up, he grabbed a rope that fixed the set wall and tried to use it to get up, but he ended up directly pulling the entire twenty-foot-long set crooked.

    It''s not unusual for celebrities in Hollywood to smoke marijuana, just like Keanu Reeves.

    Looking coldly at Keanu Reeves who was so excited and shouting like a drunk, Duke said to Sophia behind him, "Call his agent, and also, call some security guards and get him out. Throw him in the trash!"

    "Please do not!"

    Keanu Reeves is on drugs, but his assistant is not. If this kind of thing breaks out, how much will it affect the employer?

    Turning around, Duke walked towards his resting ce, the set was ruined, and this afternoon''s shooting was sure to fail.

 Chapter 22: Keanu Reeves

    Chapter 22: Keanu Reeves

    The crew will not throw Keanu Reeves in the garbage heap as Duke said. Several people and the assistant sat him on a chair. After that, Reeves sat there with his head lowered, wondering what was he thinking.

    Sophia asked someone to look into the situation and quickly figured out what was going on.

    "He went to Johnny Depp''s bar before he came here," she said to Duke, who was sitting across from her. "That bar is where a lot of young Hollywood actors go, including Keanu Reeves, Johnny Depp, and River Phoenix. They are known as the Hollywood drug trio."

    "Even if they usually smoke heroin, it has nothing to do with me!" Duke tapped lightly on the armrest of the chair, his tone a little cold, "but now he has ruined my shooting ns!"

    ---

    Robin Grande, who didn''te to the set today, was the first to arrive. Not long after, Keanu Reeves'' agent also arrived on the set.

    In an office on the set, Duke and Robin were sitting close together. The agent and Keanu Reeves, who was more awake, sat opposite them. The agent seemed to have a headache.

    "I''m so sorry," the agent had said several times.

    "Mr. Reeves not only disrupted my shooting n, he also caused damage to the set which will dy the crew''s time." Duke''s tone was very t, indicating that the matter has already happened and how to solve it is the most important thing.

    "I''m sorry," the agent continued.

    "I really hope these wordse out of Mr. Reeves'' mouth." Duke looked at Keanu Reeves, who had regained consciousness. "It''s him who should apologize the most!"

    "You..." Reeves raised his head suddenly, staring straight at Duke.

    Duke looked at him with sharper eyes, without any intention of backing down. The current Keanu Reeves is not the good man he will be in the future, but a veritable bastard.

    The agent whispered a few words in Reeves'' ear, and he gradually lowered his head, and said to Duke, "I''m sorry!"

    Duke nodded his head to ept the apology and gestured that they should continue to work together as aplete stalemate would not benefit anyone.

    Duke then left the office, what Robin Grande could extort from the other side was his business.

    Although Keanu Reeves apologized, the rtionship between the two was even colder, and Duke didn''t care. In fact, from the beginning of the preparation, he kept a distance from all the actors. Apart from work, he did not want to have too much intersection with them.

    A weekter, after filming the subway scene, the crew ended filming in the studio. Dennis Hooper also became the first major actor to leave the set, Robin Grande specially packed a bar in Universal Studios, to throw a little farewell party for him.

    "Dennis, you did a great job!"

    Raising his ss and touching it with Dennis Hooper, Duke drank the wine and said, "I hope we will have a chance to cooperate again in the future."

    "I hope so too." Dennis Hooper also drank his ss of wine.

    One of the basic skills needed to survive in Hollywood is giving peoplepliments.

    Leaving the chaotic crowd, Duke returned to the quiet bar, ordered another ss of wine, and sat on the high chair, and drank it slowly.

    He was under more pressure than everyone else over there, he couldn''t rx at all, and he didn''t feel like partying.

    "You don''t like fun?" A female voice with an Australian ent sounded next to him.

    Duke shook his head slowly. In high school and college, he participated in a lot of parties, and he did not reject that kind of atmosphere.

    "You don''t fit?" the voice continued to ask, "Or do you want to maintain the director''s authority?"

    "Miss Watts, how much authority do you think I have on the set?"

    Duke turned his head and looked at the petite girl who sitting next to him. She had golden curly hair flowing down her shoulders, with two small front teeth that were slightly protruding under her open lips.

    Naomi Wattsughed directly. She has worked in this circle in Australia for many years, so she is not a rookie. It can be seen that the crew is maintained because of the contracts. The young director does not have much authority.

    She stretched out her right hand to Duke, "Hi let''s get reacquainted, Naomi Watts, from Australian."

    Shaking her hand, Duke said in the same way, "Duke Rosenberg, a native of Los Angeles."

 Chapter 23: Danger and excitement

    Chapter 23: Danger and excitement

    "You seem to be under a lot of pressure?" Naomi Watts asked tentatively.

    After drinking the ss of wine, Duke shrugged and didn''t answer her question. Instead, he asked her casually, "How about you? Why didn''t you develop in Australia first? Instead, you came to Hollywood, a morepetitive environment?"

    "I came to Los Angeles at the end ofst year for a friend''s bachelorette party," she said as she took two sses of whiskey from the bartender and ced them in front of herself and Duke. "I wanted to see if there was a chance I could make it in the movies, my friend Nicole also helped me a little. This is my third movie role, but the first one with lines."

    "Perhaps you''ve heard of her." Naomi Watts raised a ss to Duke again. "my ssmate from drama school, Nicole Kidman..."

    "It turned out to be Mrs. Cruise."

    Taking a sip of the wine, Duke nodded, but stopped talking. Using friends to raise your identity is amon method in this circle.

    After Naomi Watts drank all the wine in her ss, she returned to the crowd. Whith Duke''s thoughtful eyes looking at her back.

    "Are you interested in her?" Sofia Copp asked him in a monotone nasal voice, as she pulled up a high chair and sat next to him. "Then take the initiative."

    "Love is just a childish game." Duke turned his head to give her an angry look. "You really think I would be distracted by this kind of thing?"

    It took him two lifetimes of umtion to get the rare opportunity. As long as "Speed" has not beenpleted, he will never distract his energy.

    If we were to use the right words to describe Duke right now, they would be "workaholic!"

    After a brief day of rest, the busy shooting work starts again. Fortunately, the main exterior shooting locations are in the Santa Monica in the Greater Los Angeles area, and the crew is also spared from long-distance travel.

    "Speed" Studios rented out a portion of the upleted Santa Monica Freeway leading to Long Beach as their primary shooting location, as well as hundreds of used cars from three different rental carpanies. They even managed to secure rare advertising sponsorships; one car manufacturer provided the production with four free buses.

    The value is not particrly high, but it can always save some money.

    Moreover, Universal Studios also showed their profound side, as they had already contacted the Los Angeles County Police Department. The police were very interested in this distinctive Los Angeles police propaganda film and would participate in the whole process of the exterior shots.

    This is considered normal in North America, and government offices, the Pentagon, the FBI, the CIA, Washington authorities, and even somerge city public departments, all have special offices or liaison offices that deal with Hollywood, and often participate in the filming of Hollywood movies to promote their positive image.

    "Speed" is so in line with the needs of the Los Angeles police that in addition to sending a SWAT team to serve as a background picture, they also provide a variety of equipment including police helicopters, without charging for fuel. and other fees.

    This could save the production crew a lot of money.

    The next ten days were spent mostly surrounded by collisions and noise, with several of the main actorspletely receded to the background and most of their time spent in front of the camera being mugged, with the stuntmen and their vehicles being the real stars in front of the camera.

    Shooting such a scene, it is inevitable that someone will be injured. Don''t say a few stuntmen with minor injuries. Even the director, Duke, was also scratched by flying car fragments during a shoot.

    Fortunately, it''s just a superficial wound, so a band-aid will suffice and it won''t affect work at all.

    The bright sun was shining on the ground, and on the originally empty road, dozens of cars of various styles stopped. The props team was busy changing the road signs, and the stunt team installed three cars on the catapult ording to Duke''s requirements and adjusted the appropriate ejection angle.

    Duke was standing by the side of the road, discussing the next shoot with the director of photography Croz, when the assistant director rushes over.

    "Duke, are you going to install the wireless camera in the car again?" He directly raised the question, "In the past week, you have destroyed three expensive wireless cameras in car collisions and explosions!"

    Duke turned around and looked at him. "My decision won''t change!"

    Having said that, he no longer paid attention to the assistant director, but headed directly towards the director''s camera.

    "Arrogant bastard ..." Crone watched Duque''s back and said to the photography director, "The movie will be destroyed in his hands!"

    "It''s a question for the producers to judge whether the movie will be destroy him." Cruz obviously doesn''t want to get involved in the power struggle, "I just do my job OK!"

 Chapter 24: Danger and excitement

    Chapter 24: Danger and excitement

    The crew isposed of individuals, each of whom has their own ideas and interests, which leads to a lot of disputes. The contract they signed is the best constraint. Don''t expect to win over people with your personal charm in this arena of fame and fortune. That''s the most nave and stupid idea. Power and contracts with legal force are far more direct and effective than winning over people''s hearts, which is unreliable.

    Duke knows very well that this is a circle full of lies and opportunism, and he is on the road to sess. If he stops because of some inexplicable small problems, that is a loss.

    "Props?"

    Duke stood on the sliding tform behind the director''s camera and asked into the loudspeaker, "Camera?"

    "OK!"

    "Stunts?"

    "OK..."

    "All departments prepare..." He put a Los Angeles Dodgers hat on his head and said, "Scene 25, Take 133, begin!"

    He sat behind the camera as a car''s engine started to rumble. A bus came speeding from the distance and, because it didn''t slow down or turn, collided with several cars that were driving. These cars then hit other cars, and the ejector seatunched, sending several cars flipping through the air...

    The car doors, the fenders and the broken car ss, like a downpour, poured on the nearby road.

    "CUT!"

    Standing up from behind the camera, Duke vigorously waved his fist, "Great!"

    The medical and rescue personnel who had been waiting by the side of the road swarmed to the ''car ident'' scene and pulled out several stunt drivers from the car. Thanks to the safety measures in ce, they were not injured.

    "Take a break for half an hour!"

    After such an exciting scene, Duke also let the crew rx for a while.

    "Duke ..." Sofia Copp quickly walked over, "Someone came to visit you."

    Leaving the camera, Duke pointed to himself, "for me?"

    Then, he saw the two people behind Sophia, with a sincere smile on his tired face, he strode over to them and embraced them both lightly. "Mom, I''m so d you coulde!"

    "I''ve heard you''re doing well." Mrs. Leah stepped back. "So I came to see."

    Duke turned to the other guest and shook Lucas'' outstretched hand, "Uncle George... well, George, I didn''t expect you toe too."

    "I''ve seen all of the footage you''ve shot." George Lucas said seriously, "You''re even better than I imagined!"

    This was not the ce to talk, Duke took his mother and Lucas back to his director''s trailer, but just as he started talking to them, Sophia came to inform him that the stunt group were looking for him, so Duke had to leave in a hurry.

    Sophia George Lucas shouted to the assistant director who was also preparing to leave, Find Robin for me, please.

    A few minutester, Robin walked into the trailer, presumably having already heard that Lucas wasing. He didn''t seem surprised to see the two of them.

    "Duke still doesn''t know you invested $10 million in the film!" Robin said when Leah Rosenberg asked him.

    "Don''t let him know before the film is finished." Leah simply said, "From Duke''s face, you can''t see anything, but he''s actually under a lot of pressure. He has been sleeping badly recently, which will only increase his pressure. I don''t want the heavy burden to overwhelm his young shoulders, even if his ability to bear burdens is very strong."

    "Robin, tell me." George Lucas asked, "How is Duke''s performance?"

    "In the beginning he was very immature, andcked experience. In the first week of shooting, the entire crew was in a state of disorder. If it were not for the fact that all departments were old hands who often worked with Lucasfilm, and if Duke had not changed all the nned shots to temporary actors, the crew''s contradictions would have been likely erupted."

    Robin said it all, "But Duke''s ability to adjust is very strong. It took only ten days for him to lead the crew through the most difficult period of adaptation. He obviously studied Hollywood''s production model deeply and fully entered the role of director. And his concentration on work is surprising. He not only conveyed his ideas to the crew, but also found that he was no longer a novice when he was in a state of work. He not only conveyed his ideas to the crew, but also drove the state of other people through his own work. After a month of shooting, the crew gradually showed some of the rhythms of a Hollywood''s mature team.

    "Most importantly, Duke is very clear about what he wants or what he should do. There are many people in the crew who doubt him, but Duke can ignore these prejudices and use work to temporarily knead theplex crew into a ball. For a young man, this is a very rare quality!"

    "The next thing is professional ability. No matter how strong a director''s other abilities are, he must prove himself through his lenses and works. "Speed" has not beenpleted, and I can''t talk about the work. I can only say that the shots that have been taken so far, Duke has a keen sense of capture for car crashes, explosions and otherrge-scale scenes, and can use the lens to record the most wonderful parts."

    "In my opinion, even if Duke can''t tell the story of ''Speed'' well, the film''s suspense and excitement are definitely not a problem. I can imagine that when they are presented on the big screen, they will be full of shocking visual impact!"

 Chapter 25: California sun

    Chapter 25: California sun

    The bright sun is no longer zing, and the air also carries a few strands of chill early andte, entering the Greater Los Angeles area in December. The show''s cast and crew have been working at a high intensity for a while now and have started receiving attention from mainstream media outlets.

    Thetest issue of the Los Angeles Times published news rted to "<b>Speed</b>", but unfortunately, theck of big-name stars and famous directors on the crew made it unappealing. This news only appeared in the entertainment section, upying a small space in the lower right corner, less than half a palm. Most of the content focuses on the male and female actors with a little bit of reputation, but Director Duke is not mentioned at all.

    It is well-known that Lucasfilm excels in content production, but marketing and distributing films independently are not its strengths. The pre-release promotion for "<b>Speed</b>" was almost non-existent, but fortunately, after negotiations, 20th Century Fox agreed to distribute the film. However, the specifics will be discussed after they have seen the sample.

    With Duke blowing up a bus into scrap iron, the shooting was finallying to an end.

    Duke sets up his camera on a abandonedmunication tower at the Los Angeles International Airport during sunset. Using a wide angle lens, he captures the rare and beautiful scene. He enjoys focusing on the "magic hour" during sunrise and sunset, as it makes the footage look very beautiful on the big screen.

    Throughout the entire filming process, Duke used a lot of filming techniques that weremon in Hollywood back then, but are now quite rare. For example, he used a medium shot to capture the scene, and mixed in an upward angle to create an exciting feeling. For example, when filming the car chase scene, he made the camera''s point of view follow the car''s tires... making the audience feel like they were right there in the moment.

    The primary consideration for making this film was to appeal to audiences and show them the newest and most exciting thing.

    He has been using a wide-angle lens to shoot the sunset at dusk for the fourth consecutive day. If it were not for the time limit of the film, he would certainly have let Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman walk up and down the sunrise and sunset every day.

    After getting the perfect shot, Duke handed the camera off to someone else to process and returned to the airport''s edge where they were filming the final shot of the movie.

    "Lower the angle of the second machine on the crane arm, lower it by fifteen degrees, and that''s it."

    After taking a look at the male and female leads who were ready, Duke finally reminded them, "Camera one, 360 degrees around, focus on the close-ups of their faces!"

    After an exciting life-and-deathpetition, the male and female lead actors have a passionate kiss. Is it clich? It''s very clich, but even if it''s been twenty years, most viewers still like to see this kind of scene. Why wouldn''t he shoot it?

    After Duke shouted "start," Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman, this typical American big girl, kissed each other...

    After this shot, Duke shouted in hoarse voice, "I hereby dere... The shooting of "<b>Speed</b>" is over!"

    He breathed a sigh of relief, he carried the immense pressure for 72 days of relentless struggle. Finally, one-third of the long journey waspleted.

    The apuse rang out, loud and chaotic, Duke was not the only one who felt exhausted.

    After all, in the past month, everyone has been living in an environment full of noise, racing, collisions and even explosions every day. Even the most energetic people have almost used up all their physical and mental energy.

    The crew returns to Universal Studios, stored the film reels and equipment temporarily, then put on their best clothes and headed to a famous nightclub in Beverly Hills for the traditional end-of-production party.

    The nightclub''s area is notrge; it waspletely taken over by the crew. Because he has no friends, Duke arrived early. Other people who cameter mostly came with a male or female partner. In particr, <b>Keanu Reeves</b> brought along the now-infamous <b>Johnny Depp</b> and <b>River Phoenix</b>.

    This was an underground party where alcohol and marijuana were both essential, with people indulging in them everywhere, especially those surrounding <b>Keanu Reeves</b> and <b>Johnny Depp</b>, who enjoyed themselves.

    Although he tried marijuana in high school out of curiosity, Duke has no interest in these things. Of course, he would not be stupid enough to stop them; after all, this is the norm in Hollywood, not to mention those who struggle from the bottom up. Little stars, even the well-educated Sophia Copp, aftering to say hello to him, ran to take a few puffs.

    The dark side is everywhere in Hollywood, the ce where emotions are magnified and where life-and-death bets are constantly being made with wealth, power, and talent as chips. So many filmmakers are both victims and perpetrators here. The "super perks" thate with an abnormal lifestyle, the heavy pressure, and the excitement of sess, to name a few, make it difficult for people to maintain a "healthy personality" by worldly standards.

 Chapter 26: California sun

    Chapter 26: California sun

    The three of them<b>Keanu Reeves</b>, <b>Johnny Depp</b>, and <b>River Phoenix</b>are actually the best portrayals. If it weren''t for thetter''s overdose and death, the former two wouldn''t have realized it, and it would be hard to say whether they could achieve such sess.

    There was a moment when Duke felt like he was both a participanthe had already stepped into this circleand an onlooker. He could look at everything with a calm gaze and a clear head.

    This is also thest night that the crew actually exists, and most of the people present will not participate in the post-production. Whether it is their questioning or the vice director''s jealousy because of the mental imbnce, everything wille to an end after tonight.

    There are bound to be various obstacles on the road to sess, and it is more important to move forward than to be entangled with those insignificant obstacles!

    "Hi, there!"

    <b>Sophia Copo</b> came over with a ss of wine and sat down across from Duke, saying, "It looks like it''s time to say goodbye."

    "Indeed." Ryan took the ss and clinked it with her. "Cheers!"

    "Cheers!"

    "What are your ns for the future?"

    She is the only person in the entire crew with the best rtionship with him, so Duke cared to ask, "Are you still looking for a crew to assist?"

    "Are you trying to hire me?" Sophie tilted her head and looked at him.

    "You are a very good assistant."

    As he said, being raised in Hollywood, Sophia is well-versed in movie-rted matters, "maybe we can continue to work together."

    "In the future?" She shrugged. "Duke, if you fail this time, you won''t have a second chance."

    "Do you think I''m going to fail?" Duke looked at her.

    "Reality and reason tell me that a director of your age is unlikely to be sessful." Sofia took a bottle of Champaign from the tray of a waiter and poured some into her own ss and that of Duke''s, and then said, "But what I''ve seen in the past two months tells me that this is likely to be a blockbuster."

    "This isn''t ttery?" Duke downed another drink with her.

    "Do I need to tter you?" Sophie raised her eyebrows and added a monotonous nasal sound to her voice. "Do you know what position Chanel has reserved for me? ''Karl Lagerfeld''s assistant'' Do you think I should choose him or you?"

    "Assistant?" Duke shook his head at her. "You''re not a telephone operator, are you?"

    "Duke Rosenberg!"

    It''s as if she had been stabbed in the back; Sofia''s eyes widened in an instant.

    "Dear, keep pursuing your fashion dream."

    After looking at his watch, Duke stood up and said, "It''s gettingte. I''m going home."

    Sophia saw Duke quickly walk past the party animals and out of the nightclub.

    He was joking, of course, when he said that Sofia Copp could get a job as an assistant to a fashion designer at Chanel. The Copp family definitely had a lot to do with it, and it''s unlikely she would have gotten the job as a telephone operator.

    Entering the parking lot, Duke started the Chevrolet and drove westward, leaving the noisy night behind.

    Tomorrow will be a new day!

    Once filming wrapped, most of the cast and crew could take a long break, but Duke had no such luxury. After taking only a couple of days to rest, he returned to Speed''s West Hollywood studio to begin work on the equally important post-production process with editor Robin Grentner.

    As a general rule, the post-production of a movie includes three aspects. The assembly of shots, which is also known as editing; the production of special effects, such as the special transition effects of shots, fade-in and fade-out, and circle-in and circle-out; and the production of sound effects, which is also known as vertical montage.

    Modern film post-production takes a long time, the idea that a feature film can bepleted in a few days or even a week is absurd. It''s purely a joke forymen.

    The production of "<b>Speed</b>" is definitely going to use film throughout, and all of the movie''s effects are either shot on location orpleted through shooting models;puter graphic technology is not used at all.

    The production of "<b>Speed</b>" is definitely going to use editing, and all of the movie''s effects are either shot on location orpleted through shooting models;puter graphic technology is not used at all.

    "Robin, I hope the initial cut can be implemented ording to my ideas."

    In the editing room, Duke is fighting for more power with the producer: "We have plenty of time to look at the rough cut and then decide on the final n."

    Although many Hollywood productions will exclude the director from the editing process as the person who shot the footage, if the director can be involved, the editing process will be rtively smooth, of course, provided that the director cannot be at odds with the producer''s ideas.

 Chapter 27: Must Succeed

    Chapter 27: Must Seed

    The white-painted editing room is unusually quiet. Duke leans forward, both hands on the desk, intently watching the two shots he just edited together on the monitor.

    "Mike," he said to the editor next to him, "change shot 178; try using shot 175."

    "This ..." The experienced but little-known editor hesitated for a moment but still reced the shots ording to Duke''s instructions.

    The scene reys, as Mike Dawson furrowed his brow and said, "This doesn''t follow the editing logic!"

    The scene reyed the shot, as Mike Dawson frowned and said to Duke, "This doesn''t follow the editing logic!"

    On the monitor, what''s ying is a scene of Jack driving a sports car to chase a bus. In the previous shot, Jack had just stepped on the gas pedal to speed up, and then the scene switched to the car''s first-person view. All that can be seen is a small part of the car''s hood and the road behind it receding like lightning.

    The 178th lens just now is different. After Jack elerates, it is a very traditional overtaking scene.

    "Leave the 175th lens for eight seconds..... No, four seconds is enough; the remaining four seconds are in Jack''s face close-up and between the wheels to do a switch."

    Hearing Duke''spletely illogical editing requirements, Mike finally couldn''t help saying, "Editing is like a puzzle maze, and every picture switch should have its own logic. Your requirements arepletely out of line!"

    "Let''s break this logic!"

    Standing up straight, Duke lightly waved his hand. "Mike, in a scene like this, the coherence of the action energy canpletely rece logic! Don''t you think the first-person perspective of the chase scene is more immersive? The camera alternates between Jack''s serious face and the spinning wheels, which can highlight the urgency and danger of the event and bring more psychological stimtion to the audience!"

    "I want to achieve this through fast editing and camera configuration," said Duke, his face showing the same kind of fanaticism as before. "I want the audience to feel like they''re right there!"

    "I have to admit that what you said makes sense."

    "I''ve been working on this all week, and we''ve got about 20 minutes of usable footage," said Mike, downing thest of his coffee. "and even though I watch it every day, I can still feel the pressure. If I didn''t know the oue, I would definitely be on edge. But..."

    When the forty-something editor hesitated, Duke made a gesture of dismissal. "Just say it, Mike. We''re work partners."

    Mike barely managed to organize his words: "The feeling I got from thesest thirty minutes is that this isn''t a movie, it''s a long music video or amercial!"

    "That''s right!"

    Duke pped his hands together, as if he had found a kindred spirit. "This is exactly the effect I wanted!"

    "Think about it, Mike..." He said fervently, "The audience will be suffocated by the fast pace from the beginning of the film, until the end, gasping for breath! I want the movie to beposed of short shots that have never been used before!"

    "But this can lead to the audience leaving because they are tired."

    The door of the editing room was pushed open, and Robin Grendel walked in.

    "It''s true!" Duke raised a finger and said, "So we need to control the length of the film, and it''s better to limit the film to about 95 minutes!"

    Duke''s first 20-minute cut was also seen more than once by Robin Grand, who nodded his head and said, "This is the style you want?"

    "Dazzling footage, sharp editing, and explosive special effects" Duke walked back and forth a few steps, then said very seriously, "This is the effect I want!"

    This is the safest way to make a sessful film. Even though Hollywood films are leading the world, they are still slow in pace. Fast-paced, exciting and eye-catching films, even if the story and logic are obviously wed, still guarantee sales.

    Although films like this are sure to be spat at by professional critics, what does it matter?

    ---

    Halfway through the afternoon, Duke left the studio and drove back to his home in Santa Monica, where he prepared his tuxedo and waited for his mother to return.

    Christmas ising soon, and it''s the busiest time of year for celebrities and socialites. Tonight, Duke is apanying his mother to a party.

    This is the Spielberg family''s Christmas thank-you party, which is being held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. When Duke came to the party with his mother, he looked around the vast banquet hall and saw that there were more than 20 oak tables scattered. There were many familiar faces from the big screen and some unfamiliar faces. Duke remembered the information he had collected. He could vaguely remember that they were all high-level executives of Hollywoodpanies.

    Under the guidance of the waiter, Duke followed his mother and walked to the third row, counting from the left, and sat in the seat that had been arranged for them in advance.

 Chapter 28: Must Succeed

    Chapter 28: Must Seed

    Duke didn''t know the Spielberg family well. All he knew was that they had two siblings: Steven Spielberg and Anne Spielberg. Neither of them knew him.

    At his mother''s introduction, Duke walked over to the left and right neighbors'' tables a bit further away and said hello, waiting quietly for the banquet to start. This was a decent, proper dinner partynothing like the Hollywood private parties with all sorts of messy stuff. If he was rude, it would be his mother''s face that he would lose.

    "Hi, Leah."

    A middle-aged woman suddenly came from the front row. You could tell she was Jewish from her appearance. Duke knew her. He had delivered the script to her not long ago. She was none other than the famous Steven Spielberg''s sister, Anne Spielberg, also a well-known screenwriter and producer.

    "Hi, Annie." Leah nodded at her.

    It seems that Anne Spielberg is very enthusiastic, sitting directly on the side of this table. She suddenly turned her head and looked over here. "You... are Duke? I''m sorry, I didn''t recognize youst time."

    "It''s ok."

    Duke''s words were polite and even-tempered. He was not a fool. He could tell that Anne Spielberg''s words wereced with some other meaning, which was definitely not the tone of a warm host entertaining guests.

    "Leah, your generosity is really surprising."

    Anne turned her head again. "I heard from Amanda that you invested ten million dors in Duke''s film; oh, what a great mother!"

    Amanda is George Lucas'' eldest daughter, and while Duke knows this, what 10 million dors?

    He turned his head and looked at his mother, who said calmly, "It''s just a small matter."

    "Really?" Anne Spielberg stood up, the mockery in her smile even a child could see. "It looks like you''re confident you''ll get your investment back; maybe you really can. Who knows, maybe Duke''s first movie will be a miracle. I hope your movie can make 100 million dors at the box office, hahaha..."

    "You ..." Duke was about to say something, but was pulled down by his mother, so he had to watch Anne Spielberg walk away proudly, and then heard a faint voice in his ear say, "Language is the weakest and most powerless way to fight back."

    "I understand, Mom." Duke asked seriously, "What she said ..."

    "That''s right," his mom said with a nod, "I invested 10 million dors in ''<b>Speed</b>.''"

    Duke suddenly realized many things when he heard his mother''s confirmation. Why George Lucas first rejected him and then supported him; why the productionpany agreed to convert his sry into investment; why he could get some powers that other new directors dreamed of; why Robin secretly suppressed some experienced seniors in the industry...

    Because his mother is thergest investor in the film and upies two-thirds of the investment, she naturally has great influence.

    Why is his mother investing in the extremely high-risk film industry? The answer is only one: to create opportunities for himself, even though she actually has little confidence in him!

    "Mom ..." Duke didn''t know what to say.

    "I''ve had a deep conflict with Anne since we were young."

    After saying this, I don''t know if it''s for Duke''s sake. Leah looked over and asked, "Will you make me proud?"

    "Yes, Mom." Duke said seriously, "I will definitely make you proud!"

    After saying this, Duke gradually relieved the pressure of shooting and returned to himself. He had another reason to seed. If he failed, not only would his mother suffer huge economic losses, but she would also be theughing stock of people like Anne Spielberg.

    He won''t allow such a situation to ur; he won''t let it happen!

    At the same time, Duke also learned how realistic Hollywood is. His mother took out a one-year bank loan in the form of a mortgage, investing not only 10 million US dors but also signing a bottom-line share agreement with Lucasfilm. No matter whether the movie can bepleted or not, she will have to pay Lucasfilm 2 million US dors to ensure that the other party will not suffer any losses in this project. Once the movie is released, Lucasfilm will enjoy 10% of the box office in North America.

    In the event that the gross is less than the minimum specified, Lucasfilm shall have the right to choose a higher percentage.

    Yes, Hollywood is so unfair. Lucasfilm didn''t invest a single dor in the moviethe rest of the investment came from various film fundsbut was able to enjoy its sess.

    But this is Hollywood, and Lucasfilm''s contacts and channels are worth the money.

    Because of Anne Speersberg''s rtionship, it became an unpleasant night, and the words were indeed powerless. I wanted to make Anne Speersberg embarrassed. Every time she saw my mother in the future, she wouldn''t dare raise her head. A sessful movie is the most powerful weapon.

    The three-day Christmas break was over in a sh, and after a short rest, Duke put all his energy into the post-production of "<b>Speed</b>." After New Year''s, the first cut was deredplete, and the sample was also preliminary recognized by George Lucas.

    This is only the first step in the long post-production process, with subsequent fine-tuning, actor dubbing, and music selection requiring just as much time and effort. To make a quality film instead of a rough mess, shortcuts and time-saving methods simply cannot be used in post-production.

    Duke plunged into the "<b>Speed</b>" studio and didn''t care about anything else. Even the credit card bill sent by the bank was thrown behind him. From mid-December to mid-February, it took two months for the post-production of the film to bepleted.

 Chapter 29: Its just crazy

    Chapter 29: It''s just crazy

    In the conference room of the Century City Fox building, the monthly meeting of the 20th century Fox hase to an end. After discussing a series of film projects, these Hollywood heavyweights have turned their attention to Lucasfilm.

    "I will arrange for the preview of <b>Speed</b> tomorrow morning."

    The head of the distribution department, Tom Rosenthal, is the person in charge of contact with Lucasfilm and is also the person who advocated for the introduction of this film. "George himself will attend the screening, this is our chance. I suggest expressing moderate respect for the film to further win George''s favor and let him restart the <b>Star Wars</b> series as soon as possible."

    "Rosie..."

    "Cancel my morning appointments tomorrow," the CEO said to his secretary as he sat at the head of the conference table. "I''ll be receiving George personally."

    The man across from Tom Rossman is Tim Feisal, and their rtionship is as close as the seats they''re sitting in. Tim Feisal''s brow has been furrowed the whole time, although he didn''t pay attention to it before. But after hearing the name <b>Speed</b> repeatedly, some memories gradually surfaced. He opened the file in front of him and quickly scanned the relevant information. Finally, he remembered the script that he had thrown to his assistant casually.

    That CAA orphan actually got investment and directed his own script?

    Tim''s brow furrowed tightly. As someone who had once refused this script, he certainly didn''t want Fox to sign this movie in the 20th century, but thepany had to beg Lucasfilm for <b>Star Wars</b>, and it was undoubtedly foolish to oppose it.

    He thought for a moment and tapped the table lightly to get everyone''s attention. "Jeff, there''s something you should pay attention to. Last year, the director of <b>Speed</b> was dropped by CAA. We now have a close rtionship with CAA. They''ve just packaged <b>Alien 3</b> for us and snatched the adaptation rights to <b>Interview with the Vampire</b> from Warner Brothers. CAA and Fox will have a new joint venture very soon. Is this going to affect the good rtionship between Fox and CAA? It''s something we should think about..."

    George Lucas is an important partner, and CAA''s share is not small. As CEO, Jim Gianopulos considered it for about half a minute and said. "We''ll look at the sample first. If the quality of the film is too poor, it will be pushed directly to the video market. If the quality of the film is guaranteed, arrange a trial screening to see the market response."

    "The meeting ends here today." He announced the adjournment.

    No one objected to Jim Gianopulos'' decision, which is the most normal thing to do. If the film can''t make a profit, Fox naturally won''t invest resources in it. If the film can make a profit, they won''t pass up the opportunity either.

    This already satisfied Tim Fisher. Is this new director worth devoting many resources to? In his opinion, even if Fox signed this movie in George Lucas''s name, it was just to arrange for it to be shown in a few remote areas for a week and then push it directly into the home video market.

    Back in his office, he took the time to call Martin Bouchard, the head of CAA.

    ""<b>Speed</b>? Duke?"

    The voice of Martin Bob on the phone told him clearly that the other side didn''t remember this small character at all. After a long pause, Martin Bob on the other side remembered, "The little boy of Rosenborg''s family?" "Don''t worry about him, he''s just a small fry!"

    Tim Fisher has put this aside for now; there''s no need to waste too much energy on such a small character.

    ---

    Once again, as he entered the Fox building, Duke experienced a totally different reception. A few of Fox''s top executives were waiting in the lobby, but of course they weren''t waiting for him. They were there for George Lucas, who was walking in front of him. Duke was just a nobody to Fox''s management.

    Even when shaking hands with Duke, a few Fox executives didn''t even pay attention to him.

    No one paid attention to Duke, and he wasn''t stupid enough to say anything. He understood that he wasn''t the lead in this audition and followed behind George Lucas and Robin nd silently. They took the elevator to the top floor of the Fox building and walked into a small screening room.

    "Hello, George..."

    Duke knew the person who came to shake hands with Lucas. That was Jim Gianopulos, CEO of Twentieth Century Fox. When George Lucas introduced him, the other party just nodded.

    Because of George Lucas''s presence, the event was attended by many high-ranking Fox executives, including CEO Jeff Zucker, head of distribution Tom Rothman, and producer Tim Feess, as well as some unfamiliar faces who are probably Fox''s film selectors.

    These people will decide the release terms of <b>Speed</b>!

    Different promotional activities will bring aboutpletely different market reactions. If 20th Century Fox does not invest in <b>Speed</b> the film will only be a flop. Although Duke is a new Hollywood yer, he is not stupid enough to think that a movie is enough to sell.

 Chapter 30: Its just crazy

    Chapter 30: It''s just crazy

    To get Fox to invest, they need to see the selling points of the movie and the potential for profit. Even the name George Lucas isn''t as persuasive to a profit-drivenpany as the potential for making money.

    Fortunately, the selling point of "<b>Speed</b>" is very, very obvious.

    Sitting in the back row near the left corner, Duke patiently observed and waited. Fox is one of the majorpanies in Hollywood in the 20th century, and the professionals'' choice of films is certainly above the pass line. He also pulled George Lucas as a big g, which can also minimize the contempt for new works that these people must have in their hearts.

    Tom Rothman suppressed his impatience as he sat next to Lucas. It wasn''t Lucas he was impatient with, of course, it was the movie they were about to watch.

    To be honest, he championed the release of "<b>Speed</b>" in Fox in the 20th century more from a strategic perspective. As the head of the release department, Tom Rothman was determined to restart "<b>Star Wars</b>" so that capital couldpete for the CEO position after Jefferies resigned next year. He is also a smart person. From the beginning, Lucasfilm strongly rmended this film, and he smelled something unusual.

    Then, he had someone investigate a little, and it was immediately clear that the movie''s director was the son of Leah Rosenberg, a Hollywood veteran of the 1970s. Everyone knows how close the two families are.

    Then, he had someone investigate a little, and it was immediately clear that the movie''s director was the son of Leah Rosenberg, a Hollywood veteran of the 1970s. Everyone knows how close the two families are.

    Tom Rothman also came to the conclusion in his heart that this was just a work by a young person like Sofia Copp who wanted to be promoted because of her connections.

    This is not umon for people who work in Hollywood; there is often not much value to speak of, but he is still pushing Fox to sign a distribution contract for the simple reason that he wants to further improve rtions with George Lucas. It is known that the current CEO will soon resign, and if he can restart Star Wars, he is absolutely the most powerful contender for this position.

    Even though his eyes were glued to the big screen in the projection room, Tom''s focus was mostly on George Lucas, but that changed as soon as the movie started.

    He''s seen countless movies, but never one with such a fast pace that creates such a sense of urgency. From the moment the security guard falls from the building, he feels as if his heart is being squeezed. The rapid session of short scenes in the film is something fresh and new that Hollywood movies have beencking in recent years.

    The camera rapidly pans between the police, the criminals, and the elevator passengers, continuously cing their emotions and expressions on screen. Even though it''s predictable that the passengers will eventually be saved, we still worry about their fate.

    Within twenty minutes of the opening scene, Tom Rosman''s opinion of "<b>Speed</b>" hadpletely changed; the film surpassed his highest expectations by far...

    This is a A-ssmercial film! The idea came strongly to his mind.

    Curtis Singleton, who was one of the film experts at Fox in the 20th century, sat in the back row of Tom Rosenthal''s. He had the right to speak on thepany''s introduction of the film. He was a true professional. Not only did he have to watch a lot of new films every year, he also needed to understand the market dynamics in a timely manner rather than offer empty criticism like professional film critics. He needed to analyze what kind of films the market needed most.

    At first, he thought this was a test of human rtions. A work by a new director who was less than 22 years old. Is it worth it to deploy top notch professionals in the industry to check it out?

    So, he and two of his colleagues with the same cognition, have been talking about Hollywood''stest news in a low voice, and weren''t interested in the movie being screened.

    The screeching sound of an out-of-control elevator sliding down the screen finally caught their attention, and their gaze was immediately glued to the screen, unable to leave for a moment.

    The movie starts with music that easily stirs people''s emotions, intense drumming, car chases and collisions that are crazy to the extreme, and explosions that fill the whole screen--these are all effects that only the bestmercial movies have.

    "Has potential?" he asked his partner.

    He used a questioning tone, which contained confirmation.

    "Has potential?"

    The voices of the two colleagues were not loud, but they were very certain.

    "This isn''t a traditional action movie." The person on the left couldn''t help but sigh, "The dazzling and extreme scenes of danger are simply shocking."

    "There''s also..." The person on the right also spoke up. "The explosion, car chase, and crash footage that appears in it seems to be new filming techniques. It''s all fresh and exciting!"

    "How did he do it! It''s like he got the shot from the inside of an explosion or car crash."

    He turned his head and looked at the young man sitting quietly in the corner. The inspiration came out of nowhere. "He couldn''t have put the expensive wireless high-speed camera in the inside of the explosion and car ident scene, could he? This is simply crazy!"

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 31: Finalized Release

    Chapter 31: Finalized Release

    In the afternoon, after the screening, the relevant personnel of 20th Century Fox gathered in a small conference room to discuss the film they had just seen in the morning. The film exceeded everyone''s highest expectations. For these professionals in the industry, it may be a little difficult to judge whether the film will really be epted by the market, but it is not difficult to distinguish between bad films and excellent productions.

    Perhaps it was because of an initial recognition of "<b>Speed</b>" in his heart, or perhaps because of George Lucas, CEO Jim Gianopulos also appeared in this conference room.

    "Keller, let''s hear your opinion first."

    As the secretary brought coffee to everyone, Tom Rosenthal said, "It''s obvious you have some thoughts on this film."

    "This is an extremely exciting and non-traditional action movie."

    Karelitz organized thenguage and directly said his own views. "The young director named Duke did better than I imagined. Every detail of the film was polished by him. It looks so perfect..."

    Singleton organized thenguage and directly expressed his own views. "The young director named Duke did better than I imagined. Every detail of the film was polished by him. It looks so perfect..."

    As the most senior Fox executive in charge of film acquisitions in the 20th century, Curtis Singleton''s attitude is quite obvious.

    "Tom Rosenthal, how about you?"

    Just as Curtis Singleton''s voice fell, CEO Jim Gianopulos directly asked Tom Rosenthal, the head of the distribution department, for his opinion and importance. "What strategy do you think we should use for this movie?"

    Although there are ws in the plot logic and some scenes, the vast majority of the film is excellent. Duke Rosenberg uses a lot of short lenses and ultra-fast rhythms to create a sense of urgency that only top-level productions can have.

    "Generally speaking, the movie trailer must gather the best shots, the best visual effects, and the most exciting moments in the film, but Duke''s film is full of such lenses, like a row ofbels, each of which stimtes adrenaline."

    "This is an extremely entertaining action movie," he concluded.

    As a true professional, Tom Rosenthal of course would not be so foolish as to look atmercial films with a literary eye.

    "But we cannot ignore the risks behind the film."

    Since the discussion began, Tim Fisher has been observing the situation, and it was inevitable that Fox would sign the movie in the 20th century. He couldn''t change this, and he also admitted that the film was indeed exciting and full of highlights, but he didn''t want to see the film sell well.

    First, this is a film that his future CEOpetitor is pushing to introduce.

    If the film is sessful, it will definitely have a negative impact on him, because he will find that the script has been delivered to him before.

    "Although action movies have been popr in North America in recent years, we shouldn''t forget that audiences'' tastes are fickle and that nobody knows when they''ll get tired of this genre. This movie alsocks a star actor with appeal to help with promotion, which means we''ll have to put more resources into publicity..."

    To be one of the top executives of the Big Sixpanies, not one is a idiot, Tim Fisher has listed all the facts.

    Develop a promotional strategy based on B-type films.

    After discussion among many high-level officials, they gradually reached a consensus, and CEO Jim Gianopulos made the final decision based on these opinions, "arrange the rating, preview, and screening of the film as soon as possible."

    This is the safest way and no one else has any objection.

    After the screening, Duke cut two trailers ording to the requirements of 20th Century Fox, and the production of the film was basically over. But he did not take a vacation for himself and continued to maintain close contact with the ''Speed'' studio. The publicity strategy of the filmpany is also essential to the sess of the film.

    The studio is at the top of this game, and even with support from Lucasfilm, a new director like him won''t have any say in the negotiations. Duke wasn''t involved in the talks either. Professionals will naturally do professional things.

    Less than a week after the talks, 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm have agreed on a distribution deal.

    Fox will be the North American distributor of "<b>Speed</b>," taking fifteen percent of North American box office and fifty percent of North American television royalties as distribution fees, with first purchase rights to overseas distribution rights. The costs of publicity and promotion, and the making of copies of the film will be deducted first from the box office receipts after the film is released in North America.

    At the same time, Fox also formted a North American release schedule for the film.

    Fox will be holding sneak previews for film fans and critics over the next two weeks and, based on the feedback, will invest in appropriate promotional campaigns to generate buzz for the film. In the traditionally slow movie month of mid-April, it ns to release "<b>Speed</b>" on 200 screens across North America.

    The schedule was quickly sent to Duke''s hands, and although he was dissatisfied with the conservative release strategy of 20th Century Fox, he knew that he had no capital to object to this.

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 32: Finalized Release

    Chapter 32: Finalized Release

    The schedule was quickly sent to Duke''s hands, and although he was dissatisfied with the conservative release strategy of 20th Century Fox, he knew that he had no capital to object to this.

    The most prudent and advantageous method of release for Fox was also what Duke wantedfor the film to be shown in one thousand to three thousand theaters across North America. But that was an unrealistic pipe dream!

    Without even mentioning the high promotional costs that are inevitably incurred for a wide release, the money spent on making copies alone is a huge sum of money.

    A 35mm copy of a movie today costs around $600. If the movie is shown on 3,000 screens, that''s $1.8 million. With the uncertain prospects of the movie market, 20th Century Fox is not going to be very generous.

    Hollywood''s bigpanies are full of deception and fraud, but they are never charitable organizations.

    Fox can observe the response of the market in the twentieth century. If the audience and the single-hall box office is excellent. it is not difficult for them to print thousands of copies in a short time and expand the scale of the show quickly.

    In the end, if the film does well, 20th Century Fox will make a killing in profits; if the film fails, 20th Century Fox wouldn''t have lost much.

    This is the simplest rule in Hollywood, people without capital have to obey it.

    It was clear to Duke that "<b>Speed</b>" did not have enough potential in the market to warrant Fox investing too many resources in it and that a detailed promotional strategy was needed for the film. In addition to the clear selling points that can be seen in the film, Lucasfilm must have yed a big role in it.

    February ising to an end, and there is still no sign of advertising or news about "<b>Speed</b>" in the media. Duke''s insomnia is getting worse. Even though he knows he should keep a calm mind and never show any anxiety, the dry weather in Los Angeles makes people very easily irritable. Fortunately, it has been raining in the past few days, which is rare and bringsfort.

    Despite the uncertain future, Duke has already started writing the second script, which can also help him to disperse his attention slightly and not think about the sess or failure of the film all day long, because no matter how much he thinks about it, he can''t do much about it now.

    The second script is still an action movie, which will be a story about soldiers full of explosions, gunfights, and betrayal.

    ---

    On thest day of February, Duke threw away all the work in his hands and rushed to Los Angeles International Airport to say goodbye to the only friend he had met on the set.

    "This is my dad, this is my mom..."

    In front of the boarding gate, Sofia introduced her family to Duke, and even though these big names were strangers to him, Duke definitely knew them.

    The capp''s said hello to Duke and then walked away from the young people, leaving them space. It was clear they had misunderstood something.

    "This is my cousin...."

    Finally, Sophie brought him to a man who looked very strange. Immediately, Duke stretched out his hand and shook the man''s hand. "Nice to meet you, Nichs."

    "I''m d to meet you too."

    Nowadays, Nics is barely a second-rate yer, and his temper isn''t as strange as his appearance.

    "You and Nics may have a lot inmon."

    Sophia stood next to Duke and said, "Duke just made a movie and signed a distribution deal with 20th Century Fox."

    "Director?" Nics asked.

    "Yes." Duke smiled modestly and said, "An action movie."

    "Oh."

    Nics immediately lost interest; now he is a standard literary youth who is obviously uninterested to action movies.

    The broadcast sounded the boarding announcement, Sofia hugged her parents one by one, and then walked to Duke''s side, tilted her head and looked at him, "I hope your movie is a hit, big director!"

    "I hope you get promoted soon." Duke said with the same tone, "Maybe the next time I see you, you will have be a top fashion designer."

    "Of course!" Sophie said confidently.

    "And if you get fired by Chanel, you can alwayse back and be my assistant!"

    After saying this, he didn''t give Sofia any opportunity to fight back, and turned around and left.

    He said hello to the Cops and politely declined their dinner invitation. Duke got into his Chevrolet and drove back to his house in Santa Monica. He parked in the garage and walked to the door of the courtyard. He opened the mailbox and took out a pile of mail.

    Entering the living room, Duke put his mother''s mail on the magazine rack, opened a few of his own, and sat on the long sofa.

    One was a bank credit card statement. Duke had just received another $20,000 in director''s fees from the $120,000 he was supposed to receive a while back, so paying off the credit card wasn''t a problem. The financial burden was temporarily relieved.

    The other was an invitation from 20th Century Fox, inviting him to a screening in early March.

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 33: The Greatest Passion

    Chapter 33: The Greatest Passion

    "Hi, Duke. Long time no see."

    The petite blonde girl held her hand out to him, and Duke lightly shook it. "Naomi, you look really beautiful today."

    This is an independent cinema near 20th Century Fox, and the test screening of "<b>Speed</b>" was held here. Duke walked into the waiting room prepared for the crew, where Naomi Watts was present.

    Besides movie fans and film critics, there will also be reporters from the entertainment media attending the preview screening. There will definitely be a media event afterwards, and actors like Naomi Watts, who are not main cast members of the production, can appear here. I believe her agent must have gone through a lot of trouble.

    "Fox is really frugal."

    Natalie Watts said to Duke, who was sitting in the chair next to her, "They actually arranged the media and fan screening together."

    "It''s still unknown whether the film will be profitable."

    This is a very normal practice in Hollywood, and Duke is not dissatisfied. "Twentieth Century Fox will definitely be cautious."

    "Have you heard, Duke?" She suddenly changed to a mysterious tone, and approached a little. "Nancy said... oh, Nancy is my agent. "<b>Speed</b>" impressed 20th Century Fox, and the head of the distribution department, Tom Rosenthal, thought it had a lot of potential.

    "I hope so," Duke said with a slight shrug.

    After a few brief exchanges, Uma Thurman, Keanu Reeves, and Dennis Hopper, among others, came in. They were much less familiar with Duke and exchanged simple greetings before taking their seats and waiting for the screening to begin.

    Not long after, Robin Glendale came in person to notify Duke and others to enter the screening room together.

    The cinema isn''t big, with only three hundred or so seats, and the first few rows are mostly entertainment media reporters and film critics. They''re mostly from small and local media, like reporters and top film critics from the major newspapers, and a few major magazines wouldn''t attend the screening of an unknown film.

    In simple terms, the level of media and film critics who attend screenings is often closely rted to the film''s investment and notoriety. Fox would not rashly budget for and invite those top industry insiders; even if they were invited, they might note. The peanuts Fox offered for "<b>Speed</b>" also failed to attract them.

    The film needs the media and film critics to wave gs and shout, and Fox also has a series of rted arrangements, but public rtions work is mainly done after the screening, and during the screening period, Fox pays more attention to the reaction of the audience behind.

    Fox invited over 250 ordinary fans to participate, ranging from seventeen to forty-five years old, which is also the potential target consumer group of "<b>Speed</b>." they will directly reflect the market eptance of the film.

    Harry Dunn was a twentieth-century Fox observer, and along with a dozen or so colleagues scattered among the fans, they will use their own eyes and the pen in hand to record the audience''s reaction during the screening.

    "Excuse me, is there anyone sitting here?"

    Two white young men in their early twenties walked over and pointed to the seat next to Harry Dunn, asking, "Can we sit here?"

    Harry Dunn put his feet up and looked at the two of them as they walked by. They were holding Cokes and popcorn, obviously treating the screening as an ordinary leisure activity. They sat down and chatted idly without paying attention to anyone else.

    "Jones ..." The guy with short, tanned hair sitting to the left, n, said, "Have you heard of this movie? Have you heard of the director or the actor?"

    "I only know of Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman, the director and movie title are both new to me."

    The blonde young man said, "I''ve always been interested in Hollywood news, and I''ve never seen a work by this director called Duke Rosenberg."

    "It might be a bad movie; I regret it now, Jones."

    "Hey, this is a free movie that only requires filling out a questionnaire."

    The person called Jones deliberately emphasized the word ''free'', and then passed the popcorn over, saying, "Just kill time."

    Harry Dunn smiled upon hearing this. Nowadays, the average viewer is like this. It''s difficult to take an interest in a movie without big-name stars and acimed directors.

    More and more moviegoers are entering the back rows, and from the noisy sounds around him, Dunn can tell that there are almost no moviegoers who are really interested in the film. If this is still the case after the screening, "<b>Speed</b>" is simply not worth it for 20th Century Fox to invest in.

    "It started!"

    The lights came on in the big screen, I don''t know who said it, but the noise around quieted down considerably. However, the sound of drinking Coca-C, eating popcorn, and whispering could still be clearly heard; the audience''s attention was not on the screen.

    "My Coke has ice in it."

    Jones who was obviously only interested in his food and drink. asked Allen, "What about yours?"

    "I don''t have any, so I''ll give it to you."

    n took a big gulp of hisrge Coke that he had swapped Jones for, then grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it into his mouth. "This cinema''s popcorn is really good..."

    He shut up halfway through his sentence, his eyes glued to the big screen

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 34: The Greatest Passion

    Chapter 34: The Greatest Passion

    "My Coke has ice in it."

    Jones who was obviously only interested in his food and drink. asked Allen, "What about yours?"

    "I don''t have any, so I''ll give it to you."

    n took a big gulp of hisrge Coke that he had swapped Jones for, then grabbed a handful of popcorn and threw it into his mouth. "This cinema''s popcorn is really good..."

    He shut up halfway through his sentence, his eyes glued to the big screen

    Jones, sitting next to him, had a simr reaction as an experienced moviegoer with a long history of watching films. He was immediately drawn in by the exciting and suspenseful opening.

    "Boom..."

    The explosion in such a small area sounded extremely shocking. The elevator quickly slid down. The picture switched frequently between the elevator and the passengers'' scared faces. Jones''s originally easy heart immediately became tense, and he subconsciously touched his seat, as if he were afraid that it would be an elevator.

    From that moment on, his heart waspletely torn up, all the way to his throat, and especially when the deafening explosion sounded and the male protagonist was blown away by the st, he felt that his heart had been shattered.

    "Oh, my God..."

    "He''s not going to die, right?"

    There were a lot of startled and worried voices nearby because the film entered a brief buffering period and Jones recovered slightly. "This... the kind of opening you''d expect from a top-notch action movie?"

    "This director seems to be very good at it..." n had long forgotten the popcorn and c. "Why do I feel that no matter in which scene, I am the most dangerous character in the film?"

    "The sense of substitution, that''s what it is."

    Inparison to his peers, Jones is clearly more researched in film techniques: "I also have the same feeling; the director used a lot of first-person shots, and with..."

    "Hey, the viin didn''t die!"

    The words were not finished, and Jones turned to the movie screen again. "There can''t be any more conspiracies, can there?"

    "Shut up!"

    "It''s rude to disturb others while they''re watching a movie," said Allen, who was bothered by the sound of hispanion.

    Turning his head with great reluctance, Jones was just about to give n a dirty look, but then he heard another earth-shattering explosion. His eyes darted back to the screen just in time to see a bus erupt into mes. The fire seemed to being straight for him, breaking throughyer afteryer of steel, as if it were rolling right off the screen and into the audience. It was enough to make anyone''s heart skip a beat.

    The explosion''s mes nearly filled the entire screen, with the bus roof being blown off and sent flying into the air before crashing down and flipping over another car and reducing it to scrap metalshattered ss from the car windows flew everywhere like confetti...

    The screen quickly switches back to the male protagonist''s perspective. Jones finally exhales slightly, but the heart throbbing in his chest shows no signs of slowing down, as if his blood is about to boil.

    It is clear that Jones''s body is secretingrge amounts of adrenaline.

    As a professional observer, it took all of Dunn''s self-control to keep from getting too caught up in the film to really watch it. He knew that if he could just keep the audience engaged from the beginning, they would be more receptive to the rest of the film. He didn''t know how long it had been since he''d seen a film that was so well-paced.

    He also wants to be an ordinary spectator by his side, to just watch the film and not care about other things, but he can''t; he still has to feed his family, and he has to finish his own work.

    The pen in his hand slides rapidly across the notebook at intervals, recording the true reactions of the audience around himfrom the apathy before the film starts to the rapt attention after it ends to the worry and amazement for the characters and plot throughout.

    He witnessed the audience bing flustered, tangled up, boiling, and moved, as well as delighted, as the film progressed.

    "Jones, I can''t help it."

    Suddenly, a voice with a slight trembling came from right next to Dunn, and another voice that was trembling equally responded, "I can''t help it either."

    The people who are speaking are naturally n and Jones, who drank a lot of Coca-C at the beginning and have long felt the urge to urinate, but they don''t want to miss the exciting plot of the film, so they have been holding it in until now.

    "Are we going to the bathroom?" They looked at each other and made a decision. "At the fastest speed, hurry!"

    "Please make way... please make way..."

    Because he heard the words just now, Dunn hurriedly retracted his foot, and the two young men walked quickly with their legs mped, probably because of their awkward posture. Dunn''s eyes followed them involuntarily.

    Two people who entered the aisle, it seems that they do not want to miss any of the plot of the movie, they actually walked backwards to the toilet against the screen!

    "This"

    Dunn was a little surprised. After years of working in this profession, this was the first time he had seen such a situation!

    Slowly withdrawing his gaze from the big screen, Darren no longer paid attention to the movie being shown. Taking advantage of the dim light, he looked around solemnly at the audience one by one.

    The audience forgot to drink their Coca-Cs, forgot to eat their popcorn, forgot to whisper to each other. They just sat up straight and didn''t even move their bodies. They gave "<b>Speed</b>" the biggest enthusiasm!

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 35: Junket Whore

    Chapter 35: Junket Whore

    After the screening ended, the people in the theatre quickly divided into two groups. The people in the Fox publicity department took film critics and journalists to a nearby hotel, while some people in the distribution department stayed in the theatre to collect feedback surveys from the audience.

    After the moviepletely ends, the people from the distribution department, including Harry Dunn, quickly return to Fox Tower in Century City to sort through and analyze the contents of the questionnaire.

    For an industry that has to put out new products every day, it is extremely important to urately grasp the market pulse, and the diversity and changeability of the film industry determine that film distributors must collect arge amount of data and apply the analysis results to the marketing of the work.

    Pre-screening research is not only concerned with the audience''s level of interest in the film, but also with the information feedback from different audience groups through data analysis, so as to formte targeted publicity ns.

    In short, promotion is often much moreplex than production.

    "Mr. Rothman ..."

    In a huge studio, Dunn is giving the head of the distribution department, Tom Rothman, thetest questionnaire summary. "This questionnaire is very representative... I feel like I''ve been sitting on a high-altitude elevator, taking a high-speed bus, and being hijacked on a high-speed subway. The sense of tension and excitement has never disappeared. Although the whole story looks a bit simple, the dangerous action scenes make me feel very good, especially the several explosion scenes in it. I think itpletely exceeds the explosion scenes in <b>Terminator 2</b>. "

    Tom Rothman sat in a spacious chair, stroking his chin with one hand while reading the consecutive positive reviews from the audience, as well as Dunn''s description of some of the audience members who went to the bathroom backwards so as not to miss a scene, further increasing the importance of the film.

    "The statistical results are out."

    The staff member who conducted the survey came over, and Rothman looked up slightly. Data doesn''t lie. In the end, it alles down to the data.

    "We distributed 265 questionnaires to the audience and received 263 back."

    The staff member spoke as concisely as possible: "There are 205 A+ evaluations, 44 A evaluations, 7 B+ evaluations, and 7 C+ or below evaluations..."

    The studio suddenly quieted down; this can be said to be a super high audience reputation, which obviously gives Fox more confidence in <b>Speed</b>.

    Meanwhile, in the banquet hall of the Four Seasons Hotel, Duke is being introduced to professional film critics by Robin Grand, even though he hasn''t heard of 90 percent of them, let alone their names. But when ites toughing, Duke will not be stingy with his smile.

    After all, he doesn''t have the capital now, <b>Speed</b> also needs these parasites in the film industry to wave gs and shout.

    Duke does not care about the group''s evaluation of the film at all. Since they came to the party, they would naturally ept the gifts sent by Lucasfilm and 20th Century Fox. Next, they will try to arouse the curiosity of the audience about <b>Speed</b>, regardless of whether it is good or bad.

    Doing things for money is the most basic rule, whether it''s filmmakers or film critics.

    Everyone knows that reviewers are only ''rtively'' impartial, and ''rtively'' can be interpreted in many ways.

    Let''s just say that this time, in addition to the round-trip travel expenses and the amodation and dining expenses at the Four Seasons Hotel, Fox also prepared gifts or checks ording to the different positions of the film critics in the industry. Even the most unknown of them had a souvenir worth nearly $500. Fox had a budget of more than $50,000 for these people.

    Simrly, these people''s reviews have to be sent to Fox''s publicity department for review before they can be published. If they are published without Fox''s consent, they will be censored by Fox and will not enjoy the benefits of free tickets to movies from Fox''s extremely cooperative partners for a long time.

    This is the default rule in both the film and film review industries, and no one would break it intentionally. The distributors also wouldn''t allow them to give out such nauseatingly good reviews, even if the criticisms could be epted, but only if the criticisms could arouse the audience''s interest in the film.

    For example, if the other party writes, "In addition to countless explosions, fighting, and chasing cars, there is nothing in the film," Fox will ept it because mainstream audiences like these things and the film review also directly states the selling point of the film, which will inevitably attract audiences.

    These are not secrets at all within the Hollywood circle. Since the 1930s, when the first film critics'' association in the world, the New York Film Critics Association, was founded, Hollywood has had a rtionship of both cooperation and opposition with the film critics'' circle. The film industry needs film critics to wave gs and shout, and the film critics need to suck blood from the big film industry.

    Those kind of film critic has a special title "Junket Whore".

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 36: Junket Whore

    Chapter 36: Junket Whore

    With the budget 20th Century Fox provided, it was unable to attract those high-level socialites to the premiere of <b>Speed</b>.

    As for who is a high-level socialite, naturally it is North America''s top-notch group of film critics, such as Richard Christiansen of Time, Keh Turan of the Los Angeles Times, Todd McCarthy of the Hollywood Reporter, and the famous Roger Ebert, etc.

    They were much more fair than the critics who are here today, but their fairness was also hidden behind a lot of deals. To mention just one person, Roger Ebert, whose show "At the Movies" was one of the mostmercialized review programs in North America, It''s not hard to guess what kind of changes a highlymercialized review would bring.

    Even Roger Ebert, who was at the top of the food chain, is a junket whore.

    For example, Roger Ebert gave his seal of approval for <b>Terminator 2</b>st year, and everyone knows that James Cameron''s film is absolutely worthy of such praise, but how many people are aware of the PR that 20th Century Fox did as a distributor?

    ording to Duke''s information, Roger Albert, who came to Los Angeles that week for the <b>Terminator 2</b> premiere, requested to y golf at a top private club in Malibu every day. Of course, 20th Century Fox would satisfy his request. As for whether the two sides had any other backstage stories privately, it was not something Duke could know.

    As someone who has experienced the Inte era, Duke naturally understands how to deal with professional film critics. He can neither despise them nor pay too much attention to them. They are just tools he borrows to move forward!

    After finishing up with the film critics, Duke went to another event where he got interviewed with other actors.

    Like film reviewers, Fox only invited reporters from low-tier media outlets besides their own, and their attention was focused on the two most famous cast members, Keanu Reeves and Uma Thurman. Director Duke was hardly known, and even Naomi Watts, thanks to her looks and her agent''s connections, got more attention than Duke.

    This is also rted to Fox''s publicity strategy in the twentieth century. In the early 1990s, the directors were still behind the scenes. Unless the directors were already quite famous, it was difficult to attract the attention of movie fans and the media. The publicity strategy for the film was often developed around the actors.

    When a reporter asked, Duke also said a few words, most of which were "confidence in the film" and "the male and female protagonists were very good". The reportercked the perseverance to explore in depth, and Duke was also not interested in media interviews.

    If giving an interview and having the media report on it could make the movie a big hit, Duke doesn''t care if he has to break his mouth open. But for him now, even if he hypes the movie up to the sky, it won''t do any good.

    This screening and interviews was finally over close to evening. Duke walked out of the conference room and into the adjoining lounge to tidy up his things and prepare to leave. That''s when he saw Naomi Watts, apanied by a woman in her early thirties, walk into the lounge as well.

    "Hello, Duke." She greeted him warmly.

    She looked a little pale and troubled, as if she had run into some difficulty and was still struggling with it.

    "Hi, Naomi." Duke replied with a smile.

    Although the other party in his memory had climbed to the top of Hollywood, Duke grew up close to Hollywood circles, and he didn''t know how many future stars he had seen.

    In his impression, Naomi Watts is just like many of the young women who came to Hollywood to chase their dreams: she has some dreams, some scheming, some means, some looks, and some acting skills, of course, as well as some luck, at least much better than his past self.

    "Won''t you introduce us, Naomi?"

    The woman next to her suddenly spoke up, and Naomi Watts immediately reacted, bringing her over to Duke. "Nancy, this is Duke Rosenberg, the director of the film."

    "Duke, this is Nancy, Nancy Josephson, my agent."

    "Josephson?"

    Repeating it to himself, Duke''s brow furrows slightly, as though he had heard the surname somewhere before.

    "Nice to meet you, Miss Josephson." He reached out and shook her hand. "Please call me Nancy. Can I call you Duke? Thank you."

    Both sides spoke a few polite words to each other, after which Nancy Josephson took a phone call, whispered something to Naomi Watts, then left the lounge first.

    Both sides spoke a few polite words to each other, after which Nancy Josephson took a phone call, whispered something to Naomi Watts, then left the lounge first.

    Nancyes from International Creative Management (ICM).

    Naomi Watts is very thoughtful and deliberately exined a few sentences: "She is the daughter of ICM founder Marvin Josephson."

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

 Chapter 37: A Very Smart Man

    Chapter 37: A Very Smart Man

    ICM is an international innovation management brokerage firm. Although it cannot bepared with CAA, it is also one of the fivergest brokerage firms in North America. If Duke does remember incorrectly, now and in the future, Julia Roberts will be their contracted client for quite a long time.

    No wonder Naomi Watts is so lucky; it turns out that she didn''t get thrown away by a big thigh like him but hugged a thick thigh that was just as strong...

    "Let''s go together? My car is also in the underground parking lot."

    Naomi hurriedly said as she saw Duke open the door to the lounge.

    She hastily packed her bags and followed Duke without waiting for him to speak, walking into the elevator lobby together. As soon as they entered, Duke saw a man pacing in the lobby who nced over in their direction beforeing over.

    Duke knows this person, the most famous one of the film critics invited by 20th century Fox, Bart Henry of the New York Daily News.

    This professional film critic didn''t mean to talk to Duke, but just nodded at him and went around to the other side of Naomi Watts, saying politely, "Hello, Miss Watts, have you considered my suggestion for this afternoon?"

    "I''m sorry..." Naomi Watts suddenly moved a step closer to Duke and said, "I... I haven''t decided yet."

    "Miss Watts..." The other person took a step closer and said, "This is a mutually beneficial circle, and my suggestion is also the best shortcut."

    He took another step forward and looked down at Naomi Watts, with a hint of threat in his eyes.

    "Please..."

    "You''ve only been in Hollywood for a short time, so you may not understand the importance of opportunities," Naomi Watts was interrupted before she could finish.

    After hearing this, Duke roughly understood what was happening. Seeing Naomi Watts, who kept retreating because she was worried about the other party''s writing pen, he stepped forward slightly and blocked her behind him. Using the advantage of being taller than the other party, he said from a high position, "You are too rude, Mr. Henry! This is a public ce."

    "What did I do?" Bart Henry said with an indifferent face. "I just wanted to invite Miss Watts for a cup of coffee."

    ncing over at Naomi Watts, Duke knew he wasn''t going to be so foolish as to make decisions for herthis was. After all, it was her private matter.

    Actresses who want to be famous are naturally at a disadvantage when facing these film critics, who can trash them with a single sentence. Naomi Watts, said with a slight hint of weakness, "Mr. Rosenthal invited me to dinner."

    Then she gave Duke an apologetic look.

    With a crisp bell, the elevator door just opened, Naomi Wartz hurried in, and As soon as Duke followed into the elevator, she immediately pressed the button to close the door, leaving the self-satisfied film critic outside.

    The elevator quickly arrived at the parking garage on the lower floor, and after getting out of the elevator, Duke walked straight to where his Chevrolet was parked, followed by Naomi Watts.

    "My car is over there." She pointed to a red Ford in the distance and said hesitantly, "Thank you, Duke."

    "It''s no big deal." Duke didn''t care much.

    This sort of thing ismonce in Hollywood; in an era where the media were not as open as they are in the future, actors needed to curry favor with people who had the power of the media, such as film critics. It was not umon for people to be willing to pay a price for a favourable review.

    At the end of the day, it was still Naomi Watts''s choice, and if she hadn''t refused, Duke would not have stopped her. Everyone has the right to choose the path they want to take. As long as they can get to the top of Hollywood, who would care about their ck history.

    "Really, I am very grateful that you can help me out."

    Naomi Watts'' words now carry more sincerity than before. "He was pestering me all afternoon."

    Does your agent know about this?

    Duke slowed down his pace slightly and turned his head to suggest, "You''d better notify her..."

    "I told her in the afternoon." Naomi Watts sighed, "She let me choose for myself."

    That''s a standard agent-style answer. Duke can only sigh, he felt that the atmosphere seemed a bit heavy, so he simply changed to a half-serious and half-joking tone: "Naomi, you made a difficult but correct choice."

    Many dream of bing famous actresses, but few are able to turn down such deals. After all, the New York Daily News ranks among the top ten newspapers in the United States.

    In Hollywood, actresses are usually seen as having a shelf life, and this expiration date is usually much shorter than for male actors. The saying "the sooner, the better" definitely applies to actresses, and Nancy''s thinking makes perfect sense. She signed Naomi Watts because she sees potential in her future, not because of her current fame. If Naomi can be famous sooner and bring in profits for her, then why not?

    "This might be a decision that will disappoint Nancy. " Naomi Watts doesn''t look like a fool either.

    If you find any <b>Mistakes</b> or <b>Poorly Written Paragraphs</b> in this chapter, pleas tell me in thements below so I can fix them.

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!