Chapter 358: First Oscar Journey

Walking into the makeup trailer, Gal Gadot saw Margot Robbie sitting alone in front of the makeup mirror, lost in thought. Her golden hair had been dyed the red of Sansa Stark, neatly bundled at the back of her head. Her pale cheeks were flushed red, bearing the marks of fingers – clearly not a result of makeup, but as if someone had fiercely slapped her on both sides.

"Margie..." She quickly walked over, pulled up a chair, and sat next to Margot Robbie, looking at her flushed cheeks, and asked, "What happened?"

Hearing Gal Gadot's voice, Margot Robbie snapped back to reality, "It's okay."

She frowned slightly, her hand involuntarily touching her face as if it still hurt.

Gal Gadot quickly stood up, found a brand-new towel and a basin from inside the makeup trailer, poured hot water onto the towel, wrung it out, and handed it to Margot Robbie, "Put this on your face, it will feel better."

Taking the towel, Margot Robbie managed a strained smile, "Do I look ugly now?"

Any normal girl would be concerned about her appearance.

Gal Gadot comforted her, patting her shoulder, "You'll look normal again soon, you're still the beautiful girl."

She helped Margot Robbie unfold the towel and cover her flaming cheeks, watching the girl's furrowed brow, she couldn't help asking, "What happened?"

In Hollywood, the sets are generally staged with fake hits, and Murphy wasn't an inexperienced director who'd allow real strikes.

"I've never played this kind of slapping scene before, and the coordination with the male actor was poor." Because of the hot compress, Margot Robbie's voice was muffled, "It led to multiple NGs during shooting..."

Her mood was visibly downcast, "My mistake dragged the whole crew down, and in the end, I talked it over with the male actor, didn't dodge, and let him hit me twice."

"You..." Gal Gadot shook her head, "You really are a silly girl."

"David told me that this opportunity was specially given to me by Murphy." Margot Robbie continued, still covering her face, "If I didn't do well, others would call me a nepotist, call me an idiot, and I didn't want to hear those words or make David feel embarrassed."

Gal Gadot rolled her eyes slightly; she knew her boyfriend's working style. David Robbie saying he left the opportunity because of Murphy was a favor, and if Margot Robbie didn't meet the role's requirements, Murphy certainly wouldn't have greenlit it.

The towel gradually cooled down, and Margot Robbie took it off and threw it aside. Gal Gadot cupped her reddened face, asking with concern, "Does it still hurt?"

Margot Robbie intended to shake her head but for some reason changed to a nod, "It still hurts a little."

Seeing the poor girl, Gal Gadot gently embraced her, "Don't ever do such foolish things again."

Margot Robbie leaned into Gal Gadot's embrace, finding unusual warmth. Because David Robbie was very busy, ever since she arrived in Los Angeles, she had to face various challenges alone, struggling alone in a foreign land. Even though she had a rather masculine personality, she was still only fifteen and often needed someone to rely on.

For some reason, Margot Robbie felt this kind of support in Gal Gadot's embrace.

"Gal," Margot Robbie lifted her head, "You feel like a sister to me."

Gal Gadot smiled but said nothing.

Time entered January 2006. With the least amount of shooting left, Seth Rogen finished his work first and joined Murphy in Belfast. Murphy temporarily handed over the entire crew to Seth Rogen, while he returned to Los Angeles with Gal Gadot. North America's awards season was in full swing, and the PR campaign for "Gone Girl" was at its most crucial point. Although CAA and Bill Roscius were in charge, Murphy, as the director, couldn't possibly skip any promotional effort.

Even though Murphy's target was merely an Oscar nomination, there could be no relaxation. Films like "Crash," "Brokeback Mountain," "Good Night, and Good Luck," "Munich," and "Capote" were formidable nominees, and none were easy to compete against.

Back in Los Angeles, Murphy was even busier than when he was in Belfast shooting "Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire." With endless promotional events, screenings, and lobbying parties, he was spinning non-stop, sometimes rushing to three events in one night.

There's no gain without effort, and Murphy was well aware that merely having an outstanding film was not enough to share in Hollywood's most authoritative and significant awards.

There's only relative fairness in this world, and even the prestigious Oscars are no exception.

Apart from generating huge profits for the organizers,

 the Oscars also bring immense prestige to the nominees and winners, almost equivalent to cold hard cash. According to estimates from Hollywood agencies, winning an Oscar in the acting categories can increase an actor's fee for their next movie by at least thirty percent.

For instance, Murphy remembered clearly that after winning for "Black Swan," Natalie Portman's salary quickly rose from the million-dollar range to the tens of millions.

Moreover, even if a film doesn't win, just being nominated can bring renewed attention to it.

Murphy's campaign for the Oscars had two goals: his own reputation and the market value of the film.

The marketing value of the Oscars is well-recognized, and studios adept at leveraging the Oscars for marketing know how to use the nominations to boost box office returns. They often schedule their most Oscar-potential films for release at the end of the year to leverage the nominations.

Where there are awards, there is lobbying, and the form of lobbying for the Oscars is nothing new.

To curry favor with the Oscar jurors, film studios launch massive PR campaigns during the voting period, pulling out all stops.

According to Murphy's information, this year's total investment in Oscar PR by various studios was about $100 million. Some films spent over $3 million just on PR to secure key nominations, and specialized PR firms were hired for the task.

Stanton Studio also employed a PR firm specifically for the Oscar campaign.

Since Murphy's return to Los Angeles, this firm and CAA had intensified their efforts on "Gone Girl," staging continuous lobbying and promotional events.

CAA and the PR firm hosted numerous screenings of "Gone Girl" for the Oscar jurors, with representatives on hand to lobby these jurors. Stanton Studio also prepared small gifts, such as porcelain and other items printed with logos related to the film.

Of course, these were termed "souvenirs," not gifts that would violate the Academy's regulations.

It's well known that not all Oscar jurors attend theater screenings, so sending DVDs to jurors became an essential promotional tool for Murphy. These DVDs were marked "For Your Consideration," and Stanton Studio also included special gifts, such as high-end DVD players "loaned" to the jurors for viewing, showcasing their creativity and sincerity.

Additionally, Murphy purchased extensive advertising space in newspapers like "The Los Angeles Times," "The Hollywood Reporter," and "The New York Times." Placing ads is a common Oscar campaign tactic, which he certainly wouldn't overlook.

Many of these newspaper readers are Oscar jurors. For example, Warner Independent Pictures, to promote "Good Night, and Good Luck," spent a significant amount to include a book about the film with copies of "The Los Angeles Times."

In terms of traditional media, Murphy's Stanton Studio also spent over a million dollars, not the highest among the candidates but significant for impacting the Oscar nominations list.

Besides newspaper ads, the PR firm hired by Murphy placed billboards in Hollywood areas frequented by filmmakers, such as Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, and also embraced new media trends, creating websites and blogs to lobby for "Gone Girl."

Many people view lobbying as the "dark side" of the Oscars, scoffing at the notion that a sufficiently excellent film should naturally trump all others. However, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences encourages lobbying within regulatory limits, viewing it as a manifestation of free competition.

To increase visibility, Murphy spared no effort, squeezing every minute from his lead actors, James Franco and Charlize Theron, who were busy attending various media events orchestrated by CAA and the PR firm to support "Gone Girl."

To stand out among the strong competitors and achieve the desired results, Murphy went as far as to place a full-page ad in "The New York Times," proclaiming "Gone Girl" as "the best film of the year."

This was a direct promotional blitz targeting voting members of the Academy, more cost-effective and direct.

For this purpose, Stanton Studio and the PR firm spared no expense, filling the jurors' inboxes with graphic and textual information about "Gone Girl" and not missing any opportunity to interact with jurors in their everyday settings.

During this intense Oscar campaign phase, even commercial spaces near the Academy in Beverly Hills, including restaurants frequented by jurors, were transformed into campaign fronts. The wallpaper in these dining spots was replaced with "Gone Girl" posters, ensuring that jurors dining nearby were surrounded by promotional efforts even during their meals.

All this was to ensure that "Gone Girl" not only appeared on the soon-to-be-announced Oscar nominations list but also secured several significant nominations.

Facing his first Oscar journey, Murphy employed all permissible tactics, and the outcome would be revealed at the Oscar nominees' luncheon.

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