Chapter 110: Turbulent CAA

In mid-February, Duke gathered his post-production team and brought in editor Mike Dawson for the third consecutive time, officially starting the post-production of "Independence Day." According to his estimates, the post-production would take at least until early June to complete, giving a solid four-month timeline for the film's post-production.

In reality, if it weren't for the extremely complicated computer CGI effects, Duke was confident he could finish all post-production work by May. Unfortunately, the special effects couldn't be rushed. The Industrial Light & Magic team had begun creating the effects back in October of the previous year, and aside from the Super Bowl advertisement scenes, most of the special effects were still in their early stages.

Every aerial combat scene in the film required special effects integration, and Duke also needed to edit the actors into these special effects shots. Even though the model-making department had created 3,978 F-18 fighter jets, 52,278 debris pieces, 3,931 alien spacecraft, 1,549 missiles, and 22,014 energy orbs, the CGI effects required for "Independence Day" still amounted to nearly 4,000 shots, making it a massive undertaking.

Because he had to coordinate with the effects department, Duke's post-production progress could only be described as slow, and he often felt powerless regarding the special effects production.

Computer-generated effects were incredibly complicated and specialized. While Duke could express his requirements and critique the created scenes, actually getting hands-on was far beyond his capabilities.

Thus, while making daily progress, Duke had plenty of time to communicate with the composer. Initially, he wanted to hire Hans Zimmer to score "Independence Day," but after working on "The Rock," the German composer signed a contract with Walt Disney to score "The Lion King."

Without Hans Zimmer, Duke had no regrets and brought in Skywalker Sound, known for their operatic-style scores, to handle the music for "Independence Day," partnering with a previous collaborator.

Throughout post-production, Duke kept safety in mind, with fire safety being a top priority. The advantage of working with both Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox became evident; very few dared to use unconventional methods to compete with the "Independence Day" crew, especially given the enormous investments involved. Those who resorted to crossing lines would face the wrath of Time Warner and News Corp.

Compared to the numerous troubles that arose during the production of "The Rock," "Independence Day" had gone relatively smoothly from preparation to filming and now into post-production.

Several factors contributed to this smoother process.

Firstly, the collaboration between the two major studios provided a safety net for the film.

Secondly, Duke had proven himself over the past two summer seasons, demonstrating that his films were highly competitive during that time. Now, with a blockbuster costing $100 million on the way, many competitors, like "Forrest Gump," chose to step aside. Even though major films were being released every weekend during the summer, it was wiser to avoid clashing with a blockbuster like "Independence Day."

Most importantly, Duke's biggest competitor was currently in turmoil.

Since October of last year, there had been rumors in Hollywood that CAA's head, Michael Ovitz, was planning to sell his 28% stake in the agency, leaving the agent industry he had worked in for twenty years to join a large media group, accepting an invitation from his childhood friend Michael Eisner to become the new CEO of Walt Disney.

Although Ovitz had yet to officially step down, CAA was undeniably entering a phase of instability. Many were engaged in open and covert struggles over Ovitz's stake and position. Even with Ovitz's prestige, he could not suppress the internal conflicts amidst such enormous interests.

Perhaps Ovitz himself was no longer inclined to control matters, being more focused on stepping into a platform far exceeding CAA and realizing greater ambitions.

From Ovitz's choice to move upwards, it became clear that the once-mythologized CAA, in terms of both strength and influence, was far inferior to Hollywood's major studios; otherwise, Ovitz would not have made such a risky and potentially career-ending transition.

When opportunities arose, CAA's founders, Ron Meyer and Michael Ovitz, were eager to jump ship to film companies, which spoke volumes.

However, Duke remembered clearly that Ron Meyer found relative success at Universal Pictures, while Ovitz's tenure at Walt Disney could only be described as disastrous.

While Ovitz might indeed be a super genius and an unparalleled titan in the agent field, the harsh reality proved that those who could control CAA were not necessarily capable of managing a film company. According to numerous analyses, the reason for Ovitz's failure could be summed up in one word—insufficiency of capability, or rather, an inability to manage a behemoth like Disney!

This was partly due to Michael Eisner's overwhelming dominance, but one must also remember that stepping into any large company's upper echelons inherently involves navigating a labyrinth of personnel struggles. Regardless of the myriad excuses a failure might have, it ultimately boils down to capability.

All in all, CAA was currently beset with troubles, and its internal giants were battling for power. According to Duke's analysis, they should have little time for other concerns in the next six months.

By the time Michael Ovitz moved to Disney, and CAA restructured its internal relations, "Independence Day" would have been screening in North America for a while. If the film's theatrical journey went smoothly, Duke, bolstered by this success, would no longer be the same director; he might rise to the ranks of Hollywood's top commercial directors.

At that point, he would become a highly sought-after collaborator by various companies, far from being someone CAA could casually suppress.

In fact, in recent months, Universal Pictures and Walt Disney had not ceased communication with Nancy Josephson. While there were no investment prospects for "Independence Day," Duke had registered another script with the Writers Guild.

This was linked to "The Rock" inching closer to a global box office of $400 million. Regardless of whether one was an independent or commercial director, in Hollywood, one ultimately had to rely on commercial success. If the films directed consistently generated profits, investment would never be an issue. Conversely, if a director's films garnered critical acclaim but not box office success—like some Oscar-winning directors—they might wait years for a chance to helm another project.

Despite being one of Hollywood's hottest new directors, Duke maintained a clear head. He understood that Universal Pictures and Walt Disney were merely keeping in touch with Nancy, remaining in a watchful waiting state, awaiting "Independence Day's" box office results. Should the film fail, these connections would surely sever, rendering any talk of collaboration a joke.

"I have some good news."

Having wrapped up work for the afternoon, Duke had just returned to his office when Sofia, reviewing documents, looked up and said, "Your personal accountant David just sent over the financial statement; your second salary installment of $2 million for 'Independence Day' has arrived."

This was indeed good news. According to Hollywood customs, basic salaries for cast and crew were paid in three installments. Duke had already received $200,000 of his total $500,000 basic salary at the start of filming, with another $200,000 coming after shooting wrapped. The final $100,000 would be paid once the film had finished its North American run.

"Anything else?"

Pulling over a chair, Duke sat across from Sofia's desk. "Has the remaining overseas share from 'The Rock' arrived?"

"The numbers are in," Sofia handed Duke the financial report. "I just called Warner; the funds won't arrive until at least October."

"October?"

Duke sighed; Warner Bros.' management really knew how to choose their timing. They were forcing him to invest all his efforts into "Independence Day."

However, this timing fell within the contractual scope, and Duke couldn't argue much. His gaze fell on the numbers in the financial report.

Currently, "The Rock" had already finished its run in all overseas markets where profit-sharing agreements were signed. Aside from the last ticket sales settlement, Duke's studio would gain another $210,000 from overseas box office revenue, with a significant portion of income coming from video and TV rights, yielding a total of $500,000.

The profit-sharing income from "The Rock" had thus concluded. Duke had turned an investment of $10 million into over $27 million in returns, which, even by Hollywood standards, represented a very high investment-to-return ratio.

Despite only a portion of that $27 million being his, it was still far more advantageous than a simple salary.

"Any progress on the rights negotiations?" Duke hadn't forgotten his intention to purchase the film adaptation rights.

"Nancy is still in talks," Sofia shook her head. "Progress isn't smooth."

Many issues boiled down to pricing, but Duke felt there was still ample time. He didn't want to pay too high a price, and based on feedback from Nancy and the private investigator he had hired, there were currently no competitors, so they could take their time negotiating.

Afterward, Duke called his accountant David and his mother, planning to repay his mother's loan of $10 million, as it was severely overdue. The interest would only accumulate until Warner Bros. settled all accounts with Duke's studio.

He also had to account for shares owed to Nancy Josephson, his accountant, and legal team, as well as pay a portion of Sofia Coppola's salary as a personal assistant. Duke, while upholding Hollywood's fine traditions, would never settle all accounts at once. However, he planned to make partial payments. After all, he needed people to work while not wanting to pay adequate remuneration, which ultimately led to unfavorable consequences.

"Mom, do you know any reliable stock brokers?"

Finally, Duke called his mother again. Now that he was an adult, he no longer needed a guardian's signature for any large sums of money, as he did before he turned 21. He also had enough power to control his own income. "Yes, Mom, the dollar is depreciating. I just received part of my film pay and want to invest it in the stock market."