Chapter 39: Challenges

Everyone turned to look as Murphy, with the help of Jessica Chastain, removed the Steadicam gear from his body and put the camera down. He then looked up at the temporary filming lights set up on the ceiling. "There's a problem with the lighting."

Sitting at the counter, Carey Mulligan gently patted her chest and exhaled, the tension on her face easing considerably.

For her first official shoot, she didn't want it interrupted due to her mistakes.

Murphy observed her reaction, understanding that while Mulligan had decent acting skills and potential, she was still a complete novice and quite young. Rebellious and sensitive, she needed encouragement more than pressure.

Deciding to address the lighting issue first, Murphy saw that there were problems with the setup right from the start, but had continued filming to see if they could work around them. The issues became too significant to ignore, prompting him to call for a halt.

"John..." Murphy called over his lighting technician, Douglas. "We need to completely revise the lighting setup."

He glanced at Douglas, realizing once again that you often get what you pay for. This budget-conscious hire wasn't particularly skilled.

During the initial site inspection, Murphy had gone over the lighting requirements with Douglas. While things seemed fine when there were no actors on set, the scenes with Carey Mulligan didn't meet expectations.

Murphy didn't get angry or overly critical. Lighting effects in a scene are influenced by many factors, including the environment. Mulligan's red outfit also impacted the light and color balance.

"I mentioned before," Murphy said, crossing his arms and looking at the main lights hanging from the ceiling and the fill lights on the floor. "This film falls into the noir genre, John. Your lighting is too bright and soft."

In low-budget noir films like "Hard Candy," lighting is crucial and complex, yet vital for the film's tone. Limited by resources, noir filmmakers had to rely heavily on creative lighting to convey mood and atmosphere.

Murphy, having studied noir films, chose this genre for his debut project. Unlike the bright lighting used so far, noir films require more shadowy and hard lighting.

Douglas, though not without skill, suggested adjusting the main lights. "Changing the main light setup might help."

In the common three-point lighting setup used in film, the main light is typically the brightest, hence its name.

"No, no, no..." Murphy shook his finger, dissatisfied with Douglas's suggestion. He walked around the counter, noting, "Not just the main light, but also the fill light needs adjusting. Additionally, we should add some background light."

Fill lights are usually positioned opposite the main light to soften the shadows it creates. Backlighting helps define the subjects from the background.

This approach would make Mulligan stand out more in the scene, emphasizing her role as the protagonist.

Seeing Douglas still puzzled, Murphy sighed. Noir films not only require low-key lighting but also hard light. "The main light can be a halogen lamp, so the light comes from a single point, making it harder. Hard light will better define the actress's features."

Douglas nodded and took notes, showing his lack of experience.

Murphy moved to the fill light setup on the floor and continued, "Use frosted bulbs for the fill light to soften it. This will highlight the actress's features while making her look more appealing."

The interplay between hard and soft light is a hallmark of noir lighting.

Douglas prepared to adjust the lights accordingly.

"John, wait a moment," Murphy called, unsure if these adjustments would work. He turned to Lynch and asked, "Do you have a pole or a long stick?"

"Yes," Lynch, confused by the technical jargon, nonetheless complied. He called a staff member, "Bring the long pole from the back kitchen."

A staff member soon handed the pole to an intern.

Murphy had planned well, but practical shooting often reveals unforeseen issues. He completely scrapped the initial lighting plan, using the pole to fix a work light and test the lighting from various angles before finalizing the setup.

An inexperienced director leading an equally inexperienced crew was bound to face many challenges.

Before the lighting could be fully adjusted, it was lunchtime. According to the agreement with Lynch, Milton Café provided free meals and drinks for the crew.

Working on an empty stomach wasn't an option. Murphy didn't believe the crew would work diligently if they were hungry.

After the morning's work, Murphy let the crew eat. While having his free lunch, his anxious mood eased slightly.

Mistakes meant wasting time, which led to overspending...

"A free lunch is my favorite," Murphy said, sitting at a café table and eating while talking to Kara Faith, who was enjoying a fruit salad. "It means I can save a lot of money."

Faith didn't look up from her salad. "You're incredibly stingy."

"I don't want to be," Murphy said with a hint of helplessness. "But without money, I have no choice."

After a morning of work, he was even more doubtful whether the $300,000 budget would suffice.

Despite estimating his abilities conservatively and anticipating many challenges, Murphy found himself overly optimistic. Even fixing the lighting problem had taken hours without complete resolution...

This made Murphy look a bit troubled.

Faith glanced at him, set down her spoon, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and tossed one to Murphy. "I've been promoted to Deputy Director of Channel Six, still in charge of news operations."

Murphy was surprised. Her promotion was quick.

"Congratulations," he said.

"I should thank you," Faith said, crossing her arms on the table. "Without the Beale Street incident, I'd probably still be the night news director. You helped me find this path."

Murphy, not shy, took the napkin and said, "How do you plan to thank me?"

He gave her an exaggerated once-over, his gaze lingering pointedly on her tall, slender figure.

"I have a supervisory position open," Faith ignored his antics. "I need someone energetic, responsible, and willing to take risks."

Murphy thought for a moment. "If my project fails, I'll consider it."

Faith shrugged and said nothing more.

She owed him a lot and appreciated him, giving him a backup plan out of friendship.

Murphy understood her intentions, and Faith knew he did.

Their conversation dwindled to occasional eye contact. From a nearby table, a pair of bright eyes occasionally glanced their way.

Carey Mulligan, sitting on a high-backed chair, scooped some beans into her mouth, barely chewing before swallowing. James Franco, sitting with her, reminded her, "Hey, slow down. You might choke."

"Mind your own business!" Mulligan snapped at Franco, then asked an intern beside her, "Paul, who is that woman?"

"Who?" Paul Wilson didn't know who she meant.

Mulligan gestured with her eyes. "The one sitting with Murphy."

Wilson shook his head. "I don't know her."

"I do," Franco chimed in. "I know her."

"Who is she?" Mulligan couldn't contain her curiosity. "Murphy's girlfriend?"

"No," Franco subtly denigrated, "Murphy has invested all his money in this film. He's broke. What woman would be foolish enough to date him?"

"That means Murphy has ambition!" Mulligan defended. "He's pursuing his goals at all costs."

Franco gave a mocking laugh. "Ha..."

"I don't want to talk to you," Mulligan glared at him.

"Hey, dear," Franco protested, "don't forget, I got your lunch, and I brought you water this morning..."

"I didn't ask you to!"

She interrupted him. "If you don't want to, no one is forcing you."

"I need to get ready." She jumped off her chair and headed to the temporary dressing room.

After seeing off Kara Faith, Murphy announced the start of the afternoon's work, knowing the challenges were far from over.