Chapter 98: A Thief

In the final days of filming, Murphy had Bill Rossi busy contacting suitable post-production studios. The one they used last time wouldn't be available for another three weeks, and time was of the essence. It was now the end of May, and post-production would take time, as would finding the right distributor. Delaying any further could push the film's release to September.

Even if September passed, the film market would need a considerable recovery period, especially for a film like "Saw," which would require an even longer buffer time.

In a street near Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Murphy, and Jodie Griffiths, accompanied by Bill Rossi, entered a five-story building, taking the elevator to the top floor. After meeting the person in charge, they took a tour of the fifth floor.

This post-production studio belonged to an advertising company and was often rented out to film companies for movie production.

"So, what do you think?" Bill Rossi asked Murphy. Murphy looked at the Da Vinci color grading console in front of him and nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad."

They had checked out two other studios, but neither were satisfactory, mainly due to the lack of a Da Vinci color grading console.

Many of Murphy's shots were filmed in well-lit conditions but required a dark tone in the final product. The Da Vinci console was essential for post-production.

Since its inception, the Da Vinci grading system has been the standard in post-production. Its usage spans across movies, advertisements, documentaries, TV shows, and music videos, delivering results unmatched by other grading systems.

Correspondingly, this system was also expensive, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Besides grading, it had no other use. Even in Hollywood, with its deep pockets, not all post-production studios were equipped with a Da Vinci console.

Additionally, this studio had an Autodesk integrated hardware and software machine, specialized in handling 35MM film image synthesis, modification, and fine editing. Although not as advanced as future blade servers equipped with high-intelligence digital technology software, it was a symbol of efficiency in post-production at that time.

Digital technology was just emerging, and film post-production wasn't as fully IT-integrated as it would be in a decade.

In the last room of this studio, Murphy also saw a relatively rare tape-to-digital conversion device for this era, capable of converting film content into computer-friendly digital signals.

Unfortunately, this equipment was of no use to him.

So far, Murphy had no plans to use digital technology. Film remained his first choice.

"When will Stanton Studios have such a post-production facility?" Murphy sighed as they negotiated the one-month rental fee in the elevator, "So we won't have to rent every time and depend on others' schedules."

"Don't think about it for now!" Jodie Griffiths patted his arm and pointed upstairs, "This studio's equipment isn't top-notch, but it would still cost at least a million dollars to set up."

Murphy shrugged, dropping the subject. It was not feasible to think about such things in the short term.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and Bill Rossi exited first. As they left the building, he handed Murphy the rental contract, reminding him, "If you can't finish within the rental period, be sure to notify me in advance."

"Don't worry." Murphy took the contract, stuffing it into his briefcase. "I won't forget something like that."

A month's rent was a steep $50,000. For Murphy, anything involving money was crucial.

The three of them headed to their respective cars. Just as Murphy was about to open his car door, Bill Rossi emerged from his vehicle again.

"Murphy!" He waved.

Murphy closed the car door he had just opened and turned to him, "What's up?"

Bill Rossi walked over to the Ford, "I finished Carey's withdrawal procedures yesterday."

"Yeah." Murphy nodded.

He knew about it. Carey Mulligan had called him immediately after completing the procedures.

"Bill..." Murphy recalled their phone conversation from the previous day. "I talked to Carey, and she agreed. You should help her find a suitable acting school."

For an actor, this age is often a critical period. If she worked hard and seized opportunities, it could save her a lot of detours in the future.

"I'm already working on it." Bill Rossi hesitated, then said, "Because of the withdrawal, Carey has moved out of Julian Fellowes' house."

Murphy didn't know how Carey Mulligan had convinced her parents and Julian Fellowes to agree to her dropping out, but he assumed there had been a significant fallout. It wasn't surprising she had moved out.

Murphy didn't think much of it. In this country, many people moved out of their homes after turning sixteen.

"Where is she planning to stay?" he asked Bill Rossi.

"Well..." Bill Rossi hesitated, then waved his hand as he walked away, "You should ask Carey yourself."

Murphy scratched his head, took out his phone, and was about to dial when Jodie Griffiths' car pulled up, and she waved to him, "I'm heading out."

"Goodbye." He waved back.

Murphy opened his car door, tossed his phone onto the passenger seat, and decided to call later. Since Carey Mulligan had moved out, it wasn't urgent.

The post-production studio wasn't far from the Santa Monica green zone, making it convenient for commuting during post-production. Murphy drove back to Stanton Studios. After parking on the roadside, he walked to the wrought iron gate, immediately sensing something was wrong.

After finishing the shoot, he had given everyone, including the studio staff, a break. He had personally locked the gate before leaving to check out the post-production studio.

Now, the gate was not only open, but the chain lock was casually thrown on the ground, indicating someone had broken in.

Murphy instinctively reached for his phone to dial 911 but reconsidered, remembering his past actions. He put his phone away, quietly approaching the house.

The door was ajar. As he entered, he heard noises from the direction of the stairs, where the storage room was located...

"Could there be a thief?"

He cautiously moved into the living room, glancing around. In one corner, there were some leftover steel pipes from the props. He grabbed one, ready to confront whoever dared break into his home to steal.

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