Chapter 26: Non-mainstream

Once learned expertise tells Jessica Chastain that the opening and the finale should be able to echo each other, a plus and a minus, indicating a strong dramatic change in the mood swings contained in the movie.

  For example, a number of professional actors usually read only the first 10 pages and the last 10 pages of a script to determine if there is a dramatic change in it that will engage the audience.

  If there are no such changes, the script is usually thrown into the trash can in the corner.

  After roughly skimming through it, Jessica Chastain didn't see anything from the script that could make people's eyes light up, and even if she hadn't formally touched the industry of movies yet, it wasn't hard for her to infer from the script's ideas that the future finished movie would be nothing but gore, violence, and extremely sensitive themes to attract people.

  A little girl was abused by a pedophile. Pedophile abuses her, then another girl comes to take revenge ...

  This was in no way what a mainstream movie should be about.

  However, she looked at the studio and then at Murphy across the street and understood that it was impossible to produce a mainstream movie with the capabilities of a studio like this.

  The script couldn't be talked about as good, but the structure was very neat, very much in line with Hollywood's production mode, Jessica Chastain purposely watched the opening and ending again, the opening scene was a girl being brutally abused, and the ending was her best friend who had the murderer brutally abused in an equally brutal way, which could be said to be very much in line with the requirement that the opening scene and the final scene must echo each other.

  In this respect, what the opposite party has come up with is considered a relatively reliable script.

  But what are the chances of such a script succeeding? Especially after seeing some of the bloody scenes above, Jessica Chastain unconsciously wanted to shake her head.

  Sensitive subject matter, oversized scale, thought it wouldn't be a high investment ...

  This item flashed through her mind, and Jessica Chastain naturally came to the conclusion of a black B-movie, and a black B-movie project with a very small chance of success.

  Suddenly, Jessica Chastain was once again flooded with thoughts of whether she had made a bad choice.

  Especially when she looked up and saw Murphy across from her, who was clearly younger than herself, there was no persuasion at all.

  For a moment, she was really tempted to give up, but the thought of a $300 a week paycheck and on-the-ground exposure to moviemaking gave up that thought.

  "This is likely to be a failed project ..."

  From the neat but bland script and the humble studio, as well as the unreliable boss, Jessica Chastain had her own conclusion, "I'm afraid that this studio will soon close down, but it's a rare experience, witnessing a movie project and a movie studio finished, and gaining some experience in avoiding failure. "

  She didn't think much of the project at all.

  Jessica Chastain didn't move, put the script aside, took the contact sheet and the phone on her desk, and began to contact one of the unlucky people who had applied for the job.

  Undisturbed by the sound of the caller's voice on the other end, Murphy was fully absorbed in sketching the subplot, a task that had only just begun, and what was being sketched was also the opening scene of the script.

  In the absence of sufficient funds, coupled with a relatively simple script and cast, as well as a somewhat weak plot story, in order to make the final film have a certain appeal, it is inevitable to use some special means.

  This is especially true of the film's opening scene, which plays a large role in setting the tone, mood, and style of the movie, as well as introducing the main characters and showing the audience the previous history of the main characters.

  But the most important thing is to "bind" the audience in their seats and make them think, "This is a good movie!"

  Murphy admits that the subject matter and scale of the film is a bit large and dark, but he only had $300,000 to invest, which is the easiest and most effective way for a small-budget film to succeed.

  With his current abilities, he couldn't make Saw for three hundred thousand dollars, much less a forced literary film.

  He was just a novice, and relatively simple movies were the preferred choice.

  Around eleven o'clock when he was busy, Murphy put down his paintbrush, and Jessica Chastain across the table closed the file in front of her and said, "I contacted everyone on top of the list, and there are six people who are interested in the job posting."

  She glanced down at the notes she'd made, "Two of the six are lighting technicians, one set designer, two makeup artists and one props artist."

  Murphy nodded and propped her arm up to gently rub the corner of her forehead, her head was throbbing again, it was over a year old, the aftermath of this particular experience so to speak.

  "Got an appointment for the interview?" He asked.

  "Appointment made." Jessica Chastain pushed a schedule in front of Murphy, "Starting at 1:30pm."

  As a student who had only been out of school for a short while, her mind was relatively not very complicated yet, and she purposely reminded, "Two of the six are interns who haven't graduated yet."

  "I see." Murphy picked up the sheet, stood up, and said, "That's it for the morning, Jess, you go eat lunch."

  Jessica Chastain had just breathed a sigh of relief when Murphy added, "After lunch grab the USC Film School and California Institute of the Arts and finish putting up all the posters."

  Packing up her things, Jessica Chastain carried them outside, and after turning her head, her mouth was unnaturally quirked up, obviously having some issues with doing such work.

  There were some things that Murphy could see, but did not say anything more, now in the beginning stage, it was normal to encounter any difficulties.

  After a simple lunch and a short nap back at the house, Murphy arrived at the Mittens Café in Old Chinatown before 1:30, still in the same spot as before, and soon waited for the first interviewer.

  "My name is Paul Wilson."

  This was a somewhat shy looking young man, sitting across from Murphy, hanging a slightly shy smile, "I'd like to apply for a job as a set designer for your company."

  Murphy briefly flipped through the resume he handed over and asked, "You haven't graduated yet?"

  "No." Paul Wilson first shook his head, then immediately added, "But I have work experience in this area, I have participated in the shooting of two pilot films within the academy, in which I worked as a set decorator, and I also worked as a lighting technician, I think that I'm very suitable for this industry, and I also want to make some achievements in the movie."

  After saying that, he hurriedly took his backpack and took a videotape out of it and put it on the coffee table, "Here's the footage of the pilot."

  "Compared to many students I've seen, you do count yourself as experienced."

  Looking at the young man across from him, Murphy said seriously, "But a pilot film is different from a movie, so why should I use you?"

  Paul Wilson scratched his head, seemingly unsure of what to say.

  Murphy stared at him and added, "Stanton Studios is a very professional film production company that provides its staff with very promising jobs."

  This kind of empty talk was certainly not very convincing.

  "I don't know if you've seen the recent influential documentary called Sin City?"

  It had to be said that this documentary had created a certain amount of popularity in the Los Angeles area because of its subject matter, Murphy saw the young man across from him nod his head, revealing a confident smile, "This documentary was precisely co-produced by Stanton Studios and Fox Los Angeles' local station, Channel 6, and if you watch it carefully, you'll be able to see all of this, and I ..."

  He pointed to himself, "was the assistant director of Sin City."

  As for things like the fact that both Stanton Studios and himself were just titular, Murphy said nothing to tell anyone.

  With his current relationship with Carla Faith, the actual head of the documentary, the network side wouldn't reveal this to the public either.

  Paul Wilson's eyes lit up.

  "You don't have the work experience."

  This sentence again made Paul Wilson's eyes dim, Murphy was in full control of the situation, "But I appreciate young people with ambitious goals, and Stanton Studios is willing to provide these young people with the opportunity to be exposed to and really step into the movie industry."

  Murphy deliberately spread his hands and said, "Although it's not an official position, but this opportunity to really participate in the production of a movie is very rare in Hollywood, and what Stanton Studios shoots is not an advertisement film, but a real movie!"

  Paul Wilson had unconsciously nodded his head.

  "Mr. Wilson ... "Murphy deliberately pointed to his resume, "I can see quite a lot of your special features in it, I think you are a talented person, what you lack now is experience, if you are willing, I can work on the upcoming film projects in the pipeline and inside the established crew, I can reserve an intern position for you, you can get in touch with those professionals who have actually made movies and become mature at the fastest speed."

  Although it was an unpaid position, being able to participate in the production of a real movie was already rare for an intern, Paul Wilson barely did any consideration and kept nodding his head, "I'm willing, I'm willing to do this job!"

  Fixing this intern, Murphy again explained to sign a formal internship contract on another day, and sent Paul Wilson away with a glance.

  Such a free employee was his favorite.

  It was true that the other party had no experience, but doing some chores wouldn't be much of a problem.

  In the time that followed, Murphy met with five other interviewees, but just managed to get another intern in a similar way without finalizing the candidates for those official positions, he needed to meet more interviewees.

  In fact, it was not difficult to imagine, the people who could come to such an unknown project and company to interview, the qualifications were almost too shabby to be taken, like these few make-up artists, lighting technicians and props masters who had relevant work experience, they simply did not have the experience of working independently.

  Of course, Murphy also knew very well that with the salary he could offer, he could not hire outstanding manpower.

  Any career, just starting out is very difficult, have to use all the resources available, Murphy is no exception, in the evening he rushed to Channel 6, to meet with Carla Faith, who had just gotten off work, and went to meet with one of the props masters introduced by her.