Chapter 125: I Want a Thousand Theaters

Walking into the Fox Searchlight conference room, Murphy found only a few people present. Apart from Tony Guzman, with whom he had direct contact, there were a few unfamiliar faces. Judging by their seating positions, their ranks within Fox Searchlight were lower than Tony Guzman's. After greeting each person, Murphy sat next to Tony.

"Mr. Clyde is handling some other matters," Tony whispered to Murphy. "He'll be here shortly."

Murphy nodded lightly.

"Saw" was just one project among many for Fox Searchlight. Murphy understood they couldn't dedicate all their time and energy to it. He patiently waited.

From Tony Guzman's proactive explanation, Murphy sensed that Fox Searchlight's attitude toward him had changed, likely due to the film's performance after its release.

As Murphy pondered, Godin Clyde walked in. He first saw Murphy and, while walking to the head of the conference table, gave him a genuine smile.

In previous negotiations, Clyde had been polite but never smiled so sincerely.

Murphy could distinguish between a perfunctory, formulaic smile and a genuine one.

First Tony Guzman, then Godin Clyde—Murphy could tell they and Fox Searchlight were showing him goodwill, a change likely stemming from one source: "Saw" had performed relatively well during its initial screenings!

Fox Searchlight's marketing team, including Riley Fields, hurried into the conference room. They smiled and greeted Murphy as well.

The meeting's topic was the recently premiered "Saw." After some pleasantries, Clyde directly addressed the film's performance data from the previous day.

"After one day of limited release, 'Saw' grossed approximately $135,600 across 30 screens in 30 theaters, with a per-theater average of $4,500!"

He was clearly in a good mood, his voice particularly bright. "More importantly, audience feedback from theaters yesterday showed a 89% approval rate and a 72% satisfaction rate. Very few people gave the film negative reviews."

Everyone turned to Murphy. The film's success was still far off, but it had a promising start, and his capabilities as a director were initially recognized.

With this initial data, Fox Searchlight had more confidence in "Saw." Clyde continued, "Last night, I requested additional funds from the company. This morning, we received approval for an additional $400,000 in marketing funds for 'Saw.'"

He turned to someone seated above Tony Guzman. "Mark, notify the lab to start printing the copies as planned. I want a thousand copies ready by Monday morning!"

The person nodded. "I'll get on it right away."

Murphy understood what this meant. Fox Searchlight had initially prepared only about thirty copies before the limited release.

As a distribution company, Fox Searchlight likely had long-term relationships with the lab, securing prices far better than what Stanton Studios could get. Even with bulk discounts, each copy would cost at least $2,000. A thousand copies meant a substantial investment.

Without market validation, Fox Searchlight wouldn't risk such a large sum. Murphy knew "Saw" had a small chance of failing, but Fox Searchlight had to control its risks. If the film received negative reviews, the pre-printed copies would become useless.

This industry is pragmatic. An unknown director's new work couldn't expect a distribution company to invest huge resources without caution.

In meetings like this, Murphy, not being a Fox Searchlight member, had no speaking rights. He mostly listened. Others also had limited speaking rights. Clyde, despite his gentle demeanor, held great authority and led the meeting, doing most of the talking while others listened.

"Tony," Clyde turned to Tony Guzman, "have you contacted the New York Post?"

"Yes," Tony Guzman said succinctly. "The PR department contacted an associate editor there. They will send a reporter to Columbia University today."

He glanced at Murphy. "To interview the professor who fainted while watching 'Saw.'"

Everyone chuckled, looking at Murphy. Scaring someone into fainting also indirectly validated the director's ability.

If a horror film can't scare people, can it succeed? That's what they thought.

Clyde gestured for silence. Once the room was quiet, he continued, "Morgan, keep in touch with the theater chains, especially the big three. If 'Saw' meets the expected per-theater averages, I want a thousand theaters!"

Morgan nodded, "I'll do my best!"

"Not your best!" Clyde insisted. "Make sure it happens."

Morgan wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded.

One by one, Clyde assigned tasks. Murphy, an observer, saw that film distribution was even more complex than he had imagined. These tasks couldn't be handled by novices. Even backed by 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight couldn't easily secure many theaters.

Watching this, Murphy also wondered if it was feasible for Stanton Studios, essentially a shell company, to build a distribution department from scratch. 

Realizing the intricacies involved in market research, publicity, production, distribution, and communication, he understood that establishing such a department was beyond the scope of a single director.

Good ideas are one thing; turning them into reality is far from easy.

After some thought, Murphy shook his head. Now wasn't the time to consider these matters. "Saw" was the priority.

At the end of the meeting, Clyde finally acknowledged Murphy, asking, "Director Stanton, do you have anything to add?"

"Just one thing!" Murphy was straightforward. After a brief pause to get everyone's attention, he said, "In the new marketing budget, I hope more can be allocated to online marketing."

Riley Fields from the marketing department replied, "Director Stanton, we already have plans for that."

He glanced at a report in front of him. "Your online marketing efforts have been very effective. We've obtained relevant data, and subsequent campaigns will focus more on this area."

Clyde also nodded at Murphy. He admired the young director for spending his own money and achieving outstanding results. The consulting firm's data confirmed this.

Having made his point, Murphy remained silent. Strictly speaking, he had benefited from his extensive knowledge. In terms of actual operational capabilities, he was far behind these professionals.

"That's it for today," Clyde said, standing up. "Meeting adjourned."

As people filed out, Murphy prepared to leave. Clyde approached him.

"Director Stanton," he said, extending his hand. Murphy smiled and shook it. "Mr. Clyde."

"Call me Godin," Clyde said, shaking Murphy's hand firmly, seemingly conveying sincerity. Murphy also applied some pressure. "Call me Murphy."

They exchanged a glance and laughed, though their thoughts differed.

Clyde valued him because "Saw" showed market potential. Murphy knew this and wouldn't be swayed by sudden goodwill.

As they walked toward the conference room door, Clyde asked, "How old are you? Twenty-five?"

"Do I look that old?" Murphy joked, then seriously said, "Not even twenty-two."

"There aren't many directors as young as you," Clyde said, patting Murphy's shoulder. "Especially ones with your talent."

Murphy modestly replied, "I'm just lucky."

Outside the conference room, Clyde and Murphy parted ways. Clyde said, "When this is all over, I'll buy you a drink."

Murphy didn't take the polite remark seriously, smiling, "I hope it's a celebratory drink for our successful collaboration!"

They laughed again.

Returning to Stanton Studios from Fox Searchlight, Murphy called Kara-Faith. She informed him that a reporter from the New York Post had contacted her. The Columbia University professor who fainted had agreed to the interview, scheduled for the afternoon, with the latest publication expected the next morning.

This was undoubtedly a great publicity opportunity, attracting potential viewers. Murphy hoped to intrigue as many people as possible.

With Fox Searchlight not scheduling any promotional activities involving the cast and crew for now, Murphy spent most of his time in his studio, closely monitoring "Saw's" latest market performance.

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