Chapter 341: The Screenwriters' Bible

It was indeed a rookie question, but Murphy answered it seriously.

He thought for a moment before saying, "There are countless stories and legends in this world, and humans are the species best at telling stories. Every object has its own story, every person has their own story, we perceive stories, and we are fascinated by them. For me, the most important thing is how to tell a story, how to narrate a special story in a fitting manner."

John understood, "So, the story is the most important thing for a movie?"

"Photography, acting, editing, post-production, and costumes are all equally important. All the elements that make up a movie are equally important," Murphy said with a smile. "But all of this serves the purpose of telling a good story."

Like current Hollywood movies, the simpler the story and the better the special effects, it seems that as long as there are visual effects, everything else is not a problem. But it won't be long before this leads to aesthetic fatigue, and things will continue to worsen.

Many times, telling a good story is very, very important.

Suddenly, a young man with black hair raised his hand, and Murphy nodded, "Everyone, feel free to ask."

Gal Gadot glanced at Murphy and then said, "Murphy is here to interact with everyone, so don't be too formal."

The young man with black hair smiled shyly and asked, "How can one tell a good story?"

"Every director has their own style and methods, and they vary," Murphy replied.

Someone brought over a chair, and after Murphy thanked them and sat down, with everyone else also finding seats, he continued, "When I'm making a movie, I summarize the theme of the film in one or two words. In my mind, I clearly define the theme, the core of what I want to express. Having this concept is very important for a director because a director's most frequent task is to make choices: Should this character have long hair or short? Wear a skirt or pants? Bearded or clean-shaven? So, when you're unsure about a choice, thinking about what the theme is often helps you decide."

Murphy told these curious and enthusiastic folks, "A good movie should have a cause, an experience, and a result, but it doesn't necessarily have to be in that order."

This prompted thoughtful looks from John and Mosson, leading to a brief silence in the lounge until a girl named Minna sitting behind them spoke up.

"I'm an actress in the club," she introduced herself before continuing, "I've heard that the status of actors in Hollywood is quite low, is that true?"

"The status of star actors isn't low. Does anyone think Tom Cruise or Leonardo DiCaprio has low status?"

Everyone shook their heads, and Murphy suddenly changed his tone, "But if you haven't reached a high level, actors are indeed in a weaker position relative to directors."

This is a common situation in the industry.

"So... so..." Minna stuttered a bit, and with an encouraging smile from Murphy, she steadied herself and said, "There are many rumors about not-so-good relationships between directors and actors in Hollywood... As a director, do you bully actors on set?"

Hearing this question, many turned to look at Minna, especially John and Mosson, with displeasure almost visible on their faces.

Gal Gadot frowned, and Murphy comforting patted the back of her hand, saying, "Most actors are indeed in a vulnerable position. They are very worried that their performance will be criticized, humiliated, and deemed worthless. So on set, I try to create a harmonious atmosphere, letting them know it's okay even if the performance isn't perfect—I want them to develop their own style and confidence."

Minna had many questions and asked again, "During filming, do you pay a lot of attention to the actors' performances?"

"When making a movie, a director needs to be aware of every detail on set, but that doesn't mean focusing intently on the actors all the time," Murphy, who was not a director focused solely on actors, explained. "When the camera starts rolling, I rarely watch the actors' performances directly. Instead, I focus elsewhere. This way, if something isn't quite right during the shooting, I can immediately feel it. Looking away doesn't mean you need to stare intently at something else, just watch it as you would normally."

"Then, in that case," Minna was very puzzled, "does the director not help the actors?"

"Isn't that right?" She wasn't the only one with this question. "Isn't it said that a director's guidance is also very important for actors?"

Since he was here, Murphy patiently explained, "Directing actors is one aspect of a director's job, not the entirety. The director's work in this area is to clearly know what emotions his actors need to convey in

 a particular scene or line, and to develop the ability to bring out the actors' greatest potential and best performance. You need to understand an actor's personality and their strengths and weaknesses, so you can help them solve specific problems and help them realize their potential."

"That makes sense," Minna muttered, falling silent again.

"Mosson," the group leader suddenly raised his hand, asking, "What kind of character can make a movie more interesting?"

"The more remarkable the villain," Murphy shrugged, "the more interesting the movie tends to be."

No one expected Murphy to give such an answer, and laughter filled the lounge.

A bald young man stood up, "Murphy, as you mentioned, the director is responsible for the overall production. What's your favorite part of being on set?"

This was no longer just a discussion about film topics; it was almost turning into a media interview.

Murphy didn't mind and smiled, "I'm lucky because I love everything a director does. And the director's role is crucial because if one or two things don't meet expectations, the whole project can fall apart. So, you must be involved in every part of the production process, and every choice you make should not forget the original intention."

As he spoke, Murphy thought of his own experiences over the years, feeling moved, "Once you see the right thing before you—like an actress, dressed perfectly, with lighting and dialogue that moves people, you might get so excited you nearly faint. So you need to coordinate everything, you need clear requirements for lighting, sound effects, and actors' movements, and you need to constantly adjust during filming to achieve the ideal effect. You need to understand that these are all part of your job. You also need to continuously compare reality with your vision, clearly judging when something is feasible and when it's not."

The rookies all nodded continuously; with Murphy's experience, answering their questions was not difficult at all.

Murphy spread his hands, adding, "The relationship between the director and other crew members should be cooperative, not hierarchical. Each department leader has their own expertise, so a director should be good at listening and humbly accepting their professional advice in their fields. They, like the director, are filmmakers too."

Mosson raised his hand again, "Do you think the script or the stars are more important?"

"There was a time when every Hollywood director was chasing a good script, but now," Murphy sighed and shook his head, "people like to fill the screen with various stars' close-ups, as if they can't wait to put them next to the presidents on Mount Rushmore."

Hearing Murphy mention the script, Mosson became more animated, "In the past few months, I've been writing a script. What should I keep in mind if I want to impress a Hollywood production company?"

"Don't trap yourself in the basic screenplay principles advocated by Syd Field."

Seeing him say this, many of these relatively naive students looked puzzled, and Murphy didn't wait for them to ask further, explaining, "As is well-known, Syd Field wrote a book guiding screenplay writing, and for some reasons, it has become a regulator, not the bible for screenwriters."

Murphy coughed softly, "By regulator, I don't mean screenwriters, but those in the studios who develop plots, supervise scripts, and issue directives. They've attended Syd Field's courses, bought his books, and then start critiquing scripts..."

He spread his hands, shrugged, "For example: Uh, you know, the first turning point should be on page 12, yours is on 17, obviously, that won't work! Syd Field's rules are that absurd. If there really were a formula as he described, then wouldn't every movie be highly successful? Just connect A, B, and C to make a great movie, and audiences will flock to it, but not every movie becomes popular, and many created by his rules could just be thrown into the toilet."

The lounge fell into brief silence again, then erupted into a buzz of discussion. Murphy was very open-minded and didn't take it to heart.

Later, the group asked some more questions about photography, scheduling, location selection, and art direction, some quite far-fetched, but Murphy answered each one.

Compared to the celebration party in the restaurant, this discussion ended even later. When Murphy and Gal Gadot walked out of the messy dining hall, it was past midnight.

"It's so late." Murphy held Gal Gadot's hand, showing no intention of leaving, "You can't possibly send me back now, can you?"

It seemed they had never experienced what it was like to party in a school dormitory.

Gal Gadot clasped Murphy's hand tightly in return, clearly not wanting to leave either, and led him toward the dormitory.

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