Production department

After the wrap party, Lyman pressed his temples fiercely.

These guys must have conspired privately; as soon as they started, they initiated a drinking contest.

Initially, Lyman paid it no mind. He was in a good mood, so why not have a drink?

However, he ended up drinking himself into a stupor. The hangover hit him hard the next day, and his head was pounding.

The next morning, once Lyman arrived at the company, George had already come with his team.

They were a team, and they were another team.

Luc Besson was quite magnanimous about it. After hearing about the situation, he didn't say much, just called Lyman and teased him over the phone for a bit.

This kind of poaching behavior was common in major film companies. Moreover, teams like this production crew were quite loosely affiliated. They didn't draw regular salaries most of the time, only earning income when they had projects.

Additionally, George and his team had some respect for Lyman. When the movies were highly successful, they received generous bonuses. They knew Lyman wasn't a stingy person, and joining Firefly Films meant they could expect further opportunities. It was a win-win situation.

Lyman went into his office. The company had dedicated editing rooms, part of the assets inherited from the original company. He instructed René to archive the film negatives and temporarily postpone post-production. Then he called George to discuss the expansion of the production department.

"Compensation won't be an issue; I guarantee that Firefly Films can offer above industry-standard salaries for project shoots. Moreover, you don't have to worry about a lack of work. The company has plans for at least two to three films this year," Lyman continued, "If you have suitable candidates in mind, go ahead and poach them. Thomas already has candidates for the film crew, but we're still short on staff for set design, props, and art direction. Whether it's a team or individuals, we just need to fill these positions."

George understood Lyman's intention. Firefly Films was currently understaffed in its production department, with less than 30 employees altogether. Trying to launch two projects simultaneously would be challenging. They would have to approach other established teams outside and coordinate their schedules, which wasn't ideal for the smooth and healthy operation of a film company.

After a moment of thought, George suddenly said, "I just remembered someone, but this person has a lot of quirks, and I'm not sure if you can tolerate them."

Lyman smiled and said, "As long as they have real talent, I don't mind the rest. Tell me about this person."

"This guy is Mexican, named Guillermo del Toro. I once worked with him on a project, and later I heard that he founded his own studio and started making films independently," George continued, "Seven years ago, he directed a film called "Mimic", but due to heavy interference from the production company, they had a falling out. He returned to Mexico to help produce programs for television. Three years ago, he made "The Devil's Backbone", which did fairly well at the box office. Recently, his film "Blade Warrior II" did well too, but he had another dispute with the production company, New Line Cinema, over their intervention in the production."

"This guy has a peculiar personality, and his temper isn't great, but he's an outstanding art director, especially skilled in creating unusual visual styles. Right now, New Line Cinema won't work with him anymore due to the conflicts in their previous collaborations."

"So, you're saying he's currently available?" Lyman asked eagerly.

George nodded and said, "Yes, but if you want to recruit him, it's best to act quickly. He recently helped design some of the character concepts for Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings", and as long as there's a project with a similar peculiar style, many people will think of him."

"Excellent. Contact this person immediately. It would be best if we could bring his entire studio on board," Lyman said with enthusiasm.

"Amigo One" of "Three Amigos", the three elite Mexican directors. Lyman would have almost forgotten about him if it weren't for George's recommendation.

Talent like this couldn't be overlooked. Even if they had some eccentricities, Lyman wasn't one to interfere with film shoots, unlike most Hollywood companies. He preferred the "director-centric" approach, where producers controlled budgets and finances, allowing directors to focus on filming with peace of mind. Of course, this was Lyman's standpoint as a director. Your position dictated your perspective.

After George left, Lyman called in René and Thomas. The three of them delved into the editing room.

With the assistance of his trusted aides, they began the laborious process of going through the extensive film footage. They followed the prearranged sequence and started piecing it together.

After two days of work, the initial cut of "Million Dollar Baby" was completed. While they continued fine-tuning, they also brought in Morgan Freeman to record the voice-over for the film. This was one of the movie's distinctive features, relying on narration to drive the plot and explain the characters' emotions.

It was like having an observer summarize the entire story after witnessing it.

The narration lines weren't extensive, appearing mainly at pivotal points in the story. Morgan had exceptional skill for delivering lines. His voice was rich and slightly gravelly, with a magnetic quality, making him the ideal voice actor.

It took about two days to complete this work. Of course, they couldn't let him go without showing their appreciation. Since there was still some budget left for the production, they offered him compensation of $50,000.

Morgan, however, seemed very satisfied with this arrangement.

As a black actor, he hadn't had many opportunities in the first half of his life. He had mainly portrayed rough characters, often in villainous roles, reflecting the racial discrimination prevalent in Hollywood at the time.

Later, as societal attitudes began to change, the influence and representation of Black voices grew. Hollywood was one of the quickest industries to adapt. He was no longer short of opportunities and was often too busy to manage his schedule.

Over the years, he hadn't let the shift in societal norms and the emergence of some arrogant black actors affect him. Many Black actors had started to become arrogant, often going on strike or issuing warnings about racial discrimination. He found it hard to fathom.

But he was content with just being himself.

He wasn't one to seek the limelight, and throughout his acting career, he had mostly been content with supporting roles.

He had a lot of respect for Lyman. Lyman was polite, respectful, and didn't judge people by their skin color.

Moreover, Lyman was generous, and if the movies were successful, he willingly shared the profits. This was something Morgan appreciated.

He had carved out these two days of free time for this project. Although his role in "Million Dollar Baby" wasn't extensive, it was consistent throughout the film. However, if they extracted all of his scenes, it would probably only take a week to complete. Thus, he was one of the first main actors to leave the set.

After another three days, the final edit was completed, and they proceeded with post-production dubbing and adding the opening credits.