Chapter 23: Filming Plan

Some things are clearer to outsiders than those involved.

Back home, Murphy carefully considered Kara Faith's advice. It made a lot of sense. If he gambled all his money on making a movie and it failed, he would face a very painful situation.

The hardships after his release from prison had left a deep impression on Murphy. Now that he had just escaped the poverty line, he did not want to return to that state.

Murphy did have some confidence in himself, but he also knew that failure was possible.

He had analyzed many films, studied in film school, and diligently learned. He had even participated in the production of a documentary, gaining some experience. But making a movie was a different matter. Just because he had analyzed successful films didn't guarantee he could successfully produce one.

Any sensible person would understand that these two things are not equivalent.

As a rational person, Murphy knew he needed a fallback plan. The investment had to be limited to $300,000.

No one could guarantee that he would have luck like the Bill Road incident in the future. The remaining tens of thousands of dollars could give him a chance to bounce back if he failed.

Murphy's mind was always clear. His knowledge was an advantage, but it couldn't ensure success.

Everyone hopes to succeed, especially in a competitive place like Hollywood.

But Hollywood has countless examples of films failing due to ambition and vanity, leading to companies going bankrupt, directors or producers losing their jobs, and stars fading into obscurity.

The number of failed films in the global film industry far exceeds the number of successful ones. Many of these failures were the dreams of geniuses. Where did these geniuses end up?

Unlike other art forms that require little investment, the film industry has never shown sympathy for its followers. It is a high-risk industry.

The entire film industry is governed by irrational rules. No one can guarantee the secret to making a successful film. Often, directors who claim they will make a blockbuster end up with a flop.

Murphy had seen countless analyses of successful and failed films online. Many people believe that by summarizing these, they can do better and avoid failure. But they overlook the fact that these analyses are typical hindsight and cannot be verified for correctness.

Hollywood is highly competitive. Given Murphy's current situation, if his plan failed, the consequences would be dire.

No one wants to fail, but if it happens, you have to accept it.

Murphy definitely didn't want to be among the failures.

From the day after meeting Kara Faith, he completely gave up his previous work and focused on preparing his film project.

Making a movie must be treated as a serious project. Even street vendors don't succeed casually, let alone the unpredictable film industry.

Murphy's studio, with a new desk suitable for typing and writing, had become his project planning office.

To plan a project, he had to determine its content.

After spending a year in prison and injuring a director, no one in Hollywood wanted to hire him. He had been busy with basic living expenses and startup funds for the past two months. Now, it was August 2000, and apart from causing a lot of trouble, he had achieved nothing.

After going through so much and facing many difficulties, Murphy knew the chances of his script being picked up in Hollywood were slim. He had almost given up on that idea and focused entirely on his upcoming new project.

With only about $300,000 in funding, the scale and content of the film had to be limited. Films requiring frequent scene changes, large casts, extensive equipment, and complex behind-the-scenes work were out of the question.

Relatively successful low-budget productions were Murphy's first choice.

Countless film titles flashed through Murphy's mind. Atypical successes like "The Blair Witch Project" and future hits like "Saw" came to mind.

Films like "The Blair Witch Project" were not on Murphy's list. It had only been a few years since its release. Even if he made a similar film, he might not be able to sell it. As for viral marketing, it was uncertain if audiences would fall for it again, and where would the large funds for marketing come from?

Many people think "The Blair Witch Project" easily grossed over $100 million in North America. But they overlook the fact that its marketing costs in North America alone exceeded $20 million!

If Murphy had $20 million, he wouldn't consider making a film like "The Blair Witch Project."

Another option was to have a big company distribute the film, covering marketing and other costs, and then share the profits as a director...

If the top executives of Hollywood's major distribution companies were in kindergarten, this might be possible.

One of the prerequisites for the viral marketing plans of "The Blair Witch Project" and other low-budget films was that the creators completely sold the rights to the distribution company!

Shaking his head, Murphy discarded these naive thoughts and considered "Saw."

This was also a typical low-budget film that grossed high at the box office and would become a classic in the horror genre. It didn't require many scenes or actors.

After a few minutes, Murphy abandoned the idea of "Saw." He didn't overestimate himself, knowing he didn't have the ability to make such a film with just $300,000.

After ruling out several films, Murphy realized that his initial idea might be the most suitable.

The main actors included just two. Although the role of the underage female required high standards, Murphy had thought of a workaround. He could relax the acting requirements and focus on the character's appearance and the film's gruesome elements.

Finding a decent male actor with some acting skills at a reasonable price shouldn't be difficult, given that Los Angeles was home to Hollywood.

The scenes were easier. Over 90% of the story took place in one house, which could be rented. The few other simple scenes would require minimal time and money to find.

The behind-the-scenes work was more cumbersome.

This was a straightforward modern drama. Could the actors bring their own costumes? If not, cheap alternatives could be purchased.

Murphy could double as the cinematographer, assistant director, art director, and clapper loader, saving significant salary costs. But positions like prop master, lighting technician, and makeup artist were essential. Without them, filming would be much harder.

Especially the lighting technician, crucial for the quality of the shots.

Makeup artists and prop masters were also important. The former was responsible for actors' makeup. Unmade-up actors shouldn't be filmed because high-resolution cameras could magnify tiny flaws. The latter had many responsibilities, especially with the many gruesome scenes Murphy envisioned, which would need props.

Murphy couldn't afford CGI.

Realizing this, Murphy found the previously ample $300,000 to be tight. He needed to consider cost-saving measures in his initial planning.

Hollywood had many professionals in this field. There were certainly some who weren't doing well, but those who were struggling were the ones most in need of money. If he couldn't pay even basic wages, he couldn't expect people to work for him.

This was a realistic society. If someone worked, the employer had to provide some compensation, not just ideals and promises.

"Ideals and promises?"

Repeating the words, Murphy slapped his forehead and thought of a place to hire enough professional yet cheap staff.

Greater Los Angeles had many colleges with film-related programs. Most of their graduates started with the most basic jobs. Many could only intern in ad crews, and those who made it into film crews were lucky.

Murphy took out his notebook and wrote "interns." This could reduce some behind-the-scenes costs.

He also needed to hire someone to manage miscellaneous crew tasks. Even small crews generated a lot of chores that required a dedicated person.

This position could also be filled by an intern or someone with low salary expectations.

Murphy spent the entire day considering these factors. No one could guarantee a film's success, but thorough preparation could reduce the chances of failure.

Making a movie wasn't something you could just start on a whim. Even a small project required extensive work.

Over the next two days, Murphy recorded all his thoughts and wrote a detailed 10-page plan. Though it needed many revisions, there was plenty of time.

Having completed the preliminary work and made a backup on his computer, Murphy began preparing the script. Among the many elements of a Hollywood film, the script was relatively undervalued but was the foundation for making a movie.

With a script, he could better create storyboards and shooting schedules.

Murphy first wrote the script outline. The entire film's content could be summarized in one sentence: How a precocious young girl castrates a pedophilic creep.