Chapter 41: Seeking Advice

"We're here," Murphy announced as three cargo vans, a slightly worn-out minibus, and a black used Ford sedan parked in front of a standalone house in the northern basin of the San Fernando Valley. Stepping out of the Ford, Murphy continued, "Unload quickly; we're staying here tonight."

Makeup artist Jack Watson, lighting technician John Douglas, prop master Mia Sucre, set designer Sunny Craig, and three interns including Paul Wilson now took on new roles as loaders and unloaders.

Murphy had only rented three vehicles and hadn't planned to hire additional hands for loading and unloading, let alone other crew members. After a brief instruction, he tossed his jacket onto the driver's seat of the Ford and was the first to step towards the back of one of the cargo vans to open the doors and jump in.

Setting an example, Murphy's actions spurred the others into action. All of them were used to multitasking in the low-tier Hollywood environment, where one person often had to handle several roles simultaneously.

James Franco, of course, had no interest in helping. He stepped off the minibus and instinctively approached the rear door of the Ford sedan. However, the windows were closed, and inside, Bill Ross seemed to be briefing Kerry Mulligan on something.

"Murphy has hired a professional private tutor for you, recommended by me..." Bill Ross's voice carried through the closed door, "She will be here no later than tomorrow, and you must maintain at least four hours of study time every day. She will take over my role for the next few days."

Kerry Mulligan's discontent was evident on her face. "Can't we do without a private tutor?"

Since joining the crew, she had felt like a bird freed from its cage, enjoying the freedom and happiness of filming. This was the life she wanted.

Studying? Private tutor? Following a routine life? Striving for college? She was tired of it all!

Bill Ross glanced at Kerry Mulligan again but didn't say much. Instead, he opened the car door, got out, and glanced at James Franco standing on the other side of the car before looking into the distance.

At the end of his gaze was a bowl of crystal-clear water, complemented by the azure sky, bringing a rare sense of comfort. The weather here was much better than the dry Los Angeles downtown area.

"Hey, Murphy."

He withdrew his gaze and walked towards the cargo van, where Murphy was carrying film reels towards the house. "Need any help?"

"Thanks, we've got it covered," Murphy replied, gesturing with his free hand towards James Franco. "Just take care of Kerry."

Carrying the film reels, Murphy entered the rented house, passing through the foyer into the living room. Jessica Chastain stood on the left side of the room, directing others to place the various items they had brought into the two rooms serving as temporary storage. Wayne, the real estate agent they had met before, stood nearby, reminding the crew to be careful not to damage the house's delicate decorations.

Although most of the standalone house still looked the same as when Murphy had last visited, rooms designated for filming, such as the living room and kitchen, had undergone a complete transformation in terms of color. Murphy, along with set designer Sunny Craig and others, had visited multiple times before filming began to finalize the set's background style.

Sunny Craig, along with two interns from USC, had been busy here for about a week. With the cooperation of the professional team Wayne had brought in, rooms like the living room had been redecorated with new wallpapers and furniture, all in colors chosen by Murphy.

Simply put, the scenes here needed to match the requirements of the interactions between Haley and Jeff, as well as complement the colors of their costumes. Therefore, the overall color scheme was primarily gray and red.

A good story is the foundation of a film, but the importance of visual stimulation is understood by even casual moviegoers, not just someone like Murphy, who had received professional training.

After unloading the equipment and goods, and bidding farewell to the real estate agent, Murphy instructed Jessica Chastain to lead the others upstairs to choose their rooms. To save costs, the entire crew would be staying here for quite some time.

The house wasn't particularly large, so not everyone could have their own room. Apart from Murphy and the lead actors James Franco and Kerry Mulligan, everyone else would have to share dormitories.

There was also the issue of meals. With the café filming over and Lynch's free catering coming to an end, Murphy now had to dip into the crew's budget to cover expenses. For him, feeding a dozen people for at least a month added up to a significant amount.

However, with no star-level actors in the crew, and the catering not requiring high-end fare, Murphy had decided on a menu primarily consisting of burgers and pizzas, more budget-friendly options.

As it was already afternoon upon their arrival, it wasn't long before the sun dipped below the horizon. After enjoying some pizza from a local fast-food joint, Murphy retreated to his room upstairs to review the filming plan he had prepared earlier. After spending some time filming at the café, he had gained a clearer understanding of his own capabilities and realized that he had overestimated himself. What he had thought would be a relatively straightforward filming plan turned out to be quite challenging, especially with issues like lighting plaguing the crew for a long time.

Sitting at a desk, Murphy reviewed the plan one item at a time. He knew that there would be many unforeseen difficulties ahead...

A light knock on the door interrupted his thoughts, followed by James Franco's voice from outside, "Are you in there, Murphy?"

"Jim..." Murphy closed the plan and turned off the desk lamp, "Come in."

The door was pushed open from the outside, and James Franco entered with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and two glasses in the other. He sat down on the small sofa opposite the door, placing the wine and glasses on the nearby coffee table, "Still working? Have a drink to relax."

Putting away the plan, Murphy walked over and sat on the sofa opposite James Franco. Without hesitation, he took the bottle and poured himself and James Franco a glass, raising his glass in a toast, "A very fine whiskey."

"This is specially brought from home." James Franco clinked glasses with Murphy, downing his half-full glass of whiskey with a look of enjoyment on his face, "A top-notch Scotch whisky."

After finishing his drink, Murphy set down his glass and turned to James Franco, "Indeed, it's good whiskey..."

He couldn't tell good whiskey from bad, but he was certain that James Franco hadn't come here just to drink.

James Franco poured another glass for Murphy, who saw the mischievous smile on his face and asked directly, "Do you have something on your mind?"

"A bit," James Franco paused for a moment, as if considering his words carefully, before saying, "Murphy, I don't know why, but Kerry Mulligan always seems to have some hostility towards me. I have a lot of scenes to shoot with her, and this could affect our work. You get along with her so well, and I want to know how you do it."

He added, "If my relationship with her improves, filming will go much smoother."

He deliberately added, "And it might make things easier for you too."