Hollywood Road

"Mr. Stanton..."

In a café in Burbank, a man in his thirties looked at Murphy, "Three thousand dollars a week, that's my final offer."

He glanced at the woman slowly sipping coffee beside Murphy, "If Kara hadn't introduced you, I wouldn't even consider your film."

His confidence was palpable.

Murphy frowned tightly, "Mr. Kleibert, with your credentials, such a price is not unreasonable."

The man had been in the industry for over a decade, participating in several films, including some with budgets exceeding ten million dollars. Although he was just a props master, to a novice like Murphy, he was a seasoned professional.

"But my film's total budget is only three hundred thousand dollars," Murphy tried to persuade him, "If your price is too high, the budget for other aspects of the film will be reduced. My project..."

Strictly speaking, Mr. Kleibert's asking price wasn't too high for his experience level. Hollywood's second and third-tier props masters generally earned about five thousand dollars a week. The problem was that three thousand dollars was a significant amount for Murphy.

Murphy had made relevant plans, and in the most optimistic estimate, the film would take at least two months from pre-production to completion. As a props master, Kleibert would have to start work early, and even if he worked for ten weeks, his salary alone would be thirty thousand dollars, accounting for one-tenth of the total investment, which Murphy could not accept.

Kleibert was adamant about his three thousand dollars, and Murphy glanced at Kara Faith, who was quietly sipping her coffee, unwilling to interfere in their negotiations.

This wasn't surprising. In North America, business and personal relationships were often kept separate.

Murphy had many skills for various behind-the-scenes roles in filmmaking, but he knew little about props. The film would use a lot of fake blood and related props, and a good props master could solve many problems and ensure the project ran smoothly.

Like Kleibert, a relatively good props master came with a relatively high price.

Moreover, Kleibert had already lowered his salary requirements because Kara Faith had introduced him. Three thousand dollars was quite cheap for someone of his level.

Murphy had no connections, no network, and no qualifications. If this were a Spielberg project, Kleibert might join without pay.

This was just an initial contact, and Murphy quickly stood up to say goodbye, leaving the café with Kara Faith.

Outside the café, under the streetlights, the two walked towards the parking lot. Kara Faith, wearing high heels and likely tired from a busy day, walked slowly. Murphy carried his briefcase, following her at a leisurely pace.

"How are your preparations going?" Kara Faith tidied her wind-blown blonde hair and turned to look at Murphy, "It seems like you're facing a lot of difficulties."

Murphy pointed to his face, "Is it that obvious?"

Kara Faith shrugged, picking up her pace slightly, "You were clearly successful in the news business, yet you chose to switch to one of the toughest industries..."

She tapped Murphy's head in the air, "I seriously doubt there's something wrong here."

"Kara, you're overlooking something." Murphy looked up at the dark night sky, reminiscent of his former career's future, "I'm already on the Los Angeles police's blacklist. If I continue making social news videos, do you think they won't trouble me?"

Kara Faith's eyes flashed at Murphy's words, but she didn't refute him.

"And if I continue, to what extent do you think I can go?" Murphy turned his gaze back to her, "Do you think I can own a TV station?"

Kara Faith was silent.

"You know that's harder than winning a million-dollar lottery." Murphy shook his head, "At best, I could become the owner of a small video production company."

"And you think you'll succeed in the film industry?" Kara Faith seized the opportunity to counter, "Your news videos are unique, but that's a far cry from making movies! You haven't had any professional training, and you're recklessly trying to break into Hollywood. If that's not foolish, what is?"

Since the incident on Bill Road, she had fully recognized Murphy's abilities, especially the police shootout video that directly led to her promotion, making her feel that he could be a role model.

However, someone she believed was born to work in the news industry had betrayed it.

Murphy suddenly stopped, and Kara Faith instinctively halted and turned to look at him.

"Dear..." Murphy looked at her, half-serious and half-joking, "Are you worried about me?"

Kara Faith turned her head and continued walking, leaving a parting remark, "I'm looking forward to your bankruptcy."

Murphy followed at a leisurely pace, carrying his briefcase, "Continuing in news, I might become the owner of a small video production company, but my potential in the film industry is limitless."

Walking ahead, Kara Faith said nothing, treating Murphy's words as mere bragging.

"I've self-studied many courses related to filmmaking."

His past experiences lacked any convincing power, especially the special parts he couldn't share with others, so he could only use self-study as an excuse, "I believe I can achieve something in this field."

Kara Faith stopped and turned to look at him, her bright eyes under her golden hair filled with doubt.

Murphy understood her meaning and didn't feel embarrassed at all, "Maybe I'm the next Steven Spielberg..."

Those bright blue eyes showed a hint of sarcasm, and Murphy shrugged, "There's hope for me to become a director like Ridley Scott or Quentin Tarantino, right? At the very least, I could be the next Robert Rodriguez."

Murphy quickened his pace to catch up with Kara Faith, putting away his joking expression and speaking seriously, "My project still lacks a producer who can oversee everything."

Kara Faith had recently become the producer of the documentary "Sin City," so she understood Murphy's meaning, "Can you afford my salary?"

"Well..." Murphy tapped his forehead, wisely changing the topic.

With Stanton Studio's current capabilities, they definitely couldn't afford Kara Faith's high salary.

Just as Kara Faith recognized Murphy's work ability, Murphy also highly regarded Kara Faith's skills. Like himself, she used many means to achieve her goals, and most importantly, these means were effective.

Reaching the parking lot, Kara Faith approached her car, glanced at Murphy's second-hand Ford nearby, and waved at him, "It's late. I'm heading home."

Murphy nodded, giving a final reminder, "Drive safely."

Kara Faith got into her car, started the engine, then seemed to remember something, lowering the window to say to Murphy, "If you need help with anything..."

She made a gesture as if to call.

"I will." Murphy waved at her.

Having worked at the TV station for a few years, Kara Faith had some connections, but Channel 6 was still a local station with limited ties to the film and TV industry. Besides the props master she introduced earlier, there wasn't much she could help Murphy with.

Leaving the parking lot, Murphy drove back to downtown Los Angeles. Despite the late hour, he didn't sleep but sat at his desk, continuing to refine the script, especially the plot developments after the opening, which needed meticulous polishing.

This was just a story between two people, and creating more conflicts and points of interest in the monotonous character relationships required continuous script refinement.

Over the next ten days, Murphy focused on perfecting the script and drawing storyboards while also preparing with Jessica Chastain, the only employee of Stanton Studio.

Interviewing applicants for positions like makeup artist, lighting technician, set designer, finding suitable and cheap filming equipment rentals, and checking low-cost filming locations...

All these various tasks kept him constantly busy, reducing his sleep to just five hours a day.

Fortunately, his predecessor's body was well-trained from years of roaming the streets of Los Angeles, making Murphy strong and energetic. The excitement of first engaging in the film industry filled him with enthusiasm.

However, Murphy gave up on the props master Kara Faith had introduced. A weekly salary of three thousand dollars was indeed beyond his means.

After half a month of effort, interviewing dozens of applicants, Murphy selected promising makeup artists, lighting technicians, set designers, and props masters from a group of Hollywood failures.

Notably, the male makeup artist he chose was outstandingly skilled. Murphy was curious why he was still struggling after years in Hollywood.

After some inquiry, Murphy understood the reasons: First, Hollywood never lacked talent, and this was true across all trades. Second, as the makeup artist said—because he wasn't gay and didn't want to engage in same-sex relationships...

These words reminded Murphy of many rumors he'd heard. Some unwritten rules weren't just rampant in the vast Hollywood industry but also widely circulated in small trade circles.

For example, in the film industry's makeup artist circle, especially among male makeup artists, not being gay meant taking many detours.

Hollywood was rife with homosexuality and bisexuality, often not because people naturally wanted it but because they were forced by circumstances.

Fortunately, such practices weren't common among directors, or so Murphy thought.

Murphy set aside these miscellaneous thoughts and moved on to the next major task: formally establishing the crew and finalizing the two lead actors.