章 250: Chapter 250: Two Things
[Chapter 250: Two Things]
"Ms. Schneider, is it enough if we just don't lay the fake snow directly on the lawn?"
Sherry Schneider noticed Eric seemed to come up with an idea, his confidence was noticeable, but a flicker of hesitation crossed her face before she finally said, "Yes, you can lay it along the roadside, but absolutely not on the lawn. And once the fake snow is finished being filmed on the sides of the road, it must be properly cleaned up."
As Eric spoke, he kept his gaze fixed on the woman in front of him. He sensed her internal struggle, which only deepened his suspicions. If she was genuinely concerned for the environment, she wouldn't have hesitated like that to his proposed solution.
Even though he had started piecing things together, Eric maintained a tone of negotiation, "Alright then, what if we laid down a plastic sheet on the lawn first, and then put the fake snow over that? That should work, right?"
Sherry appeared taken aback but reluctantly nodded, "I suppose... maybe... that could work."
"Then let's do that," Eric replied and turned away from her. He signaled to Jeffrey, and they moved a bit further away.
...
Once they were out of earshot, Eric told Jeffrey, "Jeffrey, stop the shoot in Central Park for now. Get everyone ready for the next scene. My next shot involves Kevin escaping from the Plaza Hotel, only to get caught in the alley by two bumbling thieves. Have someone set up that scene. We can't afford to halt our afternoon shooting."
Jeffrey had also noticed something unusual in Sherry's demeanor and said to Eric, "Eric, News Corporation's headquarters is right here in New York. They must have deep connections in town. Should we reach out to Murdoch?"
"If we go to Murdoch over a minor issue like this, how do you think that'll look? And besides, Murdoch isn't a philanthropist," Eric shook his head. "Also, Home Alone 2 involves Fox's interests; if we can't solve this, Fox will jump in on their own. We don't need to go handing out favors."
Jeffrey chuckled, "You're thinking ahead as usual. I'll get someone to buy the plastic sheeting. But I doubt we'll need much time, we won't even need to change locations."
Pointing at the sprawled-out individuals on the lawn, Eric remarked, "As long as those people are here, we can forget about shooting properly. I'm concerned they may intentionally stir up conflict, just like that incident that happened when I wasn't around. If something goes wrong, it'll be a bigger mess to fix. So let's temporarily switch scenes. By the way, did any media reporters come around recently?"
Jeffrey hadn't expected Eric to ask that, thought for a moment and replied, "A few, I think. But they just took some photos from a distance, and after being escorted away by our staff, they left peacefully."
"Looks like the trouble's just beginning," Eric muttered, turning to Jeffrey. "Get things arranged, then come back to the hotel with me. I think you've got more important business to deal with this afternoon."
"Alright," Jeffrey nodded and hurried off to carry out Eric's instructions.
...
After Jeffrey left, Eric asked a staff member for a camera and took some pictures of the protesters lying on the lawn. He instructed Allen to have them developed immediately.
Almost an hour later, Jeffrey returned to the hotel where the crew was staying, and Eric handed him a stack of photos.
"What's this for?" Jeffrey asked, confused as he flipped through them.
"In case things go south," Eric explained. "Haven't you noticed? The sudden appearance of this so-called environmental group isn't coincidental. We filmed scenes in areas with vegetation before without seeing these people. Yet the moment we start shooting in Central Park during this final week, they show up?"
Jeffrey quickly understood Eric's point. It was clear someone was trying to delay the filming of Home Alone 2. The timing was particularly troublesome as this was the most critical moment.
Central Park held immense importance in the minds of New Yorkers, so if the crew's shoot today sparked any public outcry, manipulated by some ulterior motives into exaggerating the hazards of magnesium sulfate heptahydrate to the park's foliage, then filming there would meet enormous resistance. The city government might have to intervene to quell public concerns before letting the crew proceed with a reasonable plan.
The filming schedule for Home Alone 2 was already tight, and any interruption could push back planned events. Even if they decided to cut the Central Park scenes from the script, that wouldn't work either -- everything connected in terms of storytelling, especially Kevin running out from the park. Changing that meant wasting much of the previously shot footage, and reshoots would push the release back to Christmas.
The more Jeffrey contemplated, the more anxious he became. Clutching the photos in hand, he asked, "So, who do you think is behind this mess?"
Eric picked up a recently bought Film Guide, pointing to the movie release schedule inside. "Home Alone 2 is set for November 17th. If we delay release due to trouble, all those other films benefitting from our misfortune make it hard to pinpoint the culprits behind this interference."
Jeffrey raised the newspaper and saw that seven or eight films were set to release on the very same day, like Warner's Lethal Weapon 2, which dodged competition from Running Out of Time, along with Paramount's Christmas comedy starring Eddie Murphy, Harlem Nights, and Universal's Back to the Future Part II just days after.
Eric's tone grew more somber, "Do you see that? The major studios all have films releasing around that time. During Thanksgiving, the weekly box office averages around a hundred million dollars. So, if Home Alone 2 gets delayed, other films will snag at least $30 million in box office revenue that initially belonged to us. Naturally, the bigger studios will take the lion's share, so they are the most suspect. But we simply don't have the time or energy to get tangled in this. Even if we found out who it was, it wouldn't help us. All we can do is do whatever it takes to finish the film on time."
Jeffrey set the newspaper down, realizing their adversary was likely a giant player like Warner or Universal, leaving Firefly Films with limited means to fight against that. He hesitated, finally asking, "So, Eric, are we really not going to inform Fox?"
After reflecting for a moment, Eric shook his head again, "No need for now. Let's see how things play out tomorrow. I'm betting there will definitely be a report about us using fake snow harming Central Park's environment."
"What should I do now?" Jeffrey inquired, having never faced a situation like this in the past.
"Two things," Eric had evidently thought ahead, raising three fingers, "First, Central Park is currently managed by the Central Park Conservancy. You'll be making a donation in the name of Firefly Films, say... $500,000. This will maximize the chances that, should any public uproar occur, they'll speak in our favor."
After saying that, Eric handed the photos over to Jeffrey, then added, "Second, you should reach out to as many local newspapers as possible to get the news about today's protest out there. Ask them to cover our efforts to preserve Central Park's environment. We also need to find a couple of professionals to explain how magnesium sulfate heptahydrate does not harm vegetation and is even a form of fertilizer."
"Eric, isn't five hundred thousand too much?" Jeffrey asked hesitantly, still unable to part with that amount of money so easily.
Eric rubbed his forehead, getting serious, "Jeffrey, you must understand the situation. If things take a turn, and Home Alone 2 doesn't get finished on time, it won't just be a loss of $500,000. The budget for the film is $25 million, and there will likely be some leftover from that. So this $500,000 is essentially already part of the production costs."
After some contemplation, Jeffrey finally nodded, "Alright, I understand. Also, because we're changing the shooting plan, the afternoon's filming might be delayed by an hour since we need to communicate with the relevant streets."
"I got it. I'll handle things on set, just focus on your tasks," Eric responded.
Jeffrey grabbed the photos Eric had taken, hurrying off.
Perhaps as a considered protest, members of that environmental group indeed showed up again during the afternoon shoot. Although they continued to criticize the crew for laying down fake snow, and occasionally shouted provocations, they were no longer as disruptive, refraining from lying down on the ground to block filming as they had done in Central Park.
Around noon, Eric had issued a stern warning to his crew: no matter how the protesters provoked them, they were to avoid any conflict, as engaging would play right into the protesters' hands.
*****
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