Chương 28: Chapter 28: No Experience, Just Losers
"Murphy, you can't keep doing this."
As soon as they entered Milton Café, Murphy was intercepted by the owner, who exclaimed, "This is a café, not your office."
Due to the cramped and rudimentary studio space, Murphy had scheduled the first production meeting for his film at Milton Café. However, the owner was now understandably annoyed by the frequent interviews held there.
"Lynch, we always order coffee when we come here," Murphy replied, halting in his tracks and addressing the mixed-race elder leaning on the counter. "We've never skimped on paying for our drinks."
Stopping, Murphy looked Lynch straight in the eye. "You've never been shortchanged."
Having dealt with Murphy before, Lynch knew him to be quite difficult. He glanced over at Jessica Chastain, whose vibrant red hair stood out, and lingered a bit longer on her before turning back to Murphy, eyes narrowing as if trying to incinerate him with a glare.
It was mid-morning, and with no customers in the shop, Lynch had no reservations. He stood in front of Murphy, blocking his path alongside Jessica Chastain.
Murphy glanced around and leaned in, lowering his voice. "Do you know what I do for a living? Do you know why I'm here today?"
Lynch remained indifferent. "I know you're a cheapskate, that's enough for me."
Jessica Chastain almost burst out laughing at Lynch's comment, fully agreeing with his assessment. Having accompanied Murphy to many interviews, she had witnessed him take advantage of unpaid interns and find ways to reduce employee salaries, while cutting corners on expenses whenever possible.
Ignoring Lynch's attitude, Murphy raised his hand and lightly tapped his arm, gesturing towards himself. "I'm a film director. I think your café has a unique charm, perfect for my filming needs. That's why I've chosen to hold our production meeting here to discuss the feasibility of shooting."
Upon hearing that his café might appear in a movie, Lynch's demeanor softened, and he lowered his crossed arms. "Are you serious?"
Murphy nodded. "Of course I am. When have I ever lied to you?"
"In that case, more people will get to see my café..." Lynch muttered to himself before quickly adopting a smile. "Okay, okay, no problem. Whatever you need, I'll cooperate."
He made a welcoming gesture, motioning towards the largest booth in the café. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned back and asked, "You're not charging me for advertising, are you? I won't agree to that."
Glancing at Lynch, Murphy considered carefully before replying, "Lynch, we're old friends. How could I charge you for that?"
A grin spread across Lynch's face.
As Lynch went to get the coffee, Murphy reminded Jessica, "Remember to have him sign a formal contract and include everything I just said."
"Okay," Jessica Chastain nodded earnestly.
She could see through Murphy's intentions. He had been plotting to use this café for a while, and the arrangements were quite impressive. Not only did they have a free shooting location, but also complimentary coffee and catering, saving them thousands of dollars in expenses.
Not long after Lynch brought the coffee and left, the hired crew members began to arrive. Murphy's lawyer, Robert, would serve as the production's legal advisor, handling contracts and any potential legal disputes that might arise during filming.
In North America, having a lawyer on board was standard practice for any production.
Additionally, a hired accountant was present at the meeting.
Murphy had a clear understanding of his own limitations and knew that no one could do everything. While Robert would handle legal matters, the accountant from a small firm would take care of financial tasks such as payroll and expenditure, allowing Murphy to focus primarily on the creative aspects of filmmaking.
Apart from the lawyer and accountant, along with Murphy and Jessica Chastain, there were several other attendees, including a makeup artist, props master, set designer, and lighting technician. These behind-the-scenes roles were essential, and Murphy had handpicked each member for their skills and affordability.
In essence, the crew comprised inexperienced individuals and failures from Hollywood.
Overall, excluding the lawyer and accountant, as well as Murphy himself who wasn't drawing a salary, no one in the crew was earning more than a thousand dollars per week.
Furthermore, none of these individuals were members of their respective industry unions, such as the Screen Actors Guild for actors or unions for lighting technicians and makeup artists. These unions had entry requirements and membership fees, which were burdensome for low-income individuals like those in Murphy's crew.
There were also three unpaid interns...
In reality, Murphy wanted to recruit more interns like them, but not everyone was willing to go along with his schemes. Having three unpaid assistants was already quite a feat.
According to his plan, both parties' contracts would officially start today and end upon completion of the film, a timeframe ranging from ten to fifteen weeks at most. Even with the highest estimates, the total payroll expenses would be kept under fifty thousand dollars.
Don't forget, in addition to these crew members, there were still expenses for actors, editors, and music composition.
Murphy had no intention of hiring professional composers for the film's score, nor had he budgeted for it. Instead, he planned to use existing music or popular songs that suited the film's themes.
With comprehensive copyright laws in North America, once the appropriate permissions were obtained from the relevant copyright organizations, Murphy could legally use his chosen music or songs.
There were also equipment rental costs. Like all Hollywood productions, Murphy planned to rent all the necessary equipment, which would be a significant expense. Renting a professional 35mm film camera wasn't cheap.
Next up was casting the lead actors.
After the meeting, Murphy and Jessica Chastain headed to the Actors Guild, where they spent some money to place an advertisement seeking actresses aged 14-18 and actors aged 22-35.
Leaving the guild, they drove to San Fernando Valley, where there was a standalone house available for rent.
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