Echoes of Hollywood

Every year, Hollywood's numerous film production companies receive a substantial number of script submissions, and Stanton Studios is no exception. In the new floors of Century City leased by the studio, there is a dedicated room to store the received scripts. After being briefly reviewed by Paul Wilson or Rosa Rodriguez, these scripts are placed there and...

Like most companies in Hollywood, these scripts often remain untouched for a long time.

With nothing pressing to do today and having been prompted by Creighton Wilkinson's appearance, Murphy returned to Stanton Studios and specifically asked Rosa Rodriguez to bring over some scripts.

He wanted to see if any of them were worth investing in.

After flipping through dozens of scripts, the results were disappointing. Several of them were filled with imaginative ideas and creativity, but these ideas were not suitable for turning into films. The risk of investment far outweighed the potential returns.

In the end, the scripts were returned to Rosa Rodriguez just as she had brought them.

These scripts were certainly not sent only to Stanton Studios, but Murphy had never heard of any of them being greenlit in the industry. Despite many of the scripts having creativity and artistic merit superior to most of the films being released in Hollywood, they still failed to attract the attention of Hollywood companies.

The reason is simple: the so-called innovation of these newcomers' works poses risks far greater than those of formulaic and assembly-line productions, with no visible significant returns. Therefore, no one is willing to invest.

After all, Hollywood is fundamentally a commercial circle, and the related industry is called the "entertainment business," never the "entertainment art."

Some may always believe that Hollywood is searching for geniuses. In numerous TV shows, Hollywood agencies and film companies tell the audience that they are looking for movie geniuses. This is one of Hollywood's biggest lies.

In reality, if someone believed what they said and called the biggest agencies in Hollywood to tell them they were the genius being sought, they wouldn't get any response. In fact, such calls would likely be hung up immediately.

Hollywood does not need a genius mind; it needs a marketable brand, such as James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Tom Cruise, and Tom Hanks, among others.

Whether they are producers, writers, actors, or directors, what Hollywood values is not talent but profit potential. Often, what moves a Hollywood company is not the artistic value of someone's work but the potential revenue the work can generate.

When someone's name has the ability to attract audiences—or rather, the money in their pockets—then they are the "genius" Hollywood is looking for.

Not everyone entering Hollywood is extraordinarily gifted, but they must know or have someone who knows how to package them into a brand. To some extent, this is a talent in itself.

In this commercial haven, creativity and stories are needed, but everyone knows that creativity and stories are the least valuable. Hollywood blockbusters like "Independence Day" and "Titanic" have simple stories. The scripts' narrative quality is often only second-rate or even third-rate.

To put it bluntly, such stories lack any real creativity. If a newcomer brought such a story to a film company, they would be ignored.

Hollywood thirsty for talent? Hollywood being a place where talent is appreciated and shines? Don't be naive.

Many people think of Hollywood as a place where movies are made.

Indeed, Hollywood produces a large number of movies every year. Major companies and directors, including Murphy, hope the public views Hollywood as a place that produces excellent films.

But in reality, film production occupies only a small part of Hollywood. It's primarily a film marketing industry zone, not a creative production paradise.

Just like those so-called low-budget blockbuster films, are their costs really low?

Their production costs may be only tens of thousands or a couple of hundred thousand dollars, but how much is spent on marketing?

In Hollywood, more resources are devoted to marketing a film, often two to three times, or even more, than the production cost.

In the Hollywood sense, a movie is not just something a director films and edits in post-production. At best, that's a film (film), while a movie (movie) is something that has undergone a series of marketing activities and can be shown in theaters.

The biggest difference between these concepts is that films don't make money, but movies do.

A film transitions into a movie when it advertises in the media and is promoted to the public.

Of course, many artistic and idealistic directors choose to go the film festival route.

But in reality, to participate in film festivals, including the major three in Europe, you need more than just work and artistry—you need a significant amount of money!

To enter a film festival, as Murphy did for the Sundance and Cannes festivals, the producer must pay an entry fee, which is often substantial. Then there are various submission expenses, such as printing promotional materials, transportation costs, staff salaries, screening expenses, and PR activity funds...

If lucky, the film might catch the eye of a distributor at the festival. At that point, the film's artistic merit becomes irrelevant, and discussions revolve around "profits," "sales," and "distribution."

Doesn't this sound particularly "un-artistic"?

In short, whether a person or a film wants to be valued in Hollywood, they must first prove their worth and ability to generate revenue.

Otherwise, they'll face rejection, rejection, and more rejection...

Thinking a story and an idea can secure investment? Believing talent will be recognized? It's a beautiful dream.

Before proving oneself, all stories and ideas are mere fantasies.

Although Murphy advocates for films to have their own styles rather than the current trend of severe homogenization in Hollywood, many existing realities cannot be ignored just because he doesn't want to see them.

These things won't change based on personal will. An individual's power and ideas are insignificant in the face of a massive industry chain.

The most typical question for film production and distribution companies is: what makes a good movie? Does his chosen black style inherently make a good movie?

Is a movie with a professional rating above eight good? One that reflects social realities? One that explores human nature and humanistic care? One that leaves people pondering the director's techniques and intentions at midnight? One that has a surprise ending?

The answer is obviously no.

How should movies be categorized?

Clever movies, skillfully made movies, and wise movies? Commercial films, inspirational films, art films, or independent productions?

In the eyes of Hollywood production companies, these distinctions aren't complicated. There are only two types of movies: box office hits and flops.

Even someone like Murphy, who believes box office and commercial success are not the sole measures of a film, cannot ignore this reality.

As a director and investor, ignoring this objective reality would lead to severe consequences, potentially even financial ruin.

Pleasing critics but not audiences has never been Murphy's goal. He wants films that are both critically and commercially successful.

To make a film a box office hit, marketing and promotion can never be overlooked.

Therefore, Murphy spent the time leading up to the release of "Inglourious Basterds" actively cooperating with the promotional plans of Twentieth Century Fox and The Weinstein Company.

As time slowly moved into November and the release date for "Inglourious Basterds" approached, various promotional activities were in full swing.

First, Murphy revealed in an interview that the film's title was not his idea but initially set by Quentin Tarantino, who was recuperating. Tarantino also accepted an interview, giving a quirky response to a reporter's question.

When asked about the meaning behind the film's title, Quentin explained that the commando team in the film consisted of rough, uneducated men who were not heroes in the traditional sense. Because they were willing to do any dirty work, they could defeat their enemies.

To attract more fans, neither Murphy nor Twentieth Century Fox and The Weinstein Company would forget Quentin Tarantino.

Next, Margot Robbie graced the cover of "Entertainment Weekly," promoted as Murphy Stanton's new goddess.

Following that, numerous photos of Diane Kruger participating in a promotional event surfaced, becoming a focus for gossip media.

"...German actress Diane Kruger appeared stunning with her daring backless dress. Having once played the most beautiful woman Helen, Kruger stated that being chosen as the lead by director Murphy Stanton was like winning the lottery. However, she also regretted the lack of intimate scenes with James Franco and revealed that being beaten by him in the film was quite an experience. She explained that many girls would not refuse being mistreated by James Franco."

This German actress knew how to create buzz and effectively cooperated with the promotional efforts to attract attention.

"Inglourious Basterds" was undoubtedly one of the most anticipated films from Thanksgiving to the Christmas season.

Twentieth Century Fox also held a small-scale preview screening of the film, but the reviews were mixed.

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