Chapter 161: The Other Side of the Competition

As March approached, Duke temporarily handed his miscellaneous affairs over to Nancy Josephson. Reunited with film editor Mike Dawson at Warner Studios, he kicked off post-production for Saving Private Ryan. Aside from the essential post-production crew, he also dragged in Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola, ending their brief vacations.

Both of them were more than happy to participate in the film's post-production; after all, it would build valuable experience for their futures.

Duke knew perfectly well that he couldn't keep Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola around forever. Hardly anyone entering this industry with aspirations of becoming a director would be willing to serve as a permanent assistant. The moment the right opportunity arose, they would inevitably fly solo.

This was an inevitability that even James Cameron and Steven Spielberg couldn't avoid, so Duke could only plan ahead. He had Nancy look for suitable replacements and instructed Sofia to post job listings. Although Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola wouldn't find the right opportunities in the short term, any newcomers would still need time to train and gel with the team.

Earlier that month, Duke had taken care of another matter. After paying the required dues, he officially became a member of the Directors Association. The only reason he had put it off until now was simply that he had forgotten.

Even though Hollywood had directors like George Lucas—who had angrily quit the Directors Association and never rejoined, even up to his retirement, nor did he join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—Duke had no intention of following his example. Besides, the benefits of joining the Directors Association far outweighed the restrictions.

Just as he would never touch cult films, Duke had never considered drifting away from mainstream cinema.

Inside the editing room, Duke gathered Mike Dawson, Sofia Coppola, Zack Snyder, and several other assistants for a brief meeting.

Duke first reiterated his editing philosophy, which was a complete departure from his previous work.

"We are completely abandoning the fast, aggressive editing style! Cut the shots using traditional techniques! The film will feature plenty of long takes, and since we used a lot of handheld cameras during shooting, I want that almost documentary-like, realistic camera shake. We are treating this like a factual war documentary!"

If they used the editing style from his first three films, this movie was bound to become a disaster.

With Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola on board, Duke found things a bit easier. Over the next ten days or so, the group worked together under his direction, completing a massive five-and-a-half-hour rough cut before moving on to the far more tedious fine cut.

Meanwhile, the visual effects outsourced to Industrial Light and Magic began production.

Because over ninety-nine percent of the film's shots were done practically, the need for CGI was extremely limited. The special effects team from Industrial Light and Magic only joined at this stage to finish up the handful of digital scenes.

For the score, Duke brought in John Williams. The composer hadn't initially wanted to work with him—Duke's films didn't really suit the old man's tastes, after all. But after reading the script and seeing the fee the studio was offering, coupled with the fact that his long-time collaborator was busy launching DreamWorks, John Williams signed the contract rather readily.

With the editing philosophy locked in, a highly coordinated team in place, and top-tier industry professionals handling the effects and score, the entire post-production process went much smoother than Independence Day, which had dragged on for over four months.

The relatively smooth workflow also lightened the atmosphere in the studio. During their breaks, they could sit together and gossip about the industry.

"Did you hear, Duke?"

As they sat around enjoying afternoon tea, Zack Snyder suddenly winked at Duke. "Sophie Marceau is in Los Angeles. Word is she wants to shift her career focus to Hollywood."

"I ran into her once."

Setting down his teacup, Duke nodded. "I think it was about two weeks ago."

The other three, including their new assistant, Tina Fey, all looked at him. As industry insiders, they seemed to know exactly what Duke was like.

"Don't look at me like that."

Unbothered, Duke poured himself a cup of black tea, ignoring their stares. "We just bumped into each other at PricewaterhouseCoopers and chatted for a bit."

"Really?" Sofia said, clearly skeptical.

"I think it's very likely."

Surprisingly, the one to defend Duke was Zack Snyder. "Rumor has it Sophie Marceau is signing with CAA," he explained. "Her main agent is going to be Martin Bob."

"No wonder!" Duke muttered under his breath. He had been wondering when Sophie Marceau, famous for her uninhibited nature, had suddenly turned into a paragon of marital fidelity. So this was the real issue.

His feud with CAA was hardly a secret in Hollywood. Sophie Marceau clearly viewed CAA as her stepping stone in the industry and wanted to avoid getting too close to their enemy.

"I'd call that her loss!"

Mike Dawson's tone was entirely teasing. "Right, Duke?"

"Everyone has the right to choose, don't they?"

Pointing at the group, Duke couldn't be bothered to entertain their banter anymore. He didn't subscribe to the mindset of "if you aren't with me, you're against me," nor was he burdened by some idiotic main-character complex. Sophie Marceau choosing CAA because it seemed better for her future prospects was perfectly normal.

These actresses—especially established ones who had fought their way up for years—were never simple characters. They might fool around with someone out of sheer attraction, but when their core interests were on the line, they would absolutely choose whatever benefited them the most.

With Duke deliberately steering the conversation, the group moved on from women and started discussing the upcoming Oscar Awards Ceremony.

"Unfortunately for everyone sitting here," Mike Dawson joked, adopting a deadpan tone, "I am the only one who has ever been nominated for an Oscar."

"Tch!" Zack Snyder waved him off dismissively.

"Don't forget, Zack!" Mike Dawson held up two fingers and wiggled them in Zack Snyder's face. "I've been nominated for Best Film Editing twice."

Everyone burst out laughing. Mike Dawson truly was the only Oscar nominee on the team. He had earned Best Film Editing nods for Speed and The Rock, though he had gone home empty-handed both times.

As for the rest of them, forget the Oscar Golden Statuette—they hadn't even come close to a nomination.

"If we do an outstanding job on this film," Sofia said, her eyes practically shining, "could we score a few Oscar nominations? Maybe even bring home a couple of Oscar Golden Statuettes? This year is the fiftieth anniversary of the end of World War II, after all!"

"Then we'd have to tailor the film more to the School's taste," Mike Dawson pointed out, sounding like a seasoned veteran. "We'd need to cut back on the explosions and battle scenes, add more shots focusing on personal emotions and narrative, and ideally slow the pacing down."

"No, we aren't doing that!" Duke shook his head, rejecting the idea outright. "This is a commercial war film. I don't care about the awards season; it first has to meet the audience demands of the summer season. I've already slowed the narrative pacing down enough. Any slower, and it will seriously hurt the viewing experience."

"I agree with Duke!"

On this front, Zack Snyder clearly shared a lot of common ground with Duke. "If our film doesn't have enough market impact, Hollywood will weed us out in no time!"

"But the Oscar is the most authoritative award in the industry!"

Sofia raised her voice slightly. Duke just shook his head and changed the subject. "Let's talk about which film you guys think is most likely to win instead."

Ideological differences were notoriously hard to reconcile, and this kind of debate had always existed.

Mike Dawson, picking up the cue flawlessly, immediately chimed in. "I think Forrest Gump is going to be the biggest winner."

"I'm betting on Forrest Gump too," Sofia agreed.

"I'd say Forrest Gump has an extremely high chance of sweeping the board."

Everyone was surprisingly unanimous. Zack Snyder added, "I think Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction is pretty good too."

"What about you, Duke?"

"Forrest Gump!" Duke said.

That was pretty much the consensus for this year's Oscar, both inside and outside the industry. Forrest Gump was unequivocally the frontrunner. Even the most cautious forecasting agencies predicted that Forrest Gump would take home at least two or three heavyweight awards.

"Why isn't anyone betting on The Shawshank Redemption?"

The question came from Tina Fey, who hadn't spoken much until now. She blinked, her eyes brimming with curiosity. "That film got nine nominations, second only to Forrest Gump."

Duke didn't answer. Instead, he looked over at Sofia. As an industry veteran born into a filmmaking dynasty, Sofia Coppola offered a simple explanation.

"There's always a chance for an upset at this Oscar, but that upset definitely won't come from The Shawshank Redemption. Even Pulp Fiction, a gangster film, has a better shot at winning! Yes, The Shawshank Redemption tackles the School's favorite themes of freedom and hope, but it chose the most unappealing subject matter and method to tell that story!"

Taking a sip of her black tea, Sofia continued at a leisurely pace. "Compared to Forrest Gump, it holds absolutely no advantage in the eyes of the School's judges. Expecting it to win is just as absurd as expecting Duke's Independence Day to compete with it for School Awards nominations during the awards season."

She flashed Duke an apologetic smile before continuing, "I think that even if it wasn't competing this year, and even if the massive juggernaut that is Forrest Gump wasn't in the picture, if The Shawshank Redemption showed up at the Oscar a few years earlier or later, it would still most likely just be along for the ride."

Tina Fey put on an expression of sudden realization, while Mike Dawson and Zack Snyder nodded in agreement. They clearly bought into Sofia's assessment.

Duke withdrew his peripheral gaze from Tina Fey. She was a very sharp woman, knowing exactly how to flatter these veterans while actively integrating herself into the group.

This was for the best. If he had hired an idiot as an assistant, Duke would have been the first one to lose his mind.

Checking his watch, he saw that their break was just about over. Right before heading back into the editing room, Duke remembered something else. "This Sunday afternoon, I'll be throwing a party to celebrate my move."

"We wouldn't miss it."