Chapter 944: The Miracle Maker

"Duke, is there something you forgot to tell me?" Nancy Josephson asked in a deliberately teasing tone, standing in the doorway of a dressing room at the CBS Television studio in Burbank and eyeing the ring on his hand.

As a remarkably shrewd agent, she knew exactly how to handle the present-day Duke. She had represented him for over twenty years, and their relationship had long surpassed that of an ordinary director and agent.

Duke, sitting in a high-backed chair and flipping through the interview strategy prepared by Penny Kalis, glanced up at Nancy and smiled. "I remember asking Tina to let you know."

"Not getting to see you propose to Scar with my own eyes..." Nancy patted the back of the chair in front of her. "It really is a shame. If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone on that business trip to Europe."

"Are you two not planning on a formal engagement ceremony?" she continued.

Duke shook his head. "Neither Scar nor I have any plans for one. We'll just wait and do the ceremony when we get married."

A gentle knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Ellen DeGeneres's assistant had come to let them know the show was about to start.

Handing his notes to Nancy, Duke followed the assistant down a long corridor. He arrived backstage and stood in a camera's blind spot, where he could just make out the busy figures moving around in front.

This episode of The Ellen Show was different from its usual pre-recorded format. Booking a superstar guest like Duke was no easy feat. To boost ratings and add excitement, this episode was broadcasting live.

Opposite the stage was the audience area, noticeably expanded with rows of temporary seats. About five hundred people sat in the studio. Unlike regular talk shows that padded the crowd with backstage crew, these were all fans of Duke specifically invited by the production team. On the internet, they were known by another title—Duke fanboys!

Perhaps in the beginning it had been a derogatory term used by his haters, but by now, Duke's fans eagerly labeled themselves "Duke fanboys," taking pride in singing the praises of their favorite director.

And Duke certainly gave them plenty to brag about.

When it came to commercial success, across the global film industry, Duke was the undisputed number one on the total box office charts, the North American box office charts, the single-film box office charts, and many others...

Some might curl their lips in disdain, dismissing him as just a commercial director who was, at best, only slightly better than Michael Bay.

However, his two Best Director Golden Statuettes forced those critics to helplessly shut their mouths.

From another camera blind spot on the side of the stage, the show's director called action. Enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience, and host Ellen DeGeneres walked onto the stage amidst the cheering, standing in front of a massive background screen.

On the screen behind her was a striking photo of Duke at work, accompanied by a giant headline: The Man Who Seeks and Creates Miracles!

Ellen DeGeneres clasped her hands in front of her. "As Duke Rosenberg continues to forge a new cinematic era with jaw-dropping visual effects and brilliant editing, he remains focused on the key to a film's success—masterful storytelling."

It wasn't quite time for Duke to make his entrance yet. Ellen walked over to her seat and looked up at the large screen behind her, continuing, "Over the past quarter of a century, releasing a movie almost every year, Duke Rosenberg has proven what a director's limits can be. He has proven that the quality of his films is just as astonishing as the quantity!"

The large screen began playing a montage of films Duke had directed. Synchronized with the footage, Ellen said, "No director has contributed more to modern cinematic technology than Duke. He is the audience's favorite director—rational but not intimidating. Duke is a visionary. He loves to stretch the boundaries of the medium's imagination, clearly painting his endless desires while simultaneously changing our viewing habits. He is using concrete actions and one spectacular film after another to prove his lifelong dedication to cinema."

Pausing here, Ellen made an inviting gesture. "Please welcome the first director in history to enter the twenty-billion-dollar club, Duke Rosenberg!"

After checking his attire one last time, Duke strode onto the stage. He first waved to the audience, then walked over to Ellen, who welcomed him with a massive hug.

Although she was one of Hollywood's most famous lesbians—privately rumored to have hooked up with more Hollywood actresses than anyone else—Duke didn't mind in the slightest. After a quick embrace with Ellen, he sat down on the sofa opposite her.

"Welcome, Duke."

Unlike in past episodes, Ellen was well aware that the man sitting across from her was no ordinary Hollywood director. "Congratulations on breaking into the top three of the Forbes global rich list," she said.

Duke gave a slight nod. "Thank you."

The two of them had communicated plenty beforehand, so they didn't linger on this topic, instead pivoting toward the film industry.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens has created a three-billion-dollar box office miracle..." As the topic gradually returned to movies, Ellen asked with a relaxed smile, "But unlike your other movies, this film used much more practical effects. Does this signal a return to practical effects, or does it mean the future of digital technology isn't as promising as anticipated?"

"It's true that Star Wars: The Force Awakens used a lot of practical effects..." Duke pointed out. "But the digital effects we used were by no means fewer than the practical ones. Furthermore, without digital effects, the practical effects wouldn't have been able to achieve the results presented on screen."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Ellen offered a rather pointed counter. "Not long ago, Steven Spielberg talked about effects at a press conference, saying that he believes in the magic of practical work, not the magic of digital. What's your take on that?"

"Steven is a true master of cinema. He's a teacher we all emulate," Duke replied. "He is constantly reinventing himself, so we can always keep learning from him."

With his current status, a little modesty was no bad thing. But then Duke pivoted, adding, "However, I hold a different view from him on some things. He still uses a KEM flatbed editor. That editing table looks like a stubborn mule, but it's clearly his safety zone. It's where he can figure out how to splice his footage together."

Duke gave a slight shrug. "But as for me, filmmaking technology is always advancing. I want to be at the crest of the wave. I want to lead that wave, not let it wash over me. I don't want to watch others behind me ride that wave to the shore. I thoroughly enjoy the process. On the other hand, the best way to balance technical production is to ensure that technology doesn't stylistically invade or interfere with the storytelling, or with the core and soul of the film. I can say for a fact that I didn't handle that balance well in Speed or The Rock, but I got it right in The Dark Knight and The Avengers."

Ellen's next question jumped tracks abruptly, as if she were trying to disrupt Duke's train of thought. "Can we know what the very first movie that truly influenced you was?"

"Sorry, I don't remember," Duke replied.

Duke, of course, was no rookie in these situations. "Back in elementary school, I used to fantasize about telling a story from my own perspective. At the time, I was just a naive kid with a burning hunger for fantasy stories, whether they were in movies, books, or anywhere else. Later, at Mountain High School, I had an hour-long commute, so naturally, I spent that time reading every day—usually short sci-fi novels."

"Then when did you decide you wanted to be a director?" Ellen's follow-up was incredibly fast.

"While I was studying at the California Institute of the Arts, I started doing some basic work for a few crews in Hollywood, like taking temp jobs as a set dresser," Duke said.

A nostalgic look appeared on his face as Duke seemed to recall the late eighties. "I saw some directors continuously screw up scene after scene. They didn't know where to place the cameras or how to set the lighting. I thought to myself back then, if that's what a director is, I can do it too."

Good-natured laughter rippled through the audience. Waiting for it to die down, Duke continued, "It never even crossed my mind that I was up to the task until I saw certain people doing such a terrible job. Looking back now, it was probably a bit arrogant. But of course, the day finally comes when you actually are 'that guy,' when you're the one directing the shots, setting up the cameras, and so on..."

"Those moments are deeply daunting." Duke's initial path as a director hadn't been smooth, and shooting his first film was fraught with hardships. "When you don't have any experience, everything eventually backfires on you, and you need to gather your strength. By the time I shot Speed, I had enough confidence and experience. I was very lucky that I didn't mess it up too badly on a lower budget and a shorter schedule."

"Success isn't easy; we all know that." Seeing Duke nod, Ellen moved on to her next question. "The rapid pacing of Speed—this Rosenberg cinematic style—continued into The Rock and your other works. This pacing makes the audience feel as if they're speeding through the wilderness. How did you develop this style?"

Duke, however, shook his head. "There's no such thing as a Rosenberg style. I'm not even sure I have one now. I'm always trying to break new ground. Like a skier who only enjoys virgin snow, I strive to find the fresh powder."

"I didn't have a specific style in Speed. I had a lot of ideas, but I wasn't influenced by the Film Academy, nor was I influenced by John Ford or the cinematic aesthetics of that era..."