A tall agent quietly crept into an old factory and kicked open the door of an office. Before the criminals inside could react, he rushed forward and swiftly took down several of them.
This person moved as nimbly as a leopard, striking with the ferocity of a starving wolf. His attacks were direct and lethal, targeting the most vulnerable spots of the human body—throat, face, back of the head, and chest—without any superfluous movements or hesitation.
"Jimmy, well done!"
After two days of filming the action scenes, Duke watched the footage after some simple editing and said to the action director accompanying him in the editing room, "It's about 80% of what I envisioned..."
Hearing this, Jimmy Carter couldn't help but ask, "Do you need me to reshoot anything?"
"No need," Duke shook his head and patted him on the shoulder. "This is good enough for this movie. Keep up the good work."
Over the past two days, both Liam Neeson and his two stunt doubles had performed exceptionally well. Duke decided to modify the shooting schedule, prioritizing the filming of action scenes. During this process, most of the shots were directed by Jimmy Carter, while Duke focused on reviewing and providing timely feedback.
A director is fundamentally the coordinator of a production team. One of their basic responsibilities is to mobilize and maximize the potential of every member in the crew.
Filming action scenes is never easy, especially when the actor, Liam Neeson, is over fifty years old. Bumps and bruises were inevitable, and he even sprained his ankle during a chase scene. Fortunately, the injury was minor and did not significantly affect the subsequent filming.
The action sequences took half a month to shoot before reaching a temporary conclusion. Some additional action scenes would require on-location shooting in Paris.
By December, Duke began filming the dramatic scenes. Strictly speaking, the focus was on Liam Neeson, with relatively few scenes involving other characters. It was essentially a one-man show.
"I don't know who you are..."
The set was designed as a room. Liam Neeson, holding a Nokia phone, was performing a monologue. He kept his expression calm, but rage burned fiercely in his eyes. His seemingly plain words concealed the infinite fury of a father whose daughter had been kidnapped. "I don't know what you want. If you're after ransom, I can tell you, I don't have money."
He slowly stood up, issuing a final warning, like a sleeping lion ready to pounce at any moment. "But I do have a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career, skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that'll be the end of it. I won't look for you. I won't pursue you."
The lion finally bared its fangs. "But if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you!"
"Cut! That's a wrap," Duke said to Liam Neeson. "Great job!"
The intense and suspenseful action scenes were crucial to the film's appeal, but so was the underlying fatherly love. Without the emotional foundation of the father-daughter relationship, the protagonist's actions in his rage would not gain any audience support and would be no different from those of a vicious criminal.
However, when the family is threatened, and a daughter is on the verge of disappearing forever, the actions of a loving father to rescue her gain justification. It also indirectly highlights that the people he takes down are scum, underscoring the justice of his mission.
Don't underestimate the importance of this sense of justice. While it might not resonate strongly with most Americans in real life, in a film, it's a key factor in attracting an audience.
In a movie, certain elements can be altered, but others are inviolable.
By December, the awards season was in full swing. While Duke was busy filming his new movie, his PR team was equally occupied. Besides arranging for Duke to attend some parties during his breaks from shooting, Panny Kallis often operated independently. Backed by ample funding and decades of experience, the veteran public relations manager was frequently seen in Beverly Hills and Hollywood.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has various restrictions on PR campaigns, but in practice? The bottom line of this fame-and-fortune game has been continuously lowered, especially since the Weinstein brothers began their cash-driven campaigns.
In the early 1990s, an Oscar PR campaign for a film typically cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, rarely exceeding $500,000.
But now?
In the new century, without investing three to five million dollars in this game of fame, it's impossible to even dream of nominations for key awards. Without a budget of tens of millions, the most prestigious awards will undoubtedly slip through your fingers.
According to the Academy, PR campaigns are a manifestation of free-market competition. And in this highly commercialized society, what's the biggest driver of competition? Undoubtedly, money.
Duke understood this clearly. Given his future production plans, he would increasingly distance himself from the niche-focused Oscars. The success of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," with its trilogy advantage, was his best and perhaps only chance.
Therefore, he spared no expense.
Moreover, compared to the profits from the trilogy's director's cut royalties, this investment was negligible.
Panny Kallis and Warner Bros.' publicity department were primarily tasked with securing nominations—an essential ticket to the game.
"Based on the reception of films already released and the PR efforts of various distribution companies, we've identified a few major competitors."
In the living room of a villa, Panny Kallis provided an update on the PR and awards campaign developments. "Sofia Coppola's main goal is a nomination. Hollywood has never had a female winner for Best Director, and it's unlikely this time either."
"Sofia can be set aside," Duke said. He maintained close ties with Sofia Coppola and understood her situation.
"In that case, the main competitors are down to two," Panny Kallis continued. "One is Clint Eastwood. His 'Mystic River' aligns well with the Academy's preferences, but the film was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Without the backing of the studio, his chances of winning are slim."
Between Duke and Clint Eastwood, it was clear who was more important to Warner Bros.
"According to our team's analysis, your biggest competitor should be Peter Weir."
Hearing Panny Kallis's words, Duke asked, "Is it 'Master and Commander'?"
"Yes, the 'Master and Commander' released in November!"
Ivanka, who had been sitting quietly beside Duke, asked curiously, "I remember that film didn't perform well at the box office or with critics. How can it be a competitor?"
"Ivanka, you missed one thing," Panny Kallis explained. "'Master and Commander' was distributed by Miramax, and Harvey Weinstein is going all out to push it for the Oscars. The film's production cost exceeded $110 million, but its domestic box office is only $60 million. Without Oscar recognition, it's destined to lose money."
"Miramax, Harvey Weinstein..."
Duke murmured and then smiled. "Even Weinstein doesn't always succeed. Miramax has had its share of failures in recent years."
"Indeed," Panny Kallis agreed. "Miramax's dominance at the Oscars has been overshadowed by DreamWorks in recent years."
As Duke often said, no one could guarantee the outcome of the most prestigious Oscars, not even the Weinstein brothers. When other major studios, like DreamWorks, ramped up their investments in the Oscars with films like "American Beauty" and "Gladiator," the Weinsteins also faced defeats.
The Weinsteins were strong in the Oscar race but not invincible. After years in Hollywood, Duke clearly understood this. Their success wasn't solely due to their Jewish background or certain connections. Most importantly, they were willing to invest heavily in the Oscars and awards season operations.
Sometimes, there is fairness in society. For instance, without investing corresponding resources, most of the time, you can't expect sufficient returns.
"We have an advantage over 'Master and Commander,' but we should still keep an eye on them."
As a seasoned PR expert, Panny Kallis knew that anything could happen until the very last moment. "'Master and Commander' also has its strengths. Its release date is closer to the awards season, it has better critical reviews, and its box office is far lower than ours."
When it came to box office performance, Panny Kallis showed a hint of resignation. Since "Titanic," high-grossing films often faced challenges at the Oscars.
The Academy promotes itself as a champion of popular art, but how many Americans truly believe their claims? More often than not, mainstream films are sidelined by them.
"We have a significant advantage, but we can't let our guard down," Panny Kallis concluded.
Duke agreed with her. Although the Academy doesn't make erratic decisions like the Grammys, they often favor niche films over mainstream ones.
Publicity and promotion efforts couldn't afford any relaxation.
While promoting their own film, attention also needed to be paid to competitors. After pondering for a moment, Duke asked, "Peter Weir is the director of 'The Truman Show,' isn't he?"
Hearing Duke's reminder, Panny Kallis's eyes lit up. "Yes, that's him."
"I've heard the Academy didn't like that heavily satirical film," Duke said. "Panny, at the crucial moment of voting, we can remind the Academy's conservative members that Peter Weir directed 'The Truman Show.'