Echoes of Hollywood

"At your current shooting efficiency and speed, the amount of 35mm film prepared by 20th Century Fox might not be enough."

During a break on set, Gal Gadot, who had taken on some production responsibilities, approached Murphy to discuss a recent issue reported by the crew. "I contacted Kodak's distributor in Paris, but their inventory is insufficient."

Murphy nodded slightly and said, "Contact Kara Faith immediately. There should still be stock in 20th Century Fox's warehouse. Have them airfreight it as quickly as possible."

"I'll get right on it." Gal Gadot was about to leave but suddenly remembered something and reminded Murphy, "I heard some rumors that Kodak is in bad shape and could go bankrupt at any time."

"I understand." Murphy frowned slightly. "Go ahead with your tasks."

Kodak facing bankruptcy was bad news for all directors who preferred shooting on film. Since entering the new century, this famous film company had been struggling. The rise of digital technology had nearly driven them to the edge. Last year's and this year's economic crises must have delivered significant blows. Even if they could avoid bankruptcy this time, they probably wouldn't survive many more years.

Murphy then instructed Gal Gadot to keep an eye on any news related to Kodak's situation, as it would affect his future filming choices.

According to the information provided by Gal Gadot, Kodak could still hold on for now, and the production of film stock crucial to the entire movie industry would not be halted. Moreover, Kodak had reached a new agreement with Hollywood's big six studios to continue supplying high-quality film stock. Directors like Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, and Ridley Scott still planned to shoot their upcoming films on film.

There were even news reports titled "Hollywood Directors Join Forces to Save Kodak Film," pushing for the agreement between Hollywood studios and Kodak to ensure a certain amount of film stock production and sales.

As the world's largest film stock manufacturer, Kodak's film sales had plummeted by a staggering 92% since 2004.

Even though Murphy frequently used film for his shoots, he was well aware that the complete replacement of film by digital technology was an irreversible trend. It was only a matter of time.

Industry insiders were not optimistic about the efforts of several Hollywood directors. They believed that while these efforts could temporarily save Kodak, ultimately, digital filming, being more convenient, would replace it. For young directors, film would increase their shooting costs, making digital filming more suitable.

Of course, as a director and movie enthusiast, Murphy did not want to see film disappear.

A faint acidic smell—the smell of film—a projector capable of supporting two reels, round film canisters, and reflections on a white cloth focusing into light and shadow... once, these were all Murphy's memories of cinema.

Since the advent of digital technology, the debate over the superiority of film versus digital has never ceased. The vividness of film and the starkness of digital form two entirely different aesthetics.

For centuries, the world of images had used film as its timeline, witnessing the history of cinema. However, the arrival of a fast and advanced digital era brought down the hand-crafted projection, filled with countless warm memories, of the film era.

Frankly speaking, the decline of film is the result of both technological and economic factors.

In recent decades, every innovation in the film industry has been driven by a series of Hollywood-led industry standards. 35mm, 24 frames per second, widescreen technology, 3D... all followed this pattern.

However, Hollywood studios' preference for digital movies isn't because the images are superior to film but because they are more cost-effective.

Consider this: a 90-minute movie on film is approximately 3,000 meters long, requiring five or six prints, each weighing about 25 kilograms, to be manually delivered to each theater. In contrast, a digital movie can be distributed via an encrypted digital hard drive or even a USB stick, delivered directly to theaters via satellite without anyone leaving their office.

Financially, the cost of making a film print exceeds $2,000, whereas a digital copy costs only a few hundred dollars. Given such considerations, the choice Hollywood and global studios would make is self-evident.

As long as technological progress continues, outdated technologies will always be eliminated. However, some directors see the replacement of film by digital technology not as true progress but as an illusion of progress. They feel that film, superior in color reproduction and saturation, is unjustly relegated to museums and storage.

The film shortage issue did not affect the shooting schedule. After Gal Gadot contacted Kara Faith, 20th Century Fox used their reserves and airfreighted enough 35mm film to Paris.

With the backing of a major company like 20th Century Fox, many problems that arise during preparation, shooting, and promotion are barely problems at all.

Today, 20th Century Fox has become one of Hollywood's leaders, thanks to its integrated strategy, encompassing both horizontal and vertical dimensions.

This integrated strategy allows for resource sharing, achieving synergy, and ultimately lowering costs and increasing efficiency. News Corporation's media companies span broadcasting, film, print, publishing, and the internet, with excellent content from each subsidiary being shared globally within the group.

Horizontally, 20th Century Fox has expanded through acquisitions to include Fox Cable Networks, Fox Television, Fox News, Fox Music, and Fox Film.

Vertically, 20th Century Fox extends beyond film production to numerous marketing ventures, theme parks based on film scenes, DVD businesses, internet operations, and related consumer products.

These business expansions bring the company closer to the end movie consumer.

Such a vast platform is something Stanton Studio cannot compare to, and this advantage wasn't built overnight but through long-term development and accumulation.

Even a fool knows that starting a new film company today, hoping to surpass Hollywood's big six by making a few excellent films, is nothing short of a delusion.

It's a sign of mental issues.

Lionsgate once enjoyed a brief glory with a series of blockbuster films, seemingly on the verge of becoming Hollywood's seventh major studio, only to fade into obscurity. This again shows that a new company can't reach the top tier just by making good movies.

With the 35mm film airfreighted by 20th Century Fox, Murphy's crew resolved their last problem, and the shoot proceeded smoothly. As long as the lead actors like James Franco, Christoph Waltz, and Margot Robbie maintained their performances, the shooting would go well. By mid-April, the initially lagging schedule had caught up.

After more than three months of filming, by late April, the crew finally approached the final scenes.

Since this scene's setting didn't overlap with previous shoots, Murphy specifically left the film's ending for the last shoot.

James Franco, Christoph Waltz, and Christoph Waltz's stunt double were quickly ready. Murphy checked the lighting, props, background, and camera positions on the exterior set and, satisfied with everything, gave the order to start filming.

The serene grove set the stage for the ultimate showdown between the small-time crook and the big villain.

Murphy signaled Philip LaShelle, who controlled the main camera on a dolly, moving it to the side of James Franco and Christoph Waltz.

Although four actors were in the pine forest exterior, it was undoubtedly a direct confrontation between James Franco's and Christoph Waltz's characters.

"Utivich and I heard your conversation with the general. Tonight will end the war..."

James Franco said solemnly to a frantic Christoph Waltz, "I'm also willing to make such a deal."

Christoph Waltz sensed something was wrong, losing his previous elegance, and exclaimed, "You will be punished!"

"This is a very good deal." James Franco ignored his words and continued, "As for your shameless request, considering you're willing to take down the Nazi high command, I think it's worth considering."

Christoph Waltz looked at James Franco as if he couldn't figure out his next move.

"When you get the property provided by the U.S. government, you'll take off that Nazi uniform, right?" James Franco repeated, "Won't you?"

Christoph Waltz didn't answer, but his mouth twitched slightly.

"I thought so too!" James Franco began to show a big thug's demeanor. "This is something I cannot tolerate!"

He leaned close to Christoph Waltz's ear, "If my career goes well, you'll never take off that uniform. But I know that's unrealistic; you will take it off eventually. So..."

James Franco drew a knife from his waist. "I'll give you a Nazi mark that you can't remove!"

The filming paused temporarily. Then, using a dummy, James Franco carved a deep Nazi mark on the fake scalp.

With this, "Inglourious Basterds" completed all its filming. The next day, Murphy took the shot film back to Los Angeles to begin post-production.

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