Echoes of Hollywood

Due to Ross's line of work, drugs would frequently appear in the film. Murphy had already shot a film involving many drug scenes, "The Wolf of Wall Street." He could use some of the methods from that film, such as using vitamin powder to substitute for cocaine. This allowed the drug scenes to look realistic without harming the actors.

Ross was born in the 1970s, but Murphy wasn't filming his entire life story. He was focusing on the significant events from the 1980s to the turn of the century. To give the film an 80s and 90s texture, Murphy, after discussing with Philip LaSalle, decided to forgo digital technology and use a film camera instead.

As Murphy had said before, whether it's new or old technology, it should serve the film itself.

Of course, for a small-scale investment film like this, Murphy wouldn't use IMAX cameras but the most common 35mm film.

However, the rapid development of digital technology had impacted the production and sales of film stock. Kodak's annual production of movie film was sharply declining, and there were industry rumors that Kodak might completely stop producing movie film in the coming years. This was bad news for directors who preferred using film.

Fortunately, although film stock had slightly increased in price due to reduced quantities, it was still affordable for the crew. And since Murphy had planned only one to one and a half months for shooting, he wouldn't need to shoot thousands of minutes of footage like for a commercial blockbuster.

With the initial production concepts firmly established, Murphy's vision for the film became increasingly clear.

Camera, props, costumes, lighting equipment, 35mm film, cars, funds, sets, location scouting... One task after another was prepared, and by late August, Murphy had finalized the cast: Robert Downey Jr. as Diego Ross, James Franco as the corrupt cop colluding with Ross, Jonah Hill as Ross's accountant, and Tyrese Gibson, who passed the audition, as the bald black man.

Additionally, Margot Robbie joined the crew to play Ross's first love.

The crew's preparations were in the final stages, and Murphy expected the film to start shooting in Los Angeles no later than mid-September.

Meanwhile, "City of Chaos" quietly exited North American theaters. After a run of more than twenty weeks, the film's final North American box office not only surpassed the $250 million mark but also crossed $260 million, totaling $261.27 million.

The strong performance in North America also boosted the global box office. The film's run in overseas markets was nearly complete, with only minor markets remaining. The total global box office was $588.50 million.

However, the film wouldn't break the $600 million mark.

Despite these numbers, 20th Century Fox couldn't recoup the $300 million spent on production and marketing. Fortunately, the film had additional revenue streams. According to 20th Century Fox's estimates, with the DVD release, TV broadcasts, and online channels next month, the investment would be recovered within one to one and a half months.

In any case, while "City of Chaos" wouldn't make 20th Century Fox a fortune, it would certainly break even and generate some profit.

Compared to the successful performance of "City of Chaos," the contemporaneously released "Thor" fared much worse. This film had already disappeared from North American theaters by the end of July. Marvel Studios' final North American box office report was $138.90 million, with a global box office of less than $300 million, and it wouldn't exceed that mark.

Murphy heard from Robert Downey Jr. that Marvel Studios was experiencing significant internal debate about the Thor character. A faction led by "The Avengers" director Joss Whedon advocated for cutting all Thor scenes to avoid dragging down the film.

However, Kevin Feige, a sensible person, firmly opposed this. Moreover, "The Avengers" had already finished filming, with much of the post-production completed. Removing Thor would require extensive reshoots, and the ongoing post-production work would need to be redone.

This dispute ended when Kevin Feige received full support from Walt Disney. According to Robert Downey Jr., Joss Whedon was removed from post-production, and Feige took over "The Avengers."

Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. found this quite normal. Few directors in Hollywood had final cut privilege; most were merely on-set performers and directors.

As the start date approached, Carla Faith, who was in charge of the project, came to the crew to discuss the film's advertising plans with Murphy. Given the late start, substantial promotional efforts were necessary to make an impact during awards season.

In other words, they needed the right strategy to advertise.

"We've scientifically analyzed previous award seasons," Carla Faith said, not wasting words with Murphy. Their relationship wouldn't hinder cooperation but improve efficiency. "We've particularly examined media dissemination and public attention patterns, combined with the film sales cycle. We've decided to use the 'Five Levels of Dissemination' strategy. By the time you complete production, various promotional platforms will boost the film's recognition, extend public interest, and maintain its popularity."

"Sounds good," Murphy agreed.

Though 20th Century Fox's investment wasn't exorbitant, they had raised $25 million. With such an investment, they naturally wanted to see returns, making promotion essential.

Carla Faith pushed a plan in front of Murphy, who opened it. The document outlined the overall promotional framework without specific details.

"Wave 1: Two weeks before release, announce through print media."

"Wave 2: Two weeks after release, create buzz in traditional media."

"Wave 3: Two and a half weeks before release to two days after, focus on high-intensity TV and radio coverage."

"Wave 4: Two and a half weeks before release to two months after, maintain continuous online tracking reports."

"Wave 5: Eight weeks after release, use magazines to reinforce and extend the film's popularity in preparation for the Oscars."

While the specifics would be determined based on the situation, this framework guaranteed sufficient attention during the awards season.

Such promotion was essential for any ambitious film. Advertising was indispensable.

Advertising had informing, persuading, reminding, and reinforcing effects. Most ads aimed to inform and persuade early on, but for big brands, reinforcement was needed.

The same applied to the film industry. Murphy wouldn't assume his brand, Murphy Stanton, was so well-known that promotion was unnecessary. Compared to Coca-Cola, McDonald's, or Louis Vuitton, his brand was still relatively small. They never stopped advertising.

So, Murphy never saw himself as above promotion. He believed it was essential.

First, Hollywood's film market was highly competitive, and consumers were easily swayed. If others advertised while he didn't, consumers would increasingly focus on his competitors and ignore him, leading to disaster.

Second, consumers' choices were often random and coincidental. If he didn't remind them occasionally, they might gradually forget him. It's better to be pessimistic about user loyalty.

Additionally, the market was expanding and changing. If he didn't advertise, new consumers would be drawn away by competitors, leaving him with just old customers.

Furthermore, market changes required evolving advertising strategies. Ads often served not just sales but also brand and concept reinforcement. The larger a film brand, the more it needed to focus on these aspects.

Of course, movie advertising wasn't about pursuing innovation blindly. As shown by Carla Faith's plan, the primary concern was matching Murphy and the film's potential audience.

"Diego Ross" wasn't a mainstream film; even among independent films, it was relatively niche. Proper positioning was crucial.

Murphy had considered changing the film's title, similar to how "Erin Brockovich" was known as "Erin Brockovich" instead of the translated title "Erin Brockovich." However, after discussing with Gal Gadot, Robert Downey Jr., and Carla Faith, he abandoned this idea and opted for a straightforward name, like "Erin Brockovich," using the character's name as the title.

This was a common approach for Hollywood biopics, making it easier for production and distribution companies to promote.

"Maximizing ad effectiveness is every Hollywood company's dream," Carla Faith said after discussing work with Murphy. "Especially in this era of skyrocketing online and offline ad costs."

"Fortunately, I don't have to pay for ads," Murphy joked, then asked, "What have you been busy with these past few weeks? I haven't seen you much."

Carla Faith stood up to get a glass of water. As she returned, she said, "There have been some unexpected developments with 'City of Chaos' in the Pacific market."

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