Find a quiet spot, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🌙 ✦ Burbank’s postproduction space sat close enough to the edge of the city that the view from the window was mostly trees.
Evan held a hamburger and ate while looking outside, giving his eyes a break from staring at the screen for too long.
He had to admire Julia.
Coming from the post department of a small film company, she was technically excellent.
At first, Evan had to keep giving detailed requirements.
Once she adapted to the style he wanted for the movie, he barely needed to correct her.
He looked at Julia, who was eating and resting too.
“Julia, I’m surprised I haven’t heard of an editor as good as you.
Have you always worked in this little shop?” “Yes.
I graduated from USC too, so I guess I’m your senior.
It’s been ten years since I graduated, and I’ve worked here the whole time.” Julia was pleased by the compliment and happy to talk.
“That’s real endurance,” Evan said.
“Working here for ten years.
Have you never thought about looking for a bigger opportunity?” He believed that if this middle-aged editor wanted to leave, she could probably find a better job.
“No.
I interned here after graduation and never left.
I don’t want to leave.
This place has everything I need.
People respect me, and I get to do the editing work I like.” That was rare in Hollywood.
Here, anyone with ability usually wanted more fame and more money.
Evan had never met someone like Julia, willing to work in one place for ten years without chasing the next ladder.
“How do you stay excited about the work?” he asked.
“I can’t imagine sitting in an editing room every day, cutting different films for ten years, without it becoming dull.” Julia tilted her head and thought.
“I like it, so when the work starts feeling stale or I can’t find inspiration, I adjust.
It’s just personal experience, but if you want, I can share it.” Evan nodded.
“Of course.
This is my first film.
I’m still a rookie.
I definitely want to hear your experience.” “Keep watching movies,” Julia said.
“Movies audiences actually like.
Popular TV shows, documentaries too.
Sometimes I recut old films into completely different stories.
“It keeps the work fresh.
It also reminds me that the films I edit have to face an audience.
Watching what audiences respond to teaches me how to cut something they can accept.
That gives me ideas.” Julia was not famous in this vanity fair, but her skill and practical experience were exactly what Evan lacked.
“That’s what keeps my enthusiasm and my editing instincts sharp,” she said.
“No idea whether it will help you.
We’re on schedule.
If we push, the rough cut should be finished this afternoon.” Evan watched her finish the coffee in her cup and return to the screen.
He slowly turned over what she had said.
“Hi, Evan.
How’s the edit going?
I came to see our movie and visit you.” He looked up and saw Naomi enter the editing room with Luke.
She carried several cups of coffee and stood in front of him with playful brightness.
“Not bad,” Evan said.
“We should finish the rough cut today.
If we’re lucky, you can see it first.
I haven’t seen you around the apartments these days.
Where have you been?” Since returning from production, he had not seen Naomi at the apartment building.
“I went back to Australia.
Rested two days, saw my mother.” “Mm.
I thought you had moved out.
I hear Australia is overrun with wildlife and good for hunting vacations.
If work ends, maybe I should go there for a holiday.” “Australia is good for vacations,” Naomi said at once.
“Not only hunting.
We have beaches too, and sunshine all year.
It’s a great place to relax.” Evan saw Julia turn and glare at them.
Talking in the editing room was affecting her work.
He took Naomi outside.
They sat on a bench under a tree beside the small building, and Naomi told him what had happened during her trip back to Australia.
“Evan, I heard your investment wasn’t large,” she said.
“Can you still finish post?” She was worried.
Her first starring film could still die because of money.
“Relax.
I still have three hundred thousand dollars.
That’s enough.
If the edit goes smoothly, I’ll have at least a hundred thousand left.” Naomi looked up in surprise.
She knew he had only started with $1.2 million.
Not going over budget in production would already have been impressive.
Having that much left stunned her.
“God.
How did you do that?
We all thought production had nearly spent everything.” “Make a plan.
Execute the plan strictly.
Every department has to function like a station on an assembly line: precise, coordinated, and on schedule.
Even though early shooting was rough, planned adjustments let us catch up completely later.” He chose his words carefully.
“Assembly line?” Naomi murmured.
“Yes, Nami.
Hollywood’s essence, or at least its nature, is the assembly line.
You may not understand that yet, but eventually you will.” Evan looked at her seriously.
He wanted her to lose the glamorous fantasy as early as possible.
Naomi frowned.
“How can Hollywood’s essence be an assembly line?
Isn’t Hollywood supposed to be film art?
Evan.” He took a cigarette from his pocket, smiled with a little sarcasm, and lit it.
“Nami, Hollywood is exactly what destroyed film art.
In the beginning, film really was an art form.
Audiences looked at filmmakers the way they looked at Picasso or Chopin.
“Then industrialization came.
Everything that could be commercialized was commercialized.
Even the Mona Lisa was pushed through printers, framed, and sold by the stack.
Where is the art in that?” He inhaled deeply and continued through the smoke.
“So film became a tool for making money.
The production process became an assembly line.
Do you know what keeps those Hollywood research companies alive?
Capital needs them.
“They send people to conduct market research and find out what kind of movies audiences are willing to pay for.
Then they hire departments to write scripts that match those appetites.
“After that, directors, lighting, props, set dressing, everyone does their job and produces the movie the audience has already said it might buy.
That is modern film.
A commodity produced on an assembly line.
It has very little to do with art.” Naomi watched him crush the cigarette under his shoe and shook her head, disappointed.
“Then what are we?
We train, wait for impossible chances, and suffer, just to become chess pieces for capital?” “No.
We are the same as everyone else.
What moves us forward is fame and profit.
Me included.
Don’t think too much.
Whatever else it is, that system has already become Hollywood’s money machine.
“Everyone keeps asking why I dared to make this movie.
Because I know it can make money.
It can become a decent product.
The team making it may be half rookies, but strictly speaking, it is still a decent product from that assembly line.
“Remember this.
If someone ever tries to tempt you with film art, don’t be polite.
Tell him to fuck off.
If he hasn’t seen the nature of this circle, he won’t succeed.” Naomi slowly smiled, then adopted a theatrical voice.
“This film will absolutely go to the Oscars.
What do you think?
The pay isn’t much, but the artistic achievement is very high.
Want the lead?
Want to attend the Academy Awards?
If you do, come to my room tonight and study the lines with me.” She burst out laughing.
Evan laughed too.
Yes, many actresses who wanted so-called artistic achievement were willing to “study lines.” The Oscars, at bottom, were another beautifully packaged commodity.
But that game was still far beyond them.
“Nami, you sound experienced.
Has someone tried that line on you?” Naomi hugged his arm.
“I’m not important enough yet.
It was a fellow Australian.
She’s lucky.
Not long ago, she married the famous Tom Cruise.
I heard her mention it at a gathering for Australian actors.” Oh.
Evan suddenly remembered.
Nicole Kidman had already married Tom Cruise this year.
And in this period, Nicole Kidman was stunning enough to make people dizzy.
He remembered the fearlessness Nicole Kidman would later bring to Eyes Wide Shut.
“How is your relationship with that fellow Australian?” Evan asked.
“If it’s good, keep in touch.
As Mrs.
Cruise, she could help you a lot.” Naomi clearly did not agree.
“We know each other, but we aren’t close.
And I’m not building my career by asking Mrs.
Cruise for favors.” Evan could hear pride, and perhaps insecurity, in the answer.
He had no reason to assume Kidman saw Naomi as a rival.
He checked the time and stood.
“Nami, I need to go back to work.
Thank you for visiting.
The coffee is good.” “Fine.
I’ll go home too.
Tonight you can come over.
I brought back a good bottle of red wine.
I think you’ll like it.” Naomi stood, winked, waved, and walked away.
Evan watched her disappear down the street and muttered under his breath, “Red wine.
I’m pretty sure that stuff is not half as tempting as you are.” ✦ ✦ ✦ Ready for more?
CREATORS’ THOUGHTS TheBacklot Thank you for reading.
I hope this chapter drew you further into the story.
Stick around, because there’s still a lot waiting just ahead.