In the northern part of the San Fernando Valley, there's a small town called Shack. The crew of "The Purge" had been in the town's O'Neill district since last week, shooting a few outdoor scenes.
After spending more than half a month running around distribution companies in the Los Angeles area, contacting George Clinton about media interviews with the crew, and explicitly investigating "Band of Brothers" and Stephen Ambrose, Michael Davenport finally arrived at the O'Neill district in Shack.
The shooting was going smoothly. With a small crew and relatively unknown actors, conflicts were minimal, and no issues arose that required Michael's intervention as a producer.
The most significant potential conflict could have been between the two actresses playing the daughters, who might compete for scenes. However, due to their age difference, Michelle Williams and Amanda Seyfried got along well during rehearsals. Amanda's mother, in particular, knew how to maintain good relationships.
Michael had lost count of how many times Mrs. Seyfried distributed homemade pastries to the crew.
These small gestures might seem insignificant, but played a significant role in maintaining good relationships within the crew.
While Amanda Seyfried was sent to Hollywood early to earn money, having a mother like hers was indeed fortunate.
Navigating relationships is an intricate art. It's unrealistic to expect actors not to have conflicts; otherwise, it wouldn't do justice to their profession or satisfy the gossip-hungry public.
Michelle Williams and her on-screen mother, Melissa Leo, had a few minor disagreements, but director James Wong resolved them efficiently.
Over the past month, Michael realized James Wong was a capable director.
Although it was his first time directing a film, James Wong accumulated extensive experience working in various roles such as crew member, writer, assistant director, associate director, television director, and producer.
This Asian-American director is someone whose deep foundation allowed for a strong impact.
To facilitate the shooting, the crew temporarily rented half a block, which consisted of only five or six houses in this typical suburban town.
The crew was filming a gunfight scene, with gunshots echoing like popping beans.
Michael stood on the sidelines, watching. The producer's job wasn't to shoot the film but to monitor the progress and specific situation.
During a break in the filming, a blonde woman who had followed the crew from Los Angeles approached Michael.
"Good morning, Mr. Davenport."
Hearing the greeting, Michael smiled politely. "Good morning, Judith."
Judith was a loan officer from the bank who had precisely followed them to the San Fernando Valley.
Judith's face was full of enthusiasm. "Mr. Herman sends his regards."
Michael replied courteously, "Thank you." He added, "And thank you for the bank's support of Seashore Entertainment."
"You're too kind," Judith said with a smile. "We're partners."
She had managed to retain Seashore Entertainment as a client from her superior: "Judging by the filming, this seems like a large-scale production. Do you need financial support from the bank?"
In this highly competitive era, quality clients took a lot of work to come by.
Who would easily lend money to an average client?
Michael said calmly, "If we need it, I'll give you a call."
He noticed Mary and Robert approaching and indicated them with a nod. "Excuse me, I have some work to attend to."
Judith, now devoid of her initial arrogance, understood perfectly. "Mr. Davenport, I'll leave you to your work. Feel free to contact me anytime you need."
It seemed she had followed them all the way from Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley just to exchange a few words.
Once Mary and Robert joined him, Michael led them to a soundproofed van.
"Good job with the accounts." Michael turned on the air conditioning and praised Mary, the chief financial officer. "Mary, you're an expert in this field."
Mary smiled without false modesty. "Are the Arabs planning to audit the accounts?"
Michael shook his head slightly. "No. I had a call with Saleh the other day. His brother Mansour was pleased to hear the crew officially started filming."
Robert chimed in, "Should we revisit Abu Dhabi?"
"Not now," Michael replied clearly. "We'll talk after 'The Purge' is released."
For the "Final Destination" project, nothing less than a $10 million investment would suffice.
Robert slapped his forehead. "Oh, by the way. You asked me to keep an eye on the Indians. I discovered that the small delegation from India who came to Los Angeles made a special visit to DreamWorks."
Michael frowned slightly. "DreamWorks has ties with the Indians?"
It wasn't surprising. Hollywood producers scam all over the world. He had heard a recent rumour about a production company scamming a few million dollars from across the Pacific.
He had been tempted but decided against it. One must have some principles.
"Is DreamWorks trying to get Indian investment?" Michael asked.
"Possibly in the future. This time, the Indians were just scouting," Robert replied.
For some reason, Michael instinctively linked this to "Band of Brothers." That miniseries required a considerable investment. Even with HBO, it would be challenging for DreamWorks to gather enough funds. It's said that some newly wealthy Indians had substantial money.
However, even if true, it likely wouldn't be straightforward.
"Band of Brothers" faced numerous issues, primarily involving its author, Stephen Ambrose.
The first impression of this author? Special advisor for "Saving Private Ryan," author of "Band of Brothers," and biographer of Nixon and Eisenhower—quite prestigious. However, after investigating, Michael discovered Ambrose had been embroiled in numerous plagiarism and copyright scandals since the '90s, some involving "Band of Brothers."
A few years ago, a WWII veteran accused Ambrose of plagiarizing his memoirs and diaries.
Since "Band of Brothers" was currently just a book and not widely disseminated, this issue hadn't escalated.
If the accusations were true and the veteran caused a stir, "Band of Brothers" could face copyright disputes.
Hollywood adaptations often encountered such issues, usually resolved with money.
Those causing trouble usually wanted some benefit.
After thinking for a moment, Michael said to Robert, "Keep an eye on the Indians."
Indian money is still money.
Robert nodded, understanding Michael's intention, and would prioritize monitoring the situation.
Mary asked, "How's the distribution situation?"
She had to handle financial matters and hadn't accompanied them.
"As expected," Michael replied succinctly. "No distribution company has shown a willingness to sign yet, but apart from a few like DreamWorks, others have said they'll consider it after seeing the final cut."
Recalling their previous film experience, Robert gently reminded, "We're a small company, new to theatrical releases. It's normal."
Michael understood the implication and said, "I know." He thought momentarily and added, "Simply sending out the film for review seems a bit passive."
"Yes." Robert agreed. "Do you have any ideas?"
Michael rubbed his chin. "I have a thought. How about we host a screening? Invite distribution experts and some film enthusiasts. This way, we're proactive and can better engage them."
"That's a good idea," Mary agreed.
Robert concurred, "Many production companies do that, and it's said to be effective."
"Alright, we'll organize a screening." Michael decided. "I've contacted several distribution companies recently, and we should be able to invite representatives from five or six companies."
He lowered his voice slightly. "I have some other ideas, too."