Chapter 22

Making a movie is not an easy task, and Murphy was well aware that he needed to make adequate preparations, especially in terms of funding.

Therefore, Murphy showed up on time at the club where he had agreed to meet Leon-Ross the next day. Since the terms had been basically agreed upon beforehand, there was not much small talk between them.

Leon-Ross, representing Kobe Bryant, paid Murphy $100,000; in return, Murphy handed over all the materials related to the photos and signed a confidentiality agreement.

Such transactions between media reporters and celebrities are not uncommon and are not particularly significant.

As promised, Murphy received the $100,000 and was in a great mood. When leaving, he specifically shook hands with Leon-Ross, "Please convey my respect to Mr. Bryant. If I have the opportunity, I will definitely go to watch him play."

Leon-Ross replied without any courtesy, "I hope you never have such an opportunity."

After saying that, he walked out of the room with CAA's lawyer without looking back, showing no interest in further interaction with Murphy.

Murphy watched his back, shrugged, and then left as well. Despite Leon-Ross's anger, he did not take it to heart. Yesterday, he had specifically asked Cara Fice to find out more information. The basketball department was relatively unimportant to CAA, which placed the most emphasis on American football in the sports agency field.

This is not surprising, as American football is the top sport in North America, with far greater influence than the NBA and other leagues. CAA's main business is still focused on the North American market.

However, Murphy would not ignore CAA's significant influence. At present, he was just a small figure, and in the eyes of CAA's bigwigs, he was no different from the paparazzi seen everywhere on the streets of Los Angeles. No one would pay much attention to him. If he could enter Hollywood and gain some fame, the impact of this matter would truly manifest.

But Murphy did not regret his actions at all. To accumulate the initial capital for development as quickly as possible, unconventional means were necessary.

At the very least, he did not violate the law.

"Since the advent of capital, every pore has been dripping with blood and dirt."

With this thought in mind, Murphy left the club, drove to Channel 6, and continued to participate in the production of the documentary. Similar to the previous situation, during the production process, he was more like a student, greedily absorbing all the post-production techniques and experience.

This is the Los Angeles area, home to Hollywood, the most advanced place for film technology in the world. Even though the people making documentaries mostly came from a relatively obscure station like Channel 6, the rigor and philosophy of their post-production work left Murphy, a novice, in awe.

Indeed, he had more knowledge and experience than the average person, having studied and researched the latest film technology and knowledge at a film school on the other side of the ocean. However, learning and practice are two different fields, and being good at one does not necessarily mean being good at the other.

Murphy settled down, temporarily putting aside other thoughts, and spent the following period in the post-production studio of Channel 6, constantly asking various questions from experienced people like Griffith.

The difficulty of producing this documentary was not great, and Murphy was well aware that the problems he would encounter when shooting his own films would be much more numerous.

The documentary was simply a compilation of many video materials that had been shot, and the time required was not long. Moreover, the black movement in the Los Angeles area could not continue indefinitely, so it was necessary to release the documentary as soon as possible to have an impact.

Half a month later, the hype and protests over the white police officer's shooting of an unarmed black criminal in the Los Angeles area gradually subsided. Just as the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and City Hall had quieted down, Channel 6 broadcast the documentary during prime time—*City of Sin*!

From the title, it was not hard to see what the theme of the documentary was. This 55-minute documentary was a compilation of criminal activities in the Los Angeles area, featuring car accidents, murders, drug transactions, and armed robberies. It reflected that criminal activities in Los Angeles were not limited to one area but had spread to every corner. It also subtly pointed out the conflicts between ethnic minorities and whites due to social injustice.

Among these, the Bill Road case and the Beverly Hills police shootout shot by Murphy were the highlights of the entire documentary. Although the footage was not particularly clear due to the equipment used, the real and bloody gunfight scenes still caused a huge reaction.

Especially the last scene, where a black criminal was shot dead by white police officers without any ability to resist, was beyond shocking.

The news footage, due to various considerations, had many sensitive or bloody scenes censored, but the documentary had a greater degree of freedom...

Undoubtedly, the documentary attracted widespread attention, and Channel 6 quickly became the most popular local TV station in the Los Angeles area.

The black movement, which had just subsided, erupted again due to the theme of the documentary and the complete broadcast of Murphy's footage. Large crowds of protesters gathered in front of the Los Angeles City Hall and County Sheriff's Department, providing more material for media reports.

Channel 6 also collaborated with a video tape distributor to prepare to release the documentary on discs and tapes.

Although a significant amount of the footage used was shot by Murphy, Channel 6 paid a certain copyright fee, and the benefits Murphy received were not substantial. However, he was satisfied, as he had participated in the entire production of the documentary, learned a lot, and gained some experience.

More importantly, he had somewhat improved his relationship with Griffith. If he encountered editing problems in the future, he could seek his advice.

Although Griffith was just one of the many unknown editors in the Los Angeles area, he was far superior to Murphy, who had almost no practical experience.

"Congratulations..."

In an Italian restaurant, Murphy sat at a window seat and raised his glass to Cara Fice, "Congratulations on your promotion."

Cara Fice, wearing a well-fitted casual suit, had her curly blonde hair neatly tied back. She raised her glass, clinked it with Murphy's, and smiled before drinking, "Thank you!"

They both finished their drinks in one go.

Murphy picked up his knife and fork, cutting the steak on his plate while asking, "How does it feel to be the news director of Channel 6?"

Previously, Cara Fice was responsible for the news programs during the night and early morning hours. After her promotion, she was in charge of all the news programs on Channel 6.

Cara Fice tucked a strand of loose blonde hair behind her ear, pouted, and said with a sigh, "It feels great not to have to work the night shift!"

She picked up a small piece of steak, chewed it, and Murphy suddenly looked at her curiously.

"What's wrong?" Cara Fice thought she had gotten something dirty on her face, touched her cheek, and was about to take out a small mirror from her handbag, "Is there something on my face?"

"No." Murphy gently shook his head, "I'm just surprised you're not wearing makeup today."

In the past, although Cara Fice did not wear heavy makeup, she always had a delicate professional look. Today, she had only a very light makeup on.

"Doesn't it make me look ugly?" Cara Fice said self-deprecatingly.

"Of course not." Murphy looked at her appreciatively, "You look more fresh and natural this way, not as intimidating as when you wear professional makeup."

"Is that so?" Cara Fice picked up her knife and fork, "Don't forget, I'm a woman. If I don't look strong, how can I work?"

Gender differences are always a significant factor in the workplace.

Murphy nodded and smiled, "Does the fact that you can see me like this mean that our relationship is more than just work?"

Cara Fice raised an eyebrow, "What do you think our relationship is?"

"I thought we were already friends." Murphy said lightly.

"Friends?" Cara Fice's lips curled into a playful and mocking smile, "Do you have friends like you? Every time you bargain, you always try to force me..."

Murphy spread his hands, "Dear, work is work, and personal relationships are personal relationships."

Unlike Ross, whom he met in prison, Murphy could not specifically describe his relationship with Cara Fice. They met through work and became closer due to similar ideals, especially after he gave up his work as a freelance journalist and no longer provided news footage to Channel 6, he and Cara Fice became even closer.

In fact, he understood that once the last financial ties between them ended, their interactions became less guarded.

To be honest, Murphy thought a phrase from the other side of the Pacific could aptly describe his friendship with Cara Fice: birds of a feather flock together.

As they ate and chatted, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious, especially when they talked about the documentary's impact on Channel 6's ratings, starting from the Bill Road case. They both laughed happily.

In such a private setting, both Murphy and Cara Fice laughed with great satisfaction and without restraint. What they thought about was the significant benefits they had gained, not some abstract concepts like news ethics or social responsibility.

As the meal gradually came to an end, Cara Fice took a big sip of water, wiped her mouth, and suddenly changed the subject, "When will your plan start?"

"As soon as possible." Murphy put down his napkin, "This documentary has taught me a lot..."

He pointed to his head, "I already have a clear plan here."

Cara Fice asked, "What about the funding?"

"Minus the fees paid to lawyers and other expenses." Murphy calculated in his mind, "I still have over $300,000."

At this point, his brows furrowed. This amount of money was really too little for making a movie.

"I have a suggestion." Cara Fice said in a serious tone she had never used before, "Don't put all your money into it."