"Hello..."
Margot Robbie, dressed in professional attire, stood in front of a house in the Boston suburbs and addressed the elderly man who had just opened the door. "I'm looking for Ronald Paquin."
The old man looked at her curiously and nodded. "That's me."
Margot Robbie confirmed once more, "You are Father Paquin?"
"Yes," the old man answered firmly, "that's right."
"I'm Sasha Pfeiffer, a reporter from the Boston Globe." Margot Robbie quickly introduced herself, then opened her bag and took out her necessary interview tools. "Can I ask you a few questions?"
Father Paquin appeared very kind. "Sure, go ahead."
Murphy made a gesture, and the cameraman inside quickly moved to position himself behind the actor playing Father Paquin. The camera on the Steadicam began capturing close-up shots of Margot Robbie.
After the honing experience of "Dark City," Margot Robbie's acting had improved significantly, although still not on par with acting heavyweights like Meryl Streep. Nonetheless, she had progressed a lot compared to her past as merely a pretty face.
Overall, Murphy was very pleased with her performance in "Spotlight."
"We've interviewed several men who stayed with you at St. John's Parish when they were boys," Margot Robbie efficiently prepared her notebook and pen. "They said you molested boys there. Is that true?"
Seemingly taken aback by the question, Father Paquin hesitated before finally saying, "Yes, I did act inappropriately. But I never found any pleasure in it."
Margot Robbie perked up, as if she had found her direction. She continued to take notes while asking, "Okay, so you admit to molesting boys at St. John's Parish?"
"Yes, yes," Father Paquin nodded gently, "as I said, I never found any pleasure in it. You have to understand that."
"Alright. But..." Margot Robbie pressed on, "Can you tell me where it happened? And what exactly did you do to these boys?"
"I want to make it clear, I never raped anyone," Father Paquin sighed. "There's a difference, which I know."
"How do you know?" Margot Robbie asked.
"Because I was raped," Father Paquin revealed a shocking truth.
"Sorry, sorry..." Margot Robbie could hardly believe what she heard. "Who raped you?"
"Cut!" Murphy shouted, satisfied. "That's a wrap! Take a ten-minute break!"
"Maggie's performance is getting better and better," Gal Gadot said, walking over from behind.
Murphy nodded. "Her acting has improved a lot."
Though acting skill is often a subjective judgment, Margot Robbie had indeed evolved beyond being just a pretty face.
"By the way," Gal Gadot handed over a document, "this is part of the film's promotional plan. Kara just faxed it over and needs your signature."
Murphy took the document, quickly glanced through it, and signed his name on the last page with Gal Gadot's pen.
20th Century Fox had already started the initial promotion of the film, and the campaign had been exceptionally successful, riding on the ongoing media coverage of the Catholic Church scandals.
The document Kara Faith needed Murphy, as the producer, to sign off on was for the third phase of the promotional plan.
The first phase of promotion ended when filming began. "Spotlight" was currently in the second phase of promotion.
According to Hollywood traditions, the planning and preparation phase of "Spotlight" marked the first stage of its promotion.
During this phase, Hollywood marketing companies typically conduct research on the script concept, film title, potential directors, and actors, considering market prospects. They also look into commercial elements that can be embedded into the script, testing and researching potential commercial brands, talking points, and positioning.
Even before filming begins, they design the future ancillary products, profits, and distribution models based on the script and positioning. This stage is crucial for the overall success of the movie marketing.
The second phase begins once the film starts shooting.
In this phase, the marketing companies implement and supervise the marketing strategies developed during the planning phase. This includes negotiating real partnerships for product placement, evaluating and monitoring the impact of these placements on the film and the brand, collecting and preparing EPK materials for future promotional videos, planning for the next steps in business and channel partnerships, and managing new media dissemination of behind-the-scenes footage and stills in a spoiler-free manner.
Under the Hollywood film system, product placement often begins in the early or mid-stages of filming, aiming for a bundled marketing effect rather than just making money.
Even a serious film like "Spotlight" had sponsors and advertisements, such as the cars used by the main characters. However, Murphy handled this discreetly to avoid seeming forced.
The third phase mainly involves pre-release promotions. The plan Murphy signed off on was part of this phase, focusing on building momentum around the Venice Film Festival.
Since Murphy and "Spotlight" had secured a spot in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival, their goal was clearly to aim for the Golden Lion.
After signing the document and chatting with Gal Gadot about other work matters, Murphy resumed shooting. They wrapped up the day's shoot by mid-afternoon and headed back to the hotel.
The filming was progressing smoothly, well within the scheduled timeframe. Murphy wasn't rushing, as only a few scenes remained. Despite some difficulties with the Catholic Church and minor protests from its followers, the help from the Boston Globe and Robbie Robinson ensured that the production was not significantly delayed.
Murphy sometimes found it hard to understand why some believers refused to accept the overwhelming evidence of the Catholic Church's scandals.
As someone who didn't believe in gods or spirits, he couldn't comprehend their mindset.
In the following days, Murphy continued leading the crew across various locations in the Boston area. Due to the few exterior scenes required, the shooting locations were scattered, making the crew less efficient compared to studio filming.
During this period, the original "Spotlight" team journalists visited the set, taking photos with the actors portraying them. These would serve as excellent promotional material for the film.
Murphy had multiple interactions with these journalists and always came away with a positive impression.
To be honest, they were the most professionally ethical journalists he had encountered since entering Hollywood, even since arriving in America.
The original investigative team painstakingly unearthed the truth hidden by the Church from old files and interviews, a process far less thrilling than action movies' daring heists or courtroom dramas' intense confrontations. Yet, their effort, anger at the priests, sense of responsibility to protect children, and commitment to truth were all encapsulated in a thin stack of newspapers.
They used the most basic methods, sifting through records to identify frequently transferred priests, then verifying these findings—a tedious process. The invisible battle between the four-member team and the priests involved was visualized through this monotonous yet impactful data.
Here, the traditional media, or more accurately, print media's power far exceeded that of modern media forms.
While data collection still played an important role in the contemporary new media industry, it didn't have the same visceral impact as the extensive archives of traditional media. This highlighted both the meticulous preservation of past records by the American press and the spirit of journalists with genuine professional ethics.
That spirit was something neither Murphy nor Kara Faith, who had worked in the industry, possessed.
Murphy understood that this film didn't need to portray traditional media as weak and lamenting but to showcase its power, courage, and resilience.
Filming in the Boston area continued until the end of February. On the afternoon of February 26, after shooting a street scene with Jonah Hill and James Franco, Murphy officially announced the completion of all filming. The crew members were free to leave Boston and enjoy their break.
Murphy personally transported the film reels back to Los Angeles. Upon returning, he had no time to rest or start post-production immediately. He was busy preparing for the upcoming Oscars.
The 86th Academy Awards ceremony was set for March 3, and neither Murphy nor Gal Gadot had prepared their attire.
Murphy's outfit was easy to handle—a well-fitted dark suit would suffice. However, Gal Gadot's gown was more complicated, and there was no time for a custom-made one.
Fortunately, Gal Gadot had an unused dress from the previous year. Although it was last year's style, it was custom-made and wouldn't risk a fashion faux pas.
With the final preparations completed, the 86th Academy Awards ceremony arrived.
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