For a film of this nature, with limited investment and a short production timeline, Murphy couldn't afford to spend large amounts of money and time building sets in a studio, let alone using time-consuming digital effects. Since Ross had never left the city from birth to his rise, shooting on location around Old Chinatown was the most time-efficient and cost-effective choice.
Filming in these areas, apart from ensuring safety, usually faced few restrictions from municipal departments.
Murphy himself had started out in the downtown slums and had lived in the Latin community there for a long time, especially in the earliest days of Stanton Studios. The property was still owned by him.
While Murphy was quite familiar with the Old Chinatown area, he hadn't been back much in recent years, except to visit Ross a few times. It was necessary to conduct a site survey before filming.
Surveying the locations wasn't something Murphy would do alone; Philip LaSalle and Helena Espola were indispensable. The cinematographer and art director needed to see the intended filming sites firsthand.
Additionally, Gal Gadot would need to negotiate with the location managers if Murphy and the team found suitable filming locations.
A group of people, accompanied by several bodyguards, took a business vehicle to the city center, driving around Old Chinatown a few times.
"The security here hasn't improved."
Sitting in the car, Helena Espola shook her head as she looked at the chaotic neighborhood, "It's no better than back in the day."
She had lived in this area when she first arrived in Los Angeles.
The car stopped in front of a run-down bar, and Murphy rolled down the window, pointing at the inconspicuous storefront. "This is the bar Diego Ross often visited. We can shoot the exterior scenes here. For the interior..."
Murphy looked at Gal Gadot, "You can take my business card and talk to the owner. It shouldn't be a problem."
The owner was also a friend of Ross and knew Murphy and Robert Downey Jr.
They went on to check out several other exterior locations, all places Ross often mentioned. Some of them Murphy had visited before. Despite the years that had passed, the neglected slum areas remained unchanged.
These places weren't all suitable for direct filming, and Murphy planned to have Helena Espola make some background adjustments.
The site survey concluded in the late afternoon. Murphy let the others go back first and decided to drive to his former residence and workplace.
Gal Gadot, needing to attend to other tasks, didn't go with him. She saw Murphy get into another SUV and took out her phone to make a call, quietly instructing, "Follow him."
A few bodyguards followed Murphy in another SUV.
Through the rearview mirror, Murphy saw the following bodyguards but said nothing. It had been years since he last visited, and having bodyguards around made him feel safer, especially in that Latin community.
After turning at a three-way intersection and entering the Latin community, Murphy drove all the way to the innermost part of the community and saw the small building.
The buildings here looked more dilapidated, rundown, and crowded than he remembered, as if they hadn't been cleaned or maintained in years, starkly contrasting with the paradise of Beverly Hills where he now lived.
Murphy knew these two places were the best reflections of the duality of this country.
Putting on his sunglasses and baseball cap, Murphy jumped out of the car and immediately noticed several people eyeing him with malicious intent. Some people's eyes were fixed on his luxury SUV, their feet unconsciously moving closer.
But the other car stopped nearby, and three burly men in black suits got out, instantly dissipating the potential threat.
The three bodyguards stood by Murphy's side, making it clear that he was not someone to be messed with.
Murphy ignored the bystanders. Knowing the area's security issues well, he left one bodyguard to watch the car and took the other two with him upstairs. Relying on his memory, he found the apartment and retrieved a dust-covered key from a hidden crevice above the door, then unlocked the door.
One bodyguard went in first to check for any dangers before allowing Murphy to enter.
Murphy understood they were following Gal Gadot's orders and didn't stop them. Ensuring safety was necessary given his current status.
Entering the small apartment and looking around the nearly empty room, Murphy saw the old sofa and decaying furniture, which gave off a faint musty smell.
"You guys wait here," he told the two bodyguards, then walked into the old workspace. The room was nearly empty except for a dust-covered desk.
He walked past the desk, ran a finger across it, leaving a clear trail in the dust, revealing the weathered surface beneath.
Murphy looked at the desk and sighed softly.
Time flies. Editing that video here and orchestrating that cops-and-robbers drama to secure the first round of funding—it felt like yesterday...
He turned around and walked to the window. Through the almost opaque glass, he could faintly see that the old hamburger joint was still there. Back when he was so poor he couldn't afford a proper meal, he survived on the cheapest burgers. If his gamble hadn't paid off, he might have ended up on the same path as Ross.
Standing there, Murphy knew that, looking back, the risk had been worth it.
After spending some time in the workspace, Murphy left, nodded to the bodyguards, and said, "Let's go."
He locked the apartment door and walked down the rickety stairs, suddenly recalling that the apartment's title might still be in the hands of the original Murphy Stanton's aunt, who had moved to the UK. She had never contacted him.
Of course, Murphy had no way to contact her either.
"Maybe she's already passed away," he thought. After all, he couldn't reach her, and she had never reached out to him.
As for the property, Murphy never intended to sell the small apartment. It was a testament to his struggle from the bottom to his current status.
As people age, they tend to reminisce about the past, and Murphy was no exception.
Murphy didn't linger long in the Latin community. Accompanied by three bodyguards, he left downtown Los Angeles and returned to Beverly Hills.
Revisiting the past occasionally was fine, but he wouldn't let it consume him. There were grander goals to pursue.
Murphy quickly shook off his nostalgia and focused on the new film "Diego Ross."
"Michelle..."
In the office of the Venice warehouse set, Murphy called in his casting director, Michelle Williams, and asked, "Any progress on the open casting call for African American actors?"
The film had only six months from preparation to completion, so everything had to be done with maximum efficiency. He didn't have the luxury of time to let the crew meticulously choose actors.
"I've contacted a few, and some have responded," Michelle Williams, seemingly prepared, placed a list on Murphy's desk and continued, "Don Cheadle personally called me, expressing interest, but his schedule isn't very flexible. Also, Will Smith's agent contacted me, saying he's willing to take one-third of his usual fee, but he wants the role to have equal screen time to the protagonist."
Murphy waved his hand dismissively. "Forget about Will Smith."
Will Smith was great, but his family was notoriously troublesome.
Murphy took the list and flipped through it. "Don Cheadle is out too; his appearance is too gentle, not suitable."
"In that case..." Michelle Williams pondered and then said, "Among those interested, the most famous is Tyrese Gibson."
Murphy looked up at Michelle Williams, who seriously said, "Tyrese Gibson fits the humorous image described in the script. Moreover, he has a good reputation with few scandals."
As a veteran who had followed Murphy for years, Michelle Williams knew why Murphy disliked using African American actors. Frankly, many African American actors were synonymous with trouble.
She added, "Tyrese Gibson's fee isn't high. If we negotiate, we can settle for around half a million dollars."
"Tyrese Gibson?"
The name sounded familiar. Murphy flipped through the information while Michelle Williams explained, "Tyrese Gibson is from Los Angeles. He previously played Robert Epps in the 'Transformers' series and Roman Pearce in the 'Fast & Furious' series."
With Michelle Williams' explanation, Murphy remembered who Tyrese Gibson was. He had seen both the "Transformers" and "Fast & Furious" series and recognized the bald African American actor.
"Okay..." Murphy nodded. "Contact Tyrese Gibson's agent. If possible, arrange for him to audition for the crew."
Aside from Tyrese Gibson, the crew also invited several other African American actors with good reputations in the industry to audition.
Additionally, the filming required actors to portray various gang members. Murphy instructed Michelle Williams to post recruitment information on the actors' guild and the crew's official social media, looking for strong and intimidating actors and extras.
Regarding props, guns and vehicles were no problem for Hollywood crews. Besides these, the most frequent prop in the movie was drugs.
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