Chapter 108: Ben Discovers Inspiration

[Chapter 108: Ben Discovers Inspiration]

Ben Affleck had dreams of becoming a director and often took it upon himself to learn everything he could about the craft. In his mind, he believed that all Hollywood movies were made by shooting one scene after another, then editing them together to create a finished film.

However, Renee Zellweger told him that Link approached filmmaking differently; he treated it as an experiment. He filmed the entire movie from start to finish, dissatisfied, then shot it again, and again, until he got it right. Ben thought about this method based on what he had learned about directing, and he concluded that it simply wouldn't work.

Making movies was costly. Shooting one take and then another could double the expenses, and higher costs meant greater risks. No film studio could afford such extravagant spending, nor would they permit directors to squander money that way. Instinctively, Ben felt this approach was flawed.

Yet the truth was that Link made films this way. The first film, Buried, was both critically and commercially successful, raking in profits over 3,500 times its budget. The second film, Paranormal Activity, boasted an astonishing return of 30,000 times its production costs, earning its place in film history as one of the most profitable movies ever made.

If Link's method were truly impractical, how could those films have performed so well? They dominated the box office, overshadowing even big-name directors. Was it possible that Link's way of making movies was the real deal? Were other directors missing the mark? Did becoming a successful director and a millionaire really just hinge on adopting Link's approach?

"Ha ha ha!" Ben clapped his hands, his excitement bubbling over. Rather than pursue fame like Matt Damon, he longed to be a director. Just as Link had stated in interviews, the director was the coolest person on set, while everyone else was merely a tool for the director.

Being a director in Hollywood seemed far more exhilarating than acting. Previously, he hadn't considered directing because of his lack of confidence. However, hearing about Link's filmmaking technique made him envision a bright path to success. If he learned Link's methods and repeatedly shot a film, he could undoubtedly create something incredible.

...

"Ben, what are you laughing about? Did the Blair Witch put a spell on you?" Matt Damon jokingly asked, nudging his shoulder.

"Ha ha, Matt! I've figured out how to be a director! Maybe we can reclaim the Good Will Hunting script and shoot it ourselves," Ben replied, barely containing his enthusiasm. He wanted to learn from Link, repeatedly filming until he found the best version to show the world. This version would surely make money!

Matt shook his head in disbelief. "Ben, have you considered the production costs for Good Will Hunting? I ran the numbers; it would take at least ten million dollars. One shoot would cost ten million; shooting it twice would double that, and three times would be thirty million. With a thirty million dollar investment, we would need a box office of at least sixty million just to break even. Do you really think our version can pull in sixty million?"

"Of course! If Buried and Paranormal Activity can have thousands of times their production costs, then Good Will Hunting should do well too! I mean, even a hundred times return isn't unreasonable -- at least ten times should be doable, right?"

Given the $10 million investment, Ben cautiously calculated that a hundred times would amount to a billion, and he didn't dare dream too big.

"Stop dreaming. Even if you want to direct, don't emulate Link. His three films had incredibly low budgets -- Buried was twenty thousand, Paranormal Activity was also twenty thousand, and the Blair Witch Project was only $100,000. Are you seriously thinking of using that model with a project costing millions? Even if you were a billionaire, you wouldn't have enough to cover the losses."

"Ben, you can learn from Link by writing a few low-budget scripts and filming them first. Who knows? You might just become a big director too!" Renee tidied herself up and headed toward the set.

"That actually sounds reasonable," Ben stroked his chin thoughtfully.

---

"Alright everyone, it's time to take the stage."

"Follow the previous arrangements for positioning."

On a small-town road, Link wore his trademark baseball cap, wielding a camera pointed at Renee, Ben, and Matt. This scene depicted the trio arriving in Wilton, preparing to venture into the forest rumored to be home to the Blair Witch after interviewing a few townsfolk.

"Scene 7, Take 1. Action!"

Filming began for the second version of The Blair Witch Project.

...

"Who wants to kick off the opening shot?" Ben called out from behind the camera.

The shot panned to Matt and Renee, who were set up for the scene; Matt squatted down adjusting his watch while Renee was perched behind a rearview mirror, applying lipstick.

"Of course, I do," Renee declared, walking over to stand behind the camera, now taking on the role of the photographer.

The camera turned to Ben, who held a clapperboard, noting the time, scene number, shot number, and other vital details for this documentary.

"Do we need to cut our fingers and put a little blood on this?" Ben asked, putting away his pen.

"No, we want to keep this pristine," Renee countered as she held the camera.

"Come give this thing a kiss," Ben suggested, leaning in to place a kiss on the board before handing it to Renee, who leaned in and kissed it too amid the shaky camera.

"This is our first act."

"There's my lipstick mark," Renee pointed out.

"Mike, come give it a kiss," Ben offered, positioning the board near Matt's mouth. Matt promptly took a bite out of it.

"Don't eat it; we still need it!" Renee chimed in.

...

"Cut!"

"Great, moving on to the next shot."

This round was filmed in black and white, utilizing a handheld camera, leading to a shaky, unclear image that nonetheless felt authentic.

"Wait, can we shoot like this?" Sofia Coppola questioned from behind the monitor, watching the screen intently.

"Yes! They're all doing pretty well."

"Pretty well? Their performances lack depth and emotion! And your shot design is so rough -- it jumps from angles to long shots to close-ups and back, jostling around non-stop? You think this quality is acceptable?"

"It can work. It's documentary style -- the footage is from the lead character, Annie, and resembles personal travel videos, so the quality won't be high. In this scene, they just need to be relaxed and treat their filming as a true adventure; there are fewer requirements beyond that."

"Fine, I won't argue with you. I'm curious to see what kind of monster results from your approach," Sofia said.

"Just wait and see; this is going to be a brilliant movie," Link replied, smiling gently as he signaled for the trio to continue filming.

*****

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