Made In Hollywood

Chapter 943: The Man Who Creates Miracles

"Duke, is there something you forgot to tell me?"

Inside the CBS television studio in Burbank, Nancy Josephson stood at the door of the lounge, looking at the ring on Duke’s hand, deliberately speaking in a teasing tone.

As an extremely shrewd agent, she knew exactly how to get along with Duke now. Having served Duke for over twenty years, their relationship had long surpassed that of an ordinary director and agent.

Sitting in a high-backed chair, flipping through the interview strategy prepared by Panny Kallis, Duke raised his head, glanced at Nancy Josephson, smiled, and said, "I remember asking Tina to inform you."

"Not being able to witness you proposing to Scarlett with my own eyes..." Nancy Josephson patted the back of the chair in front of her. "That’s truly a regret. If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have gone to Europe on that business trip."

She then asked, "Aren’t you two planning to hold an official engagement ceremony?"

Duke shook his head. "Scarlett and I don’t have such plans. We’ll save the ceremony for the wedding."

A gentle knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Ellen DeGeneres’s assistant came in to inform them that the show was about to start.

Handing the materials in his hand to Nancy Josephson, Duke followed the assistant through a long corridor, arriving backstage, standing in the camera’s blind spot, faintly able to see the busy figures ahead.

This episode of The Ellen Show differed from past recordings and broadcasts. It wasn’t easy to invite a superstar guest like Duke. To boost ratings and add excitement, the show had decided to air live this time.

Opposite the stage was the audience seating. This time, many temporary seats had been added — about five hundred audience members filled the studio. Unlike most talk shows that used crew members as stand-ins, all of these were Duke’s real fans specially invited by the production team.

In terms of commercial success, across the global film industry, Duke was unquestionably number one on multiple charts — total box office, North American box office, and single-film box office rankings...

Some people might curl their lips and say he’s just a commercial director, perhaps only a bit better than Michael Bay.

But two Academy Awards for Best Director had long since silenced those people.

At the other camera’s blind spot on the side of the stage, the show’s director called for action. A wave of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience as host Ellen DeGeneres walked onto the stage, standing before a massive background screen.

On the screen behind her was a striking photo of Duke at work, along with a bold headline — "The Man Who Seeks and Creates Miracles!"

Ellen DeGeneres crossed her hands in front of her and said, "As Duke Rosenberg continues to craft a new cinematic era with stunning visual effects and brilliant editing, he still focuses on the key to a movie’s success — masterful storytelling."

It was not yet time for Duke to come on stage. Ellen DeGeneres walked to her seat, looked up at the giant screen behind her, and continued, "Over the past quarter-century, with a nearly one-film-per-year pace, Duke Rosenberg has proven just how far a director can go — showing that the quality and quantity of his films are both astonishing!"

The big screen began playing clips from Duke’s directed films. As the montage rolled, Ellen DeGeneres continued, "No other director has contributed more to modern film technology than Duke. He is audiences’ favorite director — rational yet not aloof. Duke is a dreamer, one who loves to push the boundaries of cinematic imagination, vividly illustrating his boundless creative desires while changing the way we experience movies. Through his work and each remarkable film, he continues to prove his lifelong devotion to cinema."

At this point, Ellen DeGeneres made an inviting gesture. "Please welcome the first director in history to step into the 20-billion-dollar club Duke Rosenberg!"

After checking his appearance one last time, Duke strode onto the stage, first waving to the audience, then walking over to Ellen DeGeneres, who greeted him with a big hug.

Although she was one of the most famous homosexuals in Hollywood and privately rumored to have dated the most Hollywood actresses Duke didn’t mind at all. After sharing a brief embrace, he sat down on the sofa opposite her.

"Welcome, Duke."

Unlike usual interviews, Ellen DeGeneres clearly knew the man sitting opposite her was not an ordinary Hollywood director. "Congratulations on entering the top three of Forbes’ Global Billionaires List."

Duke nodded slightly. "Thank you."

The two had already talked plenty beforehand, so they didn’t linger on that topic and instead shifted toward the film industry.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens created a miraculous $3 billion box office record..."

The conversation gradually returned to movies. Ellen DeGeneres smiled lightly as she asked, "But unlike your other films, this one used more traditional special effects. Does that mean traditional effects are making a comeback, or that digital technology’s future isn’t as bright as expected?"

"Indeed, Star Wars: The Force Awakens used a lot of traditional on-set effects..." Duke reminded her, "But the digital effects used were no fewer than the practical ones. In fact, without digital effects, those practical effects could never have achieved the results presented on the big screen."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ellen DeGeneres countered sharply, "Not long ago, Steven Spielberg talked about special effects at a press conference. He said he believes in the magic of the practical, not the magic of the digital. What’s your take on that?"

"Steven is a true master of cinema, a teacher we all look up to. He constantly reinvents himself, and that’s why we can keep learning from him."

Having reached his current position, a little humility didn’t hurt. Duke shifted his tone and said, "But I do have a different view from him in some areas. He still uses KEM editing — that editing machine that looks like a stubborn mule. It’s clearly his comfort zone, a place that reflects how he connects his material."

Duke shrugged slightly. "But for me, filmmaking technology is evolving. I want to be at the crest of the wave. I want to lead it, not let it wash over me. I don’t want to stand by watching others ride that wave toward the shore. I thoroughly enjoy the process. On the other hand, the best balance between technical production and artistic intent is to make sure technology doesn’t intrude upon or interfere with the storytelling — the core and soul of cinema. I’ll admit, I didn’t handle that balance well in Speed and The Rock, but I did in The Dark Knight and The Avengers."

Ellen DeGeneres’s next question jumped topics abruptly, as if trying to break his rhythm. "Can you tell us which was the first film that truly influenced you?"

"Sorry, I don’t remember."

Of course, Duke wasn’t some rookie. "Back when I was still in elementary school, I was already imagining stories from my own perspective. At that time, I was a simple kid with a deep longing for the fantasy tales found in movies, books, or anywhere else. Later, in Mountain High School, I spent an hour commuting every day, so naturally, I read on the way — usually short science fiction stories."

"So when did you decide you wanted to be a director?" Ellen DeGeneres asked quickly.

"When I was studying at CalArts, I started doing basic work on Hollywood sets, like being a temp worker in the set design department."

With a faint look of reminiscence on his face, Duke seemed to recall the late-1980s scenes. "I saw some directors messing up one scene after another. They didn’t know where to place the camera or how to light the shot. At that moment, I thought, if that’s what it takes to be a director, I can do it too."

Laughter rose from the audience. When it subsided, Duke continued, "In my mind, I hadn’t realized I could actually do it — not until I saw how badly some people did. Looking back, that was a bit arrogant. Of course, one day you’ll face the moment when you truly are that person directing the camera, setting up the shots, and everything else..."

"Those moments can be deeply intimidating." Duke’s early directing career hadn’t been smooth; his first film’s production was full of challenges. "When you have no experience, it all catches up with you. You have to build your strength. By the time I directed Speed, I had enough confidence and experience. Fortunately, with a relatively low budget and a short shooting schedule, I didn’t do too badly."

"Success doesn’t come easy — we all know that," Ellen DeGeneres said as Duke nodded. Then she asked the next question, "The fast-paced rhythm of Speed that distinctive ’Rosenberg tempo’ carried into The Rock and your later works. This pace makes audiences feel like they’re racing through the wild. How did you develop that style?"

But Duke shook his head. "There’s no such thing as a ’Rosenberg style.’ I’m not even sure there is one. I’m always trying to carve out new paths. Like a skier who only loves fresh snow, I’m always searching for newly fallen snow."

"In Speed, I didn’t have any particular style. I had a lot of ideas. I wasn’t influenced by film school, nor by John Ford or the cinematic aesthetics of that era..."

...

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