Among these films, Westerns also held a significant share. Since director Porter released the first Western, "The Great Train Robbery," in 1903, this genre featuring cops chasing robbers and soldiers pursuing bandits has grown increasingly popular. Berg's father, the portly Pullman, never tired of Westerns. By now, Westerns had incorporated essential elements like wilderness, wagons, revolvers, and wide-brimmed hats. Particularly last year, in 1924, the tremendous success of James Cruze's "The Covered Wagon" and John Ford's "The Iron Horse" solidified Westerns as the only genre that could rival comedies. Ford's "The Iron Horse," with an investment of 280,000,grossed280,000,grossed2 million, filling the coffers of the British film company BFI and catapulting Ford to fame.

  However, whether it's comedies or Westerns, to me, a film studies master's graduate from the 21st century, the movies of this era still seem quite rough. The stories are simple, the plots monotonous, and the use of camera techniques is rigid. Parallel editing was just beginning to be used, close-ups were rare, and characters were heavily stereotyped. Yet, they had already cultivated a large loyal audience.

  "Andre, these are the movies you used to love watching. Why aren't you paying attention today?" Gance popped a fried chicken piece into his mouth, staring at the screen absentmindedly.

  "Not interesting!" I shook my head.

  Hearing this, both of them turned their gaze from the screen to me, looking at me as if I were a monster. Berg widened his eyes and exclaimed, "Has the sun risen from the west today?! Who was it that always shouted that Porter was their idol and that one day they would make a movie like 'The Iron Horse'?! Not interesting?! You're saying your favorite movies aren't interesting?!"

  Seeing their expressions, I couldn't help but reassess the guy named Andre from before. (To have picked out Ford's "The Iron Horse' from so many bad films shows he had some taste in movies.)

  "Well, we have to surpass, right? Without surpassing, how can movies progress?" I could only give them a diplomatic answer. They nodded repeatedly, and Berg gave me a thumbs up: "As expected of a director, that's a profound statement."

  "Sigh, if only we could make such movies, how wonderful that would be. Counting money until our hands ache, holding beauties until our arms hurt, that's the life!" Gance's eyes glazed over, lost in his boundless imagination.

  Berg beside him also wore a dreamy expression.

  Gance's words, intentionally or not, struck a deep chord within me. Why can't we make movies? After all, I'm a film studies master's graduate, with several years of experience in the film industry and a solid theoretical foundation (compared to the directors of this era). Most importantly, many of the famous classics in film history haven't been made yet. Even if I'm not the brightest, I could still manage to replicate them!

  "Gance, how much does it cost to make an average movie now?" Gance was much more familiar with this than Berg and I.

  Gance glanced at me and said, "An average movie costs around $200,000, and high-budget movies can go up to one or two million."

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  "That much?!" I felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over me. 200,000?Goodgrief,myfather′sentirefortuneprobablywouldn′texceed200,000?Goodgrief,myfather′sentirefortuneprobablywouldn′texceed100,000. It's simply not enough.

  "That's not even including the cost of printing posters! Plus, there are various other expenses that add up. What's the matter, big director, thinking of making a movie?" Gance wore a mocking smile.

  "What's the minimum cost to make a movie?" I was still unwilling to give up and pressed on.

  Seeing my seriousness, Gance dropped his casual demeanor and turned to me with a straight face, "Boss, you're not really thinking of making a movie, are you?"

  I stared into his eyes, silent.

  "Alright, you got me!" Gance shook his head, "Low-budget movies are hard to pin down. There are ones that cost tens of thousands, thousands, or even just a few hundred. Last time, a small script supervisor at Paramount spent over a thousand bucks to make a movie, but it could only be shown to himself. If no film company is interested and no cinema is willing to screen it, then it's just something for your own amusement. Boss, the risk is huge."

  Hearing Gance's words, I felt a spark of excitement. According to Gance, the cost of making a low-budget movie isn't that high. If we make a decent one for a few thousand bucks, it's not impossible. My father might not have much money, but squeezing out eight to ten thousand from him should be manageable. If he doesn't give, there's always Berg; his family is wealthier than mine, and getting a few thousand from him shouldn't be a big problem. As for Gance, forget about it; his family is dirt-poor, and there's no oil to squeeze there. As for the production costs, I'll direct. From our recent interactions, I've noticed Berg's photography skills are passable. With me overseeing, he can handle the cinematography. The remaining expenses are actors and film stock. We can't afford big stars, but there are plenty of hopefuls in Hollywood eager for fame. Hiring some unknowns would cost at most a few thousand. Film stock might be the most expensive part. Regular movies use 35mm film, but we can economize by using 16mm. For a 60-minute movie, the film stock would cost at most ten to twenty thousand. As for equipment, we can rent what we can't afford; a few dozen dollars a day is within our budget. The rest is promotion. Currently, the most common method is printing posters and distributing them on the streets. We can print fewer, but I have a better idea. As for screening, we can start at my family's cinema and have my father invite some minor executives from big companies. Given his connections with Warner, he should be able to get some to come. I'm confident that these executives will be impressed with our movie at first sight; otherwise, my film master's degree would be a waste.

  Calculating it all, the total cost for our movie would be around $40,000. While it can't compare to those costing hundreds of thousands or millions, the quality should be decent.

  I shared this idea with Gance and Berg, and both were fired up with enthusiasm. After all, we've been studying for so long, and making our own movie is definitely everyone's dream. Moreover, Gance and Berg have never been fond of the big shots in Hollywood. What could be more satisfying than working for ourselves?

  "I think this is a great idea, really great. But, but the money..." Gance, poor and short on ambition, found his sore spot poked when it came to the money.

  Berg and I exchanged glances, then smiled at Gance, "Don't worry about the money. Even if we squeezed you through an oil press, not much would come out. Berg and I will handle it. You just take care of all the legwork and promotion outside of filming. But if this venture succeeds, we'll share the spoils equally."

  Gance's face lit up with layers of smiles, and he fawned over Berg and me, "That sounds great, boss, fatty. My future good life is in your hands! I don't ask for much—a villa, a car, a high-end one, a butler, servants, and a dozen beautiful girls will do."

  Seeing him getting carried away, Berg pushed him aside with his butt and then said to me with a simple smile, "Let's talk about the money then."