The area surrounding the set was quiet, even the chatty Margot Robbie had shut her mouth because the green screen filming had started, and the progress was less than ideal. Henry Cavill was frequently messing up, either his expressions were off, or he was flubbing his lines. Murphy seemed on the verge of losing his temper.
Not only Gal Gadot, but everyone familiar with Murphy could see this. They knew Murphy seldom got angry, but no one dared to speak recklessly, fearing that interrupting the shoot could have serious consequences.
"Cut!" Gal Gadot heard Murphy's voice again. "Take five minutes. Jack, touch up Henry's makeup! Henry, you're doing well! But you can do better!"
As the shoot paused, Margot Robbie whispered to Gal Gadot, "Classic Murphy style."
Gal Gadot smiled, "Better than flying off the handle, right?"
Margot Robbie nodded solemnly, "Actors prefer encouragement. Yelling often has the opposite effect."
This wasn't her first time working with Murphy, and she had bad days too. Timely encouragement could do wonders for one's confidence.
Sure enough, Henry Cavill's performance improved steadily. After another take, he began matching Liam Neeson's level.
As Margot Robbie had previously mentioned, this scene was about a conversation of anger, determination, and revenge.
A bonfire was lit in front of the green screen, its flames crackling in the artificial wind, casting light on Liam Neeson and Henry Cavill's faces.
From her vantage point, Gal Gadot could see Murphy standing behind the main camera, watching every movement and expression of the two actors, ready to call "cut" at any moment.
However, Henry Cavill, who had been struggling earlier, finally seemed to find his footing.
"You're strong, stronger than I thought," Liam Neeson said, adding dry wood to the fire, speaking to Henry Cavill, whose eyes were fixed on the distance. "You're stronger than your father."
Henry Cavill turned to face him, "You don't know my father."
"But I know your anger!"
Compared to Henry Cavill, Liam Neeson's performance had been stellar throughout. "Your anger allows you to temporarily forget the pain until the longing for your loved ones becomes unbearable. One day, you will wish they never existed to make the pain disappear."
Henry Cavill looked puzzled. Liam Neeson calmly continued, "I wasn't always alone. I had a wife, the love of my life. She was brutally murdered. Like you, I learned not to tolerate evildoers, to show no mercy. Anger gives you immense power, but if you can't control it, it will destroy you. Anger almost destroyed my life."
"How did you quell your anger?" Henry Cavill asked.
"Revenge!"
"That won't work for me."
"Why not? Why don't you avenge your parents, Chris?"
These lines highlighted the ideological differences between Chris Dane and Raynor, leading to their inevitable split.
"Cut!"
Murphy suddenly called for a stop. Gal Gadot saw him wave the two actors over, and his voice faintly carried over, "Liam, your expression was a bit too much. You're not a villain; you're steadfast in your beliefs and those of the organization you represent. You believe evil must be eradicated and new order established on the ruins. In Raynor's heart, this is a very righteous view, and he firmly believes it."
Then Gal Gadot saw Murphy turn to Henry Cavill, "Henry, this was good, but I need you to be even better. You must convey the anger and fear buried deep inside."
"Sorry," Henry Cavill apologized, "I didn't adjust my state properly."
Gal Gadot could see that Murphy's standards were high. Even for a commercial film, there was no slack.
As a producer with ample experience working with Murphy, Gal Gadot knew how crucial the actors' performances were to the film, especially one with such a dark and realistic style.
This required not only realistic characters but also a fictional New York City that felt authentic—dark, corrupt, plagued by murder and crime. Such a city perfectly complemented the film's theme, laying bare the criminal world for the audience, making it feel less like fiction and more like grim reality.
Having observed the shoot for so long, Gal Gadot saw that compared to action scenes, Henry Cavill's acting was relatively lackluster. Many scenes requiring deep character and emotional expression took numerous takes to get right. This one took at least twenty before Murphy called it a wrap.
This didn't mean Henry Cavill wasn't dedicated; his work ethic was impeccable. Gal Gadot believed his inexperience in acting was one factor, and another was his approach—treating it as just another commercial blockbuster, focusing on action and neglecting the inner depth of his character. However, Murphy's film required a different approach, one where using typical Hollywood commercial techniques to portray Chris Dane wouldn't work.
Gal Gadot thought Murphy should have a proper talk with Henry Cavill. Perhaps he had been too busy lately and overlooked this. She would remind him when they got home.
The shoot continued, but Gal Gadot checked the time and prepared to head back to her office.
"Why are you leaving?" Margot Robbie asked in a low voice.
"I have a meeting with someone from the third-party insurance company," Gal Gadot whispered back.
Margot Robbie nodded, and after watching Gal Gadot leave, turned her eyes back to the set. Even though there were no scenes involving her character in the past two days, she came to the set every day. Since everyone knew she had close ties to the crew, she had to put in extra effort to prove herself, silencing those who might be jealous or resentful.
Watching Murphy film take after take, Margot Robbie thought of the other directors she had worked with. Murphy was not only the most talented but also the hardest working.
After the day's shoot ended, Murphy returned to the editing room to review the footage, as he always did, and to adjust the shooting plan for the next day. As a director, he couldn't afford to relax for a moment.
The entire crew worked under his coordination and direction.
Murphy knew exactly what he wanted on set and had clearly communicated his expectations to the crew. If what they delivered didn't match his instructions, he would repeatedly emphasize his needs, detailing the scene size, aperture, lighting angles, ambient sound effects, camera movement, and blocking.
A day on set was like a line of dominoes: from arrival, setting up the scene, lighting, camera positions, makeup, blocking, shooting, recording, script monitoring, capturing, and reviewing footage to prepare for the next day. If one piece fell, the entire schedule would collapse.
Sometimes, the pressure on set made it hard for Murphy to see things clearly or feel present in the moment.
Fortunately, Gal Gadot handled production and financial matters, sparing Murphy much stress. Yet, there were times when he arrived on set feeling exhausted, with no energy left to engage in the current scene. Despite being part of a team, it often felt like a solitary battle.
Mismatched props, inadequate lighting, incorrect camera angles, disconnected shot composition—all these issues frustrated him.
Rather than compromising, he preferred to halt filming.
Over the years, despite immense pressure, he had the impulse to quit many times. Yet, he persevered.
Initially, Murphy shouldered the entire workload and tangled issues alone until friends came to help, leading to the formation of a mature production team.
However, teams had turnover. For instance, the recent incident with Philippe LaSalle reminded Murphy to keep an eye on filling key positions.
What makes a good team? Murphy continuously evaluated the state of his core team members.
First, crew members had to understand and accept the responsibilities he bore for the project, recognizing the work's importance. Ideally, those he chose shared his values.
The film's type, story concept, perspective, and presentation style—who in the team could handle these tasks? Did their style align with the film? How would they communicate?
Competence and professional creativity were crucial. While Murphy guided actors, the cinematographer needed to lead technical decisions. Crew members should approach the cinematographer, not the director, with technical questions. The assistant director, executive producer, and cinematographer should alleviate unnecessary burdens from the director, allowing him to focus on directing.
As darkness fell, Murphy and Gal Gadot drove back to Beverly Hills. Gal Gadot recounted her observations from the day and suggested, "I think you should have a proper talk with Henry Cavill."
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