Chapter 161: The Other Side of the Competition
As March approached, Duke temporarily handed his miscellaneous affairs over to Nancy Josephson. Reunited with film editor Mike Dawson at Warner Studios, he kicked off post-production for Saving Private Ryan. Aside from the essential post-production crew, he also dragged in Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola, ending their brief vacations.
Both of them were more than happy to participate in the film's post-production; after all, it would build valuable experience for their futures.
Duke knew perfectly well that he couldn't keep Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola around forever. Hardly anyone entering this industry with aspirations of becoming a director would be willing to serve as a permanent assistant. The moment the right opportunity arose, they would inevitably fly solo.
This was an inevitability that even James Cameron and Steven Spielberg couldn't avoid, so Duke could only plan ahead. He had Nancy look for suitable replacements and instructed Sofia to post job listings. Although Zack Snyder and Sofia Coppola wouldn't find the right opportunities in the short term, any newcomers would still need time to train and gel with the team.
Earlier that month, Duke had taken care of another matter. After paying the required dues, he officially became a member of the Directors Association. The only reason he had put it off until now was simply that he had forgotten.
Even though Hollywood had directors like George Lucas—who had angrily quit the Directors Association and never rejoined, even up to his retirement, nor did he join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences—Duke had no intention of following his example. Besides, the benefits of joining the Directors Association far outweighed the restrictions.
Just as he would never touch cult films, Duke had never considered drifting away from mainstream cinema.
Inside the editing room, Duke gathered Mike Dawson, Sofia Coppola, Zack Snyder, and several other assistants for a brief meeting.
Duke first reiterated his editing philosophy, which was a complete departure from his previous work.