Standing on one side of the podium, Professor Scott Fonda pointed at the title on the screen and asked, "Have you all seen his latest film Transformers?"
Some students responded aloud, others nodded. Among the dozens of people here, almost all had watched the film.
"Tell me your thoughts," Scott Fonda casually pointed to the far-right seat in the first row, "Let's start with you."
It was a Black girl. Just as she stood up, Scott Fonda added, "Don't use your professional knowledge. Speak only from your heart, just from the perspective of an ordinary viewer."
The Black girl hesitated for a moment, then said, "I think Andrew Garfield is very handsome."
The classroom burst into a round of good-natured laughter.
Then more people stood up.
"I thought it was exhilarating, really thrilling."
"So-so, not my type of movie."
"The visual effects were absolutely flawless."
"A low-quality film full of noise…"
That was Joseph's comment. Carter glanced at him, then also stood up and said loudly, "I found Transformers to be nearly two hours of non-stop excitement, never once feeling boring. Duke Rosenberg used realistic 3D effects to bring the audience into another world. Transformers makes people believe that technological innovation truly can change how films are experienced. Director Duke Rosenberg's ambition is as powerful as his imagination. This is not a simple film it's like a goldmine, worth digging into by film lovers."
Everyone turned to look at Carter—it was obvious this wasn't his own opinion.
Carter quickly explained, "This is a comment shared over a million times on Instant Share in June. I believe these people are far more representative than our small group here. Thank you!"
Having defended his idol, Carter sat back down.
A film, a director, can't possibly be loved by everyone. The following opinions still ranged from praise to criticism. Among these academy-minded people, criticism outweighed praise.
"Seems like a lot of people don't like Duke Rosenberg."
Scott Fonda pointed to the line of text on the screen: "What Makes Duke Rosenberg So Unique." He said, "You can dislike him, but you cannot deny his style or his success! In fact, he is the one you should most emulate in Hollywood."
A buzz of discussion rose in the classroom. Scott Fonda gestured for quiet with both hands, then continued, "I'm not saying you should follow his exact path. Duke Rosenberg's success cannot be replicated. What I want you to learn is Duke Rosenberg's attitude toward filmmaking, and his wide array of film techniques."
Those who had criticized Transformers earlier now stayed silent. After spending years at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, how could they not understand the impact Duke Rosenberg's films and techniques have had on Hollywood?
Standing beside the podium, Scott Fonda raised his voice, "You all know the fact—general moviegoers love him. Art film fans look down on him. But in my view, both camps have failed to assess his films with a careful, thoughtful attitude."
He looked at his students and declared loudly, "More and more fans and media now hold Duke Rosenberg in high regard. Even those who dislike him must admit one fact: love him or hate him, Duke stands in Hollywood stands at the very top of Hollywood!"
Hearing this, even students who disliked Duke's style felt a bit dispirited. No matter how critics attacked his films for lacking soul or artistic value, they still couldn't stop him from becoming the hottest director in Hollywood.
This kind of situation left them confused and frustrated.
Pressing the remote in his hand, Scott Fonda switched the slide. It was several stills of explosions. "Some of you may think there are countless people in Hollywood making commercial films, and Duke Rosenberg is just one of them. But I want to remind you—those mountains of explosive action scenes, whether you like them or not, are Duke Rosenberg's most distinctive way of existing. In Hollywood, there may be hundreds of directors who can shoot commercial films, but there is only one Duke Rosenberg!"
The students looked at their professor, not understanding why he held a commercial film director in such high esteem.
"Every director has something to offer, even someone like Uwe Boll!"
This name made many students laugh. Uwe Boll was practically synonymous with terrible films his works like House of the Dead, BloodRayne, and Dungeon Siege had been criticized and ridiculed by countless people.
Scott Fonda continued, "In the film industry, Duke Rosenberg is absolutely a trailblazer never afraid to try new visual techniques. His style is instantly recognizable his camera work, composition, and editing are explosive, dynamic, and unique. Even though the abundance of action scenes and complex elements can numb our senses, his style is truly distinct. Watching his films, maybe just a few seconds in, and you'll realize, 'Oh, this is a Duke Rosenberg film.'"
He raised his right index finger and waved it at the students. "There are very few directors in the world who can achieve that!"
"I don't know if you're aware of this, but Duke Rosenberg's influence on the visual language of modern Hollywood filmmaking is incredibly profound."
Scott Fonda pointed at the screenshots on the projection screen and asked a series of questions. "Duke-style action films are known for their fast and fierce editing. Compared to other directors—like Paul Greengrass, who directed the Bourne series—what makes him so special? Car chases and big explosions aren't original to Hollywood. So why is it Duke Rosenberg who's so successful? Why do fans and all the major studios in Hollywood flock to him?"
Upon hearing the question, a brown-haired boy in the front row raised his hand, but Professor Scott Fonda didn't let the student answer. Instead, he gave the answer himself.
"I've discussed this with Jerry Bruckheimer, George Lucas, Charles Roven, Kathleen Kennedy, and Steven Spielberg. Their opinions are basically the same."
Raising his voice again, Scott Fonda stated the conclusion he had drawn, "They all believe that Duke Rosenberg has a deep understanding of the demands of the film market and knows exactly what audiences like. He has a super-strong intuition, as if he was born knowing what's needed to make a movie that audiences will love, and he presents those elements in the most extreme form possible."
Carter looked at the professor and unconsciously nodded. Whenever he went to watch a movie, he always felt he had seen it all, yet Duke's productions still managed to completely surprise him.
"When I was twenty-eight, I attended the premiere of The Rock," Scott Fonda recalled. "If I was already highly anticipating Duke Rosenberg's film before watching it, then after seeing it, I thought it could score an eleven out of ten. That's what his movies are like he always makes the audience feel that the ticket was worth the price."
"He's a master at combining cinematic elements set design, camera movement, color composition he handles them all with ease. He's also a master at choosing subjects. The themes of his films allow his imagination to run wild and bring all his crazy ideas to life."
At this point, as an anti-Duke voice, Joseph finally couldn't hold it in anymore. He raised his right hand.
"You there…" Scott Fonda motioned for him to stand. "Speak. What's your question?"
"Professor…" Joseph spoke clearly and loudly, "Duke Rosenberg is just one of many traditional directors in Hollywood!"
"That's indeed true."
After signaling for him to sit down, Scott Fonda continued, "In certain respects, Duke Rosenberg does follow Hollywood's usual practices—such as going for the biggest spectacle possible and relying on an assembly-line production model."
"But think about this…" he said in a prompting tone, "The early Hollywood directors you admire, like William Wyler and Cecil B. DeMille, weren't they also of this same type?"
Seeing many students nodding after some thought, Scott Fonda went on, "The biggest difference is that today's audiences have lost interest in the epic themes of ancient Rome and the Bible. In contrast, comic-book-based superhero movies are on the rise. In other words, Duke Rosenberg is now a leading figure in mainstream Hollywood cinema!"
Putting Duke on par with William Wyler, the creator of The Best Years of Our Lives, infuriated some students like Joseph. If the person standing in front wasn't their professor, they might have flipped the tables.
As his eyes scanned the classroom, Scott Fonda naturally noticed some students' discontent. He couldn't help but say, "Think carefully—From Ben-Hur with its chariot races to Superman who can fly just by lifting his foot, and to the massive transforming robots from outer space Is there really any difference for the audience, for Hollywood?"
Is there really a difference? Joseph was momentarily stunned, then quickly understood the meaning behind those words. For a highly commercialized Hollywood, these things really made no difference at all…
They're all just products Hollywood uses to generate profit!
"Today's Hollywood—Duke Rosenberg is a very unique figure. More and more people are trying to emulate him, but the vast majority will never reach his level," Scott Fonda had witnessed over the years how Duke-style films had taken the world by storm. "I must say, even though many people won't admit it, the truth is that Duke Rosenberg's films have become the benchmark that many can only look up to."
It's not just at the USC School of Cinematic Arts across all film-related institutions in America, the number of people researching Duke's films is steadily growing.