Chapter 95

Lucas looked at the set in front of him, finding it somewhat novel.

Catherine was very strict about the set design, insisting on absolute realism with no room for errors or anything out of place.

Therefore, at least from the outside, the sets were extremely intricate.

"Really uncomfortable..."

Catherine walked out of the dressing room, with Elsa beside her.

Since returning to the United States, Elsa had been her personal maid, and Catherine had long grown accustomed to having Elsa take care of her daily life. For Catherine, there was nothing more wonderful than this.

"Uh..."

Lucas was startled by Catherine's appearance.

Because of the contract with DreamWorks, Lucas had the opportunity to enter the set, and in fact, Catherine also valued him greatly.

After all, the quality of his "StarCraft" was slightly higher than her "Wasteland."

No matter how he looked at it, Lucas was a "golden child" in her eyes, and he needed to be nurtured. Of course, Catherine also needed to prevent any possible issues.

"It feels so strange. But I have to endure it."

She was wearing a tight blue bodysuit made of latex, which covered her entire face and extended into her mouth. It was a necessity for the acting.

During the "Wasteland" production, Catherine had always wanted to make a cameo, but she never had the chance.

Now, she had found her opportunity.

Catherine was playing an artificial intelligence named "Elizabeth," who appeared early in the film to assign tasks and analyze problems for the protagonist's team.

This character was special—she was a 3D semi-transparent projection.

How to achieve the semi-transparent effect?

The answer was simple—it was Catherine's ace in the hole:

Processing on the film.

During actual shooting, the actors performed with a real-life Catherine playing "Elizabeth." There were no special effects at this stage. Meanwhile, the background for each frame was separately shot for post-production use.

After the film was shot, it would be sent to the special effects department for normal editing. In the edited film, the actors were still interacting with a real person, with no special effects.

Then came the crucial part: using special effects to make Elizabeth semi-transparent.

At this point, each frame containing Catherine as Elizabeth had to be projected onto a clear plastic film (i.e., animation cel). The outline of Elizabeth was then drawn on the cel. The artists would then color it—this was manageable, as a few people from the "Harry Potter" animation team could be pulled in.

They would add the outline and the semi-transparent effect—remember the separately shot backgrounds? They would be used here. In the end, there would be a large number of cels, each corresponding to a frame of the film containing Elizabeth. The cels were clear everywhere except where Elizabeth appeared in each frame.

In the processed film, each animation cel was placed on a black background and shot with a lens that created a halo of light around Elizabeth. If the film were played on a projector, the audience would see Elizabeth moving against a black background. The real scenes from the film would be double-exposed onto the same film. This created the effect of a semi-transparent 3D Elizabeth in the air!

This method was absolutely Catherine's original creation.

This approach could at least achieve 1990s special effects, and if the artists were skilled, it could be even more realistic.

The only drawback was the cost.

Catherine invested a total of $25 million in this film. Although the set was not as grand as "Wasteland," the special effects were far superior.

Even though Catherine's appearance was only about 10 minutes, the number of frames to be shot was between 15,000 and 20,000. In actual filming, the number of frames shot would only be more, not less.

The cost for this alone was in the millions, possibly even close to $10 million.

Moreover, many of the props required intricate design.

Catherine also used panoramic filming and 70mm film, which were considered "high-end" in this era. The equipment she used for filming alone could make many people envious.

Catherine believed in Karasanto's abilities; his "Garrison's Gorillas" had influenced an entire generation—both Americans and Chinese.

"Don't be nervous. Just imagine you are the person in the story when you act..."

Bruce Lee was also giving Stallone some tips and experiences on the side.

Speaking of Bruce Lee, Catherine had already signed a long-term contract with him.

To avoid historical events, Catherine also provided Bruce Lee with a dedicated medical team to manage his training and prevent overwork. A significant part of the analysis of Bruce Lee's death was due to overwork. Another reason was his allergy to antibiotics, but with his own medical team, things were much better.

Of course, there was another reason that troubled Catherine... the Hong Kong triads...

Uh... Catherine hated anything to do with organized crime... Maybe she could send her own protection to Hong Kong and take care of the triads in the future?

Well, Catherine knew her idea was a bit absurd.

However, Bruce Lee was her savior, and this was all she could do for him for now.

Catherine really wanted to make a film with Bruce Lee as the lead, not just a supporting role.

Unfortunately, this might be a bit difficult now, and it might be a couple of years before things improved.

After all, Bruce Lee was an Asian, and for a person of color to make a name in Hollywood, it required many times the effort of an average person. Even Bruce Lee, in the potential future "Green Hornet," was only a supporting role, and in Hollywood, he often played villains or killers.

It took him a long time to rise step by step.

"Alright, everyone, please take your positions!"

Karasanto walked out.

Catherine's "Red Alert" was finally about to start filming.

...

The above information is not from a bear.

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