Chapter 50

In this era, Hollywood special effects technology has already become quite mature.

If in the Back to the Future trilogy, one could still spot the rough edges of Hollywood special effects, by the 1990s, starting with Total Recall in 1990, the elaborate disguise tool that Arnold Schwarzenegger's character uses, which astonishingly disassembles and reassembles into a small component, is a testament to the creativity and precision of the film's production team. Many years later, some special effects blockbusters still mimic this technique, such as the digital makeup tool used for the Black Widow in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Additionally, at the end of the film, the grand scene of Mars being transformed and the protagonist's distorted face on the big screen are undoubtedly classic moments.

Then, in 1991, with Terminator 2, the special effects alone, particularly the T-1000 Terminator, are enough to stand out. People have almost forgotten that Terminator 2 was one of the first films to perfectly utilize CGI technology. In 1993, Spielberg's Jurassic Park pushed CGI technology to its peak, with its realistic dinosaurs leaving a deep impression on audiences worldwide. The success of the dinosaur special effects also opened the door for the Eastern Hollywood, boosting Hong Kong's box office records from 40 million to 60 million, a record that stood for two decades.

In 1996, Independence Day featured massive alien spaceships swarming the Earth's surface, covering major cities and simultaneously launching devastating attacks. The film's special effects caused a worldwide sensation, with blue laser beams destroying iconic buildings such as the White House, the Empire State Building, and other symbolic structures around the world.

The film also detailed the entire process of the White House being hit and reduced to rubble, giving fans a taste of the visual impact and sensory shock brought by CGI technology.

In 1997, Starship Troopers left an indelible impression on fans with the formidable alien bugs.

As the saying goes, "Before the troops move, the provisions must be secured." Chen Tian has many special effects to manage, and with the sequels to come, the best approach is to acquire a special effects company.

With his current capabilities, he can't independently produce a major film, so the first step is to acquire a special effects company, not a film production company.

He is well aware that while an independent film production company offers more autonomy, if he were to go it alone, even if his "Matrix" were to be successfully released, it would be hard to make a profit.

"Hey, boss, you're here. Sorry, I didn't see you."

As he was visiting with great interest, a middle-aged man with a big belly approached and greeted him. Chen Tian smiled and introduced Kate, "This is Michael Sink, who used to work at Sony Pictures Imageworks. He's the special effects director I hired. This is Kate, Kate Belseck, my girlfriend."

"Ha, of course I recognize you. Hello, Miss Belseck," Michael greeted warmly.

Kate also smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, you can call me Kate."

Chen Tian said, "Michael, let me see your work."

"Sure, please follow me."

In the future, the world's top four special effects companies include Industrial Light & Magic, Digital Domain, Weta Digital, and Sony Pictures Imageworks. The latter two are not yet well-known, and the "top four" are not complete. Weta Digital, founded by Peter Jackson, gained worldwide fame with the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Sony Pictures Imageworks became famous with the Spider-Man trilogy, both of which have not yet been released.

Chen Tian has every reason to believe that under his leadership, Matrix Digital will secure a place among the world's top five special effects companies.

They came to a few computers, and on Michael Sink's screen, a 3D miniature of New York City appeared. He pressed the play button, and the city began to blur, transforming into countless green digital characters, with green light streams flowing through them.

Kate, seeing the special effects production process for the first time, found it very intriguing.

"Digitizing the entire city is just simple CGI compositing. We did some processing, but it's not difficult," Michael Sink explained. "The challenge is the mechanical spaceship, mechanical tentacles, and mechanical octopus you requested, which need to be physical. We've already inquired with several large steel mills, but they are too expensive. I don't recommend building so many physical models. Even if you have the money, it's not a good idea to spend it this way, as it would significantly increase our special effects budget. It's not a good habit to get into."

Kate was confused by the mechanical spaceship and mechanical octopus. What were they talking about? Despite her confusion, she wisely chose not to interrupt.

Chen Tian thought, "We can ignore the others, but the Nebuchadnezzar spacecraft must be built. I don't need it to have any functions; it just needs to be able to move with wheels. But the interior facilities should include everything I mentioned, and I can accept a price of up to 1 million."

"Alright," Michael Sink shrugged. "We are already working on a miniature model of the mechanical octopus. Combined with computer effects, it will be sufficient. Boss, do you have any other requirements?"

Chen Tian thought for a moment and said, "Have you read comic books?"

"Of course, I've read Marvel and DC. Americans love them," Michael Sink replied, puzzled.

"Good. I want to create a comic-style shot that can present many beautiful images and can freeze time and action. When the bullet is fired, I want to capture its trajectory. Can you do that? It might require many very textured slow-motion shots."

Michael pondered for a moment and called over a young man named Merkel. After understanding the situation, Merkel suggested, "Perhaps we can try using a moving camera to shoot a target very slowly, then move the camera around it at a normal speed. Or... we could attach small launchers to the camera to make it move very quickly?" His mind was very flexible, coming up with such creative ideas.

Chen Tian said, "That's a great idea. You can start experimenting. Be careful, and let me know the results."

After leaving Matrix Digital, Kate finally couldn't hold back her questions. "I didn't ask about your plans, but are you preparing to make another sci-fi film for your next project? Isn't that a bit too soon? Why did you bring me to a special effects company?"

Taking advantage of a red light, Chen Tian took out a script he had prepared and handed it to her, saying seriously, "Kate, I formally invite you to star in my new film as the lead actress."

Kate blushed, cleared her throat, and took the script, pretending to be sophisticated. "Cough, cough, I have an agent now. Shouldn't the director contact my agent first? I have high standards, and I won't accept a role if it's not good."

Chen Tian confidently said, "Don't worry, I guarantee you'll be cool to the core. Even if people vote for the coolest female characters on screen ten years from now, you'll be at the top."

"Really?" Kate patted the thick script, seeing the title on the cover. "Is there any concrete evidence? It's hard to judge just by reading the script."

"Hehe, you'll see."

Kate skeptically opened the cover and saw a hand-drawn PS character design.

It wasn't anyone else but herself. Standing atop a tall church, her black leather cloak was blown to one side, her short hair accentuating her sharp eyes. Holding a gun in each hand and dressed in black leather, she looked incredibly cool.

"Wow, darling, did you draw this?" Kate was captivated. "Why didn't you let me try on the outfit? A photo would have been enough. It must have been hard to draw."

Chen Tian shrugged, "Your appearance is deeply etched in my mind. I can draw it without a model."

Kate glanced at him, their eyes met, and she leaned over to give him a passionate kiss.

"Beep beep—" The honking from the car behind them startled the affectionate couple. They quickly let go, realizing the red light had long passed, and they would face a traffic officer if they stopped any longer.

"Darling, Kong Yiji is coming over tomorrow. I have something to do, can you pick him up for me?"

"OK." Kate agreed readily. "Why doesn't Kong have an English name? It would be easier to communicate if he had one. I always mispronounce his Chinese name."

"Ha, you can give him an English name tomorrow."

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