Chapter 86

The filming of the movie has already wrapped up, and it is now in post-production.

For the editing, they have hired Lee Smith, the editor of "The Truman Show."

He is from Sydney, Australia, and is a versatile talent. He started with sound editing and later transitioned to film editing, becoming increasingly successful. "RoboCop 2" and "Flight of the Navigator" are among his works.

Chen Tiandu chose him because he would go on to edit five films for Christopher Nolan in the future, with a unique and charismatic editing style that aligns well with Chen Tiandu's aesthetic.

Despite his confidence in Lee Smith, Chen Tiandu still accompanied him throughout the editing process. Any extra or missing cuts could potentially diminish the effect Chen Tiandu wanted to achieve in his new film.

Fortunately, although it was their first collaboration, they shared many similar ideas and worked together very pleasantly.

Chen Tiandu didn't have much footage, and his film didn't require extensive editing. The two discussed the film's pacing and agreed on a fast and sharp transition style, which became the main basis for the editing—style. With consensus on the most important aspects, the remaining editing work proceeded smoothly and was completed within a week.

With the editing done, the film was one step closer to completion.

The special effects for "The Matrix" were not done after filming; many tasks were carried out concurrently with the production.

The entire film has 523 special effects shots, 111 more than the original. Due to the large number of special effects shots and the revolutionary innovative effects, in addition to his own special effects company, Manix, Special Effects Supervisor Michael Sinkiewicz collaborated with five major special effects companies worldwide.

The Matrix team was responsible for the "bullet time" special effects.

The "bullet time" effect is perhaps the most memorable aspect of "The Matrix": the "frozen time" scenes where the heroine Trinity kicks a policeman in a hotel, the savior Neo dodges a bullet on a rooftop, and Neo and the detective face off with dual guns in a subway (freezing Wu Yusen's signature move mid-air).

These scenes magnify a single moment in time, allowing the audience to view it from various angles, conveying a non-realistic time perspective that better integrates with the film's background. Visually, it has a very unique impact, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.

From a visual effects standpoint, "bullet time" is a form of slow-motion. It shows high-speed actions like bullet flight and combat at normal camera speed, making these actions appear slower. However, the audience doesn't feel the slowness; instead, the sense of speed is infinitely amplified.

When Neo slowly leans to dodge a bullet in a rotating camera shot in "The Matrix," people saw the bullet's trajectory for the first time, and the 360-degree panoramic view of the bullet's suspension was astonishing, showcasing the impact of using "slowness" to depict "speed."

Wu Yusen was originally the most enthusiastic practitioner of this method, with his slow-motion shooting scenes influencing many later works, known as the aesthetics of violence.

In "The Matrix," this method was pushed to the extreme of freezing bullet speed.

Chen Tiandu knew that after "The Matrix" was released, the "bullet time" effect became its signature, and any mention of "The Matrix" would inevitably bring up "bullet time."

This effect was also one of the most imitated screen techniques, with many films, TV shows, and ads copying it, such as "Charlie's Angels," "Shrek," and "Scary Movie." The "bullet time" effect was further developed in "Swordfish" (2001), with its opening explosion scene being incredibly cool.

The French company BUF was mainly responsible for the green falling code effect and other vertical descent effects in the Matrix. Tippett Studio was in charge of creating the fully digital environments and complex mechanical objects, such as the electronic squids. Sony Pictures Imageworks was responsible for creating the tunnels leading from the surface to the core of the Earth and designing large-scale scenes, such as the massive gathering of electronic squids.

Giant Killer Robots was responsible for recreating the underground environment, and Animal Logic was in charge of designing the highway chase scenes and creating some "super-normal" characters, such as "Superman flying."

...

"Christmas, where do you think we should go for a trip? How about Japan? The hot spring culture is very popular there, and this season is perfect for soaking in hot springs." Kate held a travel magazine and chatted with Chen Tiandu, who was busy drawing something.

"Japan for hot springs?" Chen Tiandu replied without looking up, "Isn't it too hot? Summer is just around the corner. Are you sure you want to take a hot bath?"

Kate was taken aback, "Okay, how about Brazil? I want to see the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro..." Before she could finish, Chen Tiandu's phone rang. He made a shushing gesture to Kate, "Michael... now? Okay, I'll be right there."

He hung up and looked at Kate apologetically, "I'm sorry, Kate. I won't have time to go with you. You know, the post-production of the film can't do without me. Why don't you go alone? You'll be more familiar with it next time."

Kate: "..."

The effectiveness of the special effects department was crucial to the success of the entire film. To avoid the complications of coordinating and integrating work, Chen Tiandu and Michael Sinkiewicz almost lived together, much to Kate's frustration. In the end, she went on the trip alone.

Hollywood paparazzi caught her solo vacation photos, and gossip newspapers began to spread rumors of Chen Tiandu and Kate's breakup.

Chen Tiandu was unaware of this. He and Michael were closely collaborating, integrating the entire process from pre-production to post-production special effects. This was not just for this film but also for the sequels, which had complete plans for special effects.

For example, the Zion scenes, with over 25,000 mechanical squids in a massive flood, and more intense aerial battles. They also designed "Zion-Man," the most powerful and comprehensive special effects management information system in the history of world cinema. The operating system would have a sci-fi and futuristic feel, with virtual screen displays (similar to the operating system in "Iron Man").

Of course, these would only be seen in the sequels, which would likely be the first time in Hollywood history that such a large computer information management system was used in film production.

Through the "Digital Diary" and "Production Progress" systems, all the staff involved in digital processing, concept design, storyboarding, computer-aided design, and 3D modeling could access the desired scene designs, high-resolution models, and all the shots in various stages of production, greatly improving efficiency.

After working day and night, the entire post-production process was finally completed by late May.

On this day, in a small theater in Los Angeles, only a few people were seated. The ticket seller, who had been informed that the screening room was booked, was not surprised at first. However, when one after another prominent figures entered, he was almost stunned.

The heads of Warner Bros. Production and Distribution, Spielberg and Katzenberg from DreamWorks, and the bigwigs from 25 major North American theater chains (or their purchasing department managers or deputies) were all present. Chen Tiandu, Kong Yiji, and Peck were waiting there early.

"Good heavens, what are they doing in there? Why are they meeting in a cinema? They even bought popcorn. Are they really watching a movie?"

The ticket seller had a bit of clairvoyance; he often followed the big bosses of the theater chains and happened to recognize several of them. Seeing so many important figures enter the screening room, he was stunned. Swallowing hard, he quietly pulled out his phone, "Hello, is this the Los Angeles Times? I have a big story... Yes, a big story. The heads of all major U.S. theater chains, Warner Bros., DreamWorks, and Christmas Chen are all here. It's definitely a big story... How much can you pay me?"