Kapitel 14: C 14

The white-painted editing room was extremely quiet. Luke leaned forward, resting his hands on the table, and watched attentively as the two shots he had just edited appeared on the monitor.

"Mike..." he said to the editor next to him, "change lens 178 and try using lens 175."

"This..." The experienced but not well-known editor hesitated, but eventually complied with Luke's request and replaced it with the lens he needed.

When the screen replayed, Mike Dawson frowned and reminded him, "This does not conform to the editing logic!"

On the monitor, the scene of Jack driving a sports car while chasing a bus was playing. In the previous scene, Jack had just stepped on the accelerator to speed up, and then the picture switched to the first-person perspective from inside the car. Only a small part of the front of the car could be seen, along with the pavement rushing backward.

The shot No. 178 he had just viewed was different. After Jack accelerated, it featured a very traditional overtaking scene.

"Keep lens No. 175 for eight seconds... No, four seconds are enough. The remaining four seconds should alternate between close-ups of Jack's face and the wheel!"

Hearing Luke's completely illogical editing request, Mike finally couldn't help but say, "Editing is like making a puzzle. Every screen switch should have its own logic. Your request does not follow the rules!"

"Then let's break this logic!"

Standing up straight, Luke gently waved his hand. "Mike, for action scenes like this, the continuity of action energy can completely replace logic! Don't you think the car-chasing shots presented from a first-person perspective are more immersive? The camera transitions between Jack's serious face and the spinning wheels can highlight the urgency and danger of the situation, providing the audience with greater psychological stimulation!"

"I just want to quickly edit and configure the shots." At this point, Luke's face reflected his enthusiasm. "I want to give the audience a feeling of being right there on the scene!"

"I admit that what you said makes sense."

Mike, following Luke's requirements to complete the task at hand, drank half a cup of coffee in one go. "In this week, we've finished the first cut of over 20 minutes of footage. Even though I watch it every day, I can still feel the urgency in it. If you didn't know the outcome long ago, you'd definitely be on edge, but..."

Seeing this forty-year-old editor seemed a little embarrassed, Luke gestured that it was okay. "Just say it, Mike. We are working partners."

Mike organized his thoughts and continued, "The more than thirty minutes of footage gave me another feeling: this is not a movie, but a super long commercial!"

"Yes!"

Luke slapped his palm as if he had met a kindred spirit. "I want this effect!"

"Think about it, Mike..." he said passionately, "The audience will be so tense they'll be on the verge of suffocation because of the fast pace when they see the film, and they won't be able to catch their breath until the end! What I want is a fast-paced composition of short shots that has never been seen in movies before!"

"But this can easily cause the audience to disengage due to fatigue."

At that moment, the door to the editing room opened, and Robin Grande walked in.

"That's true!" Luke raised a finger. "So, we have to control the length of the film and keep it to about 95 minutes!"

Robin Grande had seen the first cut from Luke more than once. He nodded, "Is this the style you want?"

"Dazzling sports shots, sharp editing style, and intense special effects scenes." Luke walked a few steps back and forth before saying very seriously, "This is the effect I want!"

This can be said to be the safest way to ensure the film's success. In this era, even though Hollywood films have led the world, they are still relatively slow. A fast-paced, thrilling, and dazzling film can achieve great sales even if the story and logic are flawed.

Although such a film will inevitably be rejected by professional critics, what does it matter?

In the middle of the afternoon, Luke left the studio and drove back to his home in Santa Monica, ready to dress up and wait for his mother to return.

Christmas was coming soon. This season was the busiest time for celebrities, and he would accompany his mother to a party that evening.

This was the Christmas thank-you party organized by the Spielberg family, held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. When Luke took his mother to the party, he looked at the large banquet hall, which contained more than twenty oak round tables sparsely placed. Many familiar faces from the big screen were present, and even those relatively unknown to him could be recognized from the information he had collected; they were all high-level figures in Hollywood.

Under the guidance of a waiter, Luke followed his mother, walked to the second empty table from the left in the third row, and sat in his pre-assigned seat.

He was not familiar with the Spielberg family; all he knew were the siblings Steven Spielberg and Anne Spielberg, and neither of them knew him.

After being introduced by his mother, he walked to the neighboring tables to say hello, then waited quietly for the banquet to begin. This was a glamorous and serious dinner, without the messy elements of Hollywood's private parties. Being rude here would be a disservice to his mother's reputation.

"Hi, Leah."

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman walked up from the front row. From her appearance, she was also of Jewish descent. Luke recognized her; some time ago, she had read his script. She was the famous Anne Spielberg, a well-known screenwriter and producer, and Steven Spielberg's sister.

"Hello, Annie." Leah nodded to her.

Anne Spielberg seemed very enthusiastic as she sat directly at the table. She suddenly turned her head and looked over at Luke. "You... are Luke? Ah, I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you last time. You're here!"

"It's okay."

Luke's response was polite, perhaps even overly so. He was no fool; he could tell that Anne Spielberg's tone was not that of a warm host entertaining guests, but carried other meanings.

"Leah, your son is really impressive."

Anne Spielberg turned her head again. "I heard Amanda say that you invested $10 million in Luke's film. Oh... what a great mother!"

Amanda was the eldest daughter of George Lucas, which Luke was aware of, but what was this $10 million?

He glanced at his mother. Leah remained calm. "It's just a small matter."

"Really?" Annie Spielberg stood up, and even a child could see the mockery in her smile. "It looks like you're very confident in recouping your investment. Maybe Luke's first film can create miracles. I wish your movie can gross $100 million at the box office. Ha ha..."

"You..." Luke was about to say something, but his mother pulled him back. He had to watch Anne Spielberg walk away triumphantly, followed by a faint voice ringing in his ear: "Words are the weakest and most powerless counterattack."

"I see, mother." Luke said seriously, "She said..."

"Yes," Leah nodded slightly. "I invested $10 million in Speed."

Upon hearing his mother's confirmation, Luke instantly understood a lot of things: why George Lucas had rejected him at first and then supported him; why the producers had agreed to convert his compensation into investment; why he could gain some powers that other new directors could only dream of; and why Robin secretly suppressed those senior industry insiders...

His mother was the biggest investor in the film, holding a full two-thirds of the investment, so she naturally had a significant voice.

Why did his mother invest in the extremely risky film industry? There was only one answer: to create opportunities for him, even if she did not have much confidence in him!

"Mom..." Luke didn't know what to say.

"I had a deep conflict with Annie when we were young."

After saying this, Leah Rosenberg looked over at him. "You will make me proud?"

"Yes, mother." Luke said solemnly, "I will be your pride!"

After this declaration, Luke returned to his body, as the pressure he had been under at the end of filming gradually lifted. He had one more reason to succeed. If he failed, not only would his mother suffer significant financial losses, but she would also become a laughingstock to people like Anne Spielberg.

He would not allow such a situation to happen, nor would he let it happen!

At the same time, Luke also learned how realistic Hollywood was. His mother had secured a one-year bank loan through a mortgage. Not only did she invest $10 million, but she had also signed a guaranteed share agreement with Lucasfilm. If the film could not be completed or released, she would have to pay Lucasfilm $2 million to ensure that the other party would not incur any losses on this project. Once the film was released, Lucasfilm would enjoy 10% of the film's North American box office profits.

In the guarantee and share agreement, Lucasfilm had the right to choose the option that was most favorable to them.

Yes, Hollywood seems so unfair; Lucasfilm did not invest a single dollar in the film—most of the rest of the investment came from various film funds—but they could still enjoy the profits.

However, this is Hollywood, and Lucasfilm's connections and channels are worth their weight in gold.

Because of Anne Spielberg's relationship, it became an unpleasant night. Words truly held no power. Luke wanted to embarrass Anne Spielberg. If the movie became a big hit, she wouldn't be able to hold her head high around his mother. Success was the most potent weapon.

The three-day Christmas holiday rushed by. After the short break, Luke devoted all his energy to the post-production of Speed. After the New Year, the first cut samples were released and preliminarily recognized by George Lucas.

But this was only the first step in a long post-production process. The subsequent fine cutting, actor dubbing, and sound effects editing after determining the soundtrack also required a lot of time and energy. He wanted the film to be a polished product rather than rough garbage. Cutting corners and saving time and effort were simply impossible.

Luke plunged into the Speed studio and ignored everything else. Even when the bank mailed the credit card bill, he tossed it aside. From mid-December to mid-February, the initial post-production of the film was completed after just over a month of hard work.