章 326: Chapter 327: Extras and Grim Reapers
[Chapter 327: Extras and Grim Reapers]
In late April, Firefly Films launched three movie projects almost simultaneously, all set for release during this summer's box office season. This decision contradicted the conventional release cycles of many films in Hollywood. After all, in that era, it was common for completed films to wait several months, or even more than a year, before hitting theaters. Consequently, many media outlets raised questions about Eric's schedule.
However, Eric didn't respond to any of these opinions, as Firefly operated quite differently from the seven major film studios.
At this point, Firefly was still a small player compared to the giants of the industry. Larger studios typically planned to release dozens of films each year, so scheduling conflicts often resulted in multiple delays. Firefly had it easier.
Following the merger with New Line, Robert Shea had paused New Line's low-budget production plans. Thus, Firefly had only three films to manage in the first half of the year: The Silence of the Lambs, Ghost, and Sleeping with the Enemy.
Basic Instinct was being distributed by Universal Pictures, so Firefly didn't need to worry about it at all. Ghost was a collaboration with Disney, which further reduced Firefly's distribution pressure. This allowed them to start marketing efforts almost simultaneously with production.
When the films would be released, the promotional campaign would actually be running for three months. Compared to larger studios that often only allocated a month for marketing, Firefly's approach was already comprehensive.
...
As production began, Eric quietly released his short novel, The Matrix, which was only about 50,000 words. Michael Krauss put very little effort into promoting it, and yet the book quickly climbed to the top of the bestseller list.
However, a wave of criticism followed. Many felt the book seemed rushed; Eric spent barely a week working on it, leaving many details underdeveloped, resulting in a loose collection of dubious snippets.
Consequently, some newspapers criticized Eric for having a clever concept but terribly crafted details, essentially misleading readers. A few even accused him of trying to cash in. Yet even readers who didn't care for the book simply chuckled at such views. With Eric's wealth, the modest royalty income couldn't possibly tempt him.
Of course, many in Hollywood recognized the book's true purpose. Unlike his earlier works like Jurassic Park and Resident Evil, this one was clearly aimed at film adaptation. Those who closely examined The Matrix soon realized its vast cinematic potential.
Despite knowing the chances were slim, inquiries for the film rights continued to pour in. Cameron, who was busy preparing Terminator 2, expressed strong interest and even called Eric in New York to discuss his thoughts on certain ideas from The Matrix.
Cameron ultimately smartly refrained from bringing up the film rights, and Eric didn't entertain the idea of having Cameron direct, despite how intriguing it sounded. The differences in their filmmaking styles were just too significant.
Cameron's films often explored thought-provoking themes, such as the Terminator series, which expressed a strong concern over humanity's endless expansion of nuclear weapons. His work, Avatar, used the Na'vi alien race's struggle to protect Pandora to criticize humanity's relentless plundering of natural resources, suggesting it would lead to severe retribution from nature.
Yet despite these elements of contemplation, Cameron's films consistently aimed for the most dazzling visual effects and explosive action, which were not the focus of The Matrix.
The buzz created by The Matrix continued unabated. Regardless of how outsiders evaluated it, Eric remained unfazed, and the filming of Ghost progressed smoothly across various locations in New York.
...
"Stan, what I need is a true grim reaper -- the kind cloaked in black, wielding a scythe, not some indistinct shadow. But based on what you've said, the final result might just be a couple of blurry figures," Eric stated as night fell on a closed-off street where crew members busily prepared for filming. "By the way, regarding the shadows, that's quite a problem. Sam has now become a ghost, so by common sense, he shouldn't cast a shadow and shouldn't make any footsteps. We can easily resolve the footsteps, but what about the shadow?"
After pondering for a moment, Stan added, "That's simple. We can use shadowless lights and do some tweaking in post-production, but it'll complicate the shoot."
"I'm not afraid of complications, as long as we get the details right," Eric decisively said.
At that moment, the production assistant approached Eric to inform him everything had been arranged.
Several extras, dressed in tight blue bodysuits to portray the film's scary 'grim reapers,' approached Eric and Stan Winston. To Eric's disappointment, they looked amusing rather than frightening.
Stan and Eric stepped forward to inspect the extras' costumes. "Eric, I think the grim reaper doesn't need to be overly realistic. If it is, it might turn into a horror film. A couple of shadows would be just right."
"No, Stan. I meant real effects -- not horror effects," Eric clarified.
"A realistic grim reaper wouldn't be scary?" Stan pushed back, a hint of rivalry in his tone.
Eric shrugged helplessly, "Just make it according to my vision, and I'll handle the rest."
Stan shrugged in response, "Alright, as you wish. This is related to post-rendering, and the rendering farm in Digital Domain isn't set up yet."
"Then let's borrow from Pixar. They have a ready-to-use rendering farm for 3D animation. I remember the principles are quite similar. Reach out to John Lasseter. If that doesn't work out, we can rent Industrial Light & Magic's capabilities," Eric suggested.
After checking on the extras portraying the grim reapers, Eric signaled the assistant director with an 'okay' gesture and the filming resumed.
*****
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