Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 379 3D Filming is Difficult: Bypassing Cameron's Technological Blockade

Mid-August 2008, a villa in the suburbs of Beijing.

On a midsummer evening, as the sunlight gradually sank, the sky changed from azure to a deep sapphire. The water in the pond in the courtyard trembled slightly in the evening breeze, and the duckweed rippled with the waves.

In the distance, the poplar and maple trees are lush and verdant, their branches rustling softly. The chirping of cicadas drifts slowly from above, appearing and disappearing like a long evening melody.

Inside the study, the soft, golden sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, gently illuminating the carpet beside the desk.

Wu Chen sat at his desk, where scripts were piled up to half a foot high. Two cats lay leisurely at his feet, their eyes half-closed and their tails occasionally wagging gently.

"Hehe, don't you feel all lonely without me?"

Liu Yifei's voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a faint smile and a playful tone.

"really!"

Wu Chen nodded in response without hesitation, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Liu Yifei on the other end of the phone paused for a second, then said sweetly, "It's rare that you didn't argue, this is a reward for you."

The next second, a clear "pop" sound came from the receiver, gentle and sweet.

Wu Chen was slightly taken aback, then chuckled softly.

"Filming is progressing quickly, and I'll be back soon. In two days, we'll be moving to Sydney."

Liu Yifei's voice was soft and tinged with weariness.

The filming of "Bad Genius" was not complicated. The original version took less than six weeks to film and was also shot in the middle of summer.

Ning Hao focused more on enhancing the tightness and pressure of the visuals to create a stronger sense of rhythm during the editing process.

After hanging up the phone, Wu Chen picked up the script on the table—Interstellar.

Aside from the fact that the physics advisory team still needs to further refine the scientific details, he has already completed most of the plot.

He tapped the script cover lightly with his fingertips, his brow furrowed slightly, lost in thought.

As a space aesthetic film full of poetic and philosophical meaning, the filming style and technical techniques of "Interstellar" had to be planned in advance.

On the one hand, we need to think about how to film in the future, and on the other hand, we need to think about what to use to film.

3D movies are about to enter a new era.

James Cameron's Avatar is currently undergoing state-of-the-art 3D effects at Weta Digital in New Zealand.

At this thought, his heart stirred slightly.

He has experience with 3D shooting technology, but current 3D shooting technology is quite limited, and to be honest, his understanding at this time may not be thorough enough.

After a moment's hesitation, he picked up his phone, glanced at the time, and dialed Nolan's number.

Syncopy Studios offices in Los Angeles.

The Nolan brothers are deeply engrossed in discussions about the script's structure, and they are thrilled by the complex and rigorous narrative of Inception.

"Wu Zhen is a genius!"

Christopher Nolan exclaimed, his eyes gleaming with excitement, "Now all that's left is the final polishing and refinement."

Jonathan Nolan nodded, then calmed down and cautiously reminded him:
"Christopher, this story is complex, and perhaps not all audiences will be able to accept it. You need to be prepared for poor box office performance."

Nolan was about to answer when the phone on the table suddenly rang.

He picked up the phone, saw the name on the screen, and immediately answered, "Wu, what's wrong?"

As he listened to Wu Chen's question, Nolan's expression gradually turned serious, and he frowned slightly: "Wu, do you want to use 3D technology to shoot this? Is it for your next science fiction film?"

The fact that Wu Chen had acquired the rights to a science fiction story from Paramount was no secret within Hollywood circles.

"I have this idea."

“I suggest you think this through carefully!” Nolan sat up straight, his tone becoming serious. “If *The Martian* isn’t a huge success, I doubt Universal Pictures will agree to your idea.” “Oh?”

"You know, the 3D movie that Cameron is currently producing uses the Fusion shooting system that he and Vince Pace jointly developed. It is currently the only mature 3D shooting technology in the world."

I can tell you definitively that Cameron will not lend out this system for at least several years. Even if it might be lent out in the future, that person is unlikely to be you.

Nolan spoke very bluntly, but Wu Chen was not surprised.

He remembered clearly that after Cameron finished Avatar, he only lent the system to his old friend Martin Scorsese for filming Hugo.

"What if I didn't follow Cameron's path, but instead went for my own native 3D?"

Nolan paused slightly, then nodded: "You plan to develop your own 3D system specifically for your science fiction films? That's not surprising."

Currently, apart from Cameron, other directors worldwide who want to shoot in 3D have to develop their own native 3D technology.

"That's why I said you need The Martian to be a huge success to gain wider support. The cost of developing native 3D might not be too high;"
However, the additional filming expenses and personnel training costs are enormous. Moreover, the technical barrier to entry for dual-camera shooting is extremely high; to my knowledge, there are very few directors who can skillfully handle this shooting method.

Christopher Nolan hung up the phone after the two talked for a long time.

Of course, the two never discussed the so-called 3D conversion. For them, who value film quality, this kind of conversion was not even a consideration.

Jonathan couldn't help but ask, "Wu Chen wants to shoot in 3D?"

"That might be the idea."

"Has he gone mad?" Jonathan Nolan asked, somewhat puzzled. "Cameron's technological blockade is still in place, meaning he needs to develop it himself. Add to that the increased costs and the extremely high demands on the director, and all these factors combined, I feel it's unlikely Universal will support him at this time. Perhaps Spielberg would be a better option."

"That's why I said he needed a victory for 'The Martian,' otherwise the pressure on all sides would be too great," Nolan said slowly.

At this moment, in his villa in Beijing, Wu Chen hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and his mind was much clearer.

Our self-developed native 3D technology was originally developed by some directors who were unwilling to wait and succeeded in breaking through the technological blockade imposed by Cameron.

These directors are all exceptionally talented individuals—a very small minority.

Of course, those that didn't succeed have been buried in the long river of history.

In fact, the cost of dedicated research and development is not high, it takes some time, but the time and effort required should not be underestimated.

Because this is something highly customized in terms of aesthetics, it is difficult for other directors to directly "borrow" it without adjusting their style, which is completely different from Cameron's style that can be borrowed and used.

This type of 3D is also known as an "emotional 3D system" or a "director style customization engine".

In fact, Interstellar is well-suited to this kind of natively customized 3D, and not to Cameron's 3D style that emphasizes realism and spatial dynamics.

Interstellar's style focuses more on emotion, and its visual requirements are poetic, indirect, and abstract.

However, a problem also arose for him.

Interstellar has several scenes that are particularly suitable for 3D, and if filmed well, it could surpass Avatar.

Segments like those depicting space travel, traversing wormholes, the edge of black holes, or inside a space capsule, or explorations of extraterrestrial planets such as ice planets and Mercury, possess a three-dimensional and layered spatial dimension. If filmed well, they could be awe-inspiring to the world.

On the other hand, however, the delicate dialogues in the study and the scenes of family affection are not suitable for being presented in a more three-dimensional way. In addition, the film is long, which will increase the pressure on the audience.

Wu Chen stood up, walked slowly to the balcony, and looked at the brightly lit night view of Beijing in the distance. His heart gradually became more determined.

"3D is a must."

China's 3D shooting technology is seriously lagging behind. If it doesn't do it now, in the next few years, the domestic film industry can only passively wait for the technology blockade to be lifted and for major manufacturers to develop new systems, following behind others.

Although 3D technology gradually declined due to various factors, it was of great significance to the promotion of domestic industrialization at that time.

But at the same time, he also had to admit: "The audience's experience must also be taken into account."

When the two were combined, Wu Chen's eyes lit up, and his mind suddenly cleared up.

Since one version is not enough to satisfy all needs, we will create multiple versions.

It caters to all mainstream family moviegoers, maintaining a strong reputation, while also satisfying those seeking immersive audiovisual experiences and heavy moviegoers, and allowing sci-fi fans and young audiences to become completely immersed in 3D.
Of course, for the film to achieve this, its box office performance must be excellent.
(End of this chapter)