Huayu 02: The Days of Extreme Pulling and Rolling with the Fairy

"I want to make Vision Light & Magic the production center of the East. It sounds a bit far-fetched, but that's really what I think. If we're going to surpass them, we'll surpass the Americans. We'll break into their territory sooner or later!"

Gu Renlong's eyebrows drooped. "Are you dreaming? Do you know how difficult it is to create special effects? A country might be able to create them by investing strategically, but for private individuals to burn money, it's a bottomless pit."

"The development of special effects in the US is rapid, and it didn't just start recently; it began with the first 'King Kong' movie in 1933."

"Countries that export-oriented military trade have the fertile ground for transferring military technology, which we don't have yet. The cutting edge of this industry is inseparable from military technology."

Although Gu Renlong's words were harsh, they were indeed true: Hollywood's core production technology was almost entirely based on military-to-civilian technology.

The widescreen shots begin with tank periscopes and rifle sights from World War I.

The high-speed camera used in "The Matrix" for bullet time was developed to observe the flight trajectories of bullets and shells.

CG and animation technology are integrated into the graphics processor of the fire control computer.

As for rendering and simulation technologies, they were developed to simulate the yield of nuclear explosions and the flight simulation of fighter jets.

In addition to the transfer of military technology to the film and television industry, there are also special policies regarding the use of military equipment.

The U.S. Department of Defense's Entertainment and Media Office has direct ties with Hollywood, and all use of military equipment and personnel is free of charge.

The only expenses to be paid are the fuel costs for military equipment and the costs incurred by military advisors and active-duty soldiers working overtime. If they do not work overtime, the personnel are used for free and can be reimbursed by the Ministry of National Defense.

  

Renting an F-18 costs about $1.1, while renting a Black Hawk costs $3000, which is basically just the cost of fuel.

Such a terrifying policy of support directly turned countless American blockbusters into the best candidates for arms sales, which in turn boosted the prosperity of the arms sales market.

It has also become the best dagger for ideological invasion.

........

Gu Renlong took a sip of water and continued, "As for long-term talent reserves, there's zero in China. Where are you going to find people?"

"Nobody knows motion capture, CG, or rendering; nobody teaches it. Your school's special effects professors can't even do compositing properly, you know that yourself."

Xie Jin's head was spinning the more she listened, but she felt it was absolutely necessary to do it.

Gu Renlong sighed. "The core software patents are all in Hollywood. Although you can buy them, the commercial software you buy is ultimately not suitable for Eastern skeletal structures, architecture, and clothing."

"We can use what others have in the short term, but for long-term use, we can only develop it ourselves; there are no shortcuts."

"Most importantly, what will you do if you don't have a large number of orders to support your business?"

Xie Jin was well aware of all this, but he had thought about it for a long time. Reality wasn't like Huayu Novels could simply spend some money to activate a system and gain a technological advantage.

This path requires investing time, energy, and money, and there's no guarantee of seeing any results.

........

If my rebirth was only about solving my basic needs, driving a luxury car, and living in a nice house, then I've already accomplished that.

The problem is that he is not someone who is extremely materialistic.

My parents are healthy, my wife and children are safe and sound, and I can eat whatever I want. That's enough for me.

Since her rebirth, Xie Jin has thought about her future path more than once.

Will I one day become like those actors?

In order to get into Hollywood and gain some exposure, he humbled himself and became a tool, a Minion.

Besides

China is the cradle of culture in the Eastern world.

We have such a vast cultural treasure trove, yet we lack the right tools to create and export it.

Isn't that ridiculous?

"We actually need to get a simple gunshot blood splatter effect done in South Korea? Isn't that ridiculous?"

"We're young and can handle the problems that time can solve. As for the problems that money can solve, I can earn more. I'm willing to put it into it."

"Renlong, you need to understand that our domestic counterparts don't have the courage to beat Hollywood."

"But defeating a mere competitor like Xie Jin isn't a problem. If we achieve even a little success, we'll have ignited this fire."

The weakness in China's film and television production capabilities is like the heart disease of an aircraft engine.

If this issue cannot be resolved at this juncture, the future will be completely left behind, significantly reducing the efficiency of exporting the soft power of a culturally strong nation.

Xie Jin stubbed out her cigarette: "For now, we'll stick to producing our own dramas and doing commercials with our artists to make the company profitable. But we can start building up our technical reserves now, just in case."

Gu Renlong lowered his head and remained silent. "Do you remember last time you asked me why I came back from Hollywood, and I didn't answer you?"

When he looked up again, his eyes burned with an uncontrollable rage.

"I was forced to come back, just because I have yellow skin. I did the work and took the risks, but when it came to the honors, it had nothing to do with me."

"Even a lowly Indian can look down on me; I was driven back like a dog."

"I have nothing left to lose, let's take a gamble."

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There's a consensus in the special effects industry: American special effects are so subtle you can't tell the difference, while Chinese special effects are so obvious you have to be able to tell the difference.

Besides the difference in production quality

One is that special effects serve the narrative, emphasizing the idea of ​​eating shrimp without seeing shrimp, and eating fish without seeing fish.

Another approach was to hire a foreign team and invest a lot of money to prove where I spent the special effects, and to make sure the audience knows which parts are special effects.

.........

"Actually, you don't need to be too pessimistic about the dragons."

"We're not aiming for the absolute top from the start; we'll focus on producing our own dramas and movies first."

"We can first train a small team that can specialize in special effects for feature films."

Besides special effects blockbusters, special effects are also ubiquitous in drama films; they are not particularly difficult to achieve, but they are numerous.

Examples include environmental expansion, weather modification, car accident collisions, shooting and bleeding, removal of clutter, removal of film scratches, lens dust, glass reflections, and scars on people.

Light mist, drizzle, light snow, dust, sunset glow, clouds, moon, starry sky.

These on-site shoots all depend on luck; if the weather is dry, even food and fodder for the horses will cost money.

Moreover, some actors only have a month's availability, and once that's gone, they won't be available again.

However, using special effects is actually very cost-effective, as it can greatly shorten the filming schedule.

These small special effects require that the production process be invisible, which is actually quite difficult to achieve, but much easier than Hollywood blockbusters.

This type of special effect is also the most in demand by film crews, with orders typically ranging from tens of thousands to two or three million.

Basically, every drama needs some basic post-production work. If the budget is sufficient, it will be more detailed; if it's rough, it'll look like there are telephone poles in a period drama.

For the production team, it can make up for the shortcomings of actual shooting and save on actual shooting costs.

It was supposed to be a good thing.

Unfortunately, even these basic compositing, rendering, and digital painting techniques still had to be done in South Korea in 03.

..........

..........

The approval process for Vision Light & Magic went very smoothly overall, without any major obstacles.

Gu Renlong and Xie Jin have separate agency contracts.

In the new company, Gu Renlong and Li Xiaowan operate under the same model.

Aside from a small amount of technology stock, the main income comes from commissions from other artists' management and project dividends.

This is also the most common model among brokers in the industry; Rongxinda and Shibie both follow this approach.

........

Ever since the company was registered, Gu Renlong has been giving himself a pep talk every day.

Xie Jin even wondered if she had brainwashed him too much that day.