People like Jim Cameron are very rare in Hollywood. Many directors hide in their comfort zones and make genre films that they are already very familiar with. Many film critics also express their disapproval of the Hollywood business.
There is much to criticize for not wanting to make progress.
There is a subtle comment that a director, starting from his second film, is just repeating his debut.
Cameron is a dreamer. He likes to copy his dreams on the big screen and let more people share their dreams and stories. When filming started, he didn't care whether the existing technology could achieve it.
Requirements. Anyway, whether it is model stunts or the computer stunts he wants to use now, if they are not available on the market, then he will find a way to make them.
"The investment in "Abyss" is very high. But Jim spent a lot of money. The progress of underwater shooting every day is very slow, and the number of ngs is far more than normal shooting. Especially the underwater camera, which is sealed from time to time.
If something goes wrong, you have to retake it.”
On the business jet back to Los Angeles, Gale complained to Ronald about Cameron's overspending on filming.
Gale Heard is determined to divorce Cameron. Now it is just because when the "Abyss" project was established, she still obtained the production rights as Mrs. Cameron, so she is temporarily filming this movie.
Before the movie ends, the two will remain married for the time being so that they can have an explanation to the publisher.
Because the filming was severely over budget, the schedule was behind schedule from the beginning, and Gale was under great pressure. If the two divorced now, the support the film could get from 20th Century Fox would be greatly increased.
After all, Cameron is a film director. Artists who can handle the producer's divorce from him objectively and calmly are very rare.
"The important part of The Abyss lies in the special effects. Too much money is being spent on underwater shooting, and our early computer-generated special effects research is also seriously behind schedule. Not to mention the manpower invested, even
The configuration of the graphics workstation is also insufficient. This time I will go to Fox to be a beggar..."
After all, Gale is first and foremost a producer. Ronald respects her very much, and she is able to prioritize the movie even when there are big problems in her relationship. It is very rare for a female producer.
"Don't worry, I purchased some SGI workstations from Industrial Light and Magic. You can use them first."
Ronald did not hesitate and agreed to give up all the special effects workstations he had bought from the "Pixar" studio to the computer special effects team of the "Abyss" crew in Los Angeles. What computer special effects need most is not the equipment, but the courage to do so.
Talent to try.
If Cameron explores some new technical routes for this movie, then I can invest a little up front.
…
"What do you think of these glasses?"
Meg Ryan, who has been cast in "When Harry Met Sally," is at Starry Eyes sunglasses store in Burbank, Los Angeles, starting to select glasses to be used in the show.
"It's very good. I think it suits Sally's temperament very well." Ronald and the art director Jane Muskie exchanged the color temperament of the entire film. He looked back at Meg Ryan's dress and praised it.
.
This actress, who I had played a supporting role in "Top Gun", seemed to have suddenly grown up after falling in love with Dennis Quaid. She changed from an ordinary girl to a sweet girl with typical American femininity.
"I think it's not artistic enough. Sally is a very picky person and pays great attention to the details of glasses." Meg Ryan continued to choose.
"At least on this point, Meg is right," replied Jane Muskie. She was recommended by Ronald after asking his old partner Polly Platt. Because Ronald wanted this romantic drama,
It is a warm sketch that is as close to life as possible. It does not need more drama, but allows the audience to bring it into daily life and think that Sally and Harry are their friends.
"Really?" Ronald was very satisfied with Jane Muskie, who originally worked as an art director on the films of Polly Platt's ex-husband Bogdanovich.
What he is good at is shooting contemporary romantic comedies. This style of color and design is exactly what Ronald needs for his new film.
Speaking of Polly Platt, she is having a great time working as a producer for Cameron Crowe. Crowe likes to ask the experienced Polly for advice. And Polly is also happy to see what she has done around her ex-husband.
The various directing experiences I learned were relayed to Crowe.
Polly is similar to Gale Heard. They are both the kind of female professional filmmakers who can tolerate problems with their husbands for the sake of their careers. The difference between Gale and Polly is that she was born a generation later and has a lower tolerance for cheating.
lower.
"Yes, we need Sally to be a friend of the audience, just like the kind of female classmate who is not the most beautiful in college, but no one has successfully caught up with her." Jane Muskie made an analogy.
"Well, you're right." Although Ronald had only been in college for a few days, he still understood what the other party meant. When we were students, there were always some female classmates who were relatively naive and learned about love from romance and movies.
Sally has this kind of temperament. She always compares the men in life with the male protagonists in romantic stories.
"Is there a way to express the feeling that Jane said in tone?" Ronald turned back and asked director of photography Barry Sonnenfeld.
"This is not difficult. If you look a little closer to TV series, the human eye has been trained enough by color TV in the past few decades. As long as the color tone is close, the audience can have the illusion that this is life."
Ronald found this director of photography from the movie "Grown Up" starring Diane. He really liked the tone and feel restored in that movie, which made people watch the live interviews with the TV station.
Similarly, it subconsciously gives the audience the illusion that this is something happening around us.
"What do you think of this pair?" Meg Ryan put on another pair of red plastic glasses with a very stylish design. They match her red lips very well. This is the makeup designed by the makeup artist for Sally.
Ordinary with a bit of sexiness, like a girl who reads fashion magazines every day to learn the latest fashion outfits.
"It's a little too showy. Sally is very beautiful, but she won't take the initiative to show off such an aggressive outfit." Art Director Jian pointed out.
"Yes..." Meg Ryan agreed upon hearing this and put down the glasses again.
"Well..." Ronald looked at all this with a smile. The script of "When Harry Met Sally" has been written by Nora Ephron and Carrie Fisher, down to the details of the scene.
This kind of movie is technically much simpler than "Top Gun" or "Working Girl." If you find the right people and your own experience, it will be shot very quickly.
The only thing Ronald is worried about is the acting ability of the two leading actors. This kind of movie does not have too strong dramatic conflicts. The audience must really like the two protagonists to watch it interestingly. This requires a lot of improvisation and character interaction.
chemical reaction.
Now Ronald was very happy about the casting. He had a revelation in his dream, and he chose the most suitable candidate at once. Meg Ryan gradually became one with the character Sally.
She is a gifted and good actor. After observing the character prototype and screenwriter Nora Ephron several times, she captured Sally's picky and naive character very well.
While Ronald was discussing with the director of photography and art director to finalize the overall style of the film, he was also giving Meg Ryan occasional advice on choosing glasses.
"How about this pair?" Meg Ryan put on a pair of modernist-style, titanium alloy glasses. The minimalist style made her look like a female professional manager.
"Too plain, Sally will pay more attention to some popular tastes." Ronald shook his head. Sally is not the kind of steadfast woman who is maverick, has her own aesthetic point of view, and is not influenced by fashion. In short, Sally
She is a woman with more traditional values, not Polly Platt, nor Gale Heard. She is the kind of woman who cries bitterly at home after getting the news that her ex-boyfriend is getting married.
It's hard to say which kind of woman is better. Ronald just thinks that in the current public perception, women like Sally are more accepted.
"Do you still have them here?" Meg Ryan spent an afternoon trying out all the stock in this optical store with the most styles in Hollywood.
Ronald has already finished discussing the business with the director of photography and art director, but Meg Ryan still hasn't picked out the right glasses.
Although imitating screenwriter Nora Ephron was Ronald's request to Meg Ryan, it was inevitably a bit exaggerated. He walked up to the boss and said, "Cheryl, the look on your face makes me laugh.
Meg, will you try?”
"Oh, of course." Store owner Cheryl Schumann often cooperates with Hollywood, and many film crews come here to choose glasses. Not only does her own store have more than 600 pairs of glasses, she also has more at home.
This small warehouse has a collection of popular styles from various periods in history. It is simply the glasses museum of Hollywood.
"Isn't it good?" Ronald took a few steps back, looked at the art director Jane, and asked.
"It's very nice. It has a metal frame and is decorated at the corners. It's just right for Sally, a woman who reads books in the library and still reveals a hint of fashion."
"This is the one, we both like it." Ronald decided for her.
"This is a classic style from Robert La Roche. I only have this pair. Meg, it looks really good on you."
The shopkeeper nodded in agreement, and Meg Ryan finally smiled and admired herself in the small mirror on the wall.
"Ronald!"
Ronald, who had started working intensively, was about to go home to rest and threw all the information to his assistant. At this time, a man in a suit and ties hurried over.
"Doug, why are you here?"
It was his friend Douglas Jr., who rarely cared about Ronald's film business, who suddenly appeared on the scene. Ronald was a little doubtful whether he wanted to exercise his shareholder rights, so he came over to look at the company's accounts and inspect the crew.
"I was entrusted by little George to come here to discuss matters with you." Little Doug and Meg Ryan nodded. They no longer had the energy to pursue female stars as before, so they pulled Ronald aside to whisper.
"What does this mean? Where do I have time to make some campaign ads for him now?"
The two returned to the hotel, and Douglas Jr. made it clear what his purpose was. George Jr. wanted to ask Ronald to go back and edit another campaign ad for his father, just like his previous biographical ad, which was a huge improvement.
Increased support and helped George Sr. win the primary election.
It turns out that in the past month, George Sr.'s approval rating has continued to decline, and the gap between him and the candidate of the Donkey Party has gradually widened by more than 10%. Various analysts in the political field have begun to predict that Sr. George will suffer a disastrous defeat.
For this figure, Douglas Jr. also found a research company and conducted his own independent investigation to confirm its authenticity. George Sr.'s approval ratings across the country have declined rapidly. Only in some die-hard Elephant Party states in the south, they still maintain considerable support.
The advantages.
However, this advantage is of little use. States such as California and New York, which have the largest number of people, are also the states with the majority of electoral votes. In these states, George Sr.'s votes were dangerously exceeded by Duka Keith's 6% warning line.
, if it continues to decline, the election situation may become clearer.
"Why is there such a big difference?" Ronald was mentally prepared for Old George's lagging behind. However, as long as he wins in a few populous states, plus the iron-clad states in the South, Old George still has a great chance of winning.
.
"It's still the same old problem. His personal charm is too bad. That's why little George told his mother, Barbara, that he hopes you can save his image."
"Why……"
Ronald let out a long sigh. The campaign advertisement he originally shot for George Sr. was carefully created through his service in World War II, his later opening of an oil company, his involvement in politics, his employment in China and the CIA, etc.
image.
However, after George Sr. was nominated for the primary election, he appeared in the media too many times. The public gradually discovered that this man had no personal charm, spoke in an artificial way, and did not understand people's lives.
The voters who have been spoiled by the current commander-in-chief, Ronald Sr., cannot accept such a dull person as the commander-in-chief. They are not as good as Dukakis, who at least speaks in a coherent manner and does not feel inexplicably good about himself.
For example, recently, as a graduate of Yale University, George Sr. was still in a TV interview, mocking Dukakis for his "foreign policy views were born in the boutiques of Harvard Yard."
Political columnists from the "New York Times" and "Washington Post" began to scoff sharply, "Old George seems to have forgotten that he graduated from Yale?"
Although later, George Sr. still argued that unlike Harvard, the source of Yale's classmates was "very scattered and there is no symbol." Compared with Harvard's uniform elite, Yale has students from all backgrounds, and Yale graduates are not
It means he is from any class.
But how do the public know the nuances of the Ivy schools? To them, both schools are filled with rich, fancy, pretentious, dangerous intellectuals who won't wear their underwear no matter how hot it is.
Sit down and have dinner.
In short, ordinary voters feel that there is no essential difference between Dukakis, who graduated from Harvard, and George Sr., who graduated from Yale. In this case, we might as well choose the one who looks more pleasing to the eye.
"What do you think? Is it possible that our investment will fail?" To be honest, Ronald began to worry. He and little Doug had placed a heavy bet on old George.
"It's too late to say this now." Douglas Jr. knows how this game is played better than Ronald. They are not those big companies that can bet on both ends. They can only go to the dark side.
"However, we can't contribute to old George's campaign team. They are going to play some evil tricks now. I'm here to discuss it with you first. It's best not to get involved. After all, we are not for election. And, it's best,