Exploiting Hollywood 1980

  Chapter 647 3D Camera

   "This is very interesting, I didn't expect such good things to be there."

  Ronald brought in the technically imaginative Walter Murch to work on improving the Lightning Lamp.

  Murch set a time sequence of lightning against the back of the lightning machine, and then turned on the switch to light up the entire room.

   "The lightning at night can be simulated pretty well, and the high voltage of 50,000 volts is still a little insufficient. My engineer is going to transform it into 80,000 volts of alternating current."

"The most important thing for this kind of equipment used in the field is to be solid. It is best to make the power supply interface thicker and put on rain protection. Your lightning lamp will take a long time to dissipate heat, and you can consider adding it to the lampshade. A few metal sheets that dissipate heat can block rain and increase heat dissipation."

  Walter Murch himself is a master of modifying equipment and machines. Under his guidance, the engineer soon had new ideas and went to prepare for the modification.

"I got two prototypes from there, and then I went to a lighting factory to make some AC models. This time, I happened to take it to Hawaii to try it out in the new film. If it's good, you can introduce me to some business. "

   "Hahaha, I don't need it, the director will like you." Walter Murch smiled. The director likes to use some special equipment, so that his crew can shoot some shots that others can't. This was the case when the previous Steadicam camera stabilizer was launched. Many people did not have a lightning scene. I am afraid that they will add a scene to use this lightning lamp.

   "Francis will come later, we'll just ask him."

  Walter Murch has temporarily put aside his dream of being a director since his debut film "Back to Oz" was not a hit at the box office and started earning money to support his family. On the one hand, Ronald asked him to come up with ideas, and on the other hand, he also meant to give him some extra income.

"The famous Hollywood actress, Rock Hudson's friend Elizabeth Taylor, said that she will hold a star charity meeting, and she will invite her friends in the circle to participate. The audience who go to the Los Angeles Stadium will have the opportunity to get in touch with the stars. "

  The latest news came from the TV.

   After a few days of precipitation, CAA purchased a large number of mosquito coils to distribute. Now the stars are very panic, and many people secretly flew to the University of Maryland and the University of Baltimore, two places where blood tests can be done.

  The high-end clinics in Los Angeles are also about to quickly introduce testing technology.

   "What the **** is going on here? Walter, you live in San Francisco, is there any reliable news?" Richard was also panicked, and he asked Walter Murch for advice.

"Indeed, there are a lot of men's bathrooms in San Francisco, and there are many people who are recruited. I heard that men and men ... are more likely to spread, on the contrary, normal relationships between men and women are very rare. And there is a rumor that the safety measures are used, basically fine."

   "Really? You can feel more at ease if you say that." Ronald was about to put away the lightning lamp when Coppola's hearty laughter came from outside.

   "Huh, Walter, you're here too, just in time."

   Several people hugged each other and greeted each other. They were all old friends and old friends. Ronald asked Coppola, who was sitting down and drinking wolfberry tea, and asked, "What the **** is going on with that MJ project?"

   "It was a short film for Disneyland's new project, using Disney's latest 3D camera, shot on 65mm film..."

   "IMAX?" Murch called next to him. This is a Canadian invented film format, 65mm film.

   "No, it's a widescreen, 2.2:1 aspect ratio." Coppola replied, "Disney's newly developed technology, and only two 3D cameras have been built."

   Ronald had no experience with 3D technology, so he had to sit next to him and listen to two tech madmen talk about ancient times.

   The original IMAX is mainly 1.45 to 1 aspect ratio, and it does not necessarily need to be shot in 3D.

"This is a project that George (Lucas) got, but he was busy with his new film, so he found me. I also took the new film 'Peggy Sue is getting married', which was already in the preparatory stage, and I thought of it. You Ronald, you also come to participate, anyway, you are familiar with Eisner, he will not object."

Of course    Ronald agreed, this kind of thing, even if the three axes of Coppola Lucas Ronald are combined to make Disney money. Eisner didn't object anyway.

  More than 20 million shooting funds, as long as a short film of less than 20 minutes is shot, the total cost is more than one million yuan per minute, setting a record for the most expensive film shooting in Hollywood.

   "But it's time for a new film, and I have to go to Hawaii to shoot, why not..." Ronald tilted his head and gestured to Walter Murch.

   "Would you like to? A short film, the director's signature is that Ronald and I have joined together, and I can give you a technical title. Of course, the remuneration is generous." Coppola knew that Murch had never given up his dream of directing.

   "Of course, the most important thing for me now is to make money."

   In a few words, the cooperation (bad money) was finalized. Coppola stood up satisfied, took the mosquito coils and wolfberry from Bard, and was ready to leave.

   "What kind of lamp are you? Haven't seen it before?" Coppola saw the AC version of the lightning lamp that had been improved by engineers on the ground.

   "I'll show you a demo, don't blink." Ronald is now particularly keen to get to the salesman.

   "Wow wow..."

   "Huh, this simulates lightning? It's too bright." Coppola was deceived by Ronald, and looked at the light bulb with wide eyes, and his eyes were flashed by the bright light.

   "You're renting this thing, right? Why don't you use it for me?" Coppola recalled that in the new film, Peggy Sue was about to travel back to high school, and the scene of lightning and thunder was very appropriate.

   "I only have two prototypes. I'll take one with me and put the other in CAA. You can just call Nisita if you want."

"Okay, not bad, not bad. You are indeed Walter's apprentice. Our filmmakers in San Francisco like to innovate in equipment. George also recently praised you, saying that your casting vision is very poisonous, and several heroines you recommended are all very suitable."

Coppola looked left and right next to the lightning light again, and experimented with programming and flipping switches several times. He laughed so hard that he was able to get the magic lightning first. The new film will definitely be able to compare others. The family has to praise themselves again.

   "Hey? Your lamp is a xenon lamp, right?"

  Coppola saw the shape of the lamp tube and thought of the white light with good color rendering he emitted, and suddenly asked Ronald.

"Yeah, the long arc xenon lamp, this is my exclusive product. Except for me, only the Solver Alliance may sell it in the world, but their products are not as good as mine, and the price is also expensive." Ronald began to boast. Fan.

   "Do you have extra bulbs? There just happens to be a place to use them."

  …

   "Is this a 3D camera?" Now it was Ronald's turn to fumble around in surprise.

   "Yes, the angle of the two cameras side by side is the angle of the human eye. The film taken in this way has a slightly different angle. Using polarizers, after restoring it in the cinema, you can see the three-dimensional scene."

  Coppola introduces him to the latest Disney 3D widescreen camera.

   "Look here," Coppola pointed to the camera to show Ronald.

  This camera is very interesting. He has two slots for film cassettes. After loading 11 minutes of full film, the whole camera is a bit like Mickey Mouse's two big ears.

"Because it has to accommodate two camera systems, and they are very close together, the light bulbs here often overheat. I think you are using a very rare long-arc xenon lamp. If you have stock, give Disney engineers a try, can you solve this problem? overheating problem.

  It turns out that this machine will overheat after 20 minutes of shooting, so I have to rest for 10 minutes. If you use a xenon lamp like yours, which is easier to control, you may not need to take a break from overheating.

   I was tired of patting and patting like this, so I didn’t want to direct it myself. "

   Soon, the engineer from Daydream, brought by Ronald, had a very speculative chat with Steve Hines, who was in charge of the 3D project at Disney.

"Mr. Li, not only the camera, but also in the projection hall of Disneyland, we also need your xenon lamp as projection light, we can achieve higher brightness and better playback effect. I wonder if you can supply it for a long time. ?"

   "Of course no problem, we are the exclusive supplier to America and can supply Disneyland for a long time."

   Ronald rubbed his hands, another long-term business.

  "Ronald", Walter Murch took him aside after seeing that he had negotiated a supply agreement with Disney.

   "I've never worked with a superstar like MJ, is he easy to work with? What should I pay attention to?"

"Hey, this, I actually haven't worked with him too much. But he's a bit like a child, and he often likes superheroes in comics, so it shouldn't be difficult to cooperate. Even if he has a temper, you should coax him like a child. "

   "Hello. Xiaoyan? You asked the factory manager in Minhang to work overtime. I need a large quantity of goods here, or a long-term supply."

   "What? They don't want to work overtime? Why can I pay a bonus?"

"Not in line with the system? Can't pay bonuses? What, what do you say? Give me some mung bean soup? Give me some pork tickets? Cloth tickets? Sugar tickets? Help me get it done, and I'll send the money to you."

   After the production and supply agreement was settled, Ronald said to the newly recruited script assistant David Simkins, "You can help me screen slowly. If you have a good script, fax it over."

   Ronald, who rented several offices next door to Roger Coleman in West Hollywood, put his assistants to work here first, and was buying various office supplies. We also rented a large house as a warehouse, long-arc xenon lamp bulbs, and lightning lamp products, which will be placed here in the future, and some technicians will be recruited to follow the equipment to the crew to operate.

   In the future, the lightning lights produced by his factory, like the Steadicam camera stabilizer, are only rented and not sold.

   "Hey, Ronald, I heard from Francis that you have a lightning effect light? I'm going to use it for the new film. You can save some for me when the time comes."

  George Lucas heard about Coppola's new toy and called to ask for it.

   "No problem, when you turn it on, my new model is ready to use. You can use as many as you want. I will send the technicians with the highest level of operation to your crew."

   "Business is good, Doug. Your Staten Island factory is going to be ramping up. I think after Lucas's new movie is released, the rental business of the Lightning will be very good."

Ronald called Little Douglas. The Staten Island Lightning Lighting Factory, jointly established by the two of them, had already selected the land and started recruiting engineers and personnel. They began to customize the lampshade from the lighting factory and the control panel from the electronics factory. It will be completed next month. The assembly business can begin.

   (end of this chapter)