Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 24 Shock

  The 12-minute short film was quickly over, and Ronald was in shock.

The story of the    short film is very simple. It tells that most of the human beings have become extinct. Two people, a man and a woman, escaped from the earth in a spacecraft with artificial intelligence and went to space. The man woke up in the spaceship and was attacked by a huge sweeping robot as an enemy while walking around, and the woman drove the battle robot to the rescue.

   The plot of this story is incomplete and seems to be only a small part of a larger, complete story. But the editing was very good, and Ronald, as the audience, watched with a sense of tension.

   The scenes inside the spaceship are very imposing, and it feels like the spaceship is dozens of times larger than people.

   The most important thing is that the two robots are very real. Ronald can't figure out how Jim Cameron paid $24,000 to make such a real robot?

   Not only can it move freely, but it is also very human-like. It makes people feel that this robot is intelligent at first glance, and finally gets stuck and cannot move, which makes people feel a little humorous.

   "What do you think?" Cameron took the initiative to ask when everyone didn't speak.

"Your short film has the temperament of 'Star Wars'. The level of lighting is superb, and you use a very simple method to shoot the feeling of space." The photographer commented, "Star Wars was shot on the British Pinewood studio. I Worked there, and if you had the opportunity to shoot there, the quality of the movie would be better than Star Wars.”

"I think the heroine is very powerful. She can drive a battle robot to save the hero. This is rare in Hollywood movies. In today's movies, women generally show off their beauty and wait for men to save them. It's time for Hollywood Here's a female hero." Gale praised from a woman's point of view.

   "What do you think, Ronnie". Cameron actually wants to hear his opinion the most.

   "How did you make this model? Was it plastic?"

   After watching Cameron's performance, Ronald began to wonder if he really had the talent to direct.

   "How was this shot taken? It is the shot of the male protagonist climbing on the cliff in front of the sweeping robot to avoid the robot's scanning."

   "How was the shot of the heroine in the cockpit of the battle robot taken? Did you make a model of the inside of the robot?"

   "How was the interior of this huge spaceship shot?"

  …

   Ronald asked a dozen questions in one go, and Cameron answered them one by one.

   It turned out to be a plastic model. After taking a close-up shot with a camera, we used editing techniques to create the illusion of a tall robot.

  The heroine is in a small room, playing with a "spaceship joystick" modified by fitness equipment, and then using lights to create a dim effect in the cockpit. Finally, edit the scene of her driving with the scene of the fighting robot model in motion, and the audience will mistakenly think that the heroine is driving inside the robot.

  The huge internal structure of the spaceship is actually a background painting. Cameron painted a perspective effect. At the right angle, with dim lighting, the audience mistakenly thought that they saw the ceiling of the spaceship.

  The scene where the male protagonist hangs on the cliff to avoid the robot actually relies on editing. The male actor grabs the edge of a high platform to show the feeling of fear. Then, through post-editing technology, it is synthesized with the camera lens of the robot.

The    robot is also amazing, its head can be turned, and it is driven by the motor of an electric toy.

   The most surprising thing is that the entire short film was edited with the copy function of two video recorders. Due to lack of funds, Cameron could not afford a professional editing machine, so he used two video recorders for editing.

When    reaches the cut point, the copy is paused, then fast-forward to the content to be connected, and then the copy is resumed. In this way, the native method was launched, and a short film with such a high degree of completion was actually cut.

   "I think you might change Hollywood in the future, Jim."

Ronald said to Cameron: "George Lucas can't make an apocalyptic intelligent machine like you. His robot is just a gag clown. And your robot is the protagonist of the movie. ."

   "You're exaggerating too much, Ronald." Cameron smiled happily, and someone finally saw his most attentive part. Although the actors and subtitles of this short film are male and female protagonists, in fact, the protagonists of the whole film should be sweeping robots and fighting robots.

   The core of the movie story is the routine of righteous robots and war against evil robots.

   "Let's go," Gale suggested. Ronald also nodded, it was time to go, he didn't get off work on time for a week, he should go home early today.

   Press the tape back button, the video tape is backed out from the machine, and the TV screen automatically switches back to the signal of CBS TV station. A male host jumped out, which happened to be a political talk show.

"Two days ago, the leader of America announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on January 1 next year, which continued to shock the international community. We invited international experts and everyone to analyze the international impact of this incident..." A theme music recalled .

   "Wait a minute..." Ronald stopped Gal who was about to turn off the TV.

   "First of all, let's review the televised speech delivered by the commander-in-chief at the White House on the 15th the day before yesterday."

The TV screen cuts to the Oval Office of the White House, and the silver-haired commander is reading the manuscript: "First, let me read a joint communiqué that I just signed, the United States of America, which will be held on January 1, 1979, with China. Formal establishment of diplomatic relations. America will recognize... as the sole legitimate government of the Chinese people... and this communiqué is a further development of the... communiqué of 1972..."

   Ronald's open-mouthed boss, finally established diplomatic relations? Do I have a chance to go to China?

   I was busy filming for the past two days, and I missed this big news. It is also because there is no TV in his apartment. Almost all the information of American people now comes from TV channels. CBS is one of the most authoritative one.

   Hurry up and make money to buy a TV.

  Ronald added another item to his list of things to do to make money.

   "Why, you are suddenly interested in international politics?"

  Cameron remembers that Ronald is not like today's progressive youth, who likes to talk about international politics and the destruction of nuclear weapons.

   "The American government recognizes that there is only one Chinese country in the world...America and the Chinese country will start exchanging ambassadors in March next year. ... Both sides of the strait belong to the same Chinese country." The commander continued his speech.

   "I'm interested in Huaguo. Their food is delicious." Ronald said perfunctorily that it was impossible to reveal his true thoughts to anyone.

  The strength of China began to manifest internationally. As a soul of China, Ronald was of course very excited. The ancient wisdom of 5000 years is not something you who are only 200 years old can understand.

   "I think I will have the opportunity to go to Red China to make a movie in the future. If I can make one, it will definitely be sold in America," Ronald explained.

   "Then you will have a chance in the future. With the embassy next year, you can get a visa to travel first." Gail laughed.

   Earned money to travel to China, Ronald added another item to the list.

  The replay of the White House speech on TV ended, and finally the commander praised the great significance of establishing diplomatic relations with China, which is conducive to world peace.

   "Okay, now let's see what the experts say." The male host began to introduce the two guests.

  Ronald raised his hand and turned off the TV, everyone was ready to go home.

   "Jim, does your new film have this kind of robot footage?" Ronald asked suddenly.

   "No robots, but some spaceships, and alien creatures, need to do model stunts."

   "Oh, a movie like your short film doesn't actually need too many lines and dialogues. Maybe the movies you make in the future can be sold to China," Ronald said.

  Cameron's eyes lit up: "You are right, action and machinery are the language of movies that all human beings can understand. Only such movies can be sold to non-English-speaking countries."

   "See you tomorrow afternoon at Mount Carmel High School?"

   "See you tomorrow afternoon."

   (end of this chapter)