I’m in Hollywood

On July 13th, Monday, the filming of Gravity was officially launched in Firefly Studios.

Following the two-billion-dollar super blockbuster of "Jurassic Park" and "Royal Casino 007", Eric’s personally directed new work is naturally eye-catching.

Although Eric did not personally participate in the related warm-up propaganda work, the Firefly Group's media public relations department has done everything in order.

Before the film began, ABC TV had already made a special visit to the two main characters Judy Foster and George Clooney. News related to Gravity is also spread across the media channels inside and outside the Firefly Group.

Of course, in accordance with established practice, these messages released in advance do not have any substantive information related to the content of the film. What the public can know is that Eric Williams started shooting a new movie, a new movie related to space.

In addition, although many people already know the name of the new Eric film, in fact, all the relevant titles appearing in the media are "Eric Williams unnamed new film."

Keeping the mystery as close as possible, always hangs the appetite of the public. This is a habitual means that all large-scale starts are often used.

While Eric started filming Gravity in Los Angeles, New York, although the detailed cooperation plan between the two sides is still under discussion, Morgan Stanley has already begun to build momentum for the Nasdaq index.

The first article that Morgan Stanley threw was an analysis of the false recovery of the Russian economy.

The report published in The Wall Street Journal pointed out that only in the two months of May and June this year, the scale of capital withdrawal from Russia panic reached 13 billion US dollars, which exceeded the total introduction of Russia from 1991 to 1997. More than half of the more than 20 billion US dollars in foreign capital. At the same time, along with the continuous downward adjustment of international oil prices in recent years, the Russian economy based on energy exports will once again enter a cold winter. The ratio of Russia's external debt to foreign exchange reserves has reached its dangerous figure.

After the economic crisis in Southeast Asia broke out, many large sums of money from international hot money, such as foreign exchange, stocks, bonds and other markets in Southeast Asia, have flowed into Russia, a new economy that seems to be recovering. Among them, Soros’s quantum fund is the most typical representative. Quantum Fund has invested half of the gains from the Southeast Asian economic crisis in the Russian stock and bond markets.

In fact, nearly $10 billion of Russia’s $20 billion in foreign investment introduced during the seven years from 1991 to 1997 was completed in the past year.

However, after entering Russia, the capital of the parties also quickly saw the essence of the Russian economy, and thus the massive panic escape of capital in May and June.

Morgan Stanley’s analysis of this report is equivalent to directly putting the current state of the Russian economy on the verge of collapse. It’s a long time, I don’t know the media and public of Morgan Stanley’s deep purpose. Looking at the excitement, the capitals of all parties who are constantly watching the world economic situation have also made some deviations from the understanding of Morgan Stanley’s purpose in publishing this article. They think that this article is actually Morgan Stanley’s suggestion that international hot money can attack the ruble. 'signal'.

In fact, this article is just a foundation for Morgan Stanley to further the Nasdaq market's continued prosperity.

Thoroughly exposing Russia's economic situation, even if it is some capital that does not understand the situation and expects the Russian economy, it will certainly not enter Russia anymore. Then, in the next step, Morgan Stanley will naturally lead them back to North America and enter the Nasdaq market.

On the day of the analysis report, the Russian Foreign Ministry quickly responded to Morgan Stanley’s “extremely irresponsible” false remarks. The Russian Minister of Economy held a press conference and vehemently refutes Morgan Stanley’s views. .

The powerful influence of international investment banks such as Morgan Stanley on the economies of the world is also rapidly manifesting.

On the second day of the report, the Russian ruble showed signs of significant appreciation.

Under normal circumstances, currency appreciation is a manifestation of an country's economic strength. But at this time, everyone knows that the appreciation of the ruble is absolutely impossible for this reason, but it is a very dangerous signal.

Many people have not forgotten that before the economic crisis in Southeast Asia, the Thai currency baht had a large appreciation in a short period of time.

The appreciation of the ruble is obviously the performance of international currency speculators in the large-scale absorption of the ruble attempt to short.

After the economics of Southeast Asian countries have been devastated, Russia will inevitably encounter this disaster.

Under Chris and John Mark’s lobbying, AOL’s shareholders have agreed to buy 10% of AOL’s stock in the hands of Firefly’s investment for $4 billion. The negotiations between the two parties on the underwriting agreement are nearing completion, and Morgan Stanley is also in an orderly manner to plan for the Nasdaq market.

Los Angeles, unconsciously, is already the fifth day of the start of Gravity.

These days, in addition to a phone call with Christopher every morning, to understand the progress of all aspects of New York, Eric basically let go of everything else and put most of his energy into the shooting of Gravity. .

At this time, it was already Friday afternoon, in the studio of Firefly Studios, the filming was suspended.

Eric sat in front of the computer in the studio, repeatedly playing the spacewalk lens of George Clooney around the Hubble telescope, Nikkel Frank, Judy Foster, George Clooney and the visual of the film. Special effects director Robert Byron either stood or sat around Eric and watched the camera inside the computer.

Right now, Eric encountered the first unanticipated important issue after the shoot, the reflection of the actor's spacesuit glass helmet.

In theory, due to the vacuum environment without any diffuse reflection, the reflection of the actor's spacesuit glass helmet should be very fine and direct, without any astigmatism problems. Eric has already considered the reflection of the pupil in the close-up of the actor in advance, and has designed a solution for this purpose.

A few days ago, in order to match the crew and actors, Eric chose to shoot some visions from easy to difficult, but today, when it comes to close-up shots of some actors, Eric discovered that even with the real-time environment simulation of the light box, Because the air particles in the shooting inevitably cause diffuse reflection, the reflection of the scene on the actor's spacesuit glass helmet can not reach the fineness of the real space scene.

After a few moments, Nickel first said: "Eric, maybe we can take off the glass cover, all of which are made with late CG."

Eric nodded. In fact, unless he gave up the attitude of excellence, it would be almost inevitable to remove the glass cover and use all the CG.

More than 99% of the "gravity" shots will be shot in this studio, so there is no large-scale crew team, long-term crew members, Judy Foster and George Clooney No more than twenty people.

However, on the other hand, "Gravity" has a 100-person special effects team in the digital field to serve this film.

See Eric nod, Robert Byron from the digital field also said: "Eric, it is not difficult to remove the glass cover with CG, we only need to install sensors around the helmet, you can accurately glass The CG model of the hood is installed, but this part of the work will be very cumbersome."

Eric took a moment to comment on Robert Byron: "Bob, plus two days of class on weekends, we will first modify the prop helmet. As for the CG production in this area, in the later stage of special effects production, and other scenarios. It will be much easier to start with a reference and restart."

The glass cover CG that needs to take into account the reflection content is naturally very cumbersome if it is completed together with other CG scenes in the lens, but until the later stage, the scene around the actor has been determined, and it is simple and quick to make the relevant CG module. .

Everyone has discussed the details in detail. Although there are still some times, it is impossible to continue shooting today. Eric announced that he will leave work early. Tomorrow is the weekend. Most of the crew still have to rest as usual.

Most of the staff in the studio simply cleaned up and left.

Eric and Robert Byron agreed to meet the transformation of the helmet tomorrow morning and say goodbye to each other. He still sat in front of the workbench, opened his laptop and quietly tapped today's work log.

Although the preparation work has been done for a year in advance, in the actual shooting process, various problems are often encountered. This point, Eric has already met, once the "gravity", can be said to be another peak in the film technology after "Avatar."

Even if the memories of the past made Eric take a lot of detours, he did not think that he would complete this epoch-making work smoothly.

Focusing on the feelings of today's work, the light footsteps of high heels came from the ear.

Eric looked up and saw that Judy Foster came to himself from the dressing room, and the woman's makeup removal was always troublesome.

In addition to the two quietly leaving makeup artists and their assistant, Judy Foster found that only one Eric was left in the studio, which was enough to hold a large Boeing airliner, so it was natural to walk. Come and say hello: "Hey, Eric, are you not going to work?"

Eric finger tapped a word briskly, then looked at Judy Foster and smiled: "I am waiting for you."

"Oh, you guy, it’s not serious," Judy Foster smiled, but simply pulled a chair and sat down next to Eric, looking curiously at his laptop. :"can I see?"

"Of course," Eric nodded, turning the laptop screen slightly toward her and said, "How do you feel these days?"

Judy Foster kept scrolling down the document with the mouse, reading Eric's work log with great interest, and said: "Fortunately, I listened to your suggestion, did a few months of exercise, or else it was a bit Can't hold it down."

In summer, it is impossible to install air-conditioning facilities in the largest studio in Firefly Studios. Adding a circle of LED screens radiates heat at all times, and the temperature inside the backlight box exceeds 30 degrees most of the time.

Although the film actor does not need to make any difficult moves, wearing a thick spacesuit is only three or four hours in a high-temperature light box with a very small space. When many times come out, the whole person is basically collapsed. It is.

However, since the start of the week, Eric has never heard of any complaints from Judy Foster, and every time he performs exactly according to his requirements, which makes Eric very admire her. Dedication.

In fact, Judy Foster’s feelings about Eric are basically the same. This young man who already has a huge wealth that is hard to reach for everyone is almost the first person to come to this studio every day. It’s the last one to leave. Sometimes, Judy Foster can't help but think that if he has so much money, why bother to do this work, a little slack, lazy, bad temper, this is normal what.

A moment later, Judy Foster pointed to a paragraph in Eric's work log and asked: "Eric, why do you think that the relative speed of four meters per second can bring the best weight loss effect? ?"

“This is the result of many pre-tests with Nickel and I,” Eric replied: “And it’s not that four meters per second can bring the best weight loss effect, but the relative state of the normal lens. The speed of movement is limited to the standard four meters per second, in order to give the audience a unified visual experience. In fact, in other collisions, flights and other scenes, the relative speed of you and the lens is constantly changing, we only have to let you all kinds of The trajectory of motion conforms to the laws of physics in space, so that it is truly the most perfect weightless visual effect."

Judy Foster listened carefully, and finally joked and said: "If you don't see it with your own eyes, I can hardly think about you just graduated from high school."

Eric admired Judy Foster's beautiful blue-blue scorpion and smiled: "You are a prejudice."

Judy Foster also smiled: "If you mind, then I apologize."

"Oh, I forgive you," Eric continued. "Say, the gamble we played on Oscar, are you thinking about it?"

"No," Judy Foster almost forgot about her and Eric’s last bet on the best actress at the Oscar. She is a very smart woman and naturally will not be Eric. The promise of any of her requirements at the time was too serious. At this point, listening to Eric took the initiative, she could not help but said: "However, I suddenly feel a sense, it seems that I owe you a promise."