After Wang Yang and Robert Zemeckis exchanged warm greetings, the two sat down in chairs and talked, "District 9" is one of the pioneers of motion capture technology, and the huge investment in "Firefly" also has amazing expectations, and it is normal for Magic Yang to occupy a chair, and the guest who left a chair is George Lucas, the creator of "Star Wars", and the boss of Industrial Light and Magic.

In fact, in terms of technology and experience, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and Peter Jackson are not inferior to the three present, but the selling point of this interview inevitably has the meaning of "USC's Three Musketeers": 59-year-old George Lucas, with 1.3203 billion North American box office, ranked sixth, 51-year-old Robert Zemeckis, 1.5418 billion North American box office, third, 24-year-old Wang Yang, 100 million North American box office, second.

The trio sold movie tickets that could easily circle the Earth's equator, two Oscars for Best Director, four nominations, and countless trophy titles...... These three guys are representatives of the USC directing system, and they are all quite enthusiastic about film technology, so today's theme is actually the three big guys of USC, of course, 24-year-old Wang Yang has not yet graduated.

But everyone knows that the magical way of growing up, the experience gained, and the training obtained are much more powerful than taking the "academy graduation - graduate - independent film - mainstream film", "academy graduation - advertising, MTV - independent film - mainstream film" and so on, the foundation is built in the academy, and some things are produced in practice. Just like 50-year-old USC dropout Ron Howard, who sits on 1.3271 billion North American box office, ranking fifth.

"The Polar Express is the first IMAX-3D feature film with performance capture technology, Star Wars Prequel 3 was shot with Sony's HDC-F950 digital film cameras, Firefly will be shot with IMAX cameras, and more and more film productions are being made with motion capture technology and digital shooting, and now there are 210 digital cinemas around the world...... What do you think of these new technologies? Is this a step forward that has the potential to make the digital model of the traditional production model obsolete?"

Looking at the three big directors, the Hollywood Reporter interview reporter Karen Chenolt, who was sitting in the chair opposite, asked, her face was full of joy at this time, this interview will be a masterpiece! You must know that it is a very rare thing to see these three guys sitting around discussing dialogues and answering questions, although the interview will also include the promotion of several people's new movies.

In the order in which she mentions the title of the film, Robert Zemeckis, dressed in brown leather in the center of the front, first laughs and replies: "These techniques are interesting, they can help you push some boundaries." For example, performance capture technology is more advanced than motion capture, we put nearly 150 infrared sensors on Tom Hanks's face, and the infrared camera inputs all his facial performances into the computer, and then uses the computer to create animated images, which gives us more freedom to choose the breadth, depth and parameters of the shot. ”

He couldn't help but be a little excited, looked at George Lucas and Wang Yang, who were listening carefully on both sides, and said, "Do you believe it? Tom Hanks played 6 roles alone, the train captain, the homeless man, Santa Claus, and the little boy...... Their image and temperament are all different, but their body movements and facial expressions are all derived from Tom Hanks, and everything is so vivid. It wouldn't be possible without new technology. ”

"I'm a very, very big believer in the digital revolution. George Lucas, who took over the conversation, made his position clear at the beginning, and the father of the S has gray hair, he said: "The promotion of digital shooting and digital projection is imperative, which is a bit like going from black and white to color, from silent to sound, from film to digital, I am very happy to see the development of digital technology, I really wish I woke up with 2,100, 21,000...... Digital cinema. ”

Under the smiles of several people, George Lucas laughed a few times, spread his hands and said: "You can see the difference between "Star Wars" and "Star Wars Prequel" in terms of special effects, I agree with Zemeckis, technology breaks the boundary! Many ideas and pictures and shots could not be realized ten or twenty years ago, but now they can be realized, this is definitely progress! The higher the technology, the more capable the filmmaker is to make a good movie." ”

"Jan, what do you think?" Karen Chernert looked at Wang Yang, compared with the white-haired and old Robert Zemeckis and George Lucas, this handsome young director actually has a feeling of "shock";

As if knowing what she was thinking, Wang Yang raised his left hand and replied with hand movements: "It must be a kind of progress, in the short term, the shooting effect and viewing effect brought by digital technology may be far inferior to film, but its cost saving is not just for theaters and film companies to make more money, in this emerging production mode, more people will get more opportunities." And in the long run, digital substitution of film is not surprising. ”

Zemeckis and George Lucas both agreed, and Wang Yang continued: "But this is not a day or a week, and promoting digitalization requires the efforts and progress of all parties, and it will take some time. Needless to say, the benefits of these new technologies to the film are not to be said, and I don't think there is any need to resist or deliberately pursue them, depending on whether you are interested in it or not, whether your film needs it or not. No technical means are at the heart of the film, but to better express the story, the characters, the ideas, and if the advent of the digital model means a better and cooler experience, why not? As long as the storyteller continues to tell the story, the film is still a movie. ”

"Hmm!" Karen Chenoert couldn't help but nod, this young director who is more than twice as old as Zemeckis and Lucas speaks in a clear and intonation manner, and as the last answerer, he has a summary, there is really no "stage fright" at all, amazing! She sighed in her heart, and then asked: "It seems that motion capture and performance capture are the trend of the future, and some actors are worried, will it eliminate the performers? Or they can't see their faces on the screen?"

"Haha, that's a complete misunderstanding!" Zemmy Giston shook his head and explained that he had created a performance capture: "All the movements and expressions are from live performances, we just capture, build data, and use them. Karen Chenoert had a question: "What about the stock library? When a company has enough material data, can the directors make the film directly into a computer?" ”

Zemeckis, Lucas, and Wang Yang all laughed and nodded again, and Karen Chenolt also smiled suspiciously. Zemeckis laughed: "Yes, it's called 'virtual shooting', not only the actors, scenes, and props are synthesized by computers, which provides more shooting angles and realizes some impossible camera movements, and I know that "The Matrix" uses such technology." But even with virtual shooting, actors won't be eliminated, and if that's a concern, cartoon animation and CGI animation offer the same threat. ”

"Each actor's temperament and performance characteristics are different, and people like to see real people and real faces. George Lucas continued, saying, "I'm the same myself, live action has an indelible charm that will never change, no matter how revolutionary digital technology is. ”

Seeing Lucas say and looking at Karen Chenolt, Wang Yang smiled and expressed his opinion: "But you can have more real and expressive aliens, gorilla King Kong, "Ape Planet"...... It's true that the actors who play these roles can't see their faces on the screen, and the same goes for the director. The two directors and Karen couldn't help laughing, and Wang Yang spread his hands and said, "This is part of the filmmaking, thank you." In fact, capture technology not only does not eliminate actors, but can help them have a more beautiful and expansive performance, and can also realize the director's idea of more hell, which is a good change of the times. ”

"It seems that these digital technologies are beneficial and harmless, and can better realize your movie dreams and science fiction dreams. Karen Chernult's tone changed, and she smiled narrowly and asked, "What do you think of your next film?" Mr. Lucas, Young, I heard you're going to have a fight." ”

The achievements of these three big directors in science fiction movies are not trivial, and if a fan suddenly walks in, he may immediately faint with excitement.

"Back to the Future" series, "Star Wars" series, no one dares not recognize the status of Master Zemeckis and Grandmaster Lucas, but the Amazing Young, who has achieved the least at present, won the Oscar Director Award and was praised as the "future of science fiction films", and he did not escape from fear, and the media and the public knew that "Firefly" was his self-declaration, master or epiphany.

"Hehe!" Hearing the so-called fight, George Lucas laughed unconcernedly, not to despise this young junior, but not to be afraid, he is not like some media provocatively said, "Afraid of Wonder Young", why be afraid? Lucas smiled: "Young is very incredible, but I don't have the heart to play with him." "Revenge of the Sith" is my last "Star Wars", and I just hope to give fans a complete explanation, then I have no regrets. ”

Wang Yang also smiled nonchalantly, aside from the box office, the two movies can't be compared at will, he himself grew up under the influence of "S", defeated, and surpassed? He only knew that he definitely had a heart to create a new science fiction classic, an end, and a beginning! He replied: ""Revenge of the Sith" has brought us a lot of positive pressure from role models, and "Firefly" needs to do a lot of things, but fortunately we are all ready. ”

"The Polar Express is an IMAX-3D movie. It was Zemeckis' turn to answer, and his voice was quite proud: "3D is a very fun thing, IMAX-3D is even more fun, when you have an IMAX screen in front of you and 3D glasses, it is an unbeatable viewing experience." I really hope that when "The Polar Express" is released this year, everyone can go into 3D theaters and IMAX theaters and try it. Wang Yang couldn't help but purse his lips when he heard this.

Karen Chenoert nodded as if she understood, and although she hadn't seen a 3D movie, or an IMAX short, she smiled, "You're all solid tech freaks, what do you think about 3D, IMAX-3D? Will they be a trend? Mr. Lucas, Young, will you be making 3D, IMAX-3D movies in the future?"

I believe that one day soon, everyone will be wearing 3D glasses to watch movies. "Robert Zemeckis is very determined, just because he tried it himself, and being incomparable is not boasting, and there is no reason why good things should not be popular. "After The Polar Express, I will continue to explore digital technology, capture technology, and launch more new works," he said. ”

With a hearty smile on his face, George Lucas admitted, "Actually, I haven't quite figured out what 3D is, hehe! I'll try it when I have the chance, I'm happy to try all new technologies." ”

"Yes, 3D, IMAX-3D will be the trend. Wang Yang nodded lightly, so much so that Karen Chenolte felt that it was his polite answer, but no one knew the horror power of 3D better than him, neither did Robert Zemeckis, George Lucas, James Cameron, Warner Bros., who produced Polar Express, nor did 20th Century Fox, which launched Avatar...... In the materials related to the future film and television library, James Cameron said in an interview: "The box office situation of "Avatar" far exceeds the expected level we can imagine. We started out hoping for a profit margin of about 10 percent, and in that case, the global box office would be far less than $1 billion. ”

Far less than 1 billion? What was the final box office result? It received $2.8 billion worldwide out of control. Generally speaking, the profit margin of a high-production cost film is around 30%, but the profit brought by "Avatar", which has made up its mind to "lose money", is far more than 30%, exceeding people's highest expectations that a movie can bring profits.

2.8 billion, is it because the movie itself is too good? is it because of 3D cameras, motion capture, expression capture, virtual shooting, IMAX and other technologies? No, maybe in a few years, no one will remember "Polar Express", only "Avatar", because timing is the most important part.

The time, the place, the people. Now there are only 210 digital cinemas in the world, and there are only 75 3D and IMAX giant screens when "Polar Express" is released, less than 100! Even if it is excellent, what can it be? In 2009, in North America alone, there were nearly 3,000 3D screens, nearly 200 IMAX giant screens, and countless digital theaters...... Undoubtedly, before the release of "Avatar", Fox accelerated the speed of updating equipment in major theaters around the world, but without a basic opportunity, everything is empty talk, these foundations are not something that can be decided by one person or two people, equipment technology vendors, equipment manufacturers, and cinema chains must comprehensively revolutionize equipment;

From silent to sound, black and white to color, 2D to 3D, there is only one opportunity, and there is only one wave of storms; there will be no second wave, even if 3D technology develops to be more mature and powerful in the future, "3D" will not cause a second wave of blindness for people around the world.

How blind is "Avatar" with a box office of 2.8 billion, and "Alice in Wonderland", which was on the rise later, only received 1 billion global box office under the banner of "3D movie" in the later stage by converting 2D to 3D format, how terrifying this craze is!

No one remembers "Polar Express", the current 3D movies, IMAX-3D movies are all diggers; "Avatar", a collection of 3D technology, capture technology in the master's work, caught up with the only one of the best time, and ate the most delicious fruit, it can even be easily full of tricks in the publicity link, because the general audience has a huge sense of freshness in 3D, with "how to watch "Avatar"?" as a means of publicity, not ordinary 2D, only 3D, then.

Plain Screen + Digital, IMAX+ Digital, Plain Screen + Film, IMAX+ Film...... These dazzling ways of watching movies are all wonderful gimmick selling points, and then with the power of distribution and publicity, let the Internet people form a debate "It's good to watch "Avatar like this", and at the same time, the Internet water army is crazy everywhere, how amazing 3D is, and it's a lifelong regret not to watch the IMAX-3D version of "Avatar...... In this way, the mentality of rushing to the market will be generated, and no one wants to miss it! And 3D viewing is indeed different from 2D, so 2.8 billion, this is viral marketing.

Wang Yang knew that he was no longer 18-year-old Wang Yang, and he suddenly learned that there would be a movie with a box office of 2.8 billion in 2009 in the future, which was so incredible and shocking...... But a long time ago, including now, he almost immediately saw the "why" and how to publicize it...... What doesn't change is the excitement, Avatar or Alice in Wonderland?

He won't let himself miss out! As long as he catches the only opportunity with a good movie, he can too!

"I can shoot! I love 3D. Wang Yang smiled, many mixed thoughts flashed in his heart, looked at Karen Chenolt, and replied: "I like 3D, of course I will try." It's just not at the moment, "Firefly" warms up IMAX shooting first, as for 3D and other technical aspects "it's not time", although so, he has already planned to seek cooperation with IMAX and other photography and graphics companies to set up a 3D technology research department, promote the development of the same, but also let the flame film master the most advanced technology.

When the time comes, not only to eat the fruit, but also to launch a series of 3D movies without falling behind.

In fact, if you look at the information in 2009, the 3D shooting technology of "Avatar" is not difficult, it is a combination of Sony's HDC-F950 and a CineAlta-F23, which represent the left and right eyes of the human being, and simultaneously shoot two movies with slight horizontal parallax, this dual-camera 3D photography system is named "Fusioera-3DSystem (3D digital fusion photography system)".

And long before "Avatar", the 2008 3D film "Adventure to the Center of the Earth" used such technology, and of course it didn't catch up with that timing.

Star Wars Prequel 3 was shot with an HDC-F950, and there is no CineAlta-F23 yet, and I don't know what kind of digital camera it is, but how to convert it into a 3D dual camera?

"Mark, it's time to start setting up a 3D lab, now is the right time. ”

In the spacious screening room, "The Magic Cinderella" is being shown on the digital big screen, and the picture quality and color are naturally much worse than the film, and the audience is sitting with scattered film industry insiders, visiting the latest digital projection technology of Deyi. Looking at Anne Hathaway, which is no longer made up of film, but digital codes on the screen, in the empty corner of the audience, Wang Yang leaned on the back of the chair with his hands on his chest and told Mark Slant next to him.

"OK, I see. Mark Slunt nodded, the matter of the 3D laboratory had already been discussed, and he knew what Wang Yang was talking about. Thinking about the prospect that Wang Yang depicted, as well as his own judgment, his glasses flashed with a bright light, and asked, "Are you sure that 3D will explode?" Wang Yang's voice was casual and firm: "I'm sure, in a few years, you know...... It's going to be another storm! It's a pity that "Firefly" can't catch up. ”

Hearing him mention "Firefly", Mark Slant remembered something, and asked softly: "You said before that you had a new idea for the promotion of "Firefly"?" Wang Yang smiled and nodded, he did have a new idea, he thought it should be fun, and said with a smile: "All the company's online publicity strategy is to use posters, stills, and news to spread the whole world, the more the merrier, don't you think there is something missing? ”

Glancing at the thoughtful Mark, Wang Yang continued to smile: "Have you ever watched the MTV Awards Ceremony? Every year the MTV Awards have one of the most popular links, spoof films. Mark Slunt suddenly said, "You mean we're putting out a spoof trailer?"

Wang Yang wasn't sure if he was referring to his spoof idea, so he explained: "This should be called imitation, think about it, we used the picture material of "Song and Dance Youth" to edit the "Firefly" version of the trailer, but the music, lines, and voices, the title, director, starring, and release date ...... It's all the same as the original "Firefly", in other words, it's just a similar picture, the same Jessica, you fight and I dance, the "Song and Dance Youth" version of the "Firefly" trailer. ”

"I see, I see......" Mark Slunt couldn't help laughing, looking at the big screen and laughing: "The trailer for the Trolls Cinderella version of Firefly?

"We don't do the "Trolls-Cinderella" version, we first make some of our own copyrights, "When Happiness Knocks on the Door" version, "Juno" version, "Hangover" version, "Ice Age" version, ......" Wang Yang read a few names, as if drawing a blueprint, and said with a smile: "Then we allow all netizens to use the film and television library of Flame Movies to make various spoof trailers, and hold an event to encourage netizens to create their own." ”

Mark Slimter's glasses were shining, and he seemed to see a wicked smile on the corner of Wang Yang's mouth, like a naughty child, only to hear him laugh again: "Do you know? As long as the atmosphere is fun and cool enough, technical netizens will spontaneously produce various versions, versions of classic films from various countries, the trailer of "Forrest Gump" version of "Firefly", the trailer of "Titanic" version of "Firefly", ......"

"Just imagine!" Wang Yang raised his hands, his excited voice increased a little unconsciously, and he suppressed it again and smiled: "If the entire Internet is a trailer for "Firefly", with exciting music and hilarious pictures, watch the original version after watching the spoof...... The whole network is!

"Okay......" Mark Slant thought for a moment, "it's going to be a box office high." Wang Yang snapped his fingers lightly with his right hand and grabbed his fist: "That's it." Mark Slunt nodded repeatedly: "That's viral marketing." Wang Yang couldn't help laughing, now "Firefly" has not been started, he smiled: "First of all, I want to shoot "Firefly" well, and then cut a perfect spoof template trailer out. ”

"Hey!" The two watched "Trolls Cinderella" quietly for a while, and Mark Slant suddenly snorted, looked Wang Yang up and down, and said, "Yang, I found that after you got married, your appetite has become even greater." ”

Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and raised his eyebrows: "No way, the baby will be born next year, I want to make more money for milk powder." ”

(To be continued)