Los Angeles.

At a movie theater in Beverly Hills, the audience around me talked excitedly or in amazement about the 90 minutes of amazement, until everyone else left the screening room, and Michael Eisner and Richard Parsons, who were sitting in the back row, got up and walked out together.

Probably all the "Gravity" screening theaters were waiting for reporters from all sides at this time, Michael Eisner and Richard Parsons did not go through the main entrance, left the theater through the internal passageway, and got into a limousine waiting on the side of the street together, Michael Eisner asked Richard Parsons next to him: "So, what do you think?"

The black CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures took off his glasses and wiped them, although the design of the 3D glasses just now was quite friendly to people like him, but Richard Parsons still felt a little uncomfortable, and he also knew that it was more likely to be just psychological discomfort.

Putting the glasses back on, Richard Parsons said with a wry smile: "At least, there is only one Eric Williams in Hollywood." ”

"One," Michael Eisner was stunned, also a little embarrassed, but there was a heartfelt agreement in his unwilling tone: "It's good to have one such guy in every era." ”

Richard Parsons instructed the driver to drive to a nearby restaurant, and said: "Isn't there always a follow-up research and development of 3D movies in the era of light and shadow? Polarized 3D is not a too difficult technology, maybe we can launch our own 3D movies at the same time next summer." ”

Michael Eisner shook his head: "You're thinking too simply. ”

Michael Eisner pays more attention to the Age of Light and Shadow that Universal, Warner and Paramount jointly formed in order to fight against the digital realm than any other senior of the three companies, so he knows very well that since the establishment of the Age of Light, the main focus has been on CG special effects, and the 3D technical team that followed up the Firefly Group's RealD plan is actually only a decoration of less than ten people, far from being comparable to the RealD team with hundreds of people.

What's more, even if the age of light and shadow can technically meet the 3D technology standards in the digital field, Firefly Group has invested nearly $2 billion in the entire 'RealD' and '4200' programs in the past two years. Now, the cake has just been made, how can the other party easily allow the other three to enter the market to share this dividend?

Hearing Eric say this, Richard Parsons also quickly thought about this, and was silent for a moment before he said: "Even if Williams wants to monopolize this market, the theater chain will not agree, and the richer the content source, the more beneficial it is for the theater company." ”

"But we're still too far behind," says Michael Eisner, "and maybe tomorrow we should have a meeting with the heads of the Age of Light." ”

Richard Parsons nodded: "Make a call when the time comes, and I'll go too." ”

The two chatted like this, because they belonged to different companies, some words were not too thorough, but they could feel the heaviness in each other's tones.

The absolute leading edge of the firefly system in the field of CG special effects has already made Universal and other three companies tired of catching up.

Now that the other side has taken the lead in a new mode of film screening, it's hard to imagine what will happen to the Hollywood landscape next.

If 3D vs. 2D there will be a huge industrial change like sound vs. silence, color vs. black and white. Then, under the opportunity of the firefly system, it is not impossible for the current state of coexistence of the seven major film companies to transform into the six, big or even big four in the near future.

After all, Hollywood's big studios are not indestructible, and Raiden Hua and United States were once prosperous, but now they have declined without a trace. At this time, due to the rise of Firefly, the Disney brand has also been merged. If it weren't for the cultivation of the firefly system, MGM might have also gone into decline.

With this concern in mind, neither Michael Eisner nor Richard Parsons was in the mood for a late-night snack. When they came to a nearby restaurant, the two just sat and drank a few cups of coffee, chatted casually for a while, and then went home.

After heart surgery a few years ago, Michael Eisner has been focused on rest. However, early the next morning, he rarely woke up before six o'clock.

As a result of the advance advice, his assistant had faxed the film review of "Gravity" from the mainstream North American newspaper. Sitting on the terrace outside the study in the early morning, the last trace of hope in Michael Eisner's heart has disappeared, and the evaluations of "Gravity" in major mainstream newspapers are basically praise, and some newspapers' film reviews have even carried a bit of sycophancy.

"The bold visuals, the dazzling lens design, and the groundbreaking 3D projection mode give us a great visual adventure like never before. —The New York Times

"Whether it's the new special effects technology, the 3D playback mode or the actors' performances, I can only describe it as breathtaking. Eric Williams has created a visual marvel for us that has never been seen before. —Los Angeles Times

"Gravity reminds me of Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it's a more overwhelming experience, with a new 3D projection format that creates a strong sense of immersion. - The Hollywood Reporter

"Gravity isn't so much a movie as it is a stunning visual experience that brings together all the most advanced cinematic technologies. —The Washington Herald

"Hollywood is about to change once again in a great way. - "Variety"

“……”

“……”

Obviously, most of the film reviews don't have much to say about the plot of "Gravity", and this film is really just a very traditional high-concept movie in the survival room genre.

However, "Gravity" has pioneered CG special effects, lens style, 3D mode and other aspects, sublimating a survival room movie that is commonplace for countless audiences to a great height.

Sitting silently on the terrace outside the study and watching the pages of the "Gravity" film, Michael Eisner still took out his mobile phone and dialed Katzenberg's number.

In the second half of the year, as the Nasdaq stock market crashed, the situation of the heavily indebted Seagram Group has become more and more bleak, and this has not changed because Universal Music acquired an 8% stake in Fireflyer in exchange for benefits.

Michael Eisner has realized that Universal Pictures is likely to change hands again.

Although he has done a very good job as CEO of Universal Pictures over the years, Michael Eisner understands that if he wants to maintain his position in Hollywood in the next process of changing companies, Universal must keep up with the rise of 3D movies as much as possible this time.

With the screening on Saturday night, while the traditional print media was full of praise, the response to "Gravity" in the circle of fans on the Internet was even more enthusiastic.

On movie-related websites or forums such as Yahoo Movies, IMDB, and AOL Movie Community, the popularity of "Gravity" has risen to the top almost all within a day. The audience who was lucky enough to participate in the screening praised the film unabashedly.

"What's the ultimate effect of a long take, in my opinion, is that you don't feel like you're watching a long shot at all. The opening ten-plus-minute long shot of Gravity does exactly that. The perfect special effects, the magnificent space scenes, the witty dialogue between the actors, and the thrilling of the crisis, every detail drew me in, until Ryan was thrown into the abyss of the universe, the camera suddenly switched, and I suddenly realized that I had just seen a great long shot. That's right, I can only describe it as great at this time. ”

……

"Do you want spoilers? Let me tell you, Judy took the form of a medical doctor this time, rushed to space to repair the Hubble telescope, and then, encountered danger, and then, after a lot of hardships in space, finally returned to Earth. Above. So, it's a very, very simple story, but it's definitely a very, very good movie. It's so good that I'm not afraid to spoil it to you at all, because in this simple story, I saw so much shock that is hard to put into words. If you don't go to the theater in person, you're going to miss out on one of the greatest movies in Hollywood history. ”

……

"There's no doubt about Eric Williams' fourth billion-dollar film. ”

……

"For me, who is a super fan of Elton John, the Rocket-Man interlude was a stroke of genius. Hearing Kowalski play this song while the two of them were wandering through space brought tears to my eyes. ”

"I feel the same way, but, in my opinion, the whole movie is simply a complete Hollywood genius. I have a strong feeling that Eric Williams, like Kubrick, has brought us a film that might not have been around for ten or twenty years. ”

……

"Have you noticed a little girl holding a doll? Haha, I saw it, Eric Williams, this lolicon, don't deny it!"

"Shhhh ”

"That's right, though, when the Challenger universe is very inside, remember, keep your eyes open. ”

"Haha, I was scared, but then I was cute. ”

"That fluttering figure, it's a pity that it's not a real person, but it's so cute, I don't know if the same peripheral will be launched. ”

"Damn spoiler party, hold it down, all killed. ”

……

"Ahh ”

"To buy tickets, please add YCR group: 714311997. ”

"The above is a scammer, I have a ticket in my hand, eBay transaction, $600, I need a private chat. ”

"I'd better talk to the liars. ”

……

After a fun weekend with Angela Lindwo, Eric returned to Los Angeles to prepare for the world premiere of Gravity on Friday, November 12.

Firefly Studios.

On the second day back in Los Angeles, after watching a sample of the first part of "The Lord of the Rings" in the IMAX theater and having lunch with Peter Jackson and others, Eric and Katzenberg returned to the studio together to discuss "Gravity" promotion while walking along the concrete road.

With the super high reputation brought by the screening, the two-year busyness finally came to fruition, and the fruit was more fruitful than imagined, and the Firefly Group was excited at this time.

"Michael called me last Sunday and had a conversation at noon, and he wanted Universal to make a 3D version of the mummy universe, and there happened to be a Scorpion King 2 this summer. In addition, he asked us about our next steps. ”

Eric could sense the pleasure in Katzenberg's tone, after all, Michael Eisner was his former boss. With a smile on his face, Eric said, "You promised him?"

"Of course not," Katzenberg shook his head, but said: "However, there is no refusal, it still depends on the situation on our side, if you need a film source, the Mummy Universe series is definitely a good choice." ”

Eric nodded in approval.

According to the plan, once the 3D and IMAX promotion is successful, the number of 3D and IMAX screens in North America and even overseas will definitely increase significantly. However, there is no specific expectation of how much it will increase.

However, the Firefly Group already has a very clear idea of this, that is, it is better to have a shortage than an abundance.

The once 3D film market, especially the 3D film market in the West, flourished with the rise of "Avatar". But in just a few years, as producers unrestrained 3D versions were released in pursuit of maximizing profits, audiences soon lost their enthusiasm for the situation and returned to 2D screens.

This time, now that he has controlled most of Hollywood, Eric will naturally not allow this situation to happen again.

Moreover, although it is difficult to stop the trend of businessmen seeking profits, this time, the firefly system can establish multiple barriers to ensure the healthy development of 3D films.

First of all, there is cost.

Just like "Gravity", although there are only 90 minutes on set, due to the dual-camera 3D, the cost of a single film has directly doubled, reaching $3,000. Therefore, just 2,000 3D screens in North America cost $6 million to copy. In addition, the cost of copying the IMAX-3D version has increased tenfold to $30,000. 100 3D-IMAX screens in North America, the cost of copying directly reached 3 million US dollars. The cost of $9 million is enough to make a good solo movie. Moreover, if all new copies are used for the same overseas issuance scale, the total copy cost will double again to 18 million.

Even, because of the concern about the cost of copies, a director of the distribution department also proposed to delay the release time of some overseas markets to realize the reuse of North American copies.

Eric actually agrees with the executive's opinion very much, but the overseas schedule of "Gravity" has basically been determined, and most of the synchronous markets cannot be changed, so it is difficult to regenerate this money, and I can only look forward to using this kind of mousse in future films.

It's still in the age of film, and that's basically not going to change for the next decade. Therefore, the expensive cost of film copy in dual-camera 3D can directly exclude a large number of low-quality films.

Moreover, the cost of copying is only the first barrier to the firefly system.