hollywood system: art

February 13.

How indecent those scenes are—the ones that strike at the audience's emotions. A phrase any bold and unapologetic director would gladly utter. That was precisely what the dedicated Wachowski brothers were crafting day after day, shaping the script of The Matrix. With Billy's connections, they reached out to Pixar, exploring the possibility of advancing recordings in stop motion and experimenting with slow motion to buy time and start reshaping the industry. And even if it wasn't obvious yet, Pixar—alongside the recent acquisition of Lucas—was already laying the groundwork for a graphics and special effects studio, which, with a tentative investment in Weta Digital, would slowly evolve. The goal: to unite the three companies and create a technological breakthrough that blended computing power with personalized motion capture technology, not just for films but for video games, reshaping the survival costs of both industries.

–Mr. Wachowski, it's very difficult for me to follow your vision if I don't have something concrete to work with. I understand you want something highly dynamic, but this kind of transition requires a different type of work,– said Alan Huffer, a senior programmer in charge of tweaking special effects like the machines. Though Billy contributed some ideas and sketches, the Wachowskis rebuilt those scenes to breathe more life into each machine. Now with cutting-edge technology at their fingertips, Pixar and LucasArts were beginning to see the reach of their combined machinery, collaborating to the point of unlocking new frontiers in tech development.

–Just polish it a bit, I don't want it to look too fake,– said Andy Wachowski.

–You could build a model. We can scale the puppets down to 1:10, around five inches tall,– suggested Alan Huffer, knowing full well the process would take time. But producing several 1:10 models ahead of schedule posed no problem—shipping a priority load costing nearly $15,000 could reduce Pixar's expenses. They aimed to produce 25 models for the next three films.

–Then send the info to Larry; he's working with Joel Silver,– said Andy, streamlining the entire logistics chain, while Pixar's consultants handled their deliverables. Now, they moved forward with the pace of a turtle, hoping that in six months they might have a scene ready. Meanwhile, elsewhere, the team was prepping a studio in Australia to save on various taxes.

–We'll start casting in three months,– Andy added.

–Then it's likely we'll only have the sets for the first film ready. We'll ship the rest once it's done, but I've got some great ideas to share with the team,– Alan said, a bit disoriented by the uncertain expectations. The studio was new, and although they had hired several experts, the development process hadn't clicked yet. Two months into studio renovations, and everything still seemed chaotic.

–Let's just keep going—I think we've got plenty of time,– said Andy Wachowski.

…

It's always thrilling when people get to see the results of their work. The project they're now proud of is none other than the marvelous Shrek, part of the second team's slate, which also includes the Robots movie slated for 1998. Meanwhile, the first team is working on two projects—Monsters, Inc. for the end of the year, and Finding Nemo over the next two years. But it's the birth of the third team, with 50 animators under its wing, that had already started its second project, Gigantic, for 1998, and The Polar Express for 1999. That last film brought in a former Disney animator who had been let go some time ago—Billy gave it the green light. What started as a simple animated tale transformed into a rich script with great songs and a substantial budget of at least $50 million.

It's amazing how some films become perfect for their time.

The story would center on Jack, the protagonist, who falls in love with a shopkeeper named Angelina. However, Marco, a brave and wealthy sailor, also loves her. Jack becomes consumed with anger when he sees Angelina abandon him, forgotten and alone at the harbor. One day, the humans in Jack's village strike a deal with a fierce family of giants: Feebus, Fifen, Fogel, Fober, and their leader Faustus. The villagers promise the giants a large portion of land in exchange for protecting them from harm. But over time, the giants grow indifferent to the pact and leave the village in ruins. Jack refuses to let his people suffer and embarks on a quest to defeat the giants.

Unlike typical films, this one features an extended ten-minute introduction with a beautiful opening song. Music also appears midway and at the end, where the love for storytelling shines through. The tale gives rhythm and urgency to the plot—a fresh take on Jack and the Beanstalk, a story retold countless times. After the giants betray their pact, Jack uses the magic beans to travel to the land of giants in search of treasure to save his people. But he soon learns the giants are deserters. With the help of a giant princess, he diminishes the giants' size, stripping them of their height. In a final attempt to flee, they fall into the void. Jack, now a giant himself, marries the princess, who teaches him that there's more to life than betrayal and deceit.

–Rules can be great when they're truly needed,– said Elijah, impressed. As the head of the first film from Team 3, he had a shot at matching Team 1's success. No one knew for sure, but that unpredictability was part of what he loved about filmmaking.

–We could record the dubbing in April, with the songs, and aim for a release in June—maybe late June,– suggested John Lasseter, admiring the project, which was now looking quite polished.

–Yeah, but I made some adjustments to the new body movement software. We can now reproduce animations in seconds. Just watch how the trees and the magic plant move—it's a whole new application,– replied Elijah, who knew well that success was everything. And though each project took about a year to complete, that timeframe had become more achievable lately.

–You already know about dubbing, and who could take over. Right now, it depends on whether Billy likes the movie. If he does, he might find a better dubbing job. But even you could do the voice work if you pull it off right,– said John Lasseter.

–That would be amazing,– said Elijah.

...

Ed Catmull was completely lost in thought, trying to figure out how to improve film production processes—and then it hit him. Even the smallest enhancement could evolve into a project with landmark status.

–We want software capable of replicating the reflection of light on metal, water, and rough surfaces—something that can mimic dance,– said Ed Catmull, reviewing the steps in the improvement process. Every leap forward in software was a leap into the sky.

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