If a movie is born from scratch, where does its starting point lie?
The starting point might be Aoki Haruhi's brain, or perhaps his memories of The Matrix from his previous life. Tracing back further, it should be the Wachowski Brothers, or rather, the Wachowski Sisters (as both of them later changed their gender) in another parallel universe.
The two universes should not have intersected, yet due to the unique existence of Aoki Haruhi, a peculiar connection was forged.
One universe served as the origin for the other.
Perhaps this could be the premise for another science fiction novel, couldn't it?
However, in this world, within this particular timeline, the severed spatial connection allowed Aoki Haruhi's brain memories to become the sole starting point, driving the formation and development of the film.
The Matrix trilogy, having originated from Aoki Haruhi's mind, transformed into a script and storyboards, which were then handed over to Producer Ichihashi Fumie.
Aoki Haruhi was like Prometheus, the fire-bringer, stealing the spark of The Matrix from another universe, igniting a torch, and then passing it to Ichihashi Fumie.
Next, she will exercise her authority as a Producer, using all of this as a starting point to begin constructing the world of The Matrix.
The mission of a Producer is to strive to transform text into a film that can truly be seen and heard.
In some respects, a film Producer is quite similar to a game Producer.
She will be responsible for the entire film's production, manufacturing, and subsequent distribution, etc. Unlike a game, Ichihashi Fumie can completely hire a very capable Director to act as the game Producer or lead planner, and then she only needs to control all the financial budgets and handle logistics and promotional operations.
It's like handing the product over to the Director, and Fumie helps the Director solve the problems after the film is completed.
...
So, after this baton was passed to Ichihashi Fumie, her primary task was to select a suitable and excellent Director for The Matrix.
With this mission, she arrived in the United States.
As the plane landed and she stepped onto the soil of Los Angeles, Ichihashi Fumie looked up at the azure sky and took a deep breath.
"Excellent, I'm back."
She smiled.
Just over a year ago, Ichihashi Fumie was still a Production Assistant who had emerged from Hollywood, but after returning to Japan, she was inexplicably recommended to Aoki Haruhi by Director Iwai Shunji.
Now, Ichihashi Fumie has another opportunity to realize her ambitions and talents.
Holding a briefcase containing The Matrix script and storyboards, as well as a laptop with relevant data copied, Ichihashi Fumie felt as if she held the entire world.
The next step is to pass its contents to the next torchbearer.
...
The first person Ichihashi Fumie sought out was James Cameron.
James Cameron, born on August 16, 1954, in Ontario, Canada, is a Hollywood film Director and screenwriter.
In 1984, he rose to fame for writing and directing the science fiction film The Terminator.
And now, Cameron has just finished all production on titanic and is preparing to bring the film to the big screen in December of this year.
Ichihashi Fumie valued him, first, because he is a seasoned Director, and among the many Hollywood Directors, Cameron is exceptionally skilled at directing science fiction, especially films related to intelligent machines.
For example, the Terminator series tells the story of how a robot, traveling back from the future to save the female protagonist, overcomes difficulties, ultimately defeats the enemy, and saves the world.
And Aliens 2, also a science fiction film.
Under Cameron's direction, it gained a strong sense of narrative, while the action sequences were also quite good.
His pacing, imagination, cinematography, and narrative… are all very strong.
When he met Ichihashi Fumie, Cameron was still a bit surprised—
Because the young lady looked too young.
She didn't look like a mature Producer at all.
Ichihashi Fumie was a very beautiful mixed-race woman, and Cameron realized this the moment he saw her. He even had the thought that if they couldn't collaborate, perhaps he could cast her in a role in a future film.
After they introduced themselves, Cameron invited Ichihashi Fumie to sit down.
Now that titanic was completed, Cameron had a little free time and had returned home to stay for a few days.
Soon, he would be traveling the world for promotions.
"Director Cameron, I am a Producer from Moon River Company. You can call me Miss Chloris." Ichihashi Fumie had an English name in the United States and only used her Japanese name when she returned to Japan.
"Hello, hello." Cameron shook her hand.
"This is the script we want to produce, titled The Matrix. Please take a look."
Ichihashi Fumie placed the script outline and the content of the first part in front of Cameron.
Cameron looked at the script on the table, but didn't reach out. Instead, he hesitated and declined, "I'm sorry, Miss Chloris, I might not be able to direct this film.
I don't know if you are aware, but I have just finished filming a movie.
This film is about to be released, and I may not have the energy to invest in another film."
Ichihashi Fumie nodded, "I understand completely, but The Matrix itself is a film that requires time for preparation. We hope to make it a world-class blockbuster, so we can certainly wait until you are done with your current commitments, even if it's next year, it's fine."
Upon hearing "world-class blockbuster," Cameron couldn't help but smile.
This child is still too young.
World-class blockbusters aren't that easy to make.
Cameron had met too many Producers who came to him with so-called "excellent scripts" and "world-class films," not to mention he had never even heard of Moon River, this film and television company.
However…
He admired the persistent spirit in Miss Chloris's eyes.
Hesitantly picking it up and glancing through it, Cameron said, "How about this? You leave the script here, and I'll give you a reply after I've read it?"
Although he said this, his subtext was—
Since you won't listen to my direct refusal, I'll just put it off for a while and then decline.
That way, it seems more respectful and gives the other party an out.
To be honest, Cameron had his own plans. Having just finished titanic, he felt completely drained. The two-plus years of filming had truly been mentally exhausting.
He decided to take a long vacation after the film's release, resting for a year or two, and then slowly consider what his next project would be.
Therefore, regardless of what kind of script Moon River brought or how ample the company's budget was, he had no intention of taking on the project.
...
"Alright, in that case, I wouldn't want to bother you any further."
Ichihashi Fumie picked up her handbag and stood up.
Cameron smiled, ready to bid farewell to the beautiful young lady.
However, Ichihashi Fumie had no intention of leaving. Instead, she said to him, "Before I go, I hope Mr. Cameron can take a look at the animated storyboards we produced. It's only about two minutes long, so it won't take up too much of your time."
"Hmm?" Cameron was momentarily stunned.
He eventually agreed to her request.
What's so special about a one to two-minute storyboard?
But indeed, as Ichihashi Fumie said, it wouldn't take much time. Since she was already here, he might as well watch it before sending her off.
But…
When Ichihashi Fumie took out her laptop and showed him the storyboard animation drawn by Aoki Haruhi, which was later re-produced by Pokeni's art team into an animated video.
His eyelids twitched.
In the scene, Neo, wearing a black trench coat, was dodging bullets fired by his opponent. The bullets streaked through the air, but Neo moved his limbs as if possessed by a god, dodging all the bullets.
The entire sequence, including the movements and special effects, was astonishing.
Although it was just an animated demonstration, it perfectly conveyed the effect Aoki Haruhi desired.
In addition to this animation, Pokeni also produced several other classic scenes.
After watching, Cameron's heart pounded wildly.
He had a strong intuition that this Japanese film company possessed extraordinary technical capabilities, and that this film would undoubtedly be visually stunning in its expression.
"Miss Chloris,"
Cameron stood up again and invited, "Can you briefly describe the story to me?"
Ichihashi Fumie smiled slightly.
It seemed that the storyboards produced by Mr. Aoki Haruhi really did have an effect.
To be honest, even Ichihashi Fumie herself couldn't believe that Aoki Haruhi could draw such beautiful storyboards, and the entire set of actions and battle scene designs were incredibly imaginative.
After listening to Ichihashi Fumie's introduction, James Cameron pondered for a moment.
Ichihashi Fumie had strong communication skills; she conveyed the entire story to Cameron verbally.
At this moment, even without having meticulously read the script, Cameron was still deeply shaken.
This film not only possessed strong commercial elements but also a profound philosophical core that made one ponder deeply.
Moreover, once the idea of a simulated world takes root in your mind, it plunges people into endless fear.
It's too terrifying.
This script.
At the same time, Cameron himself realized that he had made a big mistake before.
He shouldn't have underestimated this company, nor should he have prejudged that the girl in front of him was just an arrogant person.
The real arrogant one was actually himself.
This script is indeed world-class.
As a seasoned Hollywood director, Cameron realized this immediately.
So... should he take it on?
Cameron really felt a bit out of his depth.
He expressed great interest in the story and believed it was a very promising project.
However, he also raised some concerns.
He thought the film would require a lot of special effects and action scenes, which could pose a significant challenge to the production team.
Ichihashi Fumie expressed understanding after hearing this and told James Cameron that she had already collaborated with an excellent special effects team and had formulated detailed plans to address these challenges.
"Since that's the case, I'm actually quite interested in this film. Could you give me some time to consider it?"
...
After bidding farewell to James Cameron, Ichihashi Fumie immediately went to visit several other directors, mostly renowned directors she believed were suitable and capable of making a good film.
A good script, coupled with good special effects technology, and ample budget, should definitely be entrusted to a reliable director.
Of course, Ichihashi Fumie wouldn't be foolish enough to put all her eggs in one basket; although she could see that Cameron was indeed tempted, Ichihashi Fumie couldn't be sure that he would actually agree in the end.
And if his new film were to be released at the end of the year, then The Matrix would truly not begin filming until this time next year.
Time cost is also a cost.
It's better to find a few more alternatives.
...
The second director Ichihashi Fumie sought out was Martin Scorsese, who is very skilled at directing action films, with many gangster-themed works originating from him.
In his previous life, he directed many famous films, the most famous one probably being "The Wolf of Wall Street."
Martin Scorsese was similar to Cameron; at first, he also showed little interest, and even rejected Ichihashi Fumie's repeated attempts to schedule an appointment, or told her to mail the script to him. Ultimately, it was through Ichihashi Fumie's persistent efforts and insistence on a meeting that they were able to sit down and talk.
He was also initially somewhat perfunctory, but upon seeing the storyboard animation presented by Ichihashi Fumie, Martin Scorsese showed tremendous enthusiasm.
The keen intuition of a Hollywood director made him realize that this would be a very valuable commercial film, and if it could be successfully filmed, it would certainly be a box office hit.
Afterwards, Ichihashi Fumie sought out Quentin Tarantino, another well-known Hollywood director. Quentin is very skilled at directing action films, especially those with crime themes.
He is a top-tier director in B-movies, exceptional in both action feedback and expressive power.
Currently, his most famous films are "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction," both crime-themed.
Especially "Pulp Fiction," it was truly an oddity in the industry, with the male protagonist suddenly dying after more than an hour, a filming style that had never been seen before.
It left many viewers unable to adjust their thinking for a while.
The violence in Quentin's films is more like a romantic element in a game, showcasing violence in various creative ways that make it interesting rather than terrifying.
Quentin has too many representative works; in his previous life, the most famous one should be "Kill Bill."
After conquering Quentin using the same method, Ichihashi Fumie successively visited several other directors.
...
After approximately a month, Ichihashi Fumie negotiated with various candidates and sent the final results back to the company.
Just as she was preparing to return to her home country, a young director came knocking.
The person's name was Christopher Nolan, a young man with a cleft chin, quite handsome.
After an introduction, Ichihashi Fumie finally understood—
Nolan seemed to have heard about the script for "The Matrix" somewhere, and that Moon River Company was recruiting directors. He had great enthusiasm and interest in it, so he wanted to try out.
Ichihashi Fumie didn't know how he got the news, but since he was already there, she patiently listened to Nolan's self-introduction.
At this time, Nolan was still a fledgling newcomer, about the same age as Ichihashi Fumie; he was only 27 years old.
As a director, his qualifications were actually too shallow.
Ichihashi Fumie had barely heard of him.
However, Ichihashi Fumie quite admired this young man; he was very much like her, with courage and drive.
"In that case, assuming you were to direct The Matrix, how would you do it?"
She showed Nolan the classic bullet-dodging scene and posed this question.
Nolan thought for a moment, then stood up.
"I would first surround the scene with 120 identical cameras. The cameras would need to function at nearly 12,000 frames per second, arranged in a circle, with the camera heights progressively decreasing."
Nolan was wearing a black suit today, but he was full of passion during his presentation.
Even in the small hotel room where Ichihashi Fumie was staying, he still strode with determined steps, circling the living room, gesturing the camera positions in the air.
This made Ichihashi Fumie, who was watching from the side, unable to help but laugh.
"Then each camera would shoot independently, with each shot between two adjacent cameras taken every 1/120th of a second."
"In post-production, only one or two frames from each individual camera's footage would be retained. When strung together, this would create the surrounding special effect of the bullet moving through the air. Then, through computer technology, editing the footage of the bullet moving through the air would achieve the bullet time effect."
Nolan narrated with great excitement.
Ichihashi Fumie smiled without speaking, then handed the script to Nolan.
He was amazed after reading it.
"This is incredible. It would truly be a pity if such an excellent script wasn't given to me. There's no one else in this world besides me who could film it."
"Tell me about it?" Ichihashi Fumie said, crossing her arms and raising her chin.
To avoid suspicion, the door was kept open throughout the entire conversation.
"To distinguish and hint at the virtual and reality, I would embed some special elements in the colors, such as mirrors, Neo in the mirror, and the contrast of light and shadow in the virtual and real worlds.
The virtual world would be filmed to look more realistic, but within this realism, some pale colors would be added, such as the sky, buildings, glass curtain walls…
These are all used as hints.
The more this is done, the more it creates the illusion of a daydream.
It makes you wonder what is real, and then in true reality, the picture will be darker, the colors heavier, looking more illusory, but this is precisely what is real." Nolan spoke with great passion, spitting as he went.
Ichihashi Fumie listened and fell into thought, imagining the scenes Nolan described.
Honestly, this young man had something; he surprised her.
At first, she thought he was just a particularly young and self-important person, but in actual conversation, she felt that Nolan had his own ideas.
...
Upon returning to Japan, Ichihashi Fumie compiled a detailed report and submitted it to Aoki Haruhi.
The latter glanced at the list.
What?!
Cameron actually wants 10 million dollars?!
Then he looked at the next few people.
Aoki Haruhi found a young man.
Christopher Nolan, quoted 1.5 million dollars.
"Let's go with this one," Aoki Haruhi tapped the list.
Ichihashi Fumie almost burst out laughing.
She hadn't expected that this acting president would ultimately choose the cheaper option.
"This director is a newcomer, and I'm not sure if he has enough skill," Ichihashi Fumie said.
"Then why did you put him on the list?"
Ichihashi Fumie paused, then said with a smile, "Perhaps it's a woman's intuition. He successfully persuaded me, and he's very enthusiastic. I think maybe he deserves a chance."
"Then isn't that enough?"
In reality, when Aoki Haruhi saw the list, he already had a general idea.
Although Ichihashi Fumie didn't know Nolan well, she had a strong intuition.
For Aoki Haruhi, any of the directors on the list would have been fine. The reason he chose Nolan, besides his talent, was crucially—
He was cheap enough.
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