Sunday, an apartment in West Los Angeles.
"Yes, Dad, I'm doing great in Los Angeles. My daily routine now is just studying and training."
"I'm not wasting my youth. You should pay attention to entertainment news. MGM and Hasbro have already announced they're making transformers. Eric didn't lie to me."
"Dad, don't be busy with work all day. You should pay more attention to news about your daughter. That's a blockbuster with a 500 million dollar investment, more than all the projects you've worked on in your life!"
"Alright, that's it. I'm going shopping with Refaeli in a bit. Bye-bye!"
After hanging up the phone, Gal Gadot was putting on light makeup in front of the mirror. Eric didn't like heavy makeup. Today was a day off, and they were going out.
As for going shopping with Refaeli, that was, of course, a lie to her dad.
Suddenly, her chest was pressed by a pair of hands, and Bar Refaeli's voice came from behind: "Isn't this the female lead of transformers? Waking up early to put on makeup. Let me guess, you're going on a date, right?"
Gal Gadot chuckled a few times: "Stop it, Refaeli. If I mess up my makeup, it'll delay us again, and I don't want Eric to wait for me."
"So what if he waits? You're a woman who's about to become a big Hollywood star."
"But the decision is in his hands, isn't it?"
Bar Refaeli picked up a comb: "Then let me help you comb your hair. And while you're at it, tell me, how exactly did you charm Eric Cooper?"
Gal Gadot lightly dabbed with a cheap eyebrow pencil: "No, I've never felt that I charmed him, nor have I felt infatuation from him. He's not the kind of rich second-generation who only thinks about sex. You can see that from the news."
"And we're just going out to have fun. Neither of us has admitted to a relationship. Anyway, I don't know, but things just developed to this point. The me from a month ago and the me now, it feels like I've suddenly entered two different worlds."
Ring!
The phone on the table rang, and Gal Gadot finished her last stroke: "I have to go. See you tonight."
Watching Gal Gadot walk out of the apartment and into the passenger seat of that lamborghini, Bar Refaeli suddenly felt a surge of anger in her heart.
Before, she only felt a bit of irritation that constantly bothered her, but ever since the news was announced on Monday, that irritation gradually turned into a ball of fire.
She walked to the mirror and looked at herself: "Bar Refaeli, why isn't that person you? Your figure, your looks, you're no worse than her!"
"Why did she get the transformers female lead contract, while you only got a damn zombie TV series contract?"
"Friends? Going out for three days and two nights, and you tell me you're friends? Bitch!"
Staring at herself in the mirror, the woman suddenly picked up a cup and smashed it hard.
Smash!
"Eric, congratulations, the box office for red dragon is going to be close to 300 million dollars this week, right?"
"I estimate it won't reach that. The staying power is almost exhausted. It will be pulled after another week of screening. The final box office should be just over 300 million."
"Why not keep it in theaters?"
Hearing such a naive question, Eric couldn't help but laugh: "I wish, but the cinema owners won't agree. They need to make room on their screens for a blockbuster."
"What?"
"harry potter and the chamber of secrets is coming soon. From now until the Christmas season, a fierce battle will unfold!"
"However, the 'dragon' and 'tiger' have already been decided. Peter Jackson and Spielberg both have films coming out, and the rest can only pray for themselves."
"Oh, right, didn't you say last time that MGM also has new movies coming out? Wouldn't that be terrible?" Gal Gadot said with some concern.
"It's not that serious. In November, MGM will release barbershop. This film stars an all-black cast, so it doesn't lack a market. It won't fail even if other movies do."
"007 die another day is primarily invested in by Universal; MGM is not the lead. 007 never lacks a market; it's just a matter of earning a lot or earning a certain amount."
"sharknado is set to be released in December. Its approach is a bit wild. If other movies are compared to rabbits trembling under the dragon and tiger fight, it's like a fox."
"What do you mean? I don't understand. You always say such perplexing things," Gadot protested.
Eric glanced at her, thinking she was still too young, having just come out of high school with almost no social experience.
"Gadot, haven't you read fables? A fox is cunning; it never attacks head-on but takes a circuitous, clever approach. But it achieves its goals, and that's enough."
Gal Gadot nodded, still not quite understanding, so she changed the subject: "When will the movie start filming? When can I join the crew?"
"Are you impatient?"
"No, just a bit bored. I'm just eager to test my learning outcomes."
"Then you'll probably have to wait a while longer. This is a big project, and the preliminary preparation work is very complex. If all goes well, I expect filming to start in January next year."
"Still two more months?" Gal Gadot's face fell.
"Of course, two months is fast. If progress isn't smooth, it might drag on for three or even four months."
"But once the preliminary preparations are done, filming is actually very quick. You'll be able to see yourself on the big screen next year."
Eric was telling the truth. The difficulties in filming transformers were only two: first, the expensive military equipment and the need to film in military bases, which made communication with the Department of Defense quite challenging.
His dad was already working on this. He could go out and have fun with Gadot on the weekend, but his dad didn't have that leisure time; he had to visit a Department of Defense official.
Bribes would certainly be involved, but if he could spend a little money to save a lot, it would be worth it.
The second was special effects. This aspect was even more difficult than dealing with the Department of Defense, and it wasn't even something money could solve; it required a lot of time.
Some viewers believe that special effects are added after the movie is filmed, but this idea is rather one-sided.
This only applies to movies with very few special effects shots. True blockbusters are filmed while special effects are being made, and special effects often start even earlier than live-action filming.
Taking transformers as an example, the first step in the process is for the director, screenwriter, and artists to combine their ideas and jointly create these Autobots and Decepticons, bringing them to life on paper.
Then, it's handed over to the special effects company, which constructs models and gives them more vivid expressions and actions. For example, those complex transformation actions are the most difficult of all.
This process is lengthy, undergoing various modifications, often taking several months to achieve the effect the director is satisfied with.
Once this step is completed, the rest becomes much simpler.
Live-action filming usually takes about three months, and Eric even has the confidence to reduce it to two months.
Editing is even simpler for him, as he has already watched it many times.
"Eric, someone is taking pictures of us!" Gadot pointed into the distance and whispered.
Eric glanced, unconcerned: "It's fine. People have been staking me out these past few days. They just want to dig up some dirt."
"Will it expose me? You said not to announce it yet."
"That was a week ago. The buzz has died down now, so letting them promote it again won't hurt."