Beyond the demands of post-production, Gilbert was also closely involved in the music scoring process.
The composer, Macken, did an outstanding job. For the robot boxing sequences, he used hard-hitting heavy metal rock as the base. The father-son scenes between Charlie and Max, along with the early shots of the vast American heartland towns, were complemented by a lot of country-style music, each distinctive in its own way.
The most delightful surprise, however, came from several songs by the band AC/DC, and a track specially created for the film by rapper Dr. Dre. Following Gilbert's instructions, Dr. Dre avoided the typical explicit language and vulgarity often found in West Coast rap, instead focusing on the passion and excitement of boxing for his lyrics. Although Gilbert had never been a big fan of hip-hop music, he was very satisfied with the lyrics.
Sofia Coppola found this quite interesting. After listening, she told Gilbert, "Not bad, it feels really good, it makes you want to move along with it."
If it evoked a feeling, that was a good sign.
Gilbert wasn't very familiar with European and American singers or pop music. He had heard some songs but didn't know the artists, and some names he had only heard in passing. Besides megastars like Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, whose names were well-known even to audiences, he knew very little about the European and American music scene of the 1990s.
However, his appreciation for music didn't diminish significantly just because he wasn't familiar with the artists. In Gilbert's opinion, the score and songs were indeed excellent.
After receiving the final versions of the score and songs, Gilbert began editing the existing footage. Creating special effects while simultaneously integrating live-action shots placed higher demands on Gilbert, who had limited experience in this area. Despite having the original film as a reference, the initial post-editing work was far from smooth.
"Mehdi, I need to cut Charlie's scenes shorter and leave more footage for the robot boxing," Gilbert instructed.
The editor, Mehdi Thomson, seemed to doubt his own ears. "Gilbert, if we do that, Charlie's screentime will be significantly reduced. Is that really appropriate?"
"That's exactly what I want. The selling point of this film is robot boxing, it's about those robots," Gilbert affirmed.
"No, I don't understand what you mean," Mehdi Thomson scratched his head. "Are you saying that Charlie is actually a supporting character, and he's supporting the robots?"
"In a sense, yes, that's precisely it."
Mehdi Thomson looked skeptical. "Making a popular actor a supporting character for robots, will the market accept that?"
It wasn't that Mehdi Thomson wanted to question Gilbert, but no one had ever done something like this before. Even the robots in The Terminator at least looked human and were portrayed by human actors. But the robots in Real Steel were entirely models, motion-capture, and computer-designed special effects, which significantly reduced the audience's sense of immersion.
However, Mehdi Thomson's opinion didn't matter; the final editing rights were in Gilbert's hands. Mehdi Thomson had no choice but to edit according to Gilbert's demands and then report the issue to the producers at Disney and Warner.
When Kane Waxman and Charles Roven heard about it, they also felt it was inappropriate and immediately rushed over to discuss it with Gilbert.
When the two arrived, Gilbert was discussing sound design with the sound design team.
"Chris, I don't need so much electronic static from the machines operating. I only need the purest sound of steel colliding. Have you ever been to a boxing match? I want the sound to be even more intense than the feedback from a boxing match."
Chris seemed to understand vaguely and tried producing a few versions of the sound effects, which sounded quite impactful.
After finishing his discussion with the sound designer, Gilbert finally had time to talk to the two producers.
"Is there something you need?"
Kane Waxman and Charles Roven exchanged glances, and finally, Charles Roven spoke, "Gilbert, Mehdi told us you significantly cut down on Bruce's screentime."
"That's right," Gilbert honestly admitted, and then explained, "From the very beginning of this project, I repeatedly emphasized that the robots are the protagonists."
"This..." The two producers looked at each other. Gilbert had indeed said something like that. But at the time, no one paid much attention. The robots were indeed the protagonists of this movie, so Gilbert's statement wasn't a problem. Who would have thought that the robots' screentime would be so crucial that it would necessitate cutting human actors' parts?
Seeing that the two producers still had doubts, Gilbert retorted, "Then tell me, if you take out the robot boxing scenes, what other selling points does this movie have?"
What selling points? For a drama film, the father-son relationship might be a selling point. But for a film aiming for success in the summer box office, that was far from enough.
The two producers had to admit that Gilbert made a lot of sense. If they were to reduce the robot scenes, why not just make a movie about a boxing father and son and let Bruce Willis do the boxing himself? But the problem was, with Rocky already existing, any live-action boxing film would always be compared to it. In that case, why even bother with Bruce Willis, just get Sylvester Stallone. Unless the little boy Max went up against adult boxers, perhaps that would be interesting. However, that plot seemed even more sci-fi than Real Steel.
After some discussion, Kane Waxman and Charles Roven reluctantly approved Gilbert's editing plan. However, Charles Roven still asked Gilbert to try and retain as much of Bruce Willis's screentime as possible, not to cut too much.
Gilbert nodded, understanding. Of course, he wouldn't cut too much. Not only was Bruce Willis's salary not cheap, but cutting too much of his screentime wouldn't be fair to his pay. Moreover, actors themselves wouldn't want their scenes cut too much, as it represented a loss for them. Appearing in a movie isn't just about the paycheck; it also involves the increase in fame and popularity that boosts their status. That's why some Hollywood stars have rules when accepting roles, such as their screentime not being less than a certain number of minutes, or their characters not having certain negative traits or characteristics.
Tom Cruise is an extreme example of this. Tom Cruise is arguably an iconic Hollywood actor, so his image is incredibly important to him. Therefore, when studying his filmography, one notices that his roles often share similarities, all in an effort to maintain his image.
Bruce Willis was fine; as long as his screentime wasn't cut too drastically, he wouldn't have any objections. If it were Tom Cruise, asking him to play a supporting role to a robot, he likely wouldn't be pleased.
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Time slowly moved into December 1993. The post-production of Real Steel was proceeding in an orderly fashion. The "Bull" controversy that erupted in August and September hadn't completely died down, still keeping many moviegoers interested in the film. Disney and Warner Bros. naturally wanted to keep attracting audience attention, continuously releasing various tidbits and rumors about the production through newspapers. For example, Bruce Willis's superb performance in the film, and the innocence and cuteness of young actor Ryan Gosling. There were also rumors of a love triangle between Naomi Watts, Cameron Diaz, and Gilbert, with a seemingly new addition named Charlize Theron. A steady stream of true and false news constantly bombarded moviegoers, keeping their interest in the film piqued.
Gilbert wasn't idle either. He produced several ambiguous sketches and some non-spoiler stills, which he leaked through his exclusive interview reporter, Sarah. It's worth mentioning that this former junior reporter from the Los Angeles Business Journal had now been promoted to chief reporter for the entertainment section. It was rumored that the Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Hollywood Reporter all wanted to poach her. However, Sarah ultimately stayed at the Los Angeles Business Journal, as the environment there was relatively relaxed and free, and with Gilbert as her resource, her boss wouldn't shortchange her.
These sketches and stills also sparked discussion among moviegoers. One of the stills showed the "Bull," Black Lightning, tearing apart a robot "Attacker." Upon seeing this photo, some moviegoers couldn't help but wonder if this movie was about a bull fighting robots. If one had read the original novel, they might understand some of the story. However, the original novel wasn't a world-renowned classic like The Lord of the Rings, so few people had read it, leading to a myriad of audience speculations.
When leaking information through Sarah, Gilbert felt it wasn't very convenient. In his spare time, he wondered if having a platform similar to Weibo or Twitter at this time would be much more convenient. That way, he could release movie stills and materials through an internet social platform, continuously attracting audience attention.
Subsequently, Gilbert's ideas broadened. Although he didn't understand technology, he could find people who did! He could provide the funds and ideas. While internet companies notoriously burned through cash, the initial development phase didn't require much funding, which he could completely afford, and he could also raise capital!
Thinking this, Gilbert involuntarily slapped himself, leaving Sofia Coppola stunned.
"What's wrong with you? Why did you suddenly slap yourself?" Sofia asked.
"Nothing, nothing, I just realized how stupid I used to be. I'm going to make a call," Gilbert said, heading to call his investment manager, David.
Sofia rolled her eyes, thinking, So you know you're stupid!
"David, go find me some talents, preferably those familiar with the internet and programming. I have a use for them."
Investment manager David wasn't surprised. In fact, his boss's thought process was clearly different from other investors, and David had become immune to it. Fortunately, Gilbert's talent in film was truly unparalleled, which supported his abnormal investment thinking; otherwise, David would probably have a different boss by now.
Upon receiving Gilbert's instructions, David immediately arranged for people to interview at universities to find the talent Gilbert needed. He wisely didn't ask Gilbert what these people were for; if Gilbert wanted him to know, he would tell him.
David was recruiting talent under the name of Gilbert's shell investment company, but many university talents, upon seeing a shell company, instinctively felt it wasn't a good opportunity. Even after David mentioned the boss was the famous Hollywood director Gilbert, only a few people were interested. They didn't understand the connection between the internet and the film industry. Perhaps IMDb, founded in 1990, was one example, but IMDb remained a non-profit website until then. In fact, it was only in November of that year that IMDb connected to the internet, becoming a remotely accessible website on the World Wide Web.
Beyond that, the only other relevant connection they could think of was the role of computers in special effects production. They probably assumed Gilbert wanted to set up his own special effects studio, just as George Lucas had founded Industrial Light & Magic to make Star Wars. However, the job requirements didn't seem to align perfectly with the computer graphics industry.
Ultimately, after some hesitation, two young men participated in the recruitment process, and their abilities were recognized. One was named Honey Mars, of German descent, and the other was Elihu Lyon, of French descent. Both had studied computer science in college, and designing a webpage and program was not difficult for them. The only question was, what exactly did this famous director, Gilbert, want them for?
Their confusion was quickly resolved. After hearing that David had found two talents, Gilbert asked David to bring them to Los Angeles for a proper discussion. Because the matter to be discussed was quite discreet, Gilbert sent his old man on vacation and hosted the two at his father's house.
"Please, have a seat!" Gilbert brewed some Longjing tea for them. The two drank it but found it not as good as coffee. Of course, Gilbert had invited them not for tea, but for business.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Gilbert got straight to the point: "What are your thoughts on the internet?"
Honey Mars was the first to answer: "I believe the internet has brought the world closer, making it easier for people everywhere to communicate. It's a very vibrant platform."
"What about you, Lyon?" Gilbert asked the other man.
Elihu Lyon's answer had a distinct French flavor: "I believe, sir, the internet can be a massive database. Previously, if people wanted to look up information, they had to go to a library, and they might not even find what they needed. But all these processes can be realized on the internet."
"How would that be realized?" Gilbert inquired.
Elihu Lyon explained, "In our university library, we can already look up book information using computers. What if we were to expand this computer lookup method even further?"
Gilbert didn't understand the internet, but with his foresight and experience from his past life, he immediately realized this was akin to Baidu! Of course, abroad, it might be Yahoo or Google; Gilbert wasn't familiar with those. But the point was, Google didn't even exist yet, let alone Baidu.
Perhaps in his past life, Elihu Lyon also had this idea, but unlike Google's two founders, who got funding and opportunities, Elihu Lyon didn't. The thought of a giant company being born out of this conversation made Gilbert feel exhilarated.
So, he told Elihu Lyon, "Write up a proposal for us to discuss. If the plan is feasible, I will invest."
Elihu Lyon was delighted. He hadn't expected that a mere idle thought of his would be appreciated by Gilbert. This was crucial because Gilbert had money, and he had ideas.
Watching the excited Elihu Lyon leave, Honey Mars felt very envious and turned to Gilbert with anticipation. Gilbert didn't disappoint Honey Mars either and shared his idea: forming a social network through photo sharing. Honey Mars didn't possess extraordinary imagination, but the stereotypical German traits of rigorous execution and meticulousness were evident in him.
Soon, Gilbert clearly articulated his vision for what kind of website he wanted to establish to Honey Mars. After this, Honey Mars could officially start working on the website. He planned to return to school and, with the funds provided by Gilbert, establish a company. Starting from the campus, he would bring Gilbert's vision to life.
Since the advent of the World Wide Web, North American internet users had experienced explosive growth, much like a virus. Although Gilbert didn't understand the internet deeply, he knew that the next few years would see rapid development. He also vaguely recalled something about an "internet bubble," but he wasn't clear on the details, so he would just have to adapt as things unfolded. Honey Mars, on the other hand, believed that internet users would continue to grow explosively in the coming years. Riding this wave, the new company had promising prospects.
"What should we call this website?" Honey Mars asked.
Gilbert pondered for a moment and said, "How about Facebook!"
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The editor, Tea Treasure, and the big shots in the group said three chapters a day would be better, and I think that's fine. I'll switch to three chapters a day but still guarantee over 10,000 words updated daily.
The initial subscription results are great, thanks for everyone's support. Writing a book won't satisfy everyone, I've seen all your comments and will consider making appropriate adjustments. For things that can't be changed, there's nothing I can do.
And for those who say I deleted reviews, well, sometimes my mind doesn't want to delete, but my hand can't control itself, and then they're gone...
Any future bonus chapters will also be large chapters. If I can't write them in time, they'll be pending for now.
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