America 1987

Chapter 61 Idealism

David in this world would certainly not make such a basic mistake.

As for why he didn't choose to film it himself?

There are two main reasons.

One reason is that they were too tired.

How long did it take Cameron to film Titanic?

Approximately 5-7 years.

Although from the start of filming to the end of filming, it only takes about 7 months.

但是卡梅隆早在1990年就开始构思剧本了，1992年探索铁达尼号残骸，1995年开始製作，1996年7月正式开机，1997年12月19日美国上映。

Even if David has a photographic memory and doesn't need to spend two years developing the script, what about the remaining five years? How could he possibly cut corners?

Preliminary research, underwater exploration, set construction, actual filming, and post-production special effects—each step is extremely demanding.

It is said that James Cameron earned the title of "Tyrant on Set" once again during filming because of his "overly decisive and efficient" approach.

This high-pressure environment even led to an extreme incident: some staff members, overwhelmed by the pressure, drugged Cameron and the crew, causing the entire crew to have to rest for two days due to food poisoning. Cameron was quite annoyed by this, but did not pursue the matter further because the film was ultimately a success.

Although David considered himself to have a pretty good temper, he couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't become like Cameron under such high pressure. To be on the safe side, he decided to entrust this glorious and arduous task to Cameron.

The other factor is personal feelings.

In his past life, he was a fan of James Cameron and had a deep love for big ships, so he knew very well how difficult it was to make this movie. It wasn't something that just any director could make by waving a script and a check.

Moreover, James Cameron is called "James Cameron" not only because of his box office appeal, but also because of something more important.

Since the pandemic, the global film industry has entered a downward trend, as people no longer go to the cinema as frequently as before due to the impact of streaming media.

Warner Bros. even considered canceling the theatrical release of "Tenet" and releasing it on streaming services instead, which ultimately led to a falling out with Nolan over the matter.

While acknowledging the industry's difficulties, Cameron made it clear that he refused to passively accept it: "But I sincerely hope that's not the case. And I myself have been doing everything I can to combat this downward trend."

As for the means of resistance, he chose to wager his own work.

By directly linking the continuation of the Avatar series to box office revenue, the company is putting pressure on itself—Avatar 3, with an investment exceeding $4.6 million, needs at least $15 billion in global box office revenue to break even.

"If the box office doesn't meet expectations, the entire series will end here." He even prepared an escape route—"If I can't continue the story through films, I'll adapt it into a series of novels"—but the core remains to defend the theatrical viewing experience in the form of commercial blockbusters.

James Cameron was more aware than anyone else of the industry decline brought about by the impact of streaming media, soaring costs, and changing viewing habits, but he was also more persistent than anyone else in "fighting" this decline by using technological innovation, cost revolution, and the ultimate audiovisual experience.

He believes in the irreplaceable nature of the cinema experience and that technological upgrades can bring audiences back.

Although David was not entirely devoid of idealism, he held such near-obsessive idealists in awe and deep respect.

Without further ado, after the brief party, David quickly returned to the film production process.

"The Rape of Pear Blossoms" is a realistic film, which was not difficult to shoot, and Jodie Foster's high level of professionalism also contributed to its success.

So the filming progressed very quickly, but when there was only a little bit left, David handed it over to the assistant director.

He has to attend a film festival event.

The Cannes Film Festival in 1988 was in a period of vigorous development, having firmly established itself as the world's premier film festival after two decades of development following the reforms of 1968.

In this era, Cannes is considered one of the world's four major events, alongside the Olympics, the World Cup, and the Tour de France.

If I remember correctly, Gong Li will also be attending this year's Cannes Film Festival with "Red Sorghum," marking the beginning of a deep connection between Chinese filmmakers and Cannes.

Unfortunately, the other party was participating in a screening event and did not enter the main competition, so David had little chance of meeting them. Moreover, he didn't know whether Zhang Yimou had come with him, so he had to put aside his treacherous thoughts.

"What are you thinking about, David?" Nicole's voice, sitting next to him, interrupted his reverie.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about how you looked walking the red carpet."

David smiled and said, "Very beautiful."

There are no strict requirements on the number of film crew members attending the Cannes Film Festival; as long as the director and lead actors are present, that's fine.

Since "The Rape of Pear Blossom" was still a bit unfinished, Catherine didn't accompany David on the trip.

Well, thank goodness he didn't come, otherwise he would have been really overwhelmed.

Nicole is wearing a rose-red one-shoulder halter dress today.

The asymmetrical halter top with one shoulder exposed, while the other is supported by a thin strap, revealing the beautiful lines of the shoulder and neck and the collarbone.

The skirt is a floor-length gown made of light, pleated tulle that drapes naturally from the waist, creating an A-line silhouette and maintaining a dignified and elegant red carpet feel.

This dress is a one-shoulder, backless evening gown, a classic style commonly seen on the red carpet. It showcases the wearer's figure while meeting the formal dress code of the Cannes Film Festival.

Everything is good, except it's a little inconvenient.

"Want some?" David pulled some nuts out of his pocket, tilting his head slightly. "The awards ceremony is quite long, you probably won't dare to eat anything else."

Nicole's style of dress makes going to the restroom very troublesome. She needs someone to help lift her upper body, raise the skirt, and adjust the fabric, which is very inconvenient.

In fact, hers is relatively "friendly" - at least the skirt is made of light tulle. If it were a tight-fitting mermaid skirt like Yu Feihong's or a huge skirt with a skeleton, it would be much more difficult.

Therefore, female celebrities who attend film festivals or walk the red carpet usually control their water intake in advance to avoid having to urinate.

Forget about drinking water; you can barely manage to eat.

To quickly replenish energy, avoid ruining their appearance, and prevent affecting subsequent activities, female celebrities' teams usually prepare easily manageable and non-scratching foods such as nuts, energy bars, small sandwiches, and fruit slices.

Even chocolate is avoided as much as possible. Dark chocolate is fine, but milk chocolate or filled chocolate may temporarily stick to the teeth when eaten, which may affect the smile in front of the camera.

This was Nicole's first time attending such an event, and David guessed she probably didn't expect there would be so many things to consider just walking the red carpet.