Chapter 5

Compared to the flashy special effects of later eras, what stands out about The Matrix is its grand, ahead-of-its-time worldview; even twenty years after the film's release, it remains the pinnacle of sci-fi cinema.

But this doesn't mean The Matrix's special effects are lacking; on the contrary, it gave film technology a great keyword—"Bullet Time," namely superb slow-motion shots.

This effect was later imitated by many films; viewed from a futuristic perspective, it seems nothing special.

Yet in the year of its release, the viewing experience was absolutely mind‑blowing; otherwise it wouldn't have won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.

Originally, the crew placed exactly 120 cameras, shooting according to the preset time and order; after inputting into the computer for post‑processing and merging with the background, they obtained a smooth 360‑degree motion. In this process, motion capture and virtual photography were also used.

Of course, Jiang Heng had a Super Microcomputer, so it wasn't that troublesome; as long as the actors performed the actions he specified, that was enough.

Inside the newly erected green‑screen studio, Jiang Heng patiently explained the scenes to Wu Yanzu, Yuan De, and the others.

The most exciting rooftop bullet‑dodging scene in the film, Jiang Heng intends to keep it strictly confidential, a surprise for the audience after release.

The male lead's awakening, being able to raise his hand and freeze all bullets, he plans to shoot it first so the main crew can see the effect.

"Then, later, you get up from the ground, they turn and rush to shoot you, you can't dodge, you must raise your hand as if you could see the trajectory of the incoming bullets!"

Wu Yanzu suddenly understood, "Wow, that's amazing!"

Yuan De, wearing a suit and holding a prop gun, puzzled, asked: "Are we supposed to film how the bullets are shot over?"

Jiang Heng smiled and said, "Exactly, we need to film how the bullets are shot over."

As the action director, Yuan De was troubled; designing moves for people didn't scare him, but he truly had no idea how to film the bullets!

After thinking, he said: "I've never shot this before; in our Xianggang film circle, the one who knows special effects best is Director Xu Ke—why not consult him?"

Jiang Heng slightly shook his head: "No need, I know how to shoot it; just follow my instructions."

Yuan De heard this and gave a wry smile; he had wanted to say a couple more things, but seeing Jiang Heng's confident demeanor, he held back.

As for the other two agents' performers on set, they were merely extras, and wouldn't say anything either.

After the on-site crew was ready, Jiang Heng shouted "Action!"

Wu Yanzu, lying on the ground, got up dazedly; Yuan De and the others, playing agents, turned, raised their guns, and pulled the triggers of the prop guns.

Following Jiang Heng's instructions, Wu Yanzu raised his hand, spread his five fingers, showing no trace of panic; his expression was like a wizard summoning something.

Yuan De and the others, meanwhile, dazedly lowered their guns; although they all wore sunglasses, they still had to look shocked.

Wu Yanzu reached out and pinched at the empty space ahead, as if holding a bullet, then glanced and casually dropped it to the ground.

He tilted his head to look at Yuan De and the others, then at the ground, as if all the bullets had fallen down.

To the on-site crew, this segment seemed bizarre, but Jiang Heng felt it had already been performed well.

But for a better effect, they still had Wu Yanzu, Yuan De and the others do it several more times.

That night, after the crew wrapped up, the cast and staff chatted excitedly, discussing the scene they had just filmed.

Yuan Hua wore a particularly gossipy expression and said: "Hey, do you think what he's filming will work out?"

Yuan De slowly shook his head: "I think it's already bold enough; in our Xianggang film circle, shooting kung‑fu comedies, zombies, gunfights is fine, but special effects? Humph, I reckon once he finishes, he'll probably go bankrupt!"

Yuan Hua sighed slightly: "That's really a pity; a lot of money has been invested!"

Yuan De said: "He insists on shooting this way, won't listen to advice at all; what can we do? Just pay and get it done!"

Yuan Hua said: "Exactly, we're just here to work for money; why think so much? It's just that the times are bad—after finishing these two films, we don't even know when we'll be able to start work again!"

In 1997, the Hong Kong film market was bleak; Yuan Hua currently has contracts for only two films, The Matrix and Ma Yongzhen, both minor supporting roles, so his pay can be imagined—he truly worries about the films and his own future.

Although Yuan De has a few contracts as a martial arts instructor, he hasn't made much money either.

Hearing his senior brother complain, he also feels worried: "Hey, you say a few years ago hot money poured in, how did it suddenly stop?"

Yuan Hua said: "I don't know; maybe people have gotten tired of it, or perhaps, as Jiang Heng said, the era of big‑budget special‑effects films is coming!"

Yuan De, hearing this, grew even more irritable: "Hey, let's not talk about that, let's drink!"

The two brothers didn't drive; leaving the set, they linked arms and headed to a restaurant.

Jiang Heng's side, after organizing the film material and about to leave, he noticed Li Meiqi wearing a beige strapless dress, her styling very similar to that in *Naked Agent*, bright and charming.

"Wearing so little, aren't you cold?" Jiang Heng asked with a smile.

"Wearing leather jackets and pants all day, I'm about to get a heat rash; it's still hot now, I just want to dress cool!"

Jiang Heng thought: "Then you could dress even cooler!"

"Shall I send you back to the hotel?"

As the company's sole artist under its banner, Jiang Heng treats Li Meiqi well, still letting her stay at the Kerry Hotel and renting a car for her travel, yet Li Meiqi often hitches a ride in Jiang Heng's car.

"Don't want to go back that early, how about a drink?"

Jiang Heng hesitated; approaching that special day, the security situation in Xianggang has improved considerably.

But taking such a beautiful woman to a bar still inevitably brings trouble; he now just wants to make a big sum of money quickly to reduce trouble.

"There's still something to do tonight, can't drink too much; why not come to my place? I have some stored liquor, just have a sip!"

"Okay!"

The two drove from the Qingwan Bay set to Jiang Heng's home in Causeway Bay.

Called a thousand‑square‑foot mansion, it converts to only 92 square meters.

Yet for Xianggang residents whose average living space is under five square meters, 92 square meters absolutely counts as a mansion, especially located in Causeway Bay.

After staying a while in Xianggang, Li Meiqi has some understanding of the local property market; upon entering, she looked at the floor area and decoration and couldn't help but sigh: "I never expected your place to be this nice?"

Jiang Heng took a can of beer from the fridge and handed it over, then opened one for himself, smiling: "Not much, but one day you'll have something better and bigger than this?"

Li Meiqi took a sip of beer, gazing at the night sky outside the window, murmuring: "Will that happen?"

Jiang Heng sat on the sofa, wearing a confident expression: "Believe me, you'll become famous across half the sky!"

"You actually have more confidence than I do?" Li Meiqi sat in front of Jiang Heng, her bright eyes shining intensely.

"In short, just believe me!"

Jiang Heng put down the can, stood up, and fetched his father's cherished red wine.

Seeing him rush off, Li Meiqi secretly smirked.

She, who has already gotten the female lead role, doesn't have many thoughts.

She simply wants to get closer; if the film doesn't work out, she'll look for another chance.

If the film becomes a hit, it will also help her secure more profit.

Soon, Jiang Heng fetched a bottle of red wine, briefly explained its provenance, opened it, and then leaned on the sofa for a casual chat.

"You said last time you'd soon shoot a set of special‑effects shots—are they today's scene?"

"Yes!"

"So, how do we do it?"

"Edit today's footage, send it to the special‑effects company, and let them do post‑production according to my specifications!"

"Is it that simple?"

"It is that simple!"

……

In reality, special‑effects production certainly isn't that easy; it can even be described as very troublesome.

But Jiang Heng's goal is just to make money; assembling a crew is mainly to mislead others, so many steps are omitted.

As for timing, he wants it as fast as possible—he decided that within at most a week he'll show the completed special‑effects shots to the creators.

So that none of them become pessimistic and think he'll go bankrupt after filming.

Later, Jiang Heng woke up from the sofa and didn't see Li Meiqi anywhere.

While puzzling over it, he heard a sound from the kitchen, staggered over, and saw Li Meiqi wearing his shirt and shorts while making breakfast.

"Sorry, my clothes got splashed with wine, and I wore yours without your permission!"

"That's fine; being able to eat the breakfast you made, even if you wear my clothes—or even burn my clothes for fuel—is worth it!"

Li Meiqi smiled faintly at his words: "I never expected you to have such a humorous side!"

Jiang Heng smiled, "There are many things you don't realize!"

After breakfast, Jiang Heng first escorted Li Meiqi back to the hotel, then drove to the set to continue filming.

Putting aside the advanced, grand worldview and the explosive special‑effects scenes, the original's gunfights and action sequences are also outstanding, thanks to Yuan Heping, the "World's Number One Martial Director."

Although Yuan De's skill falls short, Jiang Heng's insight is ahead of its time.

Through their joint effort, a host of action scenes were shot brilliantly and vividly.

Especially since Yuan De and Wu Yanzu both have kung fu, these fight sequences are faster and more fierce than the original.

A few days later, Jiang Heng felt he could bring out the completed special‑effects scene shots.

That day on set, Jiang Heng pulled a notebook from his bag and said to the approaching Wu Yanzu, Li Meiqi, Yuan De and others: "The special‑effects company has sent over the finished shots; everyone take a look and see what needs adjusting!"

Everyone's hearts rose to their throats upon hearing that.

Even though they didn't have high expectations for the film, it was hard‑won work; who wouldn't hope the movie becomes a hit and get a bit of glory?

Yuan De, as the Action Director, held considerable say, tapped his bald head and said, "Quick, open it now; we've been waiting impatiently!"

Jiang Heng grabbed the mouse, opened a video file on the desktop, and saw that the green backdrop from the original shoot had become a dark wooden wall, with clear grain and even visible mold spots.

"Shhh!"

The few people gathered around the notebook all inhaled a cold gasp.

They had all taken part in the on‑set shooting and remembered the scene clearly; they had imagined Jiang Heng's post‑production shots to be rough, never expecting them to be this realistic.

"Are foreign special‑effects standards always this high?"

Yuan Hua said something instinctively, but no one answered.

The video on the computer showed Yuan De and others, playing agents (antivirus programs), firing together, with countless bullets frozen in front of the male lead.

It was one thing for the bullets to be frozen, but what amazed everyone was the clearly visible, semi‑transparent trajectories, as if the male lead truly stopped the bullets.

The shot lasted less than a minute, yet everyone was stunned and couldn't process it for a long time.

Especially Wu Yanzu, Yuan De, Li Meiqi and the other creators, who originally thought the film had no hope, now feel full of confidence!

"Director Jiang, are the special‑effects throughout the whole film at this level?" Wu Yanzu, suppressing his excitement, asked softly.

Seeing Jiang Heng nod at that moment, Wu Yanzu couldn't help but make a cheering gesture.

He is a Chinese‑American who has seen countless American special‑effects movies and sci‑fi blockbusters.

Having already thought The Matrix's concept was ahead of its time and grand, seeing shots that rival American special‑effects blockbusters now makes him even more eager for the film's release.

Li Meiqi gently covered her mouth, and her gaze at Jiang Heng filled with admiration and excitement, making her feel the future looks even more promising.

The appearance of the special‑effects shots shocked the entire crew's morale and caused a notable stir in the Xianggang film industry.

The reason is simple: Xianggang is too small, its film circle too tight, so news spreads across it in a single day.

The crew of "Ma Yongzhen" nearby, Liu Zhenwei, upon hearing Jiang Heng had produced a very cool, realistic special‑effects shot, was stunned for a while, took a deep drag of his cigarette and said, "No matter how flashy the visuals, a good story is still required. In terms of film visuals, who can surpass the Sunglasses King (Wang Jiawei)?"

Hearing that, Yuan Biao, who had been happy for his senior brothers, cooled down and scoffed, "Indeed, but being able to produce such cool special‑effects shots, I guess it won't lose money!"

Liu Zhenwei initially wanted to say, "That's hard to say," but reconsidered that it would insult his good brother Wang Jiawei, so he held back.

He instead said, "In Xianggang, the quality of a film is one thing, but to make money you also need good distribution; even a hit like Jingwu Hero only grossed a little over 16 million!"

Yuan Biao nodded at the words, "Hope it all ends well!"

……

Yongsheng Film Company, after having gone through a serious illness, had its returning executive Xiang Huasheng sitting in the office reviewing documents when the phone suddenly rang.

Xiang Huasheng answered the call and listened for a moment, "Is that so? A special‑effects blockbuster requires a huge investment; do you know who the backer is? If you don't, investigate and get me an answer quickly!"

After hanging up, Xiang Huasheng rose, stood by the window, gazed at the scenery outside, and felt a surge of emotion.

As the last hegemon of the Xianggang film world, Yongsheng Film Company is already waning.

First, he suffered a serious illness years ago and spent too much time recuperating. Second, the contracts of Zhou Xingxing and Liu Dehua have expired, and director Wang Jing has gone independent, so no good works have been produced for a long time.

If that so‑called Jiang Heng can truly produce a special‑effects blockbuster comparable to Hollywood, then a collaboration would be possible.

Thinking of this, Xiang Huasheng placed a call, "Arrange a meeting with Jiang Heng for me—just say I want to treat him to a meal!"

(End of chapter)