Chapter 280: Don't Talk Market Rules with the Big Ship

In fact, while handling post-production for The Matrix, Duke had drawn inspiration from Japanese animation. The exaggerated yet fascinating visual techniques found in anime were astonishing—cleverly capturing a subject's momentary form through beautiful framing to make that split second look incredibly surreal and bewitching.

He humbly studied any film or technique that could help his movies, regardless of its origin or creator, applying them wherever they fit.

"We aren't dealing with a real world. Just like the surreal feeling of the fight scenes, the explosions are also different from reality."

In the editing room, Duke turned on the monitor and played an explosion sequence finished by Industrial Light & Magic. "When the helicopter blows up, the building's glass exterior ripples like water. It's a shot that defies the conventional laws of physics."

Charlize Theron nodded in understanding.

Duke continued, "In a purely digital world like the Matrix, intentional visual distortion looks completely natural. In the sequels, Zack will use even more of these crazy shots that break basic physics."

"The final cut is much easier to understand than the script."

Although the clip wasn't very long, the visuals were far more straightforward and accessible than the script. After asking for Duke's permission, Charlize switched to another scene.

"Even without a big screen, this explosion looks stunning," she remarked as she watched.

This was the high-rise explosion, created through practical location shooting and post-production. Thanks to the special effects, the blast looked very different from a real one. Most notably, the roaring flames surged like a torrential flood in slow motion.

"There aren't many explosions in this film, but I did make my name on them," Duke said with a shrug. "And not all explosions are the same. If I want to avoid aesthetic fatigue, I have to change how I do them."

"So..." Charlize Theron hit the pause button, pointing at the frozen flames on the screen. "That's why we have these?"

Duke nodded. "Flames can flow like liquid, and that liquid makes them look as ethereal as light smoke. By logically shifting the physical properties of matter, a commonplace explosion can create a dreamlike effect."

"It really does," Charlize Theron said earnestly. "It's entirely different from the explosions you've created before."

She had come to the studio to record some post-production ADR. Instead of leaving when she finished, she had stayed to see how the completed special effects looked in the final cut.

She was part of the cast, and they got along fairly well, so Duke hadn't turned her down.

"Is that it for today?"

Seeing Duke switch off the monitor and pack up his things, Charlize checked the time. "Are you heading out?"

"Wait in the lobby for a bit. I need to head back to my office."

With that, Duke led her out of the editing room and returned to his office alone. He changed into a suit in the attached suite, stepped back out shortly after, and called for Charlize Theron from the lobby waiting area. Together, they headed toward the parking lot.

"Where are you going?" Charlize asked curiously, glancing at his crisp suit as they walked. "Are you attending a PR event for Titanic?"

"That's something James Cameron should be worrying about," Duke said, shaking his head. "Not me."

The final round of Oscar voting was fast approaching. All the major players were actively campaigning for the heavyweight awards, and the Titanic crew was no exception.

"Over 500 million dollars at the North American box office! And 1.4 billion dollars worldwide!" Charlize marveled. "It's absolutely incredible. All the people who mocked Titanic have shut their mouths, and some of the critics who ridiculed the film before are shamelessly singing its praises now."

"If I had known this movie would be such a massive hit," Charlize said, smiling at Duke, "I would've invested in it too."

Duke smiled as well, but said nothing.

He knew she was joking. Most of the time, investing wasn't just about having money. He was only able to get involved because he had the necessary status and qualifications. Some people could have all the money in the world and still not be allowed to invest in certain projects.

For instance, Yahoo had undergone two rounds of equity financing over the past year or so. His agent had actively sought investment opportunities, but Yahoo was currently a hot stock. Despite very average financial performance, its stock price kept soaring, making it a favorite on Wall Street. The difficulty of Duke getting a slice of that pie was obvious.

In both funding rounds, the share Duke managed to secure was incredibly small—it was better than nothing. Fortunately, he had entered the stock market relatively early and accumulated a decent amount of Yahoo shares.

Another investment had run into similar trouble. After hearing that Steve Jobs had returned to Apple, Duke had his people keep a close eye on him and the company. Apple desperately needed funds to revitalize its new projects. Faced with financing offers from both Duke and Bill Gates, Steve Jobs hadn't hesitated to take the bulk of his funding from his mortal enemy, Bill Gates. The capital Duke provided didn't even amount to a quarter of what Gates invested.

Knowing about something and actually being able to participate in it were two entirely different things.

But Duke was still relatively satisfied. During Apple's most difficult years, countless shareholders had backed out, allowing him to reap a handsome profit.

'Maybe I should give Jobs a few tips and get Apple to put out the iPhone a little earlier?'

The thought only lingered for a moment before Duke tossed it aside. Rather than daydreaming about such unrealistic things, he was better off managing the projects he already had on hand.

Duke didn't go straight to the hotel. He made a special detour to Charlize Theron's home in the Burbank suburbs, waited for her to change into an evening gown, and only then headed to the Highland Hotel in Hollywood to attend a promotional event hosted by Warner.

The star of the promotion wasn't The Matrix, but Harry Potter!

"Duke, this is Ms. Joanne Rowling."

"Jo, this is Director Duke Rosenberg."

Right as they walked into the press conference venue, Warner Brothers' head of publicity, Jamie Jensen, introduced Duke and the creator of the little wizard.

Even though Duke Studio had secured the rights to the series, this was Duke's first time meeting Joanne Rowling in person.

Duke shook hands with Rowling. "May I call you Jo? Thank you, I really love the series you've written."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you."

Joanne Rowling didn't seem to be offering empty pleasantries. "You helped me when I was at my lowest. You got me out of a tight spot and recommended this series to Warner. You changed my life."

"Your work is truly excellent," Duke said earnestly, his smile fading. "It was worth it for Warner and me to do so."

"Then..." Joanne Rowling's eyes lit up. "Director Rosenberg, could you adapt the series yourself?"

Duke shot Jamie Jensen a look. The man immediately took over the conversation. "Don't worry, Jo. Warner will definitely find a director who satisfies us both."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted back to Duke.

Jeff Robinov happened to walk over just then. After greeting Joanne Rowling and Charlize Theron, he turned to face Duke.

"Are you really not planning to direct it yourself?" he asked in a low voice.

"Jeff, you've read the two books already published in this series."

While Duke Studio and Warner were jointly promoting the little wizard, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets had also been published and hit the shelves.

"The film adaptation is definitely going to be an all-ages movie, and I'm not good at that sort of thing," Duke added.

After thinking it over briefly, Jeff Robinov nodded. Aside from Independence Day and Chicago, which were PG-13 films, all of Duke's past works had been R-rated. Having someone like him produce a G or PG-rated movie would be an absolute disaster.

"Jeff, don't forget the rating for The Matrix," Duke suddenly reminded him.

"Warner Brothers has been working on it," Jeff Robinov said, frowning. "We'll do everything we can to get it a PG-13 Rating. However, Duke, you need to prepare yourself mentally. Warner Brothers may be powerful enough, but our seniority in the MPAA is still a bit shallow."

The MPAA was the Motion Picture Association of America, and one of its key functions was rating upcoming films. It was widely known that the potential audience size for a PG-13 Rating (requiring parental guidance for children under 13) and an R-rated film (requiring an accompanying guardian for those under 17) differed drastically. The assigned rating would directly impact a film's box office numbers.

The MPAA had always been controlled by the big six of Hollywood. However, due to various reasons, Warner Brothers didn't join the MPAA until 1996, so their influence within the association was naturally a bit weaker.

It would be somewhat difficult for Duke to secure a PG-13 Rating for The Matrix, but it wasn't impossible. If judged by the MPAA standards of ten years later, the first movie of The Matrix series would absolutely be a standard PG-13 film.

Since he was there for a media promotion event, Duke inevitably had to rally support for Harry Potter. After the media briefing began, he soon took his place next to Joanne Rowling. Throughout the past few months of promotion, Joanne Rowling had been billed as the creator of Harry Potter, while Duke, the famous Hollywood director, was championed as its discoverer.

"I don't consider myself a discoverer."

Facing the press, Duke's humble demeanor carried nothing but praise for the Harry Potter Series. "This series is so excellent that even without me, it would have soon shown its true brilliance. Ms. Rowling has created an incredible magical world. I feel we are all incredibly lucky to be able to read such a miraculous piece of work."

The Harry Potter of today was no longer the Harry Potter of the past. Ever since Duke Studio and Warner Brothers completed their share swap, Warner had been vigorously promoting the series. Between its already superb quality and the relentless hype from a massive media conglomerate and a celebrity like Duke, the little wizard was gradually beginning to radiate the glory it had once known.