I am Hollywood

Chapter 345: Chapter 346: Maya



[Chapter 346: Maya]

Cameron knew about the rendering software. Simply put, this type of software worked by using complex calculations on computer-generated preliminary images concerning lighting, materials, and colors to make the visual effects appear more realistic, even to the point where it became hard to distinguish reality from simulation. The special effects company behind The Abyss, Industrial Light & Magic, was currently using the Renderman software developed by Ed Catmull.

When Ed Catmull was still at Industrial Light & Magic, George Lucas had the foresight to buy the permanent license for this software. After Steve Jobs acquired Industrial Light & Magic's animation department and formed Pixar, Ed Catmull brought the software over to Pixar and obtained a certain stake in the company. However, as Jobs continued to inject funds into the loss-making Pixar, the stakes of several managers at Pixar were eventually reclaimed by Jobs, making Renderman the property of Pixar.

Back when Eric wanted to take over Pixar from Steve Jobs, Jobs had attempted to strip Renderman from Pixar's asset list but ultimately failed. This illustrated the software's immense value.

After Eric presented the development plan for the fluid simulation software and explained the general situation regarding the Renderman software, Cameron became intensely interested in the 3D modeling software that Eric had just mentioned. From Eric's words, Cameron sensed that the 3D modeling software was the centerpiece of this project.

"The folks in San Francisco haven't finalized the detailed plan yet. I initially planned to commission Autodesk to develop the software, but we couldn't come to an agreement on ownership rights. So, I have to do it myself," Eric explained, shrugging in response to Cameron's curiosity.

"Autodesk?" Cameron asked, puzzled.

"They're the well-known company behind that famous AutoCAD industrial design software," Eric continued. In his memory, several key 3D animation design software, such as Maya, 3ds Max, and Softimage, were products under Autodesk, which almost monopolized this type of film and TV special effects software.

Although history wouldn't change for over a decade beyond this point, Autodesk was still focused on developing and managing AutoCAD at that time. Given that computer-generated film effects were just beginning to emerge, Autodesk showed no interest in developing 3D animation software for film effects. They believed that such highly specialized software had little commercial potential.

Eric's desire to commission Autodesk stemmed mainly from their nearly ten years of technical accumulation in 3D design software development, which could significantly shorten the development time for the 3D modeling software. However, even though Autodesk had no interest in such software, they still wanted to share ownership with Eric, which ultimately couldn't be negotiated, leaving Eric to organize a team himself to develop it.

Once Eric mentioned AutoCAD, Cameron recalled it and began asking a series of detailed questions. Cameron finally asked, "Eric, how much do you plan to invest in these projects? I imagine it'll be quite a substantial expense."

"The development of the fluid simulation software and optimizing Renderman doesn't require too much money. Thirty million dollars should be enough. The main focus remains on Maya; this software needs ongoing investment. But I'm confident it will yield sufficient returns in the future."

"Maya? You mean that 3D modeling software you mentioned? I didn't realize you were also interested in the mysterious Maya civilization."

Eric clarified, "This Maya isn't referring to the Mayan civilization of Central America but is instead derived from an ancient Indian term meaning 'illusion' or 'dream'."

"That name fits surprisingly well," Cameron laughed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Of course, 3D modeling is just the most basic functionality of Maya. In my plans, 3D animation, simulation, special effects, and other features will be gradually added. It will also connect with the Renderman rendering software, creating a complete special effects production process," Eric spoke with confidence, sharing only his technical ambitions.

The reason there had been so many mainstream and non-mainstream special effects software in the past was primarily because, in the decade following the rise of computer-generated effects, most big software companies had little confidence in the commercial prospects of such software. Many established special effects companies had to develop their own. By the time the software industry giants saw the massive commercial potential of special effects software, the market was already saturated with diverse options, making monopoly nearly impossible.

However, Eric's decision was a leap ahead of many others, and he didn't intend for Digital Domain to monopolize Maya. Instead, once the software was developed to maturity, he aimed to carefully introduce it into the market, ensuring that Digital Domain's technology remained absolutely leading. He believed that when a mature special effects software became available, very few companies would continue to invest in developing their own.

This was just a first step; as Digital Domain progressed and the Maya software gained traction, many film and TV special effects solutions and plugins would be developed based on Maya, similar to how many applications were developed based on the Windows system, thereby creating a strong binding effect.

By then, even if software giants attempted to involve themselves in this area, Maya's standing in the film effects industry would equate to that of Windows in the operating system, leaving those giants with the money, technology, and strength only to watch this multi-billion dollar treasure trove slip by.

Dealing with women was often complicated. After Eric returned from the tennis court, he took little more than ten minutes to shower and change, while Famke Janssen took over half an hour before she entered the office with a pot of coffee. At this point, she had changed out of her tight crop top and hot pants and was dressed simply in a white T-shirt and loose khaki slacks. Her hair still held a bit of moisture, and she wore light makeup.

"Mr. Cameron, Ms. Bigelow, would you like some coffee?" Famke asked as she poured the coffee.

Catherine Bigelow, who had been admiring Eric's storyboarding, turned around and smiled, nodding while she approached to help. Meanwhile, Cameron, who had just been taken aback by Famke's beauty, had completely lost interest and was animatedly discussing special effects for disaster films with Eric. He merely nodded at Famke's inquiry without turning to look.

"Miss Janssen, don't mind Jim. He tends to focus so much on one thing that he ignores everything else," Catherine said, apologizing for Cameron's lack of attention to Famke.

After serving coffee to Cameron and Eric, Famke returned to the sofa and said, "It's no big deal. Sometimes Eric can be the same way. Once, I saw him pacing near the window with a frown, so I approached him to ask what was wrong. He became very angry, as if I had startled him, claiming I had driven away his inspiration."

After Famke shared this, the two women exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a moment of mutual empathy. Perhaps due to this connection, they quickly began chatting and affectionately referring to each other by nicknames.

*****

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