Hollywood Art: System of sunnys

November 24.

If the audience beloved Lilo & Stitch, Ice Age 1 was completely mesmerizing for the older crowd, those starry-eyed viewers looking ahead to the next big hit—only to be struck silent by one simple fact.

The technology was leaps ahead. If we call the king of 3D technology, Pixar is undoubtedly the best at it. Everything was flawless. Regarding tech, it’s on par with Ice Age 2 from 2006, which means no other team has been able to sustain such progress up to this point.

Most people were left speechless. For two reasons, the qualitative leap wasn't as apparent in A Bug's Life. In 1994, when production of A Bug's Life began, the acquisition hadn’t happened yet, so for that movie, the program was solidified, and the image quality improved by 100%. Toy Story 2, already in production, would take less time to complete, as the script and storyboard were already smoothly laid out... it will likely be ready by next June.

Billy, in his formal suit, was approached by many offering their congratulations and a warm welcome to the world of success. Everyone sensed it—something only a few had noticed with Toy Story, but many saw it with Ice Age. Its success was overwhelming, undeniably so—strong in script, visuals, animation, and moral lessons. It could easily be called the cradle of animated films, a true cinematic classic.

Yet, the Ice Age is simply fantastic, and how else could it attract all kinds of investors? So far, it has brought in six investors, sourced from various representatives.

'How much did the film cost you?' asked Steven Spielberg.

How much it cost... a significant sum, far above average. Autodesk and Id Software share much of the burden, which is why, in most cases, the budget isn’t as high as it seems. Still, it's elevated. At least in three parts, the cost is downright ridiculous. If these three companies hadn’t shared costs... that’s not something Steven Spielberg needs to know. Better to keep Pixar’s commitment to these companies discreet. As long as Pixar delivers a good film, Autodesk's stocks will rise.

‘A lot of money, just in software and tech investments—$60 million scaled over two films. The team added another bit. I think it all rounds out to around $40 million, minimum. But we sent the IRS a receipt for $48 million, including the whole advertising campaign. But the costs are higher. We paid two companies to keep updating the software with different functions for Pixar. The goal is to create a simple program that can be used without much hassle... It's the most expensive film so far,’ Billy replied.

-That's impressive. I’d love to have an animation studio at DreamWorks with that kind of caliber. You know, we tested it with Amblin Entertainment. We'll be releasing Balto on December 15, - Steven muttered, still somewhat insecure. His story was spectacular, and they saved costs in other areas like actors and the soundtrack.

‘If you’re having trouble with the box office, I can buy the film for production cost if you need that help. I want to expand my film library a bit. We can negotiate the price, as long as it’s reasonable,’ Billy offered, fully aware of the massive box office flop and subsequent success in the DVD market. Of all the films, though Amblin had seen one failure after another, they were still invaluable in helping to create something great.

-I’ll consider it with you, - Steven Spielberg replied. Scraping together two million dollars was a wonderful deal for such a popular film.

‘Hahaha, I think it could be fantastic. Although Jeffrey has connections I didn’t have when I was building my animation studio. More than Jeffrey, it’s the team he gathers around him that’s so talented,’ Billy responded, knowing Spielberg already had plans to pull some strings. It was common for him to always want more money, though the price hike was simply far above what the project was worth.

An astonishing pre-release.

-We can... but we can’t, - Steven responded.

With the images still fresh in his mind, he reflected on how far the animation world had come. Everyone was operating under the assumption that they couldn’t deliver such high-quality art, and how much the art would continue to improve.

***

Monica was taking her first steps into modeling. Her runway walk had improved significantly; in both her steps and dance-like movements, she had progressed from a beginner, knowing little, to someone with a solid grasp of the essentials, though she still had a long way to go.

She smiled deeply as she strutted down a winter runway, dressed in long coats, high heels, and flared pants. She modeled well into the night, perhaps until ten o’clock, feeling completely exhausted as her drivers took her back to the mansion she had barely had time to enjoy. The flowers of various colors were already wilting, and builders were working here and there, constructing a small greenhouse for the plants, creating a fantastical atmosphere with their projects.

-Good evening, ma’am.-murmured the house manager, Fred Braule.

-Thank you, Fred,- Monica replied, making her way up to the second floor. There, in a small makeshift art studio, Billy would immerse himself in his works, devoting himself passionately to unimaginable creations. He would rise early every day, working tirelessly from six in the morning until six in the evening, often without a break. Despite the gossip surrounding Billy, many failed to see the man who worked relentlessly on his passions.

She approached him and placed a kiss on his cheek. It was better not to disturb him.

Meanwhile, Billy was deep into his weekly practice of Real, his hyper-impressionist art. His work was built on pure effort, and today, his first piece has been published. His phone hadn’t stopped ringing since, with many people mistaking his artwork for incredible photographs. Each image was a precise rendering of reality, down to 100% accuracy. The comic Real had sent shockwaves through the art world; all the copies sold out within hours of release. Anticipating massive sales, Anne had already ordered another million copies to be printed, though Billy was unaware of this. She was even managing the third book of Real, currently scheduled in the production calendar. On top of that, she had crafted a deal with Nike, basketball brands, and other partners, with negotiations planned for the second installment.

That’s why Real seemed so absurdly successful. Billy now knew that the key lay in refining the aesthetic further, perfecting the pure design of development. He was blending various artistic styles—for instance, in Real, Van Helsing’s character was done in a realist style. In Bleach, he used watercolor contrasts for the powers, which differed significantly from the original style. In One Piece, he experimented with realism (gradual, in architecture and certain details) mixed with caricaturism and other drawing techniques, transforming the comic’s visual style, while also adding subtle romanticism in certain scenes.

However, even with his achievements, Billy still wasn’t where he wanted to be. He had put Shaman King and Samurai X on hold because he wanted to improve his drawing skills to create an artistic style that truly did justice to the art itself. He envisioned using retro art for some of his comic pages, particularly in cyberpunk or detective moments, moments of shock and intensity.

In Samurai X and Shaman King, he planned to incorporate Van Gogh’s impressionism combined with Victorian art, but he wasn’t yet capable of achieving that. He needed at least 40 points… no, 50 points… to reach that level of artistry. He understood that he couldn’t do it all at once.

His stomach growled, reminding him of his hunger just as he finished a stunning image.

-It can’t just be about that. Even though the art is good, beyond the artwork, I need to improve the panel transitions.-Billy mused, as he set aside Hunter x Hunter for now—a series that blended thousands of styles effortlessly, yet managed to be impressive in its simplicity. Still, he knew he had to refine the design for the Heaven’s Arena arc.

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