Went Abroad to Be a Director, Shook Hollywood’s Box Office - Chapter 5

Seeing the excited veteran director, Qin Feng quickly reached out to shake his hand and smiled.

“Director, you’re far too kind. As a junior in this field, I have so much to learn from you.”

After a few polite exchanges, Spielberg took his seat again. His gaze toward Qin Feng now carried clear appreciation and respect.

Kennedy continued, “Qin Feng won’t only serve as the chief screenwriter. He’s also a director himself. The company has decided that he’ll act as assistant director, working alongside Mr. Spielberg to complete the filming.”

In Hollywood, having three or four assistant directors on a major production was not unusual, so no one objected.

Spielberg smiled. “Then, Qin Feng, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“It’s my honor!” Qin Feng replied sincerely.

Spielberg looked around the room. “Everyone’s read the script, right? If you have any questions or difficulties, now’s the time to speak up.”

“…”

Someone finally said, “The hardest part will probably be the dinosaur effects. The sets for Isla Nublar and the island’s buildings can be handled through traditional set construction. But the dinosaurs… that’s a challenge we’ve never faced before. It’s going to be very difficult.”

“There are ten types of dinosaurs in the entire script—both static and dynamic, close-up and wide-shot. It’s an enormous undertaking. With our current post-production capabilities, I doubt we can guarantee both quality and schedule.”

Qin Feng listened quietly while taking notes.

Because sci-fi films were rare in this world, and of generally low quality, the visual effects industry lagged somewhat behind that of his previous life.
But he believed that once the number of sci-fi films increased and a real market formed, the technology would quickly catch up.

Spielberg pressed his hand down gently, signaling calm.

“It’s precisely because we’ve never done it before that it’s exciting. It’s because it hasn’t been done that audiences will find it fresh and awe-inspiring. We have to take that first, courageous step.”

“I believe that as long as Jurassic Park is extraordinary enough, audiences will fall in love with science fiction—and from there, our path will only grow wider.”

The room fell silent for a while. Everyone understood that for big-budget sci-fi films to succeed, someone had to take the first risk.

Someone then suggested, “If it’s really too difficult, perhaps we could follow the old route—use miniature models or stop-motion animation.”

But another voice quickly objected. “That won’t work. The dinosaur scenes are the heart of the film. There’s so much interaction between humans and dinosaurs. If it looks fake, the audience will be pulled right out of the story.”

Brows furrowed all around the table. Most people didn’t have the confidence to say it could be done.

Spielberg turned to Qin Feng, who had remained quiet.

“Qin Feng, you’ve directed before. Do you have any ideas?”

All eyes turned toward him.

Qin Feng had already done his homework. Clearing his throat, he began to speak steadily.

“As for the dinosaurs—if we want them to look completely lifelike, I believe we’ll need to use three different techniques.”

“Oh?” Spielberg’s eyes lit up. “Let’s hear it.”

“First,” Qin Feng said, “we’ll need to build animatronic models for the close-up shots—mechanical dinosaurs that can be remotely controlled. They’re often referred to as electronic mechanical puppets.

And for the centerpiece—the Tyrannosaurus Rex—we’ll have to create a full-body mechanical version that allows for 360-degree filming.”

“Second,” he continued, “we’ll combine real actors and mechanical components. Take the Velociraptors, for example—we can craft rubber suits for stunt performers to wear, mimicking the raptors’ movements. The head motions, however, should still be controlled by mechanical systems.”

The team nodded. The first two methods were within reason; some earlier films had used similar techniques.

“The third,” Qin Feng said, “is the most crucial—CGI. We’ll use computer-generated imagery to create dinosaurs for mid- and long-distance shots. These can be mass-produced digitally, giving us herds or wide-scale movement.”

“These three techniques complement one another. If we blend them effectively—along with the actors’ performances, sound design, and environmental cues—even minor flaws won’t break the illusion for the audience.”

Everyone exchanged looks, visibly impressed.

No one had expected this young man from China to possess such in-depth knowledge.

“But…” someone raised a concern, “even for the mid- and long-range shots, I doubt our post-production department can handle the level of CGI required.”

“You’re right,” Qin Feng acknowledged. “Since we can’t handle it ourselves, we should collaborate with the best in the industry.”

“To achieve the ideal dinosaur effects, there’s only one choice—Industrial Light & Magic.”

The room stirred at the name. ILM was legendary in the visual effects world. Its founder was none other than George Lucas, creator of Star Wars.

But in this world, with sci-fi films being so rare, ILM’s business had struggled. Layoffs were frequent.

“What about the mechanical models, then?” someone asked.

Kennedy smiled. “I know a place—Stan Winston Studio. I’m acquainted with its founder, Stan Winston. His team has done remarkable work on mechanical creatures before.”

With both the effects and model-making teams now identified, the major challenges seemed settled.

Kennedy stood and addressed everyone. “We need this project to move quickly. Every department should compress timelines wherever possible. Let’s aim to bring this film to audiences as soon as we can.”

“Alright,” Spielberg said, taking charge. “Here’s how we’ll divide the tasks.”

Industrial Light & Magic and Stan Winston Studio: coordination handled by the director, with post-production oversight.

Casting Department: contact the actors’ guild and begin talent selection.

Location Department: scout and secure filming locations for Isla Nublar and soundstage builds.

Props and Costume Teams: begin research and preparation.

“All departments should get to work immediately so we can start shooting as soon as possible.”

Finally, Spielberg turned to Qin Feng.

“Qin Feng, your first task is to find us a dinosaur expert. We’ll need the most professional, first-hand information available.”

“No problem,” Qin Feng replied with a nod.

After a few more closing remarks, the meeting adjourned, and everyone hurried off to begin their work.

—

Back at his desk, Qin Feng opened his computer and searched for the top paleontologists in America.

The results were overwhelming—names everywhere, hard to tell who was truly reputable.

He closed his eyes, recalling the details from his previous life.
The scientific consultant for Jurassic Park had been Dr. Jack Horner, who worked at a dinosaur museum in Montana.

After searching online for a while, Qin Feng found the museum’s website, complete with a phone number and address.

He called the museum and, after some discussion with a staff member, obtained Dr. Horner’s direct contact.

Dialing the number, he waited.

“Hello?” came an elderly man’s voice—busy, slightly impatient.

“Hello, Dr. Jack Horner?”

“Yes, that’s me. Make it quick.”

“Doctor, my name is Qin Feng, assistant director at Universal Pictures. We’re preparing a dinosaur-themed film and would love to invite you to serve as our scientific consultant—”

“I don’t have time,” the man interrupted bluntly.

“Uh… Doctor, please consider it. This film could greatly increase the public’s understanding and love of dinosaurs—”

“I said I don’t have time! I’ve got work to do!”

“Dr. Horner, if you could just—”

Click.

The line went dead.

Qin Feng stared at his phone.

“Haaah… off to a rough start,” he muttered.

(End of Chapter)