"Dennis Noel resigned last week. Do you remember that he personally demonstrated a special effects shot for you," the two returned to the office, and Stan Winston said as soon as he sat down.

Eric recalled, thinking of the special effects artist Stan Winston called Dennis Noel, a tall and thin white man, in his early thirties, graduated from the Department of Computer Science at Stanford University. Stan Winston once introduced himself to his outstanding performance in the production of the special effects of "Tornado".

"Is it poached?" Eric asked. If he had resigned normally, Stan Winston would not have talked about this matter specifically.

Stan Winston nodded and said, "Sony Pictures intends to set up its own film and television special effects subsidiary and invite Dennis to serve as the director."

"We can't stop people from walking to a high place, but are there anything else?"

Stan Winston found a form from his desk and handed it to Eric, saying, "Eric, you see, since the release of "Terminator 2", 12 top special effects engineers in the company have resigned in half a year, including two supervisors. The number of ordinary employees has more resigned, but I don't have any statistics."

Eric took it over and looked at it. Not only did these people resign, but they also included their places of interest. Most of them were poached by other special effects companies, and even included Industrial Light and Magic, the largest rival in the digital field. In addition, several people set up their own special effects studios and set up their own special effects studios.

"Your side is better," Eric looked up at Stan Winston and smiled. "This situation is even more serious on Pixar. John also submitted a report to me specifically, hoping to prevent this situation from happening through restrictions such as a competitor agreement."

"You don't seem to be worried at all?" Stan Winston's originally worried expression eased a lot in Eric's smile.

Eric put down the resignation form and looked at Stan Winston and said, "Stan, do you know how much R&D funds I have invested in the technical R&D teams of the two companies since taking over Pixar and the digital field?"

Stan Winston shook his head. He was more concerned about special effects technology and was never very concerned about finance. When Firefly reorganized last year, Eric sent Pixar and the digital R&D teams from the two companies and handed them to Ed Camore to operate. Stan Winston was even more impossible to understand about this.

Eric recalled the data in his mind and said slowly: "Ed Camore's fixed technology R&D team members have exceeded 400. These are top technical talents in all aspects, with an average annual salary of about $100,000. This alone consumes $40 million in funds every year. The professional and technical personnel of Pixar and the digital field are currently 600. The average annual salary of these people is not much worse than those people, which is another 60 million. In addition, Firefly has invested in three technical R&D centers at Stanford University, University of Washington and University of California. The industry's top scientists in these R&D centers provide higher-level technical support for Pixar and the digital field, which is another big expenditure."

Stan Winston secretly smacked his tongue. He didn't expect Eric to be so willing to spend money. If this is the case, Eric has invested at least $200 million in recent years. With the complete uncertainty of the prospects of CG special effects and 3D animation, it is estimated that Eric is the only one who dares to invest $200 million with such a big deal.

Eric looked at Stan Winston's surprised expression and continued: "Now the outside world's profit for Firefly in 1990 is estimated to be 400 million US dollars, but in fact, due to the huge expenditure on special effects technology research and development, Firefly's profit last year was only a little over 200 million."

Stan Winston also relaxed at this time, and he fully understood the intention of Eric saying these things. It is a pity that the loss of top technical talents is no longer enough to shake the digital field and Pixar's position in the industry, because in Hollywood, except Fireflies, no company will invest so crazily in technology.

Industrial Light and Magic has always maintained a leading position in the special effects industry. However, as the focus of film and television special effects shifts from model special effects to computer special effects, Industrial Light and Magic, which previously focused on model special effects, is destined to fall behind the digital field that has taken the lead.

A step behind almost means that it will continue to lag behind. Since the release of "Terminator 2", the digital field has received several special effects film production projects. In the past, these were usually just Industrial Light and Magic's business. After obtaining these projects in the digital field, it can accumulate more technology in the production project. If the virtuous cycle continues, Industrial Light and Magic will no longer be able to catch up with or even surpass the digital field.

Thinking of this, Stan Winston smiled faintly and said, "The profit of more than 200 million is not bad. There are not many of the seven major film companies with annual profits of more than 200 million US dollars. Disney, MGM and Paramount have all suffered losses this year. Well... Or rather, Hollywood has now returned to the eight major film companies."

Eric said: "After acquiring Disney, it will be another seventh one soon."

Stan Winston remembered the crazy increase in the newspaper's Fireflies and Viacom's offer for Disney. Although he was curious, he did not ask that the billion-dollar deal was too far away from him.

"By the way, after Eric and Dennis Noel left, he also asked me if I could buy the right to use software such as Maya from the digital field. I remember you mentioned this matter?"

Eric did consider monopoly on special effects software. In the original time and space, the ones that monopoly on film and television special effects software were Autodesk, Maya, 3dmax and other mainstream special effects software were Autodesk products, but that was already ten years later.

Now the special effects company is still in a 'noble stage', and it is not established by just a dozen technical personnel in ten years. Therefore, now is not the best time to make profits through special effects software. The most important task in the digital field is to accumulate technology and achieve a position that no company in the same industry can reach. Once the special effects industry begins to become popular, the digital field with strong technical accumulation can enter the special effects software market at any time.

"Don't do this for the time being. The most important thing is to maintain the technological leadership in the digital field at this stage. Since they have chosen to leave now, then start from scratch," Eric said, with a faint smile on his lips: "I will let the legal department keep a close eye on this. Once these resigned personnel are suspected of technical infringement, I will make them and the funders behind them pay enough."

"I understand." Stan Winston nodded and looked at his watch. It was already past the break-off time: "Eric, why don't you go for dinner together? There are several good restaurants in Venice."

There was nothing to do next, and Eric happily agreed.

...

A week slowly passed. The last time between Viacom and Firefly was slowly coming. On January 18, two days before the bid deadline, Firefly announced plans for four major production movies, including "Jurassic Park" and "The Great Collision of Heaven and Earth" to the media in one breath. At the same time, the "Tornado" promotional poster was published in the Los Angeles Times, and said that "Tornado" will play a trailer of 1 minute and 30 seconds on the latest Super Bowl.

Almost at the same time, Viacom also said in a tit-for-tat way that once Disney is successfully acquired, Viacom will spend $500 million to produce six to eight special effects movies.

Because I have tasted the sweetness of high investment and high returns of large-scale movies, the investment scale of Hollywood movies has become increasingly large in the past two years, and the announcement of similar news can also enhance confidence in all aspects.

After the last week of game, January 20 finally arrived.

Although I had 100% confidence in my heart, Eric woke up before five o'clock and took a bus to the headquarters of Burbank Disney at eight o'clock.

When I saw Eric's car appear, hundreds of reporters who had been waiting outside Disney headquarters for a whole night rushed over, directly surging Eric's car, and the flash was on, while various questions outside the car window also penetrated into Eric's ears.

Eric, who was blocked in the car, pushed the car door hard, but couldn't squeeze it open. He could only wait patiently for Disney security personnel to come to maintain order.

After waiting for two or three minutes, Eric's bodyguards in another car and the security guards at Disney headquarters opened up the crazy group of reporters and came outside Eric's car door.

"Mr. Williams, will Firefly retain the Disney brand after completing the acquisition?"

“Will Disneyland be renamed Firefly Park?”

“Will Fireflies put Pixar Studios into Disney?”

"It is said that Disney executives have signed a compensation agreement of up to $500 million in the 'Golden Parachute'. Will Firefly replace Disney management on a large scale after the acquisition is completed?"

“…”

“…”

These questions will be answered uniformly at the press conference after the acquisition is completed, but the reporters around them obviously want to get the latest news.

However, the wall of people was finally squeezed away, but Eric did not dare to stop and answer any questions, and hurriedly walked towards the office building of Disney headquarters.

Two minutes later, Eric finally stepped into the hall of Disney headquarters, and a large number of reporters were blocked outside the door.

After taking a deep breath with lingering fear, Eric followed Disney's guide to a spacious lounge.

Just as he pushed the door open, Eric went to see an old man reading a newspaper sitting on the sofa opposite. The old man was a little rich, but the most eye-catching one was the scars on his face due to burns. Obviously, this old man was the famous Summer Thunderstone.

Unexpectedly, when we first met, Eric looked at the guide beside him. The young girl was also a little surprised, and then realized that she had brought the wrong room, which was the lounge of Viacom team.

Although Eric didn't mind quitting, facing Lei Shidong's unconcealed gaze, quitting now is undoubtedly showing weakness.

Eric smiled calmly, and took the initiative to walk over, came to Leishidong and stretched out his hand politely, "Mr. Leishidong, we finally meet."

Lei Shidong let out a cold snorting disdain in his breath, glanced at Eric's hand that reached out, and then raised the newspaper again, looking at Eric's ignorant of it.

The female employee who brought Eric in the wrong room was even more frightened. If the two clashed, her job would be gone. The female employee looked at Eric nervously, but saw that Eric didn't seem to care too much. She shrugged, withdrew her hand and sat down on the sofa next to her, looked at the girl's breast sign that brought her over, and said, "Miss Gleason, can you help me make a cup of coffee? Don't have sugar, add more milk."

"Ah, good... OK." The girl hurried to prepare coffee for Eric.

Eric also picked up a prepared newspaper from the coffee table and turned it over.

"Young people, it's better not to be too ambitious," Eric was looking at an analysis article about this acquisition, and a somewhat old but full of vigor came to his ears.

Eric put down the newspaper, looked at Lei Shidong, and smiled and said, "Mr. Lei Shidong, are you talking to me?"

Lei Shidong snorted again: "You are lucky. The movies you make can often achieve good box office, but acquiring Disney is not just luck."

Eric was not surprised by Lei Shidong's coldness and ridicule. It was good that the hot-tempered tycoon did not point at his nose and scolded him loudly. After all, Lei Shidong would scold his son in public. In his memory, Lei Shidong had sued his wife, son, daughter and nephew, which shows his bad temper.

Facing the old man's aggressiveness, Eric did not care too much and did not mean to be tolerant, and retorted: "I remember someone said that luck is actually a kind of strength. Moreover, I think as an old man who is almost seventy years old, you should not compete with us young people for these things. The best choice is to maintain your youth."

Lei Shidong glanced at Eric and said with a smile: "Actually, your film company is good. If it goes public, remember to tell me that Viacom is still very interested."

Eric shook his head and said, "No, you are wrong, Mr. Redstone. Although listing is the choice of most companies, I prefer to keep everything in my own hands. However, I am also very interested in Viacom, such as mtv TV."

"Haha, I'm really overestimating my abilities. This is the funniest joke I've heard recently," Lei Shidong laughed.
Chapter completed!