Many of the visual effects artists had friends who were also in the VFX industry. After word of Laila's generous treatment and benefits spread, she became the envy of a massive group. So, whenever her company had a new position open, there would be a flood of applicants—sometimes dozens or even hundreds competing for a single role.
Laila's commitment to supporting her VFX company was well known throughout Hollywood. While people mocked her for "burning money for fun," they also couldn't help but be a little sour about how fast she made that money. They'd say, If I could casually shoot a film and make a few hundred million, I'd invest in my studio too!
Some industry insiders understood what she was doing—but even if they did, there wasn't much point in speaking up. What were they going to do, stop her from investing in her own company?
In recent years, Dragon Soul Studios had been actively expanding the Marvel superhero universe—something that everyone had taken notice of. And where there were superheroes, there was VFX. What could be more strategic than owning your own top-tier visual effects company?
Take this shoot, for example. The VFX company was hers—so when she said they were relocating to the island, they did it. Budget aside, it allowed her to coordinate both the filming and effects work simultaneously.
With advantages like that, the extra expense was worth it.
Laila's good mood from seeing the completed sky carrier sequence lasted until she got back to her quarters.
Roy, who had been video-chatting with their son, little Eli, spotted her return and called her over. "Come quick—Eli misses you!"
"Didn't we just video chat yesterday?" Laila replied with a skeptical smile. Plus, her son, with his "cold CEO" attitude, didn't exactly seem like the kind to say I miss Mommy. The image just didn't fit. Still grumbling inwardly, she sat beside Roy and waved at the tiny figure on the laptop screen.
"Little Eli, do you miss Mommy?"
The kid responded by flinging a stuffed bear across the screen, babbling something incomprehensible. The bear landed squarely in front of the camera, so that all Laila could see on her screen was a fuzzy teddy bear butt.
"…Are you sure he misses me?" Laila asked Roy, deadpan.
Roy, equally speechless, held in a chuckle—but then they both burst into laughter.
Having such a one-of-a-kind child was an experience all its own. Sure, they didn't get the usual cuddly toddler affection, but the entertainment value was something no ordinary parent could imagine.
Claire, on the other side of the screen, removed the stuffed bear while laughing so hard she could barely stay upright. It was clear she, too, had been driven to helpless laughter by the mischievous boy.
After asking a few more questions about little Eli, Laila and Roy ended the call and prepared to rest.
As Roy lay on the bed, he suddenly remembered the bright expression on her face when she walked in. Curious, he asked, "You seemed happy when you got back earlier. Something good happened?"
Laila lay down next to him and nodded. "Yes. I just came from the VFX team. They finished a sequence I'd been dreaming about—and it was incredible."
Roy's interest was instantly piqued. "What was it?"
"Wanna see it? Come with me tomorrow and I'll show you," she said, excited to share it with someone. If it weren't too early for the film's promotion campaign, she'd have posted the clip online already. She could swear—with that sky carrier sequence alone, the internet would explode.
"Deal," Roy agreed enthusiastically. He wanted to know what could impress her so much. She was a top-tier director in Hollywood, with more iconic scenes to her name than he could count. She hadn't even reacted this way when they saw Avatar together. That made him all the more curious—what kind of effect could bring that rare smile to her face?
And so, after the next day's shoot, another person joined the ranks of those in awe of the sky carrier at the VFX studio.
"God, this is amazing!" Compared to Laila's quiet smile from the day before, Roy's reaction was far more explosive. "I never knew watching an aircraft carrier lift off from the ocean could make me feel like crying!"
The VFX artists were grinning from ear to ear. They were proud of their work—and rightfully so. Honestly, even they had rewatched the short sequence countless times. It still felt surreal that they had brought such a scene to life.
"Cool!" Roy, like Laila yesterday, watched the one-minute sequence on loop. "I seriously can't wait for this movie to come out. Laila, why don't you cut a teaser trailer now?"
Laila blinked in surprise. He had a point. Most of the film's effects weren't finished yet, but she already had enough material to cut a visually stunning teaser. It was the end of 2010—she had originally planned to release the movie next year. Putting out a teaser now seemed like a good move.
"Alright. I'll carve out some time tonight and edit one."
Roy nodded eagerly. "You have to include the sky carrier launch scene."
Laila laughed. "Okay, I will."
The two of them bantering made the nearby VFX artists chuckle as well. Something was endearing about how much Laila doted on Roy.
"They are such a good couple," one of them said after the two had left. In Hollywood, it was rare to see such genuine affection between celebrities.
"I heard they've been together for almost ten years. And still going strong. That kind of relationship is something to envy," another chimed in.
They weren't saying it to kiss up either—Laila was gone. Everything they said came straight from the heart. The longer you spent around them, the more you could feel how seamlessly the two fit together. Even though they were still technically only engaged, the way they interacted screamed long-time married couple.
"No wonder people say their love is like something out of a fairy tale. If I had a girlfriend like Laila, I'd be living in one too."
"Yeah, right. And could you afford a girlfriend like Laila? Could you take hundreds of people to a private island and cover the bill for days?"
Doused with a bucket of cold reality, the dreamer immediately grumbled, "Can't you just let me dream for five minutes?"
Everyone around them burst into laughter.
That cheerful, relaxed atmosphere was incredibly uplifting—and it made for a highly productive work environment. Hearing the laughter from afar, even Laila found herself smiling again.
"…You know I was just joking, right?" Roy suddenly said beside her.
Laila blinked in confusion for a moment before realizing he was talking about the trailer.