It's worth mentioning that David Ellison's sister, Megan Ellison, had also entered the film industry, though she was active in the independent film sector.
Although Megan Ellison hadn't made any major films yet, her reputation had already spread throughout Hollywood.
Rumor had it that she had thrown a pool party with eight muscular male models and had even invited the lead actors from one of the independent films she was overseeing.
Tabloid papers eagerly reported on it, even circulating a few blurry, ambiguous photos supposedly proving the event.
While most of these were just hearsay, over 80% of Hollywood rumors eventually turned out to be true.
The public gossiped endlessly online, criticizing the libertine personal life of this new force in Hollywood. But personal life had never been a tool to bring down a Hollywood professional, so Megan Ellison likely didn't care.
If she could host parties with multiple guests, reputation or decorum mattered far less than freedom and indulgence.
While the outside world buzzed with news, Gilbert was at Fox Studios observing Chris Corbould's scientific experiments.
Gilbert wanted Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page to appear in the Paris street explosion scene, and to ensure the actors' safety, Chris Corbould conducted tests with an air cannon.
The cannon was filled with lightweight objects like newspaper and foam. To demonstrate safety, Chris Corbould even used himself as a test subject.
During pre-shooting, the sequence was recorded with a high-speed camera, frame by frame, and then special effects would be added to achieve the effect Gilbert wanted.
After dozens of trials, they finally reached the effect Gilbert desired. When filming officially in Paris, the scene would be shot on location.
Another interesting design was the Penrose stairs. During the design phase, Gilbert told the set designer he wanted to explore the concept of triangular stairs.
This was an infinite staircase, and the set designer had to figure out how to create it in the real world.
Initially, the design team referenced numerous images and tried making many models. In the end, they discovered several ways to create the visual illusion.
Of course, this was all to trick the audience's eyes—Penrose stairs could never exist in reality.
So during construction, the top and bottom steps had to align perfectly when viewed from a specific angle.
In designing the set, the art department first created a computer model and calculated the real-world dimensions.
They also determined the correct camera angle in 3D space to avoid revealing any flaws and ensure smooth shooting.
This posed a major challenge for the cinematography team. Fortunately, a British company had developed a new crane system called Multi-Titan.
The Titan could follow a pre-programmed trajectory precisely without any deviation.
Once the equipment arrived, the cinematography team immediately tested it and conducted pre-shoots, programming it for direct use during filming.
Additionally, the opening scene set in a Chinese-style ancient banquet hall was fascinating.
Art director Selena studied numerous existing Chinese landmark halls, such as Yellow Crane Tower, Yueyang Tower, and Tengwang Pavilion, examining their layouts and styles.
She then designed a modernized version, adding electric lights and contemporary furniture, giving it a blend of ancient grandeur and modern elegance.
In the film, the upper dream layer causes this building to experience an earthquake.
Usually, Hollywood creates earthquake scenes by building a shaking platform combined with CGI effects.
However, this set was too large for that approach.
The crew explored various methods, and cinematographer John Schwartzman decided on the simplest solution: handheld camera shaking to simulate the earthquake effect.
Since the building would ultimately be destroyed, visual effects supervisor Chris Corbould collaborated with the set designers to rig the entire scene with mechanisms.
During filming, the crew could press specific buttons to activate pre-built traps, creating the effect of a collapsing earthquake.
Of course, all of this required extensive testing to ensure actor safety.
No one wanted a ceiling pillar to fall and hit DiCaprio on the head during filming.
One of the film's most striking moments would be Leonardo being pushed into the water in the upper dream layer, translating into a flood in the lower dream layer.
Gilbert told DiCaprio, "To make your performance more realistic and convincing, we plan to film it live."
DiCaprio made an exaggerated expression: "Wow, Gilbert, you're really crazy, but I like it.
But how exactly are we going to do it?"
This was a very good question. Initially, the plan was to use a traditional water tank to pour water, a method commonly used in disaster films for flood scenes.
However, after testing, the crew realized that having the actors participate directly could be dangerous. So everyone brainstormed and quickly came up with a solution: still use the air cannons.
The crew installed two pressurized containers around the studio. The set inside the studio was designed as a banquet hall. During filming, the switches could be activated in sequence according to the connections.
Under the force of the air cannons, the water could shoot up to 20 feet high. Once sprayed through the windows, it would create a wave rushing toward the camera.
Because a large volume of water had to be released at once, filming was not easy. Therefore, during the actual shoot, there could be no mistakes, or it would cause significant delays.
In his spare time, Leung Ka-Fai would visit the set to observe the crew's preparations, and the Western crew didn't seem to mind; he was free to move through all departments.
The complexity and sheer scale of the production left him completely stunned. He had heard about it before but had never witnessed it firsthand.
After seeing it, he finally understood the real reason why Hollywood dominates the world.
You see, although Gilbert was the director overseeing everything, he was responsible for the general direction. The specifics of execution were handled by Hollywood's professional talents, who contributed their expertise.
Leung often noticed that when Gilbert explained the effect he wanted for a scene, the creative team would discuss multiple solutions.
They would then simulate the options on computers, select the feasible ones, and finally implement them.
The entire creative team communicated very efficiently, and the solutions produced were practical and executable, showcasing the professionalism of the team to the fullest.
In contrast, Hong Kong cinema lagged far behind.
Even the most celebrated kung fu masters, as the popularity of martial arts and action films declined, began to lose their edge.
At this moment, Leung finally understood that even a genius director could not save Hong Kong cinema.
Only by building a complete system that continuously cultivates professional talent within could Hong Kong cinema be truly revitalized.
But achieving this was nearly impossible—perhaps the mainland film industry might manage it in the future!
In any case, after coming to participate in Inception, Leung Ka-Fai felt that he had gained quite a lot.
....
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