Marvel Salted Fish Kryptonian

After leaving the Continental Hotel, Henry returned to his original project, which was to help Charlize Theron develop her acting skills with a camera.

Of course, he couldn't afford a large movie camera. 35mm film was expensive, as were developing and projecting equipment. It was simply beyond the reach of the average family. And for Henry, it wasn't necessary.

8cm cameras were considered for home use, but they were very early devices and had a series of problems that made them unsuitable for ordinary people, unless they were enthusiasts.

The most suitable equipment was the Handycam camera, released by Sony in 85, commonly known as the V8 camera. The "8" here refers to the small 8mm-wide tape, not film. It records analog signals.

In 88, Sony launched the new generation Hi8 camera, which has a higher resolution than the previous generation V8. The so-called resolution can be regarded as the resolution in the digital age.

But why are these devices, including those used to make TV dramas, ranked below filmmakers in the contempt chain? The reason is that these devices lack too much detail compared to 35mm film.

Anyone who has seen it knows that even with close-up shots of faces, these early home cameras couldn't show the subtle changes in the corners of the eyes or mouth, or they weren't obvious. All you'd see was a blurry mess.

Using the resolution standards of the digital age, the resolution displayed by home devices and televisions during this period was only 480p, or even lower 360p.

Therefore, people who shoot TV dramas usually need to use exaggerated acting skills to achieve a certain effect. This is what separates them from filmmakers and puts them at the upper and lower ends of the contempt chain.

This level of equipment is certainly not what Henry wants.

The new generation of digital standards has also been established by the HD Digital VCR Agreement Committee composed of Panasonic, Sony, JVC, Philips, Sanyo, Hitachi, Sharp, Thomson, Mitsubishi and Toshiba.

In April 1995, the specifications for home digital VCRs, the so-called DV, were finalized.

Next year, Sony will release a new generation of home DV camcorders that also use tapes, but with digital signals instead of analog signals.

Although the image quality of DV cameras was better than that of V8 cameras and was basically the same as Hi8 cameras, Henry couldn't sneak into Sony and steal a prototype camera. Moreover, even if it was a DV, its image quality would not meet Henry's requirements.

Using the digital age's resolution standards, DV cameras only achieve 480i. Compared to digital resolution, the quality of 35mm film stock must reach at least 4K (UHD) to be comparable.

This is also why in the 1920s of the 21st century, many filmmakers went to make TV series.

Besides the significant shifts in the film and television ecosystem, home televisions and camera equipment are now comparable to cinema quality, leaving the only advantage of film: the 200-inch screen. This has led many film actors to condescend and enter the television industry.

Henry's desire to create digital equipment comparable to film production in one go is somewhat unreasonable, but based on the published digital standards, it seems possible to create 720p or 1080p upgrade equipment.

It's just a product for my own entertainment. The real consideration isn't the resolution of the codec, but the capacity of the storage medium.

Twenty minutes of uncompressed UHD footage would require 4TB of hard drive space, and hard drives of this era were just reaching the edge of GB, still measured in single digits.

Henry, who wanted to skip the tape and go straight to the hard drive, couldn't come up with an unlimited high-resolution encoding and decoding standard. Otherwise, he would have to use a whole disk array to save the data, which would be ridiculous.

Relying on his own manual rubbing skills and the support of his super brain, Henry quickly came up with a plan in his mind. It wasn't too far ahead of its time, but it was enough for him to think about.

The most important thing is that there are many things that can be used directly and then modified by yourself. This can save a lot of time and effort, and you can get the equipment Charlize needs in a few days instead of waiting for a year or two.

The reason for using a digital camera is instead of using existing equipment.

A major reason for this is, of course, that digital camera footage can be directly imported into a computer for post-production, requiring only the development of supporting software. Processing speed depends on the performance of the computer.

Old analog equipment requires specialized post-production equipment, not to mention the film also requires a development step.

Numbers are the trend of the future. Henry can do it, so there is no need to go against the will of heaven.

Chapter 302 Homemade Camera Test

It is said that there are three types of singers: one is the person who sings very well, one is the person who sings poorly, and the other is the person who sings with great passion but is unaware that the audience is in pain.

The same is true for acting. Every actor thinks they've delivered an Oscar-worthy performance, but little do they realize that the audience's eyes are filled with embarrassment.

The equipment Henry prepared was indeed amazing and novel. But Charlize Theron quickly shook off her feelings and turned to watch her awkward performance in front of the camera.

Henry, on the other hand, was adjusting the newly-made equipment, trying to get the various parameters and settings right so that he could use it directly in the future.

The front half of the camera he used was an old Hollywood movie camera, which can often be seen in small crews with limited funds.

This was Hollywood, and there was a lot of scrapped camera equipment. Through the Screen Actors Guild, Henry quickly found a scrapped camera with mostly intact optical equipment but other parts in a mess.

It was reportedly one of the casualties during a stunt sequence in a certain action movie. It hasn't been dealt with yet, which is a great relief for Henry, the ragpicker.

The second half, transformed by Henry, resembles a crudely crafted metal monstrosity, with exposed wires, brackets screwed or welded, and all sorts of bizarre devices fixed behind the lens.

Henry didn't consider the aesthetics at all. Firstly, it was a hastily built product, and secondly, it could be modified and upgraded, so it would be too much trouble to package it all up.

This custom-made component is actually the photosensitive component and encoder. It converts the images captured by the lens into digital signals and stores them on Henry's custom-made high-capacity hard drive.

I have considered buying a large-capacity hard drive on the market and building a NAS server as a storage device for the camera.

But the time required for a homemade project was no less than that of simply building a high-capacity hard drive, so Henry decided to just go for it. After all, it was just his thing, so no one would care if it was too far ahead of its time.

The output part, of course, wasn't a cathode ray tube screen from this era, or one of those LCD screens that had just come out of the lab. Henry simply got a projector, and the "screen" was a whitewashed wall in the room.

Henry had given up on television a long time ago. While people outside were still marveling at the 32-inch or 38-inch screens, Henry had a movie-quality projection screen at home.

It's just that my home doesn't have the space of a movie theater, so I can't afford a 200-inch screen. But the extra empty wall space is still 80 to 90 inches wide, which is plenty of room.

When watching TV normally, you connect the antenna and TV decoder to the projector, and then slightly reduce the projection range to avoid the picture being too grainy.

Henry is already quite familiar with this kind of manual work related to motors.

Now, it is certainly not a big problem to connect this projector to a homemade camera and then play the captured images.

If there is a downside, it's that when using the projector, the light in the room needs to be dimmed. Otherwise, the projected image will be too pale and difficult to see.

Compared with commercially available projectors, the projector built by Henry does not require all the lights in the room to be turned off, and the projected image can still be seen clearly.

However, in order to see more clearly, Charlize took the initiative to adjust the lights to a dim level.

Besides having a clearer picture, it also allows you to see the inside of the room more clearly, and avoid bumping into anything when moving around. After all, this isn't a movie theater where you can't sit still for two hours.

Charlize Theron was initially impressed by Henry's equipment, especially the use of an entire wall as a "screen" for the projector. She had never seen such a large screen except in a movie theater.

Soon, she was embarrassed by her previous impromptu performance in front of the camera and was speechless.

That is a monologue by the vicious woman Lady Macbeth in the classic play, Shakespeare's Macbeth.

For a villain like this, as long as you make the performance annoying, you're halfway to success.

The remaining half requires understanding the character's psychological activities and making sure that the body movements and subtle expressions are consistent with the character's current behavioral patterns.

After all, there are many different reasons why someone is hated, and each requires a different approach. Being able to portray these differences, to make the character feel alive, is the true success.

But when Henry was doing the test shoot, he just asked us to take a casual shot, relax, and test whether the machine was working properly. That was all he asked.

So Charlize took out one of the results of her previous studies in acting school. Although her attitude was not casual, she was not too serious either.

Then I regretted it...

Henry wasn't using a home-style V8 camera, but something approaching cinematic quality. With every detail magnified and projected onto an 80- or 90-inch wall, Charlize was so embarrassed she could have dug a three-bedroom apartment out of her toes.

Especially the expression when he burst out laughing in the middle of the performance, and then straightened his expression and continued acting as if nothing had happened. This is a complete black history!

Even when she was tricked into taking a photo shoot for Playboy, she didn't feel so desperate. But looking at her first photo shoot, Charlize Theron, with red eyes, had the urge to kill everyone who knew about it.

"Burn the film!" Charlize said viciously, glaring at the man standing next to the camera and laughing at the screen.

"Oh, is that the lingo you learned from acting school? Not bad, you've learned something."

Movie cameras all use 35mm film. "Burning the negative" is, of course, the most complete way to ruin a movie or a performance, making it impossible to restore it. It's industry jargon.

But realistically speaking, Henry didn't use film, so of course he had no negatives to burn.

So, facing Charlize with red eyes, his two claw-like hands almost pinched his neck, and he muttered, "Burn the film!"

Henry had no choice but to appease the other party and said, "Okay, okay, this camera has no film, so I can't burn it. But I will delete the archive of this footage later, so that there will be no data left."

"Really?" From the original horror movie atmosphere, it transformed into a deer-like, tearful eyes looking at people, which made people feel pity.

Based on the effect of this transformation, Henry had to admit that there was no doubt that this girl would become an Oscar-winning actress in the future.

Henry immediately started operating the camera. Since he was the only one using it, he didn't have a simple interface; all commands had to be entered via keyboard.

In a few seconds, the previous file was deleted, and the projector screen naturally turned blank. This made Charlize finally breathe a sigh of relief.

It's a shame I couldn't preserve the future actress's youthful performance, but it also proves that the thing I spent a few days on was indeed useful.

Then, the subsequent performance training can proceed smoothly.

Chapter 303 Performance Training

If you want to learn acting, you can't just choose classic movies or the best movies that have won the Oscars over the years as teaching materials.

Henry's target is the Oscars for acting over the years, including the movies in which the leading actor, actress, actor, and supporting actor have won or been nominated.

Before the Oscars were tarnished by various PR and smear campaigns, they still held a certain value. Otherwise, filmmakers around the world wouldn't be so eager to win the Oscars as a way to prove their achievements.

Therefore, these films that are nominated for acting awards, or even win awards, must have some bright spots worth learning from.

Charlize had already learned about various schools and methods in her previous acting school. Henry didn't want to talk too much about these theoretical things, so he started directly with imitation.

The first film to serve as an example is Misery, based on Stephen King's novel of the same name.

This psychological horror film, released in 90, won the lead actress Cassie Bates the 63rd Academy Award for Best Actress and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in the same year.

This is not a movie about a heroine or a sweet girl, but a horror story about a crazy book fan who is not satisfied with just sending razor blades to the author. When he encounters the author in trouble, he imprisons him and forces him to write the story according to his own wishes.

To be honest, those guys who only know how to talk are too weak. Go and see what they have done.

As for the heroine, she was first a fan of the book, and then because the fate of the characters in the book was not as good as she had imagined, she began to hate the author.

When she saw the author himself, she wanted to act nice and show her kind side in an attempt to control the other person.

But when the author doesn't cooperate, she will show her crazy side and threaten him, even killing a policeman for this, proving that her threats are not just warnings, but will be put into action.

The emotional tension of the multifaceted character and the outstanding performance of the chubby actress Cassie Bates made her famous that year, beating out rising stars and veteran actresses such as Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Anjelica Huston and Jenny Woodward.

She is also the first actress in film history to win an Oscar for Best Actress for a horror film. As she portrays a character with erratic and ever-changing emotions, and her emotions are clearly expressed on her face, the camera often gives her a close-up of her face without hesitation.

Sometimes gloomy and depressed, sometimes furious, these extreme expressions were interpreted vividly by the actress, making this first-time actress the only soul of the film, surpassing all the main and supporting roles.

You should know that the male lead James Caan who plays opposite Cassie Bates is a veteran actor who played Sonny Corleone in "The Godfather" and was nominated for the Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for Best Supporting Actor that year. He has 27 years of experience in the film industry.

This person can only tremble under the hammer of Cassie Bates.

This was the first movie I chose to imitate. To be honest, it was a hellish start for Charlize Theron.

Henry watched the movie with Charlize once, and when they watched it a second time, Henry would explain the actress's acting skills in every highlight clip.

Sometimes, the director's ingenuity and photography skills are also needed to create a classic lens language.

Then, a scene from the film was chosen, and Charlize was asked to memorize the lines. After figuring out the emotions, she performed in front of Henry's camera. With limited props and an imaginary set, she simply did the same things and said the same lines as the heroine in the film.

Then the live show...

A future movie queen is eager to find a hole to crawl into, and is doubting whether she should continue to pursue a career as an actress.

Charlize collapsed in Henry's arms. This was her third performance of the same scene, and she felt insecure about the reality that was still so different from the original version. She used Henry's arms as a safe haven and began to feel sorry for herself.

Henry smiled and consoled her, "You don't think Ms. Cassie Bates is some sweet girl who gets paid just for giggling and flirting in front of the camera, do you?

"Look at her. She graduated from Southern Methodist University, which has an art school and a conservatory of music that's one of the best in the country. She moved to New York City in 69 and started performing in Off-Broadway theater.

She made her debut on the big screen in 70, but due to her appearance, she mainly worked in theaters. She was even nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Drama in 88.

"Although she has little experience on the big screen, having appeared in fewer than ten films before 'The Game,' playing small roles, she has accumulated extensive acting experience and a solid foundation in drama over the past two decades.

"So, she became an instant star in her first film. If you were an elementary school student who had just started playing basketball, she might not be a Michael Jordan-level Black Jesus, but at least a Hall of Fame-level star player. That's the difference between you two."

Charlize was the one to get upset after hearing this. She pouted and stood up, rolling her eyes. "So, by comparing her to me, are you trying to imply that I should give up acting?"

"Of course not." Henry placed the videotape box rented from Blockbuster in Charlize Theron's hands. He pointed at the large words on the box that said "Oscar Best Actress."

"I'm telling you to aim to be an actress as good as her. If all you do is flirt and flirt to get the spotlight, what are you going to do when Hollywood's interest in you wears off?

"Will you pay a price to continue your acting career? When that red sofa appears before you, what will you choose? Compromise? Climb onto the red sofa and spread your legs yourself?

"No, acting skills are everything for an actor. You must first have acting skills and be able to handle all roles. Only when the director and the film need you will you be considered.

"Having a wide range of acting skills also means you have more opportunities than others. You can also play different roles at different ages. You won't be abandoned by directors and producers once your youth has passed its expiration date.

"That's what you should strive for. Even if you can't reach the heights of those A-List stars, you can still establish yourself in Hollywood."

Charlize Theron isn't one of those second-generation stars who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, with parents paving the way for her as long as she's willing. Nor is she blessed with abundant resources and support, with a constant supply of film roles to choose from.

In addition to her excellent appearance, she came to Hollywood to develop her career because she was more eager to succeed than to act. She wanted to prove herself and earn enough money to improve the lives of her mother and herself.

These desires, encouraged by Henry's words, became fuel for the blazing fire. Undeterred, she stood up and said proudly, "Come on, then. The fourth performance!"

"No, no, no, let's change the scene."

Charlize was puzzled by Henry's suggestion. "Why?"

"I want you to learn the techniques of the actors in the movie, and then use your own performance to play the same role. But I'm not trying to transform you into her, so don't try the same scene too many times, change it up. I chose that scene just now, this time it's your turn."

Charlize Theron's eyeballs rolled, and her eyes instantly curved into crescent shapes, full of smiles.