The system interface unfolded before Mark Anderson, displaying the ocean explosion they had filmed during yesterday’s final shoot.
Importing footage into the system was unbelievably convenient and required no physical connection to the memory card once the material had been registered.
During production, Mark had already imported each day’s footage and usually spent thirty minutes to an hour editing before going to sleep.
The system responded almost instantly to his thoughts, making ordinary rendering and compositing delays practically nonexistent.
Because of that speed, Mark had already completed most of the earlier sequences while principal photography was still underway.
Looking at the final explosion footage, he skillfully opened the great white shark model, positioned it in the shot, and added the required destruction effect.
A massive shark immediately appeared inside the footage and was torn apart by the explosion, blending naturally with the practical water blast they had captured at sea.
Mark carefully checked the result before inserting it into the previously edited material.
With that final sequence added, the first complete cut of Jaws was finished.
Mark opened his eyes and picked up his phone.
A system message immediately appeared before him.
[Transfer first-cut project: JAWS to current device?]
“Yes.”
Another menu followed.
[Select sensory enhancements: Visual, Auditory, Olfactory, Taste, Tactile, Instinctive Perception.]
Mark had never tested all the system’s sensory functions on a complete movie, so curiosity immediately won.
He selected every option, and less than a second later, the enhanced version of Jaws appeared on his phone.
He opened the file and pressed play.
The opening image showed an underwater world, with dark vegetation swaying beneath the waves while the camera moved forward as though something unseen were swimming through the ocean.
Almost immediately, the light from the phone seemed to spread outward, and the hotel room around Mark gradually transformed into a projected underwater environment.
Mark stared around in amazement.
The bed, chairs, walls, and furniture were still physically present, yet his senses interpreted everything as though it had been submerged beneath the sea.
He could smell saltwater, hear muffled underwater movement, and even feel something cold and slippery brush against his arm when projected seaweed drifted past him.
The sensation was so convincing that Mark instinctively held his breath.
Then an unexplained chill suddenly ran down his spine.
The hairs on his arms rose, and he felt as though something dangerous was watching him from behind. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Mark quickly turned, but all he could see was endless blue water and drifting shadows, leaving him even more unsettled than before.
That strange reaction had to come from the system’s Instinctive Perception function.
After holding his breath for too long, Mark finally inhaled sharply.
The instant he did, he felt as though salty seawater had rushed into his mouth and nose, causing him to cough violently.
There was obviously no real water inside his lungs, but the illusion was strong enough to make his body respond as though he had actually inhaled it.
Mark immediately paused the movie.
The surrounding underwater projection froze.
He coughed several more times before finally catching his breath, then stared at the phone in disbelief.
This wasn’t comparable to ordinary premium theaters that relied on surround sound, moving seats, wind, mist, or vibration.
The system could directly create convincing sensory illusions around the viewer.
“This is incredible.”
Mark reached toward the floating seaweed beside him and could actually feel its slippery texture despite knowing nothing physical existed there.
If this technology could be attached to every distributed copy of a movie, the viewing experience would surpass anything currently available in theaters.
His excitement surged.
Then he gradually calmed down.
Technology this advanced appearing in the hands of an unknown director would bring far more trouble than opportunity.
Studios, corporations, researchers, and countless other people would immediately want to know where it came from, and Mark had absolutely no way to explain it.
He couldn’t expose this ability yet.
Mark deleted the enhanced copy from his phone and transferred Jaws again, this time leaving every sensory option disabled.
The movie immediately returned to ordinary playback, and while the picture, editing, and effects were still excellent, the difference after experiencing the fully enhanced version was enormous.
Mark frowned.
Completely abandoning the sensory functions also felt wasteful.
He began experimenting again, activating the effects individually and comparing them one at a time.
Visual projection was far too obvious, while smell, taste, and tactile sensations would immediately reveal that something impossible was happening.
The enhanced auditory function could easily be mistaken for exceptionally good location recording, sound design, and theater equipment.
Instinctive Perception was even safer because it created no visible phenomenon at all, merely producing that mysterious feeling of unease whenever danger approached.
For a horror movie, that was enough.
Audiences might hear the ocean with disturbing clarity, sense something moving beneath the water, or feel a chill before the shark appeared.
They would probably attribute those reactions to Mark’s directing and the movie’s atmosphere rather than suspecting some impossible technology.
Mark watched the fully enhanced version one final time before reluctantly deleting it.
Someday, he could reveal more.
But first he needed enough money, influence, and infrastructure to protect himself.
At minimum, Mark wanted a few theaters under his own control, perhaps three to five locations where he could gradually introduce more advanced viewing experiences without depending entirely on outside companies.
With the system in his hands, building an entertainment empire no longer seemed impossible.
But that was a future problem.
Right now, he still owed Silverline Pictures approximately $24 million, and even though Jaws had been completed, the movie still needed marketing and distribution support before it could reach theaters.
That meant Mark had to return to Los Angeles and speak with Evelyn Parker again.
More specifically, he needed another investment.
This time for promotion.
Mark looked through the hotel window one last time at the Atlantic before returning to the bed and packing his belongings.
Just as he was about to leave, he noticed one complimentary bottle of water still sitting beside the overpriced hotel bottle on the table.
He stopped.
Then walked back, grabbed the free bottle, and stuffed it into his bag.
Only then did he leave with satisfaction.
Paul had already arranged their return flights, and after leaving Martha’s Vineyard and making the necessary connections, they began the long trip west.
Late that night, Mark Anderson finally landed back in Los Angeles.
Jaws was finished.
Now he had to convince Evelyn Parker to spend money getting people into theaters.
(End of Chapter 10)
[Community Goals Ongoing]