The people around the bonfire were almost all from the film industry, so the conversation quickly turned to movies, especially the future trends of filmmaking.
"There's no doubt that in the future, special effects and post-production will occupy an increasingly significant part in commercial films. Right now, the 100 million dollar investment in Terminator 2 seems huge, but I believe it won't be long before that number is surpassed," James Cameron said before taking a big gulp of beer.
"It definitely will be surpassed!" Ryan first nodded in agreement, then added, "But that person's name will still be James Cameron."
The crowd erupted into laughter. Cameron didn't mind and said, "For a director, that would be a great honor."
"For investors, it would be tremendous pressure." Ryan, seemingly used to clashing with him, responded, "Jim, trust me, one day you'll drive investors to jump off a building."
The topic soon shifted to film technology. A few of the ladies, clearly out of their depth, simply gathered together to discuss fashion instead.
Thanks to his past life experience as a projectionist and the information explosion, Ryan, though a complete layman in terms of technical expertise, occasionally threw out a few opinions that drew the others' attention—especially when his thoughts on movie technology often aligned with tech fanatic Cameron.
"I commissioned Industrial Light & Magic to do the film's opening with CGI. It's not finished yet, but the result will definitely amaze everyone," the famed director, like anyone else, began to boast a bit after drinking. "Did you know that less than three minutes of CGI cost $7.5 million? That's enough to remake The Terminator."
On the other side, Mario Kassar nearly wept. The money burned on special effects made his heart ache.
"Jim, have you ever thought about making a movie to compete for an Oscar?" Schwarzenegger, seeing it was just casual conversation, casually changed the topic.
"You as the lead actor, aiming for Best Actor?" Cameron clearly teased him.
"You think that's possible?" Schwarzenegger shot back. He knew deep down that the little golden statuette for Best Actor was probably out of reach for him.
"Then do you think the Academy would ever award Best Director to someone who only makes commercial films?" Cameron sneered, "You're not going to suggest I start making those sleepy, artsy films, are you?"
"No, no, Jim." Ryan suddenly cut in, "I think it's entirely possible."
"Oh, come on, Ryan. I admit you have some unique insights into movies, but do you understand the Academy's tastes and standards?" Cameron dismissively waved him off.
"Of course!" Ryan shot him a glare. "For example, if you keep making sci-fi, you'll be snubbed by the Academy like George Lucas. But what if you make a commercial film based on real events?"
Without waiting for a response, Ryan continued, "Yes, the old folks at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are indeed stubborn and conservative, clinging tightly to their so-called artistic values. But that doesn't mean they won't bow to commercial success. Think about it—when a commercial blockbuster based on real events grosses over a billion, or even two billion dollars, will the Academy still ignore it? Will they dare to?"
"Oh God! Are you saying I could make a film that grosses more than one or even two billion dollars?" Cameron laughed and shook his head.
Ryan shrugged and simply stopped talking. Everyone else took his words as a child's joke and laughed it off.
Powerful music blared, and those already tipsy started playing dance tracks. Many people gathered on an open space and began to dance wildly.
Alcohol boosted courage, and with more men than women in the crew, quite a few shamelessly came over to hit on Nicole. But under Ryan's influence, Nicole didn't care for heavy metal music. Besides, her personality was quite aloof. Even if she appeared polite, her rejections were merciless.
Ryan scratched his ears. To be honest, these fast-paced heavy metal tracks sounded more like noise to him. What was even more unbearable was that a drunken crew member began belting out a song so loudly that, if not for being near the city, they might have attracted wolves—female ones at that!
"Nicole, let's head back." He really didn't want to torture his ears any further.
"You don't like it?" Schwarzenegger came over.
"Don't you think it's too noisy?" Ryan shrugged while holding Nicole's hand.
"Hey, I remember you often play the guitar. Why don't you perform something for us?" said Linda Hamilton, who was sitting next to Nicole and suddenly recalled how the boy often strummed his guitar.
"Quiet! Quiet!"
Schwarzenegger's voice was full of power and actually suppressed the music. Without even asking Ryan's opinion, he declared straight away once the music stopped, "Ryan's going to give us a guitar solo!"
I didn't agree to this! Ryan pouted and was about to refuse when he suddenly remembered the song he had rearranged and rewritten. Since it was for Nicole, why not sing it in front of everyone?
Nicole's assistant quickly ran to Ryan's trailer and brought back his acoustic guitar. When she opened the case and took it out, someone knowledgeable exclaimed, "A handcrafted Taylor rosewood guitar—$70,000! Ryan really is a little rich guy!"
Ryan didn't use a pick and instinctively tested the sound. Looking at Nicole, and waiting for her gaze to meet his, he said, "'Because of You'—dedicated to Miss Nicole Kidman!"
The beautiful guitar melody began. Although the song wasn't particularly suited for acoustic guitar, under Ryan's skilled playing, the tune lost some of its sorrow and gained a touch of wistfulness.
("I will not make the same mistakes that you did~
I will not let myself cause my heart so much misery...~
Because of you, I find it hard to trust not only me, but everyone around me...~
Because of you, I found someone to rely on...~")
Ryan hadn't gone through vocal change yet, so his singing carried a hint of youthfulness. Compared to the original version, his voice lacked depth but was more passionate, resembling the version by that British boy singer. Of course, it was distinct from both, as he infused the song with his own emotion.
He had altered the lyrics in many places. For example, the final line had been changed from "I am afraid" to "I found someone to rely on." The meaning of the lyrics now seemed to reflect how his life changed after meeting Nicole—and his fear of one day losing her.
What remained unchanged was the emotional expression, the heartfelt outcry, the resonance that moved both music connoisseurs and casual listeners.
Watching Ryan sing with his eyes closed, Nicole couldn't possibly miss the meaning he was trying to convey. Although the song strongly resonated with her, she didn't like it.
This sorrowful song reminded her of his past, their encounter on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and a glimpse of their future... separation!
She suddenly felt agitated. She didn't know why, but she really wanted to stop Ryan from continuing. Still, she held back. When he finished the song, she smiled and applauded.
She had to admit, her acting in this life had greatly improved—so much so that even Ryan, who knew her intimately, didn't detect anything unusual.
A great song always has the power to move hearts. Even though this song was completely unfamiliar, that didn't stop people from appreciating its unique flavor.
When the song ended, the thunderous applause seemed loud enough to shake the heavens. Ryan smirked a little, pleased with himself. Suddenly, James Cameron—who always liked to give him a hard time—shouted, "Hey Ryan, give us another one!"
"Yeah, Ryan, one more!" The crowd began to chant, clearly out to push him a little further.
Ryan nearly lost it. Sure, he had written a lot of songs, but most were just fragments. He figured puberty was still far off and hadn't bothered organizing them. The English songs he remembered best were almost all by female singers.
Like most people, young men often paid more attention to artists of the opposite sex. Besides, compared to film, he hadn't followed the English music scene closely until well into the new century in his past life.
What, was he supposed to sing a male version of "Complicated"? He'd probably get killed by Avril's fans.
Forget it—time for something original. Even though it wasn't finished, he'd sing as far as it went. At least it'd shut these chaos-loving people up.
The guitar played again, this time with a much livelier rhythm. Although it had a hint of country style, it was definitely more pop. Ryan's humming had a motivational energy.
("Life is like a climb~
The road ahead is full of obstacles~
But those who never give up~
Hold their heads high and keep running forward~
Until they reach the highest and most beautiful place…~")
This song was completely different from the previous one but just as captivating. Many in the crew were music lovers, yet none had ever heard either of these songs before. Despite still having a childlike voice, Ryan's rendition had a unique charm.
Just as everyone was lost in the melody and Ryan reached the chorus, the tune suddenly became chaotic. The guitar lost its previous harmony and devolved into a messy jumble.
With a sigh, Ryan had to stop. Seeing everyone's puzzled looks, he scratched his head and explained, "The tune and lyrics aren't finished yet. That's all I've got."
What do you mean the tune and lyrics aren't finished? People were stunned—then some quickly caught on.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's mouth twitched. "Ryan, don't tell me you wrote both of those songs?"
"Well... actually, yeah, that's how it is." Ryan handed the guitar to Nicole and shook out his wrist. The first song had been re-lyricized and rearranged, and the second one was completely original. He was more confident about this than anything else he'd said all night.
The people who heard him say that looked at him in utter disbelief—as if they were staring at an alien from Mars.
They really wanted to ask, "Ryan, is there anything you can't do?"