In the living room, Natalie, bored, watched TV for a while before noticing something odd.
Where was that meowing sound coming from?
She muted the TV and listened carefully.
Then, tiptoeing, she walked to the study door and pressed her ear against it.
Her eyes widened abruptly.
Quietly, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open a crack. The scene inside made her cheeks flush.
She couldn't help but mutter, "Weren't they supposed to be discussing work? That b**** Drew, taking the chance to seduce Martin!"
Natalie debated slamming the door loudly to startle the pair inside but hesitated.
After some internal struggle, she made up her mind and pushed the door open entirely.
Hmph, if Drew was going to take advantage, she wouldn't let her have all the fun alone!
Over an hour later, the battle was over.
Martin, holding the exhausted Natalie, started discussing business with Drew, who lounged lazily on the sofa.
"Blue Sky Studios was founded by a group of tech enthusiasts. One of the founders, Eugene Troubetzkoy, is a nuclear physicist. Another, Michael Ferraro, is a programmer and creative lead."
"There are three more co-founders: Alison Brown, with a marketing background; David Brown, with financial expertise; and Chris Wedge, a master in computer graphics from Ohio State University. He also directed Ice Age."
"This company is truly impressive. Initially, they didn't produce films. Instead, they made CG advertisements for movies, TV, and entertainment programs. In the field of 3D animation, Blue Sky Studios is undoubtedly a pioneer."
"You've probably seen the iconic Braun electric shaver commercial?"
He actually did know it, as the commercial won a '3D Animation Ad Award' back in the day. Later, the award was revoked because the animation was so lifelike that judges thought it was live-action rather than computer-generated.
This stirred significant controversy in 1992 and became a classic case often cited in textbooks.
"They also created a seven-minute animated short, Bunny, which won the 71st Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1999."
"This Oscar win caught the attention of 20th Century Fox, and they collaborated with Blue Sky Studios to produce Ice Age."
"Wait." Martin sat up slightly straighter, disturbing the slumbering Natalie, who shifted to find a more comfortable position and drifted back to sleep.
Martin asked, "Does 20th Century Fox want to acquire Blue Sky Studios?"
"They're interested. They've already signed a three-film deal with Blue Sky Studios."
"Just a production deal?"
Martin valued Blue Sky Studios for its capabilities, not whether it produced films for Myers Entertainment or other companies.
Of course, it would be ideal if they worked on his films to secure the copyrights and merchandise revenue.
He guessed that the three films in the deal with 20th Century Fox were likely the Ice Age trilogy.
"Production deals can be bought out," Drew added, her words making Martin's eyes light up.
"And there's a personnel shake-up happening at 20th Century Fox. Previous decisions might be overturned."
Martin's eyes lit up again.
"Also, Blue Sky Studios is very interested in being acquired by us. They're impressed by your creative abilities. They even want to adapt Harry Potter into an animated series."
"Oh, and Chris Wedge is a diehard fan of your books. Another founder, Michael Ferraro, loves the creativity you brought to The Matrix."
"This definitely gives us an edge."
"They've invited you to visit their headquarters to discuss the acquisition in person."
"Wow, you're really invested in Blue Sky Studios!" Drew teased, her eyes narrowing with delight.
The next day, Martin learned from the ticket in Drew's hand that Blue Sky Studios wasn't based in New York but in Greenwich, Connecticut.
At the foot of the mountain where Blue Sky Studios was located, Martin was momentarily stunned.
The studio's headquarters sat quietly on a mountaintop, surrounded by trees and open fields. Snow blanketed everything, obscuring the path.
"They work up there?" Martin pointed at the solitary building atop the mountain, his tone filled with surprise.
Drew grinned mischievously.
She hadn't told Martin about the unusual setup on purpose, just to see his reaction. Rare moments were too amusing to pass up.
"That's right. Everyone in the animation industry calls Blue Sky Studios an isolated island."
"How do they come down?"
Martin looked at the thick snow covering the mountain and asked again.
"Look, someone's coming down."
Martin glanced up and saw a group of people bundled in thick down jackets. Some were dragging sleds, while others donned skis, sliding down the slope one by one.
"Hello, Martin. I'm Chris Wedge."
"I'm Michael Ferraro."
"Eugene Troubetzkoy."
The six founders of Blue Sky Studios greeted Martin warmly, shaking his hand one by one with friendly smiles.
"So, gentlemen, I'm thrilled to meet you all. Should we go up the mountain to chat, or find another place?"
Martin glanced at the mountaintop and then laughed. "Honestly, I'm curious about how you all get up there."
"Haha!" The founders burst out laughing.
Chris Wedge, the most outgoing of the group, said, "Looks like Ms. Drew kept some secrets from you. Come, let's head to the south side of the mountain."
He turned to David Brown and said, "David, take Mr. Martin and Ms. Drew on your snowmobile."
The snowmobile was spacious, comfortably seating four.
On the south side of the mountain, the slope was gentler, and a snow-covered road was faintly visible beneath the white blanket.
"That's our road for non-snowy days," Chris explained. "We drive or bike up during clear weather, but when it snows, we prefer sleds."
As the snowmobile ascended, Chris shouted over the roaring wind, "We love snowy weather! Every time it snows, we have a little game: rolling a snowball from the top and seeing who can roll the biggest and farthest one!"
"That sounds fun!" Martin shouted back.
He had no choice—without yelling, the wind drowned out everything.