142 Acquisition Spree

[Santa Monica, California, USA]

[ASC Motion Capture Headquarters]

Craig Wills served as the CEO of ASC Motion Capture. At present, the company faced financial challenges because Motion Capture Technology was still in its infancy.

Spencer Thompson, the COO, engaged in discussions with CEO Craig Wills about securing investors or selling the company. They were left with no choice due to the ongoing financial issues.

If these financial problems persisted, they would have to declare bankruptcy, a scenario they desperately hoped to avoid.

Frustrated, Craig Wills ran his hand over his forehead and expressed, "I've invested my hard-earned money to keep this venture afloat, and we've been able to generate revenue through collaborations with other studios. Yet, these studios just don't have much faith in Motion Capture technology!"

Spencer Thompson chuckled wryly, "What can you expect? Motion Capture is just too complex and costly. They probably prefer props over CGI and Motion Capture."

Sighing, Craig Wills lamented, "These studios have a limited understanding of film production..."

However, as he sighed, Spencer Thompson thoughtfully remarked, "Craig, have you heard of KiShin Pictures?"

Craig Wills furrowed his brow upon hearing that and responded thoughtfully, "KiShin Pictures? Isn't that a company that's consistently criticized in Hollywood?"

Spencer Thompson nodded with a smile and said, "Yes, but they're showing interest in acquiring a company."

Craig Wills was taken aback, exclaiming, "Really?"

Spencer Thompson nodded affirmatively and replied, "Exactly."

Craig Wills chuckled wryly and inquired, "How much are they willing to offer?"

With a chuckle, Spencer Thompson responded, "They're putting forward 15 million dollars."

Craig Wills stroked his chin thoughtfully and mused, "15 million dollars, huh..."

Spencer Thompson nodded and added, "The founder of KiShin Pictures mentioned that if you agree, he'll also offer you some shares..."

Upon hearing this, Craig Wills couldn't help but feel enticed. It was undoubtedly a far better option than facing bankruptcy. Considering their current financial predicament, 15 million dollars was a substantial sum.

Craig Wills was more than willing to agree, especially since he would receive some shares. Being the CEO or not was no longer his primary concern.

Vicon Motion System was the Motion Capture company gaining a significant advantage, actively involved in numerous projects. However, companies like ASC Motion Capture were in dire straits, unable to secure projects for months, aside from occasional small ones that couldn't sustain the company.

This was likely why founder and CEO Craig Wills was inclined to sell it for 15 million dollars, with the added prospect of obtaining shares.

---

[Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California, USA]

[Digital CGI Headquarters]

Digital CGI, a CGI company, currently faced a situation similar to ASC Motion Capture, with Digital Domain being one of the few CGI companies struggling due to low project demand.

Since it was still 1991, and as previously mentioned, Motion Capture and CGI technologies were not as widely used as they would be in the future.

These two groundbreaking technologies were still in their infancy within the industry, with many people remaining unaware of their existence.

Just like ASC Motion Capture, Shin also expressed interest in acquiring the company and possibly purchasing it for 23 million dollars.

The CEO, William Ford, was a 30-year-old entrepreneur who founded the company in 1987. Initially, everything seemed to be going well. However, as time passed, the complexity and cost of these technologies deterred many studios from committing to films that heavily relied on Motion Capture or CGI. Even when they did use these technologies, they were incorporated for only a brief duration, while the rest of the film was shot using traditional props.

These strategies were not limited to Hollywood; they were implemented worldwide. While there might be a high-profile Hollywood studio occasionally demanding extended use of Motion Capture and CGI, such occurrences were rare. Following such projects, there were often no substantial projects left for these technologies to be applied to.

Consequently, Digital CGI found itself in dire financial straits.

When Willam Ford received an offer from KiShin Pictures to acquire his company for 23 million dollars, he promptly accepted. After all, he had initially invested 5 million dollars to start the company, and now that someone was willing to buy it for such a substantial sum, he readily agreed.

William Ford had grown weary of perpetually seeking clients. Just a day after agreeing to the deal, he was met by a Japanese young man and a Japanese middle-aged man when they arrived at his office.

Upon their entrance, William Ford promptly greeted them.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Suzuki," he addressed the middle-aged man first, presuming him to be the Mr. Suzuki he had spoken with over the phone the previous day.

The middle-aged man chuckled wryly and replied, "My name is Orio Masayoshi." He paused, introducing the young man in a sleek black suit, "This is Shinro Suzuki, the individual willing to acquire your company for 23 million dollars."

William Ford was taken aback by Shinro Suzuki's youthful appearance. He immediately offered an apology, saying, "I apologize if my mistake was offensive."

Shin smiled as he shook hands with William Ford. "It's quite alright," he reassured, adding, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ford."

William Ford nodded, extended his greetings to Orio Masayoshi, and then they delved into the discussions regarding the acquisition contract.

To Shin's surprise, William Ford was wholeheartedly in favor of selling the company to KiShin Pictures.

After finalizing the agreement, Shin addressed William Ford, saying, "Mr. Ford, I understand your experience in the CGI industry, so if you're willing, I would like you to continue as the CEO of the company."

William Ford was taken aback and exclaimed, "You want me to continue as the CEO?" He had expected that after selling his company, he would embark on a life as an ordinary individual with millions in his bank account. In truth, his ambition was still rooted in working as the CEO of his CGI company. However, he was acutely aware that if his company went bankrupt, it wouldn't just be him affected, but also the employees under his charge.

While he might have appeared to agree immediately, it was a decision that came with a degree of emotional difficulty for him.

The decision for the acquiring party to either dismiss the CEO or opt to keep the original CEO in place was a common practice in the business world. However, William Ford was genuinely delighted that he could remain in his current position.

Observing William Ford's contemplation, Shin added, "It's up to you, of course..."

William Ford eagerly nodded and declared, "Absolutely, I want to!"

With that, Shin smiled as he successfully acquired the CGI company.

In the following days, Shin also managed to acquire the ASC Motion Capture company. Similar to the Digital CGI company, he allowed the founder and CEO of ASC Motion Capture to retain their positions.