Entertainment: You're asked to make a graduation project, but you're asked to film Ultrama

Chapter 3 The Industrial Miracle of the Small Workshop

Jinghai Drama Academy, Studio.

Three days have passed since the release of the first episode of "Ultraman Tiga".

The popularity didn't decrease; instead, thanks to Bilibili's algorithm recommendation mechanism, it snowballed and grew even bigger.

The number of views officially surpassed one million, and at the same time, Gu Nan's inbox was flooded with private messages urging him to update.

The amount of traffic a top influencer can generate is truly terrifying.

"Brother Nan, we can't hold on any longer, it's really burned out."

Lin Xuan, sporting two huge dark circles under his eyes, shoved his phone screen right in front of Gu Nan.

"The fan group has already started to 'riot.' Some people said that if we don't update, they'll crawl over here via the internet."

"The post-production of the second episode is still in progress, so we can't rush it."

Gu Nan stared at the screen.

It's a scene with composite special effects from the second episode, "The Myth of the Stone."

That is the scene where Tiga is petrified by Gakuma and then becomes a powerful debuff remover.

"Slow and steady wins the race. When it comes to special effects, if you rush the production, there will be a lot of continuity errors all over the screen."

"What should we do then? If we don't maintain the current level of popularity, I'm afraid there will be a precipitous drop later."

While touching up the colors on Gakuma's model, Wang Kai asked with concern.

It's important to understand that the internet today has no memory; trends come and go quickly.

Gu Nan's lips curled up slightly as he rhythmically tapped his fingers on the table.

"Who said there's nothing to send out?"

He pointed to another folder on the computer, "Edit out 'that' footage we shot these past few days. The final cut isn't ready yet, so let's show them some 'industrial miracles' first. Let our studio open their eyes."

……

It was 8 p.m. that evening.

Fans who followed "Chasing the Light Studio" had their phones vibrate.

The content creator you follow has updated!

Countless people clicked on it excitedly, thinking it was the second episode. But after seeing the title, they were slightly taken aback.

[Behind-the-scenes footage of Ultraman Tiga, part 01: How to handcraft a giant of light using "scrap materials" and "starch"?]

Not the main feature?

Although somewhat disappointed, most viewers still clicked on it out of curiosity.

They desperately wanted to know how that "Giant," whose quality far surpassed some domestic blockbusters, was filmed.

The video begins.

Instead of the epic background music found in the main film, there was a fast-paced electronic track.

The camera is shaky, showing a selfie taken in front of a mirror.

The camera focused on Gu Nan's face, which looked slightly tired but had bright eyes.

"Hello everyone, I'm Gu Nan, and I'm also the one who does odd jobs for Ultraman Tiga..."

The scene then shifts to the messy studio environment.

A narration begins, but the audio is the most commonly used audio on Bilibili.

Mambo Pony voice pack.

"Recently, I've heard a lot of people asking me: Is Ultraman Tiga CG? Why are there no wrinkles on the suit? Why are the movements so smooth? Today, let's talk about this 'skin'."

The image shows a roll of black, smooth material that looks like dolphin skin.

Description: Chloroprene rubber, also known as CR smooth rubber.

"Nowadays, in many TV series and movies, the prop departments are used to using latex or sponge to make mascot costumes. Those materials are heavy, not breathable, and have a rough surface, which easily produces cheap wrinkles."

In a close-up shot, Gu Nan is seen holding scissors and performing three-dimensional cutting along the curves of the model's body.

"We chose a wetsuit material called CR smooth leather. It has extremely high resilience and can wrap tightly around the actor's muscles like a second skin."

The video speeds up.

From pattern making and cutting to gluing and painting.

The audience was astonished to discover that the red, purple, and silver giant was indeed made up of pieces of rubber.

"To ensure the metallic finish, we didn't use ordinary acrylic paint, but instead formulated a special flexible metallic paint. This paint can stretch and extend with the leather case without cracking."

The camera then focused on the helmet.

That wasn't a crudely made mold, but a precise 3D model on a computer screen.

"The head is the soul of a tokusatsu character."

Gu Nan's voice carried a hint of respect, "Everyone, please pay attention to the groove design on Tiga's head."

The scene gave a close-up of Tiga's head, showing the iconic indentation on the top of his head.

To people in this world, this might just be a decoration.

But Gu Nan knew in his heart that this was a tribute to the designer Maruyama Hiroshi from his previous life.

Furthermore, the design of the face, specifically the diamond-shaped protrusion that was originally intended to conceal the peephole, ultimately became the most unique aesthetic symbol of the "Giant of Light".

"This is not just for aesthetics, but also to guide the flow of light and shadow. Combined with the double-layer vacuum forming process of the eyes, it allows those milky white eyes to emit a warm, jade-like glow when the light is on, rather than being as dazzling as a flashlight."

In the live chat, knowledgeable craft enthusiasts started popping up with their comments.

[The uploader is ruthless! Cr leather is very difficult to glue; if there's too much glue, it will overflow; if there's too little, it will crack. This skill takes years to master!]

[So the groove on its head has a story behind it? I thought it was cleaved in two by a monster...]

[I must say, this aesthetic is absolutely amazing!]

[Fire tongs to Liu Ming!]

This isn't making a suit, it's practically making a haute couture gown!

The video pace has sped up.

Next, we will be showcasing "people".

In the video, Zhang Zhao is shirtless and doing pull-ups.

Those terrifying latissimus dorsi muscles spread out like bat wings, and his inverted triangle body proportions were practically perfect.

Sweat streamed down the grooves of his back muscles.

"Our actors underwent three months of grueling training to fit into this bodysuit."

The scene shifts, and Zhang Zhao is now wearing a leather suit (but not a helmet yet).

The visual impact was instantly maximized.

The leather case, which was originally laid flat on the table, came to life the moment it was put on this body.

Broad shoulders, slim waist, long legs.

Especially that waistline.

When Zhang Zhao adopted Ultraman Tiga's signature fighting stance, the lines of his waist and abdomen tightened, and the sense of power practically overflowed from the screen.

This is what tokusatsu fans in the original world called "Gondo's figure".

This is the first time in the world that someone has combined "human beauty" with "suits" so perfectly.

Holy crap! Is that body real? I thought there were padding pads inside the suit!

Gu Nan saw this comment and offered a brief explanation.

The silver parts on Tiga's shoulders and his pectoral muscles are still partially filled with sponge.

[That waist... wow, even I, a guy, am smitten.]

This is why Ultraman Tiga doesn't look like a doll! Because the people inside are real, muscular men!

[I suggest typing "Thank you for your hard work, actors" in the chat. That suit looks hot, and they have to do so many movements.]

The style of the video changes abruptly in the latter half.

The "high-end" industrial design was instantly transformed into a scene of "primitive steelmaking".

There's also a subheading: If you don't have a special effects budget of 100 million, then use a bag of starch.

The image shows a miniature village built with plasterboard and discarded cardboard boxes, as well as miniature yurts.

This refers to the scene where Golza first appeared on the Mongolian steppe in the first episode.

Wang Kai was lying on the ground, using a small brush to age the "little house".

"To achieve a sense of grandeur, the details must be realistic. The building can't be brand new; it needs rain stains and dust."

Next, Gu Nan appeared on camera.

He held a strange device in his hand—a modified air compressor pump connected to a tube filled with yellowish-white powder.

"Many people asked why the ground exploded so realistically when the monster's beam hit the ground in the first movie. Because... it really exploded."

A striking red warning line appeared on the screen:

[Dangerous actions, performed by professionals, and reported to local police. Do not imitate!]

"We used a special gas explosion technology, combined with a specific powder mixture. This powder, when released instantaneously by compressed air, can simulate the thick, heavy dust of an explosion."

"boom!"

In slow motion.

A blast of air burst through the ground, sending dust mixed with soil and starch into the air, forming a perfect miniature mushroom cloud.

Next, there is a scene of a tsunami.

There is no huge pool, only a custom-made fish tank that is two meters long.

"Water is the most difficult element to handle in miniature models because the size of water droplets doesn't change. To simulate the heaviness of seawater, we added ink and thickeners to the water."

A hand slammed its hand against the water.

Slow down 100 times.

The water that was originally splashing became viscous and thickened by the thickener, and when it hit the mountain model, it actually created the oppressive feeling of giant waves tens of meters high.

Finally, there's the composite image.

On the left are a simple studio, a fish tank, cardboard boxes, and college students sweating in leather hoodies.

On the right are the mountains and plains from the main film, the earth-shattering landslides, and the giant of light standing in the light.

The two screens are played simultaneously.

This stark contrast has a shock effect on the audience that even surpasses the impact of the film itself.

The video ends with a voiceover from Gu Nan:

"Special effects is about using the most realistic materials to weave the most fantastical dreams. Since there's no light, we'll create our own."

The video screen is black.

This time, the comment section on Bilibili was free of emotional spam; instead, many high-quality long comments appeared.

User [Model Veteran]:

"I make architectural models, and when I saw the content creator doing 'water stain' treatment on the building, I knew this team was professional. Modern TV dramas are too superficial; they can't even do this basic aging process. They deserve to be utterly crushed by this college student team."

"However, I have a small suggestion: the smoke from the explosion was a bit too monotonous in color. Next time, you could try mixing in some black and gray to create a more layered effect."

User [Physics Department Class Representative]:

"Using a thickener to simulate the Reynolds number of a giant wave—that's a brilliant idea! This is the application of fluid mechanics in film. However, I need to remind you about that air explosion device; the compressed air pressure must be carefully controlled, otherwise it could easily injure the suit actor."

User [Hakimi North and South Green Beans]:

"Although I don't understand the technology, I was moved by that 'CR Glossy Skin'. It turns out that behind what we think is 'cool' lies so much attention to detail. The concave design on the head is simply a stroke of genius. In comparison, the helmets of those Ultraman toys sold by Super Celestial are made to look like buckets. The difference in quality is obvious."

User [Rational gossip, gurgling]:

"Although the technology is impressive, I still hope the quality of the story can be maintained. The first episode was exciting, but if the rest is just monster fighting, it will quickly become tiresome. The core of tokusatsu is still the story, and I hope the director doesn't put the cart before the horse."

……

Inside the studio.

As Gu Nan scrolled through the comments, the smile on his face became even more genuine than before.

To be honest, seeing praise from others can indeed be very exciting.

"Did you see that?"

He handed his phone to Lin Xuan, who was munching on bread, saying, "The audience isn't stupid. They'll understand as much as you put in the effort. Especially this kind of technical analysis, which actually makes them feel more connected to our worldview."

"really."

Lin Xuan swallowed the last bite of bread and pushed up his glasses.

"that……"

Zhang Zhao, who had been silent until now, suddenly raised his hand, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"What's wrong?" Gu Nan asked, looking at him.

"Officer Wang from the police station just called me..."

Zhang Zhao scratched his head. "He asked us when the next explosion would be, saying he needs to send someone to keep an eye on things. He said that even though we used starch, the commotion was still a bit too big, and he's afraid the public will report us for a terrorist attack."

"puff--"

Wang Kai spat water onto the screen. "Terrorist attack? We're saving the world, okay?!"

Gu Nan also laughed, but there was a hint of helplessness in his laughter.

This is the current state of a makeshift troupe.

Behind every frame lies a frantic test of the limits, an extreme operation within a limited budget.

"As long as it can be filmed, I'd even be willing to hire the police station chief as an extra."

Gu Nan stood up, stretched, and his joints cracked.

"Alright, that's all for the behind-the-scenes footage, and the hype has stabilized. Now, it's time to serve them the main course."

He walked up to the whiteboard covered with storyboards.

Episode 2, "The Myth of Stone".

In this episode, Gu Nan doesn't intend to just show "fun".

He wants to raise a heavy topic for the first time in this world without the concept of special effects: Are all monsters evil?

When human interests conflict with the survival of natural creatures, which side should the Giant of Light stand on?

This is the core reason why Ultraman Tiga became a masterpiece.

……

"Wang Kai, is the 'Petrification Ray' effect for Gakuma finished?"

"I've finished Nan Ge! I referenced the concept of Medusa and created the particle effect where an object instantly changes from color to gray and then cracks. It took two days to render, and my graphics card is completely burned out."

"Zhang Zhao, you have a lot of scenes to film tomorrow."

Gu Nan turned to Zhang Zhao, "You need to act out more than just the battle. Gakuma didn't attack humans on its own initiative; it was protecting its 'food.' So when you finally kill it, Tiga's actions can't be angry; they should be... hesitant, even with... um... a little mercy."

"mercy?"

Zhang Zhao paused for a moment, then made a chop motion with his hand. "Brother Nan, this is a bit difficult. How can I show compassion while wearing a suit? I can't make any facial expressions."

"Use your body."

Gu Nan walked up to Zhang Zhao and assumed the classic Zepellion Ray starting stance from Ultraman Tiga, but his movements were slow and heavy.

"When you lower your head slightly, when you pause for a second longer after firing your beam, when you don't fly away immediately after a monster falls, but stand there looking at its corpse... these subtle actions are the manifestation of divinity."

Zhang Zhao nodded thoughtfully, his eyes gradually becoming deep.

"I understand. I'll kill it, but I'll still feel bad."

"right."

Gu Nan snapped his fingers. "Whether it's our Showa-era predecessors or our Ultraman Tiga today, they never fought for slaughter; they fought for protection."

"Let's get ready."

Gu Nan glanced at the deep night outside the window.