msmithbooks Chapter 32 The Internet's "Wife" and the Exposed "Deception"
Chapter 32 The Internet's "Wife" and the Exposed "Deception"
This Friday night is destined to be a sleepless night for those who call themselves "Olympics fans".
Episode 14, "The Exiled Prey," was like a tearjerker, hitting the audience hard in the heart.
Lucia's death, the bracelet shattered in the sunset, and Daigo's deafening roar—these iconic scenes have been repeatedly edited and posted on every corner of the internet in fan art.
Along with this wave of fan-created content, Light Chaser Studio's "Ultraman Tiga" has once again seen a surge in popularity.
But this feeling quickly transformed into another kind of fervor—idol worship.
Who plays Lucia in episode 14 of Ultraman Tiga?
[The real name of the actress who played Lucia in Ultraman Tiga]
[Lucia from "Ultraman Tiga" - Actress's Personal Photos]
These terms quickly rose to the top of the trending search list.
But she was just an ordinary girl who had never acted in any dramas before.
Her name is Lin Qianqian, and she is a sophomore majoring in acting at Jinghai Drama Academy.
Before this episode, she wasn't even known by her name.
But now her Weibo followers have surged to 15 overnight.
[And my wife too! Screenwriter, you have no heart!]
[Waaaaah, Qianqian acted so well! That terrified look in her eyes broke my heart.]
[Three minutes! Just three minutes of screen time! Instantly catapulted to godlike status! This is what they call "beauty is justice!"]
【That alien from Namuzhen must die ten thousand times! How dare he kill my wife!】
Even the actor who played Zara was favored by fans who "love the house and its crows" because of him. Although he died even faster, his resolute willingness to die to protect his comrades earned him the label of a handsome "tough guy".
Some viewers even started shipping the characters as a couple.
Chasing Light Studio, in the western suburbs of Jinghai.
"Brother Nan, this trending topic... seems a bit off."
Chen Bo scrolled through Weibo, his expression a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Right now, the top trending topics are #Lucia's Tragic Death#, #Lin Qianqian's Divine Beauty#, and the third one is #Tiga#. Our tokusatsu drama is being treated like an idol drama by fans."
"normal."
Gu Nan was calmly helping to paint a new prop model.
"Tragedies are often more memorable than comedies. Although Lucia's character has little screen time, she represents the 'destruction of beauty.' Coupled with the actress's good looks, it's natural for the audience to feel sorry for her and transfer their sympathy to the actress."
"Should we have Lin Qianqian do a live stream? To capitalize on the hype?"
Chen Bo suggested, "Many MCN agencies are now inquiring about her contact information."
"No rush."
Gu Nan shook his head, put down the spray gun, and took off his gas mask.
"Actors need to maintain an air of mystery, especially those who have just finished playing tragic roles. If they come out now laughing and joking while promoting products, it will ruin the audience's positive image of the character."
"and……"
Gu Nan pointed at the computer screen, "The audience is too sad right now. We need to give them a break. Let them detach themselves from the 'plot' and see our 'technology'."
"Behind-the-scenes footage."
The title is simply: "This film pays homage to cruelty: Unveiling the 'industrial deception' behind the 14th installment."
……
Noon.
Just as the entire internet was still mourning for Lucia, the Bilibili account of Light Chaser Studio was suddenly updated.
Countless fans flooded in instantly.
[Front row!]
Is this a revival match? Lucia didn't die, right?
[Did I come here to see knives? Don't be ungrateful, Light Chaser!]
However, when you click on the video, instead of the dramatic recap that everyone expected, it's an extremely hardcore industrial-style mashup.
The background music (BGM) is electronic heavy metal with a very strong rhythm.
The screen flashed, revealing a complex design drawing.
That's the helmet of the Wood-Dwelling Alien.
The subtitle appeared: [You thought this was just a plastic toy?]
The camera then switches to the production workshop.
There was no scene of DIY crafts; instead, there was the roar of precision machine tools.
A piece of metal is fixed on a CNC machine tool, and as the cutting head spins rapidly, metal chips fly everywhere.
The strangely shaped, grotesque alien head is being "cut out" bit by bit.
"To recreate the bizarre appearance of the Mujin aliens, we didn't use traditional EVA foam."
In the video, Wang Kai, the head of the props team, is wearing goggles and introducing the props to the camera.
He held a freshly made metal mask in his hand, his imposing stature conveying a keen sense of presence even through the screen.
"An all-metal frame, weighing 5 kilograms..."
Wang Kai pulled the trigger.
"Sizzle—"
The mouth of the Muzhen alien opens automatically as if it were alive, and the light inside the horn on its forehead gradually brightens with the sound of charging.
"This is a linked mechanical structure."
The barrage of comments exploded instantly.
[Wow? Are you serious?]
5 kilograms? And the suit actor wears that on his head? Doesn't he get tired?
[This is what they call a "prop"? This is the real thing! It looks like it could be taken straight to the battlefield!]
No wonder the aliens looked so realistic in the show; they were made entirely of metal!
This is the heart of a master!
The video continues.
This time, the suit of the giant Wood-like alien is on display.
Unlike previous monsters, the Wood-Pure Alien is a combination of "insects" and "armor".
The camera was pointed at the head of the suit.
Although at first glance, it doesn't look much different from a life-size leather suit.
However, under a macro lens, the huge structure resembling an insect's compound eye reveals a dense honeycomb-like texture inside.
"This is a compound eye structure made using 3D printing technology, with three hundred miniature LEDs embedded inside."
The narration begins, "To simulate the cold indifference of that 'inorganic' substance, we designed a hydraulic telescopic structure for its neck."
The image shows a gray model firing test before the suit is painted.
As the hydraulic rod was pushed, the monster's neck suddenly stretched out, and in its open mouth, one could even see a stringy effect similar to biological mucus.
"It's made with silicone and lubricant. To ensure it doesn't look fake under high-definition cameras, our art director gave each tooth an aged look."
Next comes the coloring stage.
This is not a simple spray painting, but rather like painting an oil painting.
The artist, with an extremely fine brush, painted shadows inside the encased shell coffin. The depressions were created using dry brushing, while the marks of oil and wear were rendered using wash techniques.
[I'm speechless... This isn't making a suit, it's creating life!]
[That shot of the neck being stretched out was actually filmed live? I thought it was special effects!]
[It's terrifying to think about; they even depicted the mucus inside teeth. No wonder it made me feel so disgusted when I saw it.]
Is this the aesthetic of Light Chaser Studio? Even ugliness is exquisitely crafted!
The video ends at the very end, which is also the most touching part.
That's Lucia's bracelet.
In the drama, it is a shackle that imprisons life.
But in the behind-the-scenes footage, it was just a prop casting.
The camera captured the entire process of this bracelet from design sketches to the final product.
From the surface cutting, to the surface precision, and then to that tiny circuit board entry point that flashes red light.
We made two versions of this bracelet.
Wang Kai also gave a demonstration, saying, "One is for wearing, and the other is for... dropping."
The scene then cuts to the filming location at the quarry.
For the highlight scene where the bracelet breaks after being dropped on a rock, the props team specially made a "fragile version".
The internal structure is pre-cut and repaired with a special brittle glue.
"action!"
With a command given, the bracelet landed on the ground.
"Snapped!"
As the camera slowly started up, viewers clearly saw the bracelet-sensor stone disintegrate instantly.
The parts are sputtered at high speed, and the red light comes on.
That destructive beauty was frozen in time.
Subtitles appear:
Props have no life, but craftsmanship gives them a soul.
Every instance of "breakage" is to make the story more complete.
Thank you for watching. We are the Light Chaser Props Team.
The video ends.
The sentiment in the comments section of Bilibili has completely changed.
If everyone was still immersed in the sadness of the plot before, now everyone is shocked by this almost obsessive "craftsman spirit".
User [Model Master]: "I work in film and television props, and after watching this behind-the-scenes footage, I blushed. These days, film crews are so desperate to save money they'd practically use cardboard. But Light Chaser Studio, for example, went all out for a wristband—they even made internal circuitry? Can they really control costs like that? But their attitude is admirable!"
User [Rational Gossip]: "I was watching Lucia, but after watching this, I suddenly felt really excited. Why is that? These people are really treating tokusatsu as works of art. One of the villains' guns, which only appeared for a few seconds, was already pushed to its limits. It would be an injustice if this show didn't become a hit."
User [Level 1 Sparkler Owner]: "Suddenly I feel like my 59 yuan sparkler was a great deal! They put so much effort into the props, the merchandise must be top-notch too! I'm buying another one for my collection!"
Inside the studio.
"Brother Nan, that's amazing!"
Looking at the data in the backend, Chen Bo exclaimed, "Sales of the Spark Lens have surged again! And a lot of people are asking if the Wood-Dweller's guns are for sale? And Lucia's bracelet—hundreds of people are asking the same question!"
"Forget about the guns, those things are too expensive to make, we can't sell them."
Gu Nan smiled, a shrewd glint in his eyes. "But that bracelet... that's something we could work on. For example, we could find a company that makes electronic watches and add some functionality while keeping the appearance the same."
"What?! What if they're just saying they're not selling?"
Chen Bo stared in disbelief. "After all, this is a 'death bracelet,' isn't that incredibly unlucky?"
"What do you know?"
Gu Nan picked up the broken bracelet prop and held the toy in his hand. "In the eyes of fans, this is not death, this is 'tragic beauty'."