fictionpage Chapter 216 Efficiency First! Gaia Activated!
Chapter 216 Efficiency First! Gaia Activated!
In the top-floor conference room of the headquarters of Light Chaser Animation Studios in Jinghai City.
The blinds were drawn tightly shut, blocking out the glaring sunlight from outside.
It has only been two weeks since the finale of "Ultraman Dyna" aired, which caused a massive online uproar and kept countless viewers up all night.
In this extremely superficial and fast-paced entertainment era, half a month is usually enough for the popularity of a hit drama to begin to plummet. The public's attention is often quickly divided by a variety of scandals, trending topics, and newly released mass-produced, sugary dramas.
However, Gu Nan's tokusatsu dramas completely shattered this ironclad rule.
This week, discussions about "Shin Asuka," "Sphia," and "New Territory Era" have not cooled down; on the contrary, they have exhibited an extremely terrifying long-tail fermentation effect.
According to the industry's unspoken rules, after producing two phenomenal hits, "Ultraman Tiga" and "Dyna," Gu Nan, as the boss and director, should be lying on a tropical island beach, enjoying the sea breeze and the worship of capital, giving the entire production team that had been working non-stop for half a year a long vacation, and then comfortably lying on his laurels counting his money.
However, Gu Nan was standing in front of the whiteboard at the very front of the conference room.
His eyes were sharp, showing no signs of fatigue.
Rest? Reflect?
In Gu Nan's dictionary, efficiency is the absolute weapon to gain a foothold in the increasingly fast-paced and capital-sensitive film and television industry.
The speed at which people forget things in the internet age is terrifying; we must strike while the iron is hot.
He wants to use the most insane industrial processes, seamlessly connecting them, to directly create the visual spectacle of the next era!
Beside the oval table in the conference room, the core team of Chasing Light Pictures—art director Lao Li, special effects supervisor Lao Liu, props team leader Lao Zhang, and casting director—all sat upright.
"Bang!"
Gu Nan slammed a thick stack of brand-new business plans onto the conference table, the thud jolting everyone awake.
"Everyone, we already had the celebratory dinner last night to celebrate the perfect conclusion of 'Dyna.' We drank red wine and received our bonuses."
Gu Nan placed his hands on the table, his gaze sweeping across the room with an extremely imposing intensity. "From this very second, clear your minds of everything you know about Sphia and Xin Feibiao!"
"The new project, codenamed Gaia, has officially entered the preliminary preparation stage!"
Although several months had passed since the filming of Dyna, the team was still amazed by Gu Nan's high efficiency.
I thought I would have to wait another year.
"Whoosh—"
A suppressed gasp suddenly erupted in the conference room.
Art director Lao Li rubbed his sore eyes, gasped, and said with a wry smile, "Director Gu, the speed at which this seamless transition is too frightening! Are we going to continue filming 'Space Exploration' this time, or try something different? If we go deeper into space, our suits and miniature models will need a complete upgrade."
"Changing the flavors is definitely in order."
Gu Nan turned around and wrote the four characters "Earth" and "Ocean" on the whiteboard in a flowing, elegant style.
"In the first two installments, we looked up at the stars and explored the boundaries of the universe. This time, we look down at the earth beneath our feet. The core conflict of this series is no longer a simple linear story of Earth's defense forces fighting alien monsters."
Gu Nan tapped the whiteboard and dropped an incredibly explosive premise: "We're going to film two Ultramen! One representing the will of the earth, and the other representing the will of the ocean. Because of fundamental differences in their philosophies on 'how to save the Earth,' these two Ultramen will have extremely intense conflicts in the early stages, even leading to life-or-death battles!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present exchanged bewildered glances, their hearts filled with astonishment.
A dual Ultraman setting?
Moreover, it's a conflict of ideologies and internal strife?
This would be considered a heretical existence in the past "glorious and righteous" hero dramas!
"It's not just a subversion of the script's premise."
Gu Nan didn't give them a chance to catch their breath. He turned and stared at Zhang, the head of the props team, and Liu, the special effects supervisor. "Zhang, Liu, you two are going to be working your butts off. I've approved twice the special effects budget for 'Gaia' compared to 'Dyna.' I require you to spend all of that money on the details of the miniature models and extremely realistic scene destruction!"
"double?!"
Old Zhang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and his voice cracked, "Director Gu, our previous sets were already expensive enough. Double the budget? Are you trying to build an aircraft carrier?"
Gu Nan nodded coldly, then lit up the holographic screen behind him, bringing up several extremely hardcore concept design drawings.
"In this series, the defense force is no longer a special operations team of just a few people. I want a massive defense force with highly militarized management and an unprecedented scale across the army, navy, and air force—the XIG!"
On the screen appeared an extremely magnificent circular base design, full of cyberpunk and heavy industrial aesthetics.
The command center, the aircraft launch ports, the core energy tower—every layout is so scientifically precise it's mind-boggling.
"This is not a base built on land, nor is it built in the sea."
Gu Nan pointed to the design drawings, his tone laced with a hint of wild ambition, "This is XIG's aerial base! It floats in the upper stratosphere, a full 50,000 meters above the ground!"
"Why is it in the sky? Because only in this way can 99% of the ground monsters' trampling, burrowing, and acid attacks be rendered useless! This base has its own anti-gravity device, which is not only the secret to its levitation but also the strongest shield generator! Energy beams and missile bombardments will all be blocked at the door!"
Gu Nan spoke faster and faster: "In conjunction with the Global Eagle Eye system and super AI, we can instantly lock onto any wormhole or monster that appears in any corner of the world! Utilizing the base's ultra-high-speed catapult tracks, XIG's fighter jets must be deployed to any battlefield in the world within minutes! I want the audience to see that humanity's defense forces are not just cheerleaders doing odd jobs for Ultraman; they are the pillars of strength independently confronting the threat of world destruction!"
Art director Lao Li looked at the meticulously detailed blueprint, swallowed hard, and raised a very real technical problem: "Director Gu, the setting of this base is indeed amazing... but how do we film the effect of it floating 50,000 meters above the sea of clouds? If we rely entirely on green screen keying and CG, the heavy texture of that behemoth in the clouds will look very fake and floaty."
"Who told you I was going to use a green screen for keying?"
Gu Nan countered with a question.
"Are they really going to build a spaceship and hang it in the sky to take pictures?!"
The audience gasped in surprise.
"Create an extremely large miniature model of the physical object!"
Gu Nan's eyes gleamed with an almost obsessive fervor. "Do you know what I'm going to do with the sea of clouds around the base? Go and buy the highest quality medical cotton! No computer effects whatsoever, just cotton, layer upon layer, in the miniature landscape of the studio! Create a real sea of clouds!"
"Then, using a macro lens and multi-angle lighting, we captured incredibly realistic cloud movement and shadow depth! That physical, soft interplay of light and shadow is a raw realism that no current industrial CG can achieve!"
Old Liu and Old Zhang looked at each other, wondering if they were trying to build a sea of clouds out of cotton.
This sounds like a workshop from the last century, but upon closer inspection, the realistic physical reflections under the macro lens of a tokusatsu film can indeed achieve an incredibly lifelike effect!
But that wasn't all. Gu Nan then cut out an extremely detailed list of props to make.
"This time on Earth, I need the ultimate craftsmanship. I can't just put up a few cardboard buildings like before."
Gu Nan slammed his fingers on the table: "All the cars on the street are meticulously handcrafted models at a 1:24 scale. I want even the anti-skid treads on the miniature tires to be clearly visible when the camera pans across them!"
"The roadside plants can't just be cobbled together with a single, cheap piece of plastic! Assign my art department staff to use tweezers to carefully insert each plant one by one into the sand tray, creating that uneven, natural growth effect!"
"Also, notice this abandoned construction site scene."
Gu Nan pointed to a storyboard sketch on the screen, "The miniature excavator model here must be positioned precisely at the third paving stone that Ultraman is about to crush! Not a single millimeter off!"
Gu Nan turned and stared intently at Lao Zhang: "Take these abandoned oil drums by the roadside, for example! I want that extremely realistic rust and patina! Don't just spray a couple of coats of paint and call it a day; use sandpaper and hand-polish them! Even a palm-sized oil drum model needs to have those weathered marks from years of wear! When the camera zooms in, every detail must be flawless!"
Old Zhang broke out in a cold sweat, his hand holding the pen trembling: "Director Gu... the labor and time costs are simply a bottomless pit..."
"If the cost isn't enough, I'll add more! Like I said, the budget is double! I need a quality that can withstand scrutiny from viewers, frame by frame!"
Gu Nan interrupted him decisively.
……
As the project progresses, not only the props team but also the design team for the appearance of a certain rebellious son of the earth needs to be worked on...
"Since we're talking about texture, Gaia, as the representative of the earth's will, is jokingly called the 'Earth Destroyer.' Every time he lands, it has to be awe-inspiring, exuding a powerful sense of weight!"
Gu Nan brought up the motion design page and drew a huge circle.
"Don't let him land flat! I want you to pre-place a small amount of explosives below where the costumed actor will land! At least two crew members need to be on overhead wires to assist! Use a hidden trampoline to help the costumed actor bounce to the highest point, and then slam him down with extreme force!"
"The moment Ultraman lands, the dirt must explode ten meters high! The dust must blot out the sky!"
"But how do we deal with the dust?"
Before they could answer, Gu Nan gave an outrageous solution: "Don't use blowers to blow out those huge clouds of dust! I want the art team to take the finest brushes and carefully sweep the dust evenly into the grout lines of the floor tiles and the texture of the road model!"
"The instant Ultraman lands, the precise explosion from underground, combined with the flashing red lights, creates an incredibly even, upward-spraying, realistic dust effect!"
"To capture these moments, all the action scenes on set had to be captured in slow motion using expensive high-speed cameras! Every grain of dust flying in the slow-motion shots had to be a testament to 'budget' and 'dedication'!"
"Even if a landing shot is off by half a meter, resulting in a poor effect, requiring more than ten takes, we're willing to dismantle the building and rebuild the model each time, re-lay the explosives, and re-brush away the dust with a fine brush!"
"For the first few episodes, I approve! You can burn through an entire quarter's special effects budget! Keep the audience's eyes glued to the screen!"
The meeting room was deathly silent.
Everyone was stunned by Gu Nan's extreme pursuit of "no madness, no life".
They thought that "Dyna" was the pinnacle of the tokusatsu industry, but they didn't expect that Director Gu would directly raise the standard of "Gaia" to the ceiling level!
This kind of "stupid kung fu" that uses the most basic physical methods to achieve the most realistic special effects is simply mind-boggling!
There were no decisions made on a whim, and no compromises made based on capital.
Every detail of the polishing of a prop, every speck of dust raised, and the compatibility of each actor—all these elements serve to construct that grand and realistic "Gaia Universe."
As Gu Nan issued one forward-looking and targeted instruction after another, the entire massive industrial machine that was Chasing Light Pictures emitted a deep yet powerful roar.
It began to operate at full speed with unprecedented speed and amazing precision!
……
At the same time, at 10 p.m.
On the Shark Live platform, the popularity of Lao Tang, a well-known tokusatsu commentator, remains incredibly high.
On the screen, Lao Tang sat upright, holding a thermos cup in his hand, while the computer played the light music "I Just Want to Protect You" in the background.
"Brothers, to be honest, it's been seven days now, and my Dyna withdrawal symptoms are not only not getting better, but are getting worse."
Old Tang took a sip of hot tea and complained into the microphone, "Last night I dreamed that I was piloting the Kurak Calling ship to retrieve birds from a black hole. When I woke up this morning, my pillow was soaked."
The live stream chat was instantly flooded with comments.
That's right, this is the aesthetics of "be" (or "absolute").
Rationally, I know this is a masterpiece ending, but emotionally, I just want to send him razor blades! Give me back my Asuka and Miyako's happy ending!
What do you think Director Gu will do next? This level of hype is unprecedented. If it were one of those big-budget studios, they would definitely start making a Dyna movie immediately, strike while the iron is hot, bring Fei Niao back, and rake in a huge box office hit.
[It's hard to say. Knowing Gu Nan's temperament, he never follows the rules. Besides, the production cycle for tokusatsu dramas is inherently long; the special effects of a series like *Dyna* require at least half a year of preparation and filming. I'd guess Director Gu is most likely on vacation in the Maldives right now.]
[I agree with the comment above. Capital also has its basic principles; people aren't machines. After releasing two masterpieces like *Ultraman Tiga* and *Dyna*, Light Chaser Animation definitely needs a break. They absolutely mustn't rush into producing a shoddy sequel; that would ruin their reputation.]
Old Tang glanced at the comments and nodded in deep agreement, bringing his face closer to the microphone: "Indeed, slow and steady wins the race. I don't want Gu Laozei to be too hasty. Let him take his time and polish his next script. Whether it's a big movie or a new IP, as long as the quality can maintain the level of 'Dyna,' we're willing to wait for him to rest for six months to a year, right, brothers?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a red "Special Attention" notification popped up in the lower right corner of Lao Tang's computer.
[The account you're following, @ChasingLightFilmsOfficialWeibo, has posted a new update!]
Old Tang was stunned for a moment, and almost dropped the thermos in his hand.
"Holy crap? Light Chaser posted on Weibo? A sneak attack in the middle of the night?!"
Old Tang slammed down his cup, his hands flying across the keyboard as he quickly switched to Weibo. "Brothers, look! That old scoundrel Gu is making a move!"
The chat in the live stream paused for a few seconds, then erupted into an even more frenzied barrage of comments.
[Quick! Click to see if the big movie has a release date!]
Is it really a year-long leave of absence? Will they issue a statement or announcement?
[Children! We are saved!]
Old Tang clicked on the Weibo post that had no prior announcement or any gossip from any accounts.
It was a dark-toned concept poster with only a few words, yet it was full of endless imagination.
The background of the poster is the deep and boundless universe.
But at the center of this universe, there is no longer a radiant galaxy, but a blue Earth with a surface covered in cracks like magma.
To the left of the Earth was a crimson, violent light that seemed to roar as the earth itself.
To the right of the Earth is a deep blue, eerie light, as if the deep sea is gazing upon it.
At the very center of the poster are only two extremely brief, yet seemingly weighty, lines of large text:
Sky, earth, sea.
Human courage, the will of the Earth.
[Codename: Gaia. Activation imminent.]
"Hiss—" Old Tang gasped, pressing his entire body against the screen, his eyes wide like saucers.
"Gaia?! A new IP?! Launching soon?!"
Old Tang's voice cracked with shock, "Is Gu Nan a workaholic?! Dyna only finished airing a week ago! Doesn't he need a break?!"
The live stream chat exploded with comments.
[Holy crap! A new Ultraman?! And his name is Gaia?!]
[Sky, earth, ocean? This setting sounds grand! Does this mean the battle will take place on Earth this time?]
Wait, look at those two beams of light! One red and one blue! Could it be two Ultramen this time?!
Double the happiness?! Gu Laozei, I misjudged you! You're the real conscience of the industry!
Calm down, guys. A new project coming out so quickly, won't the quality suffer? Miniature models and suits for tokusatsu dramas have to be made to order, this rush is making me a little anxious.
【What's the panic! That's Gu Nan! When has he ever let us down! I'll watch anything he makes, even if it's just a PowerPoint presentation!】
Looking at the arguments in the comments, Lao Tang forcibly suppressed his excitement and began to demonstrate his professionalism as a million-follower commentator.
He drew a circle with his mouse over the red and blue lights on the poster, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"Brothers, hold your tongue. Look closely at this slogan—'Human courage, Earth's will.'"
"The first two films, *Tiga* and *Dyna*, emphasized the inheritance of 'light' and humanity's pioneering spirit in exploring the universe. But this *Gaia* film's poster directly depicts a Earth riddled with holes!"
Old Tang swallowed hard, his fingers tapping rapidly on the table: "And combining this with these two completely different beams of light, one red and one blue... let me guess!"
"These two beams of light may very well represent two completely different ideologies! Perhaps the enemy we face is no longer a simple alien monster, but the very will of this planet!"
"Furthermore, as the saying goes, red and blue have always been a perfect match, either sworn enemies or bromance. If the dual Ultraman concept were to come true... have you ever thought about what it would be like if they disagreed on their ideals of saving the Earth?"
As soon as Lao Tang finished speaking, the entire live stream room erupted in excitement.
[Holy crap! Ultraman fighting Ultraman?! This plot is so exciting!]
[OMG, if this really is a clash between two superstars, then Gu Nan is going to go completely godlike!]
Stop talking, my wallet is ready! When are these merchandise items coming out?! I'll buy them, okay?!
Looking at the screen full of exclamation marks, Lao Tang couldn't help but grin wildly. His heart, which had been empty because of the end of "Dyna," was instantly filled with an extremely strong curiosity and anticipation.
"Brothers."
Old Tang took a deep breath and shouted into the microphone, "I take back what I just said. Gu Nan doesn't need a rest! Just based on the oppressive feeling of this poster, I freaking want to watch the first episode of 'Gaia' right now!"
On this seemingly peaceful night, a simple concept poster, like a nuclear bomb dropped into the deep sea, instantly ignited the entire internet of Xia Kingdom.
A brand new tokusatsu storm, burning with endless budgets and the ultimate craftsmanship, has swept in with unstoppable force!