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

Chapter 19 The Pumpkin Boat for Halloween

The old machinery factory in the western suburbs of Jinghai City.

"Brother Nan, are you sure... this is really for the kids?"

Wang Kai held a freshly made "pumpkin head" prop in his hand, his eyes filled with terror.

This pumpkin head isn't one of those plastic toys sold in supermarkets; it's a monster head made of biomimetic silicone, with vein-like patterns on the surface and special reflective contact lenses in its eye sockets...

Compared to the original, this thing causes even more sanity loss.

In the dim light, this thing emitted a faint, cold light towards Wang Kai.

"Who says tokusatsu (special effects) can only be set in sunny weather?"

Gu Nan was adjusting a specially modified camera and said without turning his head, "Fear is the most primal human emotion. Only after experiencing extreme fear does light seem more precious."

"But……"

Xia Youwei passed by, glanced at the head, and shrank back in fright. "That's terrifying. I get nightmares every time I see that Kieranbo witch's costume."

Of course, I'm referring to the wrinkled, grotesque face of the Kiranbo witch.

"That's exactly the effect I wanted."

Gu Nan stood up and dusted off his hands.

"Everyone, this is episode 8, 'Halloween Night'."

"In this episode, we're going to overturn the audience's perception of tokusatsu (special effects)."

……

For this episode, almost everyone at Light Chaser Studio went into a "mad" state.

First, there's the design of Kieranbo's leather case.

Gu Nan did not use the simplified design of the original due to insufficient budget, but instead restored the scrapped "Thousand-Faced Demon" design that had been shelved.

"Old Zhang, come over and try it on first, then you can put on your Ultraman Tiga later."

Gu Nan greeted Zhang Zhao.

Now, Zhang Zhao, the most experienced "veteran" in using costumes, personally "experiences" every new monster costume that is made.

When Zhang Zhao put on that purplish-black leather suit, everyone gasped.

The back of the holster is not smooth, but is densely covered with more than a dozen "pumpkin bumps" of varying sizes.

Each tumor was wriggling slightly. Although they knew that it was equipped with a mechanical transmission device inside, they still felt as if each one of the swallowed souls was sealed inside.

It's quite frightening, and it can cause some physical discomfort.

Is it heavy?

Gu Nan asked.

"good."

Zhang Zhao stretched his neck. "Brother Nan, the temperature control material you used this time is really good. It's cool inside and not stuffy."

"That's for sure, it's a phase change material."

……

Late at night, inside the photography studio.

A group of extras dressed in Halloween costumes are lining up.

"Okay, listen to me."

Gu Nan, holding a megaphone, said in a deep voice, "Now, everyone, listen to my instructions. You don't need to move forward, you need to... move backward."

"Back up?" The children looked at each other in confusion.

"Yes. The movements should be slow and stiff, like a puppet being carried."

"Action!"

In the footage, the children begin to walk backwards.

Their expressions were "empty," as Gu Nan had specifically requested.

While the scene looked somewhat comical on set, everyone knew that during post-production editing, the footage would be played in reverse...

That kind of gait that defies the laws of physics, that eerie feeling of floating, is absolutely enough to make anyone's sanity plummet.

This is an extremely old but effective technique for shooting horror films.

……

In the recording studio.

The voice actress had an ice cube in her mouth, and her teeth were chattering from the cold.

"Brother Nan, are we really going to record it like this?"

"Keep it in your mouth."

Gu Nan remained expressionless, as if the lewd words he had just uttered had not come from his mouth.

"I want that kind of... cold, mechanical laughter."

"Hehe...hehehe..."

The young woman, with an ice cube in her mouth, let out a muffled laugh.

In the later mixing, Gu Nan added a "click-clack" sound, similar to a clockwork mechanism.

When these two are combined.

What should have been an innocent and pure child's voice instantly transformed into a mockery from hell.

Hearing this, Chen Bo got goosebumps: "Brother Nan, this is too perverted... Who will dare to listen to children laugh after this?"

"This is nothing."

Gu Nan pointed to a monologue in the script.

Those were the deleted lines from the original version, about "adults losing their dreams".

"This episode is not only a ghost story for children, but also a slap in the face to adults."

……

Time flies like an arrow.

Soon, it was Friday again, 8 p.m.

Bilibili (B站)

As usual, countless viewers held their cola and potato chips, ready to welcome the new episode of "Ultraman Tiga".

The previous episode, episode 6, "Friends Are Delicious," was a bit scary, but it also had a metaphor. The heartwarming ending of the previous episode also healed many people.

Everyone thought this episode would follow a similar formula.

however.

When the opening theme ends, the scene cuts to Halloween night.

An eerie atmosphere instantly enveloped the screen.

The streets were dimly lit, with flickering pumpkin lanterns, and an old witch in a dark purple robe handing out candy in the street.

"Trick or treat!"

The witch's voice was hoarse, with an indescribable stickiness.

The camera zooms in on a child eating candy.

A close-up shot focused on the eyes.

The child's once bright eyes became dilated the moment he ate the candy.

However, minors are not allowed to wear colored contact lenses, so this scene simply uses special effects to replace the eyes with someone else's.

Attentive viewers pressed the pause button.

Holy crap! Look into that kid's eyes!

What's wrong?

[Look closely! In the pupil... there's the witch's reflection!]

【Ahhh! That scared me to death! What kind of detail is this?!】

The contact lens made of a special reflective material played a nuclear-level role at this moment.

Next up is the classic "Dreamland" scene.

The children lined up, walking like zombies toward the giant pumpkin spaceship.

The background music is no longer a passionate battle anthem, but a distorted nursery rhyme.

Accompanied by that eerie "reverse playback" gait, the children seemed to be pulled by something and floated into the spaceship.

The style of the comments section has changed.

[Help! Is this really Ultraman Tiga? Am I watching a horror movie?]

That witch's laughter was so creepy! It gave me goosebumps!

"Quick, give me my magic wand! I need to transform! This place is too eerie!"

Just then, Daigo appeared.

He followed a child to the park.

The witch has appeared.

She turned around slowly, her back to Daigo.

Beneath that pale mask, a thought-provoking monologue rang out:

"Dreams...what a delicious thing."

"Children's dreams are sweet, full of endless possibilities."

"And what about you adults?"

The witch pointed at Daigo, her tone mocking, "Adults' dreams... have long since stank. They're filled with desire, money, and compromise. I don't even want to smell this kind of garbage."

"Therefore, children don't need dreams! Until they grow up, they just need to be manipulated by adults like dolls and puppets!!!"

When this line was spoken, the young viewers in front of the screen were stunned.

I initially thought he was just a villain who ate children, but his first words were a critical hit.

User [Buhao, the corporate slave is here]:

"Ouch, that hits home, bro. When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut, now all I want is to be a corporate slave who doesn't have to work overtime. My dream... has definitely gone awry."

User [I Don't Take Elbow Strike (Postgraduate Entrance Exam Version)]:

"This dialogue is too harsh. This isn't just a monster; it's a mirror reflecting reality."

……

The story continues.

Daigo was trapped in a special force field by the witch.

It seems the children's dreams are about to be drained, turning them into soulless puppets.

Daigo was furious.

But instead of transforming immediately, he tried to awaken the children.

Wake up! Don't entrust your dreams to others!

However, it didn't work.

The children, immersed in false happiness after eating the candy, couldn't hear the call to action.

This scene is strikingly similar to the situation of young people in modern society who are addicted to short videos and entertainment and have lost their ability to think independently.

"Commodifying dreams."

At the beginning, Gu Nan wrote these five words in the annotations of the script revision.

The Killambo Witch is that capitalist who sells cheap pleasure and harvests spiritual wealth.

Just when Daigo was in despair.

The witch made a strange gesture.

Her head... fell off.

The head floating in the air gave Daigo a wide, ear-to-ear smile.

"Hehe...Do you want some candy too?"

[High-energy warning! High-energy warning!]

[Mom, save me! My head's off!]

[These special effects are so realistic! Spotlight, are you a demon?!]

In front of the screen, countless people covered their eyes, yet couldn't help but peek through their fingers.

This is "Halloween Night".

Fear, repression, eeriness.

There's no exhilarating monster-on-monster fight, only a chilling feeling that strikes right to the soul.