HPDBC Chapter 12 The Person Inside the Suit
Chapter 12 The Person Inside the Suit
The old machinery factory in the western suburbs of Jinghai City.
Three days have passed since that "closure crisis".
With Mr. Li Guoqiang's guarantee, although the school promised to open Studio 1 next week, the construction cannot be stopped in the next few days.
Gu Nan decided to lead the team to stay in the abandoned factory and finish filming the dialogue scenes about the interior of Jeep 3 in the fourth episode, "Goodbye Earth," as well as some of the scenes where Ligadron appears to absorb energy.
Two o'clock in the morning.
Outside the factory, the wind was biting cold, but inside, the atmosphere was bustling with activity.
"Okay! Click!"
Gu Nan stared at the monitor, let out a long sigh of relief, and said, "This take is good! Everyone, take a twenty-minute break!"
With this command given, the previously tense crew instantly relaxed.
Especially the "monster" standing in the center of the field.
Ligadron.
This is a monster that incorporates features of a spaceship. The suit is extremely heavy. To recreate the metallic texture, Wang Kai applied a lot of hard material to the surface, resulting in the entire suit weighing nearly forty kilograms.
The understudy for the monster was a junior from the sports academy.
He was practically collapsed on the mat, and several staff members rushed over to help him remove the heavy back armor.
On the other side...
Zhang Zhao, who plays Ultraman Tiga, isn't in much better shape either.
Although Tiga's role in this episode wasn't very large, he had been standing under bright lights for almost two hours in his suit to coordinate with the lighting adjustments and photo shoot.
"Old Zhang, hurry up and take over the job!"
Wang Kai rushed over, carrying a device that looked like a water pump.
This is the "liquid cooling circulation system" that Gu Nan spent a lot of money to develop.
Zhang Zhao laboriously raised his arm, allowing Wang Kai to insert two transparent tubes into the pre-drilled ports on the back of the leather case.
As the circulation pump started, the cool liquid flowed through the microtubes inside the leather case, and Zhang Zhao let out a comfortable groan.
"Children, I'm alive..."
Zhang Zhao's voice came through the heavy helmet, sounding muffled, "Brother Nan's high-tech gadgets are really impressive. If it weren't for this thing, I would have definitely gotten heatstroke today."
Gu Nan walked over with a bottle of water and helped Zhang Zhao insert the straw into the gap reserved in the mouth of the helmet.
"Drink some, don't get dehydrated."
Although it has liquid cooling and breathable materials, a leather case is still a leather case.
It's a claustrophobic feeling, like being completely enclosed in rubber or plastic, which most people simply can't endure for more than ten minutes.
"Brother Nan, I checked my private messages on Bilibili, and fans are all asking if we have any new behind-the-scenes footage this week?"
Chen Bo leaned closer, holding a laptop. "The main feature won't be finished for another two days. How about... we release some of the existing footage first?"
Gu Nan thought for a moment, then his gaze fell on Zhang Zhao, who was gulping down water.
"have."
Gu Nan took out his phone and sent some behind-the-scenes footage he had casually taken over the past few days to Chen Bo.
"Cut this."
The title is...
"The People Inside: The Heroes You See Are Those Who Risked Their Lives"
……
After the video was posted on Bilibili.
Wednesday, noon.
It was lunchtime for working people and students.
The Light Chaser Studio's account is updated on time.
There was no preview, no hype, just a five-minute behind-the-scenes documentary.
Many fans clicked on it with the mindset of "watching while eating," thinking it would be another cool special effects analysis or a funny scene from the set.
But the video begins in an unusually quiet atmosphere.
There is no background music.
The scene shows a slightly messy changing room.
The camera was focused on a person's back.
That was Zhang Zhao, who was shirtless and wearing only a tight-fitting undershirt.
It was a specially made gray undershirt. To prevent rubber allergies, the whole body had to be covered up completely, not even the neck could be exposed.
Then there's that thick layer of "CR smooth skin".
If it were the old diving material, you'd have to smear talcum powder on your body, making you look like a freshly cooked dumpling.
Although the materials have been upgraded, the process of wearing it still feels like torture.
We need three people to help.
One person opened the back of the slingshot, another pulled Zhang Zhao's arm and shoved it inside, and a third person was responsible for adjusting the position.
"Tuck in your stomach! Take a deep breath!"
In the scene, Gu Nan is calling out commands from the side.
Zhang Zhao took a deep breath and forced himself into that handsome but ergonomically incompatible "skin".
[Background music begins: A heavy yet stirring drumbeat]
The scene then cuts to the filming location.
That was a scene from the third episode, "The Prophecy of the Devil," where Tiga fought the Kirieloids at night.
Inside the photography studio, powerful spotlights scorched the ground like several small suns.
Subtitle: [Actual temperature measured on-site: 28℃]
It wasn't summer, and there was no heating on the filming location; the high temperature was caused by the lights.
"Action!"
As the clapperboard struck.
Zhang Zhao made a move.
Side kick, roll, and fall.
Every movement was swift and stylish.
But in slow motion, viewers saw something different.
When Tiga was kicked away by the Kirieloids and crashed heavily onto the model building, it wasn't a special effect; it was a real impact.
Although the model is made of plaster, it is laid with a hard floor underneath.
"Bang!"
A muffled thud.
Zhang Zhao rolled twice on the ground, quickly got up, and assumed a fighting stance.
"Cut! Okay! One more take!"
The director's voice rang out.
Because the explosion was a few seconds too late, the audio and video were out of sync, so this scene was scrapped.
There were no complaints, no pauses.
In the scene, Tiga simply nodded silently, walked back to his original position, dusted himself off, and rearranged his starting stance.
And so, one, two, five...
Subtitle statistics: [This single 3-second slamming scene was filmed 16 times.]
[Estimated temperature inside the leather case: 40℃+]
The comments section started to change.
[My God... this could really kill someone, right?]
[40 degrees Celsius? I can't even stand a fever, and he wants to do strenuous exercise?]
[So that's why the actors worked so hard behind Tiga's cool moves...]
The climax of the video comes from a "break".
During a break in filming.
Zhang Zhao slumped into a chair, and staff rushed over to help him remove his helmet.
"laugh--"
The moment the helmet buckle came undone, a plume of white steam visibly rose into the air.
That's not special effects, that's heat.
Zhang Zhao's face was revealed.
That once handsome and rugged face was now a deep purplish-red, his hair was soaked as if it had just been washed, and sweat gathered in a line down his chin, dripping onto the ground.
He was breathing heavily, his eyes unfocused, like a fish out of water.
A staff member handed him a bottle of water, but his hands were shaking so badly he couldn't even unscrew the cap.
Finally, Gu Nan helped him open the bottle and fed it to his mouth.
"Gulp, gulp..."
A 500ml bottle of water can be drunk in five seconds.
At this moment, the camera zooms in for a close-up.
Zhang Zhao took off his gloves.
He turned the gloves upside down.
"Splash—"
A stream of liquid leaked from the fingertips of the glove and formed a small puddle on the ground.
That's sweat.
The real sweat, trapped inside the rubber gloves, with nowhere to escape.
The viewers in front of the screen were completely speechless.
They've seen celebrities play the victim, posting on Weibo for comfort even for a minor cut on their finger.
They've seen young male celebrities use body doubles, even using fake horses to ride.
But they had never seen such a scene before.
Sweat poured out of the shoes and gloves.
This is not only a visual shock, but also a spiritual shock.
[A voice-over also appears at appropriate times.]
The screen darkened, leaving only Zhang Zhao's tired yet still smiling profile.
Gu Nan's voice rang out slowly, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.
In the tokusatsu (special effects) industry, there is a type of person known as "the person in the middle" (or "the one who speaks the story").
In the original world, this was a borrowed word.
It probably means—the soul inside the suit.
"They didn't get a chance to show their faces."
"Their names are often listed last in the end credits, or even ignored."
"They endured high temperatures, lack of oxygen, claustrophobia, and the constant risk of injury."
"For what reason?"
The scene cuts back to the main content.
Tiga stands tall in the sunset, that divine glance back; Tiga stands before humanity, that resolute silhouette.
"To make the children who believe in light feel that the giant is alive."
"To convince you, the viewers, that heroes are real."
"The suit is fake, but the sweat inside is real."
"Heroes are not judged by their origins or appearance."
"This film is dedicated to the unsung heroes behind all tokusatsu dramas."
[End of video]
At this point, the comments on Bilibili were so numerous that the image was no longer visible.
There's no more "hahahaha" or "meme play".
Only two neatly arranged characters filled the entire screen, covering every second.
【pay tribute!】
【pay tribute!】
【pay tribute!】
A salute to those who embody this spirit!
[I'm moved to tears; this is true dedication!]
[If anyone ever says that tokusatsu (special effects) is just for kids again, I'll throw this video in their face!]
[This is what an actor should be! A million times better than those traffic stars who rely on green screens and wide-eyed stares!]
The comments section exploded with popularity.
User [user0721]:
"About ten years ago, I also watched tokusatsu, but I never imagined that the people inside the suits lived like that. I used to think the movements were slow and clumsy, but now I realize that being able to move at all under such conditions of oxygen deprivation and heavy load is a miracle. Light Chaser Animation Studio, you have made me see tokusatsu in a new light."
User [A-Jian Doesn't Like Fitness]:
"As a fitness coach, I have to explain this. That V-shaped physique, combined with this high-intensity anaerobic exercise, and the fact that he has to keep going while dehydrated... this actor named Zhang Zhao's physical fitness is definitely at the national athlete level. And his willpower is even more terrifying than his physical abilities. Respect!"
User [Entertainment Disciplinary Committee]:
"@So-and-so popular idol, come and see what filming is all about. These college students are wearing heavy rubber suits weighing dozens of kilograms and being battling in the sweltering heat, while you guys are filming period dramas in the summer and still have to turn on the air conditioning. This world is too surreal. The people who really work hard don't show their faces, while the people who do are counting their money. These are just a group of college students, but they've shown us unsung heroes."
……
The old machinery factory in the western suburbs of Jinghai.
At lunchtime, everyone sat around a table made of several old wooden crates and ate their boxed lunches.
Zhang Zhao was holding a chicken leg, his mouth full of oil as he ate it.
"Old Zhang, you're famous now."
Su Zhe, holding his phone, nudged Zhang Zhao's arm. "Look at these comments, they're all confessing their love to you. Several female fans even asked if you wanted a girlfriend, saying they wanted to wipe your sweat."
"what?"
Zhang Zhao froze for a moment, almost choking. He took the phone and looked at it, his face instantly turning red to the roots of his neck.
"This...this is way too exaggerated."
Zhang Zhao scratched his head sheepishly, "Actually, it wasn't that bad. Wearing the suit was tiring, but... it was pretty cool. Really, especially when Director Gu yelled 'Cut,' that sense of accomplishment was really great."
"That's the charm of 'the person behind the scenes'."
Teacher Li Guoqiang walked over carrying a thermos.
He didn't have classes today, so he came here to "supervise" the construction.
"Xiao Zhang, with your skills and tenacity, you're a promising talent."
Teacher Li looked at Zhang Zhao with kind eyes, "What the entertainment industry lacks right now is hardworking 'stupid' people like you. Don't be fooled by the fact that you're not showing your face now. When you take off this costume, your acting skills will be a hundred times better than those who only know how to pose in front of the camera."
"Body language is the highest level of performance."
Zhang Zhao chuckled and pulled up a stool for Teacher Li: "Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Li! I was just worried that this roughneck wouldn't be able to perform the dramatic scenes well."
"What are you afraid of? I'm here."
Gu Nan interjected, "Once Tiga's filming is finished, I'll tailor-make a role specifically for you in the next movie, so you can have plenty of screen time.
"No, no, no, Brother Nan, I still feel safer wearing the suit." Zhang Zhao waved his hands repeatedly, "I get nervous as soon as my face is shown."
Everyone laughed.
Laughter echoed through the empty factory, dispelling the winter chill.
Just then, Chen Bo suddenly shouted.
"Holy crap! Brother Nan! The data's not right!"
"What's wrong? Is someone leaving a bad review?" Gu Nan frowned.
"No! It's...it's a huge donation!"
Chen Bo pointed at the data in the backend, his hands trembling, "Just now, a user with the ID 'Inheritor of Light 001' directly tipped us... tens, hundreds, thousands... in our charging plan!"
"One hundred thousand?!"
Everyone was stunned.
In this world, although there are quite a few donations on Bilibili, a single donation of 100,000 yuan is extremely rare.
"This ID...is it newly registered?"
Gu Nan leaned over and took a look.
The profile picture was completely black, with no information whatsoever. The message was also very simple, consisting of only one sentence:
[Buy some water for the soldier in the hull. Keep going!]
"Who is this? So arrogant?" Wang Kai exclaimed in surprise. "Could it be your dad's alternate account, Brother Nan?"
"Impossible, my dad's online name is 'Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Vision,' and his profile picture is a lotus flower." Gu Nan shook his head.
He stared at the ID, lost in thought.
One hundred thousand yuan, while not a lifeline for a film crew these days, is definitely a huge sum.
That's enough to make several more detailed monster models.
"Whoever it is, we appreciate the favor."
Gu Nan straightened up and looked at everyone.
"Brothers, with such a supportive audience and such a generous sponsor, if we don't make a good fourth episode, it would be a crime."
"Are you full?"
"I'm full!"
"start!"
Gu Nan waved his hand.
"Your scenes are very demanding this afternoon. It's your turn."
He approached another actor to play Dr. Jiang Qi, the astronaut.
"How did Dr. Jiang Qi, the astronaut of Jeep 3, retain his human consciousness and still miss his family on Earth after being swallowed by the monster?"
"I want you to portray that kind of fatherly love... that transcends life and death, that crosses the soul..."
……
In this abandoned factory.
In this winter without heating.
A group of young people are using their sweat and passion to ignite a fire called "tokusatsu" in this cold world.
Meanwhile, the mysterious donor, "Successor of Light 001," was sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling window of a high-end apartment in Jinghai City.
Kazuo Tsuburaya watched a video on his tablet showing a young man pouring sweat from his gloves.
A tear welled up in his cloudy eyes.
He thought of his grandfather, Eiji Tsuburaya.
I was reminded of Haruo Nakajima, who decades ago, also in a high-temperature studio, wearing a heavy Godzilla suit, and got badly injured while shooting a single scene.
That was the original Godzilla suit actor.
"Tokusatsu... isn't dead yet."
With trembling hands, the old man picked up the sake on the table and gently touched it to Zhang Zhao on the screen.
"Cheers, young man."