Japanese Entertainment: From special effects actor to action superstar

Chapter 104 Filming the Three-way Battle
The scene was roughly planned, but shooting was naturally not an easy task.

Manatsu Ryuu raised his head with difficulty, feeling a little uncomfortable.

He is of standard height in Japan, so the suit fits his body shape well, but the Zarab alien has a slender body, so the feeling of wearing it is completely different.

Unlike Pigumong, which is round all over and can be worn by anyone.

"I have to wear this and shoot action scenes. Even moving around is difficult."

Manatsu Ryu took a breath and walked into the sandbox with some difficulty.

The battle will begin here soon. Wangu's stunt department is already prepared. Once the fight starts, they will raise dust on the side to create the effect of a fierce fight. The sound and light department will also periodically detonate the small equipment on their bodies.

Manatsu Ryu looked across, but it was difficult because the peephole in the leather case couldn't allow him to see Gu Ming clearly.

Thinking of the fight scene filmed before, there was a moment when Manatsu Ryu suddenly realized what a wrong choice he had made.

He is still the main player, he may not be able to bear it!

"No... Now that I've made the decision, it's too late to regret it now. I can only do my best!"

He recalled the set of moves that Gu Ming had described to him before, then stepped forward and started to take action.

However, as soon as he threw the punch, Hirokazu Takano called a halt outside the arena.

"Hey, Seto-kun, you hit it crookedly. Straighten your hand so the camera can capture the whole shot."

"Yes, sorry."

Manazalong tried his best, but this was different from usual. He couldn't see his own movements with his eyes and lacked effective control over his body. He could only rely on experience or the stunt supervisor outside the field to hone his skills bit by bit.

The filming was very difficult and we had to do it again from time to time.

But this also brought out the classic leather suit battle decades in advance.

Teruo Aragaki puts on Baltan's suit and runs out laughing. He will be given a clone effect later.

The photoelectric equipment on Gu Ming exploded, creating a ball of sparks.

Gu Ming also cooperated by lying back at this moment.

Got beaten!
Being attacked by two aliens at the same time!

But this time, things started to go wrong on the set again.

The peephole itself is not very big, so it's fine for a two-way fight, as you don't need to see too clearly, just knowing there's someone on the other side is enough. But a three-way fight is troublesome, as from time to time, Manatsu Ryu and Aragaki Teruo will collide with each other, and they will fall to the ground.

Takano Hiroshi kept scratching his head.

We can't go on like this, the shooting progress will be greatly delayed.

"Mr. Kono, wait for me a moment."

Gu Ming raised his hand to stop, but called Aragaki Teruo and Manatsu Ryu, and the three of them gathered together.

"This kind of multiplayer fight requires very high coordination, and this is also Mr. Koichi Takano's first time doing this... why don't we do it this way?"

Gu Ming gave a brief account.

"Long, stand over there, on the mark, and don't move. If you can confirm you're in the right position, don't move. It won't be easily visible later, as the optical synthesizer will create the effect."

"Aragaki-kun, you don't have to look around to see if there's anyone around. Wait until I'm the only one in your sight, and we can just fight."

Gu Ming assisted Hirokazu Takano in making some arrangements.

This kind of thing actually falls into the category of a killing array master, but Gu Ming is wearing a suit now, so he can't make arrangements off the field. Naturally, he can only rely on his experience and tell the story in the play.

This time, everything went smoothly. Takano Hiroichi fumbled for a cigarette, but felt it was inconvenient to do so on the spot. Finally, he sighed with satisfaction.

I don’t know what the final film will look like.

The filming didn't end until the evening.

Today I managed to finish filming the fight with the Zarab aliens and part of the battle with the Baltan aliens.

The air battle has not been filmed yet. It is also very difficult. It requires hanging on wires and then switching between models and real people in a timely manner.

That's right, it's mainly models, not real people. After all, it's difficult to actually suspend two real people in a takeoff and engage in a dogfight. Close-up shots can be done with real people. The crew is also working on it, and with this experience, the next shoot will go much faster.

Gu Ming estimated that it would take less than four days, and all the action scenes could be shot within three days. Then he would just have to wait for Wan Guyi to finish shooting the drama and add the optical effects, and then it would be done.

After walking out of Wangu Studio, Zhen Xialong felt a little nervous. He looked at Gu Ming and asked after a while.

"Brother Gu Gu, is it okay for me to be like this?"

"That's great," Gu Ming said. "If it weren't for your martial arts background, most people wouldn't be able to hold out. Bring a cup tomorrow and drink plenty of salt water between takes to avoid overexertion. Remember to buy some bruise ointment... I think I have some at home. Come back with me and I'll bring you two bottles."

That's what action actors do, they can't avoid falling and getting hurt, so they need to apply more medicine on a regular basis.

Manatsu Ryu nodded, but then said, "Brother Furuya, do you think I can be the main character, the main character of the suit?"

Gu Ming stopped.

"You want to be the main character in a suit? You know how tiring that is, right? The Zarab aliens we filmed today weren't even the main characters, so it was already very difficult."

Manatsu Ryu nodded.

He really wanted to.

The purpose of being an actor is to make a name for yourself. No one wants to be a supporting actor every day.

If being a main character in a suit can bring him a chance to be promoted, he is willing to pay any price.

Gu Ming thought about it.

Speaking of which, he did know some scattered special effects, such as the later Dinosaur Special Ksai, which was average in Japan but very popular on the other side of the ocean.

Later, there were various works such as Garo, Mirrorman, and Electroman. Although the ratings were not so complete, they all had their own merits.

Thunderman was later adapted into an anime, and Shinjo Akane is so good, we must have a Shinjo Akane.

Although these are scattered works that do not form a series, they are very suitable for actors to hone their acting skills and performance techniques.

If there are other people in the firm in the future, I can continue to introduce them.

Even more so, once the agency has enough capital, Gu Ming can invest in shooting some works on his own.

Although special effects require high investment and slow returns, it has one advantage.

You can sell toys, or sell toy licenses.

As far as he knows, the first generation of Armor Hero, also known as Armor Hero Legend of Light and Shadow, is actually highly praised in Japan.

Regarding this matter, the Japanese themselves would not confuse this work with Kamen Rider.

On the contrary, many domestic audiences insist that Armor Hero plagiarized Ultraman.

Gu Ming just wants to say, go to hell with plagiarism, Armor Hero is a life-size special effects film, if there is any plagiarism, it is Kamen Rider, the multiplayer setting is somewhat similar to Super Sentai, what does it have to do with Ultraman.

The only connection is that Wangu Lairen directed the filming.

Besides the idea of a life-size multiplayer special effects team, the original Armor Hero was entirely self-produced, so there's no question of plagiarism. There's a reason why it became such a hit back then. Although the production was poor and the budget was small, the crew was truly dedicated, with five armor suits and unique fighting styles.

Except for the Earth Tiger Armor, which is given away for topping up your phone bill.

On the contrary, the subsequent works of Armor Hero are terrible. Although they have money, the works are a mess. The latest one is even worse...

Feces in feces.

Children's plays do not require much acting skills, but they cannot be completely absent!
After Gu Ming thought this through, he patted Zhen Xialong's shoulder solemnly.

"Then I'll give you a task. When you go back, try to blindfold yourself and perform. Try your best to be able to perform fighting movements without seeing. That way, you'll be able to be a suit actor. Later, you'll be able to take on other roles. You're capable of being the protagonist."

Manatsu Ryu grinned, revealing his signature silly smile.

Protagonist, stop joking.

He doesn't even look like someone who could be the protagonist! He thinks he's so great just to be a stuntman or a faceless suit character!

(End of this chapter)