N-A-A Chapter 61 The Company's Formation and Preparations for Season 2
Chapter 61 The Company's Formation and Preparations for Season 2
Jinghai International Conference Center.
As a landmark building in Jinghai City, this place has always been the preferred venue for Fortune 500 companies to hold their annual meetings or top-level summits.
But today, the entire area around the conference center is completely surrounded by people.
Countless cameras and microphones were set up outside the fence, and media access passes in the hands of scalpers had been sold for five figures each.
The reason is simple: today is the official strategic launch of "Chasing Light Pictures".
This is also the first and most formal public appearance of Gu Nan's team since the end of the first season of "Ultraman Tiga".
Backstage waiting area.
"Brother Nan, this is a much bigger event than the one we had in the school auditorium before."
Chen Bo seemed a little flustered. "I just glanced over and even reporters from state media are here."
Gu Nan was adjusting his collar in front of the mirror when he heard this. He turned around and smiled, "What's wrong? Is our Director Chen getting stage fright?"
Chen Bo blushed slightly: "It's just that I'm not used to pretending... When it comes to such a big occasion, I'm still a little nervous."
"What's the big deal?"
Gu Nan patted him on the shoulder, his gaze sweeping over the team behind him, who were all ready to go. "Remember, from today onwards, we are no longer that small workshop huddled in an abandoned factory. We are the leading enterprise in Xia Guo's special effects industry..."
That's right, it is indeed a leader in the tokusatsu (special effects) industry.
It was exactly 3 p.m.
The lights at the press conference venue suddenly went out.
Without any preamble, a brand new dynamic logo lit up on the huge main screen.
A dazzling beam of light pierced the darkness, converging in the center of the screen to form a strikingly designed prism shape. Then, the light exploded, transforming into four powerful, vigorous characters—
【Light Chasing Film】
Immediately afterwards, the familiar intro to the BGM that gets countless people excited, "Take Me Higher," began to play.
"Whoosh—!!!"
The scene instantly erupted in cheers.
When Gu Nan led Su Zhe, Xia Youwei, and other main cast members onto the stage, the flashes from the cameras were so frequent they almost blinded people.
Gu Nan walked to the center of the stage and pressed down with both hands.
The room fell silent instantly, as if a mute button had been pressed. This terrifying ability to control the situation left many veteran media professionals in the audience feeling secretly alarmed.
"Hello everyone, I'm Gu Nan."
Without any lengthy introduction, Gu Nan got straight to the point.
"I've called everyone here today to announce only three things."
Gu Nan held up one finger.
"First, 'Light Chaser Studio' is officially renamed 'Light Chaser Film & Media Co., Ltd.' Effective immediately. We will no longer be limited to single project production, but will instead dedicate ourselves to building a full-industry chain tokusatsu empire encompassing film and television production, artist management, merchandise development, and IP operation."
On the large screen behind me, the company's new organizational chart instantly appeared.
The financial reporters in the audience were furiously typing away. They astutely picked up on the phrase "entire industry chain," which meant that Gu Nan's ambitions went far beyond simply making one hit show after another; he wanted to build the Disney of the East!
"second."
Gu Nan raised his second finger, a mysterious smile playing on his lips.
"What everyone is most concerned about is the second season of Ultraman Tiga."
boom!
The entire audience held their breath. The live stream chat even experienced some buffering at that moment.
"Season 2 is scheduled to premiere in the second quarter of this year. The script is now complete, and filming has begun."
The screen image changed.
A huge concept poster appeared before everyone's eyes.
It was no longer the sunny, hopeful tone of the first season.
The overall tone of the poster is a somber gray and black.
On the endless ruins, Ultraman Tiga knelt on the ground, the timer on his chest flashing red.
Opposite him, in the thick black fog, crimson eyes loomed, filled with evil and oppression.
Moreover, the surrounding city ruins were filled with a brownish-yellow mist, and there was a strange-looking flower spraying that mist.
At the very bottom of the poster, there is a line of slightly smaller text:
When the light fades, how will humanity confront the darkness within?
"Holy crap! This poster! The sense of oppression is overwhelming!"
"Who's that? A new monster?"
"Ugh! The pressure is so intense!"
The commotion below the stage could no longer be suppressed.
Gu Nan was very satisfied with the effect. He didn't explain what it was, but continued:
"In season two, we'll be completely upgraded. The plot will be more profound, and the battles will be even more intense. If season one was a fairy tale, then season two... is an epic."
"The third thing."
Gu Nan's voice suddenly became low and solemn.
"Regarding the restoration plan for 'Showa Ultraman'."
On the big screen, high-definition restored photos of the original Ultraman, Seven, Jack, Ace, Taro, and Zoffy appeared.
"Light Chaser Animation will invest 50 million to restore these classic films to 4K film quality and re-dub them in Mandarin. We want to bring these forgotten heroes back to the audience's view in their most perfect form."
"and……"
Gu Nan paused for a moment, then played his final trump card.
"We will officially launch the 'Ultra Universe' strategy. In future plans, these older Ultramen will no longer be independent individuals. They may, in the future, join Tiga and many more new heroes to build a vast worldview."
The press conference has ended.
But the shockwaves to the entire entertainment and financial sectors are only just beginning.
If Gu Nan was just a talented up-and-coming director before, then today's press conference marks his official transformation into a financial tycoon.
……
That evening, in the western suburbs of Jinghai City, at the newly renovated Chasing Light Cinema Park of the Lai Machinery Factory team.
Compared to the hustle and bustle outside, the atmosphere inside the conference room was more pragmatic and... reeked of money.
On the huge, long conference table were stacks of thick equity incentive contracts.
"Please sit down."
Gu Nan sat in the main seat, took off the restrictive suit he wore at the press conference, and changed back into a comfortable hoodie.
Sitting to his left was Sun Ze, sent by his father, Gu Zhenhai. To his right were Su Zhe, Chen Bo, Xia Youwei, Zhang Zhao, and other core members.
"Although we are brothers, even close brothers should keep clear accounts."
Gu Nan gestured to Sun Ze to distribute the documents.
"This is the company's final equity structure document. I personally hold a total of 30% of the shares, contributing technology and IP ownership, and have veto power."
No one disagrees with this. Gu Nan is the soul of Light Chaser Animation; without him, the company is worthless.
"Gu's Group holds 35% of the shares as the investor. Bilibili holds 25% of the shares as the channel provider."
"These were decided beforehand, and I believe everyone has no objections."
"No objection, everyone said in unison."
"The remaining 10% is for you."
Gu Nan looked at the group of companions in front of him.
"Chen Bo, as co-founder and production manager, holds 3% of the shares."
"Su Zhe, as the chief artist, holds 2% of the shares."
"Xia Youwei holds 2% of the shares."
"Zhang Zhao holds 2% of the shares."
"besides……"
"The remaining 1% will be placed into the company's stock option pool to reward outstanding employees in the future."
The only sound in the meeting room was the rustling of papers.
Chen Bo's hands were shaking.
He knew very well what that 3% meant.
Based on current external valuations of Light Chaser Animation, this 3% stake is already worth at least ten million! Moreover, as the Ultraman universe unfolds, this number will explode exponentially.
"Brother Nan...this..."
Chen Bo swallowed hard. "Isn't that too much? I was just running errands..."
"Take it."
Gu Nan interrupted him.
"You deserve it."
Gu Nan's gaze swept over the crowd.
"Everyone, once you sign this contract, you're no longer just employees; you're partners in Light Chaser Animation. From now on, we'll share both prosperity and adversity."
"Swish swish swish".
No one hesitated; everyone signed their names on the contract.
At that moment, this makeshift team that once ate instant noodles in an abandoned factory officially transformed into a steel army capable of shaking the capital market.
……
With the equity allocation complete, the next step is to discuss more specific business matters.
"Mr. Gu, there's a question we need to discuss."
The speaker was the person in charge sent by the Gu Group. He was a middle-aged man in his forties who had been in the industry for a long time and had a rather traditional way of thinking.
"Regarding the budget allocation for the second quarter."
The person in charge pointed to the data on the report, his brow furrowed. "Although the company currently has ample funds in its accounts, isn't the purchase price of this '4K virtual shooting system' too high? Twenty million? This set of equipment is enough to shoot two web series."
"And this too."
The person in charge pointed to another item, "The cost of restoring the Showa IP. Since the copyright has already been bought out, we can just put the original source material up there. Why spend a lot of money to restore it? It's an old movie, and the audience is watching it for the nostalgia. They can accept that the picture quality is a little worse."
The person in charge's words represent typical capitalist thinking: cost control and profit maximization.
The atmosphere in the meeting room was somewhat tense.
Zhang Zhao was getting anxious and was about to stand up to explain, but Gu Nan stopped him with a look.
Gu Nan looked at the person in charge and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.
Why do you think Ultraman Tiga became so popular?
The person in charge paused for a moment: "Because... the script is good? The special effects are good?"
"No, it's because we treat the audience as human beings."
Gu Nan's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable force: "You're right, audiences can tolerate poor picture quality in old films. But if we can restore the picture quality to 4K and upgrade the sound quality to Dolby Atmos, that's respect for the audience, and even more so, a reinvention of the IP."
"As for the virtual shooting system..."
Gu Nan stood up, walked to the whiteboard behind him, and quickly drew a diagram.
"In the first season, we filmed on location with a green screen, which was extremely time-consuming in post-production, and it was difficult to achieve perfect lighting effects. But with this virtual shooting system, the skybox background and lighting effects behind our real-world models can be simulated using a huge LED circular screen, which can be done in one go during the initial shooting, allowing us to see exactly what we want."
"We can create sunsets, space, and the deep sea directly in the studio, making the actors' performances more realistic and halving the post-production rendering time. Most importantly..."
Gu Nan's eyes were burning.
"What we want to establish is the standard for the tokusatsu industry. In the future, when others want to make tokusatsu films, they will find that their technology is still stuck in the Stone Age, while we have already entered the interstellar age. This kind of technological barrier is the most valuable."
The person in charge opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't refute it. Although he was reluctant to spend the money, he also knew that Gu Nan was an absolute authority in his professional field.
"There's something else."
The person in charge then pulled out another document, which was a letter of intent for cooperation from a toy manufacturer under the Gu Group. "The toy manufacturer hopes to get involved in the scriptwriting for the second season."
"They felt that Tiga had too few forms. They hoped that the second season would introduce more new forms, preferably a different color for each episode, and that the weapons would be plentiful, large, and have that colorful, plastic texture, making it easier for them to sell toys."
"Snapped!"
Gu Nan threw the letter of intent directly into the trash can.
"Get them out of here."
The person in charge was startled: "Mr. Gu, this is Mr. Gu's side of the decision..."
"I'll say it again, what we want to earn is money earned with integrity."
Gu Nan said coldly, "Forcing additional features just to sell toys is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. It's treating the audience like fools."
"We want to sell toys, but we want to sell them in a high-end way."
Gu Nan's gaze swept over the various expressions on the faces of the people in the conference room, his voice calm and powerful:
"I know you all have business considerations, but we must make one thing clear—it is the story that makes the toy, not the other way around."
He sat back down in the main seat, tapping his finger lightly on the table: "Cooperation with toy factories is certainly necessary, but we can't put the cart before the horse. What we need to do is let a compelling storyline naturally generate the audience's desire for derivative products."
Gu Nan turned to the person in charge, his tone softening: "Go back and tell the toy factory that the cooperation can continue, but the direction needs to be adjusted. The monsters that appeared in the first 25 episodes can be released in batches as a soft vinyl figure series, priced affordably, targeting the general audience and the children's market."
"As for the premium product line,"
He paused for a moment, then said, "We can choose a few popular monsters, as well as Tiga's three forms, to develop high-specification posable figures for hardcore fans and collectors. The details must be exquisite, the articulation must be scientifically sound, and we can even equip them with light-up devices—we want to create collectible works of art, not cheap plastic toys."
Chen Bo's eyes lit up, and he added, "And the weapons and equipment of the Victory Team! The Flying Swallow No. 1 and No. 2, as well as the Atlas, can all be made into a series of model kits, with different difficulty levels to cater to consumers of different age groups."
"That's right."
Gu Nan nodded approvingly, "These vehicles are highlights in the show, so it makes sense to make them into models. What we're selling isn't an abrupt toy that's forcibly inserted into the plot, but rather a 'story extension' that viewers will naturally want to own after watching the show."
He surveyed the room and concluded, "Remember, when audiences buy merchandise because they love the story, they're buying emotional support; but if we drastically change the story just to sell toys, all they'll feel is commercial manipulation. The former builds long-term brand loyalty, while the latter destroys the trust we've worked so hard to build."
The person in charge nodded thoughtfully. This time he understood—it wasn't about not doing business, but about doing smarter, more sustainable business.
"We're not selling plastic, we're selling stories and emotions."
The person in charge wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He realized that at 40 years old, he felt like a primary school student in front of this young CEO, Mr. Gu.
"Okay... I'll do as you say. I'll go and refuse them right away."
……
Having resolved the issues of "money" and "power," we finally arrived at the most crucial step—the script reading session.
This time, Gu Nan only kept the core creative team.
The core members are Su Zhe, Xia Youwei, Chen Bo, and Zhang Zhao, along with several newcomers to the writing team.
The lights in the meeting room were dimmed, and the outline of the second season's script was projected onto the projector.
That is, the content of episodes 26 to 52.
"I would define the tone of the second season as 'the fading of divinity and the return of humanity,'" Gu Nan said, pointing to the outline with a laser pointer.
"In the first season, Daigo fought in confusion, and he passively accepted the identity of Hikari. In the second season, he will face real questioning."
Gu Nan turned to episode 27, "I Saw It, Obik".
"In this episode, we're not going to talk about fighting monsters. We're going to talk about 'the disappearance of homeland'."
"Obik isn't a bad person; he's just a monster abandoned by the times. He wants to scare people, but he just wants the village to return to its former state. When modern high-rises flatten the forests, legends have nowhere to reside."
Listening to Gu Nan's story, Xia Youwei's eyes welled up with tears.
"Director Gu... this Obik, in the end..."
"He will die."
Gu Nan said cruelly, "He committed suicide. He died in the illusion he created, at the hands of Ultraman Tiga. Because he knew that the village he used to live in could never return."
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone could feel the heavy sadness in this episode's script. This is definitely not a "Ultraman fighting monsters" story for children; it's an adult fairy tale.
"There's one more episode."
Gu Nan turned to episode 44, "The Heir of Shadow".
"Masaki Keigo. A human being with unparalleled intelligence and a strong physique, he is more outstanding than Daigo, more like a savior. But he lacks one thing—a heart."
Gu Nan looked at Su Zhe.
"Su Zhe, this is your key scene. You need to portray Daigo's unwavering belief that 'I may be ordinary, but I have a heart that protects.' You need to prove that light is not power, but a bond."
Su Zhe nodded heavily, his eyes burning with fire.
He felt his blood boiling.
"And then there's... Zigela."
Gu Nan's voice became somewhat ethereal.
"If a pollen can immerse humans in beautiful dreams, freeing them from pain, would humanity still need Ultraman? If all of humanity chooses destruction, should Tiga respect humanity's choice or interfere?"
This question struck everyone like a heavy blow.
That's so profound.
This has touched upon the philosophical level.
"at last."
Gu Nan flipped to the last page of the PPT.
It was a pitch-black sea, with countless fragments of stone statues floating on its surface.
[Final Chapter: A Tribute to Those Who Brilliantly Achieve Their Glory]
"Our fate," Gu Nan took a deep breath, "is that Tiga will lose."
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
However, since they already knew about Tiga's script, they weren't too surprised.
"Tiga will turn into a stone statue and sink to the bottom of the sea. The whole world will be plunged into darkness."
Gu Nan looked at everyone, a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"but."
"Remember what I said? As long as there is light in the human heart, we will never lose."
"When Ultraman Tiga falls, all the children in the world, all the people in the world who believe in light, will become light."
"They will converge into Ultraman Tiga's body."
"That will be—Shining Ultraman Tiga."