The "shock" under the spotlight and the wrap-up party
"Click! Perfect!"
As soon as the director finished shouting, the "black fog" in Meixi Town was suddenly drawn away - the fog machine in the corner finally stopped working, and the sunlight poured down unimpeded, reflecting the plastic texture of the "black vine" on the ground. The "corpse Gu" that was so ferocious just now was also carefully picked out of the "evil witch's" scar prop with tweezers by the staff. It was a small mechanical insect wrapped in black velvet.
"Su Nian" ripped off her blood-stained hood, revealing a face covered in sweat. She kicked "Chen Yan," who was still lying on the ground pretending to be "seriously injured," and said, "Hey, stop pretending! The director has already told you to lie down. Your costume will get wrinkled if you keep lying down."
Chen Yan suddenly sat up, rubbed his back which was numb from the weight of the Broken Vine prop, and threw the Broken Compass in his hand to the prop team with a smile: "This thing is really heavy. When I was acting out the 'vomiting blood' just now, I was afraid that the blood plasma in my mouth would drip on it, and the prop master would be anxious."
Not far away, the "evil wizard" who had just "frightened himself to death" was taking off his black robe, revealing that he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt with cartoon patterns underneath. He tore off the scar special effects makeup on his face and sighed in front of the mirror: "This Gu King prop has been stuck to me for three days. I didn't even dare to use force when washing my face. Now I can finally tear it off." "Lin Ye" and "Chen Xi" next to him were not idle either. They were helping the staff clean up the "Red Sun Talisman" on the ground - those were actually colored papers printed with runes. The "burning" effect just now was all due to the post-production special effects and the miniature LED lights hidden in the talisman paper.
Everyone gathered around the monitor to watch the replay. When they saw the painful expression on their "companion's" face when he was entangled by the "black vine" in the "underground soul nest" scene, everyone present laughed: "When you screamed just now, I thought you were really in pain, but it turned out to be an act?"
"How could that be!" his "companion" waved his hand, pointing to the protective padding around his waist. "The props team already made the canes elastic. I just used the force to make my screams sound more horrible. Otherwise, how would the show work? Oh, and when I 'immolated' myself just now, did the flame effects look good?"
The director smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, the wirework behind you will be removed in post-production to ensure the audience won't notice any flaws. Our film 'Seven Ghost Town' focuses on 'immersive horror,' but safety and realism must be taken into account. I've had the props team repeatedly check every one of your 'sacrificial' scenes, and there will be no problems."
The evening wrap-up banquet was held in an open space outside Meixi Town. The crew had joined the prop tables into a long table and laid out a steaming meal. "Su Nian" stood up, holding a drink, and smiled at everyone. "When we first started filming, I was a little scared—especially when I first saw 'Ivy Shiki's' makeup. I didn't dare turn off the lights when I returned to the hotel at night. But later I discovered that 'Ivy Shiki's teacher was very gentle in private and even brought us snacks."
"Evil Witch" also joined in the fun: "That's right! Last time we were filming my 'absorbing resentment' scene, the fog machine was spraying too hard and I almost choked. It was only 'Chen Xi' who handed me a bottle of water. Now that I think about it, this isn't a thriller, it's a comedy."
Everyone laughed and joked, reminiscing about anecdotes from filming night scenes—someone got startled by a fog machine that suddenly started, someone forgot their line and said "sunset fire" instead of "red sun fire," and someone accidentally laughed while acting out a death scene, forcing the entire crew to retake. The props team also came over and explained that to create the "evil rock," they found a piece of foam board, painted it three coats of black paint, and embedded LED lights in it, all for that few seconds of "golden light burst" effect.
"By the way, Director," Lin Ye suddenly asked, "when our show airs, will the audience think it's real? I saw some Reuters reports online, and someone said, 'Meixi Town is really haunted.'"
The director laughed heartily. "That's right! This 'hard to tell real from fake' effect is exactly what we're going for. When the wrap-up special is released and everyone sees the behind-the-scenes footage, they'll definitely find the contrast dramatic. But honestly, thanks to the dedication of all of you, both the actors and the crew, you brought this 'scary scene' to life. That's the true success of our 'Seven Ghost Town'."
As the night deepened, the laughter from the wrap party continued. Someone suggested taking a group photo, and everyone gathered together, holding a sign that read "Happy Wrap-up for 'Seven Men Exploring a Ghost Town'." The shot didn't capture the eerie atmosphere of the "ghost town," only smiling faces.
Looking at everyone in the photo, "Su Nian" suddenly remembered what the director said during the final scene: "In fact, the best 'thriller' is not the existence of real ghosts, but the courage of people willing to fight to the death to protect each other."
She smiled and raised her drink, saying to everyone, "I wish our 'Seven People Exploring Ghost Town' will be a big hit! I also hope that all of us can 'explore ghost towns' together again next time!"
The sound of wine glasses clinking was particularly clear in the night, as if it was putting a perfect end to this "horror".
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