Soon, the three clips had finished playing, but the audience was still wanting more.
This 3D technology had given the viewers a true sense of immersion, with some even feeling the excitement they experienced when watching a movie for the first time.
Many were already asking around about when the next screening would be and when the full movie Super 8 would be released.
Even if they weren't particularly interested in Ultraman, which filmmaker could resist such incredible 3D effects?
It's like how no man can refuse the temptation of giant robots.
"This technology is so innovative. That scene where Ultraman stepped out of the screen really showcased the advantage of this technology to the fullest," said a reporter who was deeply impressed, grabbing Shinji's hands excitedly after the screening.
"This truly is a technology that can revolutionize the film industry, Director Matou."
"Thank you for the compliment," Shinji smiled modestly, as if everything was just as it should be.
"After this film, I dare say, the theory of cinematic composition will undergo a huge transformation. Besides the traditional composition elements, directors of this era will need to consider the depth of field in their shots."
"The old academics in film schools will surely hate you, Director Matou, for forcing them to update theories that haven't changed in decades."
Shinji raised his eyebrows, "Isn't it natural for old-timers who can't keep up with the times to be eliminated?"
"Of course," the reporter nodded vigorously, already planning to use this statement as the headline for his article.
Making big news — that's just in a journalist's nature.
"Ah! Why is the video I shot so messed up!!"
Just then, a viewer leaving the theater screamed in frustration.
Soon, other audience members who had been recording inside the theater also started groaning.
"What's happening to them?" asked Udagawa Nao curiously as she walked out of the theater with Kariya.
"The footage they captured must have been distorted," Kariya shrugged. "That new technology isn't something a regular camera can record."
Since all the images had been processed with magecraft, regular cameras couldn't capture them at all.
"Is this some kind of anti-piracy feature of the new technology?"
Kariya shook his head, "No way, it just happens that the new technology makes it impossible."
Unless the 2D film format is scrapped entirely, pirate recordings of films can't be eradicated completely.
"But that 3D effect really was incredible. Once this Ultraman movie is released, it'll definitely become the talk of the world. I wonder when Shinji will have the full film ready. It's really leaving us hanging."
Udagawa Nao, who considered herself quite the film enthusiast, felt Super 8 was a completely different experience.
That indescribable thrill was something even the Fate series movies hadn't given her.
"It won't be long now. That kid Shinji wouldn't have dared to show the clips if the full movie wasn't almost finished," Kariya teased. "I just wonder if you'll be able to enjoy other films after this one. The difference in level is going to be immense."
Udagawa Nao pouted, "So what if I can't enjoy them anymore? I'll just watch the clips a few more times! There's an IMAX theater in Tokyo too, and Shinji said all IMAX theaters would be screening these clips. I'll just make time to go watch them."
Kariya regretfully scratched his nose, "You're not coming to Fuyuki City...?"
While they were talking, Touko Aozaki had already walked over to Shinji.
"Shinji, it seems we've succeeded," Touko sincerely congratulated him.
Shinji shrugged and smiled, "It's still too early to say. The real success lies in whether or not we can popularize the technology. So, I have both good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first, Senpai?"
"Can't you just give me the good news and skip the bad?" Touko said with an exasperated expression. "I came over to congratulate you, and here you are trying to make things uncomfortable for me!"
As if he didn't hear the second half of her sentence, Shinji went on, "Then I'll give you the good news. Thanks to the efforts of TYPE-MOON, our 3D technology has been approved for entry into the Chinese market."
"As our technical director, your next task is to go to China and train a team of tech maintenance personnel."
The procedures for hiring foreigners to work in China were far too troublesome, so it was much more convenient to hire locals.
Besides, there were plenty of Magus families in China, so Shinji wasn't worried about finding suitable talent.
Touko raised her eyebrows, "So what you're saying is that you're sending me on a long-term business trip all by myself?"
"You won't be by yourself," Shinji flashed a mischievous smile. "My dear uncle will be accompanying you."
"Wait! Why haven't I heard about this before?" Kariya, who had come over with Udagawa Nao, exclaimed loudly.
"Well, you're hearing it now," Shinji said nonchalantly.
"Hearing it my foot!" Kariya complained, "I just got back from there, and I haven't even had a full month at home yet!"
"You could buy yourself a nice little home in one of China's top-tier cities. It would be the best investment you could make in your life, Uncle."
Shinji gave a sly wink as he teased his uncle, hinting at a lucrative opportunity.
Unfortunately, Kariya had no interest in the idea and instead glared at Shinji, "Why would I buy a house in China? I'm not planning to live there long-term!"
"Who knows? The future is always unpredictable," Shinji winked at Kariya.
Kariya wasn't falling for it, "What kind of scheme are you cooking up this time?"
But Shinji ignored him, turning back to Touko, "Senpai, the bad news is that since Medea can't leave Fuyuki City, besides training the staff, you'll also have to help modify the movie screens. Think of it as practical training for the team."
"How much do I need to get done?" Touko slightly frowned.
Shinji patted her on the shoulder, "I already said it's bad news. What do you think the workload will be? Just focus on training the staff so they can take care of things themselves."
"Can I refuse?"
"The salary is more than enough."
"Fine then."
Touko now felt both happy and a little pained.
At least I don't have to worry about money for a while, she consoled herself, resigned to becoming a hard-working employee.
"Hey, Uncle."
After setting things up for Touko, Shinji turned to Kariya, "I've got two pieces of bad news for you. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"I don't want to hear either! Shinji, you're really out to get me!" Kariya cried out in mock agony.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
In reality, the two pieces of bad news Shinji had for Kariya were pretty much just one: Kariya had to go to China to rebuild Tsuburaya's China branch and reintroduce official Ultraman merchandise to the Chinese market.
The so-called second piece of bad news was simply that, after seeing Udagawa Nao, Kariya would have to part ways with her again immediately.
What bad intentions could young Shinji possibly have?
All he was doing was temporarily separating a couple who hadn't fully fallen in love yet, sending them to different places.
After all, isn't there a saying, "Distance makes the heart grow fonder"?
Shinji felt like he was doing Kariya a favor by creating that distance—he was being helpful, wasn't he?
Or at least he thought so...
As long as Kariya worked hard, he should be back in Japan before the New Year.
Shinji wasn't expecting Kariya to accomplish too much in China. His main role was more for appearances, acting as a figurehead or mascot. The real negotiations would be handled by others.
Moreover, given the complexity of the Chinese market, achieving significant success with Ultraman merchandise within a few years was unlikely; the goal was more about raising awareness and waiting for the market to grow.
Even if the market did develop, Shinji didn't hold high expectations for it.
Even by 2020, while China's box office revenue had caught up with other markets, overall consumption of entertainment products still lagged behind other countries.
After all, watching a movie doesn't cost much, but spending hundreds or thousands of yuan on merchandise makes many people hesitant.
The income and consumption power gap between China and Western countries meant that entertainment merchandise was unlikely to become mainstream in China.
Additionally, to maintain stable prices in other markets, Shinji couldn't lower prices for the Chinese market. If he did, it would only lead to resellers buying up the products and flooding the foreign markets, disrupting everything.
So, for products like toys and models, Shinji only saw the Chinese market as a bonus. The most important markets were still in the West.
But that didn't mean there wasn't money to be made in China. There were two types of merchandise that could still generate substantial profits there: trading cards and mobile games with in-app purchases.
As for the latter, the mainstream smartphone hardware wasn't powerful enough yet, so that would have to wait. But the card merchandise could start being introduced.
In particular, Ultraman trading cards—if you weren't familiar, you might not realize just how successful the series was in the Chinese market, surpassing the "big three" trading card games (Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Pokémon) by far.
While the high-end market was still dominated by Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon—where individual cards could sell for thousands of yuan—expensive Ultraman cards were extremely rare. But even without high-priced cards, the sheer volume of sales for Ultraman cards was staggering. In the Chinese mid- to low-end trading card market, Ultraman cards had essentially taken over.
Despite the presence of counterfeit versions, legitimate Ultraman cards still managed to dominate most of the market.
Even in 2020, a year marked by unique challenges, Ultraman cards were making enough money to host offline tournaments, showing just how lucrative they were in that market.
Shinji wasn't expecting Tsuburaya to immediately bring Ultraman cards to their peak popularity in a few years, but at least the foundation had to be laid.
After all, there wouldn't be a better time for promotion in the near future than next year, with the Heisei Ultraman Trio and the Super 8 movie. Faced with this Ultraman craze, Shinji was confident that even someone as inexperienced in business as Kariya could ride the wave of success.
To this idea, Kariya, ever the polite "Mr. Pig," only had one response:
Seriously?
<+>
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