I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 124 - 124 123. Ambitious Music Producer_1

Chapter 124: 123. Ambitious Music Producer_1 Chapter 124: 123. Ambitious Music Producer_1 Fact proved that Hammer had been mistaken.

The script of this film was not common, but rather full of twists and turns.

Having watched the movie and waited until the production credits appeared, Hammer remained silent.

“So, was everything the protagonist experienced just a dream, a dream about the past?”

He couldn’t help but ask Lu Ban.

“Red Leaf had already died many years ago, and her spirit wanted to atone for her sins, so she helped the protagonist kill herself?”

“Is the island real, or just an illusory scene in the fog?”

“If the entire island was engulfed by the flames ignited by Red Leaf at the end, how is the protagonist supposed to survive?”

Hammer had many questions.

When he saw the ending, where Red Leaf’s memories flashed back to those cruel and tragic scenes, where he saw Red Leaf burning herself, dispersing the fog that blanketed the island, and the first rays of sunlight piercing through the mist to illuminate Lu Ban engulfed in pale flames, he felt more melancholy than excited about the resolution.

It was just a short film a little over an hour long, but for some reason, Hammer felt as if he truly had been on an adventure with this shrine maiden, with a faint sadness that was hard to dispel.

He didn’t wait for Lu Ban’s answer, but instead went to the corridor by the window of the studio and slowly lit a cigarette, attempting to soothe his emotional fluctuations with the sharp gas passing through his lungs.

However, as the smoke entered his respiratory tract, Hammer was inexplicably reminded of the sensation of being enveloped in fog at the Summit Shrine, and he coughed violently several times before snuffing out the cigarette and returning to the screening room.

He saw his assistant also in a daze, immersed in the film and unable to extricate himself.

Seeing the condition of the two of them, Director Lu confirmed that there must be something wrong with his film.

Yet, the problem wasn’t serious, not like the heart attack induced by Sadako’s videotape causing on-the-spot death.

It was more like an infectious disease, a contamination of memes, making viewers feel as if they were in the movie’s scenes themselves.

For instance, the opening scenes of the ocean would make one feel chest tightness and out of breath.

In the Undefined Fog at the Summit Shrine, one would feel their lungs being scorched, wanting to cough.

While playing “One Hundred Poets,” one would feel completely immobile, unable to speak or even close their eyes.

Of course, the sounds coming from all four corners were nothing special, just stereo editing by Lu Ban.

But to Hammer, this was simply freaking awesome.

Just think, experiencing the same environment and emotions as the movie’s characters while watching a film—that level of immersion could only perhaps be matched by a neural shunt.

In the past, Hammer believed that a film that could move him, get his blood pumping, or make his heart race with fear was sufficient.

But now, with Director Lu’s film, it wasn’t about perception transformed through visual and auditory sense; it was a firsthand experience, where even the simplest scenes and emotions could cause immense ripples in one’s heart.

“Director Lu… Teacher Lu, I now feel like my mind is full of inspiration, and your work is truly astonishing. This is the first time I’ve seen a film so immersive. Believe me, I’ll be able to compose fitting music for your work very soon… No, please, I must score your film!”

Perhaps due to the strong impact, or maybe because musicians tend to be more emotional by nature, Hammer suddenly felt that it was his undeniable duty to create the score.

In film circles, scoring sometimes depends on the director’s vision. Many directors have their own regular teams, including cinematography, special effects, and music. Just like the master animator from the Island Country, if he lacked his regular music composer, would those animations still be able to touch hearts?

Therefore, after watching Lu Ban’s film, Hammer made up his mind to take charge of scoring it.

Although part of the reason was that the client had offered too much, Hammer still was a music producer with aspirations. Producing records for pop idols simply wasn’t fulfilling for him. His ultimate goal was to create timeless scores for true blockbuster films.

“Um, I haven’t mentioned where the soundtrack is needed yet…”

Lu Ban added a reminder.

“…Alright, let’s see where the soundtrack is needed. Just say the word, I can handle any style…”

Hammer immediately took up the conversation.

“So, for example here, I think we could add a bit of Japanese style, something graceful, akin to the ambience you’d expect at the opening of a stage drama. Do you get what I mean?”

Lu Ban said, pointing to the scene being rewound on the screen where “Lu Ban” and others were entering Song Island.

“…I get it!”

Without a further word, Hammer quickly moved to the synthesizer, adjusted it simply, and then started to play a melody.

It was antique-looking and carried the mournful characteristics of Japanese style.

Moreover, Lu Ban noticed that this melody seemed like a variation on the shrine maiden’s humming.

“Impressive!”

Lu Ban applauded.

“I was thinking that we could use a main theme throughout our film, applying different variations of it in different scenes, interwoven with other melodies.”

Hammer suggested; some movies make their scores colorful and diverse, with different instruments for different characters, while others use a main theme with variations to convey different emotions.

“Then, for the part where they go up the mountain, I think the performance with this instrument would be nice.”

Hammer pulled out another instrument with a bizarre shape. It looked like a violin with its bow and strings, but there were no strings to be found.

He played the lower half of that tune.

A chilling and eerie sound emerged, reminiscent of the kind of effect used in horror films the moment a ghost appears, evoking memories of Lu Ban’s own movie-watching experiences.

“This is a waterphone, a special effects instrument used to create terrifying sounds.”

Hammer explained enthusiastically and quickly notated two separate melodies.

He now felt that a good work indeed could inspire creative desire. Several melodies continuously twined in Hammer’s mind, persistent like whispers in the ear that refuse to dissipate. It seemed as if, unless Hammer composed them, these melodies would gnaw at his brain like worms, causing his consciousness to shatter.

Hammer thought that perhaps those great musicians, the geniuses who composed timeless masterpieces overnight, might have experienced something similar.

The scoring work went smoothly, and just three days later, Lu Ban received the soundtrack he wanted. In the meantime, Lu Ban hadn’t been idle either. He had reworked the rough cut of the film, refining the shots and their expressiveness, and then spent two more days integrating the soundtrack. By the end of the second week, Lu Ban already had a demo reel ready for viewing.

“Next is to submit it to websites for review.”

Lu Ban muttered to himself, opening several video hosting websites.

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