….
LIE Studio.
That was the name under which [Death Note] was being produced.
Regal felt it was the perfect banner to represent his vision.
When Gwen and Samantha asked about its meaning, his answer was simple-
Light. Ink. Entertainment.
Of course, it was also the alias he had used for a long time as an author, a pen name under which he uploaded his web novels. But there was more to it than that.
But beyond that, there was another layer to it.
At its core, storytelling was nothing more than a carefully crafted illusion. A fabrication woven with words.
A LIE.
But putting philosophy aside, the production was moving forward.
Pre-production was nearly done. The final contracts were being signed, the crew was assembled, and the workshop sessions were wrapping up. Everything was set in motion.
Compared to their first film, [Death Note] felt massive, especially for Darren, now handling the role of line producer.
The scale of this project was on an entirely different level. The number of technicians alone was staggering, not to mention the equipment, the logistics, and the sheer amount of coordination required.
And, of course, there was the budget.
The production costs had been projected carefully, but spending the money was another thing entirely.
Just the payouts for the cast and crew? $14.5 million.
It was within their estimates, but seeing those numbers on paper and actually signing off on them felt entirely different.
Regal himself had the highest paycheck at $3 million.
Next was Ross at $1 million, followed by $800K each for the two main leads, Stephen Jr. and Tom.
With pre-production nearing completion, Regal shifted his focus to intensive workshops with the main cast.
At the same time, he worked closely with key technical teams, making sure everyone was aligned with his vision.
This time, they had brought in a professional Director of Photography.
Most of the crew from [Following] remained, about fifteen members, but for [Death Note], they needed at least twenty to twenty-five more people.
Still, Regal was firm about keeping certain roles consistent.
Even with the expanded team, Regal insisted on keeping some things consistent. The composer and editor from [Following] would return, Ludwig Göransson and Zack Brag. That was non-negotiable.
Everything was falling into place.
Now, it was time to make things official.
A test shoot had already been edited, and Regal had it prepped for release. Alongside it, he planned to unveil the movie title and the first-look posters of the lead actors.
For the title logo, he had gone the extra mile - designing the same original font from scratch.
There was no way he was abandoning something so distinct.
He had considered announcing the film using the original [Death Note] manga logo. Just for a moment. But eventually, he chose not to. Consistency mattered.
Within the next twenty-four hours, a short announcement video featuring the core team would go live. Then, two character posters - one for L, one for Light.
No, Ryuk - Regal wanted to hold onto that reveal for a little longer. Not that he had much of a choice, Ryuk's 3D model was still in the early stages of development.
For now, all that mattered was the first impression.
And Regal was determined to make it count.
…..
[October 1st, 2010]
…..
Today was the day the announcement video dropped, and a small but dedicated movie community picked it up.
└ @QuantumJunkie: [Hmm, what's this new film announcement? It is called [Death Note]. But where did I hear the name of the director, though?]
└ @SleepySocks: [Why am I seeing the whole technicians and cast of an unknown film when I am just here to listen to this song? Btw, the lyrics of this song are so damn good!!]
====
The comment was about a MeTube handle that had recently gained traction in music communities, thanks to a song that unexpectedly blew up.
Ironically, the song was originally written for a film [Following] the producers didn't care for, and ultimately, it never made the cut.
Yeah, Regal had uploaded that very song, the one they recorded at the party, on his MeTube channel.
And selling it?
For what, some pocket change?
Not a chance.
Regal knew better than to throw away something of real value for a handful of loose change. Instead, he deliberately restricted the song's reach, using it as a strategic asset rather than a quick cash grab.
A small move in the grand scheme of things, but one that was already proving its value. People who had come for the song found themselves greeted by something unexpected -
A brand-new upload after months of silence.
The [Death Note] announcement video.
=====
The comments section was spiraling into chaos.
└ @SpaghettiMania: [Idiot! It's from Regal. Regal Seraphsail. The director of [Following]. And it's his handle. SO of course he is gonna upload about his next movie!]
└ @PixelatedPineapple: [But what's with the 'LIE Studio'? ]
Some immediately recognized the name.
└ @GrumpyGravy: [Wait, wait, WAIT!!]
└ @QuantumJunkie: [We.ARE.not.Going.ANYWHERE.]
└ @GrumpyGravy: [I mean, LIE! That handle. I have heard of it before. He is a famous author!]
└ @PixelatedPineapple: [Of course, Regal is a famous author, you dumbass. He is the one who wrote [Harry Potter]!]
└ @GrumpyGravy: [I know that! But that's not what I am saying, he is a famous web novel author. He wrote series like, [ORV] and my favorite [Solo Leveling].]
└ @PixelatedPineapple: [Webnovels? Sorry, pal, I don't read that shit.]
└ @QuantumJunkie: [Hey, I searched about it. Apparently, it is true. 'LIE120' is actually a big-name web novel author. And let me tell you, people are calling him a GOD or something. I don't know how to feel about that… well, other than wanting to check these out for myself.]
└ @SleepySocks: [Wait… I didn't know Regal was a weeb, though…]
└ @TechyTaco: [Don't call him a weeb - he is a MAN of culture.]
└ @GalaxyFanatic: [HOLY MOLY!! Have we finally discovered the real identity of the Legendary Author, LIE120?!! And he is actually a director?! Screw it, I am watching this movie with my boys when it hits theaters.]
└ @TechyTaco: [Keanu is also in the movie? Then it's gonna be MAD!!]
└ @SleepySocks: [Bruh, did you even watch the clip? The dude literally said he ISN'T in the movie!]
└ @HolyMolyHal: [Damn, these posters are insane!!! Also Ross Oakly is part of the film. I mean finally, he is collaborating with some good directors.]
…..
Unaware of the small storm of intrigue, Regal was completely immersed with the final leg before diving into filming.
The only thing that was being delayed was Ryuk's animation.
The 3D model of Ryuk was far from complete - textures were missing, the rigging wasn't fully refined, and the lighting tests barely scratched the surface of what was needed.
Yet, Regal insisted that his movements be finalized first.
The logic was simple - if the actors could react to something already set in motion, the integration between CGI and live-action would feel seamless.
It was a reversed process, unconventional and borderline reckless, but Regal wasn't interested in following standard pipelines. He needed Ryuk to feel tangible, almost intrusive - like he truly existed within the same frame as the actors.
The Unique FX team was pushing their limits, trying to deliver something believable while working with rough wireframes and incomplete shaders. At this stage, Ryuk's form was still a mass of polygons moving with eerie precision, guided by the motion capture data.
It is tough to crack, but he is betting on the VFX Studio to complete the animations as humanly as possible despite how unreal it might be.
I mean, it's -
2010.
The Era of CGI.
Regal, with his knowledge of the future, clearly remembered the standard of CGI Hollywood produced in this era.
It was impressive - polished, cutting-edge, and pushing boundaries.
Yet, he still couldn't comprehend how, in the years to come, CGI would somehow degrade. Films with massive budgets would churn out subpar visuals, riddled with inconsistencies and unfinished effects.
He had his theories.
And the most obvious culprit? Time.
Studios no longer gave their CGI teams the breathing room they needed. Rushed schedules, unrealistic deadlines, and executives who didn't understand the technical side of filmmaking strangled the industry's progress.
Which is why, even before pre-production was completed, Regal had begun modeling Ryuk and the other Shinigami with Unique FX Studio - lead by Leo Woert and David Scott.
Fortunately, for both of them, Regal had already had the character designs - this meant the studio wouldn't have to waste time designing the characters from scratch.
Every detail had already been prepared.
Textures, colors, accessories - everything was neatly drawn on the paper.
There would be no trial and error phase, no back-and-forth on artistic direction. Instead of struggling to match the director's vague vision, the CGI team could focus entirely on execution.
It was a massive load off their shoulders.
…..
[A Week Later]
…..
The Unique FX team started with Rem, the Shinigami with less screen time than Ryuk.
Everything seemed to be progressing smoothly. The models were detailed, the movements fluid, and the rendering.
But soon, a harsh reality became clear: the CGI budget needed to be adjusted.
At their current pace and quality, they were looking at an additional five to six million dollars over their initial estimates.
Since character designs and multiple concept arts were already completed, Unique FX could skip an entire phase of pre-production, reducing their workload by two to three months.
Instead of spending time on conceptual designs and early visual development, the team could immediately move into Modeling & Texturing, which was projected to take three to four months - coinciding perfectly with the film's shooting schedule.
Once filming wrapped, they would move straight into Rigging & Animation, expected to take another one to two months.
However, the real challenge - the reason behind the budget increase - was Rendering & Compositing Ryuk and Rem into the live-action footage.
Unlike animation, where everything exists in the same digital space, live-action integration demanded absolute precision:
Ryuk and Rem had to interact seamlessly with actors and physical objects, often needing multiple re-renders to perfect their movements.
Shadows had to blend naturally, if Ryuk walked under a streetlamp, his shadow needed to stretch and soften just right.
Lighting was another challenge, if a scene took place at sunset, his highlights and reflections had to match the warm, golden hues around him.
These factors made the process significantly more time-consuming and resource-heavy.
The most difficult part? Outdoor shoots.
Since natural light constantly shifted throughout the day, multiple lighting specialists had to be on set during filming - taking detailed notes on sun positioning, intensity, and ambient reflections.
This would allow the CGI team to accurately match Ryuk and Rem lighting to the real-world footage, ensuring they didn't look like unnatural overlays.
In short, while skipping character design had saved months of work, the integration process was proving to be the real financial and technical hurdle.
So, the studio suggested cutting corners - reducing rendering quality, tweaking certain shots, making compromises.
However, Regal immediately shut the idea down.
Instead, he provided a different suggestion.
He would forgo his paycheck - almost as if this had been the plan all along.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
Author Note:
Visit Patreon to instantly access +1 chapter for free, available to Free Members as well.
For additional content, please do support me and gain access to +10 more chapters.
–> p@treon.com/OrgoWriters