Li Wei had originally thought that once he dealt with the trouble at Third Haven, he would be able to enjoy a leisurely vacation.
Now, however, it seemed his days at Third Haven had been the vacation.
This was the world's first film, and as the only person who knew how to make one, Li Wei had to handle practically everything himself. After casting came locations, props, costumes, and the all-important special effects equipment. Li Wei found several wooden warships from the latter part of that era through the military. They were either badly dilapidated or already dismantled, but their keels were still intact, so he asked the military to find people to restore them. He had no other requirements, as long as they could float.
As for the giant sea monster, Li Wei commissioned a steam machinery company to manufacture specialized tentacles. Naturally, they would later be disguised with custom rubber coverings. The machinery would still be somewhat stiff, but the Beauty God's illusions should make up for that shortcoming.
For the music, Li Wei hired the Empire's famous Philharmonic Orchestra. Recording sound was actually relatively simple. The Empire even had portable tape recorders, after all, so there was no shortage of similar recording equipment. Li Wei made the rounds and settled on several suppliers, which more or less took care of everything.
Precisely because of this, Li Wei had been run off his feet lately. Frankly, he sometimes found it rather depressing.
I'm not being modest here. I'm just a detective. How did I end up making a movie?
But then Li Wei reconsidered. As long as this became an instant hit, cinema would have put down roots in the Empire, and more films were sure to follow-just like Imperial Comics now. Iron Legion had finished its run