(Arthur POV)
While everyone's gawking at the Hellfire VFX Studio's handiwork, one of the demon operators pulls me aside. "Boss, maintaining this state is costly. We should start filming or shut it down."
Right. Can't forget the bottom line. "Got it," I nod, then turn to the crew. "Alright, people! Let's get moving. We're burning daylight and magic cores here!"
The team snaps to attention, and we dive into the Mordor scenes. Ugo, decked out in Sauron's armor, looks like he's about to topple over. But he's a trooper, and we make good progress.
Days fly by, and I've got to admit, this VFX studio is a game-changer. We're saving a ton on logistics and effort. But my wallet's feeling the pinch. An hour of illusion backdrop sets me back a hundred bucks. It's like watching money evaporate.
We're burning through C-Grade magic cores like they're going out of style. A hundred dollars a pop, and they barely last an hour. I'm on the hunt for B-Grade cores - they'd give us five solid hours for three hundred dollars. A better deal, but they're as rare as a friendly Balrog these days.
Between takes, I've been checking on "Harry Potter" sales. The book's doing well, flying off shelves. It's not exactly a phenomenon yet, but there's a growing fanbase. They're all curious about this mysterious "J.K." who penned it. If they only knew it was the "infamous prince" behind it all.
"Harry Potter" has brought in about twenty grand so far. It's no "Demonfather" blockbuster, but for a new book, it's nothing to sneeze at.
For context, the kingdom's bestseller, "Primal Evil" - some pulpy tale about Satan's evil offspring - rakes in 500k annually. But even that didn't hit 20k in sales when it first dropped. The critics are buzzing, calling "Harry Potter" the next big thing. Not bad for a side project.
***
Weeks have flown by, and we're in the home stretch of filming. But we've hit a snag with the Balrog and dragon scenes.
My fancy VFX studio can morph the backdrop, sure, but it can't conjure up a moving, breathing creature. The ground and walls just can't mimic the intricacies of a body in motion.
But I'm not one to back down from a challenge. After some tinkering and consulting with illusion experts, we've stumbled onto something interesting. Turns out, we can draw runes and cast illusion spells on animals.
We tested it on one of the elephants. Drew some runes, muttered a few incantations, and presto - we've got ourselves a pretty convincing monster. It's not perfect, but it's a hell of a lot better than trying to wrangle an actual dragon.
As I watch our transformed elephant lumber around, looking decidedly more menacing than usual, I can't help but grin.
Klein speaks up, his tone measured. "Boss, we've been training this elephant for weeks now. I'd say he's become decent at acting."
"Decent?" George scoffs. "An animal that can act isn't something you see every day. The elephant's a great actor, if you ask me."
I nod, considering their points. "George has a point. But Ron still needs work to nail the Balrog role. He's close, though."
Ron, the elephant I've been training to play Balrog, trumpets softly as if in agreement. We've burned through a small fortune in magic cores for his training, but if he pulls this off, it'll be worth every penny.
Meanwhile, our Wind Parrot has been surprising us all with its dragon performance. Its talent for imitation is proving invaluable.
I glance at the latest report from Gloomstone Forest. The trolls we hired to control the ancient trees for our Ent scenes just wrapped yesterday. Another piece of the puzzle falling into place.
"Alright," I say, turning back to the team. "Let's run through Ron's scene one more time. And someone make sure he doesn't snack on the set this time."
***
As December draws to a close, we've finally wrapped filming on "Lord of the Rings". It's been a hell of a ride, costing us about 15 million dollars - and that's not even counting the VFX Studio.
I'm saying my goodbyes to the cast when I reach Firfel. "I'll definitely miss your lips," I say with a grin.
Firfel rolls her eyes. "Those kissing scenes... you're one shameless director, you know that?"
"You didn't hate it though, right?" I chuckle.
She's quiet for a moment, then looks at me seriously. "I've been meaning to ask... do you have feelings for me?"
My heart skips a beat, but I'm a demon, damn it. I don't get intimidated. "What if I do?" I shoot back. "You're quite a beauty in my eyes."
Firfel's eyes widen, clearly caught off guard.
Feeling bold, I press on. "Would you consider a relationship with this great demon?"
She looks conflicted. "Sorry, but... I want to focus on my career right now."
Oddly, I'm not disappointed. Her response leaves the door open. "Oh? So you're saying there's a chance?"
"Stop it," Firfel laughs, swatting my arm.
"Firfel, what's taking you so long?" Shafel calls from a distance.
Firfel glances back, then turns to me. "Well, see you around." She walks off with Shafel.
I can't help but smile as I head back to the studio with my team.
Lilith pipes up, sounding exhausted. "Boss, are we pulling all-nighters for editing again?"
"Not this time," I say. "We've got an easier editing process ahead."
Their eyes light up. "So no overtime?"
"Well, not exactly," I clarify, watching their faces fall. "But don't worry. I've got an editing tool that'll speed things up."
"Editing tool?" my team echoes, curiosity piqued as we enter the studio.
I nod to George, who disappears for a moment before wheeling out our invention.
The team gathers around, eyeing the contraption with a mix of confusion and interest. "Is that our editing tool, boss?" someone asks, sounding skeptical.
"Yes," I confirm, gesturing to the film strips nearby. "I've prepared binary code to program the editing process. The computer will process the uploaded files, but we'll still need to manually fine-tune everything. It's not perfect - we'll need to double-check its work and make adjustments - but it should speed things up considerably."
Their eyes widen as they process this information.
"I didn't know something like this existed," one of them mutters.
I can't help but feel a hint of pride as I explain, "That's because it didn't until now. George and I created this editing tool. We're the only studio with this technology."
The surprise on their faces deepens. I can almost see the gears turning in their heads as they consider the implications.
"So... we're not out of a job, right?" Zeke asks, only half-joking.
I laugh. "Far from it. We still need your expertise to make this work. Think of it as a very clever assistant, not a replacement."
***
As the calendar flips to 1272, there's a palpable sense of change in the air. The new year ushers in a new era for the picture industry, with colored films becoming more and more common. It's a far cry from the black and white world we left behind.
Days blur together as we hunker down in the editing room, piecing together our epic. The new tool is a godsend, but it still requires our constant attention and creativity.
I'm deep in concentration, debating between two cuts of a particularly tricky scene, when there's a commotion outside. Curious, I make my way to the lobby, only to be greeted by an unexpected sight.
Lucy Morningstar, my elder sister, stands there, tapping her foot impatiently. Her presence is as commanding as ever, filling the room with an almost palpable aura of authority.
"You've finally deigned to show up," she says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You've made me wait long enough."
I blink, momentarily thrown off balance. It's been... well, I can't even remember the last time I saw Lucy. What could possibly bring her here now?
"Lucy," I manage, trying to keep my voice neutral. "This is... unexpected. What brings you to our humble studio?"
Her eyes narrow, and I can practically feel her gaze burning through me. Whatever this is about, I have a feeling it's not a social call.