Just as pure were Mona and the artists from Four Seasons Studio—those working on paint, special effects makeup, and all kinds of concept design. Maybe it was because my curiosity was so obvious, but just two or three weeks after I arrived in Huangdao, Jeremy (our on-set VFX supervisor at the time) gave me a task: take the Ricoh 360 camera and visit all the workshops—woodwork, metalwork, large props, small props, costumes—and document their working process. Officially, it was for “reference for our VFX work in post.” Looking back, 25-year-old me was really fearless—like a newborn calf unaware of tigers. I actually went from one department to the next, taking pictures and telling them I needed them for work. I don’t even remember how I convinced them, but after visiting over twenty different workshops, I came to understand how they truly practiced the art of slow, careful craftsmanship. And I—impatient by nature—used to complain about how slowly and meticulously they worked.

Now I see: that level of patience is a rare and precious quality in today’s world. At the time, the production manager wanted to know why our department insisted on buying some expensive imported green screen instead of using a local brand. Jeremy had Wendy set up an experiment on the rooftop: three different green and blue screens, left to weather wind and rain. Every few days, we’d add a new piece of each material and mark the date on it. More than just purity—there was also rigor. Jeremy was meticulous. Everyone on our team was meticulous.