Guest blogger Jane, who made the short film Nanjing Road, shares her director’s commentary and production notes exclusively with Mer-chan. Get updates on her film here at nanjing.mer-chan.com

Many people have asked, “Jane, what is this giangxi that you’re talking about? I have no idea what that is!” A ginaxi is a type of Chinese demon that sometime gets translated as a vampire. But giangxi are not like coolly lustful western vampires. Gianxi are the unsettled dead. They have their own set of conventions dictated by folklore and Hong Kong film studios.

Jingle, as the gianxi, had to go by the rules of our film. He can’t bend at the knees because of rigor mortis, the bane of the undead. I made him hop for 2 hours in 98° degree (30° C) weather. 100% humidity. Just to get this shot, which I later cut. Kind of makes up for him dumping me.