Hyper-realistic self-carving pumpkin animation in Blender

GOAL: In Blender, make a short, hyper-realistic video of a pumpkin carving itself into a jack-o'-lantern. MOTION: The pumpkin: very detailed and realistic, with ribs, skin bumps, a curly dry stem, subtle blemishes and real-looking flesh. It sits on a wooden board against a soft, warm cream studio backdrop with soft daylight lighting. Start: the pumpkin just sits there for a moment. Never start on black. Carving: a kitchen knife with no hands flies in and carves on its own. First it cuts the zigzag lid, which lifts off with stringy pulp and lands to the side. Then it carves the eyes, the nose and a toothy grin. Each piece pushes out with real physics and tumbles onto the board. Show the inner flesh, pulp and seeds. Keep it fast and satisfying. Light-up: a lit tea-light candle drops inside and the lid goes back on. The studio lights dim to dark while the carved face glows warm orange from inside with a real flicker. Hold on the glowing face for 3-4 seconds. Camera: close on the pumpkin with a slow, small drift. No wide shots. Sound: real sound effects only: knife cuts, squishy pulp, pieces thudding, a match strike and a soft candle crackle. Add spooky, playful Halloween music underneath. Render in Cycles at 1080x1350 (4:5), about 16 seconds.