Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 474 Shooting
The story begins in 2013:
On August 2013, 8, the wormhole appeared for the first time, and the first Kaiju "invader" landed in San Francisco, wreaking havoc on the city.

At first, the military used traditional firepower to attack for a week, but to no avail. In desperation, the military launched three nuclear bombs at the monster before it was destroyed.

However, the pollution caused by the monster's blood and the radiation produced by the nuclear bomb also completely reduced San Francisco to ruins. People called this incident the San Francisco Incident and named the day of the monster invasion "K-Day".

It was also from this day that monsters continued to appear and humans faced challenges concerning their survival.

On February 2014, 2, the second invasion occurred when the Kaiju attacked Manila in the Philippines, and humans were once again forced to use nuclear bombs.

On June 2014, 6, the third invasion occurred, and the Kaiju "Kaisip" attacked San Lucas, Mexico. Humans still had no choice but to use nuclear bombs to solve the problem.

This was the first monster to leave an intact corpse, and humans towed it away using an aircraft carrier.

On September 2014, 9, the fourth invasion, Kaiju "Cutter" attacked Sydney, Australia.

The Australian military lured "Cutter" away from the city of Sydney and used two nuclear bombs to destroy it, thus saving Sydney.

After this, humans realized that the invasion of monsters was constant, and the damage caused to cities by nuclear bombs was irreversible, so they needed to create new weapons to fight them. So the PPDC we are familiar with was established, with its headquarters in Hong Kong.

At the Seoul Summit on September 2014, 9, scientist Gaspar Sheffield proposed the use of mechas to fight monsters. Everyone present approved the proposal, and the "Hunter Project" was officially established.

Subsequently, mecha bases were set up in Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Tokyo and other places to deal with invasions from all over the world, and humans officially entered the mecha age.

In order to fight against monsters, humans began to create monsters of their own.

In December of the same year, Dr. Catherine developed the Pons system for human-machine connection.

On January 2015, 1, the first mecha in history, "Yukon the Tideboy", began testing, and U.S. Air Force Captain Casey Adam conducted the first human-machine link test.

Since there was only one person operating the vehicle, nerve overload occurred, the test failed, and the driver died.

On February 2015, 2, the "draft synaesthesia system" that can synchronize the thinking of two pilots was successfully developed. It was also from this time that the mecha began to be driven by two people simultaneously.

On April 2015, 4, the Kaiju "Karov" attacked Vancouver, Canada, and "Trendy Yukon" defeated the monster. This was the first time that humans defeated monsters with mechas, proving that this approach is feasible.

On July 7 of the same year, the Hunter Academy was founded on Kdiak Island, and humans began to train mecha pilots on a large scale.

On December 2015, 12, the Broken Dome Base in Hong Kong was officially put into use. PPDC has a total of eight such bases in the Pacific Rim region for the repair and maintenance of mechas.

The base is fully equipped with a large amount of military supplies, which can quickly deliver mechas to the battlefield.

At the same time, the "Invisible Ronin" was manufactured in Japan and was the first mecha officially put into service by mankind.

On December 2015, 12, "Blue Romeo" was produced in the United States, the slowest mecha in human history.

On December 2015, 12, the "Horizon Warrior" was produced in China, the earliest mass-produced mecha.

On December 2015, 12, the "Tango Wolf" was produced in Japan.

In the same year, "Cherno Alfa" was produced in Russia.

In 2016, the development of the second-generation mecha began. The "Dark Interceptor" and "Sun Prophet" were shipped in South America, the "Puma" was shipped in North America, the "Eden Assassin" was shipped in Russia, and the "Lucky Seven" was shipped in China.

On May 2016, 5, the "devil witch" attacked Tokyo, Japan, killing millions of people.

"Tango Wolf" went into battle, and the Chinese mecha "Horizon Warrior" assisted. The pilot of "Horizon Warrior" was Hu Weiguo, who later became the commander of the Dome Base.

During the battle, the "Tango Wolf" was destroyed, and Hu Weiguo drove the "Horizon Warrior" to defeat the "Devil Witch".

Hu Weiguo's partner died and he himself was also injured, leaving him with serious sequelae. He retired from the front line and became an instructor at the Hunter Academy.

The three siblings of the Fan family also joined the Hunter Academy at this time.

This was followed by several more monster attacks.

On June 2016, 6, "Tucker" attacked Tokyo, and the "Invisible Ronin" went into battle and killed the monster.

On July 2016, 7, "Ragnarok" attacked Tokyo again. The "Invisible Ronin" was still under repair, so "Victory Alpha" had to take the lead in the battle. Unfortunately, it was destroyed by the monster. The driver of the "Invisible Ronin" had to take the risk to fight again, and finally died together with the monster.

Also in 2016, the Kaiju "Avenger" invaded Hong Kong and was later killed by the Chinese mecha "Lucky Seven".

The skulls of the "Avengers" were transformed into temples for people to worship, while the body parts were processed by Hannibal Zhou's black market organization.

PPDC also secretly signed an agreement with Hannibal Zhou to sell the mining rights of the monster corpses to Hannibal Zhou.

Later, PPDC also discovered the wormhole on the seabed and planned to destroy it, but unfortunately this attempt ended in failure.

On July 2017, 7, the third-generation mecha hunter "Danger Wanderer" was completed in Alaska, the United States.

On September 2017, 9, the "Matador's Fury" was manufactured in Mexico, and its drivers were two serious criminals in prison.

On October 2017, 10, the Kaiju "Yamalan" attacked Los Angeles, USA. The Beckett brothers successfully defeated the monster in the "Danger Wanderer". This was their first mission and a great success.

In the same year, the "Shaolin Ranger" was manufactured in China and the "Vulcan Ghost" was manufactured in Canada.

In 2018, the fourth-generation mecha "Storm Crimson" was manufactured in China, "Nova Titan" was manufactured in South Korea, "Echo Sabre" was manufactured in Japan, and "Mammoth Apostle" was manufactured in the United States.

At this time, the number of mechas reached its peak, and the mechas and their drivers became contemporary Internet celebrities, attracting global attention.

On May 2019, 5, the Kaiju "Tiangou" attacked Hong Kong and was defeated by "Storm Red".

On November 2019, 11, the fifth-generation mecha "Eureka Raider" was produced in Australia. It was the most advanced mecha at the time.

On December 2019, 12, the first level 22 monster "Manila" appeared.

"Danger Wanderer", "Eureka Raider" and "Storm Crimson", three mechas surrounded and suppressed them, completing the first beautiful team battle.

On February 2020, 2, the "Sickle Head" invaded Shanghai, and the "Shaolin Ranger" took the lead in meeting the enemy, but was unfortunately destroyed.

Then the Fan brothers and sisters arrived in the "Storm Red"...

Qingcheng Wuji was reading with great interest when the post suddenly came to an end.

Gone?

How come it disappeared suddenly?
Qingcheng Wuji thought it was a refresh problem, so he exited several times and it was still the same.

Looking at the comments under the post, everyone is cursing, it seems he is not the only one who has been cheated.

Are you kidding me?

It disappeared when I was watching it with great interest~
I've taken off my pants and this is what you show me?
Is the author a eunuch?
Various vicious words appeared one after another, and Qingcheng Wuji just felt that heroes thought alike.

But no matter how much you curse, it’s gone.

After waiting for a long time, I didn't see any intention of continuing to post.

Finally, someone who understood the situation pointed out the key.

"That's it. It's probably because the following content involves the movie and can't be spoiled, so it can't be posted..."

Everyone suddenly realized~
But I've already been itching.

Oh shit, I saw an announcement from Star Entertainment, and Pacific Rim won’t be released until the end of the year. Will this hook keep me hooked for a year?
I also want to curse, but I'm really looking forward to it~
Qingcheng Wuji sent two replies swearing, and then started to move the content.

This post may be immoral, but it is really nice.

Even if it is a banned post, it will definitely attract attention if it is moved to Zhang Chen Bar.

Sure enough, not long after the posts were moved, construction began here.

However, this time the person being scolded became Qingcheng Wuji.

Who made him the poster?

……

At Xingchen Entertainment, Chen Xiaowei stood behind a computer with a cup of coffee, looking at various statistics with the publicity and promotion specialist.

"Sister Chen, the feedback on the Chronicles is very good. Basically, it became popular as soon as it was released. We didn't even need to guide the topic. The netizens are very active..."

"That's good. Remember to keep observing and publish the second chapter in three days... By the way, have you contacted the comic company?"

"It's all done. We have prepared 200,000 copies of the first edition and have distributed them to all major outlets. They will go on sale this Saturday~"

"Well, keep an eye on this area and report back if anything happens~"

After saying this, Chen Xiaowei walked back to her office.

Zhang Chen was only concerned with filming in Hengdian and had no time to take care of publicity.

All publicity is released by the company bit by bit according to plan.

Chronicle is the first step~
Seeing the current popularity, she couldn't help but admire Zhang Chen's vision.

The chronicle was something that Zhang Chen strongly advocated for development.

At first, no one took this thing seriously, thinking it was just a promotion for the comics, but they didn't expect it to spark such a heated discussion.

As a woman, she really didn't understand what these people were so excited about.

The so-called chronicle is obviously false.

But these people are very excited.

A few days ago, they posted a message about how much it would cost to build a Storm Red, and there were actually people who provided some evidence to support this.

Zhang Chen was completely unaware of the turmoil in the outside world.

Zhang Chen is concentrating on filming.

Opposite him was the cockpit of Storm Red.

In the cockpit, Fan Xiaopang and the other two were performing hard.

He waved his hands, raised his legs, and made various movements, with an expression of effort on his face.

This expression is not acted out, it really shows how hard it is.

The combat uniforms they are wearing are now linked to the hydraulic system of the cockpit. Every stroke is doing work on the hydraulic system. Only those who have tasted it know how it feels.

The three of them performed the movements as they had rehearsed, and only felt a slight soreness in their arms.

Zhang Chen outside yelled "click" again~
Behind the monitor, Zhang Chen frowned and stared at the screen.

The three of them looked at each other and thought, this wave of suffering was in vain again.

Seeing that Zhang Chen didn't say anything, the special effects director and art director came over and asked, "Any questions, director?"

Zhang Chen didn't even look at them, muttering, "Something's wrong, I always feel something's wrong, something seems to be wrong, but I can't put my finger on it~"

The two of them came over and watched the replay together, but no one could figure out what Zhang Chen was dissatisfied with.

"Can you guys help me take a look? I always feel like something is wrong, but I can't put my finger on it..."

Barry and Drizzt looked at each other and saw confusion in each other's eyes.

When making a movie, I am afraid of encountering this kind of director. He doesn’t rely on his eyes to find problems, but on his feelings.

For a moment, none of the three spoke, and the environment at the scene became a little strange.

At this time, Guo Fan's voice suddenly sounded from behind: "Is the problem the aging? I think the combat uniforms and the equipment in the cockpit are too new~"

"Yes~"

Guo Fan's words really hit the nail on the head.

It’s all about making it look old.

The entire cockpit, whether it is the objects in the cockpit or the white combat armor worn by the three people, is so new~
It looks like it just came out of the factory and still smells like fresh paint.

"Storm Red is not a new mecha. It has participated in several battles and has also undergone regular training. Therefore, the devices in the mecha should have many signs of use, such as wear and tear, and paint peeling..."

Art director John Barry snapped his fingers: "OK, got it, give me some time~"

Then Barry called his team together for a meeting, and a few moments later, they started to work.

Use a file to remove some of the paint to create a long-lasting wear and tear look.

And full consideration has been given to details, such as the connection between the driver and the cockpit such as the hands and feet, all of which have been treated for wear.

This is also more in line with the actual situation.

Zhang Chen watched their actions and nodded. It must be said that these people are indeed professionals. The things they modified really look very similar.

About half an hour later, everything was done.

Zhang Chen took a closer look at the effect and was very satisfied.

After they made it look old, the effect was immediately different. It looked like a medieval castle, rusty but full of futuristic feeling.

And it has the flavor of Soviet heavy industry.

"OK, let's do it again, starting from the last shot, when you were wearing the outer armor~"

The previous shot was of the three siblings putting on outer armor with the help of staff, installing neural connection units, and then entering the cockpit to establish a connection with the Hunter mecha.

These shots include a lot of close-ups of combat uniforms and cockpits.

If it wasn’t aged before, it would be easy to expose the flaws, so it had to be re-shot.

The stage manager hits the board and shouts action~
Fan Xiaopang and the other two stood there motionless, allowing the staff to help them install their breastplates.

The front and rear chest armor are closed, a neuron connection system is installed, and a helmet is worn.

Then the entire combat suit was activated, and the neuron connection system on the back lit up green lights one by one, becoming one with the combat suit.

At the same time, the yellow liquid in the helmet mask gradually dropped, symbolizing that the helmet had become one with the combat uniform.

During this process, one can clearly see the various wear marks on the combat uniforms, and it is obvious that the three men are experienced warriors.

"Click~"

Zhang Chen checked the monitor playback, then waved his hand happily: "Pass~"

This scene has been rehearsed several times, so we can get it done in one go this time.

In the next scene, various devices in the originally dark cockpit light up one by one, and a high-tech cockpit appears in the camera.

Then the pneumatic door began to reduce pressure and opened immediately, allowing the three siblings of the Fan family to enter.

The three connecting devices lowered the altitude, and Fan Xiaopang and the other two began to connect to the cockpit.

First, the legs, then the feet step into the driving seat and the buckle closes automatically.

The arms are similar, with hydraulic rods automatically connecting to the armor on the body.

During the entire connection process, you can see the entire cockpit and various vintage details.

Just this one shot can show how brutal Storm Red’s previous battles were.

"Click~"

Zhang Chen carefully checked the playback, paying attention to every detail.

Several more problems were pointed out and Barry continued to make remedial efforts.

During the next few days of filming, John Barry thoroughly understood Zhang Chen's working style. He liked to pay attention to details and was very particular about them.

Zhang Chen especially likes to discuss various details of aging with him, and has unique insights into the location and use of colors for aging.

Zhang Chen calls this style "Soviet heavy industrial style", but Barry prefers to call it "Gothic technology style".

Who cares? So far, the two of them have the same understanding.

Regardless of the name, Barry is at least certain of one thing: he is certain that "Pacific Rim" will be an excellent movie and will definitely stand out among the many science fiction movies that rely too much on lighting effects.

He had seen Zhang Chen's storyboards, and combined with the "Soviet heavy industry style", those mechas definitely presented a mountain-like sense of oppression.

In his experience, for a science fiction movie, as long as the science fiction part is done well, a slight improvement in other aspects will not affect the overall quality.

"Pacific Rim" gave him a very alternative feeling, a bit like the "Starship Troopers" he participated in that year.

"Starship Troopers" is also excellent. The monster's appearance was considered alternative at the time, and the director's design of military elements was also very bold.

The military uniforms of the Earth Federation use a "field gray" color similar to that of the German army, and the camera style also borrows heavily from the Nazi propaganda film "Triumph of the Will", creating an effect similar to that of a political propaganda film, with a strong totalitarian style.

Unfortunately, the movie didn’t do well at the box office and was criticized by the Jews.

At night, Zhang Chen held a meeting with the heads of various departments.

They hold such meetings every day.

He must ensure that everyone agrees with his ideas to avoid cognitive errors.

"This is tomorrow's shooting schedule. Everyone, take a look. If you have any objections, please raise them~"

Guo Fan distributed the next day's shooting plan one by one.

Shooting plans are made to be disobeyed.

There were too many unexpected situations during the actual shooting process.

It is simply impossible to strictly follow the shooting plan.

For example, if an actor takes a temporary leave, his shooting plan will have to be adjusted.

Or if there is a problem with the props and they need to be re-customized, then we have to shoot other scenes first.

But Pacific Rim doesn’t need that.

The advantage of shooting with a full green screen is that the impact is very small.

As long as there is nothing wrong with the actors, there won't be any big problems.

So will there be any problems with the actors?

Very good!
For example, the cockpit scene we filmed these two days was so thrilling.

Normal filming is fine, as long as the actors perform normally.

But when it comes to combat, things are complicated.

When the mecha is attacked, the hydraulic press will cause the cockpit to swing violently left and right. The actors' feet are in contact with solid physical materials, and they are also wearing heavy armor.

Although there was a hydraulic rod connection, an accident still happened.

During one swing, the device responsible for fixing it broke, and Zhang Mo was thrown out and injured.

Fortunately, the injury was not serious, otherwise Zhang Guoli would have come to visit the set with a kitchen knife.

In addition, there are too many things to simulate in the cockpit, sparks, lightning, weightlessness, collision...

With so many things mixed together, Zhang Chen was really afraid that something might happen again.

Even though the props team assured him again and again that there would be no problems, Zhang Chen still shot very carefully.

The most important thing the director team does every day is to remind everyone to pay attention to safety.

When talking about special effects, Edlan asked the question in his mind:

"How do you want to design Honghuang's appearance?"

"What do you think of letting it have a spiritual connection with the heroine, and letting the heroine encounter a crisis, transform into a wild form, and then rush to the battlefield?"

"I think it's okay."

“But I think there is one thing that might be criticized by the audience?”

"what?"

"The way the Hunter mecha is deployed to the battlefield is by helicopter. So far, the helicopter with the largest load capacity seems to have a maximum load capacity of only 40 tons, while the Hunter mecha is generally between 1800 and 2000 tons..."

Zhang Chen had realized this a long time ago, but there was no good solution yet, so he had to put it aside for the time being.

……

In the blink of an eye, the New Year is approaching
This year's New Year must be celebrated in Hengdian.

Many people have greeted their families in advance, and Zhang Chen is no exception, but when the time comes, he still misses home.

On New Year's Eve, the crew will not stop filming, and everything will go according to the schedule, but they will start a little earlier and finish work at around four in the afternoon.

Then start preparing for the New Year.

Although it was a rushed performance, the sense of ritual was still there.

At night, we will have New Year's Eve dinner together, eating dumplings and glutinous rice balls~
Hengdian is particularly lively during the Chinese New Year, even more lively than ordinary places.

This place is a tourist area and there are various programs during the New Year.

There is no situation where you can’t find a place to eat during the Chinese New Year.

After the 30th, there is no holiday on the first day of the new year.

It's impossible to take a holiday.

For a film crew of two to three thousand people, the daily expenses for food, drink, and defecation alone are quite a lot. It is impossible for them to take a holiday or stop working just because of a festival.

Generally speaking, once a larger crew starts work, everyone is like boarding a high-speed train that will not stop until they reach the station.

The only thing we have to do is to actively cooperate and work together to complete the filming as soon as possible.

Of course, I will send red envelopes~
Not much, just one hundred per person.

What is different from usual is that during the break, everyone is making phone calls to wish their parents and elders a happy new year.
You may not think much of the New Year when you spend it at home.

But once you are not at home, you will care about it especially.

This may also be something in the genes of the Chinese people, otherwise there would not be a large-scale migration of 90 billion people.

Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
From the greetings, you can easily tell whether someone in the crew is from the south or the north.

The two people who smiled at each other today might have been arguing last night about whether to eat dumplings or glutinous rice balls.

(End of this chapter)