Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 378 You were just a hair's breadth away

Cao Yang plans to divide the filming of "Love in the Seaside City" into two parts.

This film employs a non-linear narrative structure, interweaving the protagonist's past and present to create a time-space interweaving effect.

This narrative style not only reveals the protagonist's traumatic memories but also suggests his inability to escape the predicament of the past.

However, filming certainly cannot follow the order in which the movie is shown, nor can it interweave the past and the present.

Generally, shooting is done according to the scene, which saves time, money, and energy.

Although Cao Yang also filmed according to the scene, he filmed them separately, with the key point being before and after the male protagonist's house accidentally caught fire in the movie.

Before the accident, the male protagonist was a cheerful, ordinary person.

This is the brightest color in the entire film, mainly warm tones: light green walls, yellow clothes and sheets, and colorful towels, toys, and so on in the house.

After the accident, the male protagonist shuts himself off, and the movie becomes dull and depressing.

The film's visual style is dominated by cool tones, with a large amount of gray, blue, and white creating a cold and oppressive atmosphere.

This color tone not only matches the theme of the film, but also intensifies the protagonist's inner loneliness and pain.

Cao Yang's decision to shoot separately according to this timeline also had its purpose.

There wasn't much screen time before the accidental fire, so the actors just needed to perform normally. When Cao Yang wasn't planning to film that part of the scene, he would let the actors add their own experiences to the role.

To be more specific, when filming this scene, we did not plan to let Jackie Chan participate in the acting experience.

However, in order to better portray the male lead's state, Cao Yang plans to increase the "dosage" in the later episodes.

The male lead's personality and emotions are severely inconsistent from beginning to end. This movie is already depressing and gloomy enough, and Cao Yang is worried that adding an immersive experience from the beginning might actually cause Jackie Chan to have a mental breakdown.

Therefore, it is still necessary to shoot in two parts.

The plot before the accidental fire was very limited, except for a scene where he went out to sea with his brother and nephew; it was almost entirely indoor scenes.

There's no need to film this scene in Hong Kong; it can be filmed in the studio at the Qingying Film Studio, and the room has already been set up.

Because the requirements for this scene were not high, the filming went very smoothly without too many difficulties.

Everyone was laughing and joking, and the filming was finished in just three days.

Currently, the entire crew consists almost entirely of staff from the Beijing Film Academy, with most being existing members. Even the twenty or so interns are all students from the Beijing Film Academy. Therefore, there is no need for the adjustment and testing process that other newly established film crews have.

There wasn't much backstabbing or infighting either.

There are no group fights like some film crews do – in most film crews, after the director hires the cinematographer, lighting technician, etc., these cinematographers and lighting technicians will recruit or bring their own people in.

Sometimes, even minor issues, such as conflicts between staff from one department and staff from another, can escalate into large-scale brawls involving the entire department.

This kind of thing is actually quite common.

This kind of thing definitely wouldn't happen with Cao Yang's crew. His old crew members are either employees of Qingying Film Studio or teachers from Beijing Film Academy. In any case, they are all from the Beijing Film Academy system, so of course those kinds of things wouldn't happen.

Jackie Chan felt very relaxed from the first day of filming, mainly because the atmosphere on set was excellent, which was undoubtedly very beneficial for the filming of the movie.

So after filming these specific scenes in three days, Jackie Chan was still thinking that the atmosphere on set was really good, no wonder Director Cao was able to make so many classic movies.

Such a working environment can reduce a lot of trouble, allowing the director to avoid wasting too much energy on managing the trivial matters of the crew.

"I'm sure I'll be able to complete the next shoot easily and enjoyably."

Cheng Long made a beautiful vision.

After filming these scenes, many of the subsequent scenes that took place in Hong Kong, especially those that were indoor scenes or single-scene scenes, were all filmed at the Ching Motion Picture Corporation.

Some scenes were filmed in Hong Kong, but not too many; overall, there were fewer scenes filmed overseas.

The male lead's fear of being reminded of past emotions was also an attempt to escape. After combining the opinions of the location producer and assistant director who had conducted on-site inspections, Cao Yang finally chose Quebec City in Quebec Province, Canada, which is also a favorite filming location for Hollywood.

The reasons are twofold: first, there are numerous photography studios here, and labor costs are almost half that of the United States; second, the tax credit policy here is very generous—you can get a minimum tax credit of 20%.

If you hire local workers to meet the minimum standards, you can also get an additional 16% tax credit for labor costs.

Many scenes in Cao Yang's film "Inception" were filmed in a studio built in Quebec.

The overall cost of filming here is lower than in the UK.

In addition, Quebec has a humid continental climate, characterized by extreme cold and heavy snowfall. The average annual snowfall is approximately 303 centimeters, making it one of the regions with the highest snowfall.

Furthermore, Quebec usually experiences snowfall in late October, which aligns with the protagonist's working environment abroad.

The next scene to be filmed was the male lead's state after the accident, but Cao Yang did not immediately let Cheng Long join in the role.

As an actor working with you for the first time, you need to gradually make him realize that his success is not because his acting skills are really that good, but because of the director's guidance, direction, and appropriate coaching.

The first scene we're filming today is an indoor scene. It's in the basement where the male lead lives while working in Quebec. Lao Tian, ​​who plays his brother, brings his son to visit him and buys him a sofa and other furniture.

The actor who played the young "nephew" was the son of a teacher at the Beijing Film Academy. Since he was the right age, Cao Yang cast him.

As viewers, we may sometimes lament that many of the so-called "second-generation stars" or "second-generation actors" have been acting since they were young, which is unfair to other actors.

Or perhaps it's because his father or mother is so-and-so.

Undeniably, his father or mother being a certain person is definitely part of the reason.

But there is another reason. These "second-generation" actors, whose parents are actors or stars, may have been exposed to acting from a young age. As a result, they can act freely and without hesitation or helplessness, and they can also move around the scenes well.

This saved the director a lot of trouble.

Child actors are often the biggest headache for directors, taking up a lot of time and effort. The more anxious you are, the more confused the director may become.

"Old Tian, ​​do you think he'll get scolded?"

Gu Changwei put his arm around Lao Tian's shoulder, gestured towards Cheng Long, who was memorizing his lines, and asked in a low voice.

"Nonsense, the upcoming filming will require a lot of emotions and micro-expressions. Him? It's not that I look down on his acting skills, he does have some acting skills, but I estimate he's still two streets away from meeting Cao Yang's requirements."

Old Tian smacked his lips, speaking without hesitation.

Then, as if realizing something, Lao Tian looked at Lao Gu sideways and asked, "You old rascal, do you know something?"

He leaned closer to Old Gu and whispered, "Did Cao Yang say that we don't need to actually shoot today to waste film? That kid has done this more than once or twice. Is it the same this time?"

"you guess?"

Old Gu said with a smile.

"What's the point of guessing?"

Old Tian muttered something, then continued, "That Cao Yang kid is really strange. Digital cameras are all the rage now, they save film, and many movies are using them, so why doesn't he like to use them?"

"Can that stuff compare to the texture of film? Commercial films don't need that much texture, so it's okay to use it, but art films are all about contrast, texture, and color, so they definitely still have to use film."

Old Gu retorted without any politeness.

"Hey, I was just saying, what are you arguing about? I'm a fucking Golden Lion director, do you think I don't understand this? Do you know what a Golden Lion director is? The one in front of you is one."

Old Tian slapped away Old Gu's hand that was around his shoulder and swayed as he walked toward the dressing room.

Although we knew that what we were filming today might be "unnecessary," we still had to go through the necessary procedures. We couldn't let Jackie Chan know that everyone didn't think highly of his performance and was ganging up on him to "fool" him.

"Ah!"

Old Gu caught up with Old Tian in two shots, nudged him with his shoulder, and said, "Do you know what a two-time Oscar winner for Best Cinematography is? Do you know who is the best cinematographer in Asia and among the top five in the world? The one in front of you is one."

After saying that, Old Gu tossed his head and left.

According to the plan, the first shot to be filmed today is very simple.

The background is that the male protagonist is approached by a girl in a bar, but he doesn't respond and gets into a fight with two other bar patrons. The scene to be filmed is him returning to his residence.

There were no lines; Jackie Chan simply had to open the door and come in with a blank expression, then sit down. The scene was filmed in two separate shots, lasting only about twenty seconds in total.

This shot conveys the message that the male protagonist lives in poverty and is all alone in a dark, semi-basement apartment.

How can we let the audience know this information?
The male protagonist enters, sits down, closes his eyes, and remains still for about ten seconds.

Behind the sofa where the male protagonist is sitting, there is a very small rectangular transparent window. This window is relatively high relative to the interior, almost at the ceiling. In this static shot of about ten seconds, figures keep walking past that small, "high" window.

If someone walks past the window on the roof, then you can tell that the room is probably a basement or something similar.

The lighting technician had already adjusted the lights, using the reflection from the television and natural light coming through the small window to create a dim and lonely atmosphere in the room.

Of course, relying solely on the reflection from the television and the light from the small window would result in a dim and unclear image. Therefore, the lighting technician added two yellow lights next to the television to enhance its illumination.

"All departments are prepared."

When the time came, the filming began.

The script supervisor records the scene number and shot number, and then sets up the clapperboard in front of the camera.

Cheng Long pushed open the door and walked in, looking somewhat tired. He didn't even take off his shoes and sat directly on the sofa.

"Click."

Cao Yang said, "That's right, keep one."

Then they filmed another simple shot.

In the next shot, the male protagonist falls into a deep sleep with the TV on. The movement of shoes outside the window indicates that he is in a semi-basement room. The fact that he is sleeping with the TV on further emphasizes his loneliness and mystery.

This inevitably makes the audience curious about what the male protagonist went through that made him so withdrawn.

It's clear that Jackie Chan has tried his best to portray loneliness and sadness. After acting in so many movies over the years, his acting skills are still quite good; at least he managed to convey some of it.

After filming these two simple shots, the next shot will also be taken in this room, but it's not from the same scene as the two shots above.

It's time for Lao Tian to make his appearance.

Then, the veterans from the film crew saw a familiar scene.

"Click."

“Your heart is dead. Even if your brother brings your nephew from afar to see you, you cannot show any politeness or joy, not even a bitter smile.”

"Click."

"Do you know the saying 'a calm mind'? If your heart is cold, your brother cares about you and wants to buy you a sofa and other furniture. You should act like you don't care."

"Click."

"Your tone of voice should be even, and you should also have an expression that keeps people at arm's length."

"Click."

"Watch your tone of voice... Never mind, let's rest for another half hour."

After Cao Yang finished speaking, the entire crew breathed a sigh of relief.

The twenty or so students who came to work as assistants initially thought Cao Yang was a very easy-going director, but they didn't expect him to be so strict and demanding when it came to camera work.

That's Jackie Chan, the number one Chinese movie star, and he's been cut from the script again and again.

Old Tian also let out a sigh, inwardly lamenting how tiring it was to act alongside others, and vowing never to play such a role again.

Huh?
Lao Tian suddenly remembered that the last time he worked with Cao Yang on the film "Empty Room", Cao Yang seemed to have used him as a tool to establish his authority, scolding him severely in front of so many staff and actors.

So, you're saying that as long as I act in your play, you'll either use me to establish your authority or use me to help you establish your authority, is that it?
Cheng Long also let out a long sigh of relief.

This feeling... I haven't felt it in so many years.

Even in Hollywood, no director would dare to treat me like this. Of course, since these are all commercial films, no director would be so demanding.

He thought the filming went smoothly for the past two days and that things would continue to go well. He also thought that his acting skills had improved a lot over the years, and that he could even film art films so smoothly.

Little did I know that I was celebrating too soon.

The repeated takes made Jackie Chan doubt himself. Was he really not cut out for it and not up to the requirements of making art films?

But I've made art films before!
But considering that this is Cao Yang's art film, I'm somewhat relieved.

If Director Cao's art films weren't so demanding, how come every single one of them would win major awards?

Strict?

Being strict is the right approach.

Cheng Long kept encouraging himself, since Director Cao had chosen him, it proved that under Director Cao's guidance, he would definitely be able to portray the male lead's character.

However, the reality was that he once again embarked on a journey of repeated NGs.

After a day of filming, he sat on the ground, his eyes glazed over, lifeless, questioning his existence.

Am I really not suited to making art films?

Am I destined to never meet Director Cao's requirements?

Do I... lack acting skills?

"Director Cao, I...I..."

Cheng Long called out to Cao Yang, his voice hesitant and unsure of what to say.

Cao Yang looked at Cheng Long's condition and felt that he had been tortured enough... no, he felt that he had experienced enough, and that Cheng Long should have some doubts about his own acting skills and self-awareness.

Don't assume that a person won't doubt themselves after achieving success; it depends on who you compare yourself to.

If it were a normal director who dared to torment Jackie Chan like this, he would have already lost his temper.

But who is Cao Yang?
He's a super director who wins awards for art films and makes box office hits for commercial films. He's a director who has never made a mistake. Would any actor doubt the judgment of such a director?
When Cao Yang was consistently successful, even superstars like Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio had no doubts.

Therefore, when a director like Jackie Chan thinks your performance is inadequate, he will only look for the reasons within himself.

Cao Yang waved, signaling Cheng Long to walk and talk with him.

“Your biggest problem right now is that although you may understand the script and know the protagonist’s situation, you can’t act out that sense of sorrow and desolation.”

Cao Yang paused for a moment, then continued:

"It's actually partly my fault. In the past, I would give the actors at least a month and a half of acting practice before the actual filming. But this time, because you're the lead, and you've been acting for so many years, I thought you could..."

At this point, Cao Yang stopped talking.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Long lowered his head in shame.

I felt both touched and guilty.

Director Cao had high hopes for me, but it seems he overestimated my acting skills, which resulted in the current situation.

"Director Cao, it's not your fault, it's all my fault. I didn't meet your requirements, it's my fault... sigh!"

At this moment, all the complaints that had been building up in Cheng Long's heart turned into shame, and he couldn't help but lower his head again.

"It's okay, your acting is already very good, really."

Cao Yang patted Cheng Long on the shoulder to comfort him.

The more Cao Yang said this, the more guilty Cheng Long felt.

"Director Cao, I...I'm sorry, I've caused trouble for the crew, I've caused trouble for you...What should we do now? How about...how about the crew suspends production for now, and you can continue to...tell me the script. Don't worry, I will take full responsibility for the losses caused by the production shutdown."

Cheng Long patted his chest and said earnestly.

Cao Yang glanced at him and saw that he was genuinely serious and didn't seem to be joking at all.

"There's no need to go to such trouble. As I said, you're actually... not bad at all. How about this, I'll talk to you for another two hours about the characters, as well as the theme and meaning of the movie."

Then, don't stay up late. After I finish explaining, lie down in bed and recall what I've said, pondering it repeatedly. I believe you'll understand it completely.

Cao Yang patted Cheng Long on the shoulder and sighed, "What you're lacking right now is that little bit of mastery. Believe me, you can do it. Just do as I say, and tomorrow you'll realize, 'Oh, that's how it is!'"

(End of this chapter)