I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 412 Show foreigners the shock of Chinese culture!

June 15, 2012, was the day filming began for "A Trip to Hong Kong".

The North American release date for "Hitman: Dragon" has been officially set for August 24th, catching the last weekend of the summer movie season.

If you're lucky, you can eat it for two weeks, the first weekend and the second week.

In China, it was August 10th, a full two weeks earlier than in North America.

Chen Jin could actually accept the two-week gap between the North American and domestic release dates, considering that even if pirated copies were to circulate, it would still take time.

Moreover, North America is not yet in sync with China. Unlike in the future when information flows more easily and resources will spread across the global network within days, pirated content does not spread that quickly nowadays.

These are the two regions that Chen Jin values ​​most.

The rest, such as Europe and other parts of Asia, rely on the global layout of the six major theories of relativity.

In this respect, China is clearly far behind.

In terms of global distribution, the six major studios can release their films on the same day in any region of the world. Who in China can do that?
This is the culmination of decades of planning and years of Hollywood's global cultural invasion, something that a newly emerging domestic film industry cannot surpass in a short time; it requires time and an opportune moment.

The export of culture is definitely the result of long-term accumulation and "brainwashing".

Moreover, this is closely related to a country's national strength, status, and so on.

That's why the theory of relativity was able to entrust the six major film studios with the opportunity for "Hitman" to premiere in many countries around the world throughout the summer movie season in August.

The final box office figure is unknown, but at least this kind of spectacle is the treatment many Hollywood blockbusters deserve; Chen Jin used her share to secure the first-day premiere in all AMC theaters.

Yes, Chen Jin agreed to AMC's offer to buy screening slots.

The original target of opening 1000 theaters in North America was raised to 2000 after the screenings continued to generate buzz.

Now, after Chen Jin bought screening slots from AMC, the number of theaters is approaching 3000!
This is actually a significant improvement.

The simultaneous release in 3000 theaters across North America was something neither Chen Jin nor Kavanaugh had anticipated at the beginning.

However, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Chen Jin signed with AMC on the first day. If the box office on Friday is not ideal, the number of theaters and screenings will definitely be reduced accordingly. At worst, the film will be over by the end of the opening weekend.

This is the fate of many North American movies, where the outcome is decided within the first three days of the opening weekend.

Therefore, the box office performance on the first day is crucial for "The Killer" to achieve good results, as it will affect the number of theaters and screenings on Saturday and Sunday of the opening weekend.

Victory or death can be declared on the first day.

It's more brutal than other movies.

This was a guarantee for the first day of release that Chen Jin had secured by trading her own share.

Very few people would gamble like that.

Because it's too uneconomical.

Leaving aside the fact that the final value of the 10% share is unknown, as it can only be estimated after the box office results are released; even if it's 2000 million, Chen Jin would still be doing charity.

He spent 2000 million to buy the first day's venue slots, and even if the North American revenue was 1 million US dollars, the final share he received wouldn't be much.

Without 5000 million, it would definitely be a loss.

The ultimate goal of releasing a movie is, of course, to make money.

Therefore, Chen Jin's actions were entirely for the purpose of building her reputation, not for making a profit.

He was betting that the movie would be a box office hit and that it would make him famous in North America.

On the other hand, AMC and Relativity didn't care about Chen Jin's motives. They only knew that this wave might make them a fortune. Relativity didn't spend a penny and now they had a premiere of an action-packed movie in 3000 theaters. Even if it flopped, they would still make a profit.

It's simply a matter of how much money you make. Kavanaugh leans towards the latter because he's very confident in the film.

As for AMC Theatres, they have the same idea.

They also bet that Chen Jin's action blockbuster would be a box office success, and that AMC would definitely make more money from showing "The Killer" than from other movies.

Not only do they get better profit sharing, but they also get a "toll" to ensure the film's screening schedule!
Both companies are currently in a honeymoon period with Chen Jin, eagerly anticipating the release of this action-packed film, which theater managers highly regard.

On the contrary, Chen Jin herself, after securing release dates in both the North American and domestic markets, was finally able to relax and fully devote herself to the filming of her new movie.

"A Trip to Hong Kong" is ready to start filming.

Moreover, the location of the filming was not in North America, but in Hong Kong!
As one of the investors in this film, Relativity Media contributed some money this time, and its boss, Kavanaugh, personally came to the Hong Kong film set to witness the event with the cast and crew.

It can be said that people are in high spirits when they have good news, and Kavanaugh must think that Chen Jin must be quite handsome now.

The successful release date announcement for "The Killer" has brought the two of them closer together.

Although the start of filming for "Hong Kong Trip" was kept low-key, Kavanaugh still invited many North American media outlets to report on it.

As for domestic journalists, there are even more coming. It's their home turf, and even Hong Kong is very convenient, unlike North America, where domestic journalists can't even fly over.

"Jacken, is this how movies are made in Hong Kong?"

Bell, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, pointed to the prop master who was busy setting up the table.

David Leitch and the others were also curiously taking pictures with their phones.

Although "Hong Kong Trip" is a Hollywood production, it had to follow local filming customs because it was filmed in Hong Kong.

First, there's the power-on process, which is very ceremonial.

Even when films are made in mainland China, they still fall short of the sense of ceremony in Hong Kong.

Not to mention Hollywood, which doesn't even have a traditional opening ceremony.

So the foreigners were truly amazed and found it incredibly novel.

"Haha, of course, this is a tradition of Hong Kong cinema!"

Cheng Long was smiling and happily introducing the company to his foreign friends.

He actually took on this film for another reason: the filming location was his birthplace and hometown.

This is a very important starting point.

As the host, he also called many people to help and support him. Almost the entire Jackie Chan Stunt Team was present and helping with the setup.

Because there were just too many reporters at the scene.

Just kidding, this movie has gone viral in North America, let alone its home turf.

The news has spread like wildfire throughout China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Starring Chen Jin, Jackie Chan, and Christian Bale, what an amazing cast!

The top male star in mainland China, an international kung fu superstar, and a top Hollywood star—any one of these three would be someone the entire Chinese and Hong Kong entertainment industries would vie to interview, let alone attend the launch press conference for the same movie together.

Moreover, he was one of the three main actors.

Didn't this get the reporters incredibly excited?

However, these uncrowned kings are currently kept outside, and the Jackie Chan Stunt Team and the security personnel hired on site are on duty in an orderly manner.

If it were anyone else, these guys would probably curse a bit, but with Cheng Long, Chen Jinbei, and the other two, they were all willing to wait.

It's all about generating traffic and making big news, so what if we wait a bit?!
It's clearly not time for them to come in yet. They can only be seated after the opening ceremony begins; because some of these people don't know the rules and might cause trouble.

In Hong Kong film studios, the opening ceremony is always the biggest event.

"In Hong Kong, we have extremely high standards for the opening ceremony!"

"Therefore, it is necessary to make arrangements in advance, and also to pray and worship heaven and earth, in order to prevent any unnecessary supernatural events from occurring..."

"..."

Jackie Chan was talking to Bale, David, and a few others about the origins of the Hong Kong film production.

Some filmmakers in China have actually followed this tradition in their work.

However, people in Hong Kong and Guangdong province are very superstitious about this.

Especially after so many problems arose during the filming of "Mr. Vampire," people in Hong Kong became particularly wary of it.

"The screenwriter of the film, Huang Bingyao, died suddenly. A year later, Huang Ying, who was also a screenwriter, died after being severely beaten by his creditors for owing high interest rates!"

"Subsequently, Uncle Ying also died of cancer, Xu Guanying, who played Wencai, also died, Qian Xiaohao was caught secretly filming, and Wang Xiaofeng, who played the female ghost, went crazy and almost killed her husband..."

"..."

Jackie Chan was recounting an old story, and Bale and the others were clearly stunned.

Fuck, so many problems with filming a movie?!

Hollywood seems to have it too?
Chen Jin knew about this, but even she found it utterly absurd.

David was startled and clearly quite frightened.

Keep in mind, they're making a zombie movie, which is a type of horror film...

"It is absolutely necessary!"

"You all need to properly offer sacrifices later!"

Chen Jin was talking to David and Chad, and the two of them nodded vigorously, which made Chen Jin laugh.

So there are things you're afraid of too?!

It's worth noting that foreigners made up 80% of the crew, so it was obviously difficult to expect them to be respectful.

But after Jackie Chan told this story, many people felt a sense of "better safe than sorry." In fact, most people are afraid of death.

Even foreigners.

The thought of a film crew being almost completely wiped out is terrifying.

Therefore, the start of filming for many movies in Hong Kong afterward became particularly important.

Moreover, the Hong Kong director's fondness for yelling "cut" also stems from this opening ceremony. It's unclear who spread the rumor, but it's said that ghosts love watching plays, and wherever there's a play, ghosts will gather.

Once Jackie Chan started talking, it was like listening to a ghost story for all the foreigners.

At first, only director David and Bale were in front of him, but later Kavanaugh also came over to listen to the story.

Old Long's storytelling skills are truly remarkable.

"The ghosts know that someone is acting them out. If the actors make a mistake, the ghosts will make strange noises to remind them. So at the end of each take, the director will yell 'Cut!' just to remind the actors not to get too into character!"

"If an actor gets too immersed in the role, the ghosts watching the play might think the actor is from the same world as them, and might take the actor's soul away with them..."

"So after each take, the director would ask the actors to move around and smile to create a lively atmosphere and dispel the gloom on set, bringing back the yang energy!"

"..."

Cheng Long was speaking with a straight face, but Chen Jin thought it was a bit far-fetched.

David and the others were already shrinking back, while Chad looked around as if there were ghosts behind him.

"Hahaha!"

Chen Jin found it hilarious.

It has to be Jackie Chan!

He said these people might not believe the story, but Jackie Chan... they all became somewhat interested.

"Boss, we can begin!"

Suddenly, one of Jackie Chan's stunt team members walked over and shouted at Cheng Long. Cheng Long immediately replied, "Okay, right away!"

"Okay, let's go, let's experience the filming atmosphere in Hong Kong!"

Jackie Chan has clearly replaced Chen Jin as the "decision-maker" of this production team. After all, this is indeed their home turf, and Chen Jin doesn't want to steal the limelight from her older brother. It would be better if all three main actors were featured in the news.

It's all about generating buzz for the movie's release.

"Light incense and pray!"

Jackie Chan taught Bale and a few others to do the incense-burning curves, and at that moment, a group of reporters who had been unable to contain themselves rushed in.

Click! Click!
He was snapping photos like they were free, frantically pressing the shutter button.

Fortunately, they all knew that the opening ceremony couldn't be done carelessly, so even though it was noisy afterwards, no one dared to disturb Jackie Chan, Bell, and the others from starting filming.

A Taoist-looking man was giving instructions, and Chen Jin followed the crowd, imitating his actions.

Filming always requires choosing an auspicious time, burning incense and praying to the gods for the crew to finish filming safely and smoothly.

This is the most important start to the play, and it cannot be taken lightly. The timing of the ceremony must be calculated by a Taoist priest. Randomly choosing an auspicious time like 10:16 is definitely not acceptable.

9:18 AM, that's the time the filming of "A Trip to Hong Kong" was scheduled to begin.

Chen Jin originally wanted to consult Cheng Long, but after thinking about it... never mind, he found a Taoist priest himself.

The production crew had already prepared all the red envelopes for the long table needed for the ceremony, covering them with red velvet cloth.

A roast suckling pig was placed in the very center, along with fruit, bananas, and an incense burner.

The filming camera was placed at the front and covered with a red cloth, which was meant to ward off evil spirits. The "starting" of the filming ceremony involved lifting this red cloth.

Since the 1980s, every film shoot in Hong Kong has included this ritual: burning incense and praying to Buddha, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, covering the camera with a red veil, and cutting a suckling pig. This series of actions has become an unwritten rule in the film and television industry.

"Alright, everyone, stand in your positions!"

"Reporters, you can start filming!"

Wow!
A group of reporters who had been waiting for a long time immediately crowded around the director and the main actors.

Chen Jin smiled and stood in the center with Cheng Long, Bale, and Kavanaugh.

Cen Yongkang, director David Leitch, and a few others stood slightly bowed in front of him.

"Incense!"

Chen Jin, David, and the others held up three incense sticks and bowed respectfully.

We respect Heaven, Earth, and humanity, and hope that Heaven, Earth, and humanity will bless the filming of the movie and ensure its smooth completion.

The Taoist priest beside him was chanting incantations, praying for favorable weather and good health for everyone during the filming!
The actors all appeared incredibly devout.

Amid cheers from the reporters, click—

A dozen or so people, including the lead actors, director, and Chen Jin, all grabbed a long knife and sliced ​​the roast suckling pig on the counter from head to tail in one go.

This signifies a good start and a good finish, and everything going smoothly.

The crackling sound of firecrackers rang out, and one by one, the directors and lead actors began to pay homage to Guan Yu.

Jackie Chan was still explaining things to several foreigners who were clearly very curious.

Clearly, all of this was very new to Bell and the others.

……

Once this whole process is complete, it's almost time to power on the machine.

The reporters and the lead actors waited there until the auspicious time arrived, at which point Chen Jin and Ye Weixing pulled back the red silk cloth covering the camera.

Swish!
"Good luck with the boot!"

The entire crew shouted in unison.

With this, filming of "A Trip to Hong Kong" officially began.

"Oh oh oh!"

"Good luck with the boot!"

Countless people cheered, and the atmosphere on set was especially enthusiastic, making the foreigners extremely envious.

I had no idea making movies in China was so much fun!

It truly opened their eyes.

It turns out that filming movies in other places is different from Hollywood.

"thank you all!"

"Thank you everyone for coming, you've all worked hard!"

Chen Jin and Cheng Long were handing out red envelopes to reporters, their faces beaming with smiles. The red envelopes weren't very big, ranging from a few yuan to tens of yuan.

There are still some necessary procedures to follow. When it comes to interpersonal relationships, Chen Jin is definitely better at handling people than the Americans.

Giving a red envelope upon startup will surely make the rest of the shoot more enjoyable.

"it is good!"

Go, Jackie Chan!

"The new show is a huge hit!"

A group of entertainment reporters clapped and applauded, while the foreigners, holding red envelopes, were clearly even happier.

It's another better place to start filming than Hollywood.

But Chen Jin felt a pang of emotion.

You'll never know how much hard work and dedication a production team puts into it until you've attended the opening ceremony.

You can really feel that this is a wonderful way to bring everyone together.

In fact, the opening ceremony creates a sense of ritual for every actor: I am serious about what I am doing, and I am true to myself and my conscience!
This is the significance of the opening ceremony.

"To be honest, when I went to China to film 'Jinling,' the crew also gave me a red envelope like this!"

Belle happily waved the red envelope, then shrugged at Chen Jin: "This was really a very interesting interaction!"

Of course I'd be happy to get the money!

Bale's schedule doesn't end until next month, so today's filming mainly consists of scenes with Jackie Chan and other main actors.

Chen Jin will also have to wait a few days, because he has been busy with the film "The Killer" and needs to find some time to get a feel for the character in "Hong Kong Trip"!
"So funny!"

"Now I finally understand why Chan chose Hong Kong as the filming location!"

"This is truly a wonderful experience..."

David shrugged, while Kavanaugh, standing beside him, said thoughtfully, "I think this movie will be a huge hit!"

"Such a cohesive production crew!"

"Haha, let's go. The ceremony was fun, but the subsequent press interviews are going to be a real pain!"

(End of this chapter)