Generation Z Artists

Chapter 189 Hidden Ultimate Move
The promotion of "Hero" is progressing smoothly, and the formation of the Fang Family Troupe is also progressing smoothly.

The mainland doesn't lack talent; it just lacks opportunities.

It could even be said that the glory of Hong Kong kung fu movies is inseparable from the continuous influx of skilled martial arts practitioners from the mainland.

If you really look into their resumes, more than half of the martial arts performers and even the stars in Hong Kong are from mainland China.

Now, Fang Xinghe raised his banner high and waved his arm, summoning hundreds of experts, almost overwhelming them with choices.

From the older generation of Zhao Changjun, Yuan Wenqing, Jia Ping, and Gao Jiamin, to the new generation of Wu Jing, Zhang Jin, Wu Yue, Lang Rongbiao, and Zhao Jian, there are too many people who have performed beautifully.

Besides martial arts champions who fight beautifully, there are also many truly skilled martial arts masters among the general public.

Fang Xinghe took some time to chat with everyone and gained a lot.

Of course, the term "truly capable of fighting" also has certain qualifiers.

There are many masters who can beat ordinary people like their own sons. The most ferocious among them are wrestlers, followed by Sanda fighters, then a few Muay Thai practitioners, and the worst are practitioners of traditional folk martial arts.

The Sanfeng School... is mixed in at the very bottom.

Taoist kung fu is really not effective in combat. The purpose of the senior brothers, led by Master Chen, in practicing martial arts was not to be good at fighting at all.

However, traditional martial arts are strong in terms of weapons. For example, those Bajiquan practitioners with real skills are extremely passive when facing wrestlers and Sanda champions without spears or staffs. They can even be described as clumsy.

Sanda and Muay Thai masters can keep traditional martial arts practitioners at bay by using only front kicks and low roundhouse kicks.

The so-called deadly moves of gouging eyes, groin grabbing, and throat locking are all nonsense. If it were a real fight where everyone was willing to risk their lives, it's not like anyone wouldn't know how to use such a lowly move as gouging out eyes.

Real unarmed combat is an ultimate contest of distance awareness, agility, and resilience. Traditional martial arts, which rely on closed-door training, are indeed lacking in this aspect.

But once they're armed, wrestlers and Sanda champions alike can leave a hole with a single move.

In armed combat, the spear is king, the staff is general, and the knife is inferior; with a shield, one can barely defend oneself.

An inch longer, an inch stronger – this is indeed a truth.

As for the sword...

Swords are for grandsons, don't even bother with them.

A thin iron sheet weighing 1.5 to 2 pounds will deform on its own if you use a little more force. If it's too heavy, you can't wield it. Even if you have two hands, only the two-handed swordsmanship of Master Yu Chenghui has some practical value in combat, but it's still not as good as a spear thrust.

Fang Xinghe spent more than half a month communicating with these martial artists and uncovered a lot of exclusive insider information.

Among them, Taoism is the most honest, Buddhism is the most mystical, Tai Chi has the most intense internal strife, Xingyi, Bajiquan, and Bagua all have hidden spear techniques, and the only one that practices horseback archery is the Mongolian herdsman who equally despises everyone else...

The real martial arts world is interesting, and the legendary martial arts world is even more interesting, but it's not mysterious or fantastical.

It's just about practicing exertion; ultimately, you need to have the strength to exert, body weight is king, and scientific training is the key.

Only you, Brother Fang, insist on ignoring science.

Whether unarmed or armed, Fang Xinghe beat everyone equally.

His strength was only slightly less than that of a 120-kilogram Mongolian wrestler, but his agility and coordination were far inferior. With a combination of front kicks and whip kicks, his opponent simply couldn't reach him.

As for martial artists weighing less than 90 kilograms, their physical attributes are all a weight class lower, making a fight completely one-sided.

So, after a week of one-on-one sparring behind closed doors, these arrogant guys started calling him Brother Fang.

The title of "Martial Arts Alliance Leader" is a joke, but there are quite a few people who believe he was born a martial arts saint.

People who practice martial arts are easy to deal with; once you beat them into submission, they naturally become obedient.

As a result, the action choreography team belonging to Starry Sky Films was quickly formed, and Fang Xinghe recruited all the most promising talents.

There's nothing for the veterans to do here. Zhao Jian and Zhao Changtian are just here to show their support; they're not going to actually give up their own careers to work with Fang Xinghe.

Fang Xinghe didn't need them; he just had a few in-depth conversations and established a basic consensus that those who are like-minded will benefit from working together.

"Martial arts practitioners in mainland China should unite and reclaim the market that belongs to us."

As for how to get it...

In a society governed by law, reason must prevail.

If any mainland production crew dares to use Hong Kong or Taiwan action choreographers, it would be perfectly reasonable to go to their offices and reason with them.

It's 2001 now. If those borderline tactics are used appropriately, there shouldn't be any major problems.

It's not like our film crew has to pay their respects and spend money to settle things when they go to Hong Kong, while they can act arrogantly and do whatever they want when they come to the mainland.
Reciprocal countermeasures, fair and just.

The leader's voice was somewhat cold: "Boss, I'll take the lead. You can keep the projects you get. I just need to drive them out!"

Many seniors with experience in schools and companies were interested but still had doubts: "But, what about the impact..."

"It won't have any impact."

Fang Xinghe saw things very clearly: "A living person won't let themselves die from holding their pee. Those who really want to make a living in this industry will naturally leave Hong Kong and head north to sincerely integrate into the mainland entertainment circle. As for the remaining die-hards, what's wrong with letting them fend for themselves?"

He paused, then looked meaningfully at the seniors and said slowly, "The tide of time rolls ever forward, eliminating fools and worthless people at all times. Why can't it be them?"

Everyone was awed.

The Hong Kong Martial Arts Alliance was being established, but before they could reach a consensus, Fang Xinghe took the lead in unifying the opinions of the mainland martial arts community and formally declared war on them.

Victory is not achieved overnight, and whoever invests is the boss. However, the era of Hong Kong's martial arts industry being high and mighty will not last long.

……

The Fang family troupe ultimately consisted of 28 members.

The oldest among them is 30 years old, and the youngest is only 18 or 19.

Fang Xinghe deliberately didn't hire those senior figures, but instead supported them in building their own teams to share the mainland market share.

Starry Sky Films is a family business; we can't eat all the meat, nor is it necessary to eat all the meat.

His idea was simple: to cultivate a core group of people who truly love martial arts and kung fu films from scratch, for the long term, to strive for fame but not profit.

Therefore, he did not offer to recruit people who were already in relationships, such as Wu Jing and Zhang Jin.

Currently, Zhang Jin is signed with Yuen Woo-ping's company, where he serves as both action director and stuntman, and his resources are quite good.

Wu Jing, on the other hand, has formed a semi-exclusive cooperative relationship with the Yuen Clan, received strong support from Yuen Woo-ping himself, and has close ties with the Hong Kong entertainment circle.

As the saying goes, everyone has their own ambitions. They want to use the Hong Kong entertainment circle to forge their own path, and Fang Xinghe has no intention of forcing them—like-minded people will eventually meet on the road, there's no need to rush.

Ultimately, the core members of the Fang family troupe were—

Lang Rongbiao, the King of Southern Fist, was the absolute ruler of men's Southern Fist from the mid-to-late 90s to the early 21st century. He continued to win the men's Southern Fist championship at this year's National Games. He has now retired and joined Starry Sky Films.

Wu Yue, the all-around champion, is the men's all-around champion in Wushu at this year's National Games.

He is currently signed with the film and television production department under the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Audio-Visual Publishing House, which is considered semi-institutional. He has just graduated from the Central Academy of Drama and is both a skilled actor and a capable performer, making him a highly sought-after supporting actor.

Zhao Qingjian, a minor award winner, was the runner-up in both knife and staff techniques.

Wei Jian, an 18-year-old swordsmanship prodigy, idolizes Fang Xinghe's kung fu and sticks to him every day, calling him "God Fang, God Fang".

Ma Lingjuan: A female swordsmanship expert.

Mao Yaqi: A genius girl who dominates the Southern Fist style.

Gao Jiamin: The former Tai Chi Queen who has retired.

Bayintuer: A skilled equestrian and archery enthusiast. Zhao Jianqiang: A double champion in Chinese and Mongolian wrestling, a burly man nearly 2 meters tall, and a character actor.

In addition, young martial artists from traditional martial arts schools such as Bajiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Piguazhang, and Xinyiquan were selected.

Fang Xinghe's criteria for selecting people is not who is better at fighting or has greater potential, but who has a better physique, better coordination, and whose movements are more beautiful when they are stunt doubles than anything else.

For the remaining employees, the assessment will not focus on martial arts skills, but rather on their thinking, spirituality, and imagination.

The action choreography team even includes two animation students and two mechanical engineering students, all of whom volunteered to apply to Starry Sky Films out of their love for kung fu.

Only such a large team is sufficient to support the needs of "Heroes".

Zhang Yimou has very high standards for action scenes, and these days he talks to Fang Xinghe almost every time he has a spare moment.

Can you clearly articulate the specific effect you want?

Fang Xinghe's question made Mou Zi think for a long time, and the answer was... no.

"I hope to build upon 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' to be more beautiful, more agile, and more powerful."

"It is closer to the immortals than to the martial arts."

Fang Xinghe summarized it for him, concise yet incredibly accurate.

"That's an even more exaggerated wire work effect."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!" Mou Zi's eyes lit up. "Is it possible?"

"Yes, it is." Fang Xinghe nodded, then shook his head, "but that doesn't necessarily mean it will look better."

"how to say?"

Mou Zi respected Fang Xinghe greatly and patiently sought his advice.

"That's right. With Li Lianjie's and my abilities, we are capable of performing far more impressive moves than Chow Yun-fat and Zhang Ziyi under complex wire rigging systems. That's our expertise."

The problem is that the more graceful the movements, the less powerful and impactful my movements become.

To use "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" as an example again, Chow Yun-fat's light-footed flying technique, which involves only lightly touching the wall once throughout the entire process, looks elegant but is actually very easy to master.

"Think about it, if someone as clumsy as him can do it, wouldn't it be a huge waste of his talent for me and Jet Li to fight in that style?"

Zhang Yimou watched as Fang Xinghe gripped the butt of the gun with one hand, raised it, and casually thrust it horizontally, the gun barrel whistling loudly.

This startled him so much that he grimaced.

"So, you want to use a more realistic martial arts style?"

Surprisingly, Fang Xinghe shook his head again.

"Too realistic won't work either. Western audiences mainly watch Chinese martial arts films for the excitement and novelty. The kind of limited, exaggerated realism that Jet Li showed in Hollywood might do well on DVD, but it's not impressive enough on the big screen in theaters, and the box office won't be high."

"So what are your plans?"

"How about the complex wire-work system for mid-air maneuvering, the realistic and sharp action, and the highly destructive special effects?"

Zhang Yimou was directing a martial arts film for the first time, and he was completely dumbfounded on the spot.

"can do it?"

"can."

"How is this possible?"

Mou Zi grimaced and scratched the back of his head, letting out a series of startled cries.

"I did a lot of research. High-altitude wire work can only go straight, how do you change course?"

"Of course not now, we're missing a crucial element."

"what?!"

"Dynamic wire harness system and matching wire harness rings."

Your brother Fang has once again stumbled upon a blind spot in Mouzi's knowledge, completely baffling him.

"Never heard of this thing... Where is this technology from? Hollywood?"

“It’s my personal exclusive patent.” Fang Xinghe pointed to his temple and smiled casually. “The first set is under construction. We’ll rent Studio 7 at Beijing Film Studio and install it there so we can start testing and pre-production training for the actors.”

"Holy crap, you're awesome!"

Mou Zi was overjoyed and jumped up.

"If you can really handle that thing, then we'll be absolutely awesome! High-altitude complex stunts, I never even dared to dream of doing that when I decided to make this film!"

If this were filmed to achieve that effect, wouldn't you and Jet Li utterly stun those Western idiots?!
Holy crap! How far are we going to go with this box office?!

Fang Xinghe smiled as he watched Lao Mou pacing back and forth in the room, uncontrollably spewing out profanities.

To understand the difference between current conventional wire rigging systems and future complex wire rigging systems, you only need to compare "Once Upon a Time in China" with future animated films.

"Once Upon a Time in China" is also a breakthrough work in kung fu films, with groundbreaking milestone significance.

But both then and now, wire work only supports straight-line movement after being airborne.

A few wires and a harness are all it takes to suspend you up, and your movement path is fixed.

The actors' motivation mainly comes from the physical guidance of the stuntmen.

Going straight up or down, or straight forward or backward, at most adding a slight change in height along the path, creates a graceful, light-footed effect.

When changing actions, the camera must be switched, the wires changed, and the next scene filmed.

The mechanically powered CNC wire system is a cutting-edge technology of another era. It does not get tangled in wires due to complex movements, and the presence of wire rings reduces the stress on the actor, allowing for more rotation, translation, and tumbling operations.

Later, in Zhao Liying's film "With the Phoenix," two people with such clumsy limbs flew around with ease. This was not due to the actors' skill, but rather to the advancement of technology.

In 01, not just anyone could be an action actor. In 25, anyone could film action scenes. Hollywood didn't learn the essence of kung fu movies; it just combined technology perfectly, that's all.

If you were to film a long take of an action without editing or special effects, very few actors could actually do it from beginning to end.

Li Lianjie is one of them, Fang Xinghe is even better, and now with the addition of wire work technology, the new "Hero" will surely break through the barriers in terms of action and go down in history.

Fang Xinghe wouldn't have been willing to release this film if it weren't for his intention to use it to establish the banner of "the era of blockbuster films and the dominance of domestic entertainment."

Manufacturing a dynamic wire harness system is not difficult; the challenge lies in developing the right approach.

With CNC core, multi-line combination, wire ring, wire rod, and skilled stunt performers, one can create action effects that can only be designed in animated movies.

The patent for this thing is useless; the market is too small. It can only have the greatest impact when it is first launched.

Using it on "Hero" isn't exactly a bad deal, but it still makes me angry no matter how I think about it.

If it weren't for these ungrateful Hong Kong and Taiwan separatists, wouldn't it have been better for me to keep making my own "The Promise: The Taoist Priest Goes Down the Mountain to Fight the Cat Demon"?

Brother Fang is very angry; he doesn't even enjoy practicing anymore.

I went to school to register and ask for leave on August 30th, and set off on September 2nd to challenge Jordan to a one-on-one match.

But before leaving, he finally vented his anger.

(End of this chapter)