This actor has something

Chapter 485 Half the battle
A stubborn person will be blocked in both ends.

Han Shanping is now truly feeling terrible.

The movie "The Thieves" had to be made. No matter who the chairman of China Film Group is, the moment He Daqi made it a joint production in four locations, then this movie naturally became a project that China Film Group would definitely support.

The problem is that the 3D movie "Phantom Prison Break" that Asia-Pacific is making is also a top priority, and it also requires He Daqi to step in. However, He Daqi is just slacking off in Hong Kong. The movie is being made like he's on vacation, which is making Han Shanping in Beijing so anxious that he's been urinating yellow for a week straight.

So, the mainland director, one of the three directors in the Treasure Hunt Alliance, was verbally abused by Han Shanping as soon as he answered the phone today.

If I can't handle He Daqi, I can handle you! Can you do it or not? If you can't, then I'll deal with you!
Similarly, the South Korean director also received a call from Chairman Lee today. The way superiors treat subordinates is an old tradition there, and the South Korean director practically knelt down to receive the call.

On the same day, two of the three directors were eliminated, while the Hong Kong director, through Ho Tai-kei's connections, suddenly realized that the current situation seemed a bit off when he met with the other two.

He Daqi's good days are finally over...

Originally, having three directors was a bit too much for this film, and with each one unwilling to yield to the others, the slow progress was to be expected. However, now that the attitude has changed, having three directors has become an advantage. After all, three people are doing the work of one person. As long as they work diligently, they can certainly achieve a much faster pace than normal, if not three times faster.

"So you've compiled all my scenes in just three days? Are you planning to prioritize filming my scenes next?"

He Daqi stared at the three people in front of him for a while, and finally asked the Hong Kong director.

"Mr. He, they both said that the higher-ups are urging us to finish filming, and you also urged me before, so we discussed it and decided that it would be better to finish filming your scenes first."

Did I urge him before?
He Daqi recalled for a moment and realized that he had indeed urged them, but the situation had changed and he no longer wanted to urge them.

Just as I was about to say something, the image in my eyes shattered again.

He Daqi...

He Daqi...

He Daqi!!!
Men and women, young and old, but mostly young people, and among the young people, young girls make up the majority.

After regaining his composure, He Daqi's perspective returned to normal. In the eyes of the three directors, He Daqi appeared to be deep in thought, pondering something.

"Okay, let's shoot it like this."

Upon hearing He Daqi's agreement, the three directors breathed a sigh of relief and did not linger in front of him. They turned back to the camera and began discussing the filming plan through a translator.

He Daqi picked up his phone, ready to continue playing the game he had just paused, but before he could click start, he heard someone calling him from not far away.

"Daqi, you seem quite relaxed. When I visited other film crews, I saw that the actors were quite dedicated, often rehearsing with their scripts. How come you're just lying here playing on your phone?"

"That means you haven't met a genius like me, Brother Zhong."

He Daqi stood up with a smile, took two steps to Gou Chuzhong's side, and accompanied him on a tour of the film set.

“I’ve found the location you asked me to find. There are no abandoned entertainment venues in Macau. If there were, they would be demolished and rebuilt. So I contacted one that is currently open and they agreed to temporarily close for a few days so your crew can go there to film.”

He Daqi couldn't just agree to this directly.

Closing the business for a few days would generate a huge amount of revenue. It's unnecessary to incur such a large favor just to make a movie.

"Forget it, Brother Zhong. I'll just build the set myself. If we really force them to close for a few days, my movie investment probably won't even cover their daily revenue."

"You're worried about this? It's alright. The entertainment center was going to be renovated anyway. I just told them not to rush into construction until you've finished filming, so don't worry about it too much."

……

……

In late May, the sun was shining brightly in Beijing, and it was already too warm to wear long sleeves. The temperature could reach 30 degrees Celsius, which was just right for He Daqi, who had just returned from Hong Kong.

I came back with a group of people from the company's film crew, so the news couldn't be kept secret. I had just gotten home and hadn't even had a sip of water when Liu Ying called to urge me to hurry up.

For Ya Yue, co-productions are not important, not to mention that Ya Yue has not invested in them. They had previously wanted to suspend the project "You Are the Apple of My Eye," which Ya Yue invested in, and prioritize preparing for "Phantom Prison Break." Therefore, He Daqi was delayed for two months in the "Treasure Hunt Alliance" crew. You can imagine how anxious Liu Ying and the others were.

Now, like other film and television companies, Yayue only focuses on projects that generate buzz and seeks hype. Everything is based on stock price. At least Yayue is currently on a strong upward trend and can continue to do so.

During the Spring Festival film season, "Lost in Thailand" became a dark horse, thanks to its suitable release date, the hard work of Xu Guangtou and Wang Baoqiang, and a little help from He Daqi, which helped the film break 100 million yuan at the box office.

After the Spring Festival, Infinite Challenge premiered on Shanghai Satellite TV and immediately dominated the ratings. The eight regular guests stole the show, causing a stir in the entertainment industry. In particular, newcomer Zhang Jiashuai, who had just become famous for Love Apartment, became famous again. Now, he is more popular among young people than Sun Honglei and Huang Bo.

That's not all. When Infinite Challenge was airing, Ya Yue, following He Daqi's instructions, hurriedly released You Are the Apple of My Eye.

Director Lu Yang didn't put much effort into this movie. He initially just wanted to casually take it on a promotional tour, but he didn't expect it to be such a box office hit. This low-budget production has already grossed over 200 million yuan and is still showing in theaters. It has a good chance of reaching 300 million yuan, making it an even stronger dark horse than "Lost in Thailand".

The song of the same name, "Those Years," with lyrics and music by He Daqi and sung by Zhang Jiashuai, quickly rose to the top of the May Hot Songs Chart.

Zhang Jiashuai's popularity soared, propelling him directly to the top tier.

Sweetie became the nation's first love. When He Daqi arrived at Ya Yue in his slippers, the girl was laughing heartily with Liu Ying's arm around him without any regard for her image. He Daqi sighed, realizing that the girl had completely lost her former clever and mischievous demeanor.

"The movie is here. I never expected that it would have such a high box office back then. Fortunately, we adjusted our publicity and distribution strategy in time after only two days of release, otherwise we probably would have lost more than half of the box office."

As Liu Ying spoke, she patted Tian Tian's arm, signaling Tian Tian to follow her manager Lu Zheng first, as she had some serious business to discuss with He Daqi.

Sweetie finally gave He Daqi a friendly look, since He Daqi had chosen her to act in the movie. She called out "Brother Daqi" with a smile, then followed Lu Zheng out of the office with her hands behind her back.

He Daqi chuckled and, after Tian Tian left, didn't continue talking about the box office of "You Are the Apple of My Eye." Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Why did you rush me here so urgently? Did Lu Yang finish preparing for 'Phantom Prison Break'? That can't be right, considering he just finished the roadshow and was busy filming and post-production."

"It wasn't Lu Yang who prepared it, it was Ning Hao and Zhang Yimou who prepared it. They were also very interested in 3D movie shooting, so after Ning Hao finished producing Jinling Photo Studio, he helped to start the preparation. As for Zhang Yimou, you know how fast he is. The post-production of The Flowers of War took less than two months. After it was finished, he joined Ning Hao to help with the preparation."

No wonder Liu Ying was in such a hurry. It turns out that Ning Hao and Old Zhang had finished the preparations. According to He Daqi's original plan, once Lu Yang had some free time to start preparations, the movie would have to be prepared until at least the summer vacation. If it was delayed again, filming could have started in September.

That's unexpected...

"You bought the cameras too?" "Not really. Sony is preparing to release a flagship model this October and is currently preparing for mass production. When our people went to inquire, they happened to have quite a few test cameras, which they lent to us. However, just like when they filmed Avatar, they will send someone over to monitor the camera usage and see if any modifications or adjustments are needed before the flagship model is released."

He Daqi clicked his tongue. There was no excuse to slack off anymore. Ning Hao, Zhang Yimou, and Lu Yang were probably all waiting for the movie to start filming. The higher-ups at Asia High were also impatient.

Then go ahead and film it. Even truck drivers can make Avatar with cameras that carry dozens of kilograms of cables. With so many generations of technological advancements, it's not like Asia can't make a 3D movie with as many special effects as Avatar.

"Alright, let's call Ning Hao and the others over tomorrow, get together and discuss it, and then start filming as soon as possible."

……

……

The start of filming for the drama "Phantom Prison Break" certainly shook the entertainment industry.

Everyone else is just chanting slogans, but you Asian and Vietnamese people are actually doing it for real!
On the day filming began, every director who had connections with Asia-Pacific came, along with a bunch of celebrities who were just there to watch the excitement, and the special effects team that was specially sent by the graphic and color team to accompany the crew.

"Wow! There are two lenses in this big frame?"

"There are two displays, one large and one small."

"You know what, this footage looks like a double image when it's filmed, just like what we see in an IMAX theater without glasses."

"Director Zhang, if the footage all looks double, are you going to have to wear glasses while filming?"

"No need, you can adjust the image. The small screen shows the 2D version. This is a device with the spacing adjusted, so there are two versions in the video."

"If you do it this way, making 3D movies is actually quite simple!"

"Simple my foot! There are special effects later on. Didn't you see they brought in a special effects team to film with them?"

"I'll go ask... Hey bro, are you guys from a visual effects company? Image and color? ... Um, I heard Avatar used a technique called CGI, do you guys do that too?"

Feng Kuzi, Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen...

None of these people were idle; they wandered around the entire film crew, asking questions everywhere.

After a final discussion, it was discovered that even with the equipment, it seemed impossible to make a film like the one in Asia. Asia's logistics were top-notch, with images and color samples as a guarantee, significantly reducing production costs and making it much easier to film than with truck drivers.

Other film companies shouldn't even think about it. If nothing unexpected happens, it's estimated that only Asia Film Group can seriously follow the pace and produce a film to test the waters. Other companies can only use 2D to 3D conversion technology to create pseudo-3D.

He Daqi looked at the bustling film crew and didn't want to say much.

Logically, he should have been the one to provide guidance on the first day of filming, but with so many people around, including quite a few acquaintances, He Daqi didn't want to reveal that he knew special effects.

It's all about favors. Most of the people visiting now are from Beijing, and a large portion of them are directors. If He Daqi were to show off his skills now, he'd probably be driven crazy by the trouble later.

So He Daqi pretended to mingle with the group of celebrities, chatting with this one and that one. Fortunately, He Daqi had taught Lu Yang and the others how to use the new camera before filming started yesterday, and with the guidance from Sony staff, filming is going quite smoothly.

"Nazha, your acting is terrible. You have no talent at all. You're not even as good as Tian Tian. Did you guys even take any proper classes at the Beijing Film Academy?"

"Brother Daqi, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!"

"What do you mean, 'not even as good as Tian Tian'? Am I a measure of how bad my acting is?"

Nazha and Tian Tian were already unhappy after being lectured by directors Ning Hao, Zhang Yimou, and Lu Yang. Now, He Daqi is being annoying, and the two girls are so angry that they start to show their displeasure.

He Daqi laughed heartily, and seeing that the young girl was about to punch him, he immediately ran to the side with a smile.

The first day of filming for "Phantom Prison Break" was a complete mess. They had high hopes for the day, burning incense and praying to the gods early in the morning, ready to make a big splash. But they didn't expect so many colleagues to come and watch. They had to explain for ages before filming even started, and then they had to explain a few more sentences after each shot. By the end of the day, they hadn't even finished filming a single scene. They were constantly adjusting equipment and replying to colleagues, leaving Ning Hao and his team feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.

He Daqi, on the other hand, was quite relaxed. He pretended to be a passerby and was very dedicated to it. He chatted with people happily and did no work all day. He even ate two boxed lunches at noon and drank six bottles of mineral water all day because he talked too much.

When it was almost time to wrap up work in the afternoon, seeing Ning Hao, Zhang Yimou, and Lu Yang looking somewhat worried, He Daqi didn't give them a chance to complain. He slipped away quickly and got into the car before it was time to leave.

It's true that hardship comes before sweetness. It's normal to be unfamiliar with the filming process in the early stages. Besides, with so many troublemakers today, things will get better as you get used to it.

"Brother Long, remember to stop by Bianyifang on your way back. I ordered roast duck for lunch and said I'd pick it up this afternoon."

"okay!"

After hearing Qin Long's response, He Daqi decided to close his eyes and rest for a while. He hadn't sat down much today, wandering around chatting with people, which made him feel like he had overexerted himself. So he specially ordered roast duck, hoping to go back and have some beer to relax.

Unfortunately, I had only closed my eyes for a short while when my phone rang. It had a specific ringtone, and I knew immediately who was calling. I had no choice but to answer.

"Hello? You picked up the kids and brought them home?" He Daqi asked as soon as the call connected.

"Dad, when are you coming back?" came the little girl's voice from the other end of the phone.

Well, the downsides of kids playing on their phones all day are showing. Ever since they learned to make phone calls, they've been using Zhou Huimin's phone to call He Daqi all the time.

"We'll be back soon, in about half an hour. Dad will bring roast duck back later, and we'll have roast duck for dinner. Honey, what else would you like to eat? Tell Dad."

"Kung Pao Shrimp Balls, and Pea Flour Cake shaped like little ducks!"

"Okay, listen to Mom at home. Dad will be back soon."

After hanging up the phone, He Daqi instructed Qin Long, "Brother Long, stop by Quanjude on your way too."

"Okay," Qin Long replied.

There was no other way. The little girl ordered the duck-shaped pea flour cake, which is a dish from Quanjude. He Daqi and Zhou Huimin had taken the children there several times before. When the little girl heard He Daqi say that he was bringing roast duck back, she thought that He Daqi was going to Quanjude to buy it, so she happily ordered this. He Daqi didn't explain. It was just a little more travel. The most important thing was that his daughter was happy.

(End of this chapter)