Chinese entertainment starts with Hong Shixian

Chapter 609 Not discussing politics, what do men have to talk about?
摩洛哥

Under the bright lights of the tent, the crew of Operation Red Sea were feasting and eating heartily.

So hungry!
There's no way around it, filming these kinds of military war dramas is just too exhausting.

The gun he carried was made of genuine iron, and the bullets he carried were made of genuine copper.

For the sake of realism, the bulletproof plate must also be genuine.

Wearing this outfit, filming on set, performing various tactical maneuvers, and filming for an entire day at a time.

I'm exhausted!
"This is the first time I've ever realized how delicious steamed buns are!" Yin Fang said, his mouth full of steamed buns, his words slightly muffled.

He's from Hunan Province, but he actually prefers rice.

However, in Morocco, rice is considered a coarse grain, and the petty bourgeoisie only eat it once or twice a week for the sake of refinement.

The staple food here is naan, which is actually made from wheat.

In the first few days after arriving, the entire crew was fascinated by Moroccan naan, so the crew kitchen didn't think about making it themselves.

Instead, they buy locally made naan bread with roasted potatoes and roasted lamb on the side.

That's how food is cooked here; the methods are quite simple.

Not only is the cooking method simple, but the ingredients are also relatively limited.

Even the names and prices are quite uniform.

At first, the crew enjoyed the food, finding it all novel, but after a few days, they couldn't take it anymore.

Many people started to get angry, and then kept complaining to the life director, Han Sanping, and Qi Hui.

With no other option, Qi Hui could only send people to buy raw materials and do it himself to make a living.

But in such a rush, how could we possibly find a channel that could meet the needs of a large production crew?

Therefore, we had no choice but to seek help from the embassy.

This delay meant they ate Moroccan naan for two more days.

I'm so happy to be eating steamed buns made by the crew's chef!

It would be great if there were some vegetables... Here, "vegetarian vegetables" refers to leafy green vegetables.

Chinese cabbage, bok choy, and the like.

I'm so tired of eating potatoes and onions all this time.

Morocco does have other dishes, but they are expensive and the taste is not quite right.

Buying in bulk... well, it's not really worth it.

Let's look forward to the vegetables grown by the production crew.

Hearing Yin Fang's words, Lao Ling and the others nodded repeatedly: "That's absolutely right!"

"It would be even better if there were a rolled pancake and some green onions!" Bai Ke swallowed a steamed bun and smacked his lips as he said this.

He's from Shandong province, and he really likes this kind of food.

"It's good enough to have noodles!" Old Ling mumbled. "Once filming wraps up, I'll definitely reward myself with a bowl of spicy noodles."

Xiao Zhang remained silent, secretly planning to make himself a bowl of noodles with soybean paste.

He's from Beijing and also likes to eat noodles.

Wang Yanlin remained silent; he preferred eating rice.

He is from Northeast China.

"Then you can go to the kitchen yourselves, but don't disturb too many people," Qi Hui said.
"Also, you have to do it yourself. Don't expect the crew's chef to help you."

With a shortage of manpower, you have to make whatever you want to eat yourself.

And it can't cause too much of an impact, otherwise everyone will want to go to the kitchen to make their own food, wouldn't that create chaos?
Just as he finished speaking, the phone rang suddenly.

Qi Hui picked it up and saw that it belonged to Guo Fan.

"Hello? Lao Guo?" Qi Hui asked, chewing on a steamed bun while on the phone, getting straight to the point: "What's up? Is there something you need?"

It's not like we're discussing politics; what topics do men have to talk about?

"I've encountered a problem..." Guo Fan was in a meeting and immediately explained the differences on his side, wanting to hear Qi Hui's thoughts.

"I see..." Qi Hui stroked his chin and slowly put down his chopsticks.

The first idea that popped into his mind was to film both movies together.

That's all. We're rich. What can't we do?
However, Qi Hui quickly suppressed this idea.

Filming both movies together will require Guo Fan and his team to expend a lot of energy.

It takes a long time, the task is heavy, and there is no positive feedback.

Creators' passion for science fiction films is bound to wear off.

The likely outcome is that the first film is poorly made, and the second is also very bad. This could very well cause the nascent domestic science fiction film industry to die prematurely.

After thinking for a moment, Qi Hui said, "If I were to handle this... it would be more appropriate to start with the [Jupiter Crisis]."

There were no domestically produced sci-fi blockbusters before this, and the first domestically produced sci-fi blockbuster must take the audience into consideration.

To capture the audience's attention, you need to use strong premises to quickly introduce conflict.

This approach can also lower the barrier to entry for science fiction films.

If we start filming in chronological order, there are too many settings to set up, which could easily wear down the audience's patience and enthusiasm.

Prior to this, there were no successful examples of domestically produced sci-fi blockbusters, so audience acceptance of them was bound to fluctuate.

Starting with "Jupiter Crisis," presenting viewers with visually stunning spectacles such as a frozen Earth and planetary engines will better attract them.

If the first part sets a good precedent, the second part can gradually lay the groundwork for various settings, making it easier for the audience to accept.

If the first installment is unsuccessful and fails to impress future generations, the second installment will definitely be affected.

Upon hearing this, Guo Fan nodded; Qi Hui had thought about the same thing.

That's what he thought too. If the first one wasn't successful, how could there be a second one?

After discussing these matters, Guo Fan asked how much investment Yixin could provide him.

Qi Hui thought for a moment, then asked in return, "How many do you want?"
Guo Fan laughed and hung up after a few more words.

Qi Hui's meaning was clear: as many as you want, you can have them!
Two words: Arrogant and domineering!

After the call ended, Guo Fan looked at his screenwriters and said slowly, "My thoughts are the same as Qi Hui's, and some of you share the same opinion as me."

"Then let's stop arguing and start adapting the story from the [Jupiter Crisis]."

Upon hearing this, Gong Geer and the others smiled and almost cheered excitedly.

Editor Yan and the others were somewhat annoyed, but they didn't say anything more.

Guo Fan was the project leader, and Qi Hui was its biggest supporter.

How could he possibly object?

After determining the direction, Guo Fan began working on the details of the script adaptation.

Like Qi Hui, he also pursued the visual experience brought about by strong conflict.

Audiences need to be blown away to believe in the potential of domestically produced sci-fi blockbusters.

……

Morocco on the other side of the world

Qi Hui put down his phone and swallowed the last piece of steamed bun.

I was just about to tidy up and wash up when I found out that Group B had finished filming and returned.

Zhou Xun rushed over, plopped down opposite Qi Hui, and started eating the steamed buns on the table.

I'm starving!
Compared to Qi Hui's group, Zhou Xun's Group B mainly focused on dramatic scenes, making it more relaxed.

But it's only relatively easy.

If there are explosions or gunfights in her film, that's where she's acting.

She felt like she didn't need to lose weight anymore; after filming this kind of movie for a month, she was skin and bones.

"Hey Qi Hui, aren't you going to consider using special effects?" Zhou Xun asked, biting into a steamed bun and chewing on some mutton.

She doesn't care about maintaining her figure anymore; she needs to fill her stomach first.

If I continue to starve myself like this, I'm afraid I won't just get fat and out of shape, but I'll become emaciated.

"Not considering it." Qi Hui smiled and said, "The biggest selling point of this movie is its realism."

"Real battles, real battlefields, real carnage."

"..." Zhou Xun was both angry and speechless.

Before filming began, Qi Hui talked to her about the play, and he wasn't worried about her acting skills.

But Qi Hui hoped that she could portray the fear of ordinary people on the battlefield.

Zhou Xun made considerable preparations for this, stating that it was a piece of cake.

She could even endure the torture in "The Message," so what is there to be afraid of on the battlefield?
Then she quickly realized that she didn't need to prepare at all.

Those explosives detonated right next to her.

She didn't need to act at all; the fear came instantly when the huge explosions went off around her.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have bothered preparing anything!

(End of this chapter)