The Birth of the Best Director

Chapter 150 As expected of a great director! Harrison Ford is completely impressed!
……

The plot of Real Steel is actually very simple.

The female protagonist, Ophelia, discovers that she has exceptional talent while playing the virtual reality game "Real Steel".

Whether it's reaction speed or proficiency in robot combat, he far surpasses everyone else.

Then, with the help of the AI ​​assistant [Reba], she quickly became a master in the game after overcoming the initial difficulties.

The main storyline of the movie is very similar to "The King of Fighters": you arrive at a certain place, trigger the plot, and challenge the boss.

After defeating the boss, collect your points reward and upgrade your robot.

Cool combat, positive feedback from enhanced mecha warriors... Continue to challenge powerful enemies, earn more points, and make your robot even stronger.

This tactic is absolutely addictive!
If they can keep winning, the audience will probably be thrilled.

……

After the Tokyo storyline concluded.

Lu Zhiyuan led the entire film crew to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In an ancient castle, Hanikezi encounters the most powerful villain in the movie, the Planet Ripper.

Its controllers are Tom Holland, who looks a bit unlucky, and Benedict Cumberbatch, who is dressed like a British gentleman butler.

This was designed by Lu Zhiyuan in the movie; a pair of humorous people with a strong contrast.

A carefree rich kid is paired with a meticulous, stern-faced British butler.

It looks like it has a story behind it.

It's easy for viewers to think of their usual way of getting along, where they can't stand each other but can't get rid of each other.

It's hilarious.

……

"The actors Tom Hiddleston introduced, Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch, are indeed quite good actors, much better than Honey."

"With these two joining the project, I have even more confidence in this film."

After two days of filming, Xin Yukun once again expressed his feelings.

How exactly do the British train their actors? How come every single one of them has such great acting skills?

While their acting skills cannot be described as extraordinary, their performances at least conveyed meaning and could be described as vivid and lifelike.

Especially Benedict Cumberbatch, he was a perfect fit to play an English butler, as if he had actually worked as a butler.

That meticulous demeanor, that helpless look in his eyes as he looked at the capitalist's foolish son, along with a hint of mockery and a touch of respect for money.

Anyway...

In China, he would be considered an actress of Zhou Xun's caliber, capable of acting entirely through her eyes.

The director can give him close-ups every day without making the audience lose immersion.

However, among British actors, Benedict Cumberbatch is only considered a rising star and doesn't have much of a reputation yet... If he were in China, he would have won the Best Actor award long ago.

"Tom and Benny really saved me a lot of trouble."

Lu Zhiyuan also admires these two British actors.

But soon, he became somewhat helpless: "But here's the problem... these two acted so well, it's like they're not even on the same level as Hani."

"If these are directly compared side by side, Hani will be ridiculed by the crowd."

The female lead's acting was completely overshadowed by two insignificant supporting characters, which was not a scene Lu Zhiyuan wanted to see.

However, he couldn't deliberately suppress the excellent performances of Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch by cutting all their scenes.

How to edit the footage next is really a headache.

"Brother Kun, you'll have to put more effort into the editing."

Lu Zhiyuan doesn't seem to have any talent for editing, so it's best not to bother with it.

He patted Xin Yukun on the shoulder, telling him to put in more effort and think carefully about how to edit the film so that it could preserve the excellent performances of both actors while making Hanikezi look less bad.

He believed in Kun's abilities.

In terms of editing, Kun Ge possesses at least an A-level talent.

"How difficult could it be?"

Xin Yukun smiled and quickly came up with a brilliant idea: "When the time comes, I will speed up the two of them's speaking speed by 1.2 times, which will make their acting skills seem less impressive, and will also present a unique British sense of humor in their speech."

The way British people speak is very different from that of Americans.

It has a comical quality with its ups and downs, just like performing in a stage play.

If it were to speed up by another 1.2 times, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but chuckle just thinking about it.

However, that's exactly the effect we wanted.

This master and servant pair, although nominally villains... but as a teen movie, teenagers cannot be villains.

Even if you do something wrong, it's just because you were confused or misled; your heart isn't bad.

In other words, all the bad things in this movie were probably done by Tom Holland's capitalist father.

"Brother, filming here is going smoothly. There are two more scenes left: Ponte Tower in South Africa and Muztagh Ata..."

"I reckon the scenes in Ponte Tower can be filmed in three days."

"Have Xiao Su keep watch over Muztagh Ata. Just find a day with weather you like, when the light and shadow effects are right, and have Xiao Su and the film crew shoot as many shots as possible. You can control it remotely."

"My personal advice is that you don't need to take the risk of going up a 3500-meter-high iceberg just to shoot a single shot."

"Firstly, it's too much of a waste of energy."

"Secondly, given your physical condition, I'm worried about altitude sickness. If you collapse on the mountain, I won't be able to explain it to the others."

Xin Yukun calculated the time; filming started at the end of February, and it's only mid-April now.

We'll definitely be able to finish filming the rest of the story before May, and then we'll just have to wait for the world-famous scene at Muztagh Ata.

If all goes well, filming of this part of the story should be completed before June.

Filming against a green screen will take a maximum of one month.

In other words, by early July, the entire film, which took four months to complete, should be finished.

As for the special effects...

Schwarzschild, along with over 100 employees from the [Event Horizon] project, has already begun production after obtaining the initial footage.

Every few days, Schwarzschild would send preview materials to Lu Zhiyuan for confirmation.

However, even so, the entire post-production special effects process will take five to six months.

That's the tricky part about special effects movies.

It's not that the staff aren't working hard enough. This company has over 100 employees, almost all of whom work 996 (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week). You can't say they aren't hardworking or dedicated.

The main issues are computing power and servers.

Give a simple set of numbers.

A 4K film requires processing about 800 million pixels per frame for rendering, while IMAX format doubles that number, reaching 1600 million pixels.

A movie with 60 minutes of special effects has about 10 frames and requires tens of millions of hours of computing power.

Fortunately, Cameron managed to create a 3D preview effect.

You can check out the preview in advance.

Otherwise, after each shoot, the software would render the footage, which would take several days, and if the result wasn't good, it would have to be rendered again.

After several rework sessions, a month had passed.

The team behind "Black Hole Horizon" is already a top-tier team, having completed the special effects for "Real Steel" in just six months.

It's worth noting that the special effects for Avatar took two whole years to develop, and they almost drove the production company's CEO away!

"Brother Kun, you're overthinking it."

“A helicopter will take me up there, and I won’t have to climb the mountain myself. What am I afraid of about altitude sickness? At worst, I’ll just carry an oxygen tank with me.”

Lu Zhiyuan didn't care at all about altitude sickness.

He wasn't going hiking.

"Brother Kun, do you know? I've been to many places, and there are many places with mountains and rivers that can be described as magnificent. But only the scenery in the northwest of our country can be called magnificent."

"The melting ice and snow drips into the streams, flowing from west to east, surging forward... transforming into the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, nurturing 5000 years of culture."

"I want to capture this sense of historical dynamism."

"Although I know that I don't have the ability yet, I want to give it a try."

Lacking talent, Lu Zhiyuan refused to accept his fate.

I just wanted to give it a try.

Anyway, the budget isn't used up yet, so what's wrong with indulging myself a little?
Lu Zhiyuan has a small goal: to depict a world-famous painting in every film he makes.

Under what circumstances can a picture become a world-famous painting?

It must include three elements.

Its artistic value, significant historical importance, and broad social impact.

In "Upgrade," the scene of the typhoon on Weizhou Island barely met the threshold of what Lu Zhiyuan considered a world-famous painting.

Its artistic value goes without saying.

The lighting effects of that scene, as well as the fates of the various characters in the film, are all implied in this painting.

There are already several interpretations of this picture online, and it has generated a lot of discussion.

As for its significant historical importance... Dilraba, as a Chinese actress, received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress thanks to this film.

Finally, the widespread social influence... there's even an AI cult online, and countless people go there on pilgrimage, so that should count too.

Now, Lu Zhiyuan has his sights set on Muztagh Ata.

"Brother, you should really think about it."

Seeing the manic look on Lu Zhiyuan's face, as if he were having a nervous breakdown, Xin Yukun knew that he couldn't go against his advice at this time.

He's having a nervous breakdown; the more you try to persuade him, the more agitated he becomes.

He could only tell Lu Zhiyuan to calm down and consider the reality of the situation.

Lu Zhiyuan smiled at Xin Yukun's kindness, not wanting to pay any attention to it.

"Brother Kun, what do you think is my purpose in directing and making movies?"

"Of course, I can't deny that directing a good movie gives me a huge sense of accomplishment and also makes me a lot of money."

"Besides that, another important reason I became a director is that I can travel around the world for free and leave my footprints in every corner of the world."

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder this guy loves filming real footage so much.

Xin Yukun thought about it carefully. They did indeed travel all over the world when they came out to make movies.

However, apart from looking at the scenery, Lu Zhiyuan didn't seem to do anything else, but he really enjoyed himself.

"Good brother, I won't say anything more. Since you want to go, I'll definitely support you. At worst, I'll rent another helicopter, ready to take you to the hospital anytime!"

If I manage to dissuade Lu Zhiyuan this time, and he starts using green screen filming next time, wouldn't I be stuck at the Huairou base every day?

Then what's the point of playing?

Xin Yukun decisively chose to switch sides and support Lu Zhiyuan's mountaineering and extreme sports activities.

This time I went to the Northwest to photograph the snow-capped mountains.

How about we film the desert in Las Vegas next time?
I heard the dancers there are incredibly enthusiastic!

……

In the hotel room.

"Honey, is Puerto Rico fun?"

Hanikezi received a call from Reba.

Poor Dilraba, she's at home, but her heart is with the film crew. She calls every day to ask about the filming progress.

Dilraba really wants to know when Lu Zhiyuan will rekindle her past?

“Sister Dilraba, Puerto Rico is so much fun… Putting aside other places, the underground passages in this castle where we’re filming right now are like a maze, it’s so much fun to play hide-and-seek.”

What's so fun about hide-and-seek? Kids will always be kids.

Dilraba thought to herself, but smiled and asked, "Anything else?"

Hanikezi continued enthusiastically, "The most fun part is climbing the city wall at dusk to enjoy the magnificent view of the Atlantic sunset and seagulls circling overhead."

"correct!"

Suddenly remembering something, Hanikezi said as if reciting a familiar story: "Yesterday afternoon, because we finished work early, the teacher took us on a picnic on the grassy slope outside the castle. In his words... it was to feel the atmosphere where the sea breeze and history intertwined."

"I don't understand how the sea breeze and history are intertwined, but anyway, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous."

"Besides that, I accidentally twisted my ankle, and my teacher carried me back."

"Although he is usually fierce and strict with me, I suddenly realized something. Sister Reba, what you said to me before..."

"My teacher is the best person to me besides my parents. He may seem strict with me, but he is actually taking responsibility for my life."

"As long as it's not during filming hours, my teacher is incredibly kind to me. When I grow up, I definitely want to choose a man who is as handsome and talented as my teacher, and who is also so kind to me..."

"Sister Dilraba, are you listening?"

Damn girl!
"What kind of wet dream are you having?" Reba was unhappy and didn't want Hanikezi to relive it, so she couldn't help but ask, "Hani, have you done your middle school math test?"

"what!"

Hanikezi screamed and hung up the phone.

I really dislike Dilraba.

Why bring up unhappy things when you're happy?

……

The filming in Puerto Rico took only a week, but it yielded all the materials that Lu Zhiyuan needed.

He brought three film crews; that's how arrogant he was.

One of the film crews followed him, filming the main characters' scenes.

The other two film crews went out to shoot natural scenery and cultural landscapes.

Whether we'll need it or not? Who knows? If we need this footage during post-production editing, we can't exactly come back and shoot it all over again, can we?

……

Ponte Tower, South Africa.

Harrison Ford, the male lead, has finally appeared.

"Director, I'm sorry."

As a top Hollywood star, Harrison Ford is very busy.

Besides this film crew, he has other projects in the pipeline.

Fortunately, during the filming of this movie, Lu Zhiyuan made a point of leaving space for Harrison Ford in the shot.

The scenes he missed can be filmed using a green screen.

After editing, viewers shouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Even so, Lu Zhiyuan was still a little unhappy.

The male lead received $800 million, several times more than all the other actors in the cast combined, yet he was still not considered dedicated.

While it's difficult to avoid filming multiple projects simultaneously, it's always a bit unpleasant when it happens.

……

But soon, Lu Zhiyuan understood why the other party was worth 800 million US dollars!
Besides his fame, Harrison Ford's acting skills are truly superb.

……

Inside a dilapidated boxing club.

Harrison Ford sat slumped on a broken sofa, silently watching a videotape, a bottle of ice-cold beer in his hand.

He seemed to be reminiscing about the past, or perhaps because he was getting old and had a little to drink, he was feeling a bit sleepy.

Just then, a phone call came in.

His dazed eyes instantly sharpened, and he nimbly stepped forward to answer the phone.

“What? John, my son is dead? And I have a granddaughter? Yes, I know. I will go there and take the child away.”

"Wait, say the address again, I'll write it down so I don't forget it."

Upon hearing the devastating news, Harrison Ford's body stiffened momentarily.

Although, his tone remained calm and restrained.

However, his fingers holding the phone began to tremble slightly.

After hanging up the phone, he gasped for breath, like a drowning person who had finally reached the shore.

At the same time, his body went weak, his steps faltered, and he subconsciously took a half step back.

He slumped back onto the sofa.

Lying on the sofa, he watched a boxing match on TV, a recording of his son's youth competition.

His pupils trembled slightly, conveying shock and disbelief.

His eyes, which had been sharp just moments before, now looked lost and empty.

Although his face remained taut like a tough guy's, there was a slight twitch in the muscles at the corner of his mouth.

This performance, though without any lines, perfectly revealed the vulnerable heart beneath his tough exterior.

……

"It's amazing!"

"An Oscar-worthy performance!"

The filming crew on set were very excited to see this.

Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but tense up, looking at Harrison Ford on the camera, wanting to applaud.

That's awesome.

Of all the actors in this film, Benedict Cumberbatch's acting is probably the best, but one can still see a hint of stiffness and technique in his performance.

As for Duan Yihong and Sun Honglei, they were just minor supporting characters, and Lu Zhiyuan did not specifically create roles for them.

Therefore, although their acting skills were good, they didn't have much room to showcase them.

However, Lu Zhiyuan felt that even if they were given room to perform, they couldn't achieve the same feeling as Harrison Ford at this moment, as if he were possessed by a spirit.

Correct.

It means the spirit possesses the body.

At that moment, he became completely one with the character.

In just 10 seconds, Harrison Ford was able to completely convince the audience that this was a true story.

real!

This is very important in the movie.

Because movies don't have as much time to build up the plot for the audience, the demands on actors' conviction and acting skills are much higher than those for television actors.

TV dramas rely on dialogue.

Movies rely on the ultimate audiovisual effects.

This difference determines that when directors choose actors, they will try to match the characters themselves to increase the sense of realism.

……

"Prepare for the next shot."

"quick!"

"Don't let this feeling slip away."

Lu Zhiyuan instructed the film crew to adjust their direction as soon as possible and proceed with the next scene.

Harrison Ford is in good form.

It seems that although he was delayed in the early stages of filming due to some issues, he had a very good grasp of the character.

In just a few minutes, Lu Zhiyuan's resentment towards him had almost disappeared, leaving only anticipation.

……

After taking a sip of ice-cold beer, I managed to regain some composure.

Harrison Ford walked alone into the dimly lit room.

The curtains were half-drawn, making the room somewhat dim.

The camera, peering through the half-open door, locked onto Harrison Ford, who was slumped on the bed, his hands covering his face, his shoulders trembling silently.

The interplay of light and shadow in that instant, the composition of half-light and half-dark, without any words, as soon as it appears on the screen, will instantly make the audience realize that the death of his son has been a huge blow to him.

In those few short seconds, through color, visuals, and a few brief lines of dialogue, Lu Zhiyuan sketches out the sense of powerlessness of an aging hero in the face of life.

The entire crew couldn't help but want to applaud.

The director is awesome.

The male lead is awesome too!

With such a powerful combination, this movie is bound to be awesome!

Everyone, get ready to claim your prize money!

"and many more."

"It's not quite there yet."

But at that moment, Lu Zhiyuan suddenly shouted to stop.

At that moment, the entire crew was devastated and couldn't help but wail.

Such beautiful visuals and such superb acting will surely allow the audience to instantly experience the sorrow of a parent outliving their child.

What exactly is missing?
Great director, we really have to kneel down before you!

Despite their inner turmoil, at this moment, the entire crew couldn't help but look at Xiang Luzhiyuan.

Although Lu Zhiyuan often has mental breakdowns, he has one advantage: whenever he says something is missing, he can find that feeling on his own.

"Director, is there a problem with my performance?"

At this moment, Harrison Ford looked at Lu Zhiyuan blankly.

He felt that there was nothing wrong with his performance just now.

Because he wasn't filming any movies during that time; rather, it was because a friend of his had just experienced the pain of losing his son in his old age.

He spent a few days with them.

That's how the other person is. On the surface, they are very silent and seem very calm, pretending to be a tough guy, but in a corner where no one is around, they often burst into tears.

His performance just now was a complete imitation of his old friend.

This is a true story.

He didn't think that Lu Zhiyuan, this young man, could find any flaws in his acting.

“Simply crying is not convincing enough.”

"Your son was once your pride, but later, due to the gradual decline of human boxing, he decided to change careers, which led to a dispute with you."

“You two haven’t had much contact over the years.”

“Your relationship was severed for many years... and at this moment, his death has made that severed relationship irreparable.”

"At this moment, what can replace your longing for your son?"

Seeing Harrison Ford's blank expression, Lu Zhiyuan already had his answer and said with a smile, "Think about it, what were you looking at just now?"

What to look at?
I'm watching TV.

and many more!

I understand!

"A trophy!"

"That's right, it's the trophy!"

Harrison Ford understood it immediately.

After doing it all over again, he didn't rush into his room to cover his face and weep. Instead, he went to a display case in his bedroom.

I gazed quietly at one of the photographs inside.

That's a photo of his son winning the championship and raising the trophy.

Next to the photo is a youth boxing championship trophy.

His eyes began to redden, and his fingers lightly touched the championship trophy, as if he were being electrocuted, reaching out and then pulling back.

After doing this three times in a row, he could no longer hold back and began to cover his face and weep bitterly.

……

The cold trophy, in that instant, became a bond of affection between him and his son, pulling him back to the happy times they once shared.

This led him to desperately search for his granddaughter, teach her boxing, and pass on his life beliefs to her, all with a strong and reasonable underlying logic!

……

"Okay, passed!"

Lu Zhiyuan captured the shot he wanted and gave Harrison Ford a thumbs up.

"Director, you're a genius!"

To everyone's surprise, Harrison Ford was also very excited and gave Lu Zhiyuan two thumbs up.

Harrison Ford just had a feeling that he wasn't making a teen action movie, but a super art film, the kind that can make you cry from beginning to end...

Lu Zhiyuan's use of this prop, his requirements for lighting and shadow effects, and the subtle hints he provides through two small details...

Boxing videotapes on TV.

The youth trophies in the shop window.

With just two hints, Lu Zhiyuan helped him break down the barriers between dimensions and convey the emotional weight between father and son.

Harrison Ford could sense that the film would do well even before its release.

(End of this chapter)