Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 339 Embark on the Journey
At 7:40 a.m., outside the terminal building of Beijing Capital International Airport, the first rays of dawn were just beginning to appear.

The massive Boeing 777 slowly taxied out of its parking position, its navigation lights flashing in the pale blue morning mist as it glided across the silent runway, the flickering lights illuminating the portholes.

Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows of the terminal building, the media members packed up their equipment in twos and threes, dragging their laptop bags, and left for the editorial office.

Many media outlets are heading to the Oscars to participate in the live broadcast, and most of them set off as early as yesterday.

"Director Wu is still as tight-lipped as ever, but Chairman Han and the others can't stop smiling."

A young reporter yawned and remarked to his companion.

The female editor, who was not far away, turned on her recorder to check the interview footage.

A clear sound rang out.

"Director Wu, are you confident about taking 'Black Peony' to the Oscars this time?"

"Well, we've done everything we can. Whether we win an award or not is not up to me, but making a good film is my responsibility. Don't put too much pressure on us this time, don't go into it with a 'must-win' mentality!"

Loud laughter came from the recorder.

"Evie, Black Peony is your first Oscar nomination as the lead actress. How would you evaluate this performance experience?"

"Chairman Han."

"."

Inside the cabin of the Boeing 777, warm lights shone down as the sky was still dark, and outside the window, the wings of the plane were cutting through the city still shrouded in morning mist.

"It was too rushed. My suit that I ordered hasn't even arrived yet. I haven't been able to show off my handsome side. When the media interviews me on the red carpet, I feel like something is missing," Xiang Zhuo muttered to himself.

Wu Chen and Liu Yifei chuckled softly.

“Xiang Zhuo, we have a real-name invitation and we’ll be walking on the outer edge of the red carpet, not in the interview area.” Zhang Qiang couldn’t help but pat Xiang Zhuo on the shoulder, “So you don’t have this problem.”

"Hahaha"

Everyone prepared to travel to Los Angeles in a relaxed atmosphere.

At 9:00 AM, as the interviews at Beijing Capital International Airport came to an end, the entertainment sections of major portal websites began to publish the day's interview content.

[Wu Chen, without a "must-win" mentality, heads to the Oscars with "Black Peony": Making a good film is my job, don't put too much pressure on me]

[Liu Yifei: Being nominated is a lucky thing, but the standard for actors shouldn't be defined by awards.]

[Han Sanping: Receiving a nomination means our film has been recognized on a high-standard platform. The rest depends on fate; participation is the most important thing.]

【.】

Each headline appeared on the homepage, accompanied by pictures, interview quotes, and group photos taken outside the airport terminal in the morning.

For example, the article published by China Film News included a group photo taken at around 7 a.m., which was taken outside the glass curtain wall of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The caption below the photo reads:

The cast and crew of "Black Peony" departed for Los Angeles to attend the 80th Academy Awards ceremony. A photo taken at Beijing Capital International Airport in the early morning serves as proof.

The entire Chinese-speaking world seemed to be waiting for the grand awards ceremony the next day. Just like with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Hero" back then, many media outlets, such as the Movie Channel and China Film News, set up special sections to follow this year's awards ceremony.
Furthermore, a reporter from the movie channel was sent to the United States to record the entire process of the film crew, from the departure red carpet to the awards ceremony, and the footage was made into a documentary for broadcast.

On the 24th, the day of the Oscars ceremony, in Los Angeles, before dusk, the area in front of the Kodak Theatre was already packed with people.

At the main entrance of the theater, nearly thirty workers were laying the red carpet in sections, each seam firmly secured with gold rivets. The deep red velvet fabric gleamed with a low-key yet luxurious luster under the soft glow of the setting sun.

On-site staff were working diligently and systematically to adjust the equipment: the camera track was set up, and the camera positions were being checked one by one;
The high-mounted spotlights were repeatedly calibrated, and inside the explosion-proof glass enclosure, giant broadcast cameras stood quietly ready to connect to the global live broadcast signal link.

Hollywood Boulevard has long been strictly closed off, with security guards wearing walkie-talkies and looking serious everywhere, and the faint sound of the focusing gears of the light fixtures can be heard in the wind.

Meanwhile, the film crew, who were staying at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, had already gathered.

At this point, the team size had expanded considerably.

On one hand, the reporters from the movie channel were already prepared. They would follow Wu Chen, Liu Yifei, and other key members of the production team throughout the entire process, recording their journey from the hotel to the Kodak Theatre, until the group entered the awards hall.

On the other hand, Chanel specially dispatched a makeup artist, hairstylist, stylist, and assistant to Liu Yifei.

As the world's top fashion exposure platform, the Oscars are a golden opportunity that Chanel will not miss.

Several days in advance, the brand representatives arrived in Los Angeles to make thorough preparations.

Early in the morning, Liu Yifei was taken to a private dressing room by Chanel's team. It took nearly six hours to meticulously create her overall look for the red carpet. She finally returned to her hotel room just before the crew was about to leave for the red carpet.

This time, Chanel specially selected a gown from the 2008 Spring/Summer Haute Couture collection for Liu Yifei.

"Does this look good?" Liu Yifei asked softly as she walked side by side with Wu Chen, her voice audible only to the two of them.

Wu Chen had just carefully considered the outfit; this time, the black and mysterious feel of the costume was different from that of the one at the Cannes Film Festival.

The dress features a peach-pink color as its main tone, with a soft hue that subtly exudes an oriental elegance and gentleness.

The skirt's design is highly layered, and with each step, the hem sways lightly, outlining a graceful figure and tall curves.

Her makeup was also extremely exquisite, with a touch of low-saturation light pink lip gloss on her lips. Her long hair was styled into a classic retro updo by the stylist, with a few strands falling down her temples, looking natural and elegant.
"Not bad!" Wu Chen commented.

"Just not bad?" Liu Yifei pouted, blinking her eyes repeatedly. "It took six hours to make."

"Actually, I think Chanel's makeup artists are a bit redundant. Look, even after the makeup is done, she's still so fair-skinned. There's not much difference between her and without makeup!"

"How annoying!" Liu Yifei covered her mouth with her small hand and chuckled.

At this moment, the clock points to 4:30 pm in Los Angeles, while on the other side of the world, it is just past 8:30 am in China.

Outside the Four Seasons Hotel, several black stretch Lincoln limousines with gold Academy logos slowly pulled up in front of the hotel. Concierges quickly stepped forward, laid carpets on the car doors, and opened them.

At this moment, the cameraman and female reporter from the movie channel were focusing their lens on the scene of everyone getting into the car. The female reporter provided narration, her voice clear, solemn, and tinged with barely suppressed excitement:
"It is 4:33 p.m. in Los Angeles time and 8:33 a.m. in Beijing time. The 80th Academy Awards ceremony will be held tonight."

The footage we are seeing now is from the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, from where the cast and crew of "Black Peony" are about to depart for the red carpet event—the Kodak Theatre.

Everyone stood still and waved gently to the camera.

The female reporter introduced in a soft voice:
"What you see now is director Wu Chen, producers Han Sanping and Wang Changtian, lead actress Liu Yifei, and others. This is the fifth time a mainland Chinese director has tried to win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film."

To date, Chinese films have been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film a total of eight times: Zhang Yimou's "Ju Dou", "Raise the Red Lantern", and "Hero".
Chen Kaige's "Farewell My Concubine";
Director Li An's films include "The Wedding Banquet", "Eat Drink Man Woman" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon";
And Wu Chen's film "Black Peony."

(End of this chapter)