Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 364 Characters, Filming

"Indeed, I went to visit Wu on set."

"His filming team is very professional, and the set design is stunning."

"I believe this will be an excellent science fiction film."

"."

Upon returning to Los Angeles from Beijing, Nolan reciprocated the reporters' simple inquiries by stopping to specifically address the visits he had made to the set over the past few days.

The media certainly wouldn't let this footage go, especially since it's related to "The Martian".

Christopher Nolan visited the set of "The Martian" and said, "This will be an excellent sci-fi film."

[Hollywood director Christopher Nolan spent three days visiting the set of "The Martian," and upon returning to the US, praised Wu Chen's new film as "stunning and excellent."]

【.】

The hard science fiction film "The Martian" has been a hot topic of discussion on various forums, and movie fans are naturally very excited.

"Damn, that makes me even more excited."

"I don't even know where the filming is at. It's so annoying. There's post-production and the promotion period. I wonder if there will be any filming by the end of this year."

"It's tough, but Nolan has good taste, hahaha."

"."

At Huayi Brothers headquarters, Wang Zhonglei finally felt relieved after seeing these news reports.

Fortunately, it was just a set visit, and nothing earth-shattering happened, such as a major collaboration or transnational investment.

The intense promotional campaign for "The Forbidden Kingdom" is currently at a critical stage, with millions of dollars being spent on daily advertising, interviews, and TV appearances. If "The Martian" steals the spotlight, the company will suffer a real financial loss.

In Chaidan Town, filming for "The Martian" continues, with an additional shooting schedule planned for May, to be filmed alongside Jiang Wen as he drives the Mars rover alone.

Ning Hao is still struggling with the choice of the male lead these days. Because of the contrast between the beginning and end of the story, he needs someone who is the right age and has a certain level of acting skills, which is not easy to find. However, the other actors can be confirmed first and their schedules can be confirmed.

With this in mind, Ning Hao immediately began communicating with Wu Chen.

"The movie is being filmed in Hong Kong. I'm thinking about the role of Xiaolin's father. Would it be more appropriate to hire a Hong Kong actor?"

"I think it's a good idea." Wu Chen nodded. "Who do you think is the best?"

"What do you think of Tony Leung Ka-fai? Of course, Jacky Cheung would be fine too, but it's unlikely he'll take the role."

"Tony Leung Ka-fai, he'd be perfect."

"Yeah, I think so too."

Where is the male lead?

"I'll think about it. I'm still looking for a suitable candidate." After Ning Hao finished speaking, he heard the sound of wind and slightly noisy voices coming from Wu Chen's phone.

Are they filming a night scene?

"Well, we've been filming these past few days while the weather's been alright. I'll talk to you later; you can take your time choosing the male lead."

Wu Chen smiled and didn't urge Ning Hao, because there was still plenty of time, and he was also in the film, so he had to finish filming "The Martian" first.

"Are you ready?"

"Director, everything's settled." The staff members from each department gestured to each other.

Wu Chen approached the camera and specifically instructed, "Okay, let's begin. Remember to zoom in from the exterior to the interior."

"Okay, get ready—Action!"

Temporary base, night.

Outside, endless sandstorms and sub-zero desolation reign, while inside, an energy-saving white light shines, like a faint yet persistent flame floating in the cold universe.

The camera slowly advanced. "Camera position, fixed-focus telephoto lens, jib arm with slight breathing motion," Wu Chen said softly into the walkie-talkie.

In this shot, Jiang Wen sits alone at his workbench, with the flashing lights of the ventilator and battery rack in the background, and the screen's glow flowing across his face.

He was repeatedly reading the fault codes from Earth, holding the repair manual in his hand, but his eyes wandered several times before he finally lowered his head slowly, resting his forehead on the back of his hand, and remained silent.

Wu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.

This scene has a total of three shots. If all goes well, there won't even be any cuts; it can be done in one continuous shot. Clearly, everyone involved in the filming is very focused, including the crew.

Just as the camera slowly approached Jiang Wen's face, Wu Chen made a gentle gesture.

Jiang Wen spoke.

"I remember that dinner was beef stew with potatoes that day."

The voice was very soft.

Jiang Wen looked at the Earth signal equipment that had long since been disconnected, as if he were reminiscing, or perhaps mocking himself.

"I've almost forgotten what beef tastes like."

"Only the stewing soup remains, its color still steaming, lingering in my mind."

The air seemed to pause for a moment.

One second, two seconds
"Click, perfect, all done!"

Wu Chen let out a deep breath and glanced at the crew members, noticing that Park Song-il and a few others had slightly red eyes.

This is no longer a foreign land; it's like being on another planet. The longing for home-cooked food pulls people back to the deepest recesses of their memories, creating a sense of resonance.

Of course, he had modified this dialogue, using the simplest language to evoke the most fundamental human emotions.

Loneliness is the greatest enemy in the universe, and memory is humanity's last battle flag.

After all, when people are in a state of extreme loneliness and disconnection, reminiscing about their past life is a psychological self-preservation mechanism and a symbol of what makes us human.

Jiang Wen slowly emerged from his character state, a little mist still lingering in his eyes, and unconsciously rubbed his face:

"Director, I feel that it would have been appropriate to recite a poem just now. In this situation, why not compose a poem?"

"What, are you going to use the scenery to express your feelings and become the first person to compose poetry on Mars?" Wu Chen teased with a smile.

"Hahaha"

The crowd chuckled, perhaps because they were reminded of something.

The filming days progressed slowly amidst laughter and conversation.

The Forbidden Kingdom is about to premiere in China, but Lionsgate has run into some problems with its overseas distribution. Seven exciting fight scenes from the movie have been leaked, with clear visuals and impressive effects, and have appeared on video websites both in China and abroad.

This caused Huayi a lot of trouble. Wang Zhonglei, cursing and swearing, hurriedly issued a stern statement in China, saying that if video websites still did not remove the content, they would pursue legal action.
With the premiere just around the corner, Wu Chen naturally received an invitation from Lionsgate. Michael Burns called him personally: "Wu, do you have time?"

"Sorry, Michael, you know I'm filming 'The Martian' right now, and every day a huge amount of money is burning through my pocket!"

Wu Chen naturally wouldn't abandon the film crew to attend the premiere of "The Forbidden Kingdom".

If it were their own "Painted Skin," that would be more like it.

"what a pity!"

Michael Burns could only sigh in regret and didn't press the matter further.

These days, news of the upcoming premiere of "The Forbidden Kingdom" has spread all over the internet.

Rob Minkoff and his team have arrived in Beijing, along with Yuen Woo-ping, the "Number One Action Director in the World," and Peter Pau, the cinematographer of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," among many others. For a time, Huayi Brothers became the focus of the industry with their grand procession.

(End of this chapter)