Huayu: A Commercial Director

Chapter 19 Filming, Public Opinion Storm

With sandstorms raging and the weather getting hotter, staying in the desert any longer would not be a wise decision; starting filming in March would be a smart move.

Chen Shou was filming a scene with so many people for the first time, and he still showed a bit of panic, but he became more and more comfortable with it as the plot progressed.

"Make the lighting and atmosphere a bit more subdued," Chen Shouzhe said to the staff while standing in front of the monitor.

They already knew from their previous collaboration that Chen Shouzhe really liked using light to enhance the atmosphere of a film.

The twilight atmosphere of "Goodbye Mr. Loser" suggests that the protagonist is in a dream, and it cleverly uses that hazy feeling to tell the audience that this is just a dream.

The atmosphere of "Painted Skin" is oppressive, with dim lighting, indicating that the female lead is actually a monster, a monster that eats human hearts. Even with yellow sand everywhere, the sky is still dark.

War raged, demons and evil spirits roamed the land, and the people suffered greatly.

When Chen Shouzhe was studying at the academy, he watched too many movies by great directors, whether it was the great director Zhang or the great poet Chen. Without exception, they were all very vivid in terms of color and rendering.

The beautiful colors required for such a scene demand highly skilled photography techniques, which puts the photographer's abilities to the test.

Chen Shouzhe was in charge of overseeing the entire crew; all the movie scenes were in his mind, and he drew them out through storyboards.

Except for Liu Yan, all the actors in the crew were working with Chen Shouzhe for the first time. After seeing the storyboard of Chen Shouzhe's painting, they knew how to act, and even the emotions and inner expressions.

Every day, besides filming, I would sit down and read the script together, analyzing the characters' inner thoughts.

What satisfied Chen Shouzhe the most was Zhou Xun's performance. As expected of a film queen, the main focus of the performance was on her.

“Wait a minute, you need to show your love for Xiaowei. It can’t be silent. You have to show it. You have to love her. You can do anything for her, but your love should be humble,” Chen Shou said to the actor playing the lizard demon.

It was drawn in an exaggerated style, and the heart was brought to Xiaowei's front. It then ate the flying moth in one bite.

This part will be added using special effects in post-production; the love between the lizard spirit and Xiaowei is actually quite obvious.

"Okay, director." The actor nodded, adjusted himself, and continued filming.

"Hey you two, you're both professionals, surely this isn't good enough?" Chen Shou said with a smile to the two lead actors.

Today, while filming a scene with Wang Sheng and his wife, the actors were noticeably reserved.

"Director Chen wants us to make some adjustments," said Chen Kun, the leading actor who plays Wang Sheng.

"It's alright, it just needs some time to prepare," Chen Shouzhe nodded.

This scene isn't just about Wang Sheng and his wife; it also includes the fox spirit Xiao Wei, though we'll have to switch actors halfway through.

"You're quite the entertainer, Director Chen," said Zhou Xun, who was sitting and waiting nearby.

"That's right, you'll have your fun then," Chen Shou teased.

"Go away, you little brat," Zhou Xun said irritably.

Because Zhou Xun would appear on screen halfway through the film, she already knew this, which is why she said Chen was guarding a little kid.

Fortunately, the scenes shot in the desert were all completed in March. If we had to film those later, we would have been sweltering in the heat, as the weather was getting hotter and hotter.

The filming schedule was accelerating rapidly. Once Chen Shouzhe got into the zone, his pace quickened. He was focused solely on the film, spending all his time outside of filming communicating with post-production, editing, and special effects. Everything was being arranged quickly according to his instructions.

He also used another version of Painted Skin, where Pei Rong is bald and disfigured, revealing fangs and turning into a monster.

It's good that Zhao Qizi isn't around. Zeng Li didn't say anything. As an actress, she's much more dedicated than some people, and she calmly accepted this devastating scene.

After finishing filming the desert scenes in March, they immediately moved from the Northwest to Hengdian, where they filmed in two different locations.

"Ka, this one passed."

Chen Shou watched the image presented by the machine with satisfaction. Good actors are indeed different. The top actors nowadays all have excellent acting skills. They have been tempered for at least ten years. Every move they make perfectly matches the image he wants to present.

"Director Chen, some media are asking outside when the set will be open for visits?" the assistant asked as he came in.

Many people are curious about Chen Shouzhe's film, titled "Painted Skin." Chen Shouzhe claims it's a folk myth, and the synopsis has been widely available. However, many are even more curious about Chen Shouzhe's second film, given that his first movie broke box office records. They're eager to know what the second film will be like, and whether it should avoid scheduling conflicts. Audiences are curious, and the film industry is even more interested.

"Let's open the set to visitors in a while, when filming is almost finished," Chen Shou said.

"it is good."

The assistant went out to deal with the reporters, while Chen Shouzhe sat on the stool in a daze.

"They've already resorted to underhanded tactics before it's even started?"

Chen Shouzhe looked at the recent news and couldn't help but smile.

He's being universally criticized, and some people are already jumping out to defend him.

Ungrateful? Former master and disciple, now bitter enemies?

This title appears on many websites; it comes from an interview with someone claiming to be an industry insider.

With the start of filming for "Painted Skin," discussions about the film have been ongoing, with the biggest issue being that Guo Degang and Yu Qian are not among the producers.

Many viewers don't care about the production company. Few viewers will look up who the production company is when they watch a movie. They are more concerned about who the director is, who the lead actor is, and so on. Only industry insiders would care.

When the project was first launched, some people noticed that two investors, Deyun Society and Daqian World, were missing, and thought that they might have been included along with Chen Shouzhe.

As filming began, more and more people learned the inside story, and some self-proclaimed industry insiders started to speculate about conspiracy theories.

They criticized Chen Shou for not including his mentor and godfather in his new movie, leaving his two benefactors out of the picture.

This interview garnered a lot of attention. Deyun Society already had considerable popularity, and the addition of a director who is the highest-grossing director in China made it even more exciting for onlookers.

Many say that a traitor has emerged in the world of crosstalk, and after Guo Degang, it's Yu Qian's turn.

"What's wrong? Are you affected?" Zhou Xun came over with a cigarette and handed one to Chen Shouzhe.

Chen Shou took the cigarette from the woman, and without paying any attention, put it in his mouth and said, "It will definitely have an impact, but I don't need to get involved. My master and the others will handle it."

"Why didn't Teacher Yu and Teacher Guo vote this time?" Zhou Xun asked curiously, taking a puff of his cigarette.

The people around them quietly pricked up their ears. They had all seen the news today and realized that compared to Chen Shouzhe's previous film, this one was indeed missing two important investors.

"Because the risks are different. Painted Skin cost over 100 million, while Charlotte only cost 20 million. If anyone could guarantee that a movie would make money, who wouldn't want to make movies? You all know the risks in this industry." Chen Shou took a deep drag on his cigarette, having smoked most of it in one go. He was a seasoned smoker, and he didn't feel anything after taking a big drag.

Upon hearing Chen Shouzhe's explanation, the actors and staff present understood that making a movie was a huge gamble; with 100 million invested, who could guarantee that it would make money?
Compared to the four companies that followed, one of them specializes in the film and television industry, while the other two are a horse farm owner and a crosstalk performer. Investing in movies is too difficult for them.

Investing too little won't yield much profit, while investing too much could lead to losses, potentially causing the entire team to disband because of a single film.

They can't afford to gamble, and they don't dare to gamble.

Sure enough, the news came out the next day. Chen Shouzhe's mentor, Yu Qian, responded. The content was very simple: they are not a film and television investment company. They started by helping their child realize his dream. Now that their child is grown up, it is time for him to fly on his own. They should not put too much pressure on him.

After the explanation, the matter was considered closed, but Chen Shou believed that it was not over yet.

He made a few phone calls before finally falling asleep peacefully.

It rains a lot in Hengdian, which makes filming difficult. Chen Shou decided to stop filming for a day. Some actors had to remove their makeup after it was done. Actors earn their money this way, so they didn't say anything.

Filming was scheduled to be completed within three months, but due to the weather, it took a little longer, and it finally wrapped up before June.

"Cut! I hereby announce that filming for 'Painted Skin' has wrapped!!!"

Chen Shou excitedly spoke through a megaphone.

"Oooo!!!"

The audience cheered. Chen Shouzhe had prepared a wrap party and enjoyed a delicious meal. The next day, Chen Shouzhe left Hengdian and returned to Beijing. Post-production was being handled by China Film Group, while the special effects were outsourced to a foreign company. It was expected to be completed in two months.

(End of this chapter)