Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 383, Section 381: Powering On

Sunday, July 12, 2001.

The winter sun carried a hint of chill, but it couldn't mask the lively atmosphere at the "Jackie Chan Happy Park" construction site in Huairou, a suburb of Beijing.

After six months of intensive preparation, the multi-million dollar Chinese fantasy epic "Night at the Museum" finally held its historic opening ceremony on this day.

The once somewhat rough entrance to the construction site has been carefully decorated.

A huge red backdrop stands tall, with the imposing and eye-catching logo of the movie "Night at the Museum" (the Chinese and English title, which combines bronze tripod patterns with starry sky elements) on it, and the four gilded characters "大机大吉" (Good luck with filming) clearly marked below.

In front of the backdrop, a long red carpet was laid out, extending all the way to the flat area that had been temporarily cleared out and used as the ceremony site.

Colorful flags fluttered all around, bearing the logos of "Shengying Media", "China Film Group", "Jackie Chan Happy Garden" and various investors, rustling in the cold wind.

Although the temperature was low, the scene was bustling with people and filled with warmth.

Reporters from nearly a hundred media outlets across the country had already set up their cameras and microphones, occupying the best positions on both sides of the red carpet, and their flashes were already going off, recording every guest in attendance.

In addition to regular entertainment media, there were even authoritative publications such as "China Film News" and "Literary Gazette," as well as several invited international media correspondents based in Beijing, demonstrating the extraordinary level of industry attention this project received.

The opening ceremony officially began at 10:00 AM.

After the host's enthusiastic opening remarks, the main creative team and important guests stepped onto the red carpet one by one, eliciting cheers and a flurry of camera shutters.

The first to appear was Wang Sheng, the chief director and chief producer.

He was wearing a black fitted cashmere coat over a dark turtleneck sweater, with an upright posture and a composed gait.

He didn't linger on the red carpet, but simply smiled and nodded to the media area before walking to the backdrop to sign his name.

Immediately afterwards, the atmosphere at the scene suddenly heated up—international superstar Jackie Chan made a spirited appearance, accompanied by his agent Willie Chan.

He wore a stylish leather jacket, sunglasses, and his signature, infectious, bright smile.

His appearance immediately ignited the entire scene, with shouts and camera shutters from reporters blending together, almost lifting the temporary roof off.

"Jackie Chan! Look this way!"

"Jackie Chan! Over here!"

"Mr. Jackie Chan, what are your expectations for this movie?"

Jackie Chan was clearly in a great mood. Instead of rushing past, he walked to the edge of the media area, skillfully posing for photos while enthusiastically responding in Mandarin with a Hong Kong accent:
"Expectations? Of course, we have very high expectations! I loved this script the moment I saw it. Director Wang Sheng is a genius!"
And our museum, you'll see when you go inside later, wow, it's incredible! I'm sure it will be a huge surprise for audiences all over the world!

His friendliness and enthusiasm instantly bridged the gap between him and everyone.

Subsequently, relevant leaders from the State Administration of Radio and Television, Yang Buting, Chairman of China Film Group, Han Sanping, Vice Chairman of China Film Group, leaders from Beijing's radio and television departments, leaders from Huairou County, the core management team of Shengying Media, as well as various investors and key creative personnel, also entered the venue one after another.

In addition, representatives from technical support providers, such as Zhong Zhixing, the visual effects supervisor of Sinotrans Digital, and the head of the visual effects team of Beijing Film Academy, were also present, demonstrating the strong industrial collaboration behind this film.

At 10:18, the auspicious time has arrived.

All the main creators and important guests stood neatly in front of the backdrop for the core part of the opening ceremony—the unveiling and incense offering.

Wang Sheng, Jackie Chan, Han Sanping, and a leader from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television jointly pulled down the red silk covering the camera.

The Arri camera, symbolizing the start of filming, gleamed in the sunlight.

Next, staff carried up an incense table covered with a red cloth, on which were placed offerings such as roast suckling pig and fruit, and thick incense sticks were inserted into the incense burner.

Led by Wang Sheng, Jackie Chan, Han Sanping, and others stepped forward one by one to offer incense and prayers. The rising smoke carried the entire crew's wishes for a smooth filming process and a box office success.

This scene, where tradition and modernity intertwine, was captured by countless cameras and became the cover image for many entertainment pages the following day.

Following the worship ceremony, the media interview session began.

Without a doubt, Jackie Chan was the absolute focus.

"Mr. Jackie Chan, you just finished filming the Hollywood blockbuster 'The Tuxedo' and immediately threw yourself into this Chinese blockbuster. What attracted you to make this choice? Is it because of director Wang Sheng?" a reporter asked.

Jackie Chan took the microphone and said seriously, "Of course, Director Wong is part of the reason. He is very capable and his ideas are very advanced!"
But more importantly, it's the story of Night at the Museum.

This is not just a movie, but a dream—a dream to present China's wonderful history and culture to the world in a fun and magical way.

I've been making films in Hollywood for many years, and I've always hoped to bring our own truly good things to the world. This project showed me that it was possible!

So no matter how busy you are, you have to come, and you have to give it your all!

His words were sincere and passionate, earning him a round of applause.

"There are rumors that you gave up a high salary this time and chose to share the box office revenue. Is that true? Are you confident in the box office performance of this film?" another reporter asked.

Jackie Chan laughed heartily, displaying his unique江湖气 (jianghu qi, a kind of chivalrous spirit) and confidence: "Money isn't the most important thing! What's important is that we all do something amazing together!"
I have confidence in this film, confidence in director Wang Sheng, and confidence in all of our staff! As for the box office…” He paused deliberately, looked around, and then said loudly, “I believe it will be fantastic! It might even break many records!”

He then answered several questions about the role challenges and action design, maintaining a high level of cooperation and enthusiasm throughout, occasionally throwing in a joke that drew continuous laughter from the audience.

His presence undoubtedly injected a powerful boost of international influence and market confidence into the film.

Wang Sheng and Han Sanping also gave brief interviews.

Wang Sheng emphasized the film's significance in industrial exploration and cultural inheritance, while Han Sanping, on behalf of China Film Group, expressed full support for the project and affirmed this model that combines international cooperation with local innovation.

The opening ceremony lasted for nearly two hours in a warm and orderly atmosphere before finally coming to a close.

……

December 3rd, Monday, 6:00 AM.

On the Huairou film set, inside Studio No. 1 of the "Chinese Civilization Museum".

Although it was still dark and bitterly cold outside, the shed was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Under the huge canopy, the "Pre-Qin Exhibition Hall" in the style of the Qin and Han dynasties has been completed.

The dome, which is over ten meters high, is painted with an ancient star map. The walls around it are made of simulated rock walls and display a variety of replica bronzes and terracotta figurines.

Most eye-catching are the dozens of lifelike replicas of Qin Shi Huang's terracotta warriors lined up neatly in the center of the exhibition hall—they will be the first ancient army to be "resurrected" in the film.

Wang Sheng, wearing a light down jacket, stood beside the monitor, looking focused.

The executive director, cinematographer, lighting technician, art director, special effects director, and other department heads surrounded him for final communication before filming began.

"Adjust the lighting again. I want that cool, moonlit feeling of light streaming through the domed skylight, but the inside of the terracotta warrior pit needs some background lighting, not complete darkness," Wang Sheng said into the walkie-talkie. "Props team, check all the joints and internal mechanisms of the terracotta warriors to ensure smooth movements."

Jackie Chan had already finished his makeup and changed into the slightly sloppy security guard uniform of Chen Dabao, the unemployed martial arts instructor in the film. He was on the side, carefully reviewing with action director Yuen Woo-ping a complex set of movements for interacting with the "resurrected" terracotta warriors.

Despite being a comedy, Jackie Chan maintained his high standards for action scenes.

At eight o'clock in the morning, everything was ready.

The script supervisor, holding the clapperboard, walked in front of the camera and shouted:

"Night at the Museum, First Show, First Shot, First Time!"

"Action!"

With Wang Sheng's command, the entire set instantly went into shooting mode.

The camera focused on Jackie Chan, who looked slightly uneasy and was looking around with a flashlight in hand.

His character, Chen Dabao, is working his first night shift and feels unfamiliar and uneasy about the magnificent yet empty museum.

He carefully walked across the pit, the beam of his flashlight sweeping over the silent terracotta warriors.

According to the plot, under specific lighting (the film sets it as the light emitted by bronze artifacts), these terracotta figures will gradually "come to life".

Filming is not something that can be done overnight.

To achieve a "magical realism" feel, this shot required multiple cameras and angles, combined with post-production special effects.

In the live-action portion, Jackie Chan had to perform without props in front of a green screen and static terracotta figures, imagining them "coming to life," which was a huge test of the actor's conviction and expressiveness.

"Click!" Wang Sheng's voice rang out, "Jackie Chan, when you walk to the third terracotta warrior, you can show a little more surprise, with a hint of self-doubt like 'Am I seeing things?' and then slowly turn into disbelief."

“Okay, director, I understand.” Jackie Chan responded immediately, showing no airs of an international superstar and completely immersed in his creative work.

After several revisions, this clause was finally approved.

The next scene filmed was of the Terracotta Warriors interacting with Jackie Chan after they were "revived".

This requires the use of pre-set mechanical manipulators and some special effects stunt doubles wearing motion capture suits.

On site, some of the "special effects terracotta figures" with simple mechanical structures inside began to make slow and somewhat stiff movements such as turning their heads and raising their arms under the remote control of technicians.

Jackie Chan, on the other hand, needs to "converse" and "interact" with these "alive" ancient soldiers, showing both comedic panic and his signature agility during "forced" drills.

"Lights, watch out for the shadows! The terracotta warrior's shadow must be projected onto the wall!"

"Unit two, zoom in, get a close-up of Brother Long's face, capture that awkward, bewildered expression!"

"Action terracotta warrior, number three, slow down your arm raising speed by twenty percent! It should have the sluggishness of someone awakening from a thousand-year slumber!"

(End of this chapter)