Huayu: King of Kung Fu

Several oil drums were burning fiercely in the open space.

Lin Hu leaped out from behind the oil drum and kicked Wang Baoqiang to the ground.

Wang Baoqiang rolled on the ground several times, and just as he was about to get up, Lin Hu used a spinning kick, turning 720 degrees in the air, and kicked Wang Baoqiang down again.

After finishing his move, Lin Hu first went over to help Wang Baoqiang up and asked, "How are you?"

The force of the kick was so great that it was difficult to stop in mid-air. Although Wang Baoqiang was prepared, he was still kicked so hard that he saw stars and his whole body ached.

He shook his head violently and said, "It's nothing!"

That's how it is in the stunt business; you get beaten up all the time. He's been doing this for the past two years and he's gotten used to it.

Lin Hu gently patted his shoulder, then turned to look at Ning Hao. Ning Hao made a gesture to indicate that he had taken pictures of everything.

Several people went over to watch the replay, and saw Li Hu perform two consecutive kicks with incredible fluidity, which they all found pleasing to the eye.

Lin Hu said, "If you jump out from behind the oil drum with flames on your feet and deliver a fiery whirlwind kick, that's what's cool."

Zhou Xun was stunned: "How is that possible?"

"Hong Kong has professional stunt doubles involving burning people. The actors are coated with fire-retardant paint and then their feet are set on fire." But we're just doing a test shoot now, so this is already pretty good.

The crowd couldn't help but yearn for the image of Lin Hu's feet engulfed in flames and black smoke as he launched a flying kick through the air.

Lin Hu was just saying it casually, unaware that they were adding special effects to their own imaginations.

He took his wallet from Zhou Xun and paid Ning Hao and the others their wages on the spot.

He shook hands with the others and said, "It has been a very pleasant time working with you all."

Ning Hao smiled and said, "I've learned a lot from following you guys on this filming these past few days. I wish you a successful completion of your movie soon."

Lin Hu said, "Your skills are quite good. Would you be interested in coming over to help out when my movie officially starts filming in a while?"

Ning Hao and the two lighting technicians exchanged glances, discussed their opinions, and said, "Sure!"

Lin Hu immediately negotiated a price with them and agreed on a rough start time.

"That's settled then, wait for my call!"

"no problem!"

The two lighting technicians were waiting for the call. Ning Hao, as the cinematographer, was involved in the entire pre-production process of the film.

Subsequently, Lin Hu and Ning Hao spent two days editing out the recently filmed footage.

Editing cassette tapes is quite complicated and requires professionals. Lin Hu had never done it before and didn't know how. In his time, computer software was used for editing.

After it was cut, several people gathered together to watch it.

The sample footage they shot mainly consisted of action scenes, with virtually no plot.

The aim is to showcase innovative action design and Lin Hu's agile skills.

Lin Hu personally planned the action design, shooting angles, and post-production editing for every scene, resulting in a very smooth final product.

Especially with the addition of voice-over, the effect is maximized.

On television, Lin Hu kicked Wang Baoqiang away, leaped into the air, and delivered a powerful double elbow strike to Wang Baoqiang's head.

"Crack!" A suffocating sound effect, the pain of bones shattering could be felt even through the screen, leaving everyone in shock.

Ning Hao exclaimed, "I've never seen such fierce action scenes before."

Lin Hu asked, "How do you think it compares to the action scenes of Chen Long and Li Lianjie?"

Ning Hao thought for a moment and said, "You are faster and more agile than Chen Long, but you lack his comedic flair. You are not as graceful as Li Lianjie, but you are more powerful and ruthless."

Your action choreography is very creative and innovative; I've never seen anything like it before. Combined with your skills, I think you'll definitely make a name for yourself in the future.

When Ning Hao said these words, his tone was surprisingly excited.

It's probably because after meeting Lin Hu, he thought the movie "Ong-Bak" would be a really awesome movie.

He was excited to be able to participate in the project.

Lin Hu turned off the TV and said, "We need to find a way to get this videotape to the Beijing Film Studio."

Ning Hao asked, "You want to find investment from the Beijing Film Studio?"

"It would be great to get investment, but I'm just a newcomer with no experience in the industry, so I might not be able to get investment."

So I didn't hold out much hope; I had other ways to get funding for the filming.

I hope to get support from the Beijing Film Studio, even if it's just to have my name listed on their website.

Because my film needs to be shot in Hong Kong, and without the support of a film studio, I couldn't obtain permission to film there.

Zhou Xun asked, "Why did you have to design a plot where the Buddha head was taken to Hong Kong? Couldn't it have been taken to Shanghai?"

Lin Hu sighed and said, "If possible, I would certainly like to film in mainland China, which would save a lot of money, but it's not possible..."

Lin Hu briefly explained why he wanted to move the story's setting to Hong Kong.

The original Ong-Bak protagonist went to Bangkok to find the Buddha head, so Lin Hu should be replaced with a Chinese city.

However, the Bangkok depicted in the film is rife with gangsters, openly hosting underground boxing matches, and boasting a massive black market for antiques...

This wouldn't work in any other inland city.

Depicting an inland city in such a dark light contradicts the general perception of Chinese audiences and would not pass censorship.

However, this problem is easily solved if it is changed to Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is an international smuggling center, so it makes perfect sense that the Buddha head was smuggled to Hong Kong.

The protagonist travels from a rural village in Yunnan to the dazzling international metropolis of Hong Kong, where he experiences various gang fights, underground boxing matches, and high-speed car chases...

These are all perfectly logical and easy to watch; they don't feel out of place at all.

Lin Hu's logic is the same as that of later mainland Chinese crime films, which often set their stories in Southeast Asia.

Lin Hu put a lot of thought into making the original story, which took place in Thailand, applicable to the Chinese context.

The original story originated in a village in northwestern Thailand, but Lin Hu also adapted it for a village in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China.

The reason for this designation is that the Dai people of Yunnan and the Thai people of Thailand share a common origin.

They share similar cultures, beliefs, customs, and even geographical environments.

The locals revere Buddhism, with Buddhist temples and pagodas scattered throughout the villages, and a large number of believers.

Only by transplanting the original story, which took place in a rural Thai village, to Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province can the narrative be made coherent.

Lin Hu also considered setting the story in a Buddhist temple, where he would play a young monk who was ordered to go to Hong Kong to find the lost Buddha head.

However, in order to be compatible with the original Muay Thai, it was ultimately set in a village in Yunnan.

He also cleverly replaced the original Muay Thai with Angkor Wat, a style of boxing popular in southwestern China.

You call this Muay Thai? I'm practicing Angkor Wat!

Having a long history has this advantage: everything in the surrounding small countries can be traced back to its origins within the country.

Of course, Lin Hu didn't say much about these details. He only said that the story was set in Hong Kong to pass censorship.

The mainland's film censorship system is too abnormal. After he said that, Ning Hao and Zhou Xun understood.

As for how to get the videotapes into the Beijing Film Studio and obtain its support?

Lin Hu explained, "Wu Bin, the vice chairman of the National Wushu Association, has a strong connection with the film industry. His disciples, Li Lianjie and Wu Jing, are both movie stars."

I plan to visit him, hoping to get his introduction to Han Sanping, the director of the Beijing Film Studio.