Huayu: King of Kung Fu

A few days later, Lin Hu visited Wu Bin with gifts.

Wu Bin is extremely famous in the Chinese martial arts world, but Lin Hu is no unknown figure either.

The two met and immediately felt a mutual respect. Lin Hu didn't waste any words and went straight to explaining his purpose, showing Wu Bin the footage he had filmed.

Wu Bin was pleasantly surprised when he saw it, but he felt that Lin Hu was only eighteen years old and yet he was thinking about making a movie, directing and starring in it himself, which was a bit of a pipe dream.

He advised, "Xiao Lin, your skills are indeed very good, and these clips are also very original."

However, making a movie is not an easy task; it cannot be accomplished simply by having a few good-looking shots.

Most film directors spend seven or eight years working their way up in film crews before they can take on the role of director.

I have a student named Zhen Zidan, who is a well-known action actor. You've probably heard of him.

He debuted in the 1980s and has been working in the action film industry for more than a decade, so his experience is considerable.

However, his recent self-directed and self-starring action movie was a box office flop, resulting in a complete loss.

Well, I'm telling you this not to scare you, but because I think you have no experience and think you can succeed with just enthusiasm. You're overestimating the difficulty of making movies.

I suggest you go to film crews to gain more experience, broaden your horizons, and accumulate knowledge. Make a few movies first, build your reputation, and then it won't be too late to become a director.

If you're interested, I can recommend you to director Cheung Sin-yim from Hong Kong; I have some connections with him.

Wu Bin's words were reasonable and insightful; he truly cared about Lin Hu and cherished this rare talent in the martial arts world.

In his view, how could it be possible for Lin Hu, a martial arts practitioner, to suddenly decide to direct and star in a movie?

Although the short film Lin Hu produced looked plausible, he didn't believe Lin Hu could succeed.

This is different from Ning Hao. Ning Hao actually followed Lin Hu to shoot the sample footage and witnessed Lin Hu's skillful techniques and ingenious ideas during filming.

Wu Bin had never seen these things before, and he was old. Most old people are quite stubborn, and it's difficult to persuade him based on just a few action clips.

As for Wu Bin citing the example of Zhen Zidan, it was the truth.

At the beginning of this year, Donnie Yen risked everything to film "Kill, Kill, Dance," which only grossed HK$81 at the box office.

In Wu Bin's opinion, Donnie Yen has been making action movies for so many years, and he still flops. What about Lin Hu, a newcomer?

Donnie Yen's movie had great action sequences, but a movie can't be made just by having a few exciting scenes.

If Lin Hu really wants to make movies, the right way is to find a film crew, slowly hone his skills, and accumulate experience.

Wu Bin introduced Zhang Xinyan, who is also a well-known director. He directed "Shaolin Temple," the film that made Li Lianjie famous.

Wu Bin couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried, that Lin Hu was a cheat code, and that he had works that could be copied and adapted.

After listening to Wu Bin's words, Lin Hu simply said, "Teacher Wu, thank you for your advice, but I have already made up my mind. Even if I lose, I will accept it willingly."

Wu Bin was not Lin Hu's superior, and since Lin Hu wouldn't listen, he couldn't say anything more.

He sighed and said, "Alright, then I won't try to persuade you anymore. You want me to introduce you to Director Han of the Beijing Film Studio, and I can help you with that."

Thank you!

Wu Bin immediately helped contact Han Sanping, who, after listening to the conversation on the phone, said he could meet with Lin Hu.

However, he is away on a business trip, so we'll have to wait until he returns to Beijing.

To be honest, although Han Sanping was the director of the Beijing Film Studio, he didn't really manage the studio's daily affairs.

The current state of domestic films is practically dead. There are about 30 people employed in the film industry nationwide, with an average annual output value of less than 3000 RMB per person.

The state-owned film studios were all in dire straits, struggling to make ends meet.

Han Sanping's usual job was to raise money to make movies in order to keep the Beijing Film Studio running, so he was often away on business trips.

……

Han Sanping was not to be seen for a while, and Lin Hu was not idle either.

He received a new $15,000, which Zhou Xun exchanged for 150,000 RMB on the black market.

With over 300,000 yuan in cash, enough for the pre-production of a movie, Lin Hu began recruiting.

First, we hired an accountant and a receptionist for the company.

Making a movie requires a very complex behind-the-scenes team.

Lin Hu is very frugal, and everyone who has joined his team currently holds multiple positions.

Lin Hu was a short video shooter in his previous life. Although he had never shot a feature film, he still had some relevant experience.

He served as director, lead actor, martial arts choreographer, and other roles.

In addition to serving as director of photography, Ning Hao also served as executive director and art director. He used to work in art direction when he was in a drama troupe.

Huang Bo's girlfriend used to be a dancer, and she was brought in to be in charge of costumes and makeup.

In addition to being a martial arts instructor, Wang Baoqiang also works as a stagehand.

In this way, only a few positions need to be hired, such as photographers, sound recordists, prop masters, editors, and martial arts performers.

As for the soundtrack, that's something we did after the movie was finished. If we didn't want to spend more money, we just used pre-made music.

In Beijing, it's quite easy to find these professionals.

While Lin Hu was busy searching for people, Zhang Jin finally arrived in the capital.

Lin Hu picked him up at the train station, and as soon as they returned to the courtyard, they saw a lively scene.

A large round table was set up in the courtyard, and several people were busy carrying dishes onto it.

There was a barbecue grill next to the table, where Huang Bo sat and grilled lamb skewers.

As soon as he saw Lin Hu, he shouted in Maimaiti's accent, "Boss, come and try my lamb skewers, they're really delicious!"

Lin Hu obliged, picked up a skewer of lamb, and started eating it right away, not even bothering to stop because it was hot.

"Where did you get that barbecue grill?"

"I borrowed it from the guy at the entrance of the alley."

"I think your skills are pretty good. Why don't we team up and set up a stall together to drive that guy out of business?"

"That's really unfair!"

Lin Hu chuckled and introduced them to the two. Huang Bo, upon hearing that another martial arts champion had arrived, was filled with respect.

"Hello champion, let me treat you to some lamb skewers!"

"Thanks!"

Zhang Jin isn't one to be pretentious; he took the lamb skewers Huang Bo offered and started eating them, even praising Huang Bo's cooking skills.

Lin Hu explained with a smile, "We've been getting together every day lately to work on the film's preparations, so we've been cooking for ourselves."

Zhang Jin thought it was good and said, "It's great, very lively!"

Lin Hu helped Zhang Jin put away his luggage; the dishes were almost ready.

There were Quzhou dishes cooked by Zhou Xun and Qingdao dishes cooked by Xiao Ou, a table full of food, very sumptuous.

Everyone sat around the table for dinner. Lin Hu stood up and raised his glass: "Today's meal is a welcome to Brother Zhang Jin! Cheers!"

The crowd cheered, "Cheers!"

As Zhang Jin drank his wine, he felt like he was being held up by Lin Hu.

Lin Hu asked him to make a movie, but he didn't agree. He just said he would come and take a look.

Now that they're welcoming him so warmly and giving him so much face, he feels embarrassed to refuse.