The struggles of a failed college entrance exam candidate in Hong Kong entertainment

Chapter 96 Should I formally spar with Brother Nan?

Starting May 20th, (The Outlaws 1) continued to rack up box office numbers as its run came to an end.

In addition to bringing a dozen or so white Hollywood special effects artists, Su Nan began using computers to scan and collect some digital files from the (Hacker 1) negative.

He also arranged the pre-production preparations for (Rescue Fury).

The process began with the assistant director scouting locations, preparing detailed shooting plans, and casting.

Leung Ka-fai and Rosamund Kwan reunite as on-screen partners, playing the parents of the character Chen in the film.

It's normal for a wealthy local family on Hong Kong Island to use their large villa as a filming location for a family drama.

Wan Ziliang is the mastermind behind a series of kidnappings. In the script, this involves kidnapping for ransom, blood tests, and various other aspects.

Then there is a continuous trading system for kidneys.

The biggest villain, Lao Wan, is the one who provides organ donors to numerous wealthy people and high society figures in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand.

He not only has territory in Hong Kong, but also branches in Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, and Singapore.

After all, it will gradually integrate Police Story, Outlaw City and Rage series.

The more detailed the initial setup, the easier it is to lay the groundwork for a sequel.

Those involved in the frontline kidnapping operations were a gang led by Richie Jen, Ning Li, and Zhou Bili.

These routine preparatory tasks are easy to handle.

What surprised the crowds who followed the (Rescue Fury) project, and even those who came specifically to learn about it, was the Steadicam.

Upon learning of the new action film shooting mode, it was discovered that the cinematographer would wear a Steadicam, and would also need to equip the film camera, the focusing system's counterweights, and so on.

This entire set actually weighs around 40 kilograms?

It's only 80 pounds, right? The problem is that the photographer has to carry 80 pounds and run alongside the action actors!

While running, you can't shake too much, and you also need to maintain the stability of the shooting quality!

The action actors performed fighting routines back and forth, and even the cameraman had to carry 80 pounds of weight while doing it for ten minutes.

You run for half an hour? Even in action scenes, it's not uncommon to rehearse and perform a few moves, then do another take.

What is the significance of this new photographic mode?

This is significant because it goes far beyond the moves shown in the fighting action script provided by Su Nan; at first glance, it doesn't look very good.

Yes, the new action genre features many action performances that showcase the protagonist's sharp movements and fierce fighting.

It requires the use of rapid editing to achieve this.

Judging solely from the script and considering the smoothness of the scenes and the overall viewing experience, those moves are not as good as many traditional action movies.

In traditional action films, Donnie Yen (money laundering) and Old Hung (Flying Dragon Warrior) have showcased many exciting duels.

Both involve a complete set of moves, a back-and-forth exchange, while fast-paced editing is a different story.

Before seeing the finished product, from the perspective of the core members of the Yuen Clan and Hung Clan, the action moves in the script given by Brother Nan were really ordinary.

While everyone was still in shock and doubt, the entire set of equipment, weighing around 80 pounds, required someone to carry it back and forth, including jumping.

That's what you call scary!

On May 22nd, at a film studio in the Golden Harvest film studio, Su Nan arrived at 10 AM.

When Brother Nan got off the car, many people along the way greeted him warmly and respectfully.

(The Outlaws 1) has been in theaters for four weeks and six days.

The box office for the first five days of this week totaled 318 million, which is not much at 50 per day. The total cumulative box office is 2793 million, and with today's new data, it will definitely break 2800 million.

It has already surpassed the 2746 million data of (Once Upon a Time in China III: The Lion King).

When Lao Hong plays the male lead, his image is just so-so after he turns 40. Anyone in the industry knows what this statistic means.

Even if they don't know about the various Skyworth project linkage plans.

Those in the industry know that this is the first installment in the story series, and the sequel could keep Hung Po popular for more than three years.

Especially after the videotapes swept the market, the longer the time has passed, the greater the appeal of releasing a sequel.

When Su Nan arrived at the vicinity of a pre-prepared and cleared film studio, they found that the scene had been cleared.

Sanmao, Jiao Enjun, and others had already come out to greet them.

Not to mention Sanmao and Yuan Heping, even Chen Ziqiang, Li Lianjie, Donnie Yen and others were all there.

The rest of the story has nothing to do with (Rescue 1). It's all about who can carry 80 pounds of equipment and keep running and jumping.

After everyone gathered, Lao Hong smiled and offered cigarettes, "Brother Nan, are you going to take the photos yourself?"

Su Nan nodded, "We'll be filming some footage of Xiao Jiao and the stuntmen fighting, including gunfights, later."

"It also establishes the style and sets the tone for the film."

"I brought some storyboards for the performance actions. You can practice according to the scripts."

Anyway, it's source material extracted from the (Taken) and (John Wick) sequences, which contain a lot of exciting fighting and gunfight scenes.

He then worked out a cartoon-style storyboard in the studio.

He showed Jiao Enjun and many other stuntmen the pictures and had them practice. He also gave them pointers on how to practice and how to perform.

It took an hour of work before I could finally put on the full Steadicam, camera, stabilizer, and other equipment with the help of the staff.

This job? Su Nan got the equipment moving, running, and even jumping practiced very smoothly.

He not only has gene therapy to improve his physical data, but also internal energy from Tai Chi.

The landlord-level Tai Chi, let alone the Fire Cloud Evil God who can kick down a wall several meters away with a single step, is not quite as powerful.

It is second only to that level.

A complete set of equipment weighing around 80 jin (approximately 40 catties) is roughly equivalent to 8 liang (approximately 400 grams) for someone in southern Jiangsu.

It's easier and more stable than countless ordinary people in the future shooting videos with a smartphone.

This is a sports photography technique. When conveying a sense of urgency, the camera needs to be very active, but it can't be shaken or shaky randomly, otherwise the viewer will feel dizzy.

Su Nan practiced casually for two or three minutes.

Hong Bao, Yuan Heping, Li Lianjie, and others all remained silent.

This is terrifying. So all of Ishigami Nan's incredible achievements since his debut were driven by his freakish stamina?

Is this a real-life version of Kung Fu Hustle, where the landlord, with one hand crippled and the other deficient, is scrambling around two grown men like they're fighting over a rag doll?

After a moment of silence, Ah Jie nudged Hong Zhenbao with his elbow. "Brother Sanmao, didn't you spar with another Brother Long in real life?"

""

"Shall we have a proper sparring match with Brother Nan?"

Old Hong rolled his eyes at Ah Jie, "I'll cut you, you black-hearted devil. Let's see how long Brother Nan can keep filming like this."

Zhou Bili, who is also a member of the Sammo Hung Stunt Team, looked at Brother Nan in the distance and then at Ah Jie and laughed, "This set of equipment is also quite large in total."

"As long as he can maintain a steady shooting speed for ten minutes or so, Nan Ge's explosive power and endurance are simply at the level of a super savage."

Zhou Bili has not yet collaborated with Jet Li, but he is clearly eager to try out Jet Li's skills.

It's just that he's too low-profile to dare to make any careless remarks or jokes.

They then chatted and laughed, and Su Nan walked around with a full set of equipment, filming. As time passed, many onlookers fell silent.

The filming lasted for more than an hour, and Su Nan barely rested.

Did they film the stunt performance and duel between Jiao Enjun and dozens of stuntmen?

Even when changing film midway through, they didn't stop. Everyone in the studio was completely dumbfounded.

When Su Nan finished filming and was unloading his equipment, Zhou Bili wiped away his cold sweat and kept muttering, "If Brother Nan were to participate in a marathon, he would definitely be among the top three in the Olympics."

Hong Bao, "————"

Old Hong really wanted to complain that marathons are long-distance running, but now photography mainly relies on hand-eye coordination? No, this is a terrifying and abnormal ability involving the whole body.

On May 23, on the set of (The Thirty-Six Strategies of the Supreme)

Li Jiaxin greeted Qiu Shuzhen when she first arrived at the film set.

Ah Zhen mysteriously pulled her aside to chat in a corner, "I heard that Brother Nan can hold Sister Zhi and chisel for an hour without his legs going weak?"

Li Jiaxin, "???"

How come she didn't know? Hadn't she heard of it? She only knew Sister Zhi bragging that Sister Da Gang was really cool.

The original version (The Italian Job) featured Win's Entertainment promoting newcomer Chung Lai-ti, with Lee Wan as the supporting actress.

In today's Hong Kong film and television industry, Leung Ka-fai is willing to play one of the two male leads alongside Ah Wah, which would further enhance Ah Wah's leading role.

Jia Hui only came because of Li Jiaxin's influence, and Yong Sheng gave him enough money.

So after the female lead was changed to Li Jiaxin, Qiu Shuzhen directly played the second female lead. Qiu Shuzhen's version of Mona was no less charming than Li Wan.

Xu Yajun's portrayal of the villain Liu Yaozu was so good that many of his scenes with Li Jiaxin hadn't been filmed yet.

The entire production is nearing completion and entering post-production.

While Ah Xin was still confused, Ah Zhen suddenly asked curiously, "Ah Xin, how much do you weigh?"

Li Jiaxin laughed and said, "I'm over 90, and I'm a bit taller than you."

Ah Zhen sighed again, "Then Brother Nan could definitely carry you for more than an hour without getting out of breath. He's got the body of an animal."

"I really envy Sister Zhi and the others for eating so well. My fatso can only last five minutes without taking his medicine."

Ah Xin was completely bewildered. "What on earth happened? Ah Zhen, why are you being so provocative?"

She increasingly wanted to experience what it felt like to eat until she was stuffed, but she never had the chance.

Ah Zhen chuckled and teased her for a couple of minutes before asking curiously, "How's the recording of Vivian Chow's new album coming along?"

"I heard from Fatty that Brother Wu from Changhong is planning a love story."

"I'm thinking of offering HK$80 to HK$100 million to have Sister Min play one of the female leads."

"If she refuses to take the role to maintain her image as the 'pure and innocent' sect leader, will you take it?"

This refers to "Chasing Boys," invested in by Lao Wu and directed by Wang Jing. The cast is even more impressive than that of "Super School Overlord," which promoted Zhang Weijian.

They've already started hanging out together, so Ah Zhen doesn't mind giving Li Jiaxin, who's focused on her career, another chance.

Whether they invite Vivian Chow or Rosamund Kwan, it's all about flattering Su Nan.

Rosamund Kwan's salary of 150 million to 200 million is a bit too expensive.

If Zhou Huimin's Mandarin album is released during the filming period and sells well in Taiwan, then inviting her to join the project at a higher price would be a huge win-win situation.

Li Jiaxin said happily, "I guess Sister Min isn't interested. She's just waiting for the (almost lovers) scandal to explode before holding a concert this year."

"I'm not very interested in ordinary film projects."

The final title of the album was still "Not Yet Lovers," not to mention that the original girl group "True Destiny Girls" sold more than 1000 million copies worldwide.

This song was the debut single for Taiwanese singer S.H.E., and it sold 16 copies in Taiwan.

Don't underestimate this small album; it's the group's very first album since their debut!

Do you think she can sing well in a group format like (Not Yet Lovers) by herself? Hong Xin, a nobody at Skyworth, also helped record some.

Hong Xin's professional skills are average, but she is just a backup singer and vocalist in this song.

Chiu Shu-chen nodded, "Then you should try to argue. You're all from Skyworth, so you'll have Nan-ge's influence and face when you speak up."

"I think regardless of the salary, Chang-Hong will definitely include Taiwanese actors in this film, and the box office there might not be bad."

"And speaking of the female lead, it's still Sister Qingxia."

A day flew by, and after finishing filming, Li Jiaxin immediately went to Zhou Huimin to burn incense and pray to Buddha.

She was also envious of the projects that Amin didn't like.

Sister Min is really being carried to new heights by Brother Nan; the rapid increase in her salary is partly due to mutual commercial support.

Ah Xin can only try to take on more projects and get more exposure now; the more good projects she gets, the higher her pay will gradually become.

In the following days, Su Nan saw off more than a dozen Hollywood special effects artists.

The film crew of (Rescue) has also officially started filming. When he was in charge of reviewing this kind of urban action film, he included various search engines, Internet big data, supercomputing and other concepts, which was a bit ahead of its time.

The rest are all jobs that the Hong Kong film industry excels at.

Filming starts in late May, wraps up in late June or early July, and then it's poised to hit the summer blockbuster season in July and August.

Vivian Chow made a cameo appearance in (Gripping Fire).

She plays a rich, beautiful, and computer genius who has her family spend money to buy a supercomputer and develop search engine technology.

Building databases and such is a genius skill of Rosamund Kwan, this wealthy woman.

In reality, no matter how rich people are in Hong Kong, they can't buy a world-class supercomputer; this is just a movie setting.

Jiao Enjun investigated the backgrounds of Wan Ziliang, Richie Jen, and others, bypassing high-level police channels and directly asking Amin for help.

Ah Min's character is a search engine expert who digs up information from databases of the Hong Kong Island Police and Social Security Bureau.

Then I went to Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, and Singapore to search for information online.

This is not only a way to plant ideas and interact with the future, but also a way to promote Amin's upcoming album (Not Yet Lovers).

Fury 1 is about two singers with huge appeal.

On June 15, summer vacation officially kicked off globally.

A luxurious villa on Hong Kong Island, this is the filming location rented by the crew of (Taken)

Today, Su Nan didn't wear a Steadicam or motion camera; he was shooting a dramatic family scene from "Anger."

The performances of Leung Ka-fai, Rosamund Kwan, Vincent Chiao, and Chen Men were filmed.

After finishing one take, Su Nan called "cut" and said, "Take a five-minute break and then do it again."

Without a doubt, Leung Ka-fai's acting skills surpass everyone else's, but he is able to hold back and lower himself to a different level than Sister Kwan, Vincent Chiao, and Chen.

Watching Jia Hui film is the most relaxing thing; he handles the roles so smoothly and effortlessly!

On the contrary, after much reflection, Sister Guan stopped accepting roles indiscriminately, and her acting skills reached a level where they could only improve and not decline easily.

She was most prone to breaking down when acting opposite Jiao Enjun and Chen, often overshadowing the latter two.

Embarrassed, Chen repeatedly bowed and apologized to those on either side, while Sister Guan quickly comforted and praised him.

Just then, Chen Hong ran up from the perimeter of the set, which was being controlled by the production crew, looking shocked and clutching a newspaper in her hand.

Paper.

"Brother Nan, breaking news! (Jurassic Park) grossed $4702 million in its opening weekend in the US."

"Three days equals HK$3.66 million? That's outrageous!"

As Ah Hong spoke, everyone who heard her words along the way was stunned.

A basic statistic: the US version of "Dynasty Warriors" grossed 1372 million in its opening weekend, and ultimately broke $100 million in the US alone.

(Con Air) grossed $1476 million in its opening weekend but ultimately closed at $7782 million.

Jurassic Park: $4702 million in 3 days?!

Compared to other mainstream Hollywood blockbusters, this is a complete game-changer.

Su Nan waited for Ah Hong to run over and hand him the newspaper. He glanced at it and exclaimed, "The age of dinosaurs has arrived."

Ah Hong was still incredibly excited. What does this have to do with them?

(Hackers) also employ a similar crazy production model to (Jurassic Park).

This news will certainly spur Xu Ke and others to increase their efforts in producing the CGI version (Green Snake).