Huayu: Starting with mentoring female stars

Then, after all the participants were seated.

The premiere celebration for "The Forbidden Kingdom" has officially begun.

This celebration was not just about showing a movie.

Before that, there were some martial arts performances and song and dance performances.

It will take about two hours.

It wasn't until 8 p.m. that "The Forbidden Kingdom" officially began screening.

It is worth mentioning that Minkoff has always admired Chen Zhou.

Therefore, this time, he let Chen Zhou sit directly next to him.

So that when the movie is shown, I can discuss some professional knowledge about directing with Chen Zhou.

As a Western director, he is still very willing to have some exchanges with Eastern directors.

Chen Zhou, of course, didn't care about this.

So Min Kefu sat to his left and Liu Yifei sat to his right.

As the movie played, Minkoff began to whisper with Chen Zhou:

"Mr. Chen, so far, are there any aspects that you feel are somewhat regrettable?"

This was a question that Minkoff deliberately asked Chen Zhou.

Because during filming, he always felt that some parts weren't quite right, but he couldn't really explain them in detail.

After all, the movies he watched since childhood were almost all Western narratives and filming techniques.

Chen Zhou didn't stand on ceremony and pointed to a shot on the screen:

"Look here, the moment Cheng Long leaped into the air and kicked his legs, the overhead light was so harsh that it turned his shadow into a completely black patch."

"The audience's attention will be drawn away by the shadows, causing them to overlook the explosive power of the leg techniques."

"If we switch to side-backlighting, letting the light follow the contours of his body, it will not only highlight the muscle lines, but also blend the shadows and the light spots in the bamboo forest together, doubling the sense of depth in the picture."

He paused:

"And the chase scene just now, I understand that you wanted to achieve a smooth and fluid performance."

"But you could try a slight camera shake, following the actor's breathing rhythm."

"For example, Li Lianjie's stick fighting is fast, ruthless, and accurate. The slight shaking of the camera can amplify the sense of pressure of each punch landing on the flesh, which is more intense than a steady follow shot."

Minkofu frowned.

The stark darkness from the top lighting and the excessively smooth shots were precisely the things that he vaguely felt were awkward during post-production editing, yet he couldn't quite put his finger on why.

Chen Zhou's words were like a key, instantly unlocking the window.

Chen Zhou continued:

"Also, when you're handling camera switching during two-person fights, you rely too much on foreground/reverse shots."

"Actually, we could reduce the number of cuts and use a long shot, slowly pulling the camera up from the feet of the two characters to their heads, so that the audience can see the complete sequence of moves."

"In terms of lighting, the contrast between warm and cold light between Li Lianjie and Cheng Long immediately brings out the sense of antagonism between the characters."

Minkoff nodded in thought, expressing his deep agreement with Chen Zhou's opinion.

These are very insightful criticisms, and they are what he wants to learn.

Having made films for so many years, his understanding of camera movement and lighting is undoubtedly profound.

But Chen Zhou's perspective completely breaks free from the established framework of Hollywood.

It's not about showing off skills, but about making the camera and lighting serve the core of the action.

At this moment, Minkov regrets that he could have met Chen Zhou sooner.

Then he will definitely let Chen Zhou film "The Forbidden Kingdom" together.

In this way, he believed that the final presentation of the work would be greatly improved.

A collaboration between China and the West is a great idea, and it's sure to bear fruit.

"Chen, you've really taught me a lesson!" Minkov's tone was full of sincerity.

Chen Zhou smiled:

"Just my humble opinion, Director Minkoff."

"After all, the beauty of Chinese Kung Fu lies not only in its moves, but also in the spirit and energy hidden in the light and shadow."

"As a Chinese director, I certainly understand these cultural traditions better than you do."

"It's like classical Chinese poetry; only those of us who studied it from elementary school can truly appreciate the myriad thoughts and emotions conveyed in it."

"And after you hear that, you'll just find it very confusing."

"Furthermore, I have always hoped that film can serve as a form of cultural exchange between different countries."

"It's not just about Western films being able to enter the Chinese market while Chinese films can't enter the Western market; that's also a direction I'm working towards."

"It seems Director Chen intends to enter Hollywood?" Minkoff asked.

Chen Zhou did not deny it, but simply said:

"I don't have that plan at the moment."

"If I can't win over domestic audiences first, what's the point of talking about Hollywood?"

There is an old Chinese saying: "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and a great river is formed from countless small streams."

Minkov was completely confused after listening and asked, "What does the second half mean? I really don't understand."

Chen Zhou put it another way, saying, "If you take too big a step, you might get your balls stuck."

"Hahaha." Minkov couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

But considering that it was during a movie screening, he could only cover his mouth and suppress his voice.

There's nothing more to it than admiration for Chen Zhou now, according to Min Kefu.

At the same time, they also have the most basic respect for Chen Zhou.

Because Chen Zhou, this young man, not only has great ambition, but also the ability to realize his ambition.

He believes that it's only a matter of time before Chen Zhou goes international as a director.

He also sincerely felt that the biggest gain from this trip to China to film was perhaps not this blockbuster movie.

Instead, they got to know this young man in front of them, who could play with camera movement and lighting in an amazing way.

Liu Yifei, who was standing to the side, didn't seem to be paying attention to the movie itself at all.

Instead, he listened to the conversation between Chen Zhou and Minkov.

Hearing Chen Zhou speak so eloquently about Minkov, and how Minkov admired him so much, he was stunned.

Liu Yifei was in an extremely joyful mood.

But she wasn't surprised by it.

She just thinks that things are supposed to be this way.

Chen Zhou's directorial talent is such that he can impress Minkoff, even though Minkoff is an internationally renowned director.

More than 10 o'clock in the evening.

With the end of the film screening, the premiere of "The Forbidden Kingdom" came to a close.

Following that, everyone went to the banquet as arranged by the organizers.

During this time, Minkoff still invited Chen Zhou to sit with him at the same table.

During the movie screening, Min Kefu didn't discuss much with Chen Zhou because he couldn't speak loudly and the movie sound was too loud.

But now, he has many thoughts on his mind that he wants to discuss with Chen Zhou.

Because he also has other movies to shoot soon.

I want to learn from Chen Zhou and study some of the filming techniques of Eastern directors.

It can also be used in his later new movies.

Of course, Chen Zhou is not an honest man either.

While he shared some very useful insights, he also retained some core techniques.

You can't just act like a fool and hand over everything when someone politely asks you a question.

After all, honest people are easily put at gunpoint.

The dinner ended at around 11 p.m.

As previously agreed, Chen Zhou and Liu Yifei met up privately.

In a quiet roadside restaurant, the two sat facing each other.

Chen Zhou didn't stand on ceremony and immediately ate a large spoonful of Yangzhou fried rice.

Liu Yifei suddenly said:

"Director Chen, I heard that Jing Tian, ​​the female lead in your new movie, is very beautiful."

"You seem to really like sweet-type girls, don't you?"