novelraw Chapter 113 Original Intention
Chapter 113 Original Intention
Chen Zeshi said with a smile, but the smile seemed somewhat forced.
"Mr. Chen, please speak frankly."
Kent Chan handed over the tablet:
"Wang Zhonglei's new moves."
The screen showed a video of the grand opening ceremony of Huayi Brothers' "Storm 1905".
The main actors, including Gu Tianle and Yang Mi, stood in a row, with a huge green screen and luxurious filming equipment behind them.
Wang Zhonglei was full of vigor on stage:
"What we aim to achieve is to set a new benchmark for the Chinese-language film industry!"
At the end of the video, a 30-second trailer clip was shown.
Li Jun's heart sank after just one glance.
In the trailer, there is a scene where the bodyguard played by Gu Tianle moves among the cargo containers at the dock, and his action design is exactly the same as what Nicholas Tse practiced at the training base.
Even the angle at which they flipped over the cargo box and the way they turned to dodge were exactly the same.
"He copied our fight choreography."
Li Jun returned the tablet to Chen Zeshi.
"And it's done faster."
"It's not just about action scenes."
Kent Chan swipes the screen.
"Look at this scene, the arrangement of the tables and chairs in the private room on the second floor of the teahouse, the view outside the window, it's almost exactly the same as our art team's design drawings."
Li Jun closed his eyes.
As expected, Wang Zhonglei put the design drawings and training materials that Song Tie stole to use, and used them even faster and more extensively.
"He's trying to beat us to it and show off all the selling points first."
Chen Zeshi lowered his voice.
"When our movie is released, the audience will think, 'Oh, Huayi has already filmed these scenes.'"
"So what do we do?"
"Speed up the process."
Li Jun opened his eyes, his gaze sharp.
"Since he wants it fast, we'll be even faster, Master Cheng!"
Cheng Guoqiang walked out from the crowd:
"Mr. Li."
"Starting this afternoon, all scenes will be filmed at double speed."
"Drama scenes can be worked out, but action scenes, I want you to nail them in one take."
"One set is enough?"
Cheng Guoqiang frowned.
"Mr. Li, this is very risky; the actors could easily get injured."
"Then let's minimize the risk."
Li Jun looked at Xie Tingfeng.
"Mr. Xie, can you do it?"
Nicholas Tse walked over, raindrops dripping down his strong jawline:
"able."
"Where is Lin Sheng?"
Lin Jiadong gritted his teeth:
"I can too."
"it is good."
Li Jun nodded.
"We'll shoot the fight scene at the dock this afternoon. Mr. Chen, could you please make the arrangements? I need to see the rough cut in three days, and I need to finish the first official trailer in seven days."
Kent Chan was stunned:
"Seven days? That's impossible..."
"It must be possible."
Li Jun looked at him.
"Wang Zhonglei wants to overwhelm us with speed, so we'll show him what real speed is."
......
The rain stopped at 2 p.m.
The sun peeked through the gaps in the clouds, making the wet ground sparkle.
The location for the pier scene is actually an abandoned cargo pier in Kwun Tong. The art department spent two weeks transforming it to resemble the 1905 era, and it's ready to go.
Cargo boxes, ropes, wooden crates, scattered fishing nets, and several old-fashioned sailboat models that were specially transported over.
The air was filled with the salty smell of the sea and the odor of undried paint.
Nicholas Tse and Lin Jiadong are already in place.
Both of them changed into their costumes from the movie. Nicholas Tse's black shorts were deliberately distressed, with wear and patches on the cuffs and trouser legs.
Lin Jiadong's gray long gown was stained with the kind of dirt that is typical of docks.
This scene is the first climax of the movie:
Shen Mo escorted the revolutionaries to the dock, where they were ambushed by Qing soldiers.
Old Zhao suddenly turned against him, and Shen Mo fought a bloody battle against three opponents in the cargo containers.
"Action!"
Cheng Guoqiang's voice was amplified and carried throughout the entire dock.
Nicholas Tse made a move.
He emerged from behind a cargo box, a short knife in hand, his eyes like an eagle's.
Three stuntmen dressed as Qing soldiers rushed forward, and their swords clashed instantly.
Li Jun sat behind the monitor, staring intently at the screen.
The core of Cheng Guoqiang's design for this set of moves is "danger." There are no fancy moves; they are all deadly strikes.
Nicholas Tse trained for three months, and every movement was etched into his muscle memory.
But today, he did better than ever.
That sense of urgency on the edge of life and death, that fierce determination that bursts forth in desperate situations, is vividly portrayed through the lens.
"Cut!"
First take completed.
Cheng Guoqiang ran over to check if the actors were injured, but Xie Tingfeng waved his hand, indicating that he should continue.
Article 2, Article 3...
When it came to Article 6, an accident occurred.
A stuntman slipped on a wet cable as he landed, lost his balance, and the prop knife in his hand flew out and hit Xie Tingfeng's head.
Xie Tingfeng reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side, but the blade still grazed his forehead.
Blood immediately gushed out.
There was a gasp of surprise from the crowd.
Medical staff rushed over, and Li Jun stood up, but didn't move.
He saw Xie Tingfeng raise his hand to touch his forehead, glance at the blood on his hand, and then say to Cheng Guoqiang:
"continue."
Cheng Guoqiang looked at Li Jun. Li Jun nodded.
"Action!"
Nicholas Tse has made another move.
Blood from his forehead flowed into his eyes, which he casually wiped away before continuing to fight.
That ruthlessness, that decisiveness, was more real and more shocking than before he was injured.
This scene was filmed nine times, and the last one was perfect.
"Cut! Passed!"
Applause erupted at the dock. Staff members surrounded Nicholas Tse and treated his wounds.
The wound wasn't deep, but it was long, running from the temple all the way to the brow bone.
"It might leave a scar."
The doctor said.
"Let them stay."
Nicholas Tse grinned.
"Shen Mo should also have a scar on his face."
Li Jun walked over and handed him a bottle of water:
"Thanks for your hard work."
"It's not hard work."
Nicholas Tse tilted his head back to drink water, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Director Li, was this scene fast enough?"
"Fast enough."
Li Jun said.
"And it's good enough."
Nicholas Tse laughed, a laugh filled with a kind of bloodthirsty exhilaration.
8 PM, Mercedes-Benz Arena, Shanghai.
Zhang Liangying finished singing her last encore song, "The Crescent Moon Shines Over the Nine Provinces".
She stood in the center of the stage, her cheongsam soaked with sweat, and stray hairs clung to her skin.
Ten thousand spectators stood up and applauded, the applause like thunder and a tsunami.
She bowed, once, twice, three times. When she raised her head, tears finally fell.
It wasn't because she was tired, but because at that moment, she truly felt that she had done it.
From Super Girl champion to the National Centre for the Performing Arts, from BJ to Shanghai, from pop to classical crossover. This path was difficult, but she made it through.
Moreover, it moved very steadily.
Backstage, Linda was the first to rush up and hug her:
"Liangying! You were amazing! Tonight's performance was perfect!"
Zhang Liangying smiled and let Linda hug her.
The staff handed out flowers, towels, and warm water.
My phone vibrated; it was a message from Li Jun:
"I'll be waiting for you at the back door."
Zhang Liangying changed out of her performance costume, put on a simple T-shirt and jeans, a hat and a mask, and slipped out through the back door.
Li Jun's car was indeed there.
She opened the car door and got in, and Li Jun handed her a thermos.
"It's made with Malva nut (Sterculia lychnophora) to soothe the throat."
Zhang Liangying took it and sipped it. The warm liquid slid down her throat, so comforting that she wanted to sigh.
"How did filming begin?"
She asked.
"smoothly."
Li Jun started the car.
"Nicholas Tse was injured while filming an action scene today, but he did a great job filming."
"Injuried?"
Zhang Liangying became nervous.
Is it serious?
"It's not serious, just a superficial injury."
Li Jun paused.
"But it might leave a scar."
Outside the car window, the Shanghai night view rushed past.
The Bund's collection of international buildings is illuminated with golden lights, resembling a dazzling necklace.
"Xiaojun."
Zhang Liangying said softly.
"When I was singing on stage today, I suddenly realized something."
"What is it?"
"I used to think that making music was about proving myself, proving that I could go from being a talent show contestant to a real musician."
She turned to look at Li Jun.
"But I realized today that's not the case."
I make music because I love it.
I love the feeling of being on stage, the feeling of expressing myself through my voice, and the feeling of connecting with the audience.
Li Jun smiled:
"That's the difference between an artist and a performer."
"And what about you?"
Zhang Liangying asked.
"Why do you make movies?"
Li Jun thought about this problem for a long time.
"Initially, it was to prove that I could make movies."
He spoke slowly.
"Later, it was to make good movies. Now it's to leave something behind."
"What is it?"
"Something that can stand the test of time."
Li Jun said.
"Something that people will still want to watch ten or twenty years from now."
The car entered the tunnel, and the light dimmed. In that moment of darkness, Zhang Liangying grasped Li Jun's hand.
"You will stay."
she says.
"I will, and so will you."
Li Jun gripped it tightly with his hand behind his back.
The car drove out of the tunnel and back into the world of light.