Chapter 155 Invitation From Berlin, Wrap-Up and Set Visit

After the Golden Rooster Awards ceremony.

No matter how much controversy there is on the Internet about the winners of this year's Golden Rooster Awards.

Wu Yuan was oblivious to the outside world and put all his thoughts on the filming of "Painted Skin".

Zhou Xun, who had just won the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress, put the award behind her and filmed seriously.

The entire crew was like a large precision instrument, operating precisely and orderly.

As the most experienced director in China who has mastered large crews, Wu Yuan was quite comfortable in the filming of "Painted Skin".

Back then, in his dream, he shot six films with an investment of over 100 million yuan from 2015 to 2020. Although he was the executive director, he also traveled all over the country with the crew and directed hundreds of crew members.

Compared with this, it is not difficult to deal with a "Painted Skin" crew.

Not to mention that the backbone staff of the "Painted Skin" crew all followed Wu Yuan to "Pirates of the Caribbean 1" for further study.

When "Pirates of the Caribbean" was filmed, nearly a thousand people were mobilized. Such a large scene was trained, not to mention "Painted Skin" with only more than 300 crew members?

From the Gobi Desert in Yinchuan to Hengdian and then to the Jiangnan Water Village, the crew went from north to south, from the desert smoke to the small bridges and flowing water. Not only did they appreciate the great mountains and rivers of the motherland, but they also took countless extremely beautiful pictures for the movie.

Fantasy and magic movies are very dependent on the beauty of the picture.

The turbulent sea and the Caribbean island full of primitive beauty in "Pirates of the Caribbean".

The Egyptian desert and the magnificent pyramids in the "Mummy" series.

The Middle-earth that only exists in fantasy in "The Lord of the Rings".

Any fantasy and magic movie pays great attention to using the picture to bring a different feeling to the audience.

Including Chen Kaige's "The Promise", which also pays great attention to the aesthetics of the picture, presenting the audience with a fantasy world he imagined.

Wu Yuan certainly pays attention to this point.

Compared with the Hong Kong directors who are used to being petty, Wu Yuan is much more generous in terms of scene selection, and tries to find some scenic spots that can reflect regional characteristics and are magnificent.

In the 150 million shooting budget, except for 80 million for special effects, most of the remaining money was used for various outdoor scenes and transition shooting.

This money is worth spending, because such a magnificent real-shot scene is the ultimate picture beauty that special effects cannot achieve. Only real shooting can show the beauty of the motherland's great rivers and mountains without reservation.

After becoming more and more familiar with directors such as Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, and communicating more and more, Wu Yuan has more or less learned some film art concepts from these fifth-generation directors.

He also increasingly advocates real shooting of scenes that can be shot, to capture the beauty of nature, and the beauty of the combination of people and nature.

Instead of thinking of using special effects to solve problems first.

He is now very different from the 16-year-old who was infected and influenced by the special effects era in his dream when he just woke up from his dream.

Wu Yuan thinks this is a good thing. He also hopes that he can pass on the visual aesthetics of the fifth-generation directors instead of being overwhelmed by the special effects supremacy later.

In this way, Wu Yuan took the crew to travel around the country. It was really hard, but it was really fun to shoot.

While Wu Yuan was shooting "Painted Skin", he also received a call that surprised him.

Roland Emmerich, the chairman of the jury of this year's Berlin Film Festival, called him personally and invited him to bring his new work to the Berlin Film Festival next year!

Wu Yuan's new award-winning movie was no longer a secret after the Golden Rooster Awards, and was reported by various reporters.

Although this news did not cause much sensation in China, most movie fans were mainly focused on "Painted Skin" and did not care much about an award-winning art film.

But this news was known to European filmmakers who pay close attention to Chinese films at the first time.

As for why European filmmakers pay close attention to Chinese films, this is a long story.

Who asked the fourth and fifth generation directors to gain fame and influence in Europe for decades?

The three major European film festivals now also need Chinese films to support them. Every year, Chinese films enter the main competition units of the three major film festivals.

Excellent Chinese film directors have always been the object of competition among the three major European film festivals.

Wu Yuan, a talented director who won the Berlin Best Director Award when he was less than 20 years old, is naturally also the object of competition among the three major European film festivals.

As soon as he heard that he had a new award-winning film, Roland Emmerich immediately called Wu Yuan.

Faced with this enthusiastic invitation call, Wu Yuan could only laugh it off, neither agreeing nor refusing, and used the word "delay".

There is no way, the movie "Love" is really not suitable for the Berlin Film Festival.

This is a pure love story between two old people, mainly discussing marriage, illness, and love, without any political views.

Even if Wu Yuan is a Berlin Film Festival veteran, he can't bring such a film to Berlin. He really can't win a big prize.

A film like "Love" can only be taken to Venice and Cannes.

Venice this year has ended in September, and the only option left for Wu Yuan is next year's Cannes Film Festival.

Not only him, Wang Xiaoshuai's "Qinghong" is not going to be taken to Berlin.

Next year's Berlin Film Festival will only have one mainland film participating, which is Gu Changwei's "Peacock".

Yes, it was the movie where Jiang Wenli slapped her mistress on the set.

Although she was beaten, Zhang Jingchu won the Silver Bear Award, which was worth it.

Wu Yuan didn't plan to go to Berlin to join in the fun, so he decided to go to Cannes with his senior brother Wang Xiaoshuai.

Speaking of his senior brother Wang Xiaoshuai, Wu Yuan couldn't help but sigh at the magic of fate.

"Qinghong" has already started filming, and the male lead in this movie is still Li Bin.

Even if Wu Yuan intercepted "Seventeen-year-old Bicycle", Li Bin still appeared.

I don't know where Wang Xiaoshuai found him from.

In fact, Wu Yuan didn't know that when Wang Xiaoshuai was preparing for "Qinghong", he really thought about asking Wu Yuan to play the male lead again.

After all, the female lead of this movie is still Gao Yuanyuan.

But now Wu Yuan is no longer a Wuxia Amon, how could he possibly ask Wu Yuan to play the male lead?

He was embarrassed to even mention it.

This idea just circled in his mind, and Wang Xiaoshuai wisely chose to find new actors again.

So Li Bin, who was studying in Beijing, was discovered by him.

Now "Qinghong" is being filmed, and it is also aimed at the Cannes Film Festival next year!

They are brothers from Beijing Film Academy, and they will be rivals on the same stage next year.

Years ago, on January 3, 2005, "Painted Skin", which had been filmed for nearly four months, was finally announced to be completed at Hengdian Film and Television City.

After taking a group photo with all the staff and actors of the crew and having a completion banquet, the crew disbanded directly on the spot.

The actors naturally went to participate in other work and announcements.

The contracted staff of Light and Shadow Times went back to spend the long Spring Festival holiday, and then they would go to North America and join the crew of "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" to continue their unfinished further studies.

Wu Yuan did not return to Beijing immediately, but took his assistant Xiao Zhang to Xiangshan Film and Television City next to Hengdian.

Xiangshan Film and Television City, this place is not ordinary, it was completely invested and built by Da Huzi.

In May 2003, in order to shoot "The Return of the Condor Heroes", Zhang Jizhong built a "Condor City" here in advance, which is the first phase of Xiangshan Film and Television City.

This Condor City is built completely in the style of the Song Dynasty and covers an area of ​​400,000 square meters.

The total investment in this first phase project alone reached 120 million yuan.

Although Da Huzi's private life is always criticized, he is indeed the first domestic TV producer in his pursuit of excellence and big money in TV production.

In order to shoot "The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils", a film and television city was built in Yunnan Province, and in order to shoot "The Return of the Condor Heroes", Xiangshan Film and Television City was built.

Of course, these film and television cities are also long-term businesses after they are built. They can receive dozens of crews to shoot every year. Zhang Jizhong's business acumen is also very good.

This is also the reason why he stopped making TV series later.

On the one hand, he is really old, and on the other hand, several film and television cities have developed. Every year, the film and television cities alone can earn a lot of money, so there is no need to take the trouble to make TV series.

However, he is not at the stage of sitting and collecting money yet, and he is still very ambitious in the TV series production industry.

Wu Yuan brought Xiao Zhang to Xiangshan Film and Television City to visit the crew of "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

When "The Return of the Condor Heroes" was filming in Jiuzhaigou, Liu Yifei had a filming accident and experienced the biggest danger since filming. She was almost washed away by the flood.

At that time, she was filming a scene of crossing a waterfall. She was the first to rush into the waterfall. The water was cold and her body was too thin. Under the stimulation, she was washed away because she lost her balance.

Fortunately, the place where she stood was a steep slope with ups and downs, and there were stones to block her when she fell.

Huang Xiaoming and the assistant director also reacted quickly. As soon as Liu Yifei fell, they rushed up and grabbed her, which saved her from danger.

After the incident, the crew suspended filming and let Liu Yifei rest for two days.

During the two days of rest, Liu Yifei called and sent text messages, crying and complaining to Wu Yuan, which made anyone cry and feel sad.

On the phone, Liu Yifei felt very aggrieved and wanted Wu Yuan to visit her.

This was Liu Yifei when she played Xiaolongnu, and there was an accident during filming. She was weak, aggrieved and helpless. How could Wu Yuan have the heart to refuse?

Wu Yuan had no choice but to promise her that he would visit her when the crew of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" moved to Xiangshan.

Wu Yuan, who always keeps his word, came to Xiangshan as soon as "Painted Skin" was finished.

Xiangshan Film and Television City is actually a city imitating the Song Dynasty. Liu Yifei mainly filmed some scenes of Xiaolongnu looking for Yang Guo in the folk city after leaving the Tomb of the Living Dead.

Without prior notice, Wu Yuan took Xiao Zhang to the vicinity of the studio.

There were special staff guarding the periphery of the studio, and outsiders were prohibited from entering.

But who is Wu Yuan?

With his face, there is no crew in China that he cannot enter.

Facing the staff blocking his way, Wu Yuan just took off his sunglasses and mask, and stunned the other party.

". Director Wu?!" The young stagehand with fuzz on his mouth rubbed his eyes hard, fearing that he had made a mistake.

"It's me." Wu Yuan nodded with a smile: "I'm here to visit the set, can you let me in?"

"There's another car in the back, which is the fruit I brought to the "The Condor Heroes" crew. Find a few people to help move it."

"Okay!" The stage manager was startled, and immediately straightened his back and responded, and then extended his hand to greet him: "Director Wu, please come in."

"The crew is filming on the street on the left, you can just go there."

"Okay, thank you." Wu Yuan nodded at him, and Xiao Zhang, who was following Wu Yuan, also took out a pack of cigarettes and stuffed it into the other party.

Xiao Zhang noticed that although this stage manager was young, the two fingers on his right hand were smoked yellow, and he was an old smoker at first glance.

With the thanks of this stage manager, Wu Yuan took Xiao Zhang into the Divine Condor City.

The ancient city covering an area of ​​400,000 square meters is not small at all, and now the city is full of extras in costumes.

It took Wu Yuan and Xiao Zhang some time to find the crew filming on an ancient street in the city.

A street where two carriages can run side by side, with various small stalls on the side of the street, and various snacks and desserts on the stalls, still steaming hot.

The extras who played the hawkers were enthusiastically hawking their wares along the street.

Among the passers-by dressed in simple and plain clothes, Liu Yifei, in a fluttering white dress, was very conspicuous.

She wandered aimlessly in the middle of the street, looking left and right, and walked to a stall selling steamed buns. She looked at the buns in the steamer that were pinched into buns like little rabbits, little tigers, and little dogs, and a curious look appeared on her face.

Let’s not talk about whether there would be such dessert buns in the Song Dynasty, and even if there were, would they be hawked by street vendors.

Liu Yifei’s innocent and curious expression, coupled with the cute and beautiful snacks, the picture does look very pleasing to the eye.

She picked up a bun in the shape of a bunny, and after a few simple exchanges with the vendor, she smiled brightly and walked away with the bun.

“Hey, girl! You haven’t paid yet!” the vendor shouted.

“Very good, click!” Director Yu Min’s voice came from behind the monitor in the distance.

The extras who were walking back and forth on the street stopped immediately and sat down directly on the spot.

Seeing this, Wu Yuan also stepped forward, "Xixi, you acted well."

Hearing the familiar voice, Liu Yifei, who was about to go to the monitor to check the effect of her shooting, stopped and looked back. At a glance, she saw Wu Yuan standing outside the studio, smiling at her.

A bright smile appeared on her face instantly, and she ran towards Wu Yuan with her skirt pulled.

Liu Yifei's reaction attracted the attention of all the staff on the studio. Zhang Jizhong, who was checking the shooting materials with Yu Min, also looked over curiously.

"Who is this."

"Director Wu?"

"Director Wu is here?!"

Instantly, the studio exploded.

Yu Min stood up from the director's chair in an instant, took two steps at a time, and went to meet him with Zhang Jizhong.

However, Liu Yifei was faster than them.

Liu Yifei ran to Wu Yuan in two or three steps and made a very bold move.

She opened her hands and threw herself on Wu Yuan, hugged his waist, raised her head and pouted, tears welled up in her eyes, and she shouted in grievance: "Brother~"

Seeing this, Yu Min and Zhang Jizhong stopped immediately, and they looked at each other in shock, and saw strong doubts in each other's eyes.

There is something wrong with these two people? !

I have received everyone's criticism about the Olympic plot.

I am reviewing and reflecting. Newcomers always have to grow up in setbacks.

If you don't have the ability to dig holes and lay foreshadowing, don't do this kind of plot. It is indeed my problem.

I will pay attention next time.