Hong Kong Entertainment: The King of Kung Fu

Chapter 23 Can You Hold It Today?

For martial arts films of this era, the shooting method was generally to first shoot a panoramic shot to show two people fighting hand-to-hand, and then cut to a close-up shot to capture the details.

First they clap their hands, and the two parties make various gestures to each other to show how to show off their tricks.

Then tap the feet, and the feet are also moving away from each other. You step on me and I step on you, showing off the footwork.

Coupled with the sound effects...heheheheha!
After fighting for half a fight, they each changed their weapons, and they were still making various moves, ping-ping-pong-pong, clanging, clanging, clanking.

In short, every move is clear and it seems very rigid.

Why do you want to shoot like this?In fact, it is because of the limitations of the times and technology.

Hong Kong martial arts movies were born out of Japanese sword and halberd movies. The early sword and halberd movies didn't even have much fighting action. Both sides pretended to be tough for a long time, and then one move determined the outcome.

Because the photography technology at that time was difficult to achieve dynamic focus on people, let alone fast-moving people in fierce fights.

Therefore, in the early Japanese sword and halberd films, directors were thinking about how to create an atmosphere and maximize the comparison.

When it came time to shoot action movies in Hong Kong, filmmakers began to think hard about how the characters could fight brilliantly without moving.

To this end, they devised various ingenious tricks.

For example, there are many wonderful displays in Guan Dexing's "Once Upon a Time" series.

Two people sat on both sides of the table and used the items they carried (such as umbrellas and pipes), traps, and hidden weapons.He also fought with various props such as stools, teapots, chopsticks, dishes, etc. around him.

Then it developed into the current one-tap, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey fight.

However, when Yang Ye shot "Shaolin Temple", he went against the show-off of pure performance and camera skills. He directly used a large number of long lenses and several cameras to operate at the same time, allowing the actors to systematically demonstrate kung fu from a fixed perspective. After filming, Storyboard editing again.

Yuan Heping, Hong Jingbao, Chen Long, Yuan Kui, and Yuan Bin in "Seven Little Fortunes" later became famous martial arts instructors. This was the first time they saw Yang Ye's shooting method.

They didn't take it seriously at first, but Yang Ye was editing while filming, and after a few martial arts scenes were cut out, they were all surprised.

Because the martial arts were performed in a good camera position set by Yang Ye, and then edited according to the design of the split-shot script, the effect was surprisingly good and very smooth, completely different from the gaudy, dull and boring fights in previous kung fu movies.

Everyone realized that this was a new martial arts and a new style, and everyone was greatly inspired by it.

Especially Chen Long, this guy is very studious and clever. He often catches Yang Ye asking questions.

Seeing that he had signed a ten-year contract with Baiyang Pictures, Yang Ye of course did not hide it and taught him a lot.

In terms of performance, Yang Ye has no problem, because he not only has a human brain, he also has a computer.

Once you memorize the range of motion before shooting, no matter how you shoot afterwards, you won’t be out of sight.

This made even veteran drama stars like Treacherous Jian admire him and believed that Yang Ye was a genius who was self-taught without a teacher.

Zhao Yazhi was in trouble. It was her first time filming and she had no sense of the camera at all. She often couldn't find the camera. It was so NG that Yang Ye felt sorry for the film.

After all, she was his own woman, so Yang Ye couldn't bear to scold her, so he could only whisper and teach her bit by bit.

However, this guy is not so easy to talk to others. If anyone shows up during a fight with him, they will be scolded.

“Damn, they’re all fixed camera positions and you can still appear on camera while riding a horse, you’re a fool?”

The person who was scolded laughed and immediately admitted his mistake and started over.

On the contrary, Zhao Yazhi, who was sitting aside, was extremely sad and burst into tears, which made Yang Ye very helpless.

I can't scold you when I'm riding a horse, but I can't scold others?

Fortunately, Zhao Yazhi is very studious and well-behaved. If she has any questions about her acting skills, she goes to Xia Meng for advice.

Xia Meng is an experienced actor who has been in the industry for 17 years. Under her careful guidance, Zhao Yazhi made great progress and was finally able to meet Yang Ye's requirements.

Although she is the heroine, she actually doesn't have many roles, so she often uses her free time to help out on the set, including the props team, costume team, and drama crew.

Yang Ye asked Zhao Yazhi: "Why do you have to ask Sister Meng if you have any questions, instead of asking me? Didn't you find that my acting skills are very good?"

Zhao Yazhi said: "You are also a newcomer, and I am also a newcomer. I won't ask you."

Yang Ye laughed loudly, this little girl is quite stubborn.

……

Po Lin Monastery, Lantau Island. The crew of "Shaolin Temple" is filming the scene where Jue Yuan becomes a monk.

"Shaolin Temple scene 3, scene [-], Exxon!"

Jue Yuan wore a brand-new cassock and knelt in front of the main hall with all his fellow disciples.

The old monk asked: "Can you persist in not killing any living being until the end of your physical life?"

Jue Yuan clasped his hands together: "The desire to kill can be stopped, but the desire to support justice cannot be stopped."

The old monk showed a clear expression, smiled and nodded, and continued to ask: "Can you persist in not stealing until the end of your life?"

"Can hold!"

"Can you continue to live your whole life without sexual immorality?"

Jue Yuan hesitated for a moment, then slightly opened his clasped palms, with a heart-shaped jade pendant hidden in his palms.

That was... After Jue Yuan killed Wang Renze, he and the shepherd girl Bai Wuxia paid homage to their master Tan Zong.

Jue Yuan knelt before the Buddha and swore: "This disciple is determined to convert to our Buddha, defend Shaolin, and uphold justice."

After hearing this, Wu Xia took off the jade pendant from the necklace and handed it into Jue Yuan's hand.

At this time, the old monk asked Jue Yuan if he could quit sex. Behind the pillars of the Buddhist hall, Bai Wuxia leaned out half of his body and looked at Jue Yuan with a sad face.

Seeing Jue Yuan's hesitation, the old monk repeated in a stern voice: "You will live your whole life without sexual misconduct. Can you hold on to it now?"

Jue Yuan finally let out a long sigh, lowered his head and said, "I can hold it!"

When Bai Wuxia heard these words, he could only shed tears and leave.

The old monk continued: "Can you persist in not drinking alcohol for the rest of your life?"

Just as Jue Yuan was about to answer, Li Shimin suddenly appeared at the door of the hall, laughing and saying: "I think I will be exempted from this rule of alcohol and meat!"

……

"Crack!"

The assistant director shouted and everyone stood up.Yang Ye patted his knees and praised Zhao Yazhi with a smile: "Zhizhi, your performance was really good just now. Her eyes were filled with tears. It almost made me not want to be a monk."

Zhao Yazhi said coyly: "When I think about you really going to become a monk, I feel sad."

"Hahahaha!" Everyone laughed.

Xia Meng announced with a smile: "After three months of filming, our filming in Hong Kong is all over. Next, we are going to Taiwan for filming. I have found someone to apply for your visas. We will leave in three days! So! , three days off."

"Oh!"

Everyone cheered.This movie was really tiring to shoot from beginning to end. It took three months to shoot and only half of it was shot.

All in all, this is the second longest film of the Seven Little Fortunes, the longest being Hu Jinquan's "The Heroine".

Hong Jingbao and Chen Long both participated, and that thing... took four years to film.

But at that time, they were not with the group the whole time like they are now.

Xia Meng clapped his hands and said: "There will be a boat to take everyone back to Kowloon later, and then we will have a rest. In three days, we will gather at Kai Tak Airport before 8 a.m. Don't be late, the plane won't wait for you!"

"understand!"

After staying in Lantau Island, a place where no one cares about shit, for several months, they were finally able to return to Kowloon. Everyone cheered. Chen Long and his gang had already made an appointment to go back to the bar.

Zhao Yazhi asked quietly: "Brother, what are you doing when you go home these days?"

Yang Ye said with a bitter face: "I would like to rest, but it's impossible. I still have to go to the recording studio to record songs."

"What songs are you recording? Are you going to release a record again?"

Yang Ye shook his head and said: "I wrote an interlude for the movie called "Shepherd Song" and invited Lijun Deng to sing it."

(End of this chapter)