Extracting skills from movies

Du Sheng picked up the teacup and took a sip, the aftertaste of the Pu'er tea swirling on the tip of his tongue:

"Has Brother Chao Wei given up on this?"

"Well, leave him alone."

Wang Jiawei suddenly interrupted, his eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses:
"If we talk about real kung fu, you stand in front of the camera like that, and Ah Wei's fancy moves are no match for you."

Du Sheng looked a little strange.

This old fox was arm in arm with Liang Chaowei on the set a few days ago, but now he has turned against him?
"Director Wang, you officially announced it four years ago. I am really confused by this invitation now."

Wang Jiawei didn't say anything, Ren Yue smiled and explained:

“Whether it’s your kung fu foundation, market appeal or acting skills, you are far superior to Mr. Liang.

So of course we would prefer you to play the leading role."

She paused and added:
"As for Mr. Liang, the contract has not been officially signed yet, so we still have room for maneuver."

In fact, Wang Jiawei and Liang Chaowei had already teamed up and their cooperation was going smoothly, and they didn't think about changing roles at the last minute.

But investor Ren Yue is different, she sees the commercial value.

'If Ip Man can invite Du Sheng to star, the box office will be guaranteed!'

This was the first thought that came to her mind.

Du Sheng’s two recent films both grossed over 200 million US dollars at the global box office!

This kind of box office appeal is unmatched in the entire Asian film industry.

The Bajiquan in "The Baby Project" and the gunfight on a rainy night in "The Departed" were so cool.

Overseas audiences call him the 'King of Kung Fu'!

What's more, he has several international film emperors on his hands, and he is good at both literary and martial arts. It is no exaggeration to say that he is the most comprehensive action star in the current film industry.

While analyzing, Ren Yue painted a rosy picture for Wang Jiawei:

'From a market perspective, hiring Du Sheng is definitely better than hiring Liang Chaowei.

Not only is the box office guaranteed, but it will also sell well overseas.'

After listening to it, Wang Jiawei also felt that it made sense.

Although he had feelings for Liang Chaowei, he began to waver from the perspective of the project itself.

So today's "visit" came about.

To put it bluntly, I just wanted to test Du Sheng's attitude.

Du Sheng could of course hear their intentions and pondered for a moment:
"Director Wang, do you really think that a 1-meter-tall me like me can play the 83-meter-tall Master Ye?"

After he finished speaking, he stood up and gestured, deliberately spreading his hands:
“Don’t even mention you guys, I feel awkward watching this myself.

To be honest, I think Chao Wei is more suitable for this role.

The image and temperament are suitable, you have made a good choice. "

Wang Jiawei's sunglasses slid down to the tip of his nose, revealing half of his eyes that were gleaming with brilliance:
"Height is nothing!
When Zhang Guorong played Cheng Dieyi, didn’t she also wear a ten-centimeter insole?
That’s the style we want!”

He suddenly slammed the table and stood up, shaking the incense burner in front of the Guan Gong statue three times:

"Du Sheng, if you stand over there, you will be the martial arts master!"

Du Sheng was amused.

He stood up and walked to the antique display cabinet, running his fingertips over the trophies.

Best Actor at the Hong Kong Film Awards, Best Action Director at the Golden Horse Awards, Best Artistic Achievement Award at the Beijing International Film Festival, Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars...

Finally, he stopped at the Bajiquan manual given to him by his master Huang Deli.

"Director Wang, do you know why I didn't take this role?"

He suddenly turned around, his eyes sharp:

"To put it nicely, Ip Man is a martial artist from the Republic of China, but to put it bluntly, he is a weakling.

Judging from his actual combat results, he has never actually defeated a foreigner, and his record can almost be said to be 'zero existence'.

Later he went to Hong Kong, took in a few disciples, and was praised as a master?"

"Li Xiaolong is indeed one of his disciples, but Li Xiaolong has had more than one master, including Hung Gar, Tai Chi, Praying Mantis Boxing...

Li Xiaolong has learned a lot of things, and Jeet Kune Do is created by integrating the strengths of various schools. It is not the same system as Wing Chun at all."

Du Sheng shook his head, with a hint of amusement in his tone:

"Now, some people insist on attributing all of Li Xiaolong's success to Ip Man.

Saying that 'Kung Fu was taught by Ip Man', and even saying that Jeet Kune Do is a branch of Wing Chun, isn't this just forcing yourself to gain popularity? "

Ren Yue's face changed, and Wang Jiawei's sunglasses trembled slightly.

Du Sheng expressed his own feelings and continued to add fuel to the fire:
"He smoked opium and visited brothels, abandoned his wife and daughter and became a prostitute, and finally made a living by teaching a few foreign apprentices.

If you ask me, the most impressive thing that Ye Wen did in his life was teaching his disciples how to share money! "

"Du Sheng!"

Ren Yue stood up suddenly, and the chair legs made a harsh sound on the tiles:
"You're going too far."

"pass?"

Du Sheng sneered and pulled out an old photo from his phone:
“See?

This is my great master Huang Sihai, the fourth generation master of Bajiquan!

Look at this one, his apprentice Li Shuwen, the real "magic gun"!

His punch can penetrate a three-inch wooden board, and his combat records can fill three A4 papers.

There is also Wang Wu, a late Qing dynasty hero and legendary figure during the Boxer Rebellion;

Dong Chuanhai, Wang Ziping, Du Xinwu, Sun Lutang, Li Yaochen...

Which one of these people is not a well-known character?
Their experiences and life ups and downs are a hundred times more exciting when filmed than Ip Man.

Look at Ip Man again——"

Du Sheng swiped the screen:

“Look at this?

Taking a photo with a Japanese officer, he can smile with all his teeth showing. You call him a national hero?"

He was speaking the truth.

The real image of Ip Man is so bad, it is completely packaged.

Even though he had won a script related to "The Grandmaster" in a lottery, Du Sheng had no intention of filming it verbatim.

Instead, we eliminated the dross and gave it a new look.

For example, the male protagonist 'Ip Man' was directly replaced by Baji master 'Li Shuwen'.

After all, I learned Bajiquan, so I can easily replace Wing Chun.

The most important thing is that Li Shuwen's master is Huang Sihai, the fourth generation master of Bajiquan.

Du Sheng’s master Huang Deli is the great-nephew of Huang Sihai.

If we really want to count the relationship, this is our family!

There is no reason to leave your own master alone and instead film a controversial figure.

Even if it means making drastic changes to the script, we have to change it!

Wang Jiawei suddenly took off his sunglasses, and Du Sheng discovered that the whites of his eyes were bloodshot.

The old director grabbed the teapot and took a sip, the tea dripping down his chin onto his Hermès tie:

"Mr. Du, don't I know the dirty things going on here?

But these days, audiences love to watch this!

When you were filming "The Grandmaster", the investors ran away faster than rabbits.

Why? There's no gimmick! "

Du Sheng laughed in his heart, but he also knew that the other party was not talking nonsense.

At the end of last year, Star Media announced that it would film the founder of Bajiquan, Li Shuwen.

Logically, there should be many investors vying to invest, but in the end there are only a few small investors.

In addition to the reasons Wang Jiawei mentioned, there is also the argument that filming this kind of subject matter is a thankless task. After all, Jet Li's "Huo Yuanjia" last year has not yet recovered its investment.

"Director Wang, do you know why I learned Bajiquan?"

He suddenly looked at the gold belts next to the trophy:
“These things, which have won many international honors, were built by clinging to the mountains and forging a path through them.

Can Ip Man do this?

He even feels comfortable being a lackey for the Japanese. "

Ren Yue suddenly softened her tone:

"Mr. Du, how about we change the script? Make Ip Man an anti-Japanese patriot?"

"change?"

Du Sheng felt like he had heard a huge joke:

"Did you know that Ip Man's grandson now runs a martial arts school in Hong Kong?
There is a plaque hanging at the door that reads "The Authentic Successor of Ip Man", and he makes a lot of money every year just from the fees for disciples.

If you dare to write Ip Man as a traitor, do you believe that the next day the entrance to the martial arts gym will be filled with protesters lying down?"

Wang Jiawei suddenly took out his phone, scrolled through it for a while and handed it over:
"Du Sheng, look at this."

On the screen was the poster for the Cannes Film Festival, with his poster for "The Grandmaster" hanging in the center.

"As long as you nod, I'll let you walk in the front row at the next Cannes red carpet."

Wang Jiawei served as the chairman of the Cannes jury last year, so he does have some ability:
“I paid for all the money for the Southeast Asian distribution of The Man from Nowhere!
There is also the box office dividend of "Ip Man" in China. As long as Star Media invests, it is not wrong for you to take the lion's share..."

"Director Wang, I'm not telling you this to lower the price, don't get me wrong."

Du Sheng waved his hand and said:

“To put it bluntly, I practice Baji myself and have fought many actual battles over the years.

With his current boxing skills, he would be a master even in the Republic of China.

Then he changed the subject:
“From a professional perspective, Wing Chun is not really considered a big school in the traditional martial arts circle.

In the Guangdong and Guangxi regions, it has always been suppressed by the Cailifo Fist and cannot even raise its head. "

"It's not just me who thinks so. Many people who have practiced this style think that this style has many problems. The way it generates force and the structure of its fighting style are all flawed."

Du Sheng paused:
"Like Li Xiaolong, he also said something similar, and even mentioned the limitations of Wing Chun in actual combat in his letter."

He put down the cup, looked at Wang Jiawei and continued:
"Nowadays, many people think that Wing Chun is the ultimate martial arts because of the Ip Man movie.
Some people even put it on par with Tai Chi and Bajiquan, calling them the "Three Great Eastern Boxings".
To be honest, this statement does not hold water in the martial arts community.”

"Ip Man is now gradually being promoted as a film and television IP, not beautifying him, but idolizing him.

Moreover, it is the kind of "virtual deification" that forcibly blows up a small person to the sky.

What’s even more outrageous is that some people packaged him as a national hero, but in fact he never did those things in history.”

As to whether it is commercial hype or someone has ulterior motives...it's hard to say.

As Wang Jiawei listened, he fell into deep thought, with a complicated expression on his face.

Du Sheng added:
"Director Wang, I personally suggest that you make the male lead's name vague, like Gong Er. Why do you have to write that it's Ip Man?"

"Now is the Internet age, information is becoming more and more transparent, and sooner or later everyone will know what kind of person Ip Man is.

If his image collapses someday, won’t the movie “Ip Man” become a joke? "

When Wang Jiawei heard this, he quickly waved his hand:

"Okay, okay, Mr. Du, you are an expert. I am almost shaken! Let me digest it first."

In fact, what Wang Jiawei said was just a polite remark. He took a step back verbally, but he already had an idea in his mind.

Du Sheng also knew it, but still said calmly:
"I just want to remind you that film and television works can be artistically processed, but they cannot call a black cat a white cat and mislead the audience."

As an investor, Ren Yue didn't care much about Ye Wen himself, so she asked tentatively:
"Mr. Du, if the role is changed, for example, to a Bajiquan master, would you consider acting?"

Du Sheng hesitated for a moment and still shook his head:

"I'm sorry, considering the time issue, most likely not.

Director Wang’s filming… well, the time he takes to shoot one movie is enough for me to shoot several works.”

He smiled and added:

"And even if I am willing, the cost and return on investment are a big problem."

Wang Jiawei took ten years to prepare for "The Grandmaster: Ip Man" and three years to shoot. No one could handle this pace.

Du Sheng doesn't want to waste his time on this kind of "slow and steady wins the race" project.

Seeing that Wang Jiawei and Ren Yue were still unwilling to give up, Du Sheng smiled and waved his hand:

"Of course, I won't forget what I promised you before.

Director Wang helped me at the film festival this time, so when I see Ip Man released, I will definitely support you in terms of scheduling screenings in theaters and promoting it on platforms.”

He paused and added:
“If the male lead wasn’t Ip Man, I would still help shout a few lines.

If the heroine was from our company...

Not to mention, the resources are fully utilized, and the publicity is definitely not inferior to the movie I starred in. "

These words were spoken lightly, but the meaning was clear.

We can cooperate and each side gets what it needs.

In fact, Du Sheng also knew in his heart that the movie "Ip Man" had a good status in the film industry.

Especially for Zhang Ziyi, it is simply a "life-saving straw".

At that time, she had just experienced the beach photo scandal and was suspected of fraudulent donations, and her reputation had fallen to the bottom.

Later, thanks to her role as Gong Er in "Ip Man", she won numerous awards and was able to regain her footing and maintain her position as a top star.

However, the leading actress of "Ip Man" has not been decided yet.

It wasn't until two years later that the cast was finalized, and filming was delayed until 2010, which was exactly in line with Wang Jiawei's usual "slow and steady wins the race" style.

Du Sheng mentioned the heroine casually, as a prelude.

If there is a suitable candidate in the future, I will recommend him/her. If there is no suitable one, I will not force you.

He is not so obsessed with the role of "Gong Er".

If he really wants to promote someone, he can create a few hit characters himself.

After the topic was discussed, the four of them stopped talking about "Ip Man" and started talking about something else.

For example, Wang Jiawei will be a judge at the Busan Film Festival and the Modulo Film Festival. Du Sheng mentioned this:
"If there are actresses from our company participating in the competition, Director Wang, please give them some consideration, even if it's just a nomination."

Ren Yue smiled but said nothing.

She remembered that at the Cannes Film Festival, one of the three major international film festivals last year, Wang Jiawei awarded five Best Actor and six Best Actress awards in one go.
Although many of them are listed together, as long as the name is there, it is "Cannes certified" and its value can still be boasted about for a lifetime.

In order to help his own artists get resources, Du Sheng has been working hard.

As they chatted, Wang Jiawei looked through some behind-the-scenes videos of Girls' Generation's martial arts scenes when they were filming The Return of the Condor Heroes and The Magic Mirror.

After reading it, I couldn't help but sigh:
"They have only learned Kung Fu from you for two years, and they are already so good at fighting?"

In the camera, several girls were hanging on wires and doing somersaults, and their sword moves were better than those in an acrobatic troupe.

He took off his sunglasses and widened his eyes, with a hint of regret in his tone:

"Mr. Du, then aren't you incredible?

If I had known this, I would have invited you to play the male lead in Ip Man."

Du Sheng smiled slightly and praised each other.

Speaking of Wang Jiawei, he always tries to test others when he praises them.

No, he followed up with another sentence:
"Next time the female lead auditions, let your apprentices show off their skills!"

"It's done!"

Du Sheng agreed readily.

You'd be a fool not to do this kind of favor.

If any of the girls is chosen, the publicity fees saved will be enough to make a TV series.

After seeing off the two guests, Du Sheng returned to the office and began to think about how to arrange the next project.

In the chess game of the entertainment industry, there are always new moves waiting to be made.

………(End of chapter)