This top guy is crazy!

Over the next month, following Zhang Xiaoyan, other main characters also underwent data collection.

The four members of the master and his disciples, as well as some of the gods and monsters, have completed the establishment of relevant character databases, including motion capture and facial modeling.

Of course, this data collection was paid for separately and with the actors' consent; they agreed that their faces and bodies could be included in the game and made into characters.

Finally, after a database of characters was established, the chief director Cheng Cheng changed into Yang Jian's costume and appeared on stage. He was wearing silver armor and a white robe, with a vertical gold line on his forehead symbolizing the Heavenly Eye. He looked tall and majestic.

Indeed, although Cheng Cheng does not intend to play a major role in "Journey to the West" and does not want to overshadow the main character, he is still very happy to play Yang Jian as a side project.

Although Yang Jian's role in "Journey to the West" is not large, he is very outstanding and fits Cheng Cheng's image very well.

Cheng Cheng also used an item he had drawn earlier, a one-time designated character dream-traveling talisman, and lay in bed unconscious for a whole day and night, traveling into the work and personally experiencing Yang Jian.

After waking up, Cheng Cheng drew out the scenes of Heaven and Flower Fruit Mountain from his memory overnight, and also revised the lines.

Unfortunately, this one-time dream-traveling talisman can only be used once.

At this moment, Cheng Cheng was fully dressed and made up, truly resembling a divine general who was untouched by worldly affairs, aloof and majestic.

Next, the technicians began motion capture of him.

Cheng Cheng:

"You impudent monkey! How dare you be so rude! Take this!"

-

Time flies, and the actual set of Huaguo Mountain has been built inside the film and television base.

The production team spent a huge sum of money to set up a real waterfall, a large number of transplanted plants, and some bizarre biomimetic plants. In the later stages, digital technology will be used to create the original vitality of Huaguo Mountain.

Not far away, the Lingxiao Palace is being built to a 1:1 scale; further in the southwest corner, the core scene of the underworld, the Senluo Palace, is beginning to reveal its ferocious nature.

The entire base is like a huge machine, operating at full speed.

In the prop warehouse, all kinds of weapons and armor have been completed; the costume department has produced more than three thousand sets of fairy clothes and divine armor, among which the main characters' cloaks, armor and skirts were made by master craftsmen in China.

At this point, only two months remained before the filming of "Journey to the West".

Another half month passed, and the headgear and costumes for the main monsters were also made.

Meanwhile, 41 top directors from the Chinese film industry began to move into the Journey to the West Film and Television Base. In the conference room, each director presented his script, and the whole process was filled with debate.

After all, every director has their own way of expressing themselves and their own aesthetic.

In fact, many directors actually treat their parts as a complete movie, with exorbitant budgets and runtimes reaching nearly two hours.

This is absolutely impossible.

With 41 directors, their narrative pace, aesthetic style, and focus are seriously inconsistent. If left to their own devices, the final cut will be nothing more than a mess.

Fortunately, Cheng Cheng is the chief director and has a high enough status. After all, he is not just an artist or director, but the capital itself.

Not only do these directors have to listen to Cheng Cheng, but the bosses of their respective agencies also have to listen to him.

Cheng Cheng: "Now, everyone, listen to me!"

With one month to go before filming of Journey to the West begins, after another half month of repeated polishing and compromises, 41 scripts were finally finalized, and the final draft of Journey to the West was thus locked in. At the same time, the entire cast, led by Zhang Xiaoyan, along with hundreds of supporting actors, officially moved into the production base to begin a fully enclosed training program.

There are fixed learning activities every day:
Early morning: Traditional martial arts and physical development training (for some actors).

Morning: Classical etiquette and in-depth reading of lines.

Afternoon: Acting training and one-on-one coaching with the corresponding director.

Night: Wire work and action choreography rehearsal (for some actors).

Of course, some actors, such as Yan Gou'er, Jiang Nan, Wen Lian, Jiang Jun, Wang Hong, and Liu Weichi, did not join the crew in advance. Their acting skills were sufficient, and they were also busy with their schedules.

This training program is only for the lead actors and some newcomers who lack basic acting skills.

Moreover, Wen Lian is not suitable to join the crew right now, as she is currently pregnant and will not give birth for another four months. However, she can definitely make it to filming, since the filming of the Daughter Kingdom part is a very late part.

Another month has passed, and the day has come for the start of filming for "Journey to the West".

The weather was clear and cloudless that day.

Inside the film and television base, a red carpet was laid out.

On the altar, a bright yellow silk cloth was laid out, and on it were neatly arranged offerings such as roast suckling pig, fresh fruit, and pastries. Thick incense sticks were inserted into three bronze incense burners, and wisps of smoke rose from them.

At 9:00 a.m. sharp, Cheng Cheng led the entire main cast and crew into the venue on time.

The four-person group of master and apprentices, led by Chang Hsiao-yen, stood beside Cheng Cheng, while dozens of other important actors lined up on either side. All 41 of the top directors in the Chinese entertainment industry were also present, watching the ceremony from below the stage.

The whole scene was spectacular.

All the major and minor media outlets in China were present, and their flashbulbs went off everywhere.

The time has come, and the chief conductor of the ceremony announced loudly:

"The auspicious hour has arrived! The opening ceremony for Journey to the West is now beginning!"

Cheng Cheng, as the chief director, took the lead in offering incense, followed by the other actors.

After all the procedures were completed, Cheng Cheng said:
"I hereby announce that the TV series 'Journey to the West' has officially begun filming!"

On the same day, news of the official start of filming for "Journey to the West" spread online.

"According to this newspaper, at 9:18 a.m. today, the highly anticipated epic project 'Journey to the West' by Myth Media held a grand opening ceremony."

Director Cheng Cheng led 41 directors, nearly 100 lead actors, and over 1,000 core production team members to attend the opening ceremony, making it a grand and unprecedented event. Yan Gou'er, Wang Hong, Jiang Nan, and others also appeared at the ceremony.

It is reported that the project has a total investment of 25 billion yuan, with a budget of over 5000 million yuan per episode, setting a record for domestic TV drama production. The model of 41 directors taking turns directing is also a pioneering move in the industry.

Film critic Zhang Yifan stated in an interview with this newspaper:
"This is not just a TV series, but a major exploration of Tianxia Film and Television's industrialization. Its success or failure will directly influence the future development direction of the industry."

As of press time, the hashtag #JourneyToTheWestStartsFilming# has topped the Weibo trending list, with over 8 million views.

Netizens left comments such as, "Hopefully Cheng Cheng can recreate the miracle of 'The Wandering Earth'."

It is reported that filming for "Journey to the West" will last for six months, and it is expected to be released next year. (End of this chapter)