Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 101 [Bullet Time, Seeking Sponsorship from Canon]

"I've also met Ni Ping. She's such a pretty girl. How could she have fallen for Brother Chen Kai?"

Gong Li was still filled with emotion. She had previously participated in an interview with CCTV, and the host was Ni Ping.

I had a pretty good chat with her at that time and felt that Ni Ping was a mature and stable woman. But I didn't expect that I would fall in love with such a man.

Sure enough, love makes people blind.

"Okay, Sister Gong Li, who Ni Ping likes or falls in love with has nothing to do with us."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "If you have the free time, you should practice your sword skills more. Your martial arts scenes will be coming soon, so don't let them down."

"You think I want to see these things because of you."

Gong Li glared at him. Although she was not familiar with Brother Chen Kai at the beginning, she was not unhappy with him.

At the end of last year, Brother Chen Kai returned to China and snatched away Gu Changwei. Gong Li stood up for Li Yishu and over time she became unhappy with Brother Chen Kai.

Anyway, I'm not happy with the other party in every way.

Li Yishu knew this, so she smiled and said, "Yes, yes, yes, I know Sister Gong Li is venting her anger for me. I am grateful to Sister Gong Li for her righteous words and generous spirit!"

"That's good to know. I'm going to put on makeup."

Gong Li left in style.

Looking at the other person's back, Li Yishu picked up the magazine in her hand and glanced at it casually. The title was really eye-catching. I wonder if Ms. Chen Hong can still fall in love with him and successfully become his mistress without the Palme d'Or?
But then again, if I win the Palme d'Or next year, won't Chen Hong target me?

She only loves directors who won the Palme d'Or.

inside the house.

Jiang Asheng, played by Zhao Wenzhuo, when facing Ye Zhanqing and Lei Bin, he, who looked sloppy, calmly pulled out a rusty sword and said to them, "Don't worry, let me sharpen the sword~"

"Isn't it too late to sharpen the sword now?" Yang Liqing looked at the other party with a cold and arrogant expression.

"It's still in time, it's still in time..."

Zhao Wenzhuo smiled and sharpened the rusty sword meticulously.

"Hmph, look at the sword!"

Seeing that the other party was still sharpening his sword, Yang Liqing snorted coldly, suddenly drew out the sword in her left hand, and stabbed it straight at Zhao Wenzhuo's face with lightning speed.

Sonorous——

There was a sound of metal collision, and Zhao Wenzhuo raised his hand and sword, directly blocking Yang Liqing's straight thrust.

Seeing this, Yuan Piao immediately flipped his right hand and aimed the camera at his palm. Three silver needles appeared and shot out, flying towards Zhao Wenzhuo's face.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

Three consecutive times, three flying needles were successfully blocked by Zhao Wenzhuo.

Although the camera did not capture the trajectory of the flying needle, the necessary actions were still required, and Yuan Piao also began to make continuous movements of launching flying needles.

Zhao Wenzhuo began to block in an orderly manner according to the martial arts moves he had rehearsed before, and from time to time he had to face the long sword stabbing from Yang Liqing.

Zhao Wenzhuo's sword skills were wide open and close, blocking and attacking at the same time. Yang Liqing's Pi Shui sword skills were light and ethereal, using softness to overcome hardness. Yuan Piao fired flying needles with both hands from time to time, and except for changes in his footwork, he maintained this movement throughout the whole process.

The three of them fought together.

"Crack!"

Lee Ye-seo yelled, “Actors, take a break.”

The three of them breathed a sigh of relief. Even though the fight was short, they had to concentrate. Yuan Piao was okay, he was just a tool, and some flying needle special effects and close-up shots would be added later to show that he had shot the flying needles.

But it’s different for Zhao Wenzhuo and Yang Liqing. They both have to fight according to the well-rehearsed routines, neither too fast nor too slow, so that they can finish the fight in one take as much as possible.

Li Yishu, who was behind the camera, stroked his chin, thinking about something. After a while, he said to the prop master beside him, "Can you make a thicker flying needle and cut it in half?"

"Cut in half?"

The prop master asked back, "Director Li, do you mean to cut it in the middle or vertically?"

"Hold it vertically, split it in two, and then find a way to put it together. Then we'll take a few close-up shots. When the needle flies towards Zhao Wenzhuo, he raises his sword and splits it in half."

"There's no problem with the props, but I don't know if the photography will be okay."

Hearing this, Li Yishu looked at Zhao Fei: "Coach Zhao, do you have any questions?"

Zhao Fei understood the effect Li Yishu wanted, thought about it, and nodded: "If it's just a close-up, it won't be a big problem. I can think of a way."

"Okay, as long as you can think of a solution."

Li Yishu asked again, "Coach Zhao, do you know which camera is the best on the market now?"

"camera?"

Zhao Fei was slightly startled. Although he didn't understand what Director Li meant, he still said, "I haven't really studied cameras, but the EOS-5 SLR camera that Canon launched in March is said to be very powerful. It also uses a new technology called eye-controlled focusing."

"Canon~"

Li Yishu thought about it and felt that Canon was also good.

Canon is still very popular in China now, so if you ask them for advertising fees, they will definitely be willing to pay.

"Director Chen, you will direct the next few literary scenes." After arranging for the assistant director to shoot the next few less important literary scenes, Li Yishu hurriedly left the crew.

Since he was going to make a martial arts film, it had to be a bit shocking, otherwise how could he highlight his status as a Golden Lion-winning director?

After getting on the crew's car, Li Yishu went straight to the telephone office.

The signal station in Sichuan is still not very stable, so we can’t make calls to Hong Kong and Taiwan. We have to go to the telephone office.

"Ah? Asking Canon for advertising fees?"

Xu Lu on the other end of the phone was dumbfounded. Could a costume martial arts film also serve as an advertisement for a camera brand?

"Sister Xu, don't worry about this for now. Please help me contact Canon and ask them if they are interested in exclusively sponsoring our movie."

"Okay, let me ask for you."

Although he didn't know what Li Yishu was up to, Xu Lu still chose to believe him. After all, they had known each other for so long, so he naturally knew that the other party was not the kind of person who acted without purpose.

After hanging up the phone, Li Yishu thought about it and felt that relying on Xu Lu alone might not be enough, so he called Ichiro Tanaka in Japan and explained the matter to him.

"No problem, Li Jun, I will help you contact them."

"Excuse me, Mr. Tanaka. If possible, please ask Canon to send people to Sichuan and Shu in the mainland, and it would be best if you could transfer a hundred of the latest cameras."

"Okay, Mr. Li."

Ichiro Tanaka was also confused and didn't quite understand what Li Yishu meant, but he would definitely do what Li Jun asked him to do.

Canon Inc. of Japan.

Taro Aso, head of the marketing planning department, received a call from Toho Corporation.

As one of the top camera brands in Japan, Canon has cooperated with almost all Japanese film companies.

"What? Supervisor Li? Is that the Supervisor Li who filmed Love Letter? Looking for sponsorship? I have no problem with that, but I need to ask what kind of movie Supervisor Li filmed."

Taro Aso naturally would not refuse. Although Canon has good sales, its annual advertising expenses are also very high in order to make more people choose Canon.

After all, there are too many good camera brands in the world.

"A martial arts film? How do you sponsor a martial arts film? Okay, I'll report it to the general manager and let him decide."

Taro Aso was also confused by what he heard, but he couldn't make the decision on this matter, so he went directly to the vice president's office.

ten minutes later.

Taro Aso said, "President Mitarai, this is what happened."

Fujio Mitarai narrowed his eyes slightly and said thoughtfully, "I have also heard of this Supervisor Li. He won the Golden Lion Award last year. Since he said so, he must have some ideas. You can go to Sichuan, China in person. It's a good opportunity to investigate there. Recently, the group is also interested in investing in building a factory in China to reduce the cost of our group."

Today, Japan's economic bubble is serious. In order to reduce costs, Canon Vice President Fujio Mitarai has also thought about building a Canon factory in China. Of course, it is not a camera factory, but some other businesses, such as printers, copiers, etc.

"Okay, President Mitarai." Taro Aso nodded.

Two days later.

Sichuan Airport.

As for the God of Wealth who might have to pay advertising fees, Li Yishu would naturally come to the airport to pick her up in person.

After greeting Li Yishu warmly, Taro Aso also said, "Director Li, this time I brought a hundred of the latest Canon SLR cameras. I just wonder how Director Li will integrate our products into your work?"

Before coming, Taro Aso had confirmed again with the people from Toho Film Company that Director Li was really making a martial arts film, and it was a martial arts film set in the "Warring States Period", similar to their Japanese samurai films.

How on earth can this kind of costume movie advertise their company's modern technological products?

Li Yishu laughed and said, "Haha, Mr. Aso, I believe your company must have advertised in many movies, right?"

Taro Aso nodded: "Yes, not just Asian films, our company also often advertises in Hollywood movies."

"So I don't think simply mixing your company's products into the movie will have much effect."

Li Yishu shook her head, and continued to say, "The highest level of advertising is to let the audience explore it themselves."

"Go explore by yourself?" Taro Aso was stunned and didn't understand what Li Yishu meant.

"To put it simply, it is to make the audience interested in your product, rather than just watching an advertisement with your Canon name flashing by!"

"Interested~~"

Taro Aso seemed to be thinking about something, but he still didn't understand what Li Yishu was keeping in suspense.

"I have an opportunity with a brilliant idea. It will surely make a large number of people who are not interested in cameras interested in your company's products."

Li Yishu smiled.

Although bullet time will be overused in the future, it is definitely a revolution in "film technology" in this era.

Many people know how to shoot in slow motion, but the photography technology that makes bullets seem to stop has never appeared in this era.

It would be very eye-catching if the bullet time from "The Matrix" was made into a cool advertisement.

Creative advertising is still relatively rare in this day and age. If the effect is good, it will probably bring a huge boost to Canon's sales, so the price must be negotiated carefully.

(End of this chapter)