Huayu: Director started with art films

Chapter 352 363 [Hong Kong stars who go to Hollywood to develop, visit Hengdian World Studios]

“A new food show?”

Cai Lan asked curiously, "Director Li, what kind of food show is this?"

"You can think of it as a variety show version of 'A Bite of China'. If Mr. Cai Lan is willing, I have already thought of a name. How about 'Cai Lan Eats All Over China'?"

"Good! This is a good name!"

When Cai Lan heard that he could eat all over China, he instantly became interested: "Director Li, can you really let me eat all over China?"

"Haha, of course, no problem. The director of the documentary "A Bite of China" is my graduate supervisor at Beijing Film Academy, Situ Zhaodun. He has the contact information of all the food in this documentary, as well as archives of many local food that we haven't filmed yet."

Li Yishu smiled and said, "I will form a team and go north from Guangzhou. The production team will go around China and taste all the delicacies in China. This may take several years."

"I have time!" Cai Lan said excitedly, "I have plenty of time to eat all kinds of delicious food now. Director Li, please leave this show to me!"

"Of course, I can't think of anyone more suitable than Mr. Cai Lan. In addition to Mr. Cai Lan's Eat All Over China program, I plan to divide each episode into two parts. The first part will be hosted by Mr. Cai Lan alone, and the second part will invite some actors, writers, and singers from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan to participate in the filming..."

A simple "Cai Lan Eats All Over China" might attract a large number of viewers in the beginning, but it becomes a bit lacking in the later stages of the show.

Therefore, the best way is to invite celebrities from that city to eat in each city one by one. This will not only lead everyone to appreciate the local food, but also allow them to understand the culture of that city through the mouths of local celebrities.

"A very good idea."

Cai Lan nodded in agreement: "I like to eat delicious food, and I also like the culture behind the food. Every time I go to a country, I will taste their local food, because a dish can best represent the history of a country and a nation."

"Well said, food = culture." Li Yishu agrees with this statement. A country with a long history and culture must have excellent food. The food of different countries reflects their history, geography, customs and lifestyle.

Qingxia beside her smiled and said, "Now that you mention it, I want to go and have a try."

"Haha, if Qingxia likes it, I will support the program later and invite you to be a guest. I remember your ancestral home is in Shandong?"

"Yes, Laiyang, Shandong. My mother told me that Laiyang pears are delicious. As for Laiyang vegetables, I haven't eaten them much."

"It's okay. When I have the chance to go to Laiyang, I will definitely take you to taste the delicacies of your hometown."

"no problem."

The two chatted for a while, and Cai Lan looked at Li Yishu, "Director Li, it's a deal!"

Li Yishu nodded and said, "Well, it's settled. I'll contact ATV later and ask them to contact the director of A Bite of China and form a filming team to eat all over China, starting from Guangzhou!"

After finalizing the collaboration, Cai Lan talked with Li Yishu about everything, mainly asking about the situation in Hollywood. Ever since Jackie Chan's "Rumble in the Bronx" became a big hit in North America last year, more and more Hong Kong filmmakers have set their sights on Hollywood.

Jet Li had already planned to go to Hollywood to make his living, and Zhou Yingfa was even more decisive. After attending the premiere of "Peace Hotel" on April 4, he took his wife to the United States the next morning.

Cai Lan asked, "Director Li, do you think that these two can become famous in Hollywood like A-Long?"

"Ajie has a chance, but Zhou Yanfa will have a hard time."

Li Yishu said: "Kung Fu movies still have some influence in Hollywood. Whether it is A-Long's comedy Kung Fu or A-Jie's fluent action scenes, they can both occupy a place in Hollywood. What they lack is just an opportunity, but Zhou Yanfa..."

Qingxia asked curiously, "I have worked with Chow Yun Fat before, his acting is very good, give him a chance, I believe he will become famous."

"Yes, his acting skills are very good, but it is useless if his acting skills are just good."

Li Yishu shook his head, and seeing Cai Lan and Qingxia's puzzled expressions, he smiled and said:

"There are many talented actors in Hollywood. I don't know about others, but Tom Hanks and Bruce Willis, who I have worked with, both have excellent acting skills. Hanks, in particular, is first-rate. Willis may be a little worse, but he is famous for his action movies!"

Bruce Willis's famous work is "Die Hard", which made him famous all over the world, but because he filmed too many action scenes, people overlooked his acting skills.

The collaboration with Lee Ye-seo in "The Sixth Sense" made the public and movie fans realize that Bruce Willis is a true talent for acting!
Li Yishu admitted that Zhou Yanfa's acting skills are very good. He also likes to watch "God of Gamblers", "A Better Tomorrow", "Peace Hotel", "Hard Boiled" and so on, but the same thing applies: he has no characteristics of his own.

Chinese actors who can make it in Hollywood are either like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, who have kung fu skills, or like Gong Li, who have gradually increased their popularity in Hollywood through the influence of European art films.

When it comes to acting skills, Zhou Yanfa always uses the three-piece suit of showing off, and he is not as good as Liang Chaowei.

It’s just that he acted very naturally, and with the blessing of the movie role, his acting skills seemed very good.

In terms of action scenes, he is not as good as Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

It is really difficult for a Chinese actor like this to make a name for himself in Hollywood.

After all, Hollywood really brings together the best filmmakers in the world.

"It seems that Hollywood is not that open either."

Cai Lan understood what Li Yishu meant. When an actor goes to Hollywood, it is not about what you can do, but what Hollywood needs.

“How can it be open?”

Li Yishu snorted, "I remember it was the year before last? I worked with Tom Cruise to shoot an advertisement for the Japanese Canon Group. Tom Hanks' agent went straight to the person in charge of the Canon Group and said that I was not qualified to be the director and asked them to choose between me and Tom!"

Qingxia had never heard of this, so she frowned and asked, "Who will be chosen next?"

"Does this need to be said?"

Li Yishu spread out his hands and said, "I was the core of the Canon Group's advertising blockbuster. I invented bullet time, not to mention that choosing Tom Cruise was my idea. If it wasn't for the fact that the advertisement could cause a sensation around the world, I would have said anything to force Canon Group to change its spokesperson."

Lee Yi-shu is not bragging. Canon Group initially valued Lee Yi-shu's "Bullet Time" and proposed a collaboration on an advertising blockbuster, and then asked Lee Yi-shu who was more suitable to be the global spokesperson.

If Lee Yi-su hadn't wanted to make some money in the field of advertising shooting and expand her influence in the United States through advertising, she would never have chosen Tom Cruise.

It's not directed at Cruise, but his agent, who is extremely disgusting.

It is no wonder that in the future, Cruise's female agent hooked up with Nicole Kidman and teamed up to backstab Tom Cruise.

“I didn’t expect there would be such a thing.”

Cai Lan's eyes were burning as he asked, "Director Li, I was planning to write a book about filmmakers this year. Would it be convenient for me to include this incident in the book?"

"casual."

Li Yishu shrugged and said, "There's nothing wrong with that."

Time passes little by little.

After the few of them had dinner together, Cai Lan said goodbye. He had a confidante in Taiwan, and since he happened to be here this time, naturally he wanted to catch up with her.

Li Yishu and Qingxia returned to Qingshu Jingshe.

After staying in Taiwan for two days, he met with Huo Wenxi who came from Hong Kong. After telling him about Cai Lan's program, he left for the mainland. April 4.

Hengdian Film and Television City.

Qinhan City.

Li Yishu, Han Sanping, Hengdian Group Chairman Xu Wenrong and others visited this huge Qin and Han City together.

As the name suggests, Qinhan City is an ancient city that combines the Qin Palace and the Han Palace.

The main hall of the Qin Palace was named "Hall of the Four Seas Returning to One", which reflects the majestic momentum of Qin Shihuang's annexation of the six kingdoms and unification of the world.

Likewise, the Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace built by Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, embody the idea that "the emperor regards the four seas as his home, and his prestige cannot be enhanced without magnificence."

The Han Street displays the streetscape of the Qin and Han dynasties. The ancient yellow dusty road, the golden weapons and iron horses, the Yanzhao architecture, the Qin and Han culture are reproduced in the Qin Palace.

Although it took more than two years to build, it was far from as magnificent as the Qin Palace that Li Yishu saw when he came to Hengdian later.

Decades later, the Qin Palace covered an area of ​​800 acres and had a huge building complex with various palaces, a building every five steps and a pavilion every ten steps.

Nowadays, apart from the Qin Palace and the Han Palace which look magnificent and gorgeous, many places are still covered with grasslands.

Li Yishu and his group climbed up the city gate tower.

"How is it, Director Li?" Xu Wenrong looked at the Weiyang Palace and Changle Palace in the distance with a smile on his face and said, "The one on the left is the Weiyang Palace, and the one on the right is the Changle Palace. I asked experts and professors, as well as architectural masters, to help design them."

"I now understand how shocking it was when Xiao He said: 'The emperor regards the four seas as his home, and his prestige cannot be enhanced without magnificence!'"

Li Yishu looked at the two tall buildings in the distance. From the perspective of modern people, these two ancient buildings are very magnificent and gorgeous, not to mention the ancients.

"Yes!"

Han Sanping agreed: "I think the construction of the two palaces of Changle and Weiyang is no worse than that of the Qin Palace, and even better."

"The styles are different. Although the Qin and Han dynasties were not separated by a long period of time, we still adopted some of the styles of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period for the Qin Palace. Although the Four Seas Return to One Hall is very large, it is not as magnificent as the two palaces in Changle and Weiyang..."

Xu Wenrong talked endlessly about the differences between the two buildings.

Li Yishu didn't care much about it. After all, Brother Chen Kai's Qin Palace was not far away, so she could go and take a look when she had the chance.

"By the way, Director Han." Li Yishu turned to look at Han Sanping and said, "Has Director Chen finished filming The Emperor and the Assassin?"

Han Sanping nodded, "Yes, it was officially wrapped up last month."

"So when will Director Chen's show be released?"

"The earliest it can be released is next year. I heard that Brother Chen Kai used thousands of boxes of film just to make the movie..."

Speaking of this, Han Sanping said impatiently: "Just editing, I think it will take at least half a year, not to mention dubbing and music."

Li Yishu frowned. Brother Chen Kai really worked hard. He actually shot so much material for just a Shakespeare stage play?
When the movie is released, don't really edit it out like a Shakespeare play.

He was not worried about Brother Chen Kai, but he was afraid that this guy would nail the words "domestic blockbuster" to the pillar of shame.

If nothing unexpected happens, Chen Kai's "The Emperor and the Assassin" will definitely be released earlier than his "Red Cliff".

Both are historical themes, one is about Qin Shi Huang, the well-known emperor or tyrant, and the other is the well-known Battle of Red Cliffs in the Three Kingdoms period.

If the former has a dismal box office performance, it will probably affect the release scale and box office of the subsequent "Red Cliff of the Three Kingdoms".

Xu Wenrong asked, "Director Li, should we go to the Red Cliff battlefield?"

The Red Cliff battlefield he mentioned is actually an artificial lake with a large area. It was one of the venues used to film the close-range fighting between the two armies during the Battle of Red Cliff.

After all, it is impossible to really shoot on the Yangtze River. The river is surging and the impact is still very strong, making rescue difficult.

If an accident happened and you fell into the water, you would definitely be dead if you were not careful.

No matter how safe the crew is, it is impossible to be 100% accident-free.

Therefore, Hengdian Film and Television City has already dug an artificial lake nearby. After the filming of the Battle of Red Cliffs is completed, it can be transformed into a real lake in the future.

"Then let's go and take a look." Li Yishu nodded in agreement, and together with Han Sanping, followed Xu Wenrong to inspect the artificial lake.

At this time, people have started to transport some wood to the shore of the artificial lake to build a water fortress.

Li Yishu saw that the lake water was still clear, thinking that it must have been settled for a long time, and turned to look at Han Sanping: "Director Han, when will the wooden boat be delivered?"

"Next month."

Han Sanping thought for a moment and said, "Because the warship is too big, it cannot be transported by land. We can only ask the shipyard to build an iron ship of the same proportion. We will then stabilize it on the shore..."

Transportation in those days was not very developed, far from the special transportation equipment that it had later. The keel of an ancient warship was almost a hundred meters long, so it was very difficult to transport it to Hengdian.

Fortunately, there are not many waves on this lake, so we only need to build an iron ship of the same scale on the shore. We don’t care whether the keel can last long, as long as it can last until the end of the shooting.

What remains are small wooden ships.

Historical records show that the back of the ship was covered with raw cowhide, and there were holes on both sides for oars, and crossbow and spear holes on the left, right, front and back. The enemy could not advance, and arrows and stones could not defeat it.

This type of ship is somewhat similar to an offensive speedboat, with a narrow and long hull and strong maneuverability, making it easy to collide with enemy ships.

When Li Yishu visited Hengdian Film and Television City.

Yenching, Beijing Film Academy.

Today is the day when the results of art exams are announced.

The three sisters Jiang Qinqin, Jia Jingwen and Xu Jinglei naturally came out to watch the fun out of curiosity.

"That girl named Sun Li is pretty, do you want to recommend her to Sister Xuan?"

"I think Yu Yi's performance was good. Although he is not very good-looking, his acting is good."

"Isn't Zuo Xiaoqing prettier? She has a standard oval face. I heard she's a member of the national gymnastics team and has won many championships."

"..."

(End of this chapter)