Generation Z Artists

Chapter 212 The Death of Crown Prince Yu Will Become Art.

There is no action performance in the world more outstanding than that of Jet Li.

Whether we look back twenty years or forward twenty years, when it comes to the aesthetics of action, Jay Chou is number one.

Fang Xinghe vividly remembered a video circulating online showing Li Lianjie wielding a sword—agile, sharp, and swift, leaving viewers breathless.

If possible, he hopes to bring out the best in Jet Li.

Unfortunately, it's simply impossible.

During the rehearsal, the two realized at the same time that it was impossible for the fight scene to be both visually appealing and realistic.

Even simply taking a good-looking photo is not easy.

"You need to hold back a bit, otherwise I won't be able to catch it!"

Li Lianjie, who was known for his speed, was so angry that his voice became hoarse.

Fang Xinghe was also helpless: "Brother Jie, I've already held back, but if I reduce the force any further, the aesthetics of the movements will be compromised. Let's think of another way?"

Li Lianjie squatted down on the steps, his head buzzing.

"A sword against a spear? What were you thinking?! Is this something a human being could do?!"

The two couldn't even figure out the moves in this fight scene.

The reason is actually very simple—Fang Xinghe is too excessive, and then to give such an excessive person a three-meter-long gun, isn't that ridiculous?

Jet Li's actual height is only 164 cm, and his strength is not special, just average for his weight.

Fang Xinghe had never seen him use the equipment in the gym, but when he was practicing moves, he made a simple estimate that his arm strength was only a quarter of his own.

In terms of specific moves, Fang Xinghe only needed to exert a little force to knock Li Lianjie's sword away with a single spear thrust.

Even reducing his strength is useless; as long as the spear and sword clash, Li Lianjie's stance will inevitably collapse.

Even the fastest swordsmanship moves would crumble at the slightest touch.

Moreover, even in terms of speed alone, he couldn't keep up with Fang Xinghe.

When Brother Fang unleashed his full power, Li Lianjie didn't even have time to swing his sword.

Therefore, the previously designed movements simply couldn't be put together, and the actual shooting concept became a dreamy bubble.

“How are we supposed to film this?” Li Lianjie was very unhappy. “How about we switch sides, I’ll use the gun and you’ll use the sword? I reckon we could fight each other pretty well then.”

It's actually quite tough.

When the difference in strength and agility is so great, Fang Xinghe could probably still kill the spear instantly by deflecting its momentum with a single sword strike and slicing it along the shaft.

However, instead of boasting, he tried to find a solution to the problem.

"It's just a bluff."

Fang Xinghe raised his spear and gestured a couple of times, explaining, "We'll focus on the 'poss' (or 'position') style. You take the initiative and attack. You tried to get close three times without success, so we'll play a turn-based game."

The description alone is quite difficult to understand.

But after a couple of demonstrations, you'll understand.

first round.

The two stood facing each other in the courtyard.

"The sword is named Xuanxiao, it is three feet and one inch long and weighs two pounds and eight ounces."

"The gun is named 'Remnant Life,' and it is twelve feet long and weighs sixteen pounds."

After a pause, Crown Prince Yu continued, "It is truly unfair to pit a wandering swordsman against a battle-ready spear. In that case, I will give you three chances to launch a preemptive attack. If you can get close enough to me, you will win."

Tsk tsk, screenwriter Fang, your lines are so pretentious!
Brother Jie wasn't very happy, but he had no choice but to accept it and continue reading his lines.

"Of all the weapons in the world, the longer the longer, the stronger; the shorter the longer, the more dangerous. In the battle, no one in the world can defeat the prince when he charges into the enemy lines alone. But once you get close, I have a sword that can take your life."

"So, very good."

Fang Xinghe's eyes were bright and passionate. He stretched his long legs to the side, opened his hips, and deeply rooted himself into a horse stance, holding his gun horizontally.

With just a simple gesture, he immediately exudes the aura of a master.

True masters don't necessarily have beautiful moves.

However, Fang Xinghe, who has good coordination, excellent physique, and high explosive power, is more about the aesthetics of his movements than his actual combat level—he has never fought on the battlefield, he is just an ordinary textbook of basic skills.

The simpler the movement, the more it showcases his seamless and coordinated movements.

After a two-second standoff (the two struck poses), Li Lianjie, following the plan, began to accelerate and circle around Fang Xinghe.

The real battle in the first round only lasted for a fleeting moment.

To sum up this encounter in one sentence: Old Li feinted left and right, spinning wildly, then suddenly rushed into the center line, only to have his sword momentum deflected by Fang Xinghe's spear. He stumbled backward until he stepped onto the railing and hung upside down from a pillar.

The highlight of this round was stepping on the railing backwards.

The specific posture was that Li Lianjie's left foot was on the head of the stone beast, his right foot was split backward and pushed off the stone pillar, his upper body was leaning forward, and his long sword was blocking the spearhead, but the spear tip was already hanging in front of him.

The still frame clearly indicates that he has already lost, while the backward motion is used to depict the longsword's predicament against the spear.

With each shot fired by Prince Yu, Nameless would retreat two or three steps until he was forced onto a stone pillar.

It showcases his agility and tenacity while also highlighting the strength of Prince Yu.

Fang Xinghe suddenly put away his gun and said calmly, "Again."

The king of cool is the king of cool; even the way he sheathes his gun is so different.

With a single pull, the spear shaft slid backward in his palm until the butt of the spear hit the ground. Only then did Fang Biwang firmly grasp the middle and rear of the spear shaft, and carry the spear back to the center of the courtyard.

second round.

Prince Yu no longer sat in a horse stance, but stood awkwardly, and with one hand he swung it diagonally downwards, the spear shaft tearing through the air with a violent whistling sound.

One-handed horizontal spear stance?
No, this is a one-finger-to-the-ground gesture!
It's just a pose for putting away a gun, with no practical value whatsoever; it's just a fancy trick for looking cool.

Fang Biwang's lines are also incredibly infuriating.

He arrogantly declared, "If I hold my spear firmly on the flat ground, you'll never have a chance. I'll give you a four-and-a-half-foot head start, now try again!"

The so-called "four and a half feet" refers to the position where Fang Xinghe holds the gun—he no longer grips the back half of the gun, leaving a distance of exactly four and a half feet.

When the gun-holding action is deliberately avoided at the butt of the gun, the large gun suddenly becomes clumsy.

But Prince Yu's fighting style became increasingly violent—he swung his spear with one hand and smashed it repeatedly!
This is no longer the agile and swift spear technique, but rather the hammer technique, mace technique, and staff technique!
Amidst the clanging sounds, Wuming parried left and right, attempting several times to close the distance with his agility, but no matter how he maneuvered, he was always met with only two moves.

It's either a head-on chop or a sweeping cut across the waist!
What may seem like a simple move becomes unreasonable and unbreakable when backed by absolute force.

The nameless man was dizzy and disoriented, and finally his sword was smashed to pieces.

This scene will be enhanced with post-production special effects to create a rather cool visual effect.

Brief description: Nameless held the sword above his head with his right hand, and the scabbard on his left hand covered half of the long sword, which was equivalent to holding the sword with both hands to block the final blow from Prince Yu.

The big gun slammed down.

With a loud thud, Wuzhi knelt on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

At the same time, a ring of radial cracks appeared in the floor, and a small shockwave emanated outwards from the nameless man's knee.

The next instant, the Xuanxiao Sword cracked inch by inch, shattering with a mournful cry.

Prince Yu slung the spear that had been hovering over Wuming's forehead over his shoulder, ending the second round.

Next up, it's time for Brother Fang to show off again.

Crown Prince Yu looked at the spitting blood Wuming with an exceptionally indifferent gaze—no acting was needed here, as Fang Xinghe's pupils were exceptionally indifferent when he wasn't making any expression.

Then the main camera will give a close-up shot of the rotating push from below, which will be incredibly cool.

His lines, however, are like those of an invincible ultimate boss, extremely oppressive.

"The sword is lacking, and so is the man."

Wuming's spirits began to crumble, and he replied dejectedly, "The Crown Prince's divine power is far beyond my reach."

This serves both as Fang Xinghe's need to show off and as a way to suppress the protagonist in the plot.

The classic plot of commercial films inevitably involves creating a huge crisis or predicament for the protagonist, drawing the audience in and making them anxious.

The screenwriter's approach here is not to have Wuming suddenly burst into action and resolve his loss and frustration on his own, but to introduce a third party to encourage him and bring about a turning point.

Gong Li, who plays Empress Zhao, steps forward.

“Nameless, you are just a wandering knight, an assassin, while Prince Yu is the strongest battlefield killing god in the seven kingdoms. We never expected you to be able to defeat him head-on.”

Then why did I choose you?
Because you are a righteous person who will never be defeated by difficulties, you possess unwavering perseverance and the courage to fight to the death.

We place our hopes on you, not because we firmly believe you will succeed, but because we firmly believe you will not let us down…

The dialogue is emotionally charged, highlighting both the invincibility of Prince Yu and adding a touch of resistance to Nameless.

Immediately afterwards, Feixue swung her sword.

"Brother Wuming, take this sword!"

The Flying Snow Sword whistled past Wuming. Li Lianjie raised his hand and gently grabbed the hilt, holding it horizontally in front of him.

The camera pans up, slowly revealing the nameless, resolute eyes above the gleaming blade of the sword.

This is a very cleverly designed emotional trigger.

The audience will definitely be excited about this.

However, just when they were eagerly anticipating Nameless's counterattack, the screenwriter, Dog Fang, slapped them in the face again.

Round 3: Berserk!

Crown Prince Yu, his emotions stirred, spoke with a voice as sharp as a sword's cry: "You want me to place my hopes on such a weakling? Then prove me right!"

When Fang Xinghe went all out, the battle suddenly became much more open and intense.

During this stage, Li Lianjie was only responsible for one thing—taking beatings.

The Azure Dragon offered its claws to receive the downward slash of the horizontal spear, and fell!
He parted the grass to find the snake, caught the venomous python, and it flew away!
Phoenix nodded, tidied her hair, and with a light flick of her hand, the spearhead transformed into a phantom, striking the nameless man's head with a snap.

The nameless creature slammed heavily onto the ground, lying face down.

Prince Yu parried and thrust his spear again, and Nameless recoiled as the spearhead pierced the ground, barely touching his forehead. Prince Yu, wielding the spear in one hand, pushed forward, the spearhead shattering rocks and cracking the ground, pursuing Nameless like an earthen dragon.

Here, Wuming had no time to dodge, so he had to press the blade of his sword against the shaft of his spear, his left hand on the blade and his right hand on the hilt, relying entirely on the strength of his arms to maintain his balance. He was in a push-up position, being pushed by Prince Yu with a large spear, his feet carving two deep furrows in the stone slab.

In the end, he was forcefully propelled away by Crown Prince Yu.

In the next scene, Fang Xinghe designed an incredibly cool finishing move—after launching Wuming into the air, the spearhead bounced back and plunged downwards. As the spearhead pierced the ground again, Fang Xinghe pushed the spear forward while lightly jumping!
The entire spear stood upright, with the spearhead planted in the ground and the spear tail upside down.

Fang Xinghe himself held the butt of the spear with one hand, and stepped on the middle of the spear with one foot above the other, which was... the Great Sage Equal to Heaven Standing Staff Stance!

This is a classic move from Southern Monkey Fist, and it is also common in Shaolin Staff Techniques.

However, generally speaking, those who use this move are basically using a staff that reaches the eyebrows, and at most, it is no more than two meters long.

How long is Fang Xinghe's gun?
3 meters 5!

It's like he was performing an extreme maneuver from the height of a single floor.

Here, Fang Wusheng used a specially made hollow steel pipe spear. After repeated testing, a perfect balance between weight and elasticity was achieved, which enabled him to perform this extremely difficult move.

As the camera panned upwards at an angle, natural light shone on his face from the side, creating an aura of power, coolness, and oppression that defied description.

The next move is a 720-degree aerial flip, with arms swinging in a circle, looking down from a great height and spinning to strike with the spear!

This is the ultimate combination of strength and beauty, and a magnificent display of the most extreme physical capabilities of humankind.

Coordination, explosiveness, flexibility, reaction time, arm strength, integrated power...

Without any one of these elements, you can't achieve such a cool effect.

The heavy gun, weighing 10.2 kilograms, slammed into the four-layer cushioning pad with a piercing whistle, carrying the force of tearing through the air.

After a muffled thud, the outer layer of cotton fabric of the cushioning pad was torn open, and bits of cotton flew everywhere.

Since it was filming, there was no one on the other side of the gun, and the surrounding area was all green screen.

However, even just standing by and watching, Old Li was still terrified and broke out in a cold sweat.

"Good heavens, who came up with this terrible idea to make me fight this monster?!"

No one ignored him.

Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi were so engrossed in clapping, jumping and skipping around.

"So handsome, so handsome!"

They had never seen anything like it before. Who would have thought that action scenes could be filmed like this?!
Who would have thought that real people could fight like that?!
Mou Zi almost went crazy with joy, and jumped up: "Cut! That's enough! Fang Zi, you're fucking awesome!"

Gu Changwei, who was called in at the last minute to save the day, rushed to camera position number 2 and looked at it again and again.

"Perfect!"

He clenched his fist forcefully, looked up excitedly, and his ambition was written all over his face.

"Zhang Zi, don't skimp on post-production. I'd like to join you guys and get an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography!"

This scene was shot with multiple cameras. Camera 2 shot the gun from the side. In this shot, the silver gun whistles down and curves in mid-air in a fierce yet beautiful arc.

The martial saint Fang, wielding a gun, moved with a graceful posture, his power reaching the stars.

If you cut out just one second of slow motion and add a little bit of air blasting effect, it will become a milestone in the history of martial arts films.

The Oscar for Best Cinematography is biased against kung fu films, making it almost impossible to win. However, a nomination, based solely on this set of shots, gives it a great chance!
Fang Xinghe's shot invigorated the entire crew, causing them to howl in excitement.

The difference between panoramic live-action shooting and post-production lies precisely in this.

With current special effects technology, it's simply impossible to create such realistic, impactful, powerful, and cool yet logical action sequences.

If you really want to make a comparison, you can bring out "The Matrix" to criticize it.

In terms of overall originality, The Matrix is ​​a benchmark for action films.

Judging solely from the action itself, the performances of Keanu Reeves and the other actors can be described as subpar—stiff, superficial, lacking fluidity, and failing to be believable or immersive.

Western audiences aren't idiots either. Criticism of the action skills of the actors in the Matrix trilogy persisted for a long time, with people complaining about it in every online community.

Jet Li's Hollywood action films sell extremely well on DVD, and all kung fu fans are willing to collect them and repeatedly savor the rhythm of his movements, precisely because of the "exaggerated realism" and "expressive violence".

More than a decade later, Hollywood finally mastered the relevant technology, and action scenes began to have a "belief foundation."

For example, in Marvel movies, the Hulk's fight scenes are usually exaggerated, but because of the realistic impact and smooth movements, the audience is willing to believe that that's how the Hulk should perform.

When motion capture actors exert force swiftly and coordinately, the resulting effect becomes realistic and believable.

Keanu Reeves' real-life fighting style is all show and no substance; the close-quarters combat in "The Matrix" is just superficial and laughable.

It's that simple.

What Fang Xinghe presented was almost the best motion capture, top-notch special effects, and action concept after multiple iterations, all 15 years later.

In this day and age, it would be considered a groundbreaking feat.

Looking back at kung fu movies in the future, the "Once Upon a Time in China" series was the first groundbreaking innovation, and "Hero" was the second, destined to become a classic.

What is most commendable is that Fang Xinghe, with his own body, completely achieved the impossible special effects-enhanced fighting.

This caused the entire crew to go crazy.

Making such a play is of great significance to everyone.

Whether you're a key member of the creative team or an ordinary employee, you work hard for half a year just to earn money to support your family and also create something worthwhile, a representative work, right?
Now, regardless of the plot, in terms of visual presentation, "Hero" has scored full marks.

This was a fortunate event for everyone, and Fang Xinghe earned everyone's respect and gratitude.

……

The next scene is Li Lianjie's counterattack against Prince Yu.

Unfortunately, nobody cared anymore.

From the perspective of plot structure, this is the protagonist's "suppression followed by elevation" and is of great significance.

But everyone just couldn't muster any enthusiasm.

The nameless victory was inevitable after Prince Yu "crippled himself," or it could be described as a plot device that killed off Prince Yu.

Fang Xinghe handled the plot very naturally and skillfully.

Despite being knocked down several times, Wuming remained determined and continued to seek every opportunity to get close and strike with his sword. He finally gained the approval of Prince Yu—on a spiritual level.

Crown Prince Yu himself understood that no matter how skilled he was, he could not possibly achieve his wish to assassinate the King of Qin.

Fang Xinghe, through the words of Empress Zhao, helped the audience understand the underlying logic.

"You have a gun in your hand, unparalleled martial arts skills, and are invincible under heaven, but so what? You can never get close to the King of Qin."

Forget about entering the palace with a gun; if you get within a kilometer of the Qin King's palace, a barrage of arrows will be unleashed in the next instant.

Your Highness, the rulers of the various states are foolish and short-sighted. No one dares to let you lead the army alone. You have gone into seclusion in the State of Zhao, abstaining from wine and pleasure, patiently lying low and waiting for a good opportunity to take revenge.

Three years have passed, have you waited yet?
Although I have lived in the inner palace for a long time and am not familiar with political affairs, I still feel deeply sorry for the Crown Prince.

If we could obtain 20 troops from the five-nation coalition and hand them over to the Crown Prince, what would we have to worry about regarding the Qin dynasty?
hateful!

I hate that I am a woman, and I hate even more that the Crown Prince is not trusted by me!
pity!

Unfortunately, none of the officials in the five kingdoms possessed such courage and determination!
Those cowardly and self-serving individuals are not to be conspired with. Now, we must rely on our own strength to carry out this perilous assassination!

Our only hope is to remain nameless!

His swordsmanship is far inferior to yours, but he has the opportunity to get close to the King of Qin. At that time... with just one sword, the predicament of all the states will be resolved!
The nameless one cannot defeat the prince with the spear, but we don't need him to defeat you. We only need to bring him within ten paces of the King of Qin, and then, strike with that sword!

There's no doubt about Gong Li's lines; she delivered this dramatic scene with full emotion and tension.

And the actor's acting skills in dramatic scenes were fully demonstrated in the next scene.

As the emperor spoke, he stared intently at the tip of the gun—seemingly recalling something, or perhaps just spacing out.

Finally, he swung the gun backward with one hand, and the broken gun went straight into the central hall, embedding itself deeply above the offering table.

Fang Xinghe pursed his lips slightly, and with his suddenly focused gaze, he immediately drew the audience into a certain atmosphere—astute viewers could already sense that Prince Yu was making a decision at this moment.

This decision meant facing death.

The next fight scene is a test of bare hands.

Nameless finally outmaneuvered Prince Yu by a hair's breadth, and with his superb sword-hiding skills, at the most improbable moment, he "conjured" a short sword and placed it against Prince Yu's neck.

"very good."

Crown Prince Yu reached out and pushed the short sword away, using his index finger to push away the blade.

"Although it's still nothing special, it's at least somewhat interesting now."

Until his last breath, Prince Yu remained so proud and so radiant.

He raised his hand, looked at the blood droplets on his fingertips, and a faint, gentle smile gradually appeared on his lips.

What was he thinking about?
Are you reminiscing about your childhood sweetheart, with whom you were once engaged but who was lost amidst the fall of your country and the destruction of your home?
Nobody knows.

Fang Xinghe's handling of the situation was unconventional, adding a touch of humanity to Prince Yu, but he refused to provide any explanation, simply leaving that smile in the hearts of the audience and letting them speculate as they pleased.

Half a second later, Crown Prince Yu suddenly turned around and strode towards the central hall.

He sat upright behind the desk, straightened his clothes, loosened his hair ribbon, and said with a sigh, "Han Yu's head is hanging here; you may take it yourself!"

This represents the highest level of bravery among those facing death, and also the greatest romance of the Warring States period.

If he does not wish to, who can kill him?
A 20-year-old prodigy will dedicate his life to his country at the most brilliant moment of his life.

He did not explicitly express hatred. In contrast, Feixue was indignant, Zhao Hou was worried, and Wuming was persistent because of his faith. Each of them had a clear reason and a clear emotion.

However, Fang Xinghe's treatment of Crown Prince Yu was calm and proud, as if he simply felt that this was the right thing to do, and so he did it.

In terms of the character's motivation, Prince Yu's motivation does not seem so obvious or sufficient.

But at that moment, when Fang Xinghe uttered that line with divine brilliance, Empress Zhao's eyes immediately reddened, Feixue covered her face to wipe away tears, and Wuming was terrified and moved, kneeling down with great respect.

Fang Xinghe portrayed such a simple closing scene with an indescribable and touching quality.

The death of Crown Prince Yu will become an art form.

(End of this chapter)