Shadow of Chinese Entertainment

Chapter 93 Filming Preparation
Pearl Beach Waterfall is about 18 kilometers away from the hotel. Even if you drive there, it takes half an hour, and a full hour to go there and back.

Taking into account the distance and time factors, the crew set up a public dining area in an open space near the Pearl Beach Waterfall to solve the dining problems of the large number of crew members.

It was still early, and when Group B returned to the communal dining area, the food had not yet been prepared.

They first set up their equipment and then walked slowly towards the open space in the dining area.

At this time, the tables and chairs had just been neatly arranged, and the steaming hot meals were brought out one by one.

In this crew, the three people, including the chief director, the female lead, and the consultant Hu Xiaobei, have different dining locations from ordinary staff members, but the food standards are the same.

In this era, no matter how famous the actors are, they basically eat the meals provided by the crew.

If you want to improve your food, you can either buy it yourself or cook it yourself.

Of course, there are exceptions.

Sometimes, due to tight work schedules and dense filming schedules, the leading actors and creative staff will have separate catering services or enjoy better quality catering services.

The crowd sat in groups of three or four in an area. Hu Xiaobei looked around at the slightly tired but expectant faces.

He smiled and said, "Everyone has worked hard, but compared to other colleagues, we are the most efficient team in completing the day's filming tasks and are also the first team to get back for dinner.

I hope we can always maintain high efficiency. Except for night scenes, I will try my best to avoid working overtime.

Although conditions are limited, we must have a lively meal." After saying this, he was the first to pick up the tableware.

For a moment, the sound of tableware colliding and low conversations intertwined, and a unique team atmosphere filled the dining area near the Pearl Beach Waterfall.

Generally speaking, it is very annoying for leaders to speak before meals.

But this time Hu Xiaobei is different. Instead, he makes the staff who complete the task ahead of schedule feel more superior and more recognized of him.

Some people in Group B had worked with Hu Xiaobei before, but for most of them, it was their first time working under him.

In just one morning, everyone had seen a lot.

In their opinion, as long as you don’t work overtime, you are a good leader.

Hu Xiaobei is different. Not only does he not work overtime, he is also extremely efficient and it is very easy for everyone to do things under him.

Moreover, Hu Xiaobei's shooting efficiency was also extremely high. For the scene in the morning where Xiaolongnu missed Yang Guo, two days would not be considered a long time to shoot based on past experience.

However, they actually completed their task early today, and not only that, they were able to come back early for lunch.

If you meet such a leader, there is nothing else to say. Just work hard. Otherwise, many people will want to switch groups with you.

Lunch time passed quickly. After a short break, everyone reunited with Wu Group B and Li Mochou's actress Meng Guangmei and returned to the filming location together.

(PS: The original timeline didn't include the addition of Wu B Group until November 11th. Due to plot requirements, the time of addition has been adjusted, and the total number of members will not be increased or changed for the time being.)
This scene shows Xiaolongnu fighting against her senior sister Li Mochou, and the two of them chasing each other near the waterfall.

The difficulty of this scene lies in the use of wirework and prop umbrellas.

Since Pearl Beach Waterfall is a tourist attraction, it is not easy to use large wire equipment.

Therefore, only portable wire rope devices, including small winches, can be used to assist in controlling the retraction and extension of the wire rope.

At the same time, multiple pulleys are used to change the direction of force, allowing An Xiaoqian and Meng Guangmei to perform light moves such as flying near the waterfall.

In this case, not only professional personnel are needed to assist in the operation.

It is also necessary to use surrounding trees, boulders and other support points to fix the wire device to ensure the actors complete the filming safely.

However, considering environmental protection and special scenic spots, even when using this type of wire device, many issues need to be paid attention to.

Fortunately, Hu Xiaobei had already made preparations and prepared relevant plans in advance, using human resources to make up for the problems caused by geographical advantages.

For example, when Xiao Longnu performs Qinggong, eight strong men are required to cooperate with the wire rope and use human power to pull it. In addition, the use of wire ropes requires attention to the lighting problem, otherwise it is easy to be exposed, so the coordination of lighting and photography is also very important.

The use of prop umbrellas is also a big problem. According to the design of Wu B Team, Xiaolongnu and Li Mochou will fight on many prop umbrellas.

In this case, the prop umbrella needs to be fixed on the wire, and there must be a slow motion contrast to show a momentary sense of stagnation.

Not to mention the problem of the wire being exposed, there is wind at the Pearl Beach Waterfall in this kind of weather. Even a prop umbrella cannot freeze the water, let alone the relative freeze of people and objects.

In the original time and space, this fight scene was very exciting, but it also exposed many problems. Both the wirework and the prop umbrella had obvious flaws.

Fortunately, An Xiaoqian's performance was very good, and the audience subconsciously ignored these problems.

There was a scene where An Xiaoqian lifted her legs high to perform a difficult split in the air, but it was actually mistaken for a fake leg.

It was not until many years later, when some behind-the-scenes footage was released, that many people realized that the so-called aerial splits were not prosthetic legs.

Hu Xiaobei stood near the Pearl Beach Waterfall, examining the filming location with sharp eyes.

The waterfall here is rushing and the water flows like a ribbon, and the surrounding rocks are of strange shapes and scattered among them.

He arrived at the center of the filming location and loudly directed, "Warrior Team B, check the wirework. Make sure it's flawless! Props Team, are those ancient-style prop umbrellas ready?"

Xiao Zhang from the props team quickly responded, "Advisor, everything is ready. It's absolutely sturdy."

He was talking about several prop umbrellas that were about to be trampled. They were specially customized by the prop team. They were of high quality, exquisite appearance, and complemented the surrounding scenery.

Hu Xiaobei nodded slightly: "Okay, check it again carefully. This is the key prop of this scene and cannot be lost." After that, he turned around and continued to communicate with Lin Feng from Group B on the details.

After a while, Xiaolongnu and Li Mochou were seen not far away, both ready and on standby at any time.

One of them has her sleeves fluttering in the wind, looking as graceful and elegant as a fairy.

One of them was wrapped in a Taoist robe, which was as cold as frost and had a chilling charm that was penetrating.

After checking the wirework, Hu Xiaobei walked over and asked in a low voice, "How's the preparation going? Is there anything else you don't understand about the action scenes?"

An Xiaoqian nodded slightly and responded softly: "Don't worry, I'm sure."

Meng Guangmei raised the corners of her mouth with a hint of confidence and responded indirectly: "The scenery here is very beautiful, and I'm sure we can take wonderful pictures."

Hu Xiaobei didn't say anything more. Anyway, there was a shadow hiding her, so An Xiaoqian wouldn't feel uncomfortable hanging on the wire.

The shadow can share most of the force brought by the wire, thereby reducing the damage to the body and the consumption of physical energy.

It can make her movements in the air safer and easier, and also provide her with an invisible but powerful layer of protection.

Hu Xiaobei nodded with satisfaction, turned and walked towards the photographer Lao Chen, patted him on the shoulder, and said specifically: "Lao Chen, now it's up to your photography team."

Old Chen pointed to a few arrangements and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, Consultant. We've already planned it out. Look, everything is ready according to your requirements."

The photography team was ready under his command, and the cameras were placed at a high point in the distance to capture the grand panoramic view.

Or hide behind a huge rock to focus on capturing the actor's facial expressions without missing a single emotional change.

Hu Xiaobei's eyes were full of anticipation: "Okay, that's exactly the effect I want. If you have any questions, feel free to tell me."

Lao Chen confidently replied, "Okay, with me here, I'm sure the photography will be a success."

Hu Xiaobei nodded slightly, activated his spiritual perception ability, paced back and forth in the venue, and carefully observed possible problems in the shooting location.

Once you notice something is wrong, immediately find the relevant person in charge and make quick adjustments.

(End of this chapter)