Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 78: What was filmed in fifteen days?
In the early morning of December 31, Wu Chen and his crew finished filming "Buried" and flew back to Los Angeles.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, in a conference room of a hotel in the city, the sunlight was glaring outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, and more than a dozen media outlets were crowded around the long table.

Jason Blum specially invited several mainstream film review magazines, while media such as The Hollywood Reporter and Variety came spontaneously, and reporters were on standby with recorders in hand.

Because Jason Blum had already spread the word: Buried was filmed in just 15 days.
A horror film that takes place entirely in a coffin is inherently challenging, and such a short production cycle has caused a lot of discussion outside. Coupled with Wu Chen's Chinese identity, many media and sharp-tongued film critics have already sharpened their knives.

Wu Chen, dressed casually, sat down casually, with Bell and Jason sitting on either side, creating a subtle atmosphere.

After the opening greetings, the reporter from The Hollywood Reporter took the lead:
"Wu, was this film really shot in just 15 days? That sounds more like a marketing gimmick than a creative process that can guarantee quality.

How do you ensure that in such a short time, the film doesn’t become a slapdash effort?”

Wu Chen smiled and shrugged: “The quality of a film does not depend on the length of shooting time, but on the execution.

Kubrick could shoot a scene more than 100 times, but 99% of the shots in "Buried" took place in a coffin - we didn't have complicated scheduling, no extras of hundreds of people, only actors, cameras and scripts.

15 days is enough.”

Obviously, this answer did not dispel the doubts. The New York Times reporter then raised another question:
"As we all know, the most typical sign of some bad movies is a very short shooting period. Movies shot in 15 days are either PowerPoint slides or low-end movies with no time for lighting and poor editing. What do you think?"

Wu Chen pretended to understand, nodded, and said slowly:

"Oh, no wonder some movies took a year or two to shoot, but I still fell asleep in the cinema. Is it because the lighting was too perfect and the editing was too meticulous?"

Then he glanced at the whole audience and changed his tone, saying with a hint of sarcasm:

"Besides, if the quality of a film can be determined solely by the length of its shooting, then shouldn't Heaven's Gate be considered one of the greatest films in history?"

Hearing this recognized classic example of a "disaster movie", many reporters present couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Some of the reporters clapped, while others smiled secretly.

Seeing that a frontal breakthrough was hopeless, some people turned their firepower to Christian Bale:

"Mr. Bale, will 15 days of filming make the performance feel rushed? After all, this movie relies entirely on your personal performance. Did you have enough time to get into the role?"

Christian Bale rubbed his temple and looked at Wu Chen: "Director, am I immersed in the role? Will I die if I delay for a few more days?"

Wu Chen couldn't help laughing when he heard this, and he agreed tacitly: "He might die. Jason and I will probably be imprisoned for murder."

Wu Chen and Bell's joking and humorous speeches caused the conference room to burst into laughter.

Then Bell shouted to the film critic in all seriousness:
"So, bro, what you should be asking is whether I survived those 15 days.

I was basically choking, screaming, and breaking down every day. After filming, I doubted whether I could act in a normal movie again."

The press conference ended with a beautiful victory.

That night, media articles were all over the screen.

The Hollywood Reporter's headline is eye-catching: [Wu Chen wrapped filming of 'Buried' in 15 days – quick shooter or genius?]

Variety wrote: [21-year-old Chinese director ventures into Hollywood again, challenging his limits by shooting a film in 15 days]

Some media outlets even mused, "The next Ang Lee? Wu Chen has proven with his actions that even low-budget production can be truly impressive."

As the news spread, many American movie fans couldn't help but comment.

"Filming a movie in 15 days? This guy is crazy!" "The next Li An? Crazy!"

"Anyway, he got me interested in the film, and I can't wait to see what the film, shot in 15 days, will be like."

Wu Chen's popularity skyrocketed after the wrap-up press conference of "Buried", even more than when "The Dark Side" won the Sitges award, and he officially entered the sight of traditional Hollywood media and audiences.

It was already the early morning of New Year's Day 2005 in China, but portal websites and forums were in an uproar.

After digging through the foreign news, the media was confused but did not delay publishing the article:

Wu Chen wrapped filming his new Hollywood film, "Buried," in just 15 days. The cast consists of only one person!

Yesterday, Wu Chen held a wrap press conference for his new Hollywood film, "Buried." Reportedly, the film took only 15 days to shoot!

Wu Chen's new Hollywood film sparked heated discussion, with Taiwanese media bluntly saying he wasn't even worthy of being compared to Ang Lee!

【.】

Although some media outlets are stirring up trouble, support is still the main focus in China.

Ever since Jackie Chan's new film "Around the World in 80 Days" debuted last year with great fanfare but flopped miserably with less than 10 million box office revenue in North America in its first week, there has been no one in China who can stand out in Hollywood.

Although Zhang Ziyi seems to have entered Hollywood, in the eyes of many people, she is still far from being a true international superstar like Jackie Chan.

The exposure in Hollywood is not even on the same level, let alone the right to speak.

Wu Chen’s recent rise has given many people hope.

In contrast, Taiwan's media was merciless, with headlines full of sarcasm:

[Wu Chen is riding on Li's popularity. Can anyone become an international master?]

15 days to shoot, and the quality is questionable. That's not how Ang Lee got there!

【Not everyone can become the next Ang Lee! 】

At the Beijing Film Academy, in Zhang Huijun's office, the heater was humming and two people were sitting on the sofa.

Zhang Huijun stared at Mu Deyuan, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "Wu Chen finished filming in 15 days? What did he film?"

Mudeyuan held the enamel cup, blew away the hot steam, and said slowly:
"I just found out from the report. But Wu Chen is always reliable. This one-man show has a focused and tight rhythm, and the actors work well together. It can be completed in about 15 days."

Zhang Huijun was silent for a moment, then frowned and nodded, "That's true. I'm just worried he'll stumble in Hollywood."

"Even if you fail, you have to admit it. Who doesn't suffer some losses when they are young? Just don't suffer a big loss."

At the same time, in the China Film Building, Han Sanping leaned back in a leather chair, listening to Gao Chengsheng's report. He then glanced at the media reports with a hint of disbelief:
"15 days? What the hell did Wu Chen film?"

Gao Chengsheng felt a little embarrassed, but based on the current information, he could only shake his head: "I'm not sure. Foreign media reported that Buried Alive only has one actor. We'll have to wait and see how the film pans out."

Han Sanping narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers on the table. "A movie about an actor?"

To be honest, he had no idea what the scene would be like. He was indeed a little curious, and finally sighed: "The creative idea is quite good, very brave, I hope he can succeed."

(End of this chapter)