I really don't want to make bad movies!

After finishing their meal, the crew regrouped and returned to their vehicles with high morale, continuing their journey towards Baihe Bay.

The 90-kilometer drive wasn't long, and the group quickly arrived in the suburbs.

Upon getting off the bus, all I could see were withered trees and barren wasteland, a desolate landscape.

"How about it, Lao Zhao? Can we film this?"

Jiang Wen looked around and felt that the environment here was very similar to that in the original work.

Bandits should roam in the desolate mountains.

Zhao Fei frowned and looked around, squinting at the sky: "The weather is alright, but the surrounding sand and gravel slopes are too reflective."

"It has to be done, no matter what. I've already had the producer build the train tracks here, we can't go anywhere else!" Jiang Wen waved to the props team members, "Let's put the train together right here."

Zhao Fei couldn't help but ask in surprise, "You haven't even finished reviewing the script yet, have you?"

"Will your manuscript pass censorship?"

Jiang Wen cursed, "What's so difficult about it? All I'm doing is making a Western that fits our situation!"

"I'll listen to you."

Knowing Jiang Wen's personality, Zhao Fei stopped wasting words and immediately gathered the members of the filming crew to begin adjusting several cameras.

While the art and photography teams were busy, Jiang Wen set up a tent nearby and sat down to discuss the script with the screenwriter.

Their script was handled by six screenwriters in rotation, and it wasn't fully finalized even when it reached Jiang Wen.

Staring at the desolate mountains and wilderness around him, Jiang Wen began to refine the first act of the bandits' carjacking scene.

Meanwhile, the production crew began contacting the actors and makeup artists, informing them to gather at Baihewan in the suburbs of Jinghai.

Jiang Wen's film crew has no set routine; they might film in one way today and a different way tomorrow.

Most of the actors didn't even receive the script; they just heard that Director Jiang was going to make a movie, knew roughly what kind of role they would be playing, and agreed without really understanding what was going on.

This casual style also made several students present feel a little flustered.

Although they all have extensive filming experience, Jiang Wen's crew is not very good at using experience to solve problems.

Even though one main cameraman hadn't arrived yet, the assistant cameramen were already starting work.

"Setting up the machine so quickly?"

Several camera assistants were puzzled.

Zhao Fei carried a camera out of the carriage and explained, "Of course, we'll use a film camera."

"A film camera?!"

The camera assistants were startled.

In an era when Michael Bay already uses IMAX 3D cameras, there are still veteran artists who choose film photography.

"Never used one before?" Zhao Fei frowned. "My school advisor and I require students to be proficient in using film cameras."

The group was a little embarrassed. Of course they had used it before, but with the advancement of technology, they rarely used it anymore, which made them rusty.

"I know how to use it, I know how to use it..."

Seeing their lack of confidence, Zhao Fei became even more uneasy.

If Jiang Wen hadn't assembled the crew so quickly, he definitely would have given the photographers who joined the crew a comprehensive evaluation.

"Teacher Zhao, I know how to use it. I'll show them how to adjust it."

Xia Ming stepped forward at this moment.

"You can?"

Zhao Fei was a little surprised, after all, Xia Ming was a freshman.

At their age, they were just in the era when the film industry was gradually phasing out film cameras.

"When shooting a medium shot of a circus scene, adjust the ISO and let me see; there can't be any overexposure issues."

Xia Ming nodded in agreement and took out the rubber ring from the car to begin adjusting it.

He was quite familiar with film cameras, not only having knowledge of Hitchcock's techniques for using them, but also having studied film cameras in his previous life when researching Nolan's films.

Compared to Jiang Wen, Nolan is a more devoted fan of film cameras.

He quickly adjusted the film camera and selected a large aperture and a medium telephoto lens.

Zhao Fei stepped forward and immediately straightened his back, stroking his chin as he cast a questioning glance at Xia Ming.

How come this kid can do everything?

The parameter selection was actually quite close to what I had in mind.

"Take them to adjust the equipment, I'll go discuss the set design with the director."

"good!"

Xia Ming agreed, and when he looked back, he noticed that the way the assistants were looking at him had changed drastically.

"Which film crew did you work on before?"

Shi Xiangyuan kept reminiscing about the lens seminar the whole way. He hadn't yet grasped the essence of Xia Ming's lens language, and then he witnessed Xia Ming's hardware technology.

Xia Ming answered truthfully, "A giant wasp."

Shi Xiangyuan was struck dumb, and the other assistants looked at each other in disbelief.

The thought of how the big shots had watched the scene of facing the giant wasps with great interest filled them with mixed feelings.

Is the artistic element in this giant wasp really that high?

Did I not understand it?

Among them, Shi Xiangyuan recalled seeing a video titled "Do you really understand giant wasps?" on Bilibili.

I used to feel disdain, but now that I think about it carefully, the video's high traffic might not be entirely unfounded.

With Zhao Fei's approval, the camera assistants no longer dared to question Xia Ming and obediently followed his instructions, starting to prepare the camera crew's equipment.

On the other side, Jiang Wen roughly conceived the scene for the first act and directed the members of the art team to draw a map.

"This slope has a good angle, but it can't be exposed to direct sunlight. I need it with a few trees like these, understand?"

The art team members listened with a mixture of understanding and confusion, and each of them took a large sheet of paper and began to hand-draw a map of the production crew.

The set builders were overwhelmed. They not only had to assemble a train on-site, but also dig up several large trees and plant them there.

As Zhao Fei listened to Jiang Wen's set design ideas, he began to think about the angles for laying out the camera tracks.

He drew the camera route on a map and then contacted the production crew and electricians to lay the tracks.

"Old Zhao, are you managing all this?"

Jiang Wen laughed heartily and put his arm around Zhao Fei's shoulder.

Zhao Fei was exasperated and yelled, "Where the hell are the assistant director and co-director you hired?"

"On its way! On its way!"

Jiang Wen glanced at his phone, then at the sky: "If we finish setting up the set today, there's definitely no time to film. Let the actors wait at the hotel."

"How dare you say that!"

Zhao Fei, the director of photography, also wears many hats and hasn't had a break since filming started: "Luckily, I found a capable assistant, otherwise I would have been exhausted!"

Jiang Wen glanced at Xia Ming, who was directing the filming, and chuckled, "Is he a talent?"

Zhao Fei followed his gaze, nodding vigorously: "He's a born director! Not only does he have aesthetic sense and a clear vision, but he can do everything!"

"Hahaha!"

Jiang Wen squeezed his large hand harder, teasingly saying, "He's so capable, we can get rid of the main cameraman and let Xia Ming do it alone, save money!"

"roll!"

Zhao Fei brushed his hand away: "You're treating people like donkeys!"

"Huh? How can you talk like that?"

Jiang Wen's expression suddenly changed, his face hardening into a serious expression: "I value his abilities. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. We should nurture promising talents, shouldn't we?"

"In recent years, foreign films have had a greater and greater impact on us. Looking at the lack of new talent in the industry, I can only worry but there's nothing I can do."

These words also made Zhao Fei feel somewhat melancholy. The lack of successors among the fifth generation of directors has also brought a huge impact to cinematographers like them.

There will never be a shortage of technical jobs.

However, whether or not a director with the right aesthetic sense will give them a chance is another matter entirely.

"So, you'd rather he be a director than a photographer?"

Jiang Wen laughed and said, "Not just anyone can be a director. I'd like to see what other skills this kid has!"