America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 314, Section 312: Doesn't this demonstrate the importance of learning another foreign language?

"light?"

"In place!"

"Video recording?"

"OK!"

"Voiceover?"

"Ready!"

"Turn on the lighting!"

"no problem!"

Barry Jenkins and Damian Chazelle were busy moving around the set, inquiring about the preparations of each department.

Finally, he reported to Eric: "Director, everything is ready, we can start filming."

Eric nodded, picked up the megaphone, and shouted, "Dragon Ball Episode 37, First Shot, Action!"

This is the fifth day since the crew officially started filming. Today they are filming the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

To achieve this, the production team rented a small stadium and then built a set in the center, replicating it one-to-one with the anime.

The stone bricks were bluish-white, flanked by sculptures of beast heads with blue faces and fangs, while the extras sat in the stands.

However, this World Martial Arts Tournament is not the first one to appear in the anime.

Instead, it was the generation where Piccolo Daimaō appeared and sent his minions to kill Krillin.

According to the manga, actually 90% of the screen time in the first part of Dragon Ball belongs to young Goku.

It wasn't until the final World Martial Arts Tournament that Goku made his appearance, engaging in a final battle with Piccolo, or rather, the second generation of the demon king.

However, such a movie obviously did not conform to market rules, so it was adapted so that the Monkey King would appear earlier.

Little Goku's scenes were cut down to a dozen minutes, and he was presented to the audience more in the form of flashbacks, such as when he turned into a gorilla and destroyed the trio's castle.

And his training with Master Roshi, the first World Martial Arts Tournament, etc.

They're filming Yamcha's scenes now. Standing opposite him is Jayz, who's making a cameo appearance. He's wearing a dreadlocked wig and playing a wrestler.

Jay Chou also wore a wig and a red dance costume with a circle on his chest and a large turtle character in the middle.

"Hehehe, I'm going to crush your bones with just a gentle hug!"

"puff!"

Jayz was delivering his cringeworthy lines, and he was in a good mood at first, but before Jay Chou could even respond, he couldn't hold back anymore.

He waved at Eric: "Sorry, it was my fault."

"Let's start again! The first shot of episode 37 of Dragon Ball, action!"

"Hehehe, I'm going to crush your bones, all I need is a gentle hug!" This time, I finally managed to hold back.

The camera zooms in, giving Jay Chou a close-up. As one of Master Roshi's three disciples, he has every right to look down on these nobodies.

With a disdainful expression on his face, Jay Chou waved his hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly: "Hurry up, I'm in a hurry."

"Huh? You dare underestimate me! I'm the underground wrestling king from Xidu! 37 consecutive matches without a single loss."

As soon as he finished his lines, Jayz couldn't help but laugh again.

The lines themselves aren't funny, but when spoken in a cartoonish tone, accompanied by exaggerated body language and facial expressions, they immediately evoke a sense of tension.

Eric said loudly, "I know that sometimes it can feel a little embarrassing to say the lines out loud, but you have to believe in your character. That's the style of comic book adaptations. You have to build a sense of conviction in your heart."

"Eric, let's try again. This time it'll definitely be fine."

On the third attempt, Jayz finally finished delivering his lines smoothly, and then charged at Jay Chou like Zangief from Street Fighter.

They were less than two meters apart and about to collide.

"Cut!"

As soon as Eric called a halt, the prop team immediately stepped in and strapped Jay Chou with wires.

"Dragon Ball, Episode 37, Scene 2: Action!"

"Roar!"

Jayz yelled and lunged forward. A sponge mat had been laid out on the ground to ensure he wouldn't get hurt. At the same time, the camera zoomed in on his face, clearly capturing the saliva spurting from his mouth.

At the same moment, the wire was pulled up, and Jay Chou jumped with all his might, performing a somersault in the air.

According to the action choreography, he should have flipped over behind his opponent, but this was the first time he had actually filmed such a scene.

Jay Chou didn't land well; he jumped a little.

Realizing his mistake, he quickly pulled Jayz up from the mat, scratching his head sheepishly, "Sorry, sorry, I made a mistake."

"It's nothing. I heard you play music too. After all, neither of us are professional actors."

"I actually really want to pursue a career as an actor."

"Really? Then you'd better work hard. I'm just here for fun. Let's start over. Take me down with one punch."

The scene was supposed to be a one-punch kill, but this simple action scene took more than an hour to film.

Then Xiao Liu took the stage, and although it was also an action scene, she was much more efficient and decisive.

Donnie Yen designed her action sequences that blended hard-hitting techniques with Taekwondo, resulting in moves that were both powerful and aesthetically pleasing.

Swish swish swish swish!

After five backflips in a row, Xiao Liu landed steadily.

Upon landing, he assumed a horse stance with his lower body in a forward bow position, with his arms positioned one in front of the other for both offense and defense, exactly like the action in the comics.

Most importantly, she did not use wires or the assistance of staff; she just flipped over like that.

Holy crap!

Jay Chou, who was standing next to him, immediately swore, thinking about how he struggled even with help, and then looking at how others did it.

He felt incredibly ashamed; he couldn't compare, he was completely incomparable!

Everyone else was stunned by this series of actions, and then they all applauded.

Although Liu Yifei also performed some movements during training, none of them were as visually striking and exaggerated as today's performance, which even made Donnie Yen's eyes widen in surprise.

"Excellent! This is exactly how I wanted it to feel, Crystal, you did a fantastic job!"

Eric praised it highly, saying that the action only needed to be sped up by frame skipping and could be used directly, saving almost all the cost of special effects.

Having her train in martial arts was definitely the right choice, but Eric also had some concerns.

What if a conflict arises later, such as discovering your affair with Liu Xiaoli and Zhou Wenqiong, and Liu Xiaoli commits domestic violence against you?

Although my physical abilities are also quite good, I don't think I can beat her.

"What should I do? Maybe I should let Gadot learn some kung fu so she can protect me in the future?"

The morning passed quickly, and during lunch break, Eric was on the phone.

Suddenly, the door to the room was pushed open, and D'Addario crept in quietly, then locked the door from the inside.

Walking up to Eric, the husky girl opened her arms and hugged him, tiptoeing slightly to kiss him.

Eric pointed to his phone, indicating that it wasn't the right time.

Daddario grinned mischievously, first kissing Eric's nose, then tracing the kiss down his face and neck.

In no time at all, Eric's pants were pulled down, and a series of "plop plop" sounds rang out.

"Hmm? Eric, what's that sound next to you?"

The person on the other end of the phone was none other than Liu Xiaoli.

Hollywood's rules are very different from those in China, such as the issue of bringing assistants.

In China, almost all celebrities bring assistants to the film set. The assistants are responsible for a series of tasks such as carrying bags, holding umbrellas, rehearsing, and auditioning, just like full-time nannies.

However, this situation is less common in Hollywood. It's not that celebrities don't have assistants; although it's not as exaggerated as in China, they often hire three or four.

However, when filming on set, almost no one brings an assistant; they all come and go alone, with the most likely being picked up and dropped off by a driver who doesn't drive.

The reasons for such a large gap are multifaceted.

In terms of work, Hollywood film crews have very clear divisions of labor; even each star's chair has a dedicated person in charge of looking after it.

After each take, the staff will immediately bring you a chair to sit down and rest. They will keep their eyes on you at all times. Other tasks such as makeup, snacks, and water are all handled by designated staff.

This is something that is difficult to achieve in China, especially for larger film crews.

There are hundreds or even thousands of people at the scene. No matter how famous you are, often no one has time to pay attention to you. You have to do these things yourself.

Of course, work-related reasons are only a small part of the issue; the key factors are character and professional ethics.

When Liu Xiaoli was filming in China, she had to be with her daughter.

But after filming "Supernatural," Liu Yifei realized that all the other actors were alone, so she felt embarrassed to have her mother come along. As a result, Liu Yifei lost her job.

Little Liu is taking a nap right now, and Old Liu can't find her, so he has to call Eric.

"Eric, something sounds weird coming from your end. Are you up to something?"

"What nonsense are you talking about? You misheard!"

Pfft pfft

"Here we go again! Don't try to fool me. Sisi is on set right now, and you're still cheating on her. You're going to drive her crazy!"

"Heh. Now you know how to be angry? Well, you and Ah Qiong are just like me, cheating on each other behind Qianqian's back."

"You! Get out!"

After hanging up the phone, Eric picked up D'Addario and placed him on the table.

Fortunately, she couldn't understand Chinese and didn't know what Eric was saying.

See, this demonstrates the importance of learning another foreign language?

bell!

They had only been at it for a few minutes when the phone rang again.

Damian called; a reporter from Lionheart.com came to shoot promotional material.

There was no other way but to give up halfway and let Daddario clean her up so he could properly discipline her that night.

Outside, the two reporters' eyes lit up when they saw the stage set up for the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament.

Looking around at the actors who were already in makeup—Goku, Chi-Chi, Tien Shinhan, Krillin—it all felt like a childhood dream had come true.

"Director Cooper, how is filming progressing?"

"Of course, we were well prepared, and everyone took it very seriously. This is the best production team."

"Are they the best? What about Transformers, Blue Springs, House of Cards, and Inception?"

"It's equally great, but if I had to pick one that took the most effort from me, I would say it's Dragon Ball."

If Barry Jenkins hadn't been Black, his face would have been terrifyingly dark.

You didn't expend a single bit of effort; weren't we the ones silently contributing behind the scenes?

The entire crew combined has probably only seen you, such a busy person, ten times. Of course, he doesn't know that Xiao Liu and Daddario are subjected to hardcore attacks one or two times a week.

"What made you willing to put so much effort into this film?"

"As for the reason, I think it should be called nostalgia, or more accurately, it's my childhood."

"I believe that Dragon Ball is also a childhood memory for many people. After school, we would sit in front of the TV and wait for Goku to find the Dragon Balls, watching him go on adventures and defeat one powerful enemy after another."

"So, having put in so much effort, what are your expectations for Dragon Ball?"

Eric shook his head: "I can't make any definitive conclusions; I'll just do my best to make it succeed."

"Director Cooper, what are your box office expectations?"

"The more the better."

"Hahaha. What about the awards?"

"The more the better, at least get a Saturn Award."

"Just the Saturn Awards? I thought you were going to say the Oscars."

"An Oscar win is not out of the question."

The reporter was stunned. He had just said it casually. Everyone knew what kind of people the Academy was. Giving an award to a commercial film adapted from a manga like "Dragon Ball" was something only those judges could do if they were crazy.

"All I have to do is make a wish with the Dragon Balls, right?"

Hahahaha

After touring the film set and filming promotional videos for each actor, the reporter finally left.

When the report was published the next day, it immediately sparked widespread discussion.

Although the official character photos have been released, photos can be faked. It wasn't until people saw the characters in the video that many accepted the casting choices.

"Wow! After seeing Crystal Liu's backflip, I'm sure I'm completely won over. She's the perfect Kiki for me."

"James Lin's muscles are really good, but with this messy, sky-high hairstyle, he's definitely starting to look more and more like Gou Kong."

"Daddario is really beautiful, but her age doesn't match Goku's. She's actually several years older than Goku."

"Back then, relationships between older women and younger men weren't popular. Otherwise, Bulma would clearly be the female lead. Her family is so rich that they could easily support a Saiyan."

"Hehe. Saiyans can eat too much. Chi-Chi saves every day to support her child. I wonder if the movie will highlight Goku's eating ability."

"Wow! The crew actually built a boxing ring! Does anyone know where it's filming? I want to go visit the set."

"Wishing for an Oscar with a Dragon Ball? If I had a Dragon Ball, I'd wish to become the world's richest person, the most wealthy person in the world."

"What's the use of money! If I could make a wish, I wouldn't be greedy. Just having Master Roshi's fighting power would be enough. That way, I'd become the King of the World!"

"Master Roshi isn't that strong, he definitely couldn't withstand a nuclear bomb."

"What are you talking about! Master Roshi's full-power Kamehameha can destroy the moon. A nuclear bomb is nothing to him."

"The power levels in Dragon Ball are not scientifically accurate. In the early stages, it was based entirely on a comedy manga. Those exaggerated plots don't count. Goku even gets heart disease."

"Would you choose 100 combat power or the world's richest person?"

Somehow, the discussion later shifted to the plausibility of the power levels in Dragon Ball.

Then it started comparing it with well-known works such as "Saint Seiya" and "Yu Yu Hakusho".

The Gold Saints are supposed to be able to destroy a galaxy with a single punch and jump at the speed of light.

Later, even American comic book fans joined the discussion, proving that electronic cricket fighting and cyber power battles will never go out of style.

Regardless, the initial publicity campaign has clearly achieved its objectives.

(End of this chapter)