Chapter 330: Shooting

"Cut! Lin Wu, here, when you hear the news that the orchestra is going to disband, your expression needs to be more exaggerated!"

In a theater, Wu Yuchen was shooting the scene where the male lead loses his job, the very beginning of the story of *Departures*.

Although the film was told in reverse order, Wu Yuchen was definitely shooting in chronological order this time; he didn't need to save money and time, and this was more helpful for the actors to express the emotional progression when playing the characters.

Zhao Wenzhuo walked over upon hearing this and asked a bit puzzled: "Director, if it's more exaggerated, wouldn't it be a bit excessive?"

He had just revealed a very surprised expression when hearing the boss say the orchestra was disbanding, feeling it was already quite forceful, but didn't expect Wu Yuchen to want it even more exaggerated.

Wu Yuchen didn't show impatience, but explained with a smile: "If you start from your character alone, you might feel that a normal person wouldn't be that exaggerated. But you have to consider the problem not just from the character, but more from the film's style and tone.

This *Departures* of ours tells the heavy topic of dead people; if we shoot it in the style of realism, then the whole film will become even heavier.

But this isn't the effect I want; I hope the film can warm people's hearts more, can make people better accept the work content of a mortician, think more deeply about how to face the passing of people around them, and be more in awe of life and death.

So, I need to add some seasoning to the whole film, which is the occasionally appearing relaxed and funny segments, to adjust the audience's mood; for example, that scene later where Lin Wu acts as a model is also like this.

So the scene of the male lead losing his job at the beginning, although it is clearly a frustrating thing for the male lead, I hope that when the audience sees your exaggerated expression, they will smile knowingly, and at the same time understand that you are the last one to know, expressing the simplicity and dullness of your person."

Zhao Wenzhuo understood after Wu Yuchen's explanation: "Director, I understand; then I will use more force later."

Wu Yuchen nodded; explaining it clearly at the beginning would allow Zhao Wenzhuo to more clearly display the effect Wu Yuchen wanted later.

In his past life, some people had talked about the style problem of *Departures*, but after Wu Yuchen started shooting this film himself, he felt the original director was still very smart. In fact, this style of integrating relaxed and funny elements into the film was the correct decision.

If it were really shot in that heavy way all the way, it would be very unfriendly to the audience watching the film, and many people wouldn't even want to finish watching it. And this relaxed tone could let the audience watch it, and the sudden heaviness after the funny and relaxed parts could also move the audience's heart more. For example, *Dying to Survive* was actually like this.

Whether the shooting technique is clever and whether the bridges are innovative are sometimes not the only standards for measuring a director's success; how to repeatedly highlight relatively profound themes with plain plots and insert delicate emotions into them is sometimes more a test of skill.

"Don't get caught again."

Zhao Wenzhuo held an octopus in his hands and then threw it into the Suzhouhe. But the next moment, the octopus, which was clearly still alive at home before, floated on the river surface without moving.

In the lens, Zhao Wenzhuo's expression also became very frustrated, his eyes lost their light, and he lowered his head and said: "Forget it..."

Jiang Qinqin asked on the side: "What is it?"

"Cello."

"Then what to do later?"

"Cut!"

After Wu Yuchen called stop, he said to Jiang Qinqin:

"Qinqin, pay attention to your tone; it's that kind of gentleness mixed with probing."

The scene the crew was shooting at this time was the foreshadowing of the male lead giving up the cello and returning from the bustling metropolis to the suburban countryside.

At the same time Wu Yuchen called stop, crew members were already holding a net to scoop up the octopus on the river surface.

"Director Wu, do we still need the octopus?"

Wu Yuchen watched the shot just taken again and shook his head: "No need."

This segment was actually using the corpse of an animal to pave the way for the male lead's emotions and subsequent behavior; the octopus that wanted to be released but died made the male lead Lin Wu seem to see himself, struggling bitterly on the road of pursuing his dream, with the final fate perhaps only death.

At the same time, this was also a metaphor, that is, the male lead didn't succeed in releasing it, but personally sent away a corpse, hinting that the male lead would step into the funeral industry later. This film would have several scenes later using animals to reflect the changes in the male lead's state of mind.

Just when Jiang Qinqin was adjusting, Wu Yuchen was also looking at the Suzhouhe below.

Speaking of which, if this film were shot a few years earlier, it couldn't have been shot in the Suzhouhe at all, because the Suzhouhe in the previous few years was a stinking ditch. Starting in '98, Shanghai invested 7 billion and spent 4 years in the first phase of the project to clean up the black mud of the Suzhouhe, and green corridors were also built on both sides. After that, there were also plans for the second and third phases.

Now the cleaning of the Suzhouhe was still in the second phase, but some sections were already relatively clear, and the section Wu Yuchen and his crew chose was one that could be shot quite well.

Half a moment later, after Jiang Qinqin was ready, Wu Yuchen started shooting again.

That evening, after returning to the hotel, just as Wu Yuchen came out of the restroom, Jiang Qinqin was looking at a newspaper in her hand and then asked Wu Yuchen:

"Is the female lead of your *Return of the Condor Heroes* decided yet? I saw Zhou Xun directly resigned, and Director Zhang also played with people quite enough!"

As soon as Wu Yuchen heard this, he knew what it was; it was just Zhang Dahuzi using all kinds of actors to hype *Return of the Condor Heroes*!

He smiled and said: "The male and female leads have already been decided; it's just Director Zhang hyping to increase the heat."

This time Dahuzi hyped *Return of the Condor Heroes*, and he truly rubbed against everyone in the circle who could be rubbed against; as long as they were of appropriate age for Zheng Xiaolong Maiden, he called them all, including actresses like Liu Yifei, Zhang Ziyi, Faye Wong, Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi, etc., including Jiang Qinqin.

However, after Jiang Qinqin announced her participation in *Departures*, the rumors about her playing Zheng Xiaolong Maiden were all dispelled.

It was the same among male stars; Huang Huang Xiao Ming, Lu Yi, Nie Yuan, and even Liu Xiang, who had just exploded across the country, were all brought up by him.

And just before, Zhou Xun announced to the outside world that she was Zheng Xiaolong Maiden and the crew had confirmed it with her, but not long after, Zhang Dahuzi said it wasn't confirmed to be Zhou Xun, which angered Zhou Xun; the crew had clearly notified her that she was Zheng Xiaolong Maiden, so she simply directly proposed to resign and would have no more dealings with the *Return of the Condor Heroes* crew in the future, and not to use her name for hype again.

The bearded director's maneuvering created hype for over half a year. Every month, several different favored candidates were rumored, keeping netizens and the media in suspense. The casting became a massive spectacle, earning plenty of attention.

To be honest, as a pure audience member in his past life, Wu Yuchen was a bit disgusted with Zhang Dahuzi, mainly because the publicity and hype means were too damaging, playing many people around, and in the end, wasn't it still internal appointment?

But now as a capital party, Wu Yuchen stood from the boss's perspective, and naturally appreciated that his subordinate could bring such great heat to the work before it was broadcast!

Jiang Qinqin asked curiously: "Who did you decide for the male and female leads?"

"Yang Guo is Huang Huang Xiao Ming, Zheng Xiaolong Maiden is Liu Yifei."

Jiang Qinqin couldn't help but say immediately upon hearing this: "Liu Yifei? Is that the one who played Wang Yuyan before? How did you decide on her in the end?"

Jiang Qinqin wasn't surprised that Huang Huang Xiao Ming played Yang Guo; after all, Huang Huang Xiao Ming's appeal in the same age group was indeed absolutely leading, and his image was also quite good, but she still had doubts about such a little girl like Liu Yifei playing Zheng Xiaolong Maiden.

Wu Yuchen said with a smile: "The reason she was chosen was that the condition was for her to join Miracle Pictures; now she is one of our own. Plus, her appearance and temperament are indeed quite good, she is a good seedling, and our company plans to focus on cultivating her, so naturally, she was decided this time."

In his past life, Liu Yifei was always unwilling to join other companies; whether it was Tang Ren or Huayi inviting her, she didn't consider it, and as a result, she even whored Huayi's *The Forbidden Kingdom* resources for free and fell out with Huayi.

In fact, to put it plainly, she and her mother still looked down on the domestic entertainment circle a bit; what they were always thinking about was wanting to go to Hollywood. In the cognition of Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli for many years, Hollywood was always superior to the Hong Kong circle, and the Hong Kong circle was superior to the Mainland domestic entertainment, which was also the common view in the circle at present.

It was just that it was different now! Miracle Pictures had Wu Yuchen, the Director Wu who traversed Hollywood. Then why go far to seek near? Joining Miracle Pictures and coming to hug Wu Yuchen's thigh was the shortcut to Hollywood!

Therefore, Liu Yifei and Liu Xiaoli chose to join Miracle Pictures with almost no hesitation.

Jiang Qinqin nodded upon hearing this; she also admitted that this little girl's appearance and temperament were indeed top-tier, but then asked again: "Appearance and temperament are both good, how is her acting? Does she have spirituality?"

Hearing this, Wu Yuchen shook his head directly: "Can't compare to you."

Jiang Qinqin was happy as soon as she heard this, and even said modestly: "She is 10 years younger than me; now she definitely can't compare."

Wu Yuchen said again: "She, I guess she has had relatively good living conditions since she was a child, and her experience is not enough; wanting to walk the path of an acting school is not very easy."

In all fairness, Liu Yifei's acting was a bit poor, and her effort was enough, but in fact, most of her roles were supported by temperament and appearance, and the role fit was in place. For example, *Chinese Paladin*, the role of Zhao Ling'er was very fit for her. And *Return of the Condor Heroes*'s Zheng Xiaolong Maiden, she was basically cold all the way, all relying on appearance and temperament.

Speaking of which, *Chinese Paladin* had also been produced, and it should be broadcast on Mango TV this month. This time Liu Yifei was the female lead, which should be able to make her fame and status go further, which was also more favorable for the subsequent *Return of the Condor Heroes*.

Wu Yuchen smiled: "Don't think about this either; just act your role well first!"

Jiang Qinqin smiled and said: "I'm not worried; she is 10 years different from me, but I estimate Bingbing will have to compete with her for resources~"

Wu Yuchen went over and patted Jiang Qinqin's shoulder: "Doesn't Bingbing have you to help her? Besides, neither of them is the same type. Don't worry blindly."

Speaking of Fan Bingbing, the *New Police Story* she participated in was recently released in the Mainland and Hong Kong at the same time, and the beautiful female robber left quite an impression on the audience. She now also wanted to be more progressive and get more opportunities to act in films. It was just that recently Wu Yuchen and Jiang Qinqin were shooting *Departures* together, so she had no chance for the time being.

In the room, lying there was an old man who had been dead for two weeks; the corpse was rotten, and maggots were all over the house.

At this time, the photographer was carrying the camera, and the lens followed You Benchang and Zhao Wenzhuo. What was to be shot here was the experience of Lin Wu following his boss out for the first mortician work after joining the job. After seeing this scene, he vomited incessantly, feeling the difficulty of the work intuitively as soon as he came up.

This segment Wu Yuchen required to be shot handheld throughout, just to highlight the male lead's inner panic and instability.

"Cut!"

After calling stop, Wu Yuchen called Zhao Wenzhuo, the photographer, and others over, and then pointed to the hanging lamp cord in front of him: "Later, whether it's the lens or Lin Wu's movement, you must pay attention to this lamp cord; it will directly play a visual guidance role for the audience and is an external symbol of the male lead's inner emotions."

Subsequently, Wu Yuchen said:

"I'll explain this process again. When first entering the room, the slight physiological reaction produced by Lin Wu mainly comes from objective things like smell, maggots, etc. Before Teacher You lifts the quilt on the corpse, Lin Wu's physiological rejection reaction is not strong, so the lamp cord is in a static state at this time.

After Teacher You lifts the quilt covering the deceased, the strong sensory stimulation makes the first-contact Lin Wu subconsciously avoid it, and at the same time, Teacher You touches this lamp cord when getting up, and it will begin to sway, reflecting Lin Wu's extremely panicked mood at this time.

The three of you must pay attention to your movement later; otherwise, you won't be able to shoot the effect I want."

After Wu Yuchen finished speaking, several people indicated they understood again, and then the three communicated with each other again.

Wu Yuchen looked at the room arranged to be smelly and messy and disgusting, but didn't have too much reaction; after all, going to fix the remains of a car accident victim before was much more uncomfortable than this.

As for what was under the quilt this time, it was a prop person. This scene wouldn't be shot with a real person; a corpse rotten for two weeks wouldn't enter the lens at all; otherwise, it would truly disgust the audience to death.

This time, what was mainly displayed was the male lead's first mortician reaction, and what Wu Yuchen just emphasized was the visual technique he constructed; most audiences wouldn't notice such details when watching the film, and would complete the sensory guidance unconsciously.

(I wrote this segment about the two Zhangs definitely not to whitewash Zhang Yimou, but to pave the way for the subsequent plot; think about what will happen in the next two years? Do you really think I'm padding the word count? Padding film plots isn't easier than this? And I have to check the data of the two Zhangs' breakup, wasting brain cells to compile the plot. But since you don't like to read it, then I'll just throw out the result directly; you can imagine the specific process yourself.) ===== CHAPTER 331 =====