China Entertainment's Standout

Chapter 618: The Mermaid, we all owe Stephen Chow a movie ticket (seeking tickets)

"Tiantian?"

Zhou Yutang was somewhat surprised when he received Jing Tian's call.

Normally, the two of them would just send messages to share their work and life, and rarely call each other directly.

"Yes, Brother Yu Tang."

The voice of the sweet princess is still as light and sweet as before, but it seems to be a little more mature than that of Girls' Generation a few years ago:

"I heard that Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures want you to direct The Great Wall?"

“Yes, we have been in contact, but we haven’t reached an agreement yet.”

"That's it."

Jing Tian said with a slightly hopeful tone: "Uncle Lu said he would help me find the heroine for this movie. It would be great if you were the one directing it."

"We'll see when the time comes. It's uncertain now. Are you still filming in Hengdian?"

"Well, The Legend of Ban Shu will be finished in another week."

The princess smiled sweetly and said, "Brother Yu Tang, have you been to Shencheng?"

"Still on the plane."

Zhou Yutang posted a photo of white clouds outside the plane window.

They just chatted for a while, and after hanging up the phone, Da Tiantian's delicate and beautiful oval face was in a daze.

Looking at the gradually dimming screen of my phone, I unconsciously clicked on Zhou Yutang’s WeChat Moments.
After ending the call, Zhou Yutang pressed his eyebrows.

He has received numerous calls since the news broke.

Including top stars in the circle headed by Teacher Fan, as well as Lao Wang from Guangxian, Ren Zhonglun from Shanghai Film Group, and Yu Pangzi from Bonanza.

Whether familiar or unfamiliar, everyone was testing Zhou Yutang's attitude, wanting to get more inside information from him.

This major Sino-US co-production project is undoubtedly the focus of the entire circle at the moment. If nothing unexpected happens, it may even be the most influential production in the next decade or even longer.

"Sister Mani, it's like this, the final result is uncertain."

Ni Ni watched Zhou Yutang open the Word document with a focused and serious expression, his hands typing quickly on the keyboard, and he slightly lowered his voice when speaking.

Although he was still unsure whether he could get the project, Zhou Yutang decided to make his own script first.

The original script, which thought it cleverly grafted Chinese elements into a Western action-adventure film, was a complete mess.

It must be changed, and it must be a major change.

In Zhou Yutang's script, the Chinese will save the white people, and will not allow American values ​​to be exported.

I'm in Shenzhen, just got off the plane.

A Fei was squatting at the entrance of the airport passage, holding his equipment and waiting eagerly.

Seeing the tall figure wearing sunglasses and casual pants, with long legs that could not be concealed, walking towards him, he immediately rushed up and said, "Mr. Zhou, may I ask if you have accepted the film "The Great Wall"?"

Entertainment reporter A Fei was overjoyed.

The Grand Commander of Jiangdong has been elusive and his itinerary is rarely made public.

Even if reporters from various media outlets wanted to arrange an interview, it was difficult to find him. Fortunately, he was smart and deduced from Zhang Ruojun's itinerary that Zhou Yutang might come to Shenzhen.

"We are still in talks and I believe there are many directors who are in contact with us."

Seeing the familiar entertainment reporter, Zhou Yutang paused and chuckled, "I can't reveal too much for now, but there will be news soon."

"So you're here to act in The Mermaid?"

"Yes, there is a cameo scene."

"."

After answering a few simple questions, Zhou Yutang quickly got into the business car that came to pick her up. He did not forget to send a message to Lin Yuna.

First go to the hotel to put the luggage, and then go directly to the set.

The main scenes of the movie "The Mermaid" were shot in and around Shenzhen.

The big boss Liu Xuan, played by Deng Chao, works in a mansion called Yidexuan.

The amusement park where you can eat roast chicken and ride the carousel is Donghu Park.

There is also the beach where the mermaids were finally captured, located in Yangmeikeng, Nan'ao, Shenzhen.

With Zhou Xingxing's golden signboard, and the joint endorsement of China Film Group, Shanghai Film Group, and Jiangdong Entertainment, the local team in Shenzhen also attached great importance to this project and gave the green light all the way.

I received a report from the producer in advance. According to the current progress, they are filming the Mermaid. Shanshan takes Liu Xuan to eat her favorite roast chicken.

This scene was filmed at the East Lake Park Amusement Park, which is known as the Disneyland of Shenzhen and a fond memory for countless old Shenzhen residents.

When Zhou Yutang arrived at the place, he could see that a temporary scene had been set up at the entrance and exit of the amusement park according to the shooting requirements.

There were also many fans and passers-by gathered outside to watch the fun.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou."

"Hello, Mr. Zhou."

"I brought some food for everyone. Let's take a break before we get back to work."

Zhou Yutang asked Ni Ni to take the stage staff to distribute the pre-ordered milk tea and snacks, while he went to meet Stephen Chow first.

As the main investor and general producer of the film, Zhou Yutang naturally wanted to understand the progress of the entire film and review the shots that had already been shot.

He did not steal the spotlight, but just sat in the director's chair behind the monitor, quietly watching Stephen Chow direct the crew.

We had lunch together at night, and I had a chance to chat with Yoona.
"Yoona, I heard this scene was stuck for two days. Do you feel any pressure?"

"Oppa is here, and I feel more stressed."

Lin Yuna pouted her lips, but her clear and lively little eyes were actually full of happiness.

If there weren't so many people on the crew and they had to pretend to be obedient and quiet, they would have been getting intimate by now.

"no problem."

Zhou Yutang consoled him, "You'll definitely get through tonight."

"Brother Tang, did you really accept The Great Wall?"

Zhang Ruojun arrived in the evening. As soon as he arrived, he found the organization, came up to Zhou Yutang and asked in a low voice.

"We are talking."

Zhou Yutang didn't want to hide it: "Make a plan first, it's not certain yet."

In this way, top-level projects jointly produced by the two countries will be promoted from the very beginning.

"Fuck, that's awesome!"

Zhang Ruojun used quite simple words to express his feelings at the moment.

"You should reserve your time next month to be a guest on 'Longing for Life'."

After Zhou Yutang agreed to be a guest on the variety show on Mango TV, the two sides have been communicating on the content of the show.

Finally, Zhang Ruojun was confirmed as the variety show partner.

The main reason is that the two have a close relationship. For example, Brother Long rarely appears on variety shows unless it is necessary for publicity, which is also related to his calm and introverted personality.

Zhang Ruojun is very good at creating program effects. In Running Man, he can get along well with Chen Chichi, Deng Chao and the guests, like an overly cheerful Husky.

"It's a good time to go on the show and relax."

Zhang Ruojun agreed very readily: "There is also the promotion of '20 Again' next month, it makes me feel dizzy just thinking about it."

"You should take care of Lu Han when the time comes. He just returned to China and may not be able to adapt to the pace yet."

"Brother Tang, do we still need to bring your people with us?"

Zhang Ruojun grinned and said, "I heard from Xiaolu that he seems to be training in acting at the school at the foot of the mountain?"

"It needs to be remade."

Zhou Yutang nodded.

S&M company has a series of professional courses for debut.

In addition to the most basic singing and dancing, it also includes the etiquette for dealing with fans.

However, the acting training is almost negligible, and the film and television sector of S&M Company is just a weak one.

After a pause, Zhang Ruojun suddenly thought of something and asked, "By the way, Brother Tang, how is your next trip going?"

"After this is over, if nothing unexpected happens, go to Hong Kong to see Jay Chou. He has a concert there the day after tomorrow."

Zhou Yutang said calmly: "Then fly directly to the closing ceremony of the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan Province."

"Director Han has a nomination this time, I want to go there too."

Zhang Ruojun was beaming with joy: "I've been hanging out with you for the past two days, so I have to take a private plane."

The two brothers were chatting happily on the side, but Deng Chao and Lin Yuna were miserable.

For today's night scene at the amusement park, Stephen Chow was very dissatisfied with the results and kept calling for stops and reshoots.

The result was that Deng Chao and Lin Yuna kept eating chicken.

I heard that this scene was also being filmed yesterday, and it was NGed hundreds of times in total.

Poor Yoona.

Zhou Yutang gave him a sympathetic look but said nothing.

Although he was the main investor, he used his power to find several substitutes for Yoona.

But he and Stephen Chow already had a tacit understanding before this, so when they arrived at the shooting site, it was still Stephen Chow who had the final say.

Zhou Xingxing was very serious on the set, and the scene was taking a long time to finish, causing the whole crew to feel a bit depressed.

"Let me talk to her."

Looking at Zhou Xingxing who was getting increasingly irritable while explaining the play to Yoona, Zhou Yutang, who had been watching quietly nearby, stood up.

Zhou Xingxing nodded.

After handing Lin Yuna over to Zhou Yutang, he turned to discuss the shooting effects with Deng Chao.

"Oppa, am I too stupid?"

Originally, she wanted to perform well, but unexpectedly, she still failed to meet the director's requirements. At this time, Lin Yoona felt inexplicably disappointed.

Like a little girl who did something wrong.

"It's not your problem."

Zhou Yutang said with a straight face, "The director's request is too much. I need to talk to him."

If it were him, he would do the same. If he didn't achieve the perfect effect he wanted, he would continue to torture the actors until he got the ideal result.

But women want emotional value, so you can't reason with them.

Zhou Yutang was completely on her side. Lin Yuner was a little touched by his attitude, but she was also shocked. She quickly hugged his arm: "Oppa, Director Zhou has been very caring to me because of you. Don't do that. I don't want you to have conflicts with the director."

"In the final analysis, this is my own problem. I haven't found the right state for performance."

“How does roast chicken taste?”

"I thought it was quite fresh, but I ate so much in two days."

Lin Yuner frowned and said bitterly: "I may not want to eat chicken for a long time."

"That won't do. We have to keep working hard when we get back at night."

"Oppa!"

Her voice suddenly rose several pitches, and her clear little deer eyes glanced around in panic. When she found that everyone was doing their job and no one was paying attention, Lin Yoona breathed a sigh of relief.

After being teased by Zhou Yutang, her originally depressed mood was relieved a lot.

He turned to Zhou Yutang for advice, after all, he was a very powerful director.

"Yoona, I have a question. Do you want to be an actress in the future, or continue to be a beautiful idol?"

"Being an actor, of course."

Lin Yuna gave the answer without hesitation.

In the eyes of fans, the idols on the stage look glamorous, but in fact, in terms of status, they are at the bottom of the entire entertainment industry.

In the past two years, she has been actively developing into an actress.

"Then don't think too much, relax and immerse yourself in the role." All Zhou Yutang had to do was to help her lighten the burden and guide her into the state.

"Script supervisor, clear the scene, be quiet, and prepare to start the test shoot!"

After a short break, the set tyrant Stephen Chow came again, and the script supervisor slapped the board and continued filming.

He didn't know what Zhou Yutang said to Lin Yuna.

The person is still the same person.

His acting skills haven't improved much either.

But compared to before, there are some differences.

What Stephen Chow wants is not the title of Best Actress, but to free the actors from their pretentious acting style.

Now it seems that Yoona has gradually begun to let go of herself and immerse herself in this role.

No wonder the media say that Zhou Yutang is particularly good at teaching actresses.

He really has a way of doing it.

Zhou Xingxing was very motivated and worked until after three in the morning, and finally finished the scene.

After working for two consecutive nights, the crew members were already exhausted. They didn't even have the energy to cheer. Everyone wanted to go back to the hotel to sleep as they had to continue filming the next day.

Zhou Yutang returned to the hotel where Yoona was staying and thoughtfully asked Ni Ni to prepare a midnight snack in advance.

They are all light snacks like lava cheese tarts and cheese mochi.

Filming is actually a very physically demanding activity. After being tense all night, Lin Yoona returned to the hotel feeling a little listless, leaning on Zhou Yutang.

But when she smelled the aroma of the food, she instantly perked up, showing her signature crocodile smile, and started to eat with relish, no longer caring about her ladylike manners.

"Yoona, aren't you sleepy?"

"I'm used to it. When I was in the group before, I might only sleep two or three hours a day."

Lin Yuner mumbled and handed an egg tart into Zhou Yutang's mouth: "Oppa, try this, it's really delicious."

After enjoying a simple midnight snack, the shy Xiao Lu Yun was carried into the bathroom by Zhou Yutang.

The light in the bathroom was mixed with mist.

Through the frosted glass, you can vaguely see human figures moving up and down.

The sound of water splashing from the shower head seemed to fall into people's hearts and it took a long time to stop.

Zhou Yutang left the bathroom first. After more than twenty minutes, the bathroom door opened again, and the fragrant shower gel and misty water vapor squeezed out from the gap in the door.

Lin Yuna held her wet hair with her slender hands, stepped out with her long white thighs, and her crystal white cheeks were filled with the lingering charm of spring.

While blowing her hair, she looked at Zhou Yutang who seemed to be busy with something on his tablet.

Suddenly he stopped what he was doing and asked, "Oppa, do you think I can succeed in my transformation?"

"Of course, with your talent, it's not a problem at all. The only thing you need to worry about is that the audience will ignore your acting skills because of your looks."

"Oppa, you only know how to make me happy."

Although she knew that Zhou Yutang was saying sweet words, Lin Yoona still couldn't help but jump for joy, and her tone even had a bit of coquettishness.

She found a comfortable position and leaned her slender body in Zhou Yutang's arms.

In fact.

It's really difficult to transform from an idol to an actor.

Idols and actors seem to be both in the entertainment industry, but in fact they are two completely different professions.

The former is more like an exquisite and beautiful commodity, and it is successful as long as it makes the audience feel pleasing to the eye.

But that's not the case with actors.

An actor's work speaks for itself. He or she must use the methods and techniques he or she has mastered as well as life experiences to comprehensively construct a three-dimensional character.

When facing the camera, the effect presented is "making the audience feel that this is how the character should be."

The biggest problem in switching from being an idol to becoming an actor is the subconscious need to perform in front of the camera in a way that makes the audience realize that this is beautiful.

In order to achieve this effect, I often deliberately look for the camera, or subconsciously show myself from a better angle.

This is an instinctive reaction accumulated over many years of idol career. It is not easy to change it in a short time.

The next day.

Lin Yoona originally wanted to watch the scene filmed by Zhou Yutang, but she was at another filming location today, so she had to give up.

A police station in Shenzhen.

Zhou Yutang, who was completely without makeup and dressed just like an ordinary police officer, stood with his back straight, frowning and writing quickly with his head down.

Seeing the panicked Deng Chao pushing the door open, he looked a little surprised.

Zhang Ruojun, who was originally sitting at his workstation, also put down the thermos cup in his hand, stood up and walked over.

"Hello, Mr. Liu."

"How can we help you?"

Zhou Yutang and Zhang Ruojun obviously recognized the wealthy man Liu Xuan played by Deng Chao and took the initiative to shake hands with him.

"Don't be afraid of what I'm about to say."

Deng Chao's chest heaved, and he gasped for breath, looking frightened.

The plot at this time is that after Deng Chao saw the mermaid that science could not explain, he ran to the police station to report the case. This is also the most normal reaction for ordinary people.

"We are the police, we are not afraid."

"I was just kidnapped by a mermaid."

"Who is the mermaid?"

Zhou Yutang and Zhang Ruojun frowned at the same time, seeming to realize that things were not simple.

"Not any one of them. It's a mermaid that is half human and half fish."

Seeing Deng Chao's serious and solemn expression, Zhou Yutang beside him turned into a soul painter and painted the mermaid he described.

"It's not left and right, it's up and down."

"There are people on top and fish below."

"Where's the head? It's not Kun Kun's. She's a woman!"

Facing the two soul painters, Deng Chao gradually became irritable, and with exaggerated body language, he tried to describe: "Mermaids, have you seen the movie? They are the kind of mermaids with long hair and great figures, half human and half fish, do you understand?"

"."

Zhou Yutang and Zhang Ruojun looked at each other and stepped back slightly tactically.

The two have been brothers for many years, and a simple glance instantly conveys a tacit understanding of consensus.

Hold it in, don't laugh.

But this absurd thing was funny enough just to think about it. Zhou Yutang tried very hard to hold it back, but finally couldn't hold it back and finally laughed out loud.

"why are you laughing?"

"I remember happy things."

"What happy thing?"

"My wife is having a baby."

"Why are you laughing again?"

"My wife also gave birth to a child." Zhang Ruojun couldn't help it. He covered his mouth with his hands and his shoulders twitched.

"."

Deng Chao was almost driven crazy by the two policemen. He slammed the table frantically and asked, "Why!?"

After explaining for a long time, seeing Zhou Yutang laughing like a fool, Deng Chao finally broke down his defense: "You are obviously laughing at me, you never stop."

"Mr. Liu, we have been strictly trained. No matter how funny it is, we will not laugh."

"."

For this scene, Stephen Chow did not limit the performance style, but just let everyone express themselves freely.

As for this kind of scene, it is not difficult for everyone.

First, a few people performed freely and adjusted the effects according to the test shots. Zhou Xingxing personally demonstrated the specific details of the expressions and movements.

Especially when Deng Chao pushed the door open later, Zhou Yutang and Zhang Ruojun laughed so hard that they stamped their feet, but when he turned around and came back, everything returned to normal.

The comparison between before and after is exaggerated and full of humor.

Witnessing Stephen Chow's performance of this famous scene with my own eyes, I can vaguely see some of his aura when he was young.

It’s a pity that Stephen Chow is old now, and his white hair shows his vicissitudes of life.

Zhou Yutang focused more on observing Zhou Xingxing's control and scheduling of the crew.

Now that I'm here, I have to grab something by making a guest appearance.

Like those famous directors, each of them has his own unique skills, and there is always something worth learning from.

This scene took an entire afternoon, and Stephen Chow even booked a restaurant near the crew, thanks to Zhou Yutang and Zhang Ruojun.

"Mr. Zhou, Ruojun, thank you for your hard work."

Zhou Xingxing, who took the initiative to hold the wine glass, was all smiles.

These two people were just friendly guest appearances and didn’t charge a penny, so what else do you want from a bicycle?

The Cantonese food was quite tasty, but no one drank much as Zhou Xingxing had to follow up on the filming of another group in the evening.

With Deng Chao, a lively guy, at the table, the atmosphere was naturally lively. When the meal was almost going on, Zhou Yutang asked curiously:
"Director Zhou, how do you think we can make the audience laugh when making a comedy movie?"

"Just go with the feeling and shoot as usual."

"."

Zhou Yutang's mouth twitched slightly: "Can you be more specific?"

"just kidding."

Zhou Xingxing chuckled and said, "It's hard to say, but my personal experience is that it's probably to give the audience a misplaced sense of superiority."

"Misplaced sense of superiority?"

Zhou Yutang frowned in thought. Deng Chao's ears stood up like antennas. He was also very interested.

"Look, this afternoon, when you and Zhang Ruojun faced Deng Chao, you had a very real sense of superiority, thinking that he was crazy. From the audience's perspective, you would find you very funny."

Maybe the shooting effect today exceeded expectations. Zhou Xingxing, with his head full of white hair, was unusually talkative: "When Deng Chao left the house, there was another misplaced reaction, which formed a strong contrast. I found it very interesting."

It is indeed interesting. After Zhou Yutang watched the footage recorded on the surveillance camera, he felt that this scene was basically destined to become a famous one.

This ability to stir up the audience's emotions and make them laugh is undoubtedly Zhou Xingxing's innate comedic talent.

Zhou Yutang felt a little emotional, but he didn't dwell on this topic too much.

The special effects of "The Mermaid" were also done by Vision Media. When talking about the subsequent marketing of the film, Zhou Yutang suddenly had an idea.
"Director Zhou, I have a suggestion. You might as well listen to it."

"Oh, what do you say?"

Zhou Xingxing put down his chopsticks curiously.

"In fact, the young people born in the 80s and 90s in mainland China have all grown up watching your comedy movies, but the conditions were limited at the time, and many of them watched pirated DVDs."

"Now, most of this generation of young people have entered the society and have a certain economic ability. We might as well market your feelings at that time. With your status in the hearts of this generation of young audiences, it will definitely have unexpected results."

"."

Deng Chao and Zhang Ruojun were dumbfounded as they looked at Zhou Yutang who was talking so eloquently.

Ni Ni's eyes fell on Zhou Yutang, as if she was looking at an old fox.

This routine is too deep.

Zhou Xingxing was slightly startled when he heard this, then his eyes lit up like a flashlight, and he clapped his hands and praised:
"Wow, Mr. Zhou, I admire you."

"I've even thought of the promotional slogan for Director Zhou."

Zhou Yutang had a casual smile on his face: "We all owe Master Xing a movie ticket."

(End of this chapter)