This director needs to apologize

Chapter 274 Keeping openness is the best way to write a sequel

Chen Yiming's narration only extracted the outline of the story of "The Usual Suspects" without involving any details or twists, so it sounds like a very ordinary gangster movie with nothing surprising.

However, it is precisely because there is only a summary, combined with several key points of the Chinatown universe that everyone has discussed before, that gives Wang Wei and the others a lot of room to use their imagination.

The three assistant directors are all semi-amateur screenwriters. In fact, young people who are motivated to join the directing profession basically have the ambition and confidence to tell stories.

Especially since they have just entered the industry and have not been repeatedly tortured by various people in the circle who have the power to change the script, they are even more unscrupulous in using their imagination.

Therefore, although Chen Yiming asked the question "how should it end" after telling the story, the three people's thinking was not limited to the ending of the story.

Wang Wei, who started out by making short films, is very good at finding opportunities to find opportunities and quickly listed several areas where he can make a big deal.

"The background of the former criminal policeman is very suspicious, which is the starting point for the gang to escape from the control of the police.

There must be problems with the underground businessmen, but the suspicion of the liar who hired the underground businessmen is also high. This forces the protagonist group to take risks and continue committing crimes, which ultimately leads to the ending of almost total destruction.

According to the iron law that whoever survives is the most suspicious, Bao Dating should be the mastermind behind the scenes, but precisely because he is the only one who survives, his suspicion will not be very big.

I feel like there are a lot of details missing from this story, and it's hard to tell who is behind it at this point. "

At this point, the five-man gang has no room for struggle and can only act according to Caesar's instructions.

The gem case put the small gang in crisis and brought out the godfather of Chinatown, Caesar, forcing the small gang to confront Ma Laibang, a major enemy. This was also the direct cause of the gang's demise.

There were four cases in total, the first was the truck case, then the diamond robbery and gem robbery, and finally the cargo ship case.

After finishing speaking, Wang Wei looked at Chen Yiming, his hopeful eyes suggesting that he needed more clues.

Teacher Chen mentioned that the case should be solved within a time limit, which amplified the crisis faced by the police station and the protagonist group and intensified the conflicts between them. This was also the reason why after the five people were released, the former gangster's suggestion to rob the police car was immediately responded to by the other four people. direct cause.

However, Teacher Chen did not mention whether the truck case was related to these five people. I think this case was more like an introduction for these five elite criminals to come together to form a gang.

In this way, the key to the problem is the previous diamond case and gem case. At this time, the five people have subjective will and enjoy the freedom to commit crimes or not to commit crimes, and also enjoy the freedom to gather or disperse.

In other words, if there was really a mastermind behind the scenes, his goal would have been achieved the moment the protagonist group provoked Caesar.

From an overall perspective, the first truck case not only played a role in attracting gang members, but also gave the police greater initiative.

On the other hand, the logic from the gem case to the cargo ship case is very smooth, and the motivation stems from the oppression of an external force, that is, the godfather of Chinatown, Caesar.

The five people obviously have their own division of labor. The one who makes the gun is a technical expert, the liar is responsible for checking the sites and selling the stolen goods, and the gunman is the offensive force. The former gangster has the resources of the police and the police, as well as the information from the market and the underworld, covering the entire process and conditions of committing the crime. .

Although the underground businessman was found by a liar, it is the collective will to continue committing crimes. We do not know who played a key role in promoting the crime.

There is nothing to say about the Diamond Case. Whether it is realistic logic or script logic, there is no reason for failure.

Here the criminal motive disconnects.

Chen Yiming smiled and shook his head and said, "Now it is your story, you can decide for yourself."

The five-person protagonist group is the suspect in the truck case. Because of the backstage action of the former gangster police, they were temporarily cleared of suspicion.

Tian Li, who had been frowning, took the opportunity to speak for the second time, "I think we should sort out the criminal motives in the story first.

The diamond case gave the gang a taste of the sweetness and provided an incentive to continue their work.

What is noteworthy is that after committing the crime, the underground businessman hired by the scammer provided clues to the gem case.

These four cases should obviously be treated as a whole, but the motivations behind them are different, so we first need to fill in the details and connect them logically.

Teacher Chen omitted many details here. From knowing the clues to deciding to commit the crime, the temporary gang must have gone through more than one round of discussions.

So how did the mastermind behind the scenes get the five people to act according to his baton? "

Tian Li stopped here, picked up the tea cup and drank tea. He first nodded slightly to "greet" Chen Yiming, and then looked at Wang Wei and Li Zhun with a smile.

Although Chen Yiming imposed the order of taking charge of the guide tubes, it was not enough to eliminate the competitive mentality of young people. Even taking a verbal advantage was very satisfying.

Director Wang Wei certainly couldn't let his assistant director control him, so he added without hesitation.

"There is no need to assume that the mastermind behind the scenes must exist, and he is among the five protagonists.

This way the plot is logical and more compact.

Brother Tian is right, the two early cases are the key. Whoever secretly contributed to the gang's motive for committing the crime is the mastermind behind it.

Putting aside the logic of the script and just starting from the logic of reality, it is obvious that Bao is the most suspected of snooping.

Because the five people in the gang were all members of a single gang before, they were not gang members and they did not know each other at all.

If you want to take advantage of the situation and induce the gang to form a common will through a short period of contact, you need to understand the personalities and acting styles of the other four people at the same time. Only the well-informed Bao Wendao has this possibility.

Then we will discuss the purpose of the mastermind leading the gang to the cargo ship. Is it really the Malay gang and washing powder on the ship? Or is it really due to gang disputes?

I think this is definitely not the case, because Caesar's men can do things like murder and looting, and there is no need to go to great lengths to guide a temporary gang to take action, which is troublesome, inefficient, and has too many uncertainties.

Unless there are certain restrictions, Caesar has no way to use his power.

For example, this matter must be kept secret and not let too many people know. Caesar had to use his confidants to pull up a temporary gang with the help of the truck case, and then guide them to burn the ship.

The greater possibility is that the person who infiltrated the gang was Caesar himself, so that only he knew the real purpose of burning the ship, whether it was to kill someone or destroy something.

If, as Mr. Chen said, the other four members of the gang were all dead, then Bao Dawen, who survived, was obviously Caesar and the mastermind behind the scenes. "

The more Wang Wei spoke, the more confident he became. By the end of the speech, he was in a high-spirited state. With his right hand, he gestured like a pistol BIUBIUBIU, giving him a sense of déjà vu that "there is only one truth."

As usual, Li Zhun made his last speech to check for any omissions, "What Lao Tian and Lao Wang said are very reasonable. It is true that the first two cases are the key. Let me add two points.

First, the person responsible for clearing the five-man truck case from suspicion is probably not the former gangster's backer, but an ally of Caesar, the mastermind behind the crime.

And to be the godfather of Chinatown, he must be a big boss who sticks to both black and white. Arranging for the disappearance of a truck transporting arms couldn't be easier. Secondly, we can only confirm that Bao Wenwen, who did not board the ship, is not dead, but cannot confirm that all four people on board are dead. One of them faked his death, and then let Bao Wenwen, who was exposed, take the blame. This is more in line with the requirements of the reversal of the ending.

Of course, it can be reversed and reversed again. The man behind the scenes is indeed Bao Wenwen. Although he is the most suspicious, everyone else is dead and the ship is burned. The only evidence is his confession.

If Bao was really Caesar, someone from above would naturally put pressure on him, forcing the police station with insufficient evidence to release him, just like in the truck case. This kind of ending is both open and ironic, and more flavorful. "

"Bah, bang, bang," Chen Yiming clapped with appreciation.

The discussion was fruitful, and the three of them were familiar with the formulas of detective films. Although Chen Yiming hid many details, they were able to roughly guess the plot based on the given information.

Chen Yiming originally planned to end the discussion and let the three go back and write the first draft of the script according to their own ideas, but since the discussion was very efficient, he was willing to give them a few more tips.

"Assuming that Bao is the mastermind behind the scenes, how should the protagonist of the script be set? The policeman who interrogates him, or Bao himself?

On this basis, how should the crises faced by the protagonist be arranged?

In addition, how can the mastermind escape? With so many people dead at once, even the Godfather of Chinatown would be in trouble. How can he get away from the police's attention? "

This time the three of them looked at each other without speaking, but fell into a long test.

Chen Yiming's problem went beyond the story and entered the script phase, involving how to shoot the movie.

In other words, this is no longer a puzzle problem.

Although Wang Wei was designated as the director, among the three, Tian Li was the most familiar with suspense themes, and it was he who first got the hint of Chen Yiming's tendency.

"Since Bao Tanting survived to the end, the main perspective is naturally on him.

Based on the existing story framework, the script should obviously be written in flashback, starting from when Bao was interrogated after the cargo ship was burned.

Only in this way can the four cases be connected in series to form a unified logical chain.

The dramatic conflict throughout is who the real murderer is behind the scenes.

I think it is necessary to introduce a higher-level police officer at the beginning, who will interrogate Bao and lead the audience to explore the truth.

Because existing clues indicate that both the former gangster and Caesar have the power to influence the Chinatown Police Department, the latter himself does not have the motivation or ability to get to the bottom of it.

In other words, the pressure on those behind the scenes is not significant enough.

In fact, the serious case of shipwreck and fatalities was originally beyond the jurisdiction of the Chinatown Police Department, so it is logical and realistic to attract the attention of the higher authorities.

This will also help focus the audience's attention and allow the suspense of the movie to focus on Bao Dawen's escape.

Bao Wendao used his confession to defend himself, while the police found flaws through interrogation, gradually uncovering the truth of the case under the rhythm of one attack and one defense, and finally identified the true face of the mastermind behind the scenes. "

Wang Wei and Li Zhun both nodded in agreement. Anyone with some screenwriting skills would be sure that this story would be told most fluently in flashback.

Tian Li's suggestions helped Wang Wei get rid of his hesitation about who should be the protagonist.

"I think Bao Wenqing should be identified as the protagonist of the story, and he is also the mastermind behind the scenes, Caesar.

It is true that a more independent police officer should be introduced as a guide for the audience, but his appearance does not stem from realistic logic, but is an accident. "

Tian Li raised his eyebrows after hearing this, obviously interested.

Wang Wei continued, "Yes, it was an accident.

There is no evidence of the shipwreck or death. The power behind Caesar is enough to allow Bao Wenchang to escape. As long as Bao Wenchang leaves the police station, the vest will disappear immediately, and Caesar behind him will naturally be as stable as a mountain.

But something unexpected happened at this time. A police officer outside Caesar's control noticed the cargo ship case and intervened at the last moment before Bao Wenwen was released on bail.

Bao DaTing had to accept an unexpected interrogation. He was no longer confident, but had to quickly dispel the police's suspicion on him to avoid changes in his parole.

Everyone is dead, but he is still alive. If he wants to get rid of suspicion, he can only turn the police's attention to his accomplices who died on the boat.

We need to create an oppressive atmosphere for the audience at the beginning of the movie, where both the detective and the police will face a heavy crisis.

The policeman's crisis comes from time. He must lock in the real murderer before he is paroled, so that he will use all means to put pressure on Bao Dao and maximize the tension of the film.

An accident by the police is not enough for Bao Inquiry's crisis. It is certainly not easy for a gangster with many vests to make up a flawless false confession. I think we should add some obstacles to him.

For four consecutive cases, the probability that there will be no mistakes in the whole process is too low. It is only normal to have individual witnesses.

For example, an underground businessman hired by a scammer can be arranged to be caught.

There was also the final boat-burning case. The Malay gang was not completely wiped out, but left one or two survivors.

In this way, Bao can be inquired about and create some unexpected surprises to test his ability to adapt to changes. "

After Wang Wei finished speaking, he seemed to be a little unfinished. He was writing and drawing in his notebook. Apparently there were still some uncertain things that he had not said.

Li Zhun raised his head after typing on the keyboard and saw that the other two people had no intention of speaking again, so he "summed up".

"Since it is determined that the main plot of the movie is an interrogation, the only clues the police have are the records of the five people in the police station after the truck case, and the burned ship and bodies after the cargo ship case. The rest are just one-sided stories.

Whether it is the diamond case, the gem case, or the underground businessman, it may only exist in Bao Qinting's narrative, and it has never really happened at all.

I even doubt whether this vest really exists? Is the Caesar he talks about really a real person?

Of course, as far as this script is concerned, I agree with Lao Tian’s opinion. There should be a man in black at the beginning, killing everyone and setting the scene, so that the audience can locate the core suspense of the movie.

But for the character of Caesar itself, I prefer to keep it open-ended so that I can make a sequel.

Suppose that the Godfather of Chinatown, whom Bao is so serious about, is just a codename, and Bao's vest has nothing to do with Caesar at all. Wouldn't it be easier for the sequel to get a head start? "

(End of this chapter)