Chapter 191: Impact on the Top [Thanks to 1夜愁凉1, 闲云卜 for the reward! ]

As soon as the interview was over, Ye Jingzhi called Du Sheng into the office and said solemnly:
"Do you know Oriental Entertainment?"

Seeing Du Sheng nod, she continued:

"This is an entertainment platform created by the top media professionals in China, which earlier proposed the concept of 'Four Little Flowers/Little Boys in the Entertainment Circle'.

Now they are about to select the top four students of the new term, and I intend to do my best to campaign for you and strive for you to win this honor."

"The new four young students?"

Du Sheng's heart moved after hearing this.

If it is held every two years, this year is indeed the time for selection.

The names of the Four Little Flowers have long been deeply rooted in people's hearts, and the Four Little Freshmen have also received widespread attention.

As insiders, any young artist with some ambition hopes to be among them.

Although Du Sheng felt it was a bit vulgar, he was not immune to it and he knew the difficulty involved.

After all, the most important thing in the entertainment industry is fame.

But there are so many talented people in the circle and there is never a lack of competition.

People like Hu Jun, Li Guanpeng, Lu Yi and others are still going strong.

People like Chen Kun, who became famous this year for his role in "The Story of a Noble Family", and Deng Chao, who received rave reviews for his role in "Young Kangxi", are probably also determined to win this award.

This shows how fierce the competition is.

However, being able to be included in the list will undoubtedly be of great benefit to your career and development.

Even if it's just a gimmick, many people are willing to pay for such a title.

For example, the reason why Hong Kong celebrities such as Guo Fucheng and Li Ming remain popular is largely due to the title of "Four Heavenly Kings".

"People fight for their breath, trees live for their skin", this is the most true portrayal of the entertainment industry.

How to get it?

Du Sheng felt that his current popularity was not safe enough.

The popularity of "Wulin" winning the championship will gradually fade away.

It is also difficult to create momentum with one's own studio alone, as other entertainment companies are also actively operating.

If you want to stand out, it ultimately depends on your personal abilities and works.

How to measure whether an artist is qualified to be selected?
Compared with the previous selection, Du Sheng already had the answer in his mind.

The number of films and TV series, professional awards won, the brands endorsed by fashion magazines, the popularity and commerciality, and the popularity among the general audience, etc...

These are the criteria for measuring a popular artist.

Of course, there are exceptions like Kun Kun, Xun Xun, Tao Tao and other popular young actors who have no representative works but are still able to thrive in the entertainment industry more than a decade later.

In this era, representative film and television works are still of paramount importance.

Artists who have no works are not worthy of being evaluated as Huadan or Xiaosheng.

The same is true for Du Sheng, Hu Jun and others.

Ye Jingzhi's words also indirectly proved that Du Sheng is no longer a celebrity in the domestic entertainment industry.

He is already qualified to compete with popular young actors such as Hu Jun and Li Guanpeng.

Looking back at last year, he was probably despised by these people for being a partner...

All I can say is that the world is like a new chess game each time.

In addition, although Chen Kun, Li Guanpeng and others are the most popular young actors today, they have not yet accumulated a solid foundation.

At present, they are more like those traffic stars who became popular for a short time in later generations.

And this is exactly Du Sheng's chance to rise to the top.

"As long as you have an idea."

Ye Jingzhi said softly:

“But whether you can get the award, excluding any tricks, ultimately depends on your fame.

In the first half of this year, you have "Tian Long" and "Snow Goddess Dragon".
The second half of the year will feature "The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Saber", as well as the yet-to-be-determined "Infernal Affairs 2", "Kung Fu", "The Cat and the Mouse Loves Me", etc.

If the latter can be released this year and surpass the popularity in the first half of the year, then your chances of being selected will increase significantly. "

“I am confident in this regard.”

Du Sheng smiled slightly, revealing a bit of confidence.

Any one of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" or "Infernal Affairs 2" will be as popular as "The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" or "The Legend of Mir ".

If he were to add to the popularity brought by Stephen Chow's appeal and Zhang Baizhi's scandal, no one of his peers would be able to overshadow him.

"Since you are confident, I will make a plan and build momentum for you when the time comes."

Ye Jingzhi suddenly remembered something and said:

"By the way, the filming of Kung Fu started last week. Your part is in the early stages, so you can prepare for it."

"Did you say when I would join the group?"

Du Sheng has no objection.

Anyway, it's just a guest appearance and the role is not that big.

And the filming was done in Modo, which is not too far from here.

As for the preparations, Du Sheng had already finished them.

In order to better shape the character, I wrote a character profile of several thousand words for "Kuli Qiang".

From Kuliqiang's daily life working in a grain and oil store, to his bravery when the Axe Gang cruelly poured oil on the mother and son, to his tragic defeat by the Qin Demon duo...

Du Sheng figured it all out clearly.

I'm afraid even Stephen Chow, the cinematographer, doesn't understand the details of this character as well as Du Sheng.

"We will join the crew in three days, and the shooting will take about a week."

Ye Jingzhi reminded:
"After filming is finished, Infernal Affairs will be released, and you will have to prepare plans for the sequel by then."

Du Sheng smiled and said:

"Okay, so be it."

The beautiful agent Ye Jingzhi is indeed good. Not only is she pleasing to the eye and able to help solve problems, her powerful background is also enough to deter some villains.

At this time, the phone rang. Ye Jingzhi answered it and looked at Du Sheng with a strange expression:
"When will the filming of the play Zhang Baizhi mentioned start?"

"She said the production company was in the process of finalizing the project, but there was a problem with one of the investors, so it should be put on hold during the summer vacation."

Du Sheng asked:
"what happened?"

"The call was from Sister Hua."

Ye Jingzhi listed the situation and said:
“You know Hua Jie’s husband, he plays the role of Deep Fried Duck in this drama.

But there are some problems with Kung Fu, so you may need to join the crew earlier."

"What happened?"

"The action director of this film was Hong Xibao, but Stephen Chow was quite dissatisfied with his design, and the relationship between the two sides even became unpleasant."

"In terms of martial arts?"

Hearing Ye Jingzhi's words, Du Sheng was a little surprised but not shocked.

"Sister Hua's husband seems to be a martial arts instructor. Can't he handle it?"

"I designed a set, but Stephen Chow didn't choose it."

Ye Jingzhi also explained the reason why Sister Hua called.

The gist is that the crew has run into a power outage, and just wasting time there is no point.

Du Sheng thought about it and asked:

"Hong Yubao's martial arts skills are well-known in the industry, so this shouldn't happen. What aspect of him doesn't meet the requirements?"

"Both sides."

Ye Jingzhi further explained:
"First, Stephen Chow's requirements for action design are too imaginative, and second, Hong Xibao is old-school, and the traditional hard bridge and hard horse are not suitable."

"understood."

Du Sheng nodded slightly, finally understanding why the two had a falling out.

Although Hong Qibao and Cheng Long are both members of the Seven Little Fortunes and studied under Peking Opera master Yu Zhanyuan, they have different focuses.

The former is conservative and mainly performs Peking opera and acrobatics.

The latter is an action comedy that dares to take risks and fight.

Without mentioning the influence of the two, when it comes to the variety and tension of action design, Hong Yubao is indeed slightly inferior to Cheng Long.

Of course, Hong Xibao has profound attainments in Hung Gar and Sanda. He has designed action scenes for dozens of films and has rich experience, and is one of the best in the industry.

If even his design does not match Stephen Chow's ideas, I'm afraid not many people will be satisfied.

"Where is the current card?"

"The film was shot in eight days, but we only finished the scene where Ah Xing and Fatty appeared, and the conflict with the Axe Gang, and then the progress stagnated..."

Next, the final battle between the three great masters of Pig Cage Village and the two old Sound Demons will be filmed.

However, Stephen Chow always felt that the carefully designed movements by Hong Yubao were flawed, and disputes broke out between the two sides.

Especially after the three new moves designed by Hong Yubao were all rejected.

This completely aroused Hong Xibao's anger, and he felt that the other party was deliberately finding fault with him.

At noon, the two sides almost fought, and finally Hong Yubao walked away.

Stephen Chow was also very angry and the filming crew almost stopped.

Ye Jingzhi shook her head after saying this:
"Stephen Chow's requirements were too high, and he couldn't clearly explain the effect he wanted, so he asked Hung Chi-pao to refer to the martial arts manga moves in Dragon Tiger Gate.

Who can understand this? If it were me, I would also be unable to bear it and leave."

Du Sheng smiled and nodded:

"Last time I heard him say that this movie was based on Huang Yulang's comics such as "Tathagata Palm" and "Dragon Tiger Gate", and the Fire Cloud Evil God was stripped out of "Dragon Tiger Gate".

I guess Hong Yubao has never read and doesn’t understand this kind of comics.”

If Du Sheng didn't have the memory of watching movies in his previous life, he wouldn't understand what kind of fighting effect Stephen Chow wanted just based on this oral description.

To put it bluntly, what Stephen Chow pursues is the kind of internal and external confrontation like in "Dragon Tiger Gate".

A picture of Qi that can be captured with the naked eye.

It is understandable that Hong Xibao left in anger.

Because such an effect is indeed difficult to achieve through conventional means.

This not only includes martial arts design, but also requires a perfect combination of Hollywood's top special effects and creativity.

For example, how to make the two sound demons use piano sounds to present real attacks, and fight with the three masters of the city through the air...

It is really difficult for ordinary people to cooperate in designing reasonable fighting scenes that are also attractive.

Even in his previous life, when Stephen Chow invited top martial arts director Yuan Heping, it took a long time to get used to each other.

Seeing Du Sheng lost in thought, Ye Jingzhi said:

"Well, are you sure?"

Despite the difficulty, Stephen Chow's movies have a very high appeal in mainland China. Since Du Sheng has made a cameo appearance, if he can also be an action director, it might become a good story in the future.

In addition, Du Sheng rarely accepts advertising endorsements and said that he would consider it after "The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Saber" is released, so there is still time.

So if there was a chance, she still suggested that he give it a try.

Du Sheng just smiled:

"I'll try my best. No one can guarantee success on such matters."

He does have a rough picture in his mind, but whether it can be realized depends on whether it fits.

After finishing the matters at hand, he flew to Modu that same day.

The story of this "Kung Fu" is set in the period of the Qin Dynasty, so most of the filming took place in Modulo Film Park.

There is a film and television shooting location with the old Modu as the background, and many scenes with the characteristics of the old Modu era were shot here.

For example, "Speeding Life 2" and "Fang Hua".

It was almost evening when Du Sheng arrived at Modulo Studios. Unexpectedly, Stephen Chow was available to meet him.

Du Sheng was a little surprised and said:

"Isn't Kung Fu currently being filmed? How could you walk away, Brother Xing?"

This drama is directed and acted by Stephen Chow himself, and it was released during this working time period.

Even if the other party is not filming, they still have to deal with storyboard issues.

"Oh, let's not talk about it."

There was a hint of sadness on Zhou Xingchi's face, and Du Sheng felt that he looked even older than last time.

This is because during the two days of filming, less than one out of ten shots satisfied him.

There hasn't been much progress, and the cost of supporting more than 200 people every day is enough to make people feel overwhelmed.

And Hong Yubao's departure today made the crew even worse off, almost bringing the production to a standstill.

Stephen Chow has been preparing for this film for two years, and he has put a lot of effort into it, so he is naturally unwilling to give up halfway.

Unfortunately, his directing skills are not perfect enough. He can't even describe the shot by shot, so he can only rely on his mouth.

This method of shooting is bumpy and sometimes fails to accurately convey the intention.

Especially when it comes to shooting action scenes, outsiders simply cannot understand it.

What he pursues is to use special effects to amplify the effect based on solid kung fu.

In short, I want the comic style to appear realistic.

He had already tried this style in his previous film, "Shaolin Soccer".

But the selling point of that movie is football, and kung fu is just an embellishment.

This time, he wants to create a pure kung fu movie and perfectly present the fighting scenes in his mind.

As a traditional Peking Opera martial artist, Hong Yubao is used to practicing real kung fu, and every punch and kick he makes must be based on real evidence.

Hong Yubao was deeply repulsed by the kind of fighting scenes that Stephen Chow pursued, which were comparable to those in online games.

It’s just like Lin Qingxia playing the piano and posing in “The Six-Fingered Piano Demon”, and then adding some special effects in the later stage.

Why does a play like this need a martial artist like him to take part?

Wouldn't it be fine to just copy it?
Due to this difference in concepts, the two people could not communicate at all.

Even if Hong Xibao doesn't leave, Stephen Chow plans to find someone else.

He tried to contact Cheng Xiaodong this afternoon and learned that he was still in Hollywood and would not be back until next month.

As a last resort, I contacted Yuan Bin for help.

It turns out that this person is a very busy man. He will take any job that comes his way and has now joined the team.

However, Yuan Bin remembered Du Sheng's favor, and since the last time they collaborated on "The Heaven Sword and the Dragon Saber" they had a very pleasant experience, he mentioned it casually.

Stephen Chow recalled the dinner that night. Liu Dehua seemed to have mentioned that Du Sheng's martial arts skills were quite good, so he kept it in mind.

In fact, he was desperate and tried all kinds of treatments, so he asked many people to try.

What if a blind cat catches a dead mouse?

The result is that you don’t know if you don’t ask, but you will be shocked if you ask.

Du Sheng was the martial arts director in several dramas including "Big Guy", "Daughter Dragon", "Tian Long", and "Yitian".

Therefore, Du Sheng joined the group early.

Zhou Xingchi took out a sketchbook and asked Du Sheng to sit down:
"Won Bin said that your martial arts ideas are wild and unrestrained. Is that true?"

"It's OK."

Du Sheng heard some expectations in the other party's words, and smiled and said:

"I don't know what kind of problem Brother Xing is facing right now. I'll give you some advice."

Stephen Chow didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point:
"Now we are faced with a difficult problem of action design. Can you provide some innovative ideas?"

The shooting progress has been stagnant for several days, time is tight, and this problem needs to be solved urgently.

At the same time, Stephen Chow also wanted to verify whether Du Sheng was really as awesome as Andy Lau and Yuan Bin said.

"This part of the plot is about the two elders, Sound Demon, being invited by the Axe Gang to come and deal with the three great masters of Pig Cage Village.

The three masters are the character you play, Kuli Qiang who is good at the Twelve-Way Tan Leg,
The tailor who is proficient in the Hong family's iron wire fist, and the fried dough stick who is good at Wulang Bagua stick..."

Stephen Chow further elaborated:

"In order to highlight the strength of the two masters of sound and magic, these three masters were defeated, which then led to the uncontrollable anger of the landlord and his wife, and then triggered a conflict with the Axe Gang.

But the question is, how can we present the duel between the three masters and the two sound demons in a wonderful way? "

This is often the case with filmmaking; the script is just a rough outline, and the specific details and flesh and blood need to be gradually filled in during the filming process.

After listening to Zhou Xingchi's narration, Du Sheng didn't want to show too much so as not to expose himself, so he asked thoughtfully:

"How do their strengths compare?"

"The landlord and his wife are the most powerful together, but they are no match for the two Sound Demons alone. Finally, there are the three great masters of the Walled City."

Seeing that Du Sheng was able to follow his train of thought, Zhou Xingchi elaborated on his ideas in detail.

Du Sheng compared what he heard with his memories of his past life, and after a moment he said:

“In order to show the effect of the lion’s roar and the sound of the piano, special effects are indispensable.”

"I understand that."

Zhou Xingchi nodded:
"But special effects can only be used as embellishments. The fighting must be realistic, and the characters' movements are the core."

"this is necessary."

Du Sheng smiled slightly:
"So the most difficult part of this fight scene is how to show the long-range battle between the three masters and the landlord."

"That's so right!"

There was a gleam of excitement in Zhou Xingchi's eyes, and it was obvious that Du Sheng had understood his intention.

The two sound demons and the landlady are both good at killing enemies with sound, but simply relying on special effects and posturing is too fake.

Therefore, the biggest difficulty is how to design the mysterious fight between the three masters and the two sound demons, and how the landlord and his wife defeat the two sound demons.

"The piano sound effect is like a sharp blade, which is extremely disadvantageous to those who fight with bare hands."

Du Sheng calmly analyzed:
“The landlord and his wife are inseparable, and their combined power is stronger than that of the two old men, the Sound Demons. It’s not surprising that they can detect the latter’s motives.

Since my character has no weapons, he will probably be the first one to be killed by the invisible sound waves."

"Yes, that's it!"

There was a hint of excitement in Zhou Xingchi's voice, and the other party's idea coincided with his.

Du Sheng still has the memory scenes in his mind, it would be strange if they didn't match.

He went on to elaborate:
"The two Sound Demons are paid to do their jobs, and killing people is a common occurrence. They know how to end the battle quickly, so they will most likely choose an ambush.

The sound of the piano is elusive, and it is a long-range attack, so it is hard to defend against for people without relevant combat experience.

Therefore, my character was successfully ambushed by the two sound demons at the beginning of the plot."

"As for the battle scene, it can be designed like this..."

Du Sheng expressed the picture in his mind in words:

"The two old music demons were disguised as street performers, playing the piano on the roadside, and Kuli Qiang happened to pass by.

As for how to show the strength of the two elders?

The sound of the piano was murderous, the surrounding flowers, plants and trees were silently breaking, and the night cat on the house died silently.

When Kuli Qiang sensed the murderous intent, he turned his head and was beheaded by the invisible sound wave..."

As Du Sheng continued to tell the story, the corresponding artistic conception had already emerged in Stephen Chow's mind.

In the dim corner of the walled city, Qiang, the coolie who was forced to leave, walked outside with his package on his back, with the melodious sound of a piano in his ears.

The dim light from the street lamps flickered and mottled, and the surrounding leaves broke quietly to the sound of the piano, as if they were cut off by invisible hands.

A wild cat jumped over, but before it landed, a trace of blood had already splattered on the wall...

"Yes, yes, that's it!"

Stephen Chow nodded repeatedly, showing his excitement.

Du Sheng actually presented the ideas in his mind perfectly!
After hearing the last part, he grasped Du Sheng's arm and said with a little excitement:
“No wonder you are admired by so many people, your ideas are indeed wild and unconventional, and they are most consistent with my ideas.

How about you be the action director of "Kung Fu"? You will be in charge of everyone on the set!"

He was sure that as long as Du Sheng agreed, these fighting scenes would not be a problem.

What’s more, the other party is the main actor in one of the scenes, and the completion of the scene will definitely become a classic!

Du Sheng just smiled and did not answer directly, but changed the subject and said:

"Has Hong Yubao signed the contract?"

Zhen Zidan has recently been serving as the martial arts director for "The King's Woman", which is part of the process of accumulating personal connections.

He is no exception, and he can even accumulate experience as a director, so he naturally doesn't mind these things.

Now let’s talk about the other side.

Zhou Xingchi was startled, then understood what Du Sheng meant, and shook his head:
"Since Boss Hong has walked away, there is nothing to discuss. Don't worry about it."

Du Sheng knew that he just couldn't bring himself to lose face, so he pondered and said:
“I had a conversation with him during the semi-finals of Wulin last time.

How about this, I'll ask him out tonight, and we can sit down and have a chat?"

He knew that Stephen Chow had a kind of aloof temperament in his bones, especially after he went from being a supporting actor to becoming famous and experienced the fickleness of human nature and the world, he would no longer easily reveal his emotions.

And in order to maintain face, they are unwilling to bow to others easily.

Therefore, he gives people the impression of being aloof and arrogant in the circle.

Hearing this, Zhou Xingchi was silent for a moment.

He knew Du Sheng's good intentions and finally nodded.

He is currently having a bad relationship with the Xiang family and knows very well what it means to be unable to handle things on one's own.

If the problem can be solved smoothly, it doesn't matter if I owe Du Sheng a small favor.

7 o'clock in the evening, in a restaurant next to the film and television base.

As soon as Du Sheng and Zhou Xingchi sat down, they heard footsteps coming from outside the box.

The next moment, the door of the box was opened by the waiter.

Then a strong, fat man with neatly combed white hair walked in with an imposing manner.

The whole person gives people a sense of awe without being angry.

Following behind him were six or seven burly men, all with sullen faces and silent.

There was a food cart blocking the way ahead, but Hong Xibao did not stop. Upon seeing this, the waiter hurried forward and moved it aside to make room for everyone to pass.

Du Sheng stood up and said with a faint smile:
"As expected of a big brother, his aura is indeed extraordinary."

You may not see me when you look up, but you will see me when you look down. It’s better to flatter me first so that we can talk about things.

"Ah Sheng, I haven't seen you for a long time."

Before Hong Xibao could say anything, a young man walked up from behind him and greeted Du Sheng with a smile on his face.

It was Hong Tianzhao.

Ever since Du Sheng won the championship as a dark horse, he has been convinced.

It’s really not unfair to lose to such a great guy!

And it gives me something more to brag about, right?

The originally tense atmosphere was immediately diluted by Hong Tianzhao's disturbance.

Although Hong Yubao didn't smile much, he greeted slightly:

"Mr. Du, nice to meet you."

Hong Tianzhao kept winking at Du Sheng, and noticing Hong Yubao's tense face, Du Sheng knew what was going on and said:

"You haven't eaten yet, how about we talk after you finish eating?"

.........

(End of this chapter)