Chapter 1075: Absolutely awesome
The crew filmed the scene for a total of five days at the Wusongkou location.
Ning Weimin followed for four days.
Except for the huge psychological blow to many dry-hearted crew members when he and Matsumoto Keiko openly had sex at the beginning when he first arrived on location.
In fact, after that, he left almost always a good impression on most people.
When he left, many people were reluctant to leave him and regarded him as an absolute genius.
So this fact can fully prove that he is indeed a very charming person.
First of all, what director Yoshitaro Nomura fears most is that famous actors and investors interfere with the show, disrupting the normal shooting plan.
You know, the crew is a small, hierarchical society, shaped like a pyramid.
Producers, directors, leading actors, and leading actresses are the top of the pyramid.
Screenwriting, photography, art, costumes, animation, acting, lighting and other departments are all ranked next in order.
The last and lowest level are the field workers and extras.
Most of them are professionals.
The director is often the only one who can truly be considered an all-rounder and can control the overall situation with a bird's-eye view.
So usually, it is the director’s cultural quality and level that determines the final level of a movie.
So no matter how talented an actor is, he must obey the director's orders.
The relationship between each other should be that of student and teacher, subordinate and superior.
But the situation in this drama is a bit special.
Because Matsumoto Keiko is not only the heroine, she also invested in the entire drama and is the producer.
So faced with such a dual identity, Keiko Matsumoto.
For director Yoshitaro Nomura, there is a risk of being difficult to control and even losing his self-esteem.
Especially now that his personal career has fallen into a trough, which is the darkest period of bleakness.
Because Fog Studios has not produced any influential works for many years.
The entire Japanese film industry has declared that his career as a director is essentially over and no longer has any expectations for him.
Unexpectedly, Matsumoto Keiko and Ning Weimin, for the sake of reaching a deal with Matsumoto Seicho, were actually willing to give him a large investment movie with a budget of one billion yen to shoot.
This was entirely a help in times of need, and certainly worthy of his gratitude.
But in turn, this put him under greater psychological pressure and made him even more afraid to disobey Matsumoto Keiko and Ning Weimin's wishes.
To be honest, before filming, I was concerned about whether I could make a good movie and make it a success both in terms of reputation and box office.
Nomura Yoshitaro really plans to put everything on the line and risk everything he has.
But at the same time, he felt doubly unsure.
Fortunately, Matsumoto Keiko has a gentle temperament and is not domineering or self-righteous at all.
I never act like a big name on the set, and I respect the director's authority very much. Whenever there are doubts and discussions, it is all in order to make the role more popular.
For this female lead, Yoshitaro Nomura couldn't be more satisfied, and he quickly relaxed.
However, when filming such an important scene, we encountered ups and downs and difficulties, Ning Weimin came again.
Now Nomura Youtarou naturally became nervous again, even a little more panicked.
For no other reason than because this old devil could see that Ning Weimin was a true "wife doting maniac".
Think about it, he actually traveled thousands of miles to deliver a special car for Matsumoto Keiko to rest.
Even Matsumoto Keiko didn’t know anything about buying a car in advance. This kid had already planned it in Japan.
If you weren’t a lover and a loyal dog licker, how could you do such a thing?
Although Ning Weimin got several RVs, he, the director, took advantage of them.
But what if this kid is so loving and eager to protect his wife that he doesn't want to see Keiko Matsumoto suffer even a little while acting?
This kind of thing has never happened on the set. As a director and manager for half his life, he has long been used to it.
Whether it is an actor or an actress, their significant other who comes to visit the cast will always make all kinds of unbelievable requests because they are dissatisfied with the filming conditions.
It is common for actors and actresses to even cause trouble on the set because they are dissatisfied with the way passionate scenes are filmed.
Some people even realized that in the later stages of filming, the director could not change the actors, so they abducted the actors privately, abandoned the film without authorization, and went to the surrounding scenic spots for vacation.
What would the director do if he knew?
I can only swallow my anger and wait for them to come back after having fun.
Even if it’s not that extreme, it’s annoying to have the visiting team sit next to the director during filming and squeeze in to watch the monitor.
What’s more, because he was dissatisfied with the actor’s performance in the shot, the director didn’t shout NG, but the scout did.
This kind of winning way really made the director want to hit his head on the monitor and die.
Therefore, although Yoshitaro Nomura is very polite and enthusiastic on the surface, in his heart he is really afraid of Ning Weimin.
I felt extremely troubled by the fact that he came to visit the class, and I was afraid that he would point fingers and interfere with the order of filming.
I am even afraid that the originally good heroine will be sidetracked by him. If the two swords come against him, his life will be at stake.
But the good thing is, so all worries are unnecessary. It is completely unfounded by Nomura Yoshitaro himself.
In fact, Ning Weimin is the person who knows the art best and specializes in it.
He never points fingers at things he doesn't understand, and he especially respects older professionals.
When it comes to making a movie, let alone he takes the initiative to stay far away and never stays with the director.
Even when Keiko Matsumoto was putting on makeup and filming, he never spoke for fear of interfering with the progress of the filming.
What's more, he himself is also a master with special talents. He doesn't know anything else, but he knows how to settle accounts.
In such a large scene with thousands of people, an unknown amount of ammunition was used.
In order to shoot night scenes, a crane had to be hired to hang the lights.
From a businessman's perspective, Ning Weimin knew that this was the most expensive filming scene.
Even if everything is cheaper in China, it is several times cheaper than shooting in Japan, but the problem is that Japanese wages are not cheap.
A Japs are paid at least 10,000 yen a day, and there are fifty or sixty Japs on site. How much does it cost?
Coupled with the daily expenses and the equipment and facilities consumed for shooting, it would cost two to three million yen a day, which is ten to twenty thousand US dollars.
One billion yen sounds like a lot, but if you calculate it carefully, you will know that only two or three million yen in one billion is enough to make something like this?
How about the crew spending money like water?
Of course Ning Weimin hopes that the filming will go smoothly, knowing that the sooner the filming is completed, the more cost-effective it will be.
If it really cost one billion yen to make this movie, then wouldn’t he have to figure it out in the end?
What's more, even though Yoshitaro Nomura was taking medicine, lighting lamps and boiling oil at work, his hands were trembling when he spoke, he didn't dare to make trouble for others.
It has nothing to do with respecting the old and caring for the young. He is afraid that if this old devil is really anxious to do something, he is really tired, sick, or exhausted, then he will be a real loser.
Sending money with someone is a trivial matter. Where can the loess not bury people?
Don’t we, the vast country of China, have buried too few Japanese enemies?
But the problem is that once this old devil gets down, where can he lasso an old Japanese donkey that can pull this kind of thing?
He can’t just throw away a billion yen investment, right?
So no matter how ignorant he is, he can't be embarrassed by money or himself.
And in this way, he who believes in doing nothing will become a model for visiting classes and a role model for actors' relatives and friends.
Not to mention that he was still doing his best to help the crew find solutions to practical difficulties.
For example, the night before I heard that the generator had not arrived yet. Seeing that Nomura Yoshitaro and Matsumoto Keiko were anxious, Ning Weimin suggested that he try using the generator of the RV. After all, there were three cars. It also burns a lot of fuel at the same time. Unexpectedly, the problem was actually solved.
Two 12,000-watt "little suns" were powered by the generators of these RVs.
Gradually, Yoshitaro Nomura also took the initiative to invite Ning Weimin to observe on the set, and even arranged for him to sit next to him.
Although the results are the same, in the eyes of Keiko Matsumoto and the rest of the crew, they all understand that this is the director's recognition of Ning Weimin, and the level of courtesy is completely different.
That's not all. Compared with the director, there is actually another person who is even more grateful and admired for Ning Weimin.
That is the cadre appointed by Shanghai Studio to ensure the crew's life and logistics.
This cadre, unlike a native of Shanghai, is an honest man who only follows the rules and lacks flexibility.
More serious than lively, he cares too much about money and is a little afraid of foreigners.
So before Ning Weimin came to visit the class, even if he tried his best, the things he accomplished were not satisfactory, and he only earned himself a scolding.
Both China and Japan regard him as a fool who cannot handle human affairs.
The Japanese hate him for his poor brain.
His compatriots accused him of having a bad conscience.
Ning Weimin’s cart of watermelons and corn really saved the logistics cadre’s worries.
This beautiful move made him suddenly enlightened and at the same time, he couldn't help but feel awe.
So I asked people specifically who did this, and then I sincerely asked Ning Weimin for advice.
Under the guidance of Ning Weimin, who is a good teacher, the cadres finally understood that in terms of all supplies, they should prioritize being prepared and having enough drinking water.
The overall meals for the crew should be based on convenience, and cheapness and deliciousness are not irresolvable conflicts. For the crew members who are different, giving certain special care will not necessarily lead to criticism.
In this way, the food and material supply work on location made a qualitative leap almost overnight.
The next day, the logistics cadre applied for a van, prepared twenty enamel buckets of boiling water, and delivered them to the location in two batches.
Then we took turns going back and forth. On this day, the car did nothing else but was responsible for pulling buckets and delivering water.
It can also be regarded as a shuttle bus. It can deliver water and buckets, and can also temporarily pick up and drop off individuals or buy some things for the crew.
In addition, the food has also been changed. There is no longer big pot meals, but fillings such as dumplings and steamed buns.
Not only is it easy to make, easy to transport, easy to distribute and easy to pick up, it is also easy to eat and drink.
Moreover, the differences in class and the different preferences between China and Japan can be reflected without being eye-catching.
The extravagant steamed buns are all vegetarian, five for each person. They don’t taste good, but they’re filling.
At the same time, it directly solves the problem of insufficient tableware. There is no need for tables and chairs and no need to wash hands. You can eat outdoors and just eat on the ground.
The crew and ordinary actors have to be more particular.
The steamed buns are not only filled with plain fillings, but also with meat fillings.
In addition, since everyone has their own lunch box, they can also have a bowl of porridge, two eggs, and enough pickles.
These are not provided by the Shanghai Factory, but purchased from a village not far away.
What is rare is the word "fresh".
As for the Chinese and Japanese directors, famous actors, Japanese staff, and the heads of each team, they are all of the same level.
These people are not eating steamed buns, but dumplings.
The only difference is that in China, eating dumplings means you are full.
And there are two ways to choose from: boiling and frying. Someone on site set up an iron griddle to fry it like a pan-fried bun.
The Japanese are different.
Follow their eating habits. Twelve fried dumplings per person, paired with a bowl of rice.
Both China and Japan, at this level, there are miso soup, pickled radish, and smoked fish as side dishes.
There is also a Fengxian yellow peach as an after-dinner fruit.
Not to mention, such a very simple arrangement is actually satisfactory to everyone, and it is rare for logistics cadres to win praise.
Those below are not jealous of those above, and those above are also Be able to enjoy yourself.
The key point is that it is not only easier and less expensive than boiling vegetables and radish in a big pot and frying fatty pork slices, but no one anywhere complains about the taste.
So it is conceivable that for this cadre, Ning Weimin is of course an outstanding person, and he can only convince him.
Unlike director Yoshitaro Nomura and the logistics staff, the Chinese directors and the more famous actors in China felt more cordial towards Ning Weimin.
Because this guy obviously has an extraordinary background and a transcendent status, but he has no airs and is even very humorous.
The key is that his Japanese level is very high, much better than the two translators sent by the Shanghai Factory.
Originally, there was a serious lack of communication and understanding between the Chinese directors and actors and the Japanese because of the language barrier.
Not to mention that it is difficult to cooperate at work and understand each other's intentions. This is very easy to cause discord and misunderstanding.
But things changed a lot after Ning Weimin came. With his help during acting, the Chinese director finally made the Japanese actors understand his intentions.
When the Chinese and Japanese actors had no scenes to film, somehow it became a Sino-Japanese tea party with Ning Weimin as the center.
This guy is very popular, both his compatriots and Japanese people like him very much, and everyone chats around him, and gradually it becomes a cram school for Chinese and Japanese language translation and mutual learning.
Of course, since there are more men than women, no one is pretending, and there are few serious things to talk about and a lot of idle talk.
Especially the most vulgar curse words in the two cultures are popular chat topics.
The most interesting thing is that both Chinese and Japanese people imitate each other like parrots.
Everything he said was very enthusiastic, but it was nondescript and extremely weird. It always made the people together laugh and couldn't help themselves.
Everyone is so humble, studious, agile and enterprising.
Naturally, the feelings are also deepening in the process of learning.
Although it only lasted a few days, when Ning Weimin left the crew, the rigid situation between Chinese and Japanese staff no longer existed. Even if the language was still different, they could still say hello to each other in daily life. .
What’s more, Ning Weimin actually satisfied everyone’s need for national sentiment.
Somehow, he fooled all the Japanese actors.
They actually organized people in private to take a photo of the "Victory at Wusongkou" that could be said to be life-changing.
The photo was developed by the cameraman on the spot, and everyone enjoyed it.
Yakusho Koji and Abe Hiroyuki, who were taken as prisoners, were accompanied by several "Japanese soldiers". Although they stood in the C position in the middle, they looked like prisoners.
As two Japanese officers, not to mention guns and sabers, even the military caps were gone. Their hair was messy, there was smoke behind them, and they were tied up with ropes.
Besides and behind them, Ning Weimin, who was wearing the uniform of the national army, and several majestic and angry Chinese actors were pointing guns at them.
Unfortunately, it was just a joke after all, and the Japanese actors were not serious and full of emotions.
They were all smiling. They were not at all depressed about being defeated, captured and about to be shot. Instead, they were somewhat calm about looking down on life and death.
This is the biggest flaw of the entire photo, otherwise it could really be used as a promotional poster.
(End of this chapter)