While Yang Ye was talking, he took everyone to visit the three major scenes of the underground palace: Guimen Pass, Naihe Bridge, and Flowers of the Other Shore.
Everyone was deeply impressed by Yang Ye's whimsical ideas.
But everyone found that these scenes were not complete. There were often only some props, and many of the remaining places were empty, with a blue screen hanging behind them.
The reason, Yang Ye explained: "If we want to create all the details of the entire ancient tomb, the amount of work would be too large and it is unnecessary.
Because everything is shot in a realistic way Otherwise, the only light source in the tomb is a flashlight. Not only will we be tired of shooting, but the audience will also be unbearable.
So I chose to shoot with a blue screen, and then used the latest computer technology to add some special effects such as green water and fluorescence to the background to create a fantasy feeling. "
Hong Jingbao asked: "I heard Aaron say that Hollywood often shoots with green screen. Why does our movie use blue screen? "
Yang Ye explained: "Which curtain to use depends on the needs. Green is bright and contrasts strongly with other colors, which is more conducive to post-production.
But blue has the greatest contrast with human skin color, so the blue screen is more suitable for night scenes. We were shooting an underground palace, so it is more convenient to use a blue screen.
In addition, since Europeans have blue eyes, they prefer to use green screens, because it is easy to dig out the eyeballs with blue screens! ”
In fact, in the later stages, as digital technology and cutout technology matured, green screens basically dominated the world, but there was no need to tell them this.
When Yang Ye said this, everyone immediately understood.
According to the setting of this movie, the protagonist group spends most of their time in the tomb.
Under normal circumstances, the underground palace should be dark, which cannot solve the problem of light source.
If you only rely on flashlights or torches for lighting, it will be fine for a short time.
Over time, the audience will feel depressed and become unbearable.
But if you use lights to make the tomb brighter, the audience will feel that it is fake.
Then, using a computer to create some special background effects solves the problem of light source.
Not only will the audience not think it is fake, they will even find it magical and will be attracted unconsciously.
Talent!
However, in this way, the movie will have an extremely large number of special effects shots, more than ten times that of "Terminator 2".
Such a large-scale green screen shooting is the first time in a Chinese-language film. Yang Ye is opening up a new era for Chinese-language films!
The 35 special effects shots in "Terminator 2" cost one million U.S. dollars. Did "The Secret of the Dragon" cost tens of millions of U.S. dollars?
Who can afford this?
Yang Ye explained: "It doesn't use that much. The special effects of "The Secret of the Dragon" are mainly background rendering, which is simpler than "Terminator 2".
However, since there were so many special effects shots, it would have cost at least five to six million US dollars. With today's computer technology, if you want to avoid cheating, you can only spend time on it.
It is estimated that these special effects shots will take a year to produce. In addition to the preliminary prop production and actual shooting process, the overall production time will be more than two years. It is the longest movie I have made since my debut. "
After hearing these words, Chen Long suddenly thought of a question. He said: "In this way, won't the production cycle of future movies become longer and longer? "
Yang Ye said: "I'm afraid so! Moreover, as computer special effects become more and more mature, Hong Kong movies are actually on a very dangerous edge. If you are not careful, you will be in catastrophe! "
After hearing this, Xu Ke raised his eyebrows and asked, "Where do you start talking about this? ”
Yang Ye said: "Because Hollywood has the backing of the North American market, it can continue to invest in research and development of film technology. In the future, their investment in an A-level production will be more than 100 million US dollars.
The local market in Hong Kong is too small. The box office generated by a movie may not be enough for other people’s special effects budget. How can we compete with others?”
Wu Yusen said: “But the bulk of our profits are in overseas markets”
Yang Ye shook his head and said: "The overseas market is the most unstable. Our movies can be shut out by other people's arbitrary policies.
Shaw Brothers and MP&M used to dominate Malaysia. What now? Sir Shao quits and not only closes the film studio, but also closes the movie theater! ”
When everyone thought about it, it was really like this. When Vietnam was anti-Chinese ten years ago, Hong Kong movies could not be sold. It has only slowly recovered in the past two years.
Because Yang Ye went to the mainland to make movies, Baiyang Company was banned by Taiwan as a whole. If Yang Ye's influence was not strong enough, Baiyang Company could rely on other markets to make up for its losses in Taiwan, and it would have been finished long ago. .
In the past, there was a man named Ye Zhiming who opened a colorful film company. All of the films he produced were very popular. He was ambitious to organize his own theater chain. As a result, he chose to cooperate with Shuangnan Cinema Line. Just slap him to death.
Jackie Chan said thoughtfully: "Then how should we break the situation?"
Yang Yip said: "Let me tell the truth first, you are all the best commercial film directors in Hong Kong, even if Hong Kong movies are so popular that you can’t help but go to Hollywood, but it’s hard for others.
I think that as a part of Hong Kong filmmakers, we still have the responsibility to shoulder this heavy burden. ”
Yang Ye’s words were not bragging. These four people did go to Hollywood later. Among them, Hong Jingbao and Xu Ke failed, while Chen Long and John Woo successfully established themselves.
These four people are indeed the strongest commercial film directors in the golden age of Hong Kong films. Chen Lung and Hung Jingbao are both innovators of action movies.
Chen Lung created the humorous Kung Fu school, and Hung Jingbao also created the spiritual fantasy. Kung Fu movies, although their influence is much smaller than Chen Long's.
Xu Kesheng's unbridled imagination injects various new elements into martial arts movies.
John Woo's violent aesthetics represents the highest achievement of Hong Kong commercial films.
These four people are all masters of their own style.
As for other contemporaries, such as Wang Jing, they were just tailors who made things together.
Chow Sing-chi, Johnnie To, Lau Wai-keung and others emerged late as directors, and their reputations in the golden age were not prominent.
Anna Hui, Wong Kar-wai, Kwan Jingpeng and others focus on literary films and are not included in the discussion.
Yang Ye said: "How to make Hong Kong movies continue to be brilliant? The answer is actually very simple, four words...Look north to China!"
"Look north to China?" Several people repeated it in unison.
“It is a market with a population of more than one billion and huge potential.
And for some unknown reason, computer technology is developing extremely fast, not inferior to that of the United States.
A few years ago , it is precisely because I saw this that I embraced the mainland even if it was blocked by Taiwan.
Without mainland computer technology, do you think I could have shot "Terminator 2"?
There is a market and technology. This is the capital to compete with Hollywood.
What mainland China lacks is that it started too late and lacks corresponding film talents.
We are just film talents. Didn’t this hit it off right away? ”
When everyone heard it, it turned out to be the truth.
In fact, they couldn't understand Yang Ye's falling out with Taiwan.
If it weren’t for Baiyang Company’s overseas distribution capabilities, it would be a very powerful company.
And since Yang Ye’s front foot was blocked, his back foot got a ticket to enter the mainland market.
I’m afraid these people will disappear.
Until now, everyone understands that Yang Ye's choice of the mainland had such profound meaning.
They couldn't help but sigh, Yang Ye's vision is really far-sighted!
Wu Yusen asked with some doubts: "Then how can you be sure that the mainland can become our stable market?"
Yang Ye said: "Because Hong Kong will return to the motherland in 1997. At that time, Hong Kong movies were Chinese movies. Isn’t it natural for Chinese movies to be released in China? "
Ah... when everyone thought about it, there was nothing wrong with it!
Yang Ye continued: "Of course, if we want to get a share of this huge market, we must plan ahead and make arrangements in advance.
The most important point is to use our resources and experience to help the mainland develop its film industry.
To put it simply, it is investing in mainland China’s cultural industry. This is no different from Hong Kong and Taiwanese businessmen investing in real industries in the mainland. You may think that there are too many restrictions on going to the mainland now. Can we wait until after 1997?
This is the difference between providing help in times of need and icing on the cake. When I go back in 1997, the day lilies will be cold.
It is precisely because the mainland is so hungry for talents that it will accommodate us, and we can take the opportunity to broaden the road.
If we wait for the mainland to open up on its own, then it will be whatever he says.
That’s why I repeatedly cast mainland actors in movies and even went to Shenzhen to build a film and television city. ”
At this point, all the things that Yang Ye has done in the past few years that the four of them cannot understand have been explained clearly.
Yang Ye made it so clear to the four of them. Because it is impossible for Yang Ye to finish filming all the movies by himself
For example, Yang Ye cannot continue filming the "Ghost Blowing Lamp" series. After he finishes filming "The Secret of the Dragon", he will hand it over to others later. Come and do it.
As for those who have the ability to make top-notch commercial films, they are the only four in Hong Kong for the time being.
Taiwan doesn’t have any, Mainland China’s Xie Jin is already old, and the younger generation only has Zhang Yimou for the time being.
Among these four people, not to mention Chen Long and Xu Ke, they have been in the Chinese film industry for fifty years and have produced works worth mentioning in each period.
Chen Long is a one-trick kung fu movie master, while Xu Ke is good at all kinds of kung fu movies. He has tried all kinds of subjects, and has both lows and highs.
Hong Jingbao's peak was relatively short-lived, and he collapsed in the 1990s.
But he is bound to Fatty Wang, and after becoming familiar with the production process of special effects movies, he may not be able to serve as the director of "Ghost Blowing the Lamp".
John Woo has had ups and downs. He has won the box office championship in Hong Kong, Hollywood, and mainland China, and even aspired to the global annual championship.
But when it came to the street, it was also a shocking and bloody attack. It cheated MGM to death in Hollywood, and cheated Galloping Pony to death again after returning to China.
Yang Ye is equal to using the future mainland market to draw a big pie for the four of them.
And if they want to really get a piece of it, their best choice is to get in the car with Yang Ye.
In this way, everyone is bound together by common interests.
Among the four people, Chen Long is the most enthusiastic.
Since Baiyang Company signed an agreement with the mainland, Chen Long’s films have begun to be released in the mainland market one after another.
Because his movies are humorous, thrilling and suitable for all ages, they are deeply loved by mainland audiences.
Jackie Chan's film studio participates in the profit sharing. Each of his films released in the mainland will bring millions of yuan in revenue to the studio.
Baiyang Company paid the money directly to Chen Long Studio in US dollars according to the official exchange rate.
Based on today's exchange rate, every time Chen Long releases a movie in the mainland, it will bring him a net profit of about one million US dollars, which is a huge profit.
So, Chen Long not only supported Yang Ye’s decision to enter the mainland, but also supported it with both hands.
As for the Taiwan market lost because of this...what is that?
……
After taking the four major directors to visit the studio and giving them a cake, Yang Ye continued to prepare for "The Secret of the Dragon".
Now that the protagonist group has arrived, the villain group is still missing.
The number one villain in "The Secret of the Dragon" is called Ying Caihong. Sister Hong is a very typical character, very characteristic of this era.
In the era when the original version of "The Secret of the Dragon" was released, young audiences may not have felt it at all.
However, in the time and space that Yang Ye currently lives in, the impact of "Searching for the Dragon" is much stronger when it is released in this era.
In the late 1980s, all over the world were flooded with various qigong masters and masters of special powers.
From temples to rivers and lakes, these people are very active.
Countries are suddenly going crazy and investing a lot of money into studying various special function phenomena.
These masters can also go on TV openly and openly cheat, causing countless people to lose their money.
Reflected in the movie, we can see that there were many such scenes in Hong Kong movies at that time.
For example, Zhou Xingchi's "The God of Gamblers", Zhou Runfa's "God of Gamblers 2", "Citi Shaolin", etc.
The special function battle at the beginning of Zhou Xingchi's "Shanghai Gambler" is simply like the Marvel hero battle of later generations, which means the special effects are a bit crude.
Ying Caihong in "The Secret of the Dragon" is known as the Supreme Master. He was born in rural Sichuan, China and is a fake overseas Chinese.
It is said that he was born with one black eye and one yellow eye, and he can see ghosts and gods. He is considered unlucky by the people in the village.
Later he was brought to Tokyo for adoption by a wealthy Japanese businessman. After the wealthy businessman died, Ying Caihong disappeared and was rumored to be seriously ill and hospitalized.
He suddenly appeared a few years later, claiming that he had attained enlightenment through cultivation in the Himalayas and could save all sentient beings. He returned to Hong Kong to establish a global spiritual practice society, specifically recruiting wealthy and famous people as disciples, which was expensive.
This is a typical cult leader. In fact, she has no magic power, only the drug hidden in the ring, and a large amount of money she inherited.
She was seriously ill and didn't have long to live. She went to the goddess's tomb to look for Bibi Flower in order to save her own life.
In an era when all countries regard these masters as guests, Yang Ye suddenly openly said in a movie that such people are liars. He is very brave.
A role like this needs to be played by an experienced actor with high moral standing and superb acting skills.
One is to balance the power between the protagonist and the villain, and the other is to bring a very unique aura.
Liu Xiaoqing in the original version was very suitable and acted very well.
Liu Xiaoqing is now 38 years old, and her acting skills are at their peak. In fact, it is very suitable for her to act.
But she was the number one actress in mainland China in the 1980s. She came to Hong Kong to play a villain, which was a bit of a bully.
And she was filming "Dream of Red Mansions" and the schedule was not easy to coordinate, so Yang Ye let it go.
It's a pity that in today's Hong Kong and Taiwan, such actresses... are really hard to find.
After much deliberation, Yang Ye felt that Zheng Peipei could give it a try.
Although Zheng Peipei has always played heroines, she always looks upright.
But her acting career is actually very wide. She can play the funny Mrs. Bihua in "Tang Bohu Spots Autumn Fragrance", or she can play the vicious blue-eyed fox in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon".
Playing the role of a cult leader shouldn't be a problem.
The idea was decided, Yang Ye asked Zheng Peipei out.
After Zheng Peipei read the script, she found it quite interesting. She thought seriously for a long time and said, "I have never played such a role."
Indeed, she rarely plays such a role. Villains, most of the time, play positive characters.
Yang Ye started to fool, he said: "There has never been such a character in a Chinese movie, it is very special. Although you play a villain, you have many roles, and your role is in the movie It is also very crucial..."
After being fooled for a long time, Zheng Peipei finally decided to star because she had never played such a role before and wanted to challenge it.
As for the two men next to Sister Hong, one is American Mark. You can choose this casually. There are many ghost guys in Hong Kong movies, such as Ha Guorong, who specializes in playing foreign police superintendents.
One is Yoko, a Japanese girl. Michiko Nishitaka can play this role. After all, she has slept with Yang Ye, so she should take care of her if she has the chance.
Finally, Yang Ye dragged Johnnie To over again and became the executive director.
With all the people gathered, Yang Ye finally announced the launch of "The Secret of the Dragon"! (End of this chapter)