Traveling back to 1977

Check the progress of Chapter 786
Sunday, August 5th.

Zhou Yali got up early, washed up, changed her clothes, and walked towards Chen Fan's room while yawning.

As she passed by the two sisters' room, she knocked twice on the door. When no one answered, she pushed the door open. The large bed inside was already neatly made, and the room was empty.

Shaking her head, Zhou Yali closed the door behind her and walked to Chen Fan's door again. This time, she was smarter and knocked gently.

Chen Fan's voice came from inside, "Come in."

Zhou Yali pushed open the door and saw Chen Fan wearing a "ethnic costume" that she had only seen in newspapers.
Yes, it was a sleeveless white shirt, black shorts, and a pair of high-soled shoes.

The clothes that are common in rural northern China, when worn by Chen Fan, somehow look like they're on a model's runway.

At this moment, Chen Fan was holding a brush and wielding it to paint. On the large rosewood desk, a painting was almost finished, and in the upper right corner, Chen Fan was inscribing a title.

Zhou Yali went over to take a look. It was a very steep landscape painting. Although it was a freehand Chinese painting, one could clearly distinguish the dense forest, the babbling stream, the steep steps, and a small Taoist temple in the pine forest on the peak.

She couldn't help but ask, "Where is this place?"

Chen Fan put down his brush, picked up his seal, pressed it onto the inkpad, and then pressed it firmly onto the signature area.

After placing the seal, he smiled and said, "It is the earliest Chaoyang Temple, located in the Kunyu Mountain area of ​​Shandong. I have never been there. I heard about it from my third master and then painted this picture based on my imagination."

Zhou Yali chatted with the two sisters until very late yesterday and learned about what had happened since she left. She then asked, "So you're going there to scout locations for your movie?"

Chen Fan shrugged. "It's not that bad."

After tidying up the writing implements a bit, he placed the painting on the table to dry. He clapped his hands, sat down on the Luohan bed next to him, took a sip of tea, and then said, "My third master went back more than ten years ago. The Taoist temple had long been destroyed, leaving only some ruins."

He had considered rebuilding it on the original site, but considering that he was working in Beijing and it would be time-consuming, laborious, and expensive to hand it over to someone else, he gave up the idea.

Nobody knows what the situation is like over there now. But judging from the trends of recent years, it's probably still the same as before; there aren't even any Taoist temples left, so there's no need to go looking for them.

He pointed to the painting and continued, "I've been thinking about it. Wufeng Mountain, which isn't far from the provincial capital of Jiangnan Province, seems to be somewhat similar to this mountain. We can build a Taoist temple inside the Jiangying Film Studio as the interior set, and then shoot the exterior scenes directly at Wufeng Mountain. That should be enough."

Wufeng Mountain is a very common name; there seem to be dozens of such mountains all over the country. This one in Jiangnan Province isn't particularly remarkable either, and the scenery is just so-so. However, there's a peak inside the mountain that's somewhat similar to the one Zhang Xuansong described, which could serve as a perfect spot for taking photos.

That place was recommended by Director Wu of the Jiangying Film Studio.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't the Jiangxi Film Studio that went there to scout locations. They never left the studio when filming movies. It was just that our work unit organized a "remembering the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present" trip there back in the day.

Such activities were quite common at the time. Unlike team building activities in later generations, the "remembering the bitter past and appreciating the sweet present" activities of those days involved real hardship. People of all ages carried their packs and walked from their workplaces, essentially imitating the Long March.

It was during that event that Director Wu discovered the place. He even took some photos, thinking that he might have the opportunity to scout locations in Wufeng Mountain for a movie. In the end, their movie didn't happen, but it did provide Chen Fan with a filming location.

As for shooting separately, it's just a common practice in filmmaking. For example, when filming "Shaolin Temple," the interior scenes of the temple were actually filmed at Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou. Songshan was just one of the outdoor shooting locations because the real Shaolin Temple at that time was just a few dilapidated bricks and tiles, with no place to even stand, let alone shoot interior scenes.

After Chen Fan finished speaking, Zhou Yali immediately frowned and asked, "Then why did you say you were going to find suitable locations for filming? By the time you've chosen the actors, it will only take you about half a month. China is such a big place, where are you planning to go to choose?"

Chen Fan took a sip of tea and laughed, “Here’s what I’m thinking: first go from Beijing to Tianjin. Tianjin has many old streets, which are perfect for filming houses and street scenes from the Republican era.”

Then we boarded a ship in Tianjin and sailed directly to Weihai, Shandong. Kunyu Mountain is located there. We took a camera and casually filmed some distant mountain scenes to make a brief appearance at the beginning of the movie, which would be a fitting tribute to the ancestral home of Chaoyang Temple.

Yes, I learned this from "Shaolin Temple".

Apart from the distant view of Mount Song, everything else in the film was shot elsewhere, essentially a "white hat" production.

Chen Fan gestured the route with his finger and continued, "Then from Shandong down to Jiangsu, then through the Yangtze River to Anhui and Jiangxi, that route is all for shooting on location, that should be enough."

Zhou Yali's eyes widened. "You're just going to take the picture?"

Chen Fan nodded. "Yeah."

He paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "This isn't difficult. I brought a camera and a few rolls of film. It's just for some outdoor scenes, so it should be enough."

People these days like to be meticulous. For scenes with distinct regional characteristics, they will basically film on location. In later generations, a small grove or a small hill would suffice. Why make such a fuss?

Zhou Yali shook her head, still somewhat incredulous in her eyes, "But do you know how to use a video camera? This thing is not like a camera; it requires a lot of technical skills."

Especially in film cinematography, the visual language must fit the overall style of the film; you can't just shoot a few shots randomly and expect it to be suitable.

Chen Fan turned to look at her and chuckled, "What, you don't believe in my abilities?"

Zhou Yali pouted, waved her hand, and said, "Come on, since you like to show off, then go ahead and take the picture yourself. Anyway, if it's not suitable after you take it, that's your own business. At most, your own sister will bleed a little and spend money to find someone to go back and reshoot it for you."

Chen Fan shook his head. "Then you're overthinking it. Haven't you seen the photos I took for you before? Which one wasn't good? Just relax and wait for the big surprise."

Cinematic language is indeed a highly technical skill. Through the lens, the cinematographer can accurately convey the emotions that the director wants to express. For example, in the wedding scene in Red Sorghum, the yellow of the loess soil and the red of the bridal sedan chair create a striking contrast, giving the audience a strong sense of contrast.

This is just one expression of cinematic language.

Otherwise, there wouldn't be a "Best Cinematography" award in the major film awards.

Chen Fan had been playing with cameras for two years and his photography skills were already quite good. A few days ago, when he was at the Jiangxi Film Studio, he specifically asked Kuang Mingyi for a long time to teach him everything he knew.

Today, he is definitely a professional cinematographer.

With the experience of watching movies in later generations, especially Zhang Yimou's use of camera angles, shooting these landscapes is simply a waste of talent, and there is absolutely no need to worry.

Zhou Yali was unaware of these things and didn't care. She stood up, stretched, and asked, "Where are Tiantian and Lili? Why are they up so early? What are they doing?"

After speaking but receiving no reply, Zhou Yali felt a little strange and immediately turned to look at Chen Fan, only to see him staring at her with a strange expression. She immediately panicked and asked, "W-what's wrong?"

Chen Fan sighed softly, "It's almost 7 a.m. now, and you're only getting up now. So, how long has it been since you did your morning exercise?"

As the saying goes, "Practice makes perfect." If you don't practice for a day, you'll know it; if you don't practice for two days, your opponent will know it; if you don't practice for three days, the whole world will know it.

Kung Fu, unless you've reached a state of simplicity and purity like Chen Fan, where you can't progress any further and can only focus on self-cultivation, requires daily practice. Even for Chen Fan himself, morning training was essential in the past.

But look at Zhou Yali, she got up so late and still had the nerve to ask where Tiantian and Lili went.

Aren't you ashamed?

Zhou Yali blushed immediately and stammered, "Of course I do morning exercises, but I had to adjust to the time difference last night, oh right, I had to adjust to the time difference, so I didn't get up for a while. I can always make up for it tonight. Anyway, I practice for at least half an hour every day, I haven't missed a single session, the worst that could happen is I forget in the morning and make up for it in the evening."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan shook his head repeatedly, "Alright, it's better to have something to supplement than nothing."

He paused for a moment, then said earnestly, "I'm having you do morning exercises not only to practice your skills, but also to cultivate your mind."

Zhou Yali blinked, "What the hell is 'training the mind'?"

Could it be that this Bagua Palm technique can actually turn you into a dragon knight or a Saint Seiya warrior?

Chen Fan explained, “Training the mind means training your willpower. Martial arts is about the unity of essence, energy and spirit. Simply training the body is only one-third of the equation. As the saying goes, ‘Practicing boxing without internal strength training is a waste of time in old age.’ This means that you must maintain the correct training method.”

He stood up and patted her on the shoulder. "Hey, the smart ones have already gone down to practice their skills. Only the idiots are still standing there dumbly."

Zhou Yali wrinkled her nose fiercely, "You're the idiot."

After saying that, she stormed out, only to run into the two sisters who had just finished their morning exercise and were returning, covered in sweat and ready to shower.

She immediately grabbed one of them with each hand, saying, "You've come at the right time. I'm going to do my morning exercise. Will you come with me?"

After saying that, he ran downstairs.

Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili were dragged down, exchanged a glance, smiled helplessly, and could only follow her down to practice one more time.

Chen Fan leisurely picked up his homemade pipe, lit a pipe, and left the room.

After they finished their morning exercise, another half hour passed, and by the time they finished showering, it was already eight o'clock.

By this time, the sun was already high in the sky, and Liu Juan and Ma Lan had already gone to work at Chaoyang Temple.

The breakfast they made was still hot in the pot. It didn't need to be too hot on such a hot day. They picked out two plates of steamed buns, served a few bowls of porridge, and packed a few side dishes. They ate a simple breakfast.

People who practice martial arts have big appetites. They ate more than a dozen steamed buns clean. Even Jiang Tiantian, who used to have a small appetite, ate three big meat buns.

After finishing the last mouthful of porridge, Zhou Yali wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and looked at Chen Fan, asking, "What are the plans for today?"

Chen Fan shook his head. "No."

After a pause, he said to the two sisters, "Why don't you two just play games in the room? There's nothing fun to do outside in this weather."

Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili exchanged a glance, nodded in unison, and smiled, "Anything is fine."

They really don't have any ambitions; in short, they have no desires in life.

These days, girls don't have that many cosmetics. If they have a box of face cream, they're considered to love beauty.

There weren't that many pretty clothes and bags either.

Jiang Lili does like pretty clothes, but she likes making them, not wearing them.

As for eating, drinking, and having fun, they have no concept of those things at all.

Before meeting Chen Fan, their biggest wish was for their parents to be exonerated and for their family to live in peace. Later, Chen Fan helped them realize this wish. When it was their turn to pursue their own dreams, their ideals were nothing more than literature and fashion design.

What they are doing now is their ideal career.

With a successful career and the person I love always by my side, what more could I ask for?
So no matter what arrangements Chen Fan made, they had no objections.

They had no objections, but Zhou Yali did.

She suddenly went limp and slumped onto the table, groaning, "Staying at home? So boring."

Chen Fan looked at her and smiled, "Then tell me, where do you want to go?"

Zhou Yali counted on her fingers, "We went to the Forbidden City, we went to the Great Wall, you took me to so many places last year, where else is fun?"

After a two-second pause, her eyes suddenly lit up, and she sat up straight, looking at Chen Fan and saying, "Brother, how about we go take a look at the house?"

Chen Fan was slightly taken aback, then realized, "You mean, the Prince Ning's Mansion?"

Zhou Yali nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, I bought the house around this time last year. They said it would take three years to renovate, which I found strange. What renovation takes so long?"
"A year has passed now. Why don't we go and see what they've really up to? Otherwise, they might just be throwing together a few people to put on a show and fool us."

Chen Fan smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. Although neither of us are here, I asked my third master for help. He will go and check on us when he has time."

When I last came here, he mentioned the progress over there, saying that the construction team was very dedicated and the progress was fast.

Actually, although it's said to be a year, after deducting the relocation time, it's only about half a year in reality.

However, six months is enough time to renovate the entire house.

Chen Fan hadn't thought of this before, but since Zhou Yali brought it up, he nodded, turned to the two sisters, and said, "Then, shall we go take a look?"

Jiang Tiantian and Jiang Lili both agreed without hesitation and nodded with smiles.

Anyway, as long as they're with Chen Fan, they're happy to play games at home or go out to look at houses.

Having reached a consensus, the four of them went out and drove towards the Prince Ning's residence.

(End of this chapter)