Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 800 will definitely not be a mistake.
Ten miles southeast of the provincial capital, at the summit of the main peak of Wufeng Mountain.

After more than an hour of climbing, the entire crew finally arrived at the filming location.

It's a dilapidated little Taoist temple. The three courtyards—front, middle, and back—are still intact, but some walls have collapsed, some beams are broken, and some roofs have only half a tile left.

Seeing this scene, Shi Tiezhu was dumbfounded and stood there for several seconds. Seeing the crew making preparations in an orderly manner under Kuang Mingyi's command, he frowned and thought for a moment. He then secretly ran to Chen Fan's side and whispered, "Advisor Chen, this place is so bad, how are we going to film?"

How about this, you wait a couple of days, we'll find someone to repair this Taoist temple first, and then we'll come back? Or we can find another Taoist temple. You know Phoenix Mountain, about 50 miles from Yunhu? There's a Taoist temple there, quite well preserved, and a few Taoist priests still live there. Let's go there!

Chen Fan put down the filming log in his hand and smiled at him, "No need to bother, this is exactly the kind of dilapidated Taoist temple I want."

Actually, after Director Wu sent people over to take photos of the site, he suggested to Chen Fan that the Taoist temple be properly repaired. Although Jiangying Film Studio was a bit poor, it had already applied for filming funds and allocated several thousand yuan, so repairing the Taoist temple shouldn't be a problem.

But when Chen Fan looked at the Taoist temple in the photo, he slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "I want it to be dilapidated. If it were a nice Taoist temple, I wouldn't dare to make a move."

So this is the dilapidated state that ultimately appeared before the film crew.

Looking at Shi Tiezhu's puzzled face, Chen Fan said seriously, "You should know that the Jiaodong Peninsula was not a peaceful and harmonious place back then. There were several wars there. In particular, the political situation in Shandong at that time was corrupt, disasters occurred frequently, and wars were incessant. The people suffered greatly and could be said to be starving and naked."

In such an environment, apart from a few concession areas and major cities where things were relatively stable, almost everything else was reduced to ruins.

Even if Chaoyang Temple is located on a mountaintop, secluded from the world, how can it remain untouched by its own problems?

Upon hearing this, Shi Tiezhu looked at the Taoist temple again and suddenly realized, "So the current appearance of this Taoist temple is a true reproduction of the Chaoyang Temple from back then?"

Chen Fan pursed his lips but did not answer him.

It's not just a realistic recreation, it's seven times worse. According to Zhang Xuansong's recollection, back then, only a section of the courtyard wall of Chaoyang Temple collapsed, but here, not only did the courtyard wall collapse, but several houses also collapsed.

Moreover, from Chen Fan's perspective as a "master architect," these collapsed areas clearly show signs of human intervention.

What else could he say besides marveling at the sports team's stamina on such a windy day?

Soon everything was ready. Kuang Mingyi personally checked it over before reporting to Chen Fan, "Director, it's ready."

He's getting more and more into his role as assistant director.

He used to be a photographer, but he was invited by Director Wu to transfer to Jiangxi Film Studio in order to become a director, but he was idle for another year.

I had given up hope, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and I had the opportunity to work with Chen Fan on a movie.

Although he was only an assistant director, the fact that the director didn't have to worry about anything except filming gave him a lot of experience as a novice director. He was confident that once this film was finished, he would be able to direct a movie on his own.

Should we make a lighthearted urban comedy, or follow Director Chen's example and make a martial arts film?

I'm so annoyed.

Chen Fan had no idea what Kuang Mingyi was thinking. After a quick look around to make sure everything was in place, he nodded and said, "Actors, get ready to film."

Under Kuang Mingyi's command, Yang Zhenlong and the others quickly found their positions and got ready.

Chen Fan, sitting in the director's seat, looked at Yang Zhenlong and smiled, "Old man, are you nervous?"

Yang Zhenlong waved his patched-up Taoist robe and pointed to the young men standing beside him, saying, "Why don't you ask them?"

Before Chen Fan could ask a question, Yang Congling shouted from the side, "Don't be nervous."

If you were to ask who in the entire crew was the happiest, it would definitely be her. She was finally able to get up close and personal with her idol; she must be ecstatic!

As a direct descendant of the Yang family, a renowned Tai Chi prodigy and martial arts master in Beijing's martial arts world, Yang Congling is also a seasoned literary youth.

She enjoys reading books and poetry, and has even tried submitting her work, but unfortunately, it wasn't selected.

Of all the writers, her favorite is Chen Fan, a young writer known for his high quality, high output, and diverse works.

When she learned that Chen Fan was not only a writer, but also a super master who could rival her grandfather, the shock she felt was unimaginable.

They're all around the same age, so why is he so outstanding?

So when she heard that Chen Fan was recruiting actors to make a movie, she was the first to sign up.

Yang Congling still remembers that night, after all the guests had left, her family called her over and asked if she had feelings for Chen Fan. Her ears turned red.

It's not that I find it interesting, it's just that I admire it a little.

Yes, it's worship.

Seeing his sister's expression, Yang Chenfeng couldn't help but roll his eyes. Whether you admire her or are interested, can't you tone it down a bit?
He immediately retorted irritably, "You don't have any scenes to film right now, of course you're not nervous."

Most of the people around were fellow martial arts practitioners from the capital, and they were already quite familiar with each other. Upon seeing this scene, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.

The tense atmosphere instantly relaxed.

Chen Fan also laughed a few times along with the crowd. This burst of laughter came at just the right time, and those who were clearly a little nervous just now relaxed a lot.

Once the laughter subsided, he picked up the large tin megaphone and shouted, "First scene, first take, don't turn on the camera yet. Everyone, rehearse the content you've prepared... Three-second countdown, 3, 2, 1, begin!"

Since there was no camera angle, Yang Zhenlong was even more relaxed and instantly got into character. He sat cross-legged on a futon in the Sanqing Hall and silently meditated and chanted scriptures.

Yang Chenfeng, who plays Zhang Xuansong, swung his arms around and shouted without even looking around, "Grandmaster, something's happened. Master can't handle it, so he sent me to ask you."

Yang Zhenlong, who plays Di Yunzi, didn't even lift his eyelids. "Little Xuansong, I always teach you to be calm and composed, to remain unmoved even if Mount Tai collapses before your eyes. Have you all forgotten?"

Xuan Songzi immediately adjusted his expression, took a deep breath, and casually made a Daoist curtsy, "May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings, Grandmaster, your grand-disciple has something to report."

Di Yunzi then slowly opened her eyes, "Tell me about it."

Xuan Songzi said, "The rice jars in the temple are empty, the flour bags are empty, the soy sauce jars are empty, every jar is empty."

Di Yunzi's eyes widened instantly. "How is this possible? I just bought the noodles the day before yesterday. How could they be gone so quickly?"

Xuan Songzi spread his hands and said, "Master brought back 5 catties of flour the day before yesterday. There are 14 people in our temple. It's already pretty good that it can last for three days, even if it's just mixed with wild vegetables and made into a paste."

Di Yunzi said, "Then let's go down the mountain to buy more."

Xuan Songzi was even more helpless. "The Japanese invaders have not only occupied the territory, but also burned, killed and looted everywhere. Our Taoist temple doesn't have much money to begin with. We emptied our pockets to help the disaster victims a while ago. Where are we going to get money to buy rice and flour now?"
Besides, even if you had the money, there's nowhere to buy it, unless..."

Ji Yunzi looked at him. "Unless what?"

Xuan Songzi lowered his hands, sighed, and said, "Unless we go to the areas occupied by the little notebook, there might still be grain stores open, but it's obvious that grain prices will have increased many times over."

From the late Qing Dynasty to the present day, Shandong has hardly had a peaceful day. The people living here are well-versed in all kinds of contingencies.

I'm used to it.

Xuan Songzi pinched his beard with his fingers, pondering for a long time with a troubled expression, before finally calming down and continuing his meditation.

Just as Xuan Songzi was feeling a bit strange, he said softly, "Go, call over your grandmaster, master, uncles, and all the other fellow disciples and everyone else in the temple." Xuan Songzi's eyes darted around, and after hesitating for two seconds, he said "Oh" and turned to leave.

Upon arriving here, Chen Fan glanced at Kuang Mingyi.

Kuang Mingyi's lips curled slightly, and he gave him a wink.

Chen Fan nodded slightly to indicate that he understood, then picked up the tin megaphone and shouted, "Good, this performance was well done. Now let's officially begin filming."

Yang Chenfeng and Yang Zhenlong immediately adjusted their expressions and prepared to start again.

When it came to the official start of filming, for some reason, Yang Zhenlong suddenly became nervous. He sat on the futon as if he had hemorrhoids, twisting and turning his buttocks, completely losing the air of the superior demeanor he had just displayed.

However, Chen Fan wasn't in a hurry. Anyway, the previous scene had already been filmed, and the camera wasn't working now, so he could just let them play around.

So Director Chen didn't care about the consumption of film at all, and patiently helped them correct it again and again. This take was shot fourteen times before he confirmed it was acceptable.

There's no way around it; this kind of opportunistic method might work a few times, but it will definitely be exposed if used in the long run, and you can't keep relying on this method to fool people forever.

Most importantly, we need to help these newcomers to the film industry adapt to the camera as soon as possible so that they can get on the right track.

Don't forget, Chen Fan isn't just going to make this one movie, but a series of four or five movies. Who's going to keep playing along with them?

After the first take was completed, the second take was filmed immediately.

Next, Di Yunzi convened a "General Assembly" to discuss the matter of breaking away from the temple and descending the mountain.

As the scenes unfolded, the day passed just like that.

As evening approached, the temperature on the mountain dropped rapidly, and it was no longer suitable for camping, so the film crew prepared to pack up and return to the city.

Looking at the shooting log, Chen Fan couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Only three takes in a day, that's really slow."

Kuang Mingyi walked over with his camera and overheard this. He immediately laughed and said, "It's not slow. When we used to make movies, sometimes we would just wait for a gust of wind, a shower, or for the rain to stop. After the whole crew was ready, we would just wait there. We couldn't even finish one take a day, let alone three."

He set up the camera, looked around, and seeing that the nearest people were more than five meters away, he moved closer to Chen Fan and whispered, "Director Chen, I know that the people you brought back are all very skilled. But as you saw in today's scene, they are indeed far inferior to the actors from our Jiangxi Film Studio."

Chen Fan glanced to the side and saw that not only Yang Zhenlong, but also several other elderly men were listening intently.

Despite the distance and the fact that Kuang Mingyi had lowered his voice, it was almost indistinguishable from speaking right next to their ears to these highly skilled individuals.

He coughed lightly and said with a smile, "I won't talk to you now. When we get back to the factory tonight, there are a few night shoots. I'll show you what I'm made of!"

Kuang Mingyi stared wide-eyed, still not quite understanding what he meant.

Yang Zhenlong and the others who were eavesdropping were feeling quite frustrated. The filming hadn't gone well that day; everything was fine during rehearsals, but as soon as the camera started rolling, they couldn't act at all.

Old Yang is over 70 years old and has never felt as embarrassed as he did today.

When Kuang Mingyi spoke again, it was clear that he thought they couldn't act and wanted to replace them with actors from the Jiangnan Film Studio.

Yes, those people are actors, and they really know how to act. You could tell how good they are just by watching the movie yesterday.

But doesn't this great hero have any pride?
Upon hearing Chen Fan's words, their eyes lit up. The sect leaders exchanged glances, secretly determined to give Kuang Mingyi a real shock.

……

Go in the morning and come back in the evening.

The film crew returned to the city at around 7 p.m.

It must be said that the staff and cadres of Jiangxi Film Studio really gave Director Chen face.

These days, who on a film crew works the night shift?

Just like ordinary workers going to work, they report at eight in the morning and leave at five in the evening, leaving on time without hesitation.

Anyway, you get an extra day's pay for working overtime, but there's no overtime pay, so why make yourself so tired?

Even when shooting night scenes, most of the time it's done indoors with lights. Only when it's absolutely necessary to shoot a night scene at night will a few people be arranged to work overtime, and the job will be done quickly.

But Jiangying Studio was different. Director Chen arranged the shooting schedule, and no one in the studio raised any objections.

Some people may be unhappy, but under the joint suppression of Secretary Fang and Factory Director Wu, whether they are retired veteran workers or unruly new employees, they all obediently listen to them.

Especially after watching the first self-produced feature film from Jiangxi Film Studio yesterday, even Heizi and Huazi, who guard the gate of the studio, barked to show their full support for Director Chen.

Sure enough, when the film crew returned to the factory, the canteen, which had never been open at night before, was now brightly lit.

The head chef, along with his apprentices and several kitchen helpers, had already prepared meals for the film crew.

Three meat dishes and one vegetable dish, with both vegetables and soup.

Because they needed to work overtime, no one drank alcohol.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the set design and props team immediately got to work.

In fact, the set had already been built in a village outside the Jiangying Film Studio.

After a flurry of activity, more than a dozen fires were lit, and the extras playing the corpses immediately lay down in the marked spots.

Chen Fan went over to check and saw that Master Yang, Yuan Wang, Xu Danping and several others were among them.

His face darkened. "What are you all doing here?"

Master Yang lay down on the ground with great dedication, even though he had a hole in his back. Without looking up, he said, "There is no distinction between noble and lowly labor. We can play leading roles, and we can play corpses too."

Yuan Wang: "Agreed."

Xu Danping: "Exactly."

They all went all out to get a role.

Chen Fan's lips twitched slightly, and he shook his hand. "Get ready, everyone. This is an action scene, so please be careful."

Yang Zhenlong cracked his neck, wearing a patched Taoist robe, and walked over menacingly, carrying a sword. "I guarantee your safety."

Zhao Lingdong, the top master of Tongbei Quan, carried a large knife on his shoulder and continued Yang Zhenlong's words, "Those who weren't safe are all dead. They don't deserve to be alive now."

Han Qingshan of the Xingyi School, dragging a twelve-foot-long red spear, said with a very gentle expression, "Can you two tone it down a bit? Look how pale Director Kuang's face has turned."

He then smiled at Kuang Mingyi and said, "Director Kuang, don't worry, we've been brothers for decades, we definitely won't make a mistake."

(End of this chapter)