Entertainment: I am the peak

Chapter 39 Preparations
On the second night of the New Year's Day holiday, Li Qiutang was still writing a script when she suddenly received a call from her mother, who was very anxious and said, "Your father is not right recently."

"What's wrong?" Li Qiutang asked with a smile.

"He goes out every night."

"Go to class now."

"What can I tell you if he goes to class? He goes out when there's nothing to do at school. He doesn't go out to play cards or go to anyone's house to drink and chat. I don't know what he does.

"Sometimes I can't find anyone during the day when I have nothing to do."

After hearing what his mother said, Li Qiutang had already guessed what his father was doing, but he couldn't say it, so he smiled and said, "Don't worry, don't you know my father? He can't do anything."

"I'm just worried that he's been scammed. There are so many CXs on TV these days."

"He's a teacher, who would lie to him?"

"Many highly educated people on TV have been deceived." My mother is still worried.

Li Qiutang said, "Don't worry about it. What could possibly happen to him? Winter vacation is coming soon, and school might be busy."

"Oh, by the way, are you coming back for the New Year this year?"

"Go back, why would I stay in Yanjing?" Li Qiutang said, "Okay, stop thinking too much, just focus on your shop."

After hanging up the phone with her mother, Li Qiutang called her father and advised him, "My mother has become suspicious. Don't be too deliberate. Just go there two or three times a week. If you don't see her every day, it will make people suspicious."

My dad said on the phone that he would definitely learn from the lesson.

"How's your practice going?"

"I think it's okay. I'm already very proficient in it." Dad was very satisfied with the results of his practice.

"That's fine. I'll come back early this year and we'll give my mom a big surprise."

The dad was very satisfied with his son's plan and said that he would be more careful next time so as not to let the mom find out, then he hung up the phone.

If it wasn't for the surprise effect, the father and son wouldn't have been so secretive.

After New Year’s Day, the assistant director and photography assistant, who had been out scouting locations for more than a month, returned to Yanjing with hundreds of photos and over a hundred videos, and of course, a large number of reimbursement vouchers.

The reimbursement vouchers were handed over to the finance department, and Li Qiutang was only responsible for checking the location scouting materials.

There are only a few places to shoot martial arts movies: Hengdian, Western Film City, Beiputuo, Wuxi Three Kingdoms City, Tongli...

One pair of hands can count them all.

Looking through photos and videos, Li Qiutang constructed images and shots in his mind and asked the assistant director of location scouting, "When are you free to shoot Along the River During the Qingming Festival in Hengdian?"

"There will be several crews shooting at Along the River During the Qingming Festival next year, but we are not nervous. However, we have to hurry up, as no one can guarantee that there will be other crews competing with us for the location."

Li Qiutang pondered for a while and said, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival is definitely needed, but the crew hasn't released the schedule yet, so it's hard for me to decide on a time."

"Don't you want to go see it again?" "No need to go to Hengdian. I've been to Hengdian more often in recent years than going home." Li Qiutang smiled, "I'll go to the Western Film City after the New Year. Not many people go there. I'll find time to go to Hengdian later."

There are also some scattered exterior scenes, which Li Qiutang will watch later.

"No One" is mainly action-oriented, and inserting more than a dozen fighting scenes would definitely make it difficult for the martial arts director, but this would make it easier for the screenwriter.

From the beginning to the end, Li Qiutang did not require any profound expression of ideas, as long as the characters spoke human language, the script was very easy to write.

In the month after the director joined in to sort out the story line of "No One in Despair", Li Qiutang and two screenwriters revised two drafts and finally finalized "No One in Despair" a week after New Year's Day. If there are any more revisions, they will only be some changes to the details of some words and phrases, and there will be no major changes.

The finished script was delivered to Wang Zhonglei's desk the next day. Wang Zhonglei knew that a script and a finished film could be two completely different things, so he took a quick glance at it and approved it.

Why was Wang Zhonglei sent for trial?
First, we respect his identity as a producer and chief producer. Second, if he doesn't write a script, how can the crew of "No One in My Life" get the second payment and continue working!
The two screenwriters refused to follow the crew. They wanted to settle the payment after finishing the work!
Once the script is finalized, casting can officially begin, and departments such as art, photography, props, lighting, recording, and music can all get started.

In fact, Li Qiutang had already organized people to slowly advance part of the work during the script writing stage.

For example, for art work, when the script was basically finalized, Li Qiutang found Mr. Yang Baigui, a senior art designer in the industry and also the art director of "Night Banquet" - the play collapsed in the script, but there was no problem with the art and photography.

Why not look for Ye Jingtian?

He's too expensive! Does Li Qiutang not want to find him?
In comparison, art from the mainland is more cost-effective.

The original art design of "No One" including the costume design is simply disgusting and full of Japanese influence. That's why the film is only slightly popular. If it were a big hit and someone criticized the art design, the crew wouldn't be able to explain themselves even if they had eight mouths.

The photographer found a young photographer named Cao Dun because he was cost-effective, had good experience, was well-known in the industry, and offered a low price. After Wang Zhonglei approved the script, Cao Dun joined the crew the next day.

Although Huayi assisted, as a director, Li Qiutang was still the busiest person during the preparation period, no doubt about it.

But the producer in charge of the preparations also had something to say: "I didn't ask you to be busy."

Maybe it was because of his youthful vigor, or maybe he wanted to prove himself. There were many tasks that were clearly assigned to specific people, but Li Qiutang insisted on getting involved!
For example, costumes for martial arts films are already very mature. In any film and television studio, there are tens of thousands of sets of ancient costumes for the crew to choose from, and there are corresponding factories that can quickly produce samples if they are remade.

But Li Qiutang insisted on personally checking it. Qin Niang and Ni Yan shared the same fitting model. The girl tried on dozens of clothes a day, and it took three consecutive days before he decided on one. He either said it was not Tang style enough or did not suit the character's characteristics.

The costume designer almost slammed the table in anger.

At the props side, he told the prop master what kind of sword he wanted to make for Cheng Xiazi: "You have Tang horizontal swords, the kind with a sheath but no guard? Prepare a few more and make them look a little old. Don't give me a new sword. Put a small metal button like this on the sheath."

Li Qiutang showed the sketch he drew to the prop. This small metal button was for the flame sword effect.

"I see. This is easy to do." The prop master knew at a glance that this job was simple.

Li Qiutang showed plenty of energy at this time. He finished discussing with the props and went to work with Cao Dun on storyboards and discuss the preliminary shooting plan. As soon as Cao Dun finished his work, he went to meet with the producer to arrange the shooting cycle.

Li Qiutang could work fourteen or fifteen hours a day without a break. One night, Cao Dun had already fallen asleep when he was woken up by a phone call from Li Qiutang: "Lao Cao, I want to tell you, I have an idea, it's going to be awesome..."

Before he could finish his words, Li Qiutang was scolded by Cao Dun on the phone. After being scolded, Li Qiutang said, "Are you done? Let me tell you..." and continued to talk about the new idea he had thought of.

Once entering full-power working state, Li Qiutang became a little reckless.

(End of this chapter)