Director of Photography Department of Huayu

Chapter 143: Wrap-up, next part

Is breaking 100 million not a big problem?
Ning Hao kept muttering this on the way back, and he kept nagging her. Even Xing Aina couldn't help rolling her eyes.

"What are you babbling about? Breaking the 100 million mark, Ning Hao, are you crazy? How could 'Stone' possibly break the 100 million mark?"

"No, I'm not stupid. How could Stone possibly break 100 million?"

Ning Hao had just finished speaking when a light bulb suddenly flashed on his head. He slapped his thigh and his eyes lit up: "I understand. Damn, these old foxes."

No wonder Wu Hehu just said that breaking 100 million is not a big problem.

It is clear that "The Promise" is expected to break 2 million or even 3 million in the domestic box office.

With this level of publicity coverage, almost no one thinks that "The Promise" will not break 100 million.

"Ning Hao, what do you know? Tell me quickly."

Xing Aina gritted her teeth and said, this guy has been talking nonsense since he came out of the shadow.

Ning Hao leaned close to her ear and whispered his guess.

"Really?" Xing Aina was as if she had discovered a new world.

"If I don't understand it, then it might be my problem. The problem is that you don't understand it either, so there might be something wrong. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that we both have problems, after all, Director Chen is the Palme d'Or director.

But think about it, if even a professional director like me can't understand it, how can you expect the audience to understand it?"

Ning Hao asked a soul-searching question.

"So this is... 'The Emperor's New Clothes'?" Xing Aina murmured.

"I can't say for sure." Ning Hao shrugged. "But what they say is ridiculous. They claim it represents the highest standard of blockbuster films in the Eastern world and Eastern culture. I feel it's not as good as Zhang Yi's 'House of Flying Daggers'."

Ning Hao mumbled all the way.

The next morning in California, Wu Chen remembered that the domestic screening of "Stone" should have been completed by the theater chain, so he called Ning Hao to ask about it.

"Stone is going to be very good. I'm confident," Ning Hao said confidently, then asked rather regretfully, "You really can't make it back in December?"

"It's true I can't come back, but it's okay if I don't attend the premiere of 'Stone'."

"I'm not talking about that." Ning Hao paused and said mysteriously, "I'm talking about the premiere of The Promise. If you can come, I guarantee you'll see a lot of fun you can't imagine."

Wu Chen then heard Ning Hao recounting yesterday's on-the-spot testimony from major cinema chains, CCTV's famous program producer Zhang Wei, and Super Girl director Wang Ping, who were all giving brilliant comments.

"I bet at least half of them are lying with their eyes open." Ning Hao swore.

“That’s a pity.” Wu Chen felt a little regretful, but his “Get Out” was much more important.

After hanging up the phone, James McAvoy, Scarlett Johansson and others came over.

People from Lionsgate and Blumhouse started contacting them today. Wu Chen knew why they were coming and smiled and asked them to sit down.

"Wu, is there definitely a sequel to this movie?" Scarlett Johansson asked straight to the point.

"I have a plan in mind, but of course it depends on the performance of the first film. You should have read the supplementary terms. It is beneficial to both parties and we both have the right of first choice.

If you wait until the movie is released, there may be risks, but of course there are benefits as well, so you should consider it carefully."

Wu Chen smiled, and he didn't deliberately exaggerate or belittle to induce anything.

Everyone here is smart, and there are people from Hollywood agencies behind them. They will weigh the pros and cons. All the parties can do is to strive for the greatest and most secure benefits for their own side as much as possible.

To discuss it at the stage where the film has not yet been released is essentially a blind box negotiation, with a bit of a gambling element in it. Those who seek stability, or those who are radical, or those who are conservative, each have their own way of talking.

"Alright, get ready and show your best. Only if the first part is well shot will you have a chance to star in the second part.

Of course, I guarantee that the production cost of the second part will only be higher than this one."

Wu Chen patted James McAvoy on the shoulder and then called on the staff behind the scenes to get to work.

The end of the filming schedule is not far away.

Time quickly came to November.

The domestic film market has ushered in the coldest month of the year, but the Lunar New Year box office has already been filled with smoke. "Stone" is the pioneer, and its reputation and popularity continue to rise.

There are also rumors that major theaters have given it extremely high ratings.

Wu Chen will be able to wrap up "Now You See Me" this week. Lionsgate has contacted the media and started to create buzz about the wrap-up.

On the day of wrap, Wu Chen arrived at the crew early in the morning as usual.

The crew returned to Universal Studios in Los Angeles last week to shoot the final scenes.

With the Christmas season approaching, promotions for North American blockbusters and Oscar contenders are flooding the screens, with billboards outside studios constantly changing. On one massive poster, Zhang Ziyi's face from "Memoirs of a Geisha" is prominently displayed.

Jason Blum saw Wu Chen looking up and glanced at him, then he smiled and joked:
"These past few days, American film critics have begun predicting the Oscar nominations. So far, your country's Zhang is one of the most popular candidates for Best Actress."

Wu Chen was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say in response. He raised his hand and pointed at the ad: "Who shouted that?"

"Of course it's director Rob Marshall. He's shouting in Hollywood every day that Zhang is the next target to be chased crazily by the whole world and that she will win the Oscar for Best Actress."

"You guys are into shouting?" Wu Chen looked peculiar. Damn, could you actually shout something out? "It's just for building momentum, you know? Sometimes whoever shouts louder might get a surprise." Jason Blum shrugged and smiled easily.
"Of course, we don't need to shout for 'Get Out' ourselves. There will be people cheering for us. Who knows, you might become their friend forever."

Jason Blum feels that based on the irony Wu Chen showed in "Get Out", coupled with the Hurricane Katrina incident, shouldn't those black people be grateful to Wu Chen and thank him for speaking up for them?
On the set, everyone was clearly excited about wrapping up the filming.

The work efficiency is even higher than when the shooting is at its most intense.

Several media outlets were invited, and Michael Burns of Lionsgate also appeared.

At around 11 a.m., as the cards flew through the air and landed in the final shot, the script supervisor, under Wu Chen's instructions, shouted, "CUT!"

The whole audience was silent for a moment, and then burst into warm applause.

"Wu, congratulations!" Michael Burns stepped forward and shook hands with Wu Chen. "We've arranged the parties for lunch and dinner today. Enjoy them."

Looking at the crowds celebrating enthusiastically around him, Wu Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

This huge project has finally been completed.

At this time, the arranged media conducted a brief round of interviews with the leading actors.

"Wu, congratulations on completing your second Hollywood film. How would you describe this film?"

Wu Chen was the last to be interviewed. Faced with the question, he paused for a moment and said, "This is the beginning of a perfect scam."

After saying that, he smiled at the camera with a relaxed expression.

At the wrap party in the evening, Wu Chen was quite busy because it was early morning in China. The report of the wrap of "Now You See Me" had already been reprinted in China, and calls of congratulations and greetings came in one after another.

The first call came from Liu Yifei, at seven o'clock.

Later, Han Sanping, Ning Hao, Mu Deyuan and even Wang Changtian called.

In addition to congratulating Wu Chen, Wang Changtian also asked him about the promotion of "Crazy Stone".

The industry is quite interested in the sudden emergence of "Stone", and for Guangguang, which is committed to film production and promotion, it is naturally a good opportunity to learn and draw lessons.

"It's similar to the marketing team you're building now, Mr. Wang, but we're more precisely targeting the audience."

"Guangguang is a rookie in the film and television industry and still needs more practice." Wang Changtian sighed and then asked:
"Director Wu, does Director Ning Hao have time?
One of its programs wants to do an exclusive interview with the director of this year’s Lunar New Year movie.”

"This is a good thing!" Wu Chen did not refuse. This is good for the promotion of the movie. Obviously, Wang Changtian also intends to help promote "Crazy Stone".

Ning Hao naturally would not refuse such a good offer, and he quickly set the date, just three days before the release.

After the filming of Now You See Me was completed, Wu Chen simply rested for three days and then prepared to start filming Get Out.

The cost of "Get Out" meant that he had to choose cheap and easy-to-use actors from the Hollywood Actors Guild.

It is easy to find white actors, but the real challenge is finding a few outstanding black supporting roles, which is also the source of the movie's thriller and horror.

Like Andrew Logan King, the hypnotized black youth, he doesn't appear for long, but his dull eyes and weird expression make people shudder at first sight.

There is also the mysterious maid Georgina, who hides a deep weirdness under her dignified face, especially her uncontrollable smile, which becomes one of the most shocking horror scenes in the film.

Wu Chen and Jason Blum also spent a lot of time to select Anthony Mackie, Viola Davis and others as suitable candidates for supporting roles.

The filming of Get Out was much simpler than Now You See Me, with two main filming locations:
One is Savannah, Georgia, which is famous for its old Southern estates and historic downtown, and is a popular location for low-budget films;
The second studio was in Los Angeles, where the hypnosis scenes and some interior shots were shot. All that was needed was a green screen set.

For some exterior scenes, he didn't even need to be there himself; he just had to instruct the photographer to shoot more footage.

In the Los Angeles studio, after everything was ready, Wu Chen started filming in a low-key manner.

Jason Blum made a detailed plan and the shooting time was three weeks, which was pretty much what Wu Chen expected.

The original version was filmed in just 23 days.

These days, domestic film media are basically focused on three movies: "The Promise", "A One Man's Journey" and "Stone".

Feng Xiaogang was probably so itchy during the filming of "Night Banquet" that he became ill. In the middle of the filming, he invited a bunch of reporters to visit the set to introduce the bamboo sea scenery that he had built at a cost of one million yuan.

The reporter then changed the subject:
"Two films, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and House of Flying Daggers, have already made a big splash in bamboo forests. Director Feng's action scenes shot there don't seem to be very innovative."

This question made Feng Xiaogang's face turn pale, and he drove away a group of reporters in disappointment.

The reporters didn't give him face either:
Following "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "House of Flying Daggers," Feng Xiaogang's "Night Banquet" also features a bamboo forest battle!

Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet" concludes the Bamboo Forest trilogy?

Ning Hao couldn't stop laughing when he told Wu Chen about this.

"By the way, the interview with Guangguang is over, right?" Wu Chen asked after laughing.

"It's over. Mr. Wang is very considerate. He published a large article in Guangguang Media yesterday." Ning Hao sighed. It really is easier to get things done when you have someone to help you.

It would be good enough if he had received the same treatment as one of his previous two films.

"Okay, first of all, I wish you a great success in editing the premiere." Wu Chen smiled. He also needed to rest because he had to continue filming early tomorrow morning.

"I accept your good words."

Ning Hao was feeling a bit nervous, as the premiere of "Stone" was getting closer and closer.
(End of this chapter)