Huayu Entertainment: You have been directing for three generations, are you comparing your qualifica

Chapter 96 Earn the money while standing
Palm Island in Queensland, Australia, is known for its steady waves and clear waters.

The filming location for "The Shallows" was here.

At the hotel where the film crew was staying, Tian Xiaole was inspecting the machines and equipment, all of which had been airlifted by CAA.

Filming will officially begin tomorrow, and he doesn't want anything to go wrong.

The next morning, the producer came over to remind Tian Xiaole that the filming time was only 6 hours a day, and asked him to manage his time well.

If the time limit is exceeded and the crew complains to the actors' union, it will be very troublesome.

At best, it will result in compensation and fines; at worst, the production crew will be suspended for training.

Tian Xiaole looked puzzled. What can you do in 6 hours?
Although there was no need for set design, the entire process of setting up equipment, directing the scene, and having the actors move around took up most of the time.

The producer realized that Tian Xiaole had misunderstood, so he explained it in more detail.

The so-called 6 hours is calculated from the moment the machine starts shooting; other times are not included.

Such a regulation can only be described as bizarre.

On the surface, the workday is 6 hours, but in reality, the waiting time is much longer, sometimes exceeding 12 hours.

To fit the propaganda of "Lighthouse never works overtime," they went through so many roundabout ways.

In China, it's much more direct; they directly exploit people with the 996 work schedule.

When rushing to meet deadlines, we didn't distinguish between day and night; aside from eating and sleeping, we stayed obediently on set all the other time.

"Blake, the production team has a limited budget, and the filming period for this movie won't be too long. You need to stay focused."

Tian Xiaole looked at the lead actress she had chosen and spoke to her very seriously.

Blake Lively nodded, her face beaming with excitement, eager to try.

This is her first movie, and she plays the lead role.

"Don't worry, director. I consulted my father, and he told me that I just need to follow the director's instructions on set."

You have a good father.

Tian Xiaole smiled and said something, then looked at the rest of the crew and called out.

"All departments, prepare! Action!"

Inside the moving jeep, Blake chatted with the driver, explaining the background of the story.

She came here alone to surf in memory of her mother who died of cancer, wanting to show her courage and independence.

A long shot pulls back, showing the vehicle driving out of the dense forest, and the first scene ends.

···
Domestically.

"Buried" grossed 9.5 million yuan in its first week of release and received positive reviews.

The promotion for [Stone] has already begun, more than a month in advance, but the scale is not large, limited to posters and the like.

Claiming to be a sequel to "Crazy Supermarket" and written by Tian Xiaole, it has attracted a lot of attention.

As everyone in the industry knows, this was entirely funded by Tian Xiaole and directed by a novice.

This was the first time that Ning Hao's name came into the public eye.

The biggest news is that another cinema chain has been added in China.

Wanda's main business is real estate, and if it wants to enter the film industry, starting with cinemas is a good starting point.

Given Lao Wang's style of always being bolder than anything else, it's impossible for him to stay only in the downstream of the film and television industry. Sooner or later, he will move into production and distribution, forming a closed loop.

As a production company, Xiaole Pictures will inevitably have to deal with them a lot in the future.

During the shoot, my assistant, Xiaowen, called to say she had received an invitation email from Cannes.

Tian Xiaole, the youngest winner at Cannes, was invited to bring his work to this year's Cannes Film Festival.

[Buried] has already participated in the Berlin Film Festival, and according to unspoken rules, it cannot participate in the other three major European film festivals, otherwise it will be ridiculed by its peers.

Since Tian Xiaole had no works to submit, he had his assistant reply to the email to decline.

On the set of 【The Shallows】, we arrived at the most sensual scene.

Blake Lively looked at the clear ocean and was in high spirits; it's definitely a surfer's paradise.

She zipped up her sun-protective outer garment all the way, revealing her sexy, voluptuous figure in lingerie. Her wheat-colored skin added a touch of wildness.

When the scene showed her bending over to take off her pants, Tian Xiaole instructed the photographer to push the camera forward.

The graceful curves are on full display.

Tian Xiaole noticed that the photographer's throat was moving and he could hear him swallowing.

This is the scene he wanted. The first half of the film is entirely carried by the female lead's figure and looks.

"Click."

After Tian Xiaole finished shouting, he said to Blake, "Put the clothes back on, and we'll get another one."

Upon hearing this, it was clear that many people in the crew had their eyes light up.

"Good director."

Blake nodded obediently. She didn't know how well the filming went, but she should just listen to the director—that was the truth her father had taught her.

···
the other side.

Filming for "Dead Silence" has also begun, and unsurprisingly, it will be directed by James Wan.

The success of "Saw" made him a rising star at Lionsgate, and horror films would definitely pass through his hands first.

Many Hollywood film companies are watching to see if the script provided by this young Chinese director can replicate the success of horror films.

If he can withstand market scrutiny, then the scripts he possesses will become highly sought-after.

After several days of filming, the crew worked together more and more seamlessly.

Blake tried several times to get the surfing shot right, but she couldn't meet Tian Xiaole's requirements.

Fortunately, all the shots were long shots, so body doubles could be used.

I found a local person with a similar build, and we finished the shoot in two takes.

"Director, give me more time, and I can do a good job too."

After a few days of getting to know each other, Blake found that this Eastern director was quite easy to talk to, though she would occasionally grumble a little. "The budget is limited, so there's not much extra time for you," Tian Xiaole said with a smile and a shake of her head.

"Pack your things, filming here is finished."

The scenes at the palm-leaf stalls were finished, and we moved to the studio to film the underwater shots.

Tian Xiaole doesn't need to worry about the machinery and equipment; CAA will handle transporting them back to Hollywood.

The footage shot here was taken back by the producer first.

Tian Xiaole and the rest of the crew are catching their flight tomorrow.

···
The studio was rented from Warner Bros., on a 1/1 basis, and the lighthouse and reef scenes were set up.

The shark attack was filmed without any physical props first, and then CGI shark effects were inserted in post-production.

Mike Burns once said that there was a hint of paying homage to Spielberg, and Tian Xiaole imitated the classic shooting techniques of "Jaws".

The shark-perspective shots, filmed using underwater rails, emphasize the urgency of the female protagonist's escape.

The most difficult scene was undoubtedly when the female lead, on a rock, was bleeding and in low temperature, talking to herself and encouraging herself.

This was a huge challenge for Blake, who had no acting experience.

After taking several takes, Tian Xiaole was still not satisfied.

Extreme conditions severely test a person's will to survive, and in the face of an unknown tomorrow, one needs to demonstrate resilience.

"Let's make some adjustments and do another take later."

"Good director."

Blake was wearing a bikini and was completely soaked.

After several failed attempts, she still couldn't find her rhythm.

She's only 18 years old; it's difficult for her to portray that feeling.

Tian Xiaole's patience was almost worn out, so she let her try the feeling of drowning.

Submerging your head in water deprives your brain of oxygen, causing your body to send out subconscious distress signals.

To realistically recreate the temperature difference at sea at night, Tian Xiaole lowered the temperature in the studio.

···
[The Shallows] was being filmed at Warner Bros. Studios when, unexpectedly, someone came to visit the set.

The script for Dead Silence gave James Wan a big surprise; he had a feeling it would be another masterpiece of his.

I heard that Tian Xiaole went back to Hollywood to film. He left the "Dead Silence" crew aside and wanted to get to know the Chinese director who provided such an excellent script.

"Hello, Director Tian Xiaole, I really want to thank you for providing such a great script for 'Dead Silence,' which gives me another representative work."

Wen Ziren came up to him and said with a smile.

"Hello, director James Wan."

Tian Xiaole extended her hand and shook hands with him.

"You are so young, yet you have achieved so much in film. I admire your success."

James Wan was referring to his awards at Cannes and Berlin. For a director, winning awards at film festivals is absolutely paramount.

"You're too kind. Saw has also achieved considerable success."

"Thank you. Don't worry about filming [Dead Silence]. It won't let down the excellent script you provided."

Hearing this, Tian Xiaole felt quite ashamed; he had simply returned what belonged to him.

Without dwelling on the issue, I instead introduced the plot of "The Shallows" and showed him around the set-up area.

James Wan was quite taken aback. Not only was he a talented director, but the script he provided was also so innovative.

Judging from the filming schedule, it should be wrapping up soon.

After watching for a while, Wen Ziren left, wanting to speed up the progress of [Dead Silence].

We can't lose because of shooting speed, can we?

There's always a strange competitive mentality among men.

Shooting continues.

The crew of "The Shallows" was arguably the best-paid crew in all of Hollywood.

Throughout the film, Blake Lively's voluptuous figure, clad in a sexy bikini, occupies 80% of the screen time.

Every large movement caused it to sway violently up and down.

Sometimes Tian Xiaole was afraid that if she was too rough, her bra strap would break or she would break free and run away.

During the filming, most people stared wide-eyed, secretly drooling.

This is exactly the feeling Tian Xiaole wanted: it couldn't attract people on set, and even less so when it was released.

On the dilapidated watchtower, Blake, who had just been chased by sharks, looked disheveled.

Before she could recover, the shark's violent impact reignited her will to survive.

Tian Xiaole could tell that as filming progressed, Blake got into character, and in excellent form.

If this performance can be maintained, the filming time may be shortened.

The watchtower stopped shaking, and Blake Lively, whose legs were a little weak, was helped down by staff.

She didn't forget to ask, "Director, was this performance alright?"

"Not bad, keep it up." Tian Xiaole nodded in praise.

The filming of this movie is progressing very quickly. As long as Blake Lively continues to maintain her composure, filming will wrap up soon. The most difficult part is the post-production special effects for the shark.

The news that the youngest Chinese director was filming at Warner Bros. Studios has been reported by Hollywood media.

This is information released by Lionsgate to generate buzz for the film.

Tian Xiaole's age, the awards he has received, including his achievements in China, are all great topics of discussion.

It would be beneficial for the film's release, and Tian Xiaole was willing to cooperate; making money is no big deal.

(End of this chapter)