RPAGF Chapter 108 This is a process
Chapter 108 This is a process
Chapter 107 This is a process
"A Battle of Wits" only grossed 2200 million yuan in its opening week, a performance far inferior to "Reign of Assassins" and "The Banquet," and its word-of-mouth was also not as good as expected.
Some positive reviews suggest that the film finally tells a good story, with a tight pace and smooth narrative, proving that Chinese directors still remember that a film must first and foremost tell a story.
Some critics have praised its dramatic power and emotional appeal, saying it surpasses "Troy" and "Kingdom of Heaven" and is comparable to "Gladiator".
However, some critics argue that the film's historical details are absurd, such as the fact that the film is set in the Warring States period, yet features black slaves who speak English-accented Mandarin.
This point was criticized for violating basic historical facts and became the biggest laugh of the entire event.
Director Jacob Cheung explained, "His appearance is absurd. I hope the audience will wonder, how did this person end up in Liangcheng?"
Perhaps he was a prisoner of war in another war and was brought to the Central Plains.
In addition, the screenwriter explained that there was such a character in the original comic.
Assassin's Creed: Shadow has been wronged; at least within the context of Assassin's Creed: Shadow, the appearance of a Black character is possible.
And just like that, the game was criticized as being idiotic.
But now, "Mo Gong" features black slaves, which is much earlier than "Assassin's Creed: Shadow," and it takes place more than two thousand years ago during the Warring States period.
Director Zhang Zhiliang should be thankful that the internet isn't as developed as it is now, otherwise he and his films would have been bombarded with criticism by netizens.
But even setting aside the issue of Black slavery, "A Battle of Wits" is still not a good movie.
The plot is disjointed and the theme is unclear. Moreover, there are a lot of comedic elements in a serious historical war film. On one hand, there are displaced people, and on the other hand, there are comedic scenes. The audience can't even find a reason to laugh.
One audience member, after watching the movie, admitted in a media interview: "It felt like watching a Chinese version of 'Braveheart,' it just felt so out of place."
Due to its poor reputation, "A Battle of Wits" did not perform well at the box office.
The investment in "A Battle of Wits" was no less than that in "Reign of Assassins," and its box office failure will depend on how well the copyright was sold.
If the copyright doesn't sell well, the film is likely to incur losses, which in turn will affect the film's main actors.
Andy Lau has the confidence and foundation; he's made quite a few box office flops over the years, so he can accept the failure of one film.
Moreover, his starring role in "Reign of Assassins" this year was a huge success, so the failure of "A Battle of Wits" shouldn't affect him.
But Fan Bingbing is different. The failure of "A Battle of Wits" is not good for her. Because she starred as the female lead in this film, the box office failure directly affects her status.
Previously, she played supporting roles in "About Time" and "Reign of Assassins," not leading roles. Strictly speaking, the failure of these two films would not affect her, and their success would actually bring her advantages.
After the release of "A Battle of Wits," the female lead, Mo Gong, faced a lot of criticism due to the film's poor box office performance, with some saying that she only had a pretty face but couldn't shoulder the responsibility.
This made Fan Bingbing feel very innocent; she clearly felt she had worked very hard! She had no idea what went wrong with the movie!
After the promotional period for "A Battle of Wits" ended, a feeling aggrieved, Fan Bingbing flew directly to Shanghai to find her man, and the famous young director Zhang Junlai came to answer her questions.
At this time, the crew of "Bad Genius" was filming at a middle school in Shanghai that was about to be relocated.
The weather is gradually getting colder, which is causing some problems for filming.
The crew of "Bad Genius" booked out a prestigious high school that was about to be relocated.
Half of the teaching building is empty; the first and second-year students have moved to the newly built branch campus. Only a few third-year classes are still operating at the old campus, and they will be merged there after the New Year.
Zhang Jun chose this school because it was Western-style enough. He had heard that it was a church school built during the Republic of China period in the last century and later became a key middle school.
The terrazzo flooring in the school corridors was polished to a shine, the carvings on the handrails were exquisite, and even the clock in the examination room was a round, silent Roman clock hanging on the wall.
The night before the computer was set to start, Zhang Jun walked around the teaching building by himself.
The empty classroom on the east side of the third floor was converted into the academic affairs office of Mingcheng Middle School, and the props team made two imitation yellow pear wood desks and put them together.
The props and decorations, while elegant, exude an air of extravagance, showcasing the school's exceptional nature.
Zhang Jun stood at the door for a long time.
Jiang Tao walked over from behind: "What's wrong? Not satisfied?"
"I'll check it again; it has to match that feeling," Zhang Jun said.
A child from an ordinary family enters a place that doesn't belong to her, and uses calculation and intelligence to earn herself a ticket to the game.
Starting from this office, it becomes clear that the protagonist, Lin Wei, is out of place in this school.
Zhang Jun looked away: "The first scene is the audition tomorrow. Have all the actors been notified?"
"Everyone has been notified!"
Jiang Tao glanced at his watch: "We'll arrive on set around nine o'clock for makeup, and we should be able to film a scene around ten o'clock."
"That's good!"
Zhang Jun nodded and walked downstairs: "Go back and rest, we'll be busy tomorrow."
The next morning, the lighting team worked hard to adjust the natural light in the three-story corridor before sunrise.
Director of Photography Li Dahui squatted by the door of the Academic Affairs Office and used a handheld light meter to measure the light three times back and forth in front of the window.
"The light ratio at the nine o'clock position is too high, so we need to add two layers of diffuser paper," he told lighting technician Wang Guoqiang.
Wang Guoqiang climbed the A-frame ladder, clipped two layers of diffuser onto the magic legs of the lamp stand, then retreated to the end of the corridor for a look and gave a thumbs up.
Zhang Jun sat behind the monitors, with three screens mounted in front of him. The main camera was a 50mm fixed-focus lens facing the desk, a side camera was used to capture the father and daughter's reactions, and a handheld camcorder was on standby.
The assistant director stood at the edge of the camera with a clapperboard, on which was written:
**Session Number: 1**
**Mirror number: 1-3**
**Title: Bastard Genius**
Director: Zhang Jun
"Scene 1, Shot 1—"
**Smack!**
On the monitor, Yang Mi, who plays Lin Wei, follows her father into the academic affairs office.
Fan Wei, who plays Lin's father, wears a navy blue jacket that has been washed until it is faded, with a slightly frayed collar.
He was carrying an old briefcase with a broken key cord tied in two knots to the zipper pull.
This prop is very thoughtful, subtly implying their family's financial situation.
Lin Wei was carrying a schoolbag; her school uniform was newly issued, and the cuffs hadn't been folded yet.
She stood half a step behind her father, her gaze sweeping across the office, the luxurious decor making her a little nervous.
Zhang Jun nodded in satisfaction behind the monitor; Yang Mi's performance in her first scene was quite good. Her eyes, movements, and even the slight furrowing of her brows were very expressive.
Except for one thing, she is prettier than the original Thai actress.
However, judging from the footage, this didn't affect Yang Mi's performance. Her performance easily made people overlook her beauty and instead immediately recognize her as a student with excellent academic achievements.
In the second shot, Kara Hui is sitting behind her desk.
She plays the principal, with her permed short hair pinned behind her ears with black hair clips, and wearing gold-rimmed reading glasses.
A stack of materials was spread out on the table.
"Mr. Lin, please have a seat."
Kara Hui's voice was neither warm nor cold, and her Mandarin had a slight Hong Kong accent, but since Mingcheng Middle School was modeled after a Hong Kong-style aristocratic school, it sounded natural.
Fan Wei sat down with a slight bow, placing his briefcase on his lap, unwilling to put it on the other person's desk.
"Principal Chen, this is my daughter, Lin Wei. This is her report card, and also the awards she received during her three years of junior high school—"
He opened his bag, took out a brown paper bag, inside which was a thick stack of certificates of merit.
First prize in a math competition, first prize in a city physics competition, first prize in an English listening competition — the certificates varied in size, and the edges of the laminated cardboard covers were all worn rounded.
Kara Hui took them, looked at them one by one, and then put them on the corner of the table.
"The results are indeed very good."
She said, "Mingcheng welcomes outstanding students. If you transfer in your second year of high school, you will definitely have to take an entrance exam; it's just a formality."
Tuition is 60,000 per semester, accommodation is 5,000, and school uniforms and textbooks are charged separately.
As she spoke, Fan Wei kept nodding, each nod like he was taking notes. Given their family's financial situation, this tuition fee would definitely be a challenge.
But for the sake of her daughter's future, she had to grit her teeth and pay the price.
At this moment, Lin Wei, played by Yang Mi, suddenly spoke.
"Principal, is it okay if I don't stay at the dormitory?"
Kara Hui looked up at her.
"I take the bus and then the subway, a one-and-a-half-hour journey."
Lin Wei said, speaking slowly and softly: "If you don't stay overnight, the transportation cost is eight yuan per day, which is one hundred and seventy-six yuan per month based on twenty-two days."
A semester lasts four months and two weeks, which adds up to nine hundred yuan.
She paused.
"If you live on campus, the accommodation fee is 5,000 yuan, and you can't save on the transportation costs to and from school on weekends. It will cost at least another 300 yuan per semester. Living on campus is much more expensive than commuting."
Fan Wei turned to look at his daughter, his lips moved, but he didn't say anything.
Kara Hui took off her reading glasses and leaned back in her chair.
"And the food."
Lin Wei continued, "Day students can bring their own meals, but those who stay in dormitories must take the cafeteria. Breakfast costs 3.5 yuan, and lunch and dinner each cost 8 to 12 yuan."
At the lowest possible standard, the cost of meals per semester is 2,100 yuan.
She looked at Hui Yinghong.
"Without accommodation, transportation and meals cost 1,900 per semester. With accommodation, it's 5,000 plus 300 plus 2,100, totaling 7,400. The difference is 5,300."
The office was silent for a few seconds.
Li Dahui pushed the camera in from behind for a close-up shot of Lin Wei's face. Her expression was flat, without any hint of showing off; she was simply stating a fact.
Kara Hui looked at her for a while, then put her reading glasses back on.
"You mean you don't live on campus?"
"What I mean is,"
Lin Wei said, "I know the school has a scholarship policy; students who rank in the top ten of their grade upon entering the school can get a 30% tuition reduction."
Kara Hui nodded.
"If I rank in the top three of my grade in the transfer exam, can I apply for a full tuition waiver?"
Lin Wei said, "No accommodation, no meals provided, and tuition is completely free."
Fan Wei finally spoke: "Xiao Wei—"
Lin Wei didn't turn around, but put her hands behind her back and gently touched her father's sleeve.
It was just a little interaction between the father and daughter, and Fan Wei remained silent.
Hui Yinghong picked up the report card on the table and looked at it again. When she put it down again, her tone changed.
"Lin Wei,"
She said, "During your three years of junior high, you never ranked in the top three in the standardized tests. I know that this award in the city competition is very prestigious."
"We definitely want your grades at Mingcheng."
She paused, then added, "But there are only two spots available for full tuition waivers each year, and one has already been used."
Lin Wei didn't respond, waiting for her to finish what she said after "but".
Kara Hui took off her glasses and rubbed her temples.
"So, if you can get into the top ten in the grade in the transfer exam, your tuition will be reduced by 50%. In addition, the school has a financial aid program for students from poor families, which provides 300 yuan per month, paid monthly, and does not count against the tuition reduction quota."
She looked at Lin Wei.
"The school can waive your meal expenses. You've already given up on boarding, so you'll be a day student as you've said. Does that sound okay?"
Fan Wei quickly stood up: "Thank you, Principal, thank you, Principal—"
Lin Wei did not stand up.
She looked at Kara Hui and asked, "Will the scholarship recipients be publicly announced?"
Kara Hui was taken aback.
"meeting."
"Then I won't apply."
Lin Wei said, "I don't want the scholarship."
She paused for a moment: "Tuition is reduced by 50%, meals are free, and accommodation is not required. So the actual expenses per semester are 30,000 for tuition, plus 900 for transportation, totaling 30,900."
She looked at Hui Yinghong.
"If I get into the top three in the transfer exam, will my tuition reduction be increased to 70% next semester?"
Kara Hui looked at her.
It went on for a long time, so long that the script supervisor started to get nervous off-camera, so long that Fan Wei didn't know whether he should pull his daughter away or apologize on her behalf.
Then Kara Hui smiled.
"it is good."
She said, "If you get into the top three, I'll give you a 70% tuition waiver next semester. If you get first place, you'll get a full waiver."
Lin Wei stood up and bowed.
"Thank you, Principal."
Fan Wei followed suit and bowed, bending even lower than his daughter.
"Thank you, Principal! Thank you, Principal!"
Kara Hui waved her hand and said nothing more. She pushed the stack of certificates back into the brown paper bag and glanced at the clock on the wall.
"The teachers in the academic affairs office will arrange the transfer exam time and notify you by phone before next Monday."
"
This means to see the guest off.
Fan Wei picked up his briefcase and nodded repeatedly. Lin Wei walked to the door, then suddenly stopped.
"headmaster."
Kara Hui looked up.
Does Mingcheng accept sponsorship fees?
Lin Wei asked, "So, some parents donate money to the school when their children enroll."
Kara Hui remained silent for a few seconds.
"receive."
She said, "Mingcheng's playground was donated by alumni, and the laboratory building was built with funds raised by the parents' association."
"I see!"
Lin Wei nodded and walked out.
Fan Wei chased after him, yelling, "How dare you talk like that—!"
"OK, not bad!" Zhang Jun's voice came from behind the monitor.
Li Dahui relaxed his shoulders, Wang Guoqiang jumped down from the stepladder, He Xuan breathed a sigh of relief in the corner, and the script supervisor wrote "Scene 1, Shot 3 OK" on the whiteboard.
Fan Wei had already snapped out of character and was gesturing to Kara Hui about the extent of his bow from earlier: "Was I too timid just now?"
"That's not cowardice, that's fatherhood," Kara Hui said. "I almost couldn't keep up when I was acting it out."
Yang Mi was still standing by the door, not moving.
Zhang Jun peeked out from behind the monitor: "Lin Wei, come here."
Yang Mi walked over and stood next to the monitor.
Zhang Jun didn't look at her; he stared at the replay screen and replayed the scene from when Lin Wei started calculating the accounts.
"Here," he said, pointing to the screen, "when you said the difference was five thousand three, he glanced down."
Yang Mi stared at the screen: "I—I'm wondering if the principal will find me annoying."
"meeting."
Zhang Jun said, "But what you're afraid of isn't that she'll find you annoying, what you're afraid of is that your dad will think you're a disgrace."
Yang Mi was stunned for a moment.
Zhang Jun pulled back the playback and paused on the shot of Lin Wei touching her father's sleeve with her hand behind her back.
"This move is good. Did you design it yourself?" Zhang Jun asked.
"Yes,"
Yang Mi said, "When I was reading the script and analyzing the characters, I thought that if Lin Wei wanted her father to stop talking, she should have made a certain gesture."
So I discussed it with Professor Fan Wei.
Zhang Jun nodded and continued, "Next time, let's change the angle, push it in from the cabinet side, and shoot a close-up of the action from the front and side."
Li Dahui responded and began to move the camera to a different position.
Zhang Jun turned back to Yang Mi and said, "It must have been tough for you to memorize such a long passage of lines so clearly."
Yang Mi breathed a sigh of relief: "I was afraid I would memorize it wrong, so I spent all day yesterday memorizing my lines."
Zhang Jun was very satisfied: "Not bad, you haven't let me down. Keep up the good work!"
"Okay!" Yang Mi smiled sweetly.
While Yang Mi went to touch up her makeup, Jiang Tao brought in two cups of coffee and handed one to Zhang Jun.
"The character's personality was established in the opening scene, but the subsequent filming may be more difficult," Jiang Tao said.
Zhang Jun took a sip, put down his coffee cup, and said, "We don't need to do the easy things. Let's get back to work!"
"One more."
He shouted to the crew, "No need to film, let's do a run-through first to let the actors get a feel for the role, then we'll start filming."
Li Dahui asked in confusion, "Again? The last one was very clean."
Zhang Jun said, "I want to see if Lin Wei will cut out the scholarship section and jump directly from 50% to calculating transportation expenses. Will that make the pace even faster?"
Li Dahui didn't ask any more questions and told the camera to be reset.
Yang Mi returned after touching up her makeup and stood in her original position. The actors walked through their positions to familiarize themselves with the camera angles before filming continued.
Fan Wei had already sat back down in the chair opposite the desk, his briefcase resting on his lap.
Kara Hui put on her reading glasses and looked down at the report card on the table.
The script supervisor raised the clapperboard.
Scene 1, Shot 4, Part 1
In the video, Lin Wei did the calculations again.
The numbers she spoke were like markings on a ruler, clear and distinct, one by one.
"it is good."
Zhang Jun turned off the monitor: "Perfect, this take is done."
After a successful first day, the crew officially embarked on a demanding filming schedule. Among the four main actors, besides Yang Mi and Wen Zhang, Jiang Yan and Wang Kai lacked acting experience and inevitably showed some nervousness.
Fortunately, the crew had many experienced actors, and Fan Wei and others were happy to guide the young people, helping them learn and improve.
However, there are bound to be times when they don't perform well, and that's when Zhang Jun shines, giving the actors a thorough dressing-down.
"Stop! What kind of acting is this? Even my grandma could act better than you."
In one scene, Zhang Jun throws a board to express his anger.
He pointed at Wang Kai's nose and yelled, "What did you learn in school? Do you have any acting skills? Have you forgotten everything about voice, stage presence, and mannerisms?"
The crew didn't dare to breathe loudly. Cinematographer Li Dahui and lighting technician Wang Guoqiang had worked with Zhang Jun on several films, and they had never seen Zhang Jun lose his temper much.
It's easy to imagine how terrible Wang Kai's performance was this time.
Wang Kai hung his head and waited until Zhang Jun's hairdryer was over before he sincerely apologized.
"I'm sorry, director, it's my fault—"
"Ten-minute break, let the actors adjust their state," Zhang Jun said coldly.
Fan Bingbing watched the scene from the sidelines, feeling somewhat sorry for the actor named Wang Kai. Zhang Jun rarely lost his temper, but when he did, it meant the problem was indeed very serious.
"Aren't your expectations of them too high?"
Fan Pangbing asked cautiously, while Zhang Jun was still angry.
Zhang Jun shook his head: "Film is a rigorous art. There is never a 'good enough' option. Every performance and every shot must be near perfect."
This is being responsible to the film, and also to the actors.
Fan Bingbing exclaimed, "No wonder you can make such good movies!"
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