aircannonsinc Chapter 190: Filming Begins for "The Return of the Condor Heroes"
Chapter 190: Filming Begins for "The Return of the Condor Heroes"
On the fifth day of the preliminary round, Lu Ran received a call from Chen Ke.
"Lu Ran, filming for 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' is about to begin. Do you have time to come over?"
Lu Ran glanced at the schedule, which was filled with activities related to "Super Girl".
Chen Ke invited him to go there because he was a screenwriter and also because of his reputation.
Everyone in the industry knows that a project is unlikely to be bad if Lu Ran is involved.
"Director Chen, I really can't leave here." He said apologetically, "Super Girl is in the preliminary stage, and we can't afford to be missing anyone on the judging panel. Besides, you're going to call Manxue away these next few days, and I have to work overtime to select contestants."
Hearing Lu Ran's words, Chen Ke wasn't surprised: "Okay, I know you're busy. How about we chat for a bit on the phone?"
"Okay." Lu Ran walked to a quiet corner. "Please go ahead."
"I've read the script countless times, drawn the storyboards, and the actors are basically all in place," Chen Ke said excitedly. "But I still feel there are some things I'd like to discuss with you."
"Go ahead, I'm listening."
"Take the scene where Yang Guo loses his arm," Chen Ke said. "The script was very simple, just 'a sword strikes down, blood spurts out.' But I always felt that this scene couldn't just be about gore; it had to convey that... how should I put it, a sense of destiny."
Upon hearing this, Lu Ran secretly gave Chen Ke a thumbs up in his mind. The fact that Chen Ke could realize this meant that he was at least one level above other directors.
Remembering that his father-in-law's film "Hero" had a similar scene, Lu Ran casually asked, "Director Chen, have you seen 'Hero'?"
"I saw it. The one your father-in-law made? I watched it twice." When Chen Ke heard Lu Ran ask about the movie, he suddenly felt like he realized something.
"Do you remember the scene where Nameless falls at the end?" Lu Ran said. "There wasn't much blood, not even much expression. It was just a figure slowly falling down, accompanied by the setting sun and music, and that sense of tragedy came through."
Lu Ran's words were like a wake-up call.
Chen Ke immediately understood: "You mean, the scene where Yang Guo loses his arm should also be filmed to capture that feeling?"
"Yes," Lu Ran said. "The severed arm isn't the point; the point is how Yang Guo's life changed after he lost it. From a proud young man, he became a crippled person. That turning point in his fate is more worthy of being filmed than the severed arm itself."
"I understand." Chen Ke's voice was filled with a sense of sudden enlightenment and excitement. "So I can't just film that one sword strike; I have to film his eyes before he lost his arm, his reaction after losing his arm, the reactions of the people around him, and the subsequent changes..."
"That's exactly what I mean." Lu Ran smiled. "Director Chen, you're better at directing than I am."
"You're still not as good at flattery as I am," Chen Ke chuckled, then asked, "And what are your thoughts on the scene where Little Dragon Girl jumps off the cliff?"
Lu Ran thought for a moment and said, "I think that scene should be filmed to convey a feeling of 'sorrow without being tragic'."
"Sorrowful but not tragic?"
"That's right," Lu Ran said. "Xiaolongnu jumped off the cliff not because of despair, but because of love. She must have been smiling when she jumped; she hoped that Yang Guo would forget her during those sixteen years."
"Jumping off a cliff while laughing?" Chen Ke thought to himself after hearing this.
"Of course, it wasn't the kind of loud laughter, but a relieved laugh," Lu Ran said. "She hoped that Yang Guo would live well for the next ten years or so, and ideally, forget her. So that scene couldn't be filmed too tragically; it had to convey a feeling of... transcending life and death."
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.
Then Chen Ke sighed deeply: "Lu Ran, Lu Ran, what's wrong with your brain?"
Lu Ran laughed: "Director Chen, please don't flatter me. These ideas were already in my head when I was writing the script. But to actually bring them to life, we'll have to rely on you."
"Okay, I understand," Chen Ke said. "Is there anything else you need to tell me?"
Lu Ran thought for a moment and said, "The scene where Li Mochou asks 'What is love in this world?' allows the actress to have more room to develop her character. That scene is the core of her character; if it's filmed well, the character will come to life."
"clear."
"There's also the scene for Guo Xiang's birthday, where Yang Guo gives her three gifts. That scene needs to capture Guo Xiang's girlish heart, as well as Yang Guo's 'chivalrous spirit.' The scene with the gifts can be a bit bigger, since we have enough budget."
"OK."
"besides..."
Lu Ran spoke for more than ten minutes straight, recounting all the key points he could think of.
Chen Ke kept taking notes on the other end of the phone, occasionally interjecting with comments like "This is good," "I didn't think of this," or "This could be filmed a little bigger."
After Lu Ran finished speaking, Chen Ke breathed a sigh of relief: "Lu Ran, you're not just a screenwriter, you've done the work of a director."
"I've been too busy," Lu Ran said with a smile. "Thank you for your trouble."
"It wasn't difficult at all," Chen Ke said. "It's just a pity. If you had directed it yourself, the film would definitely have been better than what I made."
Lu Ran shook his head: "Director Chen, you're too modest. You've been making films for half your life, and 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' has already proven itself. With 'The Return of the Condor Heroes' in your hands, it will definitely continue the style of 'The Legend of the Condor Heroes' and give the audience a sense of continuity."
He paused, then added, "Besides, I really don't have the energy to deal with all this anymore. After finishing up with 'Super Girl,' there's still TUTU's mess to deal with. In addition, Yuege's studio is just starting out, and someone needs to keep an eye on it."
Chen Ke laughed: "You little rascal, you're doing great now. Alright, then I'll film this movie for you. When it's released, you can sit in the front row."
"Okay, it's a deal."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Ran stood in the corridor, staring blankly at the sky outside the window for a while.
The Return of the Condor Heroes.
The play he had watched countless times in his past life was finally going to be presented in this world.
Although he couldn't take the photos himself, he felt at ease entrusting them to Chen Ke.
After all, Chen Ke has already gained experience in making martial arts films.
Moreover, I heard that most of the actors in this production of "The Return of the Condor Heroes" are the same cast as those in "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".
The actor playing Guo Jing is still the same actor playing Guo Jing, and the actress playing Huang Rong is still the same actress playing Huang Rong. They've just aged twenty years due to the makeup, transforming from a young couple into a middle-aged couple.
Several of the four veteran actors are also among them.
If the third installment of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" hadn't spanned such a long period of time and hadn't had so few overlapping actors, Lu Ran might have considered the casting arrangements in the same way for the third installment.
...