"Die Hard" started filming on 1st 8th. It has been more than two weeks since then. It has been about 400 minutes of film. Due to Yamaguchi Momoe's contract problem, the heroine has been unable to be in place for a long time, and many plot scenes cannot be filmed, so one-third of them are explosion scenes and action scenes.

John Woo is famous all over the world for his "violent aesthetics", but he is good at gun battle scenes, not fighting scenes. Whether it is "Heroic Reality" and "Blooded Two Heroes" filmed in Hong Kong, or "Face Change" and "Impossible" filmed in Hollywood, the close-knit fight scenes are very ordinary.

There is a reason for this. John Woo is a disciple of Zhang Cheung. Although Jang Cheung is one of the biggest kung fu directors in the history of Hong Kong film, he is not good at handling fighting scenes. He films and wins with brotherhood. In all fighting scenes, he shook hands to be responsible for the imperial martial arts coach Tang Jia and Liu Jialiang. Zhang Che is also a famous tycoon in the martial arts world. Whoever messes with him is immediately scolded to death, but he never scolds John Woo. He is responsible for all major and minor matters. With such obvious preference, how can those young and energetic dragon and tiger martial artists convince themselves? Naturally, the relationship between the two sides deteriorates over time...

In a series of movies made by John Woo in Hong Kong, Liu Jialiang and others have never appeared. They use martial arts coaches such as Dong Wei and Chen Xiaodong who are not part of Zhang Che's team. Although there are factors in terms of film style, they may not be without the previous grievances.

So when filming "Die Hard", Shen Chong clearly divided the work, handing over the plot and explosion scenes to John Woo, and hand-to-hand action scenes to Sammo Hung. In this way, he only needs to communicate with Sammo Hung to control the action design, and does not need to go to the crew frequently, which disturbed John Woo's director authority - Shen Chong does not need puppets, he needs a creative talent.

Before the filming started, Shen Chong signed full-time contracts with all crew members, and the compensation was twice as high as the current average salary, but it was not allowed to work part-time in other crews, so the efficiency was very high. When he came back from Japan, Sammo Hung had already filmed more than 20 sets of shots.

Unfortunately, although he and Sammo Hung had communicated with him many times before the filming to discuss the design style of the action scenes, after all, the action scenes had to be moved before they could know what they looked like. It was impossible to understand just by talking, so these more than 20 sets of shots met his requirements, less than five sets of shots.

Either it is too routine, lacks realism, or it is too procrastinating and lacks impact.

The design principles of movie action scenes are ultimately two: one is to play well and the other is to play happily.

The fight is good, such as Jet Li's "The Hero of the Fierce Martial Arts" and the fight is refreshing, such as Matt Damon's "The Shadow of the Spy".

Sammo Hung is controlled by the times and still follows the routine of one move. He punches and kicks, and the pattern is very heavy. Although he has a classical beauty, in modern cities, life and work are very fast, and movies must keep up with this change.

After analyzing more than 20 sets of action shots one by one, and putting forward new requirements, Shen Chong looked at Sammo Hung and said, "Brother Sanmao, I am very satisfied with your work. Everything just said was only for things, not for people. Please don't take it to your heart."

"What does Mr. Shen say?" Sammo Hung grabbed his hair honestly and said, "You asked me to do work. I didn't do it well. I wasted so much film. I deserved to be scolded. Besides, Mr. Shen has not scolded me yet, but has taught a lot of things. I can't even be grateful, so how dare I blame me."

"Yes, Mr. Chen, just give me instructions." Han Yingjie also said, "We will definitely find a way to do it."

Chen Chong nodded with a smile, then stood up and said, "Let's go here first today, I'm going to see the explosion show."

"Senior brother, please clean up." Sammo Hung stood up and said, "I'll send Mr. Chen over."

Walking out of the preview room and on the way to create the explosion scene, Shen Chong said, "Brother Sanmao, that Japanese Tomokazu Miura, you can design a relatively long action scene for him and have a good time."

Sammo Hung was stunned.

"This guy wanted to cheat me and beat him up to make him more aware of it." Chen Chong put his hands in his pants pocket and said with a smile: "In addition, the Sino-Japanese Kung Fu battle is also a selling point."

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I know what to do."

"It's not too obvious, and don't go too far. Just play around and let him suffer a little while filming." Chen Chong curled his lips and said calmly: "If I really want to take revenge, it will make him worse than death, but why bother? It's just a small character, it's not worth getting angry."

"That's right, Mr. Chen has a lot."

Chen Chong laughed and said, "I don't have any large amounts, but Yamaguchi Momoe is not my dish, so I'm too lazy to care. If I were her fans, Miura Tomokazu would probably go bankrupt now."

While talking and laughing, the two walked into the set. The set was quite large, with a size of 700 to 800 square meters. After renovation, all the isolation panels were removed, making it look extremely empty. In the middle, there was a scaled-down Kangle Building model, about three meters high, and there were more than a dozen employees wearing gray work clothes around.

"Mr. Chen, I'll go back first."

"good."

After Sammo Hung said goodbye, Chen Chong swept the set and found Li Tang in the corner. When he walked over, he saw that he was concentrating on making a model.

At this time, the person next to him stood up and greeted Li Tang, alarmed him. He looked up, took off his reading glasses, and said, "A Chong, are you here?"

"Dad, what you did is this a helicopter?"

"Yes." Li Tang put down the wood chip in his hand and said, "The director said there was a scene of a helicopter exploded on the roof, so this is needed."

“Can helicopters be parked on the roof of Kangle Building?”

"Director Wu went to inspect with the Americans and said that helicopters could be stopped on the roof, but the Hong Kong government did not approve it." Li Tang said: "The Americans said there was a helicopter explosion, and the scene was better, so they were going to add a set of shots."

Chen Chong nodded, he half-squatted down and looked carefully. The helicopter model was about one meter long. Although it was not completed, it was vaguely visible that it was exquisite and meticulous.

"There should be a sale in the toy market, right?"

"Yes, yes, but the ones sold in Hong Kong are too small, and they are all made of plastic, and they don't have texture in front of the camera, which is not real enough." Li Tang said: "Americans say there are suitable Hollywood, but it's too expensive. One aircraft costs tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars. I thought, anyway, it's still idle, so it's better to make one by yourself and save some money."

"It's really good." Chen Chong stood up, looked back at the model of Kangle Building, and said, "How many explosions are you preparing for?"

"The third time." Li Tang also stood up and said, "The first time the model was not strong enough. The building collapsed halfway through the blow. The second time the gunpowder was less, the camera position was also off. The explosion scene was not beautiful enough."

"When will it blow up this time?"

"The model has been prepared long ago. The American said that it will be fried whenever it is." Li Tang raised his hand and pointed to a foreigner with fluffy hair in the crowd, then sighed and complained: "This group of Americans have the ability, but they just like to enjoy it too much. They say that they will get off work, and they don't wait for a minute. They never work overtime, and they still receive so much salary."

Chen Chong smiled and persuaded, "It's no fun to make money if you don't enjoy it. Besides, only those who can enjoy it will work hard. Dad, you're busy with yours, I'll go and talk to him."

"You go."

This fluffy American was Shen Chong who asked Orwitz for help. The photographer named Jane De EfTau was specially asked for him because he was the photographer of the original Die Hard...

Chen Chong knew his name because he was not a simple photographer. In addition to "Die Hard", he also filmed classic movies such as "Hunting Red October", "Love in the War", "Lawful Weapons", and "Instinct".

He has also worked as a director, filmed classic action movies such as "The Speed ​​of Life and Death" and "Tornado", and also produced it, helping Spielberg and Tom Cruise film "Minority Report". He is a versatile and talented man.

Hong Kong has never filmed an explosion scene like "Die Hard" and no one has any experience, so the filming was left to Jane De Ef. Wu took his assistant photographer Huang Yuetai to Lamma Island to re-shot the literary scene of Yamaguchi Moe. Americans have the support of the union and go to get off work on time, and no one can do anything. He can't do it. If the filming is slow and the budget is overspent, even if "Die Hard" is sold well, it cannot guarantee that someone will ask him to film in the future, so he is full of energy to work.

Chen Chong knew his thoughts and did not stop him. Anyway, as long as the crew behind the crew learned this kind of explosion scene, it doesn't matter whether the director will. Besides, John Wu has been watching the explosions before, and I guess he has some experience.

"Mr. Bonter." Shen Chong walked over and stood beside Jane Defter, looking at the building model, and asked in English: "How is the progress?"

"Ha, Mr. Chen, it's you." Bonte shook hands with Shen Chong with the enthusiasm of the Americans, and then said: "It'll be fine soon. Check the gunpowder and camera lens again, and there will be no problem this time."

"Okay, you can do your job." Chen Chong nodded and said, "I'll take a look."

In "Die Hard", there were two big explosions in total. One was when the protagonist tied the detonator to a computer and threw it into the elevator shaft of the building, which detonated the entire building one floor. The other was when the terrorists buried explosives on the roof and wanted to use the big explosion to escape.

This kind of explosion scene is impossible to shoot in the building on the spot. The cost and risk are too high, and even billionaires cannot afford it. Before the computer special effects technology is formed, they can only use miniature models to shoot.

The explosion in the movie is actually not the explosion itself, but the big scene. After all, the miniature model is a model. Its size is limited. No matter how realistic it is, it cannot replace the real building. If a detail is not in place, it will be misleading, and the big scene becomes a big joke.

This time, the first big explosion was planned. It was mainly composed of two sets of shots. One was a shock wave composed of firelight and air waves outside the building, and the other was a scene where the fireballs generated by the explosion rose along the elevator shaft.

As for the scene of the explosion and debris flying inside the building, it is very simple. Just find a place, put a few wooden boxes, and just fry it.

"OK, Mr. Chen." After commanding a group of staff to inspect, Bonte walked over and said, "Please step back and stand outside the safe range, we are about to start shooting."

"Okay, no problem." Chen Chong took a few steps back and stood outside a circle of yellow lines.

"I hope there is no problem this time." Li Tang came over, stood beside him, and said, "It will cost a lot of money to make a model."

"It doesn't matter." Chen Chong hugged his hands and said, "Filming is the same as doing business. It always costs money. When it is released, it will be profitable."

"That's right, but A Chong, you have invested too much this time." Li Tang was a little worried, and he asked in a low voice: "I heard that you invested tens of millions of dollars in this drama?"

"Dad, that's a gimmick for publicity, and you can't be really good at it." Chen Chong replied: "In fact, it's only 5 or 6 million US dollars at the top. The main reason is that the salary of Americans is too high and accounts for the big deal. The real ones used for filming are not much money."

"Five or six million US dollars is not a small amount, it's more than 20 million Hong Kong dollars." Li Tang frowned and said, "It's been more than ten days since the filming started. I've only come to the crew today. You are the big boss. Come and walk around more often, keep a little eye on it, don't let people be lazy, finish filming one day earlier, and save a day's money."

"Yes, yes, I'll come often in the future." Chen Chong nodded repeatedly, looking like a good son-in-law, and said, "Some time ago..."

Before he could finish his words, he heard Bonte shouting, "tt!"

After waiting for about two seconds, a muffled sound came, a fire lit up at the bottom of the Kangle Building model, and the glass on the model splashed and shattered, and then a circle of gray-white smoke rose around the floor. Almost at the same time, a spark appeared on the top of the building without a roof. Although it was a miniature model, the scene still looked quite spectacular.

Soon the smoke dissipated and the shooting ended. The whole process took less than ten seconds.

"Dad." Chen Chong asked while watching the staff gathered around to clean up the mess, "How long did it take to make this model?"

"If seven or eight people do it together, it will be done in about ten days."

"More than ten days of work are just for a few seconds." Chen Chong smacked his lips and said, "One minute on stage, ten years of hard work off stage, and there is a comparison between making movies and singing big dramas."

"Who said no?" Li Tang urged him: "A Chong, go and ask, see how the shooting is going."

"Who knows whether the film is good or bad before it is washed out?" Chen Chong said this, but walked over and asked, "Mr. Bonte, what's going on this time?"

"In my experience, this shooting was very successful." Bonter said with a smile: "The shock wave, smoke and fireball effect are exactly the same as expected."

"Very good, congratulations to Mr. Bonter for completing a great shooting." Chen Chong was not hesitant to his compliments, and then said, "So Mr. Bonter, can you wash the film now? You know, I'm very much looking forward to this explosion."

"No problem." Bonte snapped his fingers, then took off the film box on the camera and said, "I'll go with Mr. Shen."

Chen Chong looked at his watch and said, "Mr. Bonte, I'm going to get off work in twenty minutes. Are you sure you want to go with me?"

"It's okay." Bonter said with the film box in his arms: "Mr. Chen, I'm not a stereotypical American. Working overtime is not an unacceptable thing for me, and I really want to see the effect of this shooting in the shortest time."

Chen Chong nodded with a smile, made a call, and then said to Li Tang who was standing beside him: "Dad, let's go together. After watching the sample, I happened to go home."

Li Tang looked back at his plane model and said, "I'm not over yet. You go and get your job done. I'll drive back by myself tonight."

"You haven't been home for three days, and you'll do it tomorrow." Chen Chong persuaded: "Or take the model home to do it. Your study room is empty and it just happened to be converted into a studio."

"It is inconvenient to do work at home, it is complicated and can easily hurt the furniture. If the floor is dirty, your mother will nag again." Li Tang waved his hand and said, "You go first, I will go back later."

"Oh well."

In order to cooperate with the filming of "Die Hard", the printing company acquired by Shen Chong changed its construction plan and did not immediately renovate it. Instead, based on the original, it first installed a state-of-the-art printer, and then recruited several senior workers from Hollywood to specialize in printing sample films.

When I was filming "Crazy Job", I was very hard-working and had to wait in line until midnight to print. Now, I became the boss and arrived at the factory and explained it, and I immediately started printing.

A roll of film can be filmed for about 4 minutes, so the sample printed this time also includes several sets of interactions between terrorists. After Chen Chong hurriedly watched it, his eyes lit up and he was full of confidence in the box office of the movie.

"Die Hard" is a typical male movie. Women are just supporting roles and foils. At first, Chen Chong didn't care about who the heroine would let him play, so Zeng Lizhen suggested that Yamaguchi Momoe play, and he agreed immediately, and just used her fame to enter the Japanese market.

The heroine can be chosen at will, but there is one character that cannot be chosen at will, that is, the terrorist leader. In the original version, it is precisely because of the wonderful interpretation of Arunswickman IaPtmau that the classic "Die Hard" was created.

Arunswickman was a drama actor at the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK. Chen Chong tried to send him an invitation. However, even though the pay was very considerable, he still expressed his interest in coming to Hong Kong to shoot a "very boring soap opera movie"...

In desperation, Chen Chong had to replace him. He listed the list of actors who performed very well in his memory and gave them to Orwitz to contact him. After only two days, Orwitz called back and said that the person who ranked first on the list agreed to appear in Hong Kong.
Chapter completed!