Chapter 464: What's wrong with the agreement? All set!)
At the end of February, Hantang Media Group's first movie of the year was about to start shooting. Tang An held a launch conference for the movie "Ghost Blowing the Lamp: The Secret of the Dragon" at a hotel near the Huairou Film and Television Base.
Most of the movie scenes were shot at the Huairou Film and Television Base. For this purpose, the crew rented a 10,000-square-meter studio to set up the underground tomb scene in the movie.
Coupled with the use of 3D shooting, the production cost of the film plus special effects fees reached an astonishing 220 million.
The cost is not much cheaper than that of "Edge of Tomorrow", mainly the money for special effects, venues, and 3D equipment.
The special effects are still mainly produced by Tiangong Yicai. Although the special effects of the original version of "The Secret of the Dragon" are considered top-notch in China, they are still far from the top. They are still far behind "The Great Wall" which was spray-painted with 50% special effects.
In 2015, the production cost of "The Secret of the Dragon" was only 170 million. At that time, Chen Kun, Huang Bo, and Shu Qi all had the lowest salary of more than 10 million.
Tang An spent 220 million in production fees in 2011, striving to do the best within his capabilities.
This 3D camera was rented through a relationship in Colombia when Tudou was launched in the United States. It is a 3D camera with two lenses and is very expensive.
As for the salary, it is relatively cheap. All the actors add up to more than 25 million, and Wu Ershan's director's salary is 8 million, plus 5% of the domestic producers' share.
The investment in this film is high, and the profit is definitely not as high as "囧". Tang An also gave Wu Ershan Studio a 10% investment share, and the studio cannot afford more.
Only if everyone makes money together can it last long, not to mention Hantang Media itself is the major shareholder of the studio.
At the beginning of the press conference, reporters were surprised by the appearance of Xu Zheng, who also played a role.
"Hello Director Xu, may I ask why you did not continue to participate in the "囧" series but instead starred in the movie "The Secret of the Dragon"?"
As soon as these words came out, Xu Zheng, who was originally smiling, felt a little embarrassed for a moment, but it was only for a moment, he is an actor after all.
""Detective Chinatown" is a movie with a different style and requires actors with different styles. I acted in "The Secret of the Dragon" just because I am suitable for this role." Xu Zheng said with a smile.
"Does that mean you will never participate in this series again?" The reporter followed closely.
Tang An next to him smiled and said, "Of course not, Director Xu is still an indispensable person in the "囧" series. We are currently preparing the next "囧", which will be written, directed and starred by Director Xu."
What?
The reporters were deceived. What about the disagreement?
Why did another "囧" appear suddenly? Is it possible that one series will be filmed twice a year?
Or maybe, that "Detective Chinatown" doesn't exist at all and is just a bargaining chip.
The reporters automatically imagined the intrigue between Tang An and Xu Zheng, and it became clear instantly.
The reporter then asked, "Does this mean that "Detective Chinatown" is about to end?"
"No, the film is now in preparation. Our funds have been received, and several location crews have also gone to Thailand to find suitable locations."
"Then these two movies are launched at the same time. When are they going to be released?"
"'Detective Chinatown' will be released in the Spring Festival next year, and 'Hong Kong' will be released in the Spring Festival of 2013. We at Hantang Media promise to dedicate a wonderful comedy movie to the audience every Spring Festival. We hope that all viewers will enjoy it."
Happy New Year”
Xu Zheng still starred in movies from the Han and Tang Dynasties, and Xu Zheng wrote, directed and acted in "囧". The previous media reports about the discord between Xu Zheng and Tang An were instantly resolved.
But the media is not happy. It would be great if something happened between the two of them.
What’s the point of being so harmonious now? Where does it come from?
I have no choice but to ask about the details of "囧 in Hong Kong".
The media left the show in low spirits, and Tang An and the creators walked to the banquet hall next door together. It was just a launch party.
On the way, Tang An called out to Xu Zheng.
"Director Xu."
"Tang Dong?" Xu Zheng stopped quickly.
Tang An smiled and said, "There is still time for the film "Embarrassed in Hong Kong". Director Xu will polish the script and characters, and finish filming "The Secret of the Dragon" first."
"Don't worry, Mr. Tang, this "囧" will definitely not disappoint you." Xu Zheng said with confidence.
He is already familiar with this series. When writing a script, his thoughts are flowing. He writes like a master, and every detail has a joke. It is not abrupt at all, it is very natural.
"Haha, that's good. Of course I believe in Director Xu's ability."
Xu Zheng was introducing his idea along the way, using feelings, laughter, and emotion to impress the audience. It seemed as if nothing happened between the two parties, and it was very natural.
The opening party passed happily. Tang An did not put any pressure on the crew and only said some words of encouragement. In the afternoon, he watched the first scene they shot in the studio.
Everything went smoothly, Tang An and Wu Ershan also explained some things.
"Director Wu, that girl is from Wanda and has little experience. She can be scolded when she needs to be scolded. Her demands cannot be lowered, but you should also give her more guidance."
"Don't worry, Mr. Tang. Her role is simple and I will train her well."
Wu Ershan naturally knew who Tang An was talking about. Although he was forced in, this kind of situation is inevitable everywhere, so Tang An was pretty good.
What's more, there is nothing complicated about Ding Sitian's role. The girl is still young, so there is no pressure to act innocent, and she has tried several coquettish costumes and is very good, which fully meets his requirements.
Tang An nodded, "Thank you for your hard work, Director Wu. This time the time is a bit tight. I can't make it in time for the summer holiday. There are still seven full months before the National Day holiday. If you are tired, try to get it out before the National Day holiday."
"That shouldn't be a problem. The scene inside the tomb can be filmed at night, so I need to work a few more shifts."
It’s normal to work overtime during filming, staying up all night is common
"The Secret of the Dragon" has started shooting, and "Detective Chinatown" is not in a hurry. There is still some time to prepare for this film.
However, in addition to Deng Chao and Yang Mi, the actors have another important role, and it is difficult to find the actor to play Qin Feng.
A little cute, a little confused, it would be okay if this was a girl, but there are really not many boys who meet the requirements.
Tang An asked Chen Guofu to go to various acting schools and high school art schools, and there would always be one that met the requirements.
When it really didn't work, I called in 14-year-old Liu Haoran.
Two years later, when he was filming "Beijing Love Story", there was actually not much difference between when he was eighteen years old, but he looked a little more immature.
Next, Tang An went to the Taklimakan Desert, Badain Jaran Desert, and Tengger Desert, and finally selected the Tengger Desert, the fourth largest desert in the country, located in Zhongwei City, Ningxia Province, as the location for location shooting.
The desert still needs to be transformed, which will probably take some time.
The studio is also located in Ningxia, and the Huairou Film and Television Base is basically contracted by "The Secret of the Dragon".
Fortunately, the filming time for "The Martian" only takes two months at most, so there is no time left.
Moreover, Tiangong Yicai has already started the early special effects preparations. They obtained a series of parameters of the Martian landscape, light, and sky from the space agency, and strive to restore a real Mars.
The light on Earth and Mars are different, and the outer space of the two planets requires a lot of calculations and design.