mesbooks Chapter 132: Filming Begins in Tangshan
Chapter 132: Filming Begins in Tangshan
Gu Heng arrived at the Tangshan film set and was immediately stunned by the scene before him as soon as he got out of the car.
With hundreds of workers and the film crew's art team, they painstakingly recreated the old streets of Tangshan in the 1970s.
The red brick houses, old-fashioned utility poles, and the mottled signs of the supply and marketing cooperatives are all meticulously crafted, even the white-on-red slogans on the walls, which are characteristic of the era, are all perfectly integrated.
No wonder Lu Yang is destined to become a director who can make hardcore films like "Brotherhood of Blades" in the future!
Gu Heng patted Lu Yang on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Young man, you have a bright future ahead of you. From now on, you'll be tied to this Vision aircraft carrier and do all the hard work!"
A week later, the official press conference for the start of filming of "Aftershock" was held.
This is no ordinary event.
After all, it's a city brand created with investment from within, so the top leaders are keeping a close eye on it.
Not only did major media outlets from across the country flock to the event, but even the mayor of Tangshan squeezed out time from his busy schedule to personally come and show his support.
This level of production is unique in the domestic film industry.
Interestingly, these paparazzi and entertainment reporters, who usually thrive on chaos and are eager to shove microphones up celebrities' noses to dig up dirt, were all behaving like model students today.
The Q&A session was incredibly warm, harmonious, and full of positive energy.
"Director Gu, what are your expectations for this historically significant film?"
"Director Gu, I heard that you built an entire street on location to recreate the scene realistically. Your dedication to art is truly admirable!"
Good heavens, they're all just using different ways to flatter him!
After what happened a while ago, these reporters who love to create sensational news have finally become much more obedient.
Nonsense, who would dare to prick someone's hair?
This guy is a ruthless man who, along with Zhang San, a madman in the legal world, sent 51 rumor-mongers to jail in one go!
That was a real giveaway, broadcast live across the entire internet, without any hesitation.
It's now widely known in the industry that you shouldn't mess with those suit-wearing thugs from Yuanjian; they're really going to bite you to death.
They were afraid of upsetting Gu Heng and having them all packed up and sent into the sewing machine.
As soon as the press conference ended, Gu Heng acted swiftly and decisively, and the production crew immediately began filming.
According to the filming plan, the first scenes to be filmed were the daily life scenes before the 1976 earthquake.
Sitting behind the monitor, Gu Heng looked at Jiang Wenli, who was playing the mother Yuan Ni, on the screen and couldn't help but give her a thumbs up in his heart.
No wonder she's an award-winning actress who has won countless awards!
That's what you call a veteran actor!
In the first scene, Jiang Wenli changed into a floral short-sleeved shirt made of polyester, tucked her hair behind her ears, and stood in the corridor. When she turned around, she looked exactly like a textile worker in the 70s who was worried about the daily necessities of life.
There was absolutely no trace of acting.
"Click! Pass! Perfect!" Gu Heng patted the walkie-talkie with satisfaction.
Awesome! This is the kind of joy that comes from using veteran actors!
Unlike those young, popular actors who have to count off their lines, or have the whole crew stop filming and wait for an ambulance if they get a minor cut on their finger.
With such a stellar cast, the everyday scenes set before the 76 earthquake, filled with the warmth and humanity of daily life, were filmed with incredible smoothness.
The scripted scenes, which were originally planned to take half a month, were finished in just one week.
After a heartwarming day, the main event finally arrives—an earthquake and a massive explosion!
In pursuit of the most realistic sense of disaster, Vision is truly throwing money away this time. Dozens of large construction machines are on standby outside.
The scene was so complex that even Lu Yang was sweating profusely, frantically moving around the area with a megaphone to arrange the troops.
Gu Heng was also on edge. This was no joke. If he wasn't careful, the director of the Venice Golden Lion Awards might take away a few extras on set, and he would really become a lawbreaker.
To ensure everything went smoothly, Gu Heng ordered the entire set to be cleared during filming.
Not only was there a professional demolition team repeatedly confirming the amount of fuse and explosives, but even my uncle was mobilized to keep an eye on things 24 hours a day.
"One final check by all departments! Demolition team, report back!"
"The demolition team is fine!"
"Camera crew ready!"
"Actors, take your positions!"
Gu Heng took a deep breath and stared intently at the monitor: "Ready...Action!"
"BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!"
With a deafening roar, the entire earth seemed to tremble.
The once vibrant tenement building was instantly reduced to a terrifying ruin amidst the earth-shaking tremors.
Dust filled the sky, obscuring the sun; steel and concrete flew through the air, accompanied by the heart-wrenching cries and screams of the extras…
The sheer visual impact was so intense that Gu Heng, watching from behind the monitor, broke out in a cold sweat.
Then comes the scene in the ruins.
Jiang Wenli really went all out. In the middle of the night, with ice-cold water poured over her, she frantically rummaged through the piles of steel and concrete ruins.
Then came the most heart-wrenching scene.
"Which one should we save?" the rescuers shouted anxiously.
"Both must be saved! They're both my flesh and blood!"
"We can only save one! If we don't make a decision soon, neither of them will survive!"
Jiang Wenli knelt on the ruins, her hands desperately digging at the dirt, her lips trembling, tears mixed with dust streaming into her mouth. After a long while, she finally managed to squeeze out the heart-wrenching line: "Save...save my brother..."
Many of the more emotional staff members had tears welling up in their eyes and were secretly wiping away tears. Even Yang Mi, who had been observing and learning from the sidelines, was stunned.
This little fox has probably never seen such imposing acting in its life.
"Click! Pass!"
"Lu Yang, quickly take some men to the ruins to check for residual pressure from the explosion. Uncle, check if anyone is injured!"
Only after confirming that everything was safe did Gu Heng announce the end of the entire explosion scene and the core long shot of the initial rescue phase.
As soon as the scene was filmed, the entire crew felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. The extras and staff collapsed onto the dusty ground, panting heavily.
Jiang Wenli was still sobbing, immersed in the character's grief, when her assistant quickly went up to put on her coat and bring her hot water.
The aftereffects of the performance were ridiculously strong.
For the next two weeks, the atmosphere on set was somber. Everyone spoke in hushed tones, afraid of disturbing the lingering sense of sorrow.
Zhang Zifeng, the young actress who played the childhood version of Fang Deng, was originally a source of joy on set.
She rarely smiles now. If it weren't for Yang Mi and Tang Yan playing with her, Gu Heng would be afraid of leaving some kind of trauma on the young girl.
But this repression actually became a catalyst, making the later scenes even better.
This tense situation lasted for a month and a half before filming for the 76 scenes finally wrapped up.