Chapter 26

Regarding Wu Cheng's decision, Hong Jinbao also felt it was necessary. After all, some scenes in the movie needed to be grand, and these were the most expensive parts.

Without mentioning other aspects, just the car chase scene alone would cost no less than three to five hundred thousand yuan.

There were also the actors' fees. They, being company insiders, didn't mind waiting until the movie was released to get paid, but what about the other actors?

Therefore, after Hong Jinbao and Wu Cheng registered the company, they met with their brothers and went to a law firm to confirm everyone's shares, signing contracts for the entire afternoon.

As for Sheng Long's contract, it was still in the hands of New World Company. Hong Jinbao spent 70,000 yuan to buy it back from New World Company.

He estimated that once Sheng Long became famous, New World Company would regret it bitterly.

The new company was officially established, but it still lacked an office location. Everyone understood that money needed to be spent wisely, so the temporary office was set up at Hong Jinbao's home.

At the same time, Zhao Yazhi resigned from TVB. Although she still had a contract, she now served as Wu Cheng's secretary.

Actually, Wu Cheng had never been a boss before. The two of them, being half-baked, were actually learning from each other. Wu Cheng learned about the human relations of this era from her, while she learned Wu Cheng's advanced methods of handling matters.

Although he had never been a boss, the simple management techniques from the future were still quite effective in this era. Therefore, Wu Cheng managed to do a decent job.

Soon, the cast for the movie was finalized: Feng Cuifan played Rhino Skin; Wu Yaohan played Dead Throat; Hong Jinbao played Teapot; Zhao Yazhi played Sister Head; and Qin Xianglin played Vaseline. Qin Xianglin was thinking of transitioning, and when Hong Jinbao and Sheng Long approached him, they immediately agreed. They were still hesitant about who would play Curly Hair.

"I think there's someone who might be suitable," Yuan Biao said, scratching his head. "I once met the chief editor of a magazine. He looks quite comical and fits the description of 'making people laugh at first sight.' He even has curly hair! By the way, his name is Cen Jianxun."

Wu Cheng was somewhat surprised. Could Cen Jianxun have returned to the country at this time?

Wu Cheng didn't particularly like Cen Jianxun. In his view, as an entertainer, there was no need to get involved in politics, but Cen Jianxun was particularly fond of it.

Therefore, Wu Cheng had some dislike for him. However, without this 'Curly Chicken,' "Five Lucky Stars" wouldn't be the real "Five Lucky Stars."

Wu Cheng was originally hesitant about whether to let Yuan Hua play the 'Curly Chicken,' but since the real Curly Hair was available, it didn't matter much to have him participate.

Apart from Sister Head being played by Zhao Yazhi, the daughter of the villain being played by Yuan Qiu, and the boyfriend of the villain's daughter being played by Yuan Hua, the rest of the cast was mostly the same as in his memory.

As for the car stunts in the movie, Wu Cheng contacted Xiao Heizi Ke Shouliang, who was famous for winning the motorcycle championship in Taiwan. It was easy to find him.

Wu Cheng also planned to have him establish a stunt department under their company, as they would need many stunts in the future, and it would be more convenient than hiring from other companies.

In early November, everything was ready, and the "Five Lucky Stars" production began with a traditional ceremony.

The ceremony was a significant feature of Hong Kong movies. Wu Cheng didn't understand these things, but Hong Jinbao and the others were very familiar with them and handled all the arrangements.

Wu Cheng and Zhao Yazhi also participated in the ceremony and then gave interviews to journalists. At this time, journalists were still relatively normal, not as crazy as in the future.

Of course, Wu Cheng treated the journalists from the Urban Entertainment News specially, secretly instructing Hong Jinbao to arrange a special interview for them. This was both for the movie's promotion and to boost the newspaper's sales, ensuring that the benefits stayed within the company.

The first scene, being a daytime shoot, couldn't follow the script exactly, so they had to rearrange the scenes. The first scene was Wu Yaohan stealing car windows and wheels.

Wu Yaohan had a face that made people laugh just by looking at it. Although he wasn't as famous as in the future, he was already well-known in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, having returned from abroad and started his own film company.

He was very happy to be cast in such a movie. Watching him seriously clean the car window while looking around, pretending to steal, Wu Cheng couldn't help but laugh.

When it came to the scene of him stealing the wheels, many people couldn't help but laugh.

As for the car owner, the original actor was Chen Xingjian, but since he was a real Hong Kong police officer at the time, he couldn't participate. They ended up finding someone else to play the role.

Although they knew the movie was funny, reading the script and watching it being acted out were two different things.

Wu Cheng followed the production crew, gradually learning how to shoot a movie. He was very interested in directing, but since he hadn't studied it in his previous life, he had to start from scratch. Fortunately, his memory was good, and he could learn from books and combine the knowledge with practice. Gradually, Wu Cheng understood how a movie should be made and how a director should tell a story.

Of course, he had an advantage: the clear movie scenes in his mind. He could simulate and replicate a movie based on these scenes, a right that others couldn't imitate.

After some learning, Wu Cheng felt eager to try.

So, besides writing, Wu Cheng spent most of his time by Hong Jinbao's side, learning from him and taking over as assistant director when Hong Jinbao was on set. He constantly compared the performances on the small screen with the scenes in his mind, choosing the best and most realistic ones.

"Cut! That extra, don't stare at the camera, okay? I'm talking to you!"

They were shooting the scene of Sheng Long roller-skating in the amusement park, with many extras. To make the scene more realistic, Wu Cheng didn't have Jackie Chan appear first, as in the original, but had a stuntman warm up the atmosphere.

The more extras, the harder the scene to shoot. Wu Cheng knew this, but after several takes, either this or that went wrong, which was why directors sometimes got the nickname 'tyrants on set.' It wasn't that they had a bad attitude, but they were genuinely frustrated.

"Alright, everyone, take a break, and we'll continue later!"

Wu Cheng put down the megaphone, and Hong Jinbao laughed, saying, "Why are you so angry? I'm the director, right? For scenes with many extras, just have them do more takes. If it doesn't work, cut their scenes later. It's not worth getting so upset."

Wu Cheng shook his head and said, "Some scenes can be cut, but others need the extras to set the mood. We're making a movie, not just to make money, but to do our best. If we can't, we shouldn't do it at all!"

"A Cheng, don't put too much pressure on yourself. You're still young!"

Wu Cheng rubbed his face and said, "It's not that I'm putting pressure on myself, but I must do what needs to be done, no matter which part. This is our first movie, and it must be a hit. If we just go through the motions, we'll ruin our reputation. We can have box office failures, but we can't have shoddy productions. This is responsible to the audience and a鞭策to ourselves."

Seeing Wu Cheng's serious expression, Hong Jinbao was slightly stunned and then nodded.

The main actors, seeing Wu Cheng's serious attitude, had various feelings. No wonder he had achieved so much at such a young age. Being brave and determined was one thing, but truly doing a good job required a serious and responsible attitude.

Sheng Long, who was playing with Qin Xianglin, stopped awkwardly when he heard these words. Wu Cheng's gaze also turned toward them.

Sheng Long gave an awkward smile, and Wu Cheng beckoned him over. Although Wu Cheng was younger, in every aspect, he couldn't surpass Wu Cheng. In terms of acting, his current achievements were still not impressive, so he maintained a very respectful attitude.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to scold you!" Seeing his nervousness, Wu Cheng smiled and then said seriously, "A Long, the importance of this movie to you doesn't need much explanation. Although you're not the lead, the scenes I designed for you are more appealing than the lead's. You could almost be the lead if you appeared at the end."

Sheng Long believed this. After all, he had read the script. In the previous life, casting Sheng Long and adding these scenes was probably to leverage his fame.

However, the scenes were too impressive, and in the end, the scenes where he should have appeared were cut, and Rhino Skin's undercover role took over.

"So, you must be fully focused. This is your chance to succeed. If you make a name for yourself this time, you'll definitely have a role in our next movie, even as the lead. Can you promise me that?"

Hearing this, Sheng Long's blood boiled, and he patted his chest, saying, "No problem, just watch me!"

Seeing Sheng Long leave excitedly, Yuan Biao ran over and asked, "A Cheng, what did you say to A Long? He seems like he's on a high!"

Wu Cheng chuckled and said, "I did give him a pep talk. I promised him that once the company has money, we'll make him the lead. Of course, you're included too!"

"I... I'm not ready yet, I need more training!" Yuan Biao hesitated.

"Ha, that's fine too!"

Fifteen minutes later, Wu Cheng picked up the megaphone again and raised his voice, "Actors in position..."