novellhall Chapter 296 Five-Star Accommodation?
Chapter 296 Five-Star Accommodation?
Chapter 295 Five-Star Accommodation? (Happy New Year, please vote with monthly tickets)
At this moment, Xin Zhilei finally understood.
Chen Xun's journey from an extra in Hengdian to the Oscars and his success in Hollywood was never due to luck.
It is his reverence for performance and his meticulous attention to detail.
Even at the top, they remain calm and dedicated, striving to do their best in every role and every shot.
On the other hand, Yang Chao's obsession with the footage deepened as filming progressed.
To film the morning mist on the Three Gorges, he and the entire crew waited at the dock for three whole days.
They get up before dawn every day to set up the machines.
But either the fog is too thick to capture anything, or the fog dissipates too quickly to turn on the camera in time.
The production team was frantic, constantly confronting Yang Chao: "Director Yang! We can't wait any longer!"
"In these three days, hundreds of thousands have been thrown in, including film rental, boat rental, and staff salaries!"
"The budget is being spent like water; at this rate, even 3500 million won't be enough!"
Yang Chao was also anxious; he had several blisters on his lips, but he just wouldn't budge: "This scene with the morning mist is the soul of the whole film!"
"Going upstream from Gaochun, reaching the Three Gorges, only in this morning mist can he truly connect with the self he describes in his poems!"
"If this scene isn't filmed well, the whole movie is ruined!"
The two argued fiercely, neither able to convince the other.
In the end, Chen Xun stepped in and pulled the two aside.
After listening to the producer discuss the budget issue and Yang Chao's requirements for the visuals, he smiled and said, "Don't worry about the budget. We'll figure out how to handle any overruns together. This scene has to be filmed, and it has to be filmed well."
He turned to look at Yang Chao, his eyes full of agreement: "Director Yang, I understand what you mean. Good shots are earned by waiting."
"We've spent ten years polishing this script, so three more days won't make a difference. You don't need to worry about the money; just focus on filming the scenes you want and capturing the true essence of the Yangtze River."
It's only a few million US dollars, not even enough for Chen Xun's salary for one movie, let alone profit sharing!
Compared to the improvement in the panel, all of this is worth it!
Chen Xun would spend more than this amount of money just to run a dungeon.
At this moment, words appeared before Chen Xun's eyes:
Project Name: Yangtze River Map
Current filming progress: 1%
[Performance Rating: D+]
Director's satisfaction rating: D
Team Collaboration: E+
[Audience Expectations: C—]
Overall Rating: D
[Stage Rewards: None]
The project evaluation for "Crosscurrent" has finally been completed!
Yang Chao looked at Chen Xun, and his eyes instantly reddened.
He spent ten years seeking investment for this script, meeting with countless investors, and everyone he met told him the same thing: "Control costs!"
"We need to consider the market."
"Stop with those fake images."
No one has ever supported Chen Xun's seemingly unrealistic artistic obsessions as unreservedly as he has.
"Chen Xun, thanks!"
Yang Chao patted him on the shoulder, and all his unspoken words were contained in those two words.
Xin Zhilei, who was standing nearby, was deeply moved by what she saw.
She has seen too many investors bossing around directors, forcing them to abandon their artistic principles for the sake of the market and budget.
However, Chen Xun, as the largest investor, not only did not interfere with the creative process, but also did his best to support the director's obsession, all for the sake of making a good film.
This level of vision and reverence for film is something she has never seen in this industry.
The scenes at Jiangyin Wharf were finally filmed after more than half a month.
-
Chen Xun's panel showed two pieces of information about the entertainment industry, but unfortunately they were both junk information and were completely useless.
At the dinner table in the temporary camp, Yang Chao raised his wine glass and patted his chest to the entire crew.
"Everyone, tomorrow we'll officially begin our journey upstream into the Three Gorges!"
"The remaining 80% of the film will be shot on cargo ships on the Yangtze River, which will take anywhere from two months to half a year. We'll be braving the wind and waves, so thank you all for your hard work!"
He downed his glass of baijiu in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and his eyes gleamed: "But don't worry, everyone, logistical support will be top-notch! I've arranged five-star accommodations for everyone at the Yangtze River Hotel!"
"The entire trip is liveaboard, so you won't have to move your luggage and change hotels every day. The Yangtze River view is right outside your window, ensuring a comfortable stay and worry-free photography experience!"
As soon as these words were spoken, cheers erupted from the dinner table.
Chen Xun took a sip of the cola in his glass and was also somewhat surprised.
Unexpectedly, Yang Chao changed his usual stingy ways and was actually willing to spend money on logistics.
Most of the crew members were veterans who had worked alongside Yang Chao for several years.
When we were scouting locations before, we stayed in guesthouses by the river that cost ten yuan a night.
It's common for things to leak air and water.
Chen Xun also heard many complaints from the crew members on set.
Director Yang can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on camera work, film stock, and visuals without batting an eye.
However, when it comes to food, clothing, accommodation, and transportation on set, they are so stingy that they could squeeze oil out of a stone.
Who wouldn't be excited to finally be able to stay in a five-star hotel?
Even the director of photography raised his glass with a smile: "Director Yang, you're really something! You've finally gone all out! I thought we'd be staying at a riverside guesthouse until filming wrapped!"
"Absolutely!"
Yang Chao slapped the table, a mysterious smile on his face: "We're filming a story about the Yangtze River, so we have to live in the Yangtze!"
"This accommodation is one of a kind in all of China!"
The next morning, the entire crew, dragging their suitcases, arrived at the dock in a grand procession.
When they saw the scene before them, everyone was dumbfounded.
Three old, rusty cargo ships were moored on the riverbank. Most of the paint on their hulls had peeled off, revealing the rusty red iron underneath. Three names were crookedly painted in white on the sides of the ships.
Five-Star No. 2, Five-Star No. 3.
A river breeze blew by, causing the boat to rock and creak, making a metallic scraping sound. It looked just like something pulled out of a scrap metal recycling plant.
"Director Yang—is this what you meant by 'five-star accommodation'?"
"Clang!"
The production manager's suitcase fell to the ground.
His face turned green.
Pointing at the three dilapidated ships, his voice trembled: "Aren't these the abandoned cargo ships that used to transport goods along the river?!"
"What do you mean 'scrambled'! All three ships are perfectly capable of sailing!"
Yang Chao, without batting an eye, patted the metal hull of the ship: "Look closely! The ship's name is Five-Star! Isn't this five-star accommodation?"
"I'm not lying to you! Open the window and you're right on the Yangtze River's main channel, a 24-hour river view. Can you find another place like this in all of China?"
The entire crew fell silent.
"Pfft!"
After a full half minute, someone couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Immediately afterwards, laughter and wails filled the air.
"Holy crap! So 'Five Stars' is the ship's name?! Director Yang, your wordplay is really too sarcastic!"
"I told my wife yesterday that I wanted to stay on a five-star Yangtze River cruise. If I took a picture and sent it to her, she'd think I'd been tricked into working in a coal mine!"
"I can't believe my eyes! Their five-star accommodations are five-star hotels, but ours are cargo ships with the name 'Five-Star'!"
Yang Chao wasn't annoyed.
After everyone had finished laughing, he led them onto the boat and opened the wooden door at the bottom of the hold: "Stop howling, come down and take a look! I've had it all cleaned up, it's definitely habitable!"
As everyone descended the iron ladder, a smell mixed with engine oil and the salty, fishy odor of river water wafted towards them.
The bottom of the hold was divided into small compartments.
Each cubicle contained two or three bunk beds made of old wooden planks, which creaked when you walked on them.
The wall was covered with a layer of old newspapers, from several years ago.
Many places were damp and moldy from the river water, and spider webs were growing in the corners.
The worst part is that there is no heating or air conditioning in the entire cabin.
There isn't even a decent window!
There were only a few small ventilation holes, and the river wind blew in through them, carrying the chill of late autumn, making one feel cold to the bone.
"Forget about a separate bathroom."
Yang Chao pointed towards the stern of the ship, his expression unchanged: "There are two public restrooms at the stern, each with a shower. Hot water is available for a limited time, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. every night. If you want to take a shower, hurry up."
"Men on the left, women on the right, don't go the wrong way!"
Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone who had been laughing instantly fell.
The production manager was the first to explode!
He pulled Yang Chao to a corner and said urgently in a low voice, "Director Yang! Are you crazy?"
"We have over 30 million in budget in our account! It's not that we don't have money! How much would it cost to rent a riverside hotel for the film crew?"
"Even if you travel by ship, renting a proper cruise cabin won't cost much!"
"You've got these three dilapidated boats, without even heating. It's late autumn, and the temperature on the Yangtze River drops several degrees below zero at night. How are we supposed to live there?"
He grew increasingly agitated, his voice rising involuntarily: "And Chen Xun! He's an Oscar-caliber actor! He's back from Hollywood! You want him to live with everyone else in this drafty cargo hold?"
"What will people say about us if word gets out? That we mistreated the lead actor?"
"And Xin Zhilei, it's so inconvenient for a young girl to live in a place like this. Aren't you afraid she'll quit?"
"Why are you giving up?"
Yang Chao waved his hand, his tone resolute: "Money should be spent wisely! Renting hotels and cruise ships, throwing in hundreds of thousands a day, will that even result in a single more frame in the footage?"
"cannot!"
"With that money, I could shoot twenty more takes on film, rent the best 65mm large format equipment, and film the entire source of the Yangtze River if I invested it in filming!"
He pointed to the rushing Yangtze River outside the cabin, his eyes shining with an alarming intensity: "What are we filming?"
"It's the story of boatmen! It's the story of Gao Chun's life spent drifting on the river!"
"Can actors find that state of mind if they don't live on a boat, don't smell the river water and engine oil every day, and don't feel the cold from the river wind?"
"Can the production team capture that sense of being rooted in the Yangtze River?"
The production manager was speechless, and could only stomp his foot and walk away with a helpless expression.
Meanwhile, Chen Xun had already dragged his suitcase down the iron ladder into the cabin.
He carried his own suitcase and chose the smallest compartment closest to the bow of the ship.
The cubicle contained only one single bunk bed. The upper bunk was piled with miscellaneous items, while the lower bunk could just fit a bed and a small table.
The vent faces the river.
The river wind blew straight in, making it colder than the other compartments, but it was also the closest to the cockpit.
It's almost exactly the same as Gao Chun's cabin on the Guangyun in the script.
"Bro, this place is so run-down!"
Rob followed behind, his face scrunched up as he looked at the moldy walls and drafty vents: "I'll talk to Director Yang and tell him we can stay at the riverside hotel and just drive over to film every day!"
"If all else fails, I'll rent a nice cruise ship and have them come with us. It won't cost much!"
He happened to be in China to discuss the dubbing work for "Big Fish & Begonia" that Chen Xun had mentioned before, and he came to the film set to see Chen Xun.
And that's how we ended up seeing this scene today.
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