Chapter 450 Shooting
[Based on the feedback from readers, I will briefly describe the filming process first, and then describe the plot in the style of watching a movie after it is released. Actually, it is mainly because I am a little stuck today, so I will update twice.]
Just as Brother Kun's name was becoming famous in Hong Kong.
The crew of "Operation Kunpeng" has ended its domestic schedule and moved to Thailand.
After filming the scene in Bangkok where the male protagonist used his connections to collect weapons and ammunition, the crew moved to the newly renovated castle.
This place was set as the lair of the villain Big D, and most of the early part of the movie was shot around this castle.
Unlike the dilapidated state it was in last year, after half a year of renovation that focused only on the exterior and not the interior, the entire castle now looks quite magnificent.
The smell is too strong, it's a bit irritating to the eyes.
"It's an old castle, the ventilation isn't very good."
Chen Xuebin rubbed his nose and said, "Don't worry, I'll have someone prepare some industrial fans. Just blow some air around it before filming."
Xu Kun didn't know what to say. After all, this was all for the purpose of saving costs. According to the agreement with the Thai side, these things would have to be dismantled and cleared away after the filming of the movie was completed.
He took out his photochromic glasses from his jacket pocket and put them on. The burning sensation in his eyes was finally alleviated. He then covered his nose and asked in a muffled voice, "Are the tanks and armored vehicles in place?"
"It's in place."
Chen Xuebin led Xu Kun around to a place that looked like a doorway, but was blocked tightly. A Type 69-2 tank was parked quietly in the shadows.
This Chinese-made tank with five pairs of road wheels was once Thailand's main battle tank in the middle and late Cold War, and was gradually phased out in the late 90s.
According to historical records, if Xu Kun had not decided to make a movie, the last batch of 25 Type 69-2s would have been thrown into the sea in 2010 to serve as reefs to protect the embankment.
Chen Xuebin pointed to the wall in front and said, "This was originally a side door. We dismantled the door and built it up. It's hard for the car in the basement to get out. When we shoot Teacher Fan's scene, we can just use this tank to crash through the wall."
Then he led Xu Kun down to a basement, where the smell was even stronger. The two of them squinted their eyes and went in, only to see three tanks parked inside.
One was a 69-2 also made in China, one was an American M60A3, and there was another one that Xu Kun couldn't recognize, but judging by its shape it should be a product of the former Soviet Union.
Old Chen pointed at the tank and introduced it, "This is... cough, cough... This is Sun Honglei's collection room, he... cough..."
According to the plot setting, these tanks are the villain's collection and also his trump card when fighting with other drug trafficking forces. However, the ammunition and fuel are usually kept separate.
"Go out and tell it, go out and tell it!"
Seeing that Lao Chen was choking and unable to speak, Xu Kun hurriedly pulled him out of the basement. The two of them ran out of the castle in one breath, and only then did they dare to breathe heavily.
Before leading the team to Thailand, Xu Kun thought about many possible problems, but he never expected that they would fail in decorative materials.
It really is the cheapest product.
Lao Chen asked his assistant to bring two bottles of mineral water, moistened his throat and continued, "Although the stuff is here, according to the agreement with the military government, when we use the tanks, we need to report to them in advance, and we can only shoot after their people arrive."
"That's nothing."
Xu Kun asked again: "Where are the armored vehicles? Why don't I see any?"
"The armored vehicles are stored with other vehicles in a nearby village - we will have to find people from the village to move them, as well as drivers, etc. I also promised to dig a new well for the village."
"You can do whatever you want with these."
Xu Kun said: "But we have to pay attention to the exhaust problem inside. Let's get a large exhaust fan in the garage and run it 24 hours a day. Otherwise, I'm afraid Teacher Fan will choke to death in there." In view of the fact that the environment in the castle was too harsh, Xu Kun decided to shoot the gun battle scene at the entrance of the castle first.
In this section, after finding out the situation clearly, the rescue team divided up and contacted each other as planned. One group, Xu Kun, led Bao Qiang and Yang Junyi, went to rescue Mr. Fu; the other group, Zhao Wenzhuo, led Zhang Jin, went to hijack the armored vehicle transporting the D products.
With the protection of the armored vehicle, it would be much easier for the rescue team and Mr. Fu to escape from the enemy's nest.
However, the number of armed men escorting the car was much greater than expected, so much so that Zhao Wenzhuo and Yang Junyi, who were attempting to hijack the car, were instead suppressed by the other side.
In the end, it was thanks to Zhao Wenzhuo's explosiveness, with a series of extremely risky moves that were slightly inconsistent with the law of gravity, that he successfully snatched the armored vehicle within the specified time.
Zhen Zidan and Zhou Yi's martial arts team each designed a set of smooth movements, and then combined their strengths to complement each other's weaknesses. Zhao Wenzhuo and Yang Junyi also put in their best efforts and it took them five full days to finish shooting this scene.
I dare not say that the final effect is the pinnacle of Zhao Wenzhuo's action scenes in his life, but it is definitely ranked in the top three.
This eight-minute action-packed gunfight scene is also Zhao Wenzhuo's final highlight moment in the entire movie.
After seizing the armored vehicle, breaking through the railings and sandbags and rushing to the castle gate, Yang Junyi got out of the car without waiting for it to stop and rushed into the castle, ready to meet his teammates and Mr. Fu.
Because of this, he luckily escaped.
Because at the same time the armored vehicle crashed into the railing, a truck not far away removed its camouflage, revealing the twin anti-aircraft guns on the vehicle.
It turns out that the villain played by Sun Honglei had already anticipated that someone from the country would be sent to rescue Mr. Fu, and then speculated that the armored personnel carrier specifically responsible for transporting drug products might become their chosen tool of escape, so he set up an ambush in advance.
Less than three seconds after Yang Junyi jumped out of the car, more than a dozen shells riddled the armored vehicle with holes.
Although Zhao Wenzhuo curled up into a ball in time to avoid being hit directly by the shell, he was still blown up and his head was bleeding.
He struggled to push open the door opposite in an attempt to escape, but was seen by Sun Honglei through a telescope. He immediately pushed away the younger brother operating the anti-aircraft gun and fired dozens of rounds in a row, tearing the armored vehicle and Zhao Wenzhuo into pieces.
In order to achieve authenticity, this scene was shot on location without using any special effects.
Although they rehearsed seven or eight times before the actual filming, some accidents still occurred during the filming, forcing Xu Kun to apply for another armored vehicle from the Thai military government.
Next, it is the turn of Xu Kun and others who are attacked from all sides and are blocked inside the gate of the ancient castle, unable to move. At the critical moment, Teacher Fan drives a tank and rushes out to act as the savior.
However, considering that the complete exterior wall of the castle may still be needed for subsequent filming, this part of the plot was temporarily postponed and replaced with the plot of Xu Kun and others breaking into the castle to rescue Mr. Fu.
There is also a scene where Chef Fan discovers that the rescue team has been ambushed, so he runs to the fuel depot without saying a word, kills two guards unexpectedly, and then uses a food delivery cart to push the fuel around in the castle.
These plots sound simple, but they take at least two or three days to shoot.
By the time the scenes in the castle were almost finished, it was already early April. Taking advantage of the thriving life outside, Xu Kun led the team to the nearby jungle to continue filming the chase and counter-hunt scenes.
Thanks to the thorough preparations made in advance and the fact that Xu had just earned the nickname "The Town of Hong Kong", there was basically no trouble during the entire filming period.
The crew started filming in Yunnan and Guizhou on February 2th and successfully wrapped up on May 18th.
After resting for two days in Bangkok, the crew returned to China on May 5. As soon as he got off the plane, Xu Kun saw a somewhat familiar face on the big screen at the airport.
This guy's name seems to be Ma Something?
(End of this chapter)
