Chapter 30 Reflections on the Decline of Wuxia Dramas_The Abnormal System of the Entertainment Industry (Revised Edition) - Alice Bookstore (ALICESW.COM) - Free Novel Creation Website
Chapter 30 Reflections on the Decline of Wuxia Dramas
Looking at Niu Yichen's current appearance, Liu Zifu pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "Yichen! Take off your mask!"
Niu Yichen grabbed the mask with one hand, lifted it up, and revealed his face!
Liu Zifu nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good! That's it! Take it up!"
The clothes belong to Shangguan Haitang, and the mask is actually also Shangguan Haitang's...
Others might not know the origin of Niu Yichen's clothes, but Liu Zifu, as the director, couldn't possibly not know. It was a discarded case from the Imperial Secret Service at the beginning!
At first, the stylists in the styling team created three mysterious looks based on the term "secret agent of the imperial palace," and were overjoyed, thinking that they would definitely be approved.
But in reality, Wong Jing didn't want the 'mystery' at all. He just wanted to change the identity of the swordsman to 'Imperial Secret Agent'. So this carefully prepared plan was abandoned.
However, the styling they hastily put together later was completely accepted by Wong Jing, who didn't object at all.
When they learned of this result, it's hard to imagine what the person in charge of the styling team was feeling.
Besides, there's another reason: Li Yapeng and Huo Jianhua can't pull off these outfits. They're too elaborate, and if they actually wore them, they might overshadow the actors. Once they take off their masks, the audience might be disappointed.
But Niu Yichen wore it without any problem! If we were to rank the word 'handsome', Niu Yichen would definitely be at the very top of the pyramid.
With such looks, plus acting skills that are no less than those of Lau Chung-yan and others, even if Niu Yichen doesn't improve from now on, he will definitely become incredibly famous!
When Liu Zifu took Niu Yichen to perform on the wire, Huo Jianhua's expression was extremely unpleasant.
This situation is equivalent to him saying, "No, I can't do it!" and then Niu Yichen suddenly jumping out and saying, "If you can't, I can!" and then actually going at it!
No wonder I hate you!
Niu Yichen had anticipated this outcome, but at this point, only a fool would back down. Besides, he only had seven days of filming to do; once it was over, he would simply leave. Who cared how he felt?
Slightly uncomfortable, Niu Yichen shifted his shoulder and asked, "Who's my co-star?"
Liu Zifu pointed to the side, "Hey! They're here!"
"Teacher Li?" Niu Yichen asked in surprise, "Are you going to be suspended by wires again today?"
"It's me! But I don't need to be suspended by wires!" Li Jianyi said, "The added scenes are the scenes between you and me!"
Niu Yichen was genuinely unaware of these newly added scenes, and quickly asked, "What plot points have been added? How do they relate to the rest of the story?"
Liu Zifu handed him a very rough plot summary and said, "Based on your previous suggestion, since Emperor Zhengde can control Cao Zhengchun, he must have the strength to prevent him from acting rashly! Therefore, this fight scene between you two has been added!"
After learning more, Niu Yichen has three action scenes today, two of which are against Li Jianyi, who plays Cao Zhengchun.
The first match was when Emperor Zhengde and Cao Zhengchun sparred bare-handed. Both of them held back and used only their fist and foot techniques.
This battle was the most elegant; both fighters were strapped with wires, but never more than two meters off the ground. Cao Zhengchun ultimately won by a narrow margin. Afterwards, the two exchanged pleasantries: "Your Majesty's skills have improved recently!" and "The Heavenly Gang Boy's Kung Fu is indeed powerful!"
Simply put, it's like a flurry of attacks, but the damage is only 0.5!
However, this scene was very simple to film, and it also required changing clothes, so it was postponed to the last scene. There was another scene where Emperor Zhengde discovered that Cao Zhengchun wanted to deal with Princess Yunluo. His sister-complex kicked in, and he immediately changed into Zhao Zilong's costume, drew his sword, and went up to teach Cao Zhengchun a lesson, letting him know that there were other people protecting him in the palace besides the Eastern Depot, and that he shouldn't go too far.
What we're filming now is this fight scene, which requires the use of swords and is somewhat dangerous.
Because this action was a sneak attack by 'Zhao Zilong' from above, and he fought his way from the corridor to the outside.
To create a tense atmosphere, every strike must hit the vital point.
Only by employing offensive techniques without any defensive element, and using offense as a substitute for defense, could he gain the upper hand against Cao Zhengchun, ultimately knocking off his hat with a single sword strike, nearly breaking his "Heavenly Gang Boy's Skill," and killing four of Cao Zhengchun's guards before escaping unscathed.
There's a reason for filming it this way. As mentioned in the original drama, Cao Zhengchun's Tiangang Tongzi Gong is a martial art in the imperial palace, which only eunuchs can learn. Such a skill must have been bestowed upon him by the emperor. Since it was bestowed by the emperor, how could there not be a way to break it?
This fight, apart from the initial jump from the rooftop, required no wire work; it was just close-quarters hand-to-hand combat, meant to portray Cao Zhengchun's predicament of being caught off guard and unable to advance or retreat.
Filming like this was more difficult than imagined. Such fluid martial arts movements are best done in one continuous shot, but actually doing it in one continuous shot is extremely difficult because it's not a one-person job, but a job for two people to rehearse and coordinate their moves.
The same level of difficulty becomes exponentially more challenging when performed by two people.
Niu Yichen is alright; he's been an action star since childhood, so his basic skills are incredibly solid. Plus, he has the Beidou Body Technique with its most outward curve, so he can do almost any move, ensuring both accuracy and stability. But Li Jianyi is not so good; although his acting skills are good, his martial arts moves are a bit lacking.
Despite having mentally rehearsed the attack before Niu Yichen wielded his sword, Li Jianyi's actual movements were always a beat too slow. If it weren't for Niu Yichen's strong control, he might have been injured.
After all, he is already 45 years old, and he is still fighting bare-handed against a sword. Such a move is rarely seen in other TV dramas. However, this scene is mostly close-up and cannot be done by a stunt double.
This speed is already the slowest Niu Yichen can control; any slower and it will affect the smoothness, making the long take meaningless.
Li Jianyi was unwilling to give up, but after trying several times, he shook his head.
Left with no other option, the action directors discussed the matter again, adding more swordplay moves for Niu Yichen and reducing Li Jianyi's counterattack moves. They also covered Li Jianyi's body with sheet metal.
When Niu Yichen attacks with his sword, he can simply stab the metal plate!
Niu Yichen's action scenes have been greatly increased, while Li Jianyi only needs to keep retreating and occasionally reach out to block the blade, until finally Niu Yichen cuts off his hat with a single sword.
There's always a solution! After adding special effects in post-production, this fight scene became a contest between Zhao Zilong's fierce swordsmanship and Cao Zhengchun's powerful defense using the Heavenly Gang Boy Skill.
...
The final scene, which is confirmed to be added, will also feature Zhao Zilong in disguise, fighting against the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends!
It's the scene from the very last episode of the original TV series. It's a big scene! But before this big scene, we need to film a dialogue scene first.
The original plot was that Princess Yunluo went to save Suxin with her sword, but now it has been changed so that Princess Yunluo is in the open while Emperor Zhengde is in the dark.
The two set off together. When Princess Yunluo was being harassed by the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends in front of the gate, Emperor Zhengde, disguised as Zhao Zilong, jumped down from above and killed all the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends who were making things difficult for his sister.
It was this time that Yunluo learned that the mysterious guard who had always been protecting her in secret and appeared in her place many times in times of crisis was actually her own brother.
It's already the last episode, so there's no need to reveal their identities if they're not going to.
Moreover, Emperor Zhengde's reason for taking action was quite simple. At this point, if Emperor Zhengde himself were truly powerful, he would never have simply stood by and done nothing! Because even a little bit of his power could be the final straw that broke the camel's back.
Furthermore, the original plot was somewhat flawed. Although Princess Yunluo had formally studied martial arts with Cheng Shi for a period, she was, after all, a latecomer to the profession, and they had only been married for a short time. Yet, upon her first appearance, she had already defeated all the members of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends. It was a bit far-fetched!
The secret weapon meticulously trained by the Iron-Blooded Marquis was utterly useless, barely above the level of an ordinary passerby. It was one thing for the protagonists to handle it—after all, they were also highly trained and skilled—but it was another to be defeated by Princess Yunluo, who had only been training for less than a year…
Just think about it, the Iron-Blooded Marquis is still bragging everywhere about how awesome their formation is... It's ridiculous!
From the director's perspective, it's understandable. After all, the main focus is on the battle between Iron-Blooded Marquis and Cheng Shifei, so this part can be dealt with casually.
But the audience can't understand! Are the so-called Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends just byproducts of learning the martial arts of the Four Ghosts of Xiangxi? Therefore, Niu Yichen's reason for wanting to steal the spotlight is perfectly legitimate, and he kills people directly with a sword!
The Phantom Divine Skill learned by the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends is for transferring power. Punches, palms, and kicks are useless against it. No matter how powerful your skills are, if I thrust my sword at you, where will you turn?
...
During the dramatic performance, Niu Yichen looked at Chen Yirong, who was asking about his identity, and gently removed his mask.
His handsome face, meticulously made up by the stylist, made Chen Yi-rong look at him with stars in her eyes, forgetting even what lines she wanted to say.
At that moment, Niu Yichen suddenly understood why Director Liu Zifu had asked him to remove his mask at the beginning. It was just like when Yang Guo unveiled himself to look at Guo Xiang.
With such a well-designed and mysterious character, all viewers, especially female viewers, will surely be secretly guessing what he looks like.
If the actor playing the role isn't handsome enough, there's a high chance of creating a sense of incongruity. In that case, the perfectly crafted image might be tarnished, and it's even possible that some extreme viewers might accuse him of being pretentious.
Niu Yichen's face perfectly complements this look and character.
As a male protagonist who is so handsome that he stands out from the crowd, and who has a 70% success rate in confessing his love to any stranger, his appearance is such a huge advantage that it's as if he has a beauty filter applied to himself in this scene, to the point that he makes the three male protagonists pale in comparison.
"Royal brother! I knew it was you, hahaha!" After a moment of stunned silence, Chen Yirong suddenly improvised a line and clung to Niu Yichen like a koala.
With her legs wrapped around Niu Yichen's waist and her arms around his neck, she shouted, "I knew it! Even when I leave the palace, you will protect me!"
After shouting, Chen Yirong secretly bit Niu Yichen's ear, "I'm coming to see you tonight!"
Niu Yichen's face flushed red instantly, and the blood-stained sword in his hand fell to the ground. He grabbed Chen Yirong's thighs with both hands, near her buttocks, and looked around uneasily. He said, "What kind of behavior is this, hugging and cuddling in public? Get down quickly!"
Chen Yirong raised her head and shouted, "You're blushing! Your Majesty, you're blushing! Haha..."
"Hurry up and come down!"
"snort!"
Thankfully, Niu Yichen's pants were thick and tight; otherwise, he would have definitely embarrassed himself on camera.
Seeing that the director showed no sign of stopping, Niu Yichen quickly said, "Alright! You distract them first, don't fight them head-on. I'll help you after I've dealt with the others!"
"Alright! Your Majesty! You must be careful!" Chen Yirong said, picking up the sword from the ground and holding it in front of Niu Yichen with both hands. Her usually lively face showed a rare hint of seriousness.
"Understood!" Niu Yichen took the sword, just like the Drunken Sword Immortal in the Legend of Sword and Fairy drama crew, and shoved it back into its sheath. He turned and took two steps toward the camera, then paused and said, "Be careful too!"
After saying that, he rushed into the mansion of the Iron-Blooded Marquis.
This is the ultimate sister-complex character who can't even hold a sword steady when he's around his sister, which will definitely appeal to a significant number of women.
After this dramatic scene comes today's main event: the Zhengde Emperor, now without his mask, facing off against a group of extras dressed as the Heavenly and Earthly Fiends.
This is a huge challenge for the director, requiring extremely strong directing skills; Niu Yichen's personal abilities are secondary.
Because most of these shots will be quickly edited in, but in order to have enough material for future editing, Niu Yichen needs to film a lot more scenes.
These martial arts instructors from Hong Kong are no ordinary people. They recognized Niu Yichen's strength in action from just one scene and immediately designed several sets of highly demanding moves.
Jumping from one rooftop to another under the stunt wire, continuously!
He jumped down from the roof beam under the wire and killed all the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends around him with a single sword strike!
He was hoisted from the well by wires and hacked to death anyone who passed by!
Like a spinning top, it spun in mid-air and pierced the vertically arranged Heavenly and Earthly Fiends to death!
...
Regardless of whether there were actually that many Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends, the action directors really did design completely different ways for each of them to die!
When Niu Yichen saw the filming plans, he felt sorry for the tragic deaths of the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends. But when filming actually started, all the Heavenly Gang and Earthly Fiends felt sorry for Niu Yichen!
That was really tiring!
Being suspended by wires and flying around looks cool and stylish, but it's like being a puppet on strings. Without any support, what kind of movements can you make?
In fact, before filming began, no one had high expectations for Niu Yichen, not even Liu Zifu, who had just "seized power" today. All the design was just to select a few shots that were easiest to execute.
However, Niu Yichen's performance surprised everyone.
His sense of balance and memory are just too good!
He could remember most of the movements after the action director had demonstrated them once, and after practicing them a few times, he could perform them flawlessly.
Even with only a wire strapped to his body, he could still maintain his balance with ease. His powerful core strength allowed him to stand straight in mid-air, looking incredibly dashing and handsome, just like a top gymnast!
On another occasion, to demonstrate his prowess, Niu Yichen was required to jump onto a three-meter-high wall.
The action directors said they would need to use wires, but Niu Yichen didn't use them at all. He rushed up, stepped on the wall twice, and jumped up cleanly and neatly, as if he really had light-body skills, leaving them stunned.
It has to be said that Niu Yichen's impulsive decision to play the role of the God of Cookery was absolutely the right one! The uses of that Big Dipper movement technique are truly extensive.
Under the Beidou Body Technique, when performing actions in mid-air, one only needs a tiny fulcrum to easily complete all complex movements. This alone is something that 90% of actors cannot do.
In these scenes, Niu Yichen completely won over the action directors with his actions! No wonder he grew up on film sets and is a character actor with an action background!
Under these circumstances, the action directors came up with some really creative ideas and had Niu Yichen perform many difficult stunts. These were stunts they themselves couldn't even do, but Niu Yichen could! And he did them beautifully! What action director wouldn't want to work with an actor like that?
Then, a lot more moves were added to Niu Yichen's side—beautiful! But extremely difficult! That's how the action director expresses his love in such a direct way.
...
The whole day passed by in a flurry of activity.
By 8 p.m., the scenes requiring wire work were finally filmed, and Liu Zifu dismissed the crew early, giving everyone a break.
Scenes involving Niu Yichen always seem to be completed earlier than usual.
Today's task has been perfectly completed; we can take our time filming the scenes for the next few days.
Most importantly, the wire work went smoothly today, which greatly stabilized the morale of the crew.
With the help of others, Niu Yichen was freed from the wires. Even with his physique, he felt dizzy and lightheaded after flying in the sky for a day.
Liu Zifu walked up to him and asked with a smile, "You've been flying all day, how does it feel? Did you have enough?"
"Oh..."
Niu Yichen gave a bitter laugh, rolled up his sleeves, revealing several bluish-purple bruises on his arms. The bruises were haphazardly squeezed together, looking particularly terrifying.
"Don't force yourself if you can't handle it anymore!" Liu Zifu shook his head, took out a bottle of medicinal wine and handed it to him, saying, "It's a secret recipe, we made it ourselves. Go back and find someone to help you apply it!"
Niu Yichen accepted the medicinal wine. "Thanks!"
Liu Zifu laughed and said, "You did a great job today! You really made me proud! I'll treat you to dinner sometime!"
If this were said by any other young actor, they would be overjoyed, because it means that Liu Zifu has completely remembered you and will definitely consider you first if there are any opportunities in the future. You have already taken a step ahead of ordinary people.
However, for Niu Yichen, he was just another ordinary friend. He had a clear plan for his future and didn't need him for the time being.
After a brief greeting, Niu Yichen ate a boxed lunch on set and returned to his room alone.
Meanwhile, directors Liu Zifu and Liang Xinquan, along with several well-known actors in the crew, got busy.
After several hours of development, the news that Li Yapeng fell from the wire and was taken to the hospital by ambulance attracted the attention of reporters of all sizes in the entertainment industry.
A large number of reporters had already gathered outside the hospital, while some reporters who felt there were too many people in the hospital and wanted to get some other news went directly to the film crew.
Because there were so many reporters, the two directors simply pulled together Wallace Huo, Tammy Chen, and several other famous actors to hold a press conference.
...
There wasn't much to say about the press conference; it had nothing to do with Niu Yichen. But while Niu Yichen was applying liniment to his bruises, a question suddenly came to mind.
If even someone with his physique couldn't keep suspended by wires and fly around in the air, then ordinary actors would be even less able to do so. Could the decline of martial arts films later on be closely related to this?
Being suspended by wires is tiring, but being suspended by wires for a long time is even more tiring! Even today's young actors find it a bit too much, so how can the pampered generation of the future possibly endure it? But this wire work happens to be one of the most important elements in martial arts dramas.
Martial arts dramas have evolved through numerous upgrades. In the earliest dramas, it was simply two people exchanging moves. Gradually, the moves evolved from rigid and formulaic to graceful and flowing, then simple wire work emerged. As wire work matured, special effects were added to this foundation…
Audiences are becoming increasingly discerning! If you can't do better than before, you'll be quickly abandoned!
However, being an actor in martial arts dramas is becoming increasingly difficult! Especially with the development of wire work! Just rehearsing the moves takes a lot of time, and the actions in the air are even more strenuous. You're suspended by wires, and you have to act nonchalant. It's not as simple as it seems, especially since some actors are afraid of heights. Li Yapeng's situation is definitely not an isolated case.
In such circumstances, how many people can maintain this consistent approach?
Looking at it this way, the lack of young talent in martial arts dramas seems to offer some explanation. The older actors are too old to perform the stunts, while the newer actors are unwilling to endure hardship—they'll even issue a statement for a minor cut—and their basic skills are too poor; there isn't even a single actor who can pull off a complete, fluid set of martial arts moves!
Even Zhao Liying, known as a workaholic in the entertainment industry, who became so popular later, only performed a sword dance on Happy Camp. She simply made two smooth back and forth sword flourishes, and people still praised her, saying it was "not simple".
When Niu Yichen first saw it, he found it hilarious, but after thinking about it carefully, he couldn't laugh anymore.
Sure enough, after that, all the action scenes in TV dramas, whether martial arts or fantasy, were edited and pieced together, or the action was slow and sluggish.
Slow motion is the process of using a computer to slow down a fast-moving action so that people can see the process clearly.
What is slow motion? It's when the performance itself is slow, and then what's done in post-production? It's editing! By switching shots or speeding up the footage, that feeling of sometimes fast and sometimes slow is achieved.
It sounds like progress, because the safety of the actors is now better guaranteed, and there will no longer be situations where someone is accidentally injured by someone else's sword, and the sword is almost stuck in someone's eye!
But what about the viewing experience?
Because it's in slow motion, the fight between the two actors is weak and lacks any sense of urgency. They constantly give close-up shots of the actors' faces, making it impossible to tell if you're watching martial arts action or admiring the stunning good looks of the men and women! It would be better if they just danced! That would be more visually appealing!
Action scenes are the soul of martial arts dramas! If even the soul is gone, how can you expect it to be a hit? And so, martial arts dramas gradually 'died', while fantasy dramas, which have very low requirements for martial arts action, became popular in comparison.
In fantasy dramas, all the action can be replaced by special effects. When two popular actors are dueling, they can just stand far away, make expressions, and unleash their special moves! How simple!