WIIAD? ### Chapter 55: Precision Like a Machine

The big shots also noticed the two bewildered students and tried to use Mandarin as much as possible during their conversation.

This made Qi Lin much more comfortable. Seeing that Qi Lin could understand, Tony suddenly felt a bit abandoned!

"Didn't we agree to be slackers together? Why are you secretly working so hard?" 

"Brother Qi, I've seen your performance in 'Fong Sai Yuk'. Your moves were really impressive. Did you receive professional training?" Mr. Ren asked curiously. Qi Lin had some popularity in mainland China, but in Hong Kong, not many people knew him. Similarly, many celebrities who were popular in Hong Kong were unknown in mainland China.

Before Qi Lin could respond, Wu Zhanlang spoke up. "My junior brother has been practicing martial arts since childhood. He's got real skills!"

Mr. Ren's interest was piqued. "Brother Qi, what kind of martial arts are you good at?"

"Well, I'm quite good at hand-to-hand combat, especially Bajiquan and Taijiquan," Qi Lin replied modestly.

Mr. Ren's interest grew. He raised his glass and said with a smile, "Don't be fooled by my age. I'm quite into Taijiquan myself. When I'm not filming, I often practice in the park. We should spar sometime."

Qi Lin raised his glass in response. "Definitely, definitely."

Of course, Qi Lin's glass contained only water. Ever since they found out Qi Lin couldn't drink alcohol, Wang Xiaohua would always inform people before any gathering that her artist was allergic to alcohol and couldn't drink. It's fair to say that there's no other agent in the industry as considerate as Wang Xiaohua.

Principal Gu remained silent and ate quietly, smiling occasionally. Most of the conversation at the table was between Wu Zhanlang and Director Zheng Rui, with Mr. Ren chiming in and Tony looking confused.

The gathering lasted for over an hour, and everyone got to know each other better, laying a good foundation for future cooperation. Director Zheng Rui personally saw them off at the hotel, while Qi Lin stayed since he was already living there.

...

Time quickly passed, and it was the sixteenth day of the new year, the official start of filming!

Before shooting, Director Zheng Rui solemnly led everyone in paying respects to the gods and heavens. The older the Hong Kong directors, the more reverence they had for these rituals. Influenced by the director, none of the actors dared to joke around during the incense offering.

After putting on their makeup, the actors began shooting. The crew split into two groups: one led by the assistant director to shoot the dialogue scenes with Principal Gu and Mr. Ren, and the other led by Director Zheng Rui himself to film the action scenes with Wu Zhanlang and Tony, which naturally included Qi Lin.

However, Qi Lin didn't expect the action scenes to be so intense on the first day! The intensity was as high as when he was filming 'Fong Sai Yuk'!

Hong Tai explained the moves while helping the actors put on protective gear. It's essential to wear protective gear when shooting action scenes, as even the toughest person couldn't withstand daily punches and kicks without it. Everyone listened intently, but Hong Tai mainly directed his explanations to Tony and Wu Zhanlang. Having worked with Qi Lin before, he knew exactly how extraordinary Qi Lin's talent was. No matter how complex the move, Qi Lin could replicate it after seeing it once—it was terrifying!

After Hong Tai finished his explanations, everyone began rehearsing to get a feel for the moves. Only when everyone felt ready would they start filming.

Among the three, Wu Zhanlang was naturally a tough guy, and Tony had been learning Muay Thai since he was ten, so his skills were solid. It seemed Qi Lin would be at a disadvantage. But when the three started sparring, the surrounding staff were stunned! It was clear at a glance that Qi Lin was dominating them both!

Director Zheng Rui was witnessing Qi Lin's action scenes for the first time and was deeply impressed! Some moves that usually required wires, Qi Lin performed with his bare hands! For a moment, Director Zheng Rui felt like he was back in the era of Hong Kong's stuntmen, where they competed to see who could perform the most dangerous stunts.

While outsiders were shocked, Wu Zhanlang and Tony were even more so. Anyone who has shot action scenes knows that injuries are inevitable. Actors are not robots, and there will always be some margin of error in their moves. A punch that stops an inch from your nose might hit you the next time due to footwork or distance issues, especially during the initial stages of coordination. Although everyone pulls their punches a bit, the speed is still fast!

However, Wu Zhanlang and Tony noticed that Qi Lin's moves were exactly as Hong Tai had taught them! Once could be a coincidence, twice as well. But after three or four times, they realized it was Qi Lin's skill—absolute precision!

Director Zheng Rui also noticed this and felt like he had found a treasure! No wonder Fang Qiong highly recommended him. Every action film director dreams of having an actor with such precise movements. If all actors were like this, they could save so much time and money!

But Zheng Rui knew that this was unlikely. Meeting someone like Qi Lin was already a stroke of luck!

With Qi Lin's precision, Wu Zhanlang and Tony quickly got the hang of the moves, and they began shooting. In actual filming, they couldn't hold back, or it wouldn't look realistic. When the three finally started fighting for real, Wu Zhanlang and Tony realized that Qi Lin had been holding back earlier!

Action films rarely use long takes because they are challenging for both actors and directors. A ninety-minute film usually has around seven to eight hundred cuts, so a shot rarely lasts more than ten seconds. However, when shooting, the shots wouldn't be that short. For instance, their current fight choreography was designed to last about thirty to forty seconds, making it easier to remember and less prone to mistakes, while also providing a sense of continuity for editing.

If the actors were exceptionally skilled and could avoid mistakes, long takes would be more thrilling! Tony, for example, had a four-minute long take fight scene in 'Tom Yum Goong,' fighting from the ground floor to the upper floors, which was very impressive!
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