Chapter 68 Two supporting roles

Li Siming asked Hanks to stay in the welfare home for a month, which was a wise choice.

When Hanks returned to McKenner and took the final makeup photo, Li Siming was more confident in the film. His appearance was already different from when Li Siming first met him. His figure became stronger and he was no longer the tall and thin boy. With his appearance and his dull expression, a Forrest Gump image was already standing in front of Li Siming.

"Aming, discuss something with you!" Zeng Zhi said.

"Discussion? You are so polite, it must be something that makes me embarrassed!" Li Siming smiled, "Can I not agree?"

"It's not difficult, absolutely not difficult!" Zeng Zhi denied.

"Then tell me?" Li Siming said. He didn't want to agree easily and then be fooled.

"I have read the script, can I make a guest appearance?" Zeng Zhi felt a little embarrassed. This is purely a playful nature. If this film wins the award, you can show it off yourself, right?

"What character?"

"It's Forrest Gump who came to China to participate in table tennis diplomacy. Can you please represent Chinese table tennis athletes? I, a pure-bred Chinese, wouldn't you find a yellow-faced and white-hearted overseas Chinese, right?" Zeng Zhi seemed to have studied the script seriously. Zeng Zhi was very yearning for this major diplomatic event between China and the United States. He failed to catch up with the real historical events, but he could "show off" them in the movie.

"I suspect you have bad intentions. There is no line, no name or surname, and you can't even have a positive close-up, so you can also act?" Li Siming felt a little funny, "Will this not discredit Prince Zeng's glorious image? Or discredit the Chinese?"

"If you add a line to me, I won't be embarrassed. Our image is definitely very Chinese. I am for your own good and bringing glory to your movies. This is also a way to win glory for the country!" Zeng Zhi smiled, "I decided that as long as you need a Chinese supporting role in your movie in the future, I will sacrifice my lust. If you are cheap, I will not get a salary!"

"Then should I express my gratitude to you?" Li Siming could not praise his "sacrifice". However, when he just agreed to this matter, his general manager, David Frankel, also the producer of the film, ran over.

"Li, we have hired a lot of supporting roles this time, and the expenses are quite high?" Frankel sighed.

"Yes, but isn't this very normal?" Li Siming thought he wanted to "reduce money" again.

"I think we should reduce this?"

"How do you want to reduce it?" Li Siming said suspiciously.

"Does our staff also play supporting roles in the film? I just heard that Mr. Zeng would also play supporting roles, so can I? When I was young, I also acted in dramas. If I insisted on acting, I might have become the Oscar winner long ago!" Frankel said. He forgot that he had thought that he was born not an actor.

"I think the next sentence is probably your purpose, right?" Li Siming smiled. This German-American man took a turn and used a high-sounding reason, just to get a chance to play a supporting role.

"I'm also considering the company and reducing labor costs!" Frankel said it with stern words. "I read the script three times, and I think I'm the most suitable one to be the reporter who is chasing and interviewing Forrest Gump."

"Then you are better than Mr. Zeng. You have one or two lines, but he doesn't have a single line!"

"Of course, I was an actor, of course I was a little better than him as a layman!" Frankel, who was full of "ambitious", had forgotten that he was mocking his boss.

"No problem! Read it carefully..." Li Siming thought about it and let it go. This character doesn't need to study the script seriously at all, it's a waste of time.

With Li Siming's consent, Frankel left excitedly. Li Siming looked at his back and felt ridiculous. Is it that attractive to play supporting roles?

"Xiaodao, do you want to play a supporting role?" Li Siming shouted at Xiaodao.

"That play was not done by someone with a status." Xiaodao disdained, "If I do it myself, at least the salary will be at least seven figures!"

"Just blow!" Li Siming was so angry that he said, "Whoever wants you to play the male lead must be crazy!"

In May 1983, "Forrest Gump" started filming in Mobile, Alabama, which is the hometown of screenwriter Glum. The difference from Li Siming's last filming was that it attracted many reporters to interview. This is the warmth and coldness of the world. When you are still an unknown person, no one will pay attention to your birth, old age, sickness and death, but when you become famous, people start to revolve around you, hoping to get exclusive news. When you fart, people will think it is fragrant. When a person is not only famous but also powerful, it is arrogant, and "pointing a deer to a horse" is no longer a problem.

The reporter's uninvited come to David Frankel's thoughts. The promotion of the film started before the start of filming. This was his job, and Li Siming had to cooperate. A brief press conference was held, and all the newcomers among the actors were, except for Judy Foster, who became famous. The reporters all wanted to get some gossip from Li Siming's mouth, but this time they were disappointed. Li Siming kept his mouth tightly and did not comment on the loss of his previous movie.

"As for what will happen to my next movie, you can just wait and see it. The next movie will be even better!" Li Siming invited out his "patent".

But Frankel pointed to God and vowed that he would be very happy this time and also be popular with a small golden man as if he was taking a piece of food. God knows where his faith came from. He sent away the chattering reporters, and then Li Siming was able to calm down and shoot the film.

The whole movie is Forrest Gump sitting on the bus station bench next to the road, clearly and almost talking to himself, and begins to tell his life journey. A total of four passers-by passed by, listening to him talk about his story in sections. Then, the last listener, the old lady, led back to the reality of the play, returning to the origin, and constantly flashbacks. The opening of the movie is a white feather floating in the wind, floating in the place of nowhere. It was originally about to land on the shoulder of an office worker and prepare to stay, but was blown away by a gust of wind, flying over the bottom of another car, and finally landing at Forrest Gump's feet, sticking to the shoes covered with mud. Forrest Gump picked it up and put it in the suitcase that his mother always took out for him when she was a child. This feather was of course completed in the post-editing editing.

In this movie that has not yet been seen, Li Siming invited Arthur Tomit to be the editor because there are a lot of shots edited from news documentaries in the film. Unlike the previous movie, the editing was done by Li Siming alone, but this movie is different. The hero wants to "live" among historical figures, which requires perfect editing. Li Siming will not be stingy for this. If George Lucas did not change his career and became a director, Li Siming would ask this editing master to take charge of the editing.

Winston Glum's original work is a ridiculous novel full of irony. Of course, Li Siming would not shoot according to the original work. The script was modified and beautified, abandoning the absurdity and satire of the original work, and adding a lot of warm elements. This undoubtedly makes the film more in line with the audience's taste, but sacrifices the original work's rebellious struggle spirit and makes the film a symbol of idealized morality. This is the need of the audience. Li Siming will not be so stupid and do it. In fact, the original film is like this. Li Siming will not look for the so-called "artistic breakthrough". When others evaluate Li Siming's "film art" over and over again, Li Siming is laughing secretly.

"The inevitable and chance are always born together. Just like playing basketball, if the final kill is successful in the last second, it is considered inevitable. People will praise the pitcher's greatness and fearlessness in the face of danger. By the way, the coach's unconventional view of employment is praised; if the shot is lost, it will also be considered inevitable. People will attribute the failure of the entire game to the person who lost the shot, either being scolded for being ruthless, or the coach will be scolded for being improper. Everyone is hindsight!" This is Li Siming's idea.

Either it is heaven or hell. This is the fact that when you succeed, people will talk about the inevitability of your success and use it as a material for books on success; if you fail, people will look for the inevitable reasons for your failure, and use it as a negative teaching material over and over again. Li Siming regards making movies as a war, and learns to let everyone play a part of the team. He tells the actors and photographers and other cast members to play the role of everyone. Li Siming is "lazy" and lets the original team work together as much as possible.

Other directors use 200 hours of film to shoot a 2-hour film. He is not afraid of wasting it. 400 hours is not a pity. For this, the butler Frankel felt very distressed, but Li Siming used the example of "Jaws" to defend: In order to pursue realistic artistic effects, Spielberg extended the shooting time of "Jaws" from 50 days to 155 days, and the budget increased from 4 million US dollars to 8.5 million US dollars. The cast and crew went out to sea every day, seasick, in distress, and were so nervous that they almost got crazy. The general manager of the studio called several times to threaten him to stop filming. However, all these difficulties and obstacles were finally broken by Steven with the teeth of courage like a shark. Not only did he insist on finishing the film, he also won Hollywood an unprecedented box office revenue - 110 million US dollars! This stunned the entire movie world.

Tom Hanks' performance is not impeccable. He is still young. Although this Chinese director is one year younger than him. Hanks is far from reaching his peak. However, he is very diligent and Li Siming is also very patient. He doesn't want to pull out seedlings to encourage growth.

"Sorry, Li, do it again!" Hanks apologized again and again. Li Siming doubted whether he had Japanese descent, which made Li Siming unable to get angry.

After ng it n times, Hanks obviously adapted to his role and became a "mind-retarded" and was very simple and natural. When he was resting, he hid aside and "retreated", thinking about the lines again and again, thinking about the characters, and muttering words in his mouth, as if he was possessed. Even Zeng Zhi, who was called a "outsider" by Frankel, thought it was good.

"He won't leave any sequelae, right?" Zeng Zhi, who was "inspecting work" or "supervising work" at the filming site, said worriedly.

"As you say that, why don't the actor who plays Hitler starts World War III?" Li Siming replied angrily, "If he doesn't do this, he won't call him Tom Hanks!"

"I really don't know why you love using newcomers so much!" Zeng Zhi said, "Is it worth it to be so hard?"

"Value, of course!" Li Siming replied affirmatively.
Chapter completed!