"Burning City" is a rare disaster-themed film among Chinese films.
Directed by Poon Yaoming and starring Andy Lau , Bai Yu , Karen Mok , the disaster blockbuster "Burning City" will be released nationwide on November 1. The film tells the story of Hong Kong's dangerous material leakage crisis, which will affect the whole country in 24 hours. Hongkong. Environmental protection expert Fan Weili (played by Andy Lau), senior executive Cecilia (played by Karen Mok), frontline firefighter Li Jiefeng (played by Bai Yu) and others tried to prevent this crisis from happening.
As a rare disaster theme in Chinese-language movies, "Burning City" originated from a news report about the "illegal transshipment of foreign garbage" incident in Hong Kong. The director used commercial blockbusters to package social issues and present a visual spectacle to the audience. It also brings social thinking behind the disaster. Pan Yaoming, who was born as a photographer, has shot the movies such as " Monster Hunt " series, " Overheard " series, and " Golden Finger ". He has also directed two movies, but this is his first time directing. For such a large-scale commercial film, there is a lot of pressure. The film has 2,100 special effects shots and is a huge production. For director Pan Yaoming, making this disaster film is a very big "disaster" for the entire behind-the-scenes team, and they have to take the challenge step by step.
In an interview with the Beijing News, regarding the issue of how to deal with the relationship between realistic logic and drama in disaster films, director Pan Yaoming did not want the disaster film to be too real in terms of story, and tried to amplify a little bit of information from the perspective, story, and explosion scenes. , making the audience feel like they will enter a fantasy journey when watching this disaster movie.
[Creation]
The story originated from a news report, and I once took risks to capture the scene.
Beijing News: As a rare disaster film in Chinese movies, how did the story of "Burning City" come about?
Pan Yaoming: The story of originated from a news report. Because there are international laws that require electronic waste to be processed before being discharged, but the cost is very high, so some businessmen illegally transport it to other places for low-cost processing. There is an environmental organization in the United States. They were curious about where the discarded electronic chemical products were shipped, so they secretly put more than 200 trackers in different boxes. Finally, they found that more than 60 boxes were shipped to Hong Kong, China, 55 of which were In the New Territories, there are a lot of recycling yards. This matter was later published in "Times Magazine". After seeing it, Boss Jiang (Jiang Zhiqiang) of Anle Pictures told the team that he wanted to film this project.
Beijing News: When Boss Jiang told you about this project, what was your reaction?
Pan Yaoming: boss Jiang approached me around 2020. After he finished writing the first draft of the script, he came to me and said that he wanted to make a disaster movie that had never been seen in Hong Kong, and that it would also be fresh. I said it was too difficult. In a place as small as Hong Kong, if you have to deal with such a large production (project), the budget is very high. He said, I'm not afraid, I just want to take pictures. After reading the script, I thought this project was a bit interesting. Because my family lived in Tai Po, New Territories at the time, I often saw some recycling yards, but you didn’t know what was going on inside and couldn’t go in, so I was quite curious.
Beijing News: Did Boss Jiang give you the first draft of the script and the final version of the script, were there any major adjustments?
Pan Yaoming: Looking at the larger framework of , the story is still about a disaster, and there is a danger of leakage of waste materials (dangerous materials). There were a few modifications to the plot that I personally liked, and it was finally revised to the 12th draft. For example, in the first draft, the focus of the story at the beginning was on the firefighters, but I felt that there should be a person who made the audience feel full of guilt or a sense of atonement, and then introduced the lines of the fire station. Better.
Beijing News: Did the team go to the recycling site to collect scenes?
Pan Yaoming: Our screenwriting team also found the Hong Kong newspaper that reported the news at the time. The reporter later immigrated and also tried to contact members of the environmental organization in the United States because he had been to Hong Kong to track, but he could not enter those Recycling yard. When we were shooting scenes, outsiders were not allowed to enter the recycling yards, so we tried aerial photography to see what was inside that place. As a result, after the aerial photography aircraft flew for a while, someone inside ran out to stop them, "What are you doing?" Shoot something” and let’s leave right away. We all took risks to capture the scenery, and those places are quite mysterious.
The fire consultant invited by the crew of "Burning City" explained the details at the filming scene.
Beijing News: There is a lot of professional knowledge and terminology about chemistry in the film. Did the crew invite relevant expert consultants to check the script?
Pan Yaoming: We have found some experts in chemistry, physics, and toxic waste, not to mention fire protection (experts). The Fire Protection Department fully supports us in filming this project, and when we find those experts, sometimes we need to find two people. Three, let's say those university professors, if they want, can share with us the details of what this is all about. We basically construct the story based on the real state and reaction of chemicals.
[Performance]
Andy Lau’s body language is sophisticated, and Karen Mok has aura
Beijing News: Andy Lau’s father was also a firefighter. Is there any reason why he took the role in this drama?
Pan Yaoming: When Boss Jiang came to see Andy Lau, I didn’t know that his father was a firefighter. Until one day during a costume fitting, Andy Lau played a disaster response expert. Firefighting suits had nothing to do with him, but I wanted him to try on firefighting suits. I thought there might be a chance to use them in a scene. After he put it on, he looked in the mirror, pulled up his clothes for me to see, and turned around with a smile and told me, "My father is also a firefighter." That moment was quite amazing, because I watched him look in the mirror and felt that he looked like There was a connection with his father.
Beijing News: Karen Mok has not acted in movies for many years. How did you think of casting her for the role of cecilia this time?
Pan Yaoming: I have the same idea as you, because the last time I worked with her was "Child's Dream" 19 years ago (Pan Yaoming served as the director of photography). When we were preparing for "Burning City", we thought about it a lot, and I thought Karen Mok was a good candidate. But the problem was that she was doing well in singing in the Mainland at the time and spent a lot of time on music, so I didn't have much confidence. Later, Boss Jiang and Andy Lau also felt that she was a good candidate, so they invited her. The reason why I am very happy is not that we will meet again after 19 years, but that this character needs to be matched with Andy Lau. If not, the whole play will collapse. Although Karen Mok has not acted much in recent years, she has an external aura. If she hadn't acted, I really don't know who could have achieved this.
Andy Lau and Karen Mok performed a wonderful rivalry scene in "Burning City".
Beijing News: Is the senior executive originally planned in the script a female character?
Pan Yaoming: Yes, because I think a contrast is needed. If it is two men playing against each other, the chemical effect will not be that great, and it will not be good if it is too strong. From the perspective of a woman and a man, I think the contrast is better to watch, and it also gives the female executive a chance to have more inner conflicts and struggles.
Beijing News: The rivalry between these two people is particularly exciting. How did the director create that sense of tension during filming?
Pan Yaoming: When you coordinate everything in this scene with the actors, and the dialogue is smooth, and then let them play it again, you will know what they can do. In every scene, I carefully told them what was going on before and what was going on behind, and I taught them these things one by one.The advantage of the two of them is that they are both in perfect harmony. For example, Andy Lau is a very sophisticated and experienced actor. He will use some body language to coordinate with his opponents. After we finish filming, if there is anything that feels wrong, we will remind them through the small details and then adjust the atmosphere.
[Theme]
Disaster movies should convey the message of avoiding disasters and cherishing the people around you
Beijing News: Many netizens said that disaster movies have a narrative routine, "Every disaster can save a broken family." How does the director view disasters? This kind of narrative routine of the film?
Pan Yaoming: You just said that "every disaster can save a broken family." I think it is true, but in our story, it does not just save one family, but many families. This is not the point. What I hope is that after everyone feels the message conveyed by this story, they can avoid this disaster from happening. Don't use disasters to make up for their past mistakes. Don't learn to cherish it at the last moment. This is what I often remind you. own. If the misunderstanding and conflict between the characters played by Andy Lau and Bai Yu require a disaster to help make up for it, I don't think it is a good thing. What I want to convey in this video is that everyone should cherish the people around them. Did you use another narrative angle to tell this disaster movie? It is indeed possible, but the delivery of information and appeal may be different.
Stills from "Burning City". Bai Yu plays fire captain Li Jiefeng.
Beijing News: Although it is a disaster movie, the audience will also think about the realistic logic in the story. How does the director balance the relationship between dramatic conflicts and authenticity in disaster movies?
Pan Yaoming: Many viewers also asked me if this is real. I least want this to be a real thing. Why? Because it is a disaster. So I hope to amplify the information a little bit more in terms of perspective, drama, or explosion scenes. For example, the audience will see that the colors in the movie are green during the day and purple at night, while the previous disasters The film is all dark and gloomy, I don’t want to bring that state, I want to have a fresh process for the audience to feel. After we talked about these things with the director of the observatory, I wanted to exaggerate a little more and let the audience have a fantasy journey to see this disaster.
Screenshot from the trailer of "Burning City". Fantasy scenes of violent explosions in the film.
Beijing News: There is a fantasy scene in the movie. The firefighters did not catch the falling radioactive material safely. As a result, it leaked and caused a violent explosion. The shock wave spread throughout Hong Kong. Why was this fantasy scene shot? How difficult was it to make this lens?
Pan Yaoming: I need this lens to make this thing dreamlike and let the audience feel that the entire Hong Kong will be destroyed in that moment. If we follow real logic, the damage caused by the leak will have a long-lasting impact. This place may become a waste area and uninhabitable for a long time, but it cannot be shown in the movie. I added this shot later to allow the audience to feel the harm and lethality of dangerous substances in an instant.
The film "Burning City" reveals the dark chain of foreign garbage, and radioactive waste leads to a series of disasters.
Beijing News: At the end of the film, a row of buildings that are about to be completed is blown up, and the disaster response plan of using the ruins of the buildings to bury radioactive materials is also fictional?
Pan Yaoming: We also talked to experts about how high the height of concrete would be needed to cover such a powerful radiation so that it would not leak out. If it's not high enough, it will still seep through. This is real information, and then we added some imaginary things.
[Comparison]
If you refer to other people’s works, it won’t make much sense when shooting.
Beijing News: In addition to the director, you also served as the director of photography in the film. Is it more difficult to wear multiple hats?
Pan Yaoming: I don’t think there is any problem with .In fact, I tried to find another director of photography, but because I didn’t have much time, and it also involved various departments such as special effects and actors, if a lot of time was wasted on me or the director of photography, I might not be able to complete (the project). The cost of the 90-day shooting cycle is very high. I am absolutely unwilling to add another day of shooting. If I have to communicate the story and photography style with the photography director again, the communication cost is very high, so I decided to do it myself. Please ask someone to do it with me. I have been working on a handheld game for a long time. Let’s work together to complete this matter. I think it's pretty good, because everything is learning, and you will definitely encounter some difficulties in the learning process. These are the experiences this movie gave me.
Director Pan Yaoming on the shooting set of "Burning City".
Beijing News: There are very few disaster films of the same type in Chinese-language films. Did the director watch some foreign works of the same type for reference?
Pan Yaoming: had watched some Hollywood disaster movies before making this movie, such as "2012". When I went to shoot it, I didn't check any information at the time. I always felt that in order to make a movie, I had to refer to other works. The good and the bad will affect you subtly, so I try to avoid looking at these works. When I work with other creatives, I avoid giving them too much information. I just tell them roughly what tone, color, and light I will use. If I refer to other people's works, it won't make much sense when shooting.
"Burning City" is a rare disaster-themed film among Chinese films.
Directed by Poon Yaoming and starring Andy Lau , Bai Yu , Karen Mok , the disaster blockbuster "Burning City" will be released nationwide on November 1. The film tells the story of Hong Kong's dangerous material leakage crisis, which will affect the whole country in 24 hours. Hongkong. Environmental protection expert Fan Weili (played by Andy Lau), senior executive Cecilia (played by Karen Mok), frontline firefighter Li Jiefeng (played by Bai Yu) and others tried to prevent this crisis from happening.
As a rare disaster theme in Chinese-language movies, "Burning City" originated from a news report about the "illegal transshipment of foreign garbage" incident in Hong Kong. The director used commercial blockbusters to package social issues and present a visual spectacle to the audience. It also brings social thinking behind the disaster. Pan Yaoming, who was born as a photographer, has shot the movies such as " Monster Hunt " series, " Overheard " series, and " Golden Finger ". He has also directed two movies, but this is his first time directing. For such a large-scale commercial film, there is a lot of pressure. The film has 2,100 special effects shots and is a huge production. For director Pan Yaoming, making this disaster film is a very big "disaster" for the entire behind-the-scenes team, and they have to take the challenge step by step.
In an interview with the Beijing News, regarding the issue of how to deal with the relationship between realistic logic and drama in disaster films, director Pan Yaoming did not want the disaster film to be too real in terms of story, and tried to amplify a little bit of information from the perspective, story, and explosion scenes. , making the audience feel like they will enter a fantasy journey when watching this disaster movie.
[Creation]
The story originated from a news report, and I once took risks to capture the scene.
Beijing News: As a rare disaster film in Chinese movies, how did the story of "Burning City" come about?
Pan Yaoming: The story of originated from a news report. Because there are international laws that require electronic waste to be processed before being discharged, but the cost is very high, so some businessmen illegally transport it to other places for low-cost processing. There is an environmental organization in the United States. They were curious about where the discarded electronic chemical products were shipped, so they secretly put more than 200 trackers in different boxes. Finally, they found that more than 60 boxes were shipped to Hong Kong, China, 55 of which were In the New Territories, there are a lot of recycling yards. This matter was later published in "Times Magazine". After seeing it, Boss Jiang (Jiang Zhiqiang) of Anle Pictures told the team that he wanted to film this project.
Beijing News: When Boss Jiang told you about this project, what was your reaction?
Pan Yaoming: boss Jiang approached me around 2020. After he finished writing the first draft of the script, he came to me and said that he wanted to make a disaster movie that had never been seen in Hong Kong, and that it would also be fresh. I said it was too difficult. In a place as small as Hong Kong, if you have to deal with such a large production (project), the budget is very high. He said, I'm not afraid, I just want to take pictures. After reading the script, I thought this project was a bit interesting. Because my family lived in Tai Po, New Territories at the time, I often saw some recycling yards, but you didn’t know what was going on inside and couldn’t go in, so I was quite curious.
Beijing News: Did Boss Jiang give you the first draft of the script and the final version of the script, were there any major adjustments?
Pan Yaoming: Looking at the larger framework of , the story is still about a disaster, and there is a danger of leakage of waste materials (dangerous materials). There were a few modifications to the plot that I personally liked, and it was finally revised to the 12th draft. For example, in the first draft, the focus of the story at the beginning was on the firefighters, but I felt that there should be a person who made the audience feel full of guilt or a sense of atonement, and then introduced the lines of the fire station. Better.
Beijing News: Did the team go to the recycling site to collect scenes?
Pan Yaoming: Our screenwriting team also found the Hong Kong newspaper that reported the news at the time. The reporter later immigrated and also tried to contact members of the environmental organization in the United States because he had been to Hong Kong to track, but he could not enter those Recycling yard. When we were shooting scenes, outsiders were not allowed to enter the recycling yards, so we tried aerial photography to see what was inside that place. As a result, after the aerial photography aircraft flew for a while, someone inside ran out to stop them, "What are you doing?" Shoot something” and let’s leave right away. We all took risks to capture the scenery, and those places are quite mysterious.
The fire consultant invited by the crew of "Burning City" explained the details at the filming scene.
Beijing News: There is a lot of professional knowledge and terminology about chemistry in the film. Did the crew invite relevant expert consultants to check the script?
Pan Yaoming: We have found some experts in chemistry, physics, and toxic waste, not to mention fire protection (experts). The Fire Protection Department fully supports us in filming this project, and when we find those experts, sometimes we need to find two people. Three, let's say those university professors, if they want, can share with us the details of what this is all about. We basically construct the story based on the real state and reaction of chemicals.
[Performance]
Andy Lau’s body language is sophisticated, and Karen Mok has aura
Beijing News: Andy Lau’s father was also a firefighter. Is there any reason why he took the role in this drama?
Pan Yaoming: When Boss Jiang came to see Andy Lau, I didn’t know that his father was a firefighter. Until one day during a costume fitting, Andy Lau played a disaster response expert. Firefighting suits had nothing to do with him, but I wanted him to try on firefighting suits. I thought there might be a chance to use them in a scene. After he put it on, he looked in the mirror, pulled up his clothes for me to see, and turned around with a smile and told me, "My father is also a firefighter." That moment was quite amazing, because I watched him look in the mirror and felt that he looked like There was a connection with his father.
Beijing News: Karen Mok has not acted in movies for many years. How did you think of casting her for the role of cecilia this time?
Pan Yaoming: I have the same idea as you, because the last time I worked with her was "Child's Dream" 19 years ago (Pan Yaoming served as the director of photography). When we were preparing for "Burning City", we thought about it a lot, and I thought Karen Mok was a good candidate. But the problem was that she was doing well in singing in the Mainland at the time and spent a lot of time on music, so I didn't have much confidence. Later, Boss Jiang and Andy Lau also felt that she was a good candidate, so they invited her. The reason why I am very happy is not that we will meet again after 19 years, but that this character needs to be matched with Andy Lau. If not, the whole play will collapse. Although Karen Mok has not acted much in recent years, she has an external aura. If she hadn't acted, I really don't know who could have achieved this.
Andy Lau and Karen Mok performed a wonderful rivalry scene in "Burning City".
Beijing News: Is the senior executive originally planned in the script a female character?
Pan Yaoming: Yes, because I think a contrast is needed. If it is two men playing against each other, the chemical effect will not be that great, and it will not be good if it is too strong. From the perspective of a woman and a man, I think the contrast is better to watch, and it also gives the female executive a chance to have more inner conflicts and struggles.
Beijing News: The rivalry between these two people is particularly exciting. How did the director create that sense of tension during filming?
Pan Yaoming: When you coordinate everything in this scene with the actors, and the dialogue is smooth, and then let them play it again, you will know what they can do. In every scene, I carefully told them what was going on before and what was going on behind, and I taught them these things one by one.The advantage of the two of them is that they are both in perfect harmony. For example, Andy Lau is a very sophisticated and experienced actor. He will use some body language to coordinate with his opponents. After we finish filming, if there is anything that feels wrong, we will remind them through the small details and then adjust the atmosphere.
[Theme]
Disaster movies should convey the message of avoiding disasters and cherishing the people around you
Beijing News: Many netizens said that disaster movies have a narrative routine, "Every disaster can save a broken family." How does the director view disasters? This kind of narrative routine of the film?
Pan Yaoming: You just said that "every disaster can save a broken family." I think it is true, but in our story, it does not just save one family, but many families. This is not the point. What I hope is that after everyone feels the message conveyed by this story, they can avoid this disaster from happening. Don't use disasters to make up for their past mistakes. Don't learn to cherish it at the last moment. This is what I often remind you. own. If the misunderstanding and conflict between the characters played by Andy Lau and Bai Yu require a disaster to help make up for it, I don't think it is a good thing. What I want to convey in this video is that everyone should cherish the people around them. Did you use another narrative angle to tell this disaster movie? It is indeed possible, but the delivery of information and appeal may be different.
Stills from "Burning City". Bai Yu plays fire captain Li Jiefeng.
Beijing News: Although it is a disaster movie, the audience will also think about the realistic logic in the story. How does the director balance the relationship between dramatic conflicts and authenticity in disaster movies?
Pan Yaoming: Many viewers also asked me if this is real. I least want this to be a real thing. Why? Because it is a disaster. So I hope to amplify the information a little bit more in terms of perspective, drama, or explosion scenes. For example, the audience will see that the colors in the movie are green during the day and purple at night, while the previous disasters The film is all dark and gloomy, I don’t want to bring that state, I want to have a fresh process for the audience to feel. After we talked about these things with the director of the observatory, I wanted to exaggerate a little more and let the audience have a fantasy journey to see this disaster.
Screenshot from the trailer of "Burning City". Fantasy scenes of violent explosions in the film.
Beijing News: There is a fantasy scene in the movie. The firefighters did not catch the falling radioactive material safely. As a result, it leaked and caused a violent explosion. The shock wave spread throughout Hong Kong. Why was this fantasy scene shot? How difficult was it to make this lens?
Pan Yaoming: I need this lens to make this thing dreamlike and let the audience feel that the entire Hong Kong will be destroyed in that moment. If we follow real logic, the damage caused by the leak will have a long-lasting impact. This place may become a waste area and uninhabitable for a long time, but it cannot be shown in the movie. I added this shot later to allow the audience to feel the harm and lethality of dangerous substances in an instant.
The film "Burning City" reveals the dark chain of foreign garbage, and radioactive waste leads to a series of disasters.
Beijing News: At the end of the film, a row of buildings that are about to be completed is blown up, and the disaster response plan of using the ruins of the buildings to bury radioactive materials is also fictional?
Pan Yaoming: We also talked to experts about how high the height of concrete would be needed to cover such a powerful radiation so that it would not leak out. If it's not high enough, it will still seep through. This is real information, and then we added some imaginary things.
[Comparison]
If you refer to other people’s works, it won’t make much sense when shooting.
Beijing News: In addition to the director, you also served as the director of photography in the film. Is it more difficult to wear multiple hats?
Pan Yaoming: I don’t think there is any problem with .In fact, I tried to find another director of photography, but because I didn’t have much time, and it also involved various departments such as special effects and actors, if a lot of time was wasted on me or the director of photography, I might not be able to complete (the project). The cost of the 90-day shooting cycle is very high. I am absolutely unwilling to add another day of shooting. If I have to communicate the story and photography style with the photography director again, the communication cost is very high, so I decided to do it myself. Please ask someone to do it with me. I have been working on a handheld game for a long time. Let’s work together to complete this matter. I think it's pretty good, because everything is learning, and you will definitely encounter some difficulties in the learning process. These are the experiences this movie gave me.
Director Pan Yaoming on the shooting set of "Burning City".
Beijing News: There are very few disaster films of the same type in Chinese-language films. Did the director watch some foreign works of the same type for reference?
Pan Yaoming: had watched some Hollywood disaster movies before making this movie, such as "2012". When I went to shoot it, I didn't check any information at the time. I always felt that in order to make a movie, I had to refer to other works. The good and the bad will affect you subtly, so I try to avoid looking at these works. When I work with other creatives, I avoid giving them too much information. I just tell them roughly what tone, color, and light I will use. If I refer to other people's works, it won't make much sense when shooting.
Recommended to watch the film "Burning City" in Broadway theaters across the country
Beijing News reporter Teng Chao
editor Huang Jialing
proofreader Yang Li
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