The film "Wolf Totem", directed by Jean Jacques Arnold and starred by Feng Shaofeng and Dou Xiao, was officially slaughtered in the Ulagai grassland of Inner Mongolia on December 16. According to the crew members, the "Wolf Totem" crew was hopeless of snow, and finally used 10 trucks to transport more than 40 tons of snow from Changbai Mountain to complete the final film.
Waiting for snow to come
After a month of "waiting for snow", the crew of the movie "Wolf Totem" returned to the Inner Mongolia Ulagai grassland at the end of November to shoot the last few scenes involving ice lake and snow nest. According to the crew members, the biggest difficulty for the "Wolf Totem" crew this year is that there has been no snow on the grassland. "After waiting for more than a month, there has been no heavy snow since it came. It's all light snow. '
In December, the temperature of the grassland reached more than minus 20 degrees, but the snow still could not meet the requirements of Arnold. In the end, the crew had to pull 10 trucks of snow, about 40 tons, from Changbai Mountain in Northeast China to the grassland of more than 10000 square meters. At the same time, with the help of snow machine, the crew also spread snow manually to create the 'Snow nest' scene in the film.
In fact, in the process of shooting wolf totem, the crew encountered many difficulties. According to the staff, in spring, the grassland is cold and windy, people can't see clearly, their eyes can't open, and the highest wind can reach level 7-8; in summer, mosquitoes attack, and all the actors bite their bags; in autumn and winter, it's cold, and the lowest temperature has reached more than minus 40 degrees. Basically, everyone is standing outside all day, and their hands and feet are unconscious'.
In the hard shooting environment, the dedication of the creators is very admirable. According to the staff's recollection, Arnold did a lot of things personally. "The first day he saw a very beautiful reflection on the ice lake, but the next day the snow didn't reflect. He was very worried, so he ran to the lake to sweep the snow. 'in addition, Feng Shaofeng's dedication is also impressive.' throughout the shooting period, he has never been absent from a play. '
Killing scene
At about 16 o'clock on December 16, when director Arnold finally called out "cut", the crew of "Wolf Totem" rushed to the director and the leading role, sending flowers to celebrate the completion of the film. Many people gave hugs to Feng Shaofeng and other stars, and director Arnold was even held high. The atmosphere was warm and cheered.
Feng Shaofeng couldn't hide his excitement. He said: 'I'm happy now. In the past eight months, I have encountered all kinds of difficulties and challenges. I didn't expect that I could persist. Thank director Arnold, thank everyone in the crew. Dou Xiao, who had just finished his birthday in the crew, also said: 'eight months of shooting was very hard, but it was very happy and unforgettable. '
After the green banquet, careful Arnold thanks every department of the crew. He said: 'this is my most special experience since I became a director. Through you, I fell in love with China and Chinese culture. I hope I can continue to work with you when I'm filming in China next time. I'll see you on the big screen next year! "
Indeed, on the last day of "Wolf Totem" shooting, many unforgettable things happened. Just two days ago, Yin Zhusheng, who plays Bao shungui, cried when he finished his part. In order to wait for the two-day play, he waited from October to December. On the day of shooting, it was very cold, but his costume was very thin. After the first day of shooting, he lost his voice. The next day, with or without his lens, he insisted on his long dialogue. 'when the reporter interviewed him, he just said the first word. He said it was bitter, too bitter. 'the staff said, 'maybe I have mixed feelings. The environment is very hard, and I have deep feelings with the crew. He couldn't help crying when he was killed. '
After seven years, the actors will be brought back to Canada
Wolf Totem, as a Sino French co production film, has a total investment of 700 million yuan. The film was approved seven years ago, and director Arnold came to China for the first time in 2009. After that, the French producer found Andrew, the Canadian trainer. At the time, Andrew said: 'I read this novel seven years ago and I knew someone would come to me. I've been waiting for this call for seven years. 'in 2010, Andrew began raising more than 20 wolves before and after filming.
In 2012, director Arnold selected five main actors: Feng Shaofeng, Dou Xiao, basanzab, anghanima and Yin Zhusheng. It is revealed that Feng Shaofeng was shooting "Di Renjie" at that time, with a head of red hair. He thought that director Arnold would not choose himself, but soon director Arnold invited him to participate in the audition. The crew members said: 'directors are looking for actors who are more in line with the character of the same role. Director Arnold's evaluation of Feng Shaofeng and Dou Xiao is that they are very natural. '
According to reports, the movie "Wolf Totem" started in July 2012, shooting the first part of the film, and continued shooting in April 2013. The actual shooting time was more than 100 days. It is reported that after the film "Wolf Totem" is finished, the 'Wolf actors' in the film will be brought back to Canada by Andrew, and the film will also enter the post production stage, which is expected to be released in 2014.