The Best Director

Chapter 151: Start Shooting Immediately

Click, click. In a photography studio filled with lights, against an intensely colored backdrop, Wang Yang sat on a stool in a black suit. Surrounding him, Zach Galifianakis, Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Matthew Fox also clad in suits, all bore brilliant smiles as they looked towards the camera lens.

Just like that, everyone looks so handsome right now.” The photographer Rex Mack, holding his camera, continuously pressed the shutter, capturing shot after shot, and said, “Try to look more profound, more charming! And Yang, make a camera framing gesture with your hands, your index finger and thumb forming a square. Good, now close your left eye…”

Wang Yang posed as instructed, closing his left eye and peering at the camera through the frame made by his hands. As the flash fired again, accompanied by the steady clicking of the camera, he couldn’t help but wonder, “Does this really look cool? It feels pretty silly. Plus, we’re not promoting a movie about looking cool.” With that thought, he dropped the pose and laughingly proposed, “Hey, how about we take some funny-style photos?”

At that moment, the five of them were taking promotional pictures for “People” magazine’s feature “The Magic Yang and His Comedy Troop,” as part of the publicity for the upcoming film “The Hangover.” Although the interview wasn’t a cover story, it still occupied a significant number of pages in the magazine, marking the first round of promotion for the movie.

Sure!” Rex Mack nodded, twirling his hand around and said, “You guys make some funny faces, stick out your tongues, whatever…”

OK.” All five of them responded with a laugh, each adopting a comical pose. Zach, with his messy hair and thick beard, bug-eyed, was ironically standing with one hand on his hip and his white shirt straining over his belly; Bradley, with his medium-length hair and visible stubble, scratched his head, feigning deep in thought; Ed Helms opened his mouth wide in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up; Matthew Fox pursed his lips, eyes askew.

Wang Yang thought for a moment and decided to bare his teeth in a beast-like roar at the camera, giving the middle finger with his right hand.

No, no, Yang, that won’t do,” Rex immediately laughed, letting go of his camera and shaking his head in amusement, “Your gesture is too bold and avant-garde for our magazine, and it could ruin your image.” Zack and the others chuckled and complimented, “Pretty cool, though!”

Oh, alright, I just thought that’s what you do when you’re drunk, go a little crazy,” Wang Yang shrugged nonchalantly, but he didn’t believe a middle finger could ruin any image, and what exactly was his image anyway? Smiling, he extended a fist, pretending to throw a punch towards Zach’s chubby cheek, and said menacingly, “How about this then?”

Rex made an OK sign and, bending slightly, raised the camera again to capture them at the best angle, and praised, “Perfect, let’s begin.” With a click, the moment was frozen in time.

After finishing the photo shoot in the studio, the five of them moved to an elegant reception room for the written interview. The dark-haired female reporter Lenna Baker, with pen and notebook in hand, looked at the five sitting on the red main couch and asked with a smile, “Yang, why did you have the idea to shoot this movie? Online, there were photos suspected to be of you, Tom, and Zachary playing in Las Vegas—are those really you guys?”

Haha!” Wang Yang immediately laughed, touching his chin. Fortunately, those photos were taken by regular people with cell phones and were not very clear. Joshua wasn’t recognized; otherwise, letting an underage “kid” drink would have surely attracted criticism and condemnation from some people and the media. But both he and Tom were clearly shown in the photos and couldn’t deny it.

The group had already agreed on a response if asked—freely admitting it since getting drunk isn’t exactly a crime for adults, and they appeared normal in the photos. Wang Yang nodded, smiling, “Yes, that was us. You know, Tom was about to get married, so we held a bachelor party for him and then we went to Las Vegas to have some fun.”

Lenna Baker continued to take notes, then asked with a laugh, “So that’s what led to this movie? A story about four guys going wild in Las Vegas? Are you saying that the content of ‘The Hangover’ is based on real events you guys have done?” Zach, Bradley, and the rest looked on with interest.

No, haha, how could that be? If that were the case, we’d be dead,” Wang Yang chuckled, shaking his head. He took a sip of the tea that was served on the coffee table and shrugged, “But some of it is true, like getting drunk and trashing a hotel room.” He paused, then laughed again, “This movie is filled with things that are a hundred times crazier. Getting drunk might make you do things that would normally make you go ‘oh my God.’ It’s really fun.”

Watching Lenna Baker’s ballpoint pen move swiftly, he spoke earnestly, “Ma’am, make sure not to write that down wrong, this definitely did not happen in real life!” He said with a smile, “Those guys would kill me.”

Everyone laughed heartily, and Lenna Baker asked with a curious smile, “Why did you continue to shoot R-rated films? We know the humorous side of the Amazing Yang from ‘Juno’s’ witty lines, but now it seems that this movie will be a completely different genre?”

That question again! Wang Yang spread his hands and said seriously, “I’ve answered this question several times.” Lenna Baker, raising her hand, interrupted with a laugh, “That’s because you always switch movie genres, horror, musical, biography, drama, sci-fi, and now R-rated comedy.” Wang Yang shook his head with a smile, “I don’t know, why should I be pigeonholed? I don’t like to be pigeonholed. As long as I’m interested, I’ll try any genre, maybe do well, maybe screw it up, but I’ll try.”

So this time it’s a comedic comedy,” Lenna Baker noted his words and asked again, “Will we see a lot of not kid-friendly stuff in ‘The Hangover?’ How is it different from ‘Juno?'”

Wang Yang looked left and right at the amusing faces of Zack and the others and laughed, “It is an R-rated comedy, you must have seen it in the cinemas, haha, there will definitely be some things that aren’t suitable for kids, but it’s not that serious, there will just be a lot of swearing. We aim to use the F-word more times than ‘Reservoir Dogs.'” The group of four and Lenna laughed again, and he continued, “As for the difference from ‘Juno,’ I would say these are two completely different genres. ‘Juno’ makes you smile knowingly; ‘The Hangover’ will make you laugh till you cramp.”

It looks like you’re filled with confidence,” Lenna couldn’t help but get interested. She was also a fan of the Amazing Yang and asked with a smile, “So when can we see this movie?” Wang Yang answered with a smile, revealing the scheduled release date, “This Christmas.”

Lenna nodded, then turned to look at Bradley and the other four, asking, “You cast Zack and others as the leads this time. No offense, but they’re pretty unknown to the silver screen audience. Can you talk about why you chose them? Can they pull off the ‘laugh till you cramp’ effect you mentioned?”

Wang Yang looked genuinely surprised and said to Zack and the others, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, guys, can you believe someone’s doubting whether you’re funny enough?”

The chubby teacher, dentist, and groom looked at each other and laughed, rolling up their sleeves and puffing out their chests while talking over each other. Zack said, “If you’ve seen my stand-up, you wouldn’t have this doubt. I grew up being funny.” Bradley chimed in, “What? You hike mountains?” Ed added, “That question is like the Red Sox saying they’re going for the championship.” Matthew Fox recommended, “I suggest a funny TV series ‘Party of Five,’ in which you can see how funny I am.”

OK, I get it, haha, OK,” Lenna Baker surrendered with a smile on her face and raised her hand, but the four continued nonstop until she rolled her eyes with a laugh, “OK, you guys are indeed very funny. I’ve witnessed it.”

The five of them all smiled contentedly and finally stopped. Wang Yang then pressed the shoulders of Zack and Bradley beside him, and answered, “No special reason, of course, it’s because they are perfect fits, extremely talented. We believe that in ‘The Hangover,’ everyone will be turned over with laughter by these guys; we all have this confidence.” Zack, Bradley, Ed, and Matthew all nodded their heads, saying, “Yes, we are ready.”

Hmm, what about the other actors? As we know so far, Charlize Theron and Michelle Rodriguez have been confirmed to join ‘The Hangover.'” Lenna asked with a puzzled smile, “Why did you make this invitation? You know they’re not comedic actors.”

Wang Yang shrugged nonchalantly, if used properly, they could also be full of amusement; the key is that they’re willing to mock themselves by sacrificing their image. In comedy, whether male or female, every comedian does this, the crazier they play, the funnier it gets! This will also be the only standard for everyone on set. He laughed and said, “Lenna, everyone can be very funny, and they’re no exception.”

A few days later, the latest issue of ‘People’ magazine hit the shelves, and this interview was published as scheduled. Speaking of the upcoming performance invitation, ZackGalifianakis sighed, “When I got the call that day, I couldn’t believe it! I was wondering if there was another Zack Galifianakis? But I’ve never met anyone with the same name as me since I was young, except my family.”

Bradley also said, “Unbelievable, he told me to keep my hair and stubble, and now I feel a lot more handsome.” Ed Helms said, “Absolutely incredible! This is such great news, my family and I have been excited non-stop about it.” Matthew Fox said, “I’m thrilled and surprised, it’s unbelievable.”

In other interviews, when talking about joining ‘The Hangover’ to play a comedic role, Charlize Theron said, “He’s an incredible young director, and all the actors are happy to work with him. He said, ‘Charlize, you should try comedy, lighten up a bit.’ I was tired, too, the heavy roles were suffocating me, so I said, ‘Alright, I’ll give it a try.'”

Michelle Rodriguez told the media, “We’re kind of old friends, but honestly, I never thought I’d be in one of his movies, he likes those sweet and pretty girls. She laughed, then added, “So at first I thought he was joking with me, but he said no. Actually, I still don’t really know what he’s trying to do, he said the crazier the better, everyone should just have fun.” She laughed again and said, “But when a director like him invites you to act, the thing to do is say YES, so you won’t regret it later.”

However, many media outlets didn’t seem to agree, ignoring the unknown quartet; they were not optimistic about the new screen path of the two actresses, the dark and glamorous Charlize Theron, and the tough girl Michelle Rodriguez. How can they be comical? The gossip magazine ‘Daily Entertainment’ commented, “Perhaps Wang Yang’s improvised craziness will be hilarious; but most likely, they’ll just be out of place in it.”

crazy fun” R-

Not everyone is optimistic about this “laugh until you cramp, rated comedy. Many critics have expressed doubts: “What exactly is Wang Yang trying to do? He just went to Las Vegas, he’s a humorous guy, but does using the F-word make it funny?” Jeffrey Weir wrote in his Blogger blog, “Johannesburg slums and Las Vegas, can he actually handle both? I want to see this!”

Movie fans don’t care about all that; after 9/11, heartwarming and comedic films have been hugely popular; and now, with the director heading for a purely commercial R-rated comedy, fans only know they’re in for a good laugh! ‘Juno’ was already fun, but he just said it was “a smile in the mind,” so what will “laugh until you cramp” be like?

Die-hard Wang Yang fan Kayla Brett excitedly said on her blog, “This year I get to see three of his movies, one produced and two directed, I’m so excited!” Some celebrity friends also expressed their anticipation on blogs, Natalie Portman: “I want to make a cameo, ‘The Hangover’ is going to be hilariously funny!” Tom Welling: “That Las Vegas trip was really fun, I’m curious how ‘I’ will turn out in it?”

Soon enough, by the beginning of March, everything for ‘The Hangover’ was ready and filming officially began. The movie’s production budget was $25 million, Wang Yang was paid a frugal $8 million, he was very grateful that his company partners could trust him during ‘District 9’, so this time he only took half his market price.

The cinematographer was Harry George, and this was his first film credited as “Director of Photography.” Not going for Wally Pfister was because he needed to rest with his family, and he’s not as funny as a chubby guy, neither in personality nor appearance. Much heavier than Zach Galifianakis and also sporting a full beard, the always humorous Harry George had a cameo to do this time as well.

Aside from Harry, Wang Yang would also personally shoot some of the scenes. And other members of the crew were chosen for their comedic talents and their ability to provide spontaneous input. Amidst laughter, the crew finished all the prep work before the actual hangover in just over ten days. They scheduled the shooting this way, firstly because the presidential suite needed to be redecorated, and secondly because Ed Helms had to have his lateral incisor removed.

It so happened that the tooth was implanted when Ed was 15, and had to be taken out thirteen years later, to be reinserted only after filming wrapped. Of course, to achieve the effect of a missing tooth, they could either use makeup or CGI, but neither would be as realistic as pulling the actual tooth, and CGI for so many shots would inevitably drive costs up, which was unnecessary.

The movie would also have some shots requiring post-production special effects, adding appropriate or exaggerated effects to create a fun comedic atmosphere. For instance, the chubby Alan winning at card counting in the casino could have mathematical symbols that explain the principle of card counting appear on screen, and the top right corner could feature a clearly updating winnings count like “$10000, $15000.”

In the president’s suite, which was in utter disarray, passionate rock music blared as Shaquille O’Neal, dressed in a suit vest and white shirt, sat in front of a piano. He stood up singing and, with nimble moonwalk steps, moved towards the trio and the butler; the disheveled and travel-worn Zach, Bradley, and Ed all stared in amazement. Once in front of them, Shaquille shook his buttocks and made pelvic thrust motions, saying in a deep, husky voice, “Get some harmony, let’s dance together!”

Around them were the members of the crew. Wang Yang watched with an unrestrained smile on his face, his camera pointed at Shaquille, while Harry George, holding another camera, was responsible for shooting the trio. The lighting and sound technicians were also busy with their respective tasks.

Comedy actors need to know how to play, to play without any hesitation. These days on set, the phrase he says the most is, “Let loose, let loose! This isn’t a beauty contest, no one here cares about their damn image, our image is to be ridiculous, we have to be cheap, we have to be funny!” And Shaquille O’Neal is just that kind of person who loves to play and make others laugh, hardly needing any instruction on how to act, O’Neal naturally produces hilarious results.

Ha, hahaha—” At that moment, Zach Galifianakis suddenly couldn’t hold back his laughter, and the nearby Bradley and Ed burst out laughing, apologizing again and again, “Sorry, sorry…” This was not the direction the script demanded, but rather, they broke character and started laughing.

“CUT!” Wang Yang called out with a laugh, and everyone in the presidential suite, whether chuckling or laughing out loud, joined in. Shaquille O’Neal, with a smirk, purposely stuck out his thick butt, prompting even louder laughter from everyone. Joshua, a die-hard Lakers fan and a set assistant on the crew, was laughing so hard he was about to roll onto the floor, and Zach, gasping for air from laughing, said, “I’m really sorry, but his butt, oh my god…”

Everyone, if you’re going to laugh, laugh it out now, all at once!” Perhaps due to the herd effect of the surrounding atmosphere, Wang Yang couldn’t stop laughing either. Ever since they started filming the first shot, there had been laughter on set every day, almost more frequent than the number of NGs (outtakes). After everyone had their laugh, and the laughter gradually died down, Wang Yang got the camera ready again and said with a smile, “Alright, let’s start over from where Shaquille shakes his butt and says his lines.”

Everyone returned to their positions, the prop master rewound the song on the speaker to the right moment; the script supervisor completed the scene and take numbers, and then Wang Yang shouted, “Action!”

The music started playing in the room once more, and Shaquille O’Neal, shaking his body, said, “Let’s get some harmony, dance together!” Zach, Bradley, and Ed all looked foolishly as they made an “oh oh oh” sound in unison, swaying their bodies freely. Just as Shaquille O’Neal was about to perform his next move, Bradley suddenly couldn’t help but break into laughter once again.

Phil, are you okay?” “Phil, don’t scare us!” Ed, missing a tooth, and the chubby Zach, couldn’t help but laugh too, feigning seriousness as they embraced Bradley. Outside the set, Joshua laughed and shouted, “Hey, he might be drunk!” Shaquille O’Neal pointed at Bradley, who was covering his mouth laughing, and whispered toward the camera, “See that? I’m more professional than them, the main role should be mine! Shaquille O’Neal—”

Wang Yang laughed out loud and said, “Hey, we’ve got enough for the DVD extras, we could fill several discs! Please, are we filming or not? Let’s go again!” After a round of laughter and once calm was restored, everyone stood ready again, waiting for the go-ahead, and he said with a laugh, “Action.”

Let’s get some harmony, dance together!” Shaquille O’Neal said as he twisted his butt, the trio immediately looked dopey making “oh oh oh—” sounds, swaying and harmonizing, with Zach even attempting to shake his butt. As Shaquille O’Neal conducted them, he said, “And some more harmony!” And just as the trio showed interested smiles and made “oh oh oh” sounds, the towering, bulky Shaquille O’Neal suddenly threw a punch at Zach’s eye socket without any warning.

The fist hit the air, but Zach instantly dropped straight down onto the marble floor with a thud, lying motionless with his head down. Bradley and Ed both cried out in shock, “Oh, my God! Oh, FUCK, what happened!” Shaquille O’Neal, with a fierce look on his face, shook his hand, silently watching them.

CUT, very good! Zach, you worked hard, but no one move, no one laugh! However, Wang Yang himself chuckled a few times, and everyone struggled to hold back their laughter. He said with a smile, “Next shot!” He walked to the side to let Harry George take over filming in a parallel angle in front of Zach’s head, and once everything was ready, he said with a laugh, “Action!”

Oh, Jesus… fuck!” Bradley and Ed both looked shocked, rushing over to check on Zach on the floor, shouting, “Alan, Alan…”

PS: Another month has passed, and I’m incredibly grateful for the brothers and sisters who have accompanied me to this day! Thanks to everyone who gave their monthly votes to me, and to those who rewarded me (The Limitless 1, Youxianer, and others like Dead Construction Ghost, Fleeting Prosperity? Who Feels the Pain Who Bears the Wounds), a bear hug and a kiss to all of you! A huge thank you to everyone, to those who have recommended and subscribed, thank you for your support! I will continue to work hard!