The Best Director

Chapter 262: Step Up

On October 17, a Friday, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” arrived at 3,016 theaters in North America; “Step Up” reached 2,951 theaters as well.

Though Wang Yang’s name was nowhere to be found in the cast and crew list, fans of dance films and a multitude of regular moviegoers still entered the cinemas with great interest. Starting from “High School Musical” in 1999, it had become a habit for many to watch at least one dance movie each year. “Step Up” was part of the Firebrand label, directed by Annie Fletcher of “Sweetheart” fame, with a continuation of established settings, and featured hunky Channing Tatum and stunning Jenna Dewan who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, attracting more attention than other youth dance films.

Wang Yang and Jessica attended the premiere of “Step Up” at the Sherwood Theater, supporting Annie Fletcher while also drawing more media and fan attention, bringing ample publicity. It must be said, it was somewhat of a “scene-stealing” move, as this was the couple’s first public appearance since their engagement—suits, evening gowns, engagement rings, sweet smiles…

The incessant “click-clack” of cameras filled the air as journalists fired off their flashes with determination to get their money’s worth, as they shot question after question: “What does being engaged feel like?” “Jessica, how many carats is your ring? It looks quite small; Yang, that seems a bit stingy, doesn’t it?” “Yang, there’s always been a rumor you’re a master dancer, but no one has seen your moves. Is this true?”…

The couple had no intention of hogging the spotlight, spending only a short while on the entry red carpet and in the interview area. After exchanging greetings with Annie Fletcher and others, they proceeded backstage before quickly taking their seats in the theater.

The auditorium quickly became full with no empty seats, as cast members, reporters, and the audience filled the hall with a lively atmosphere. As the screening was about to start, the only sound in the quiet room was the flutter of wings—the moths and butterflies danced gracefully on the big screen; “Step Up” began! One explosive R&B song after another, one fiery dance scene after another, delighted the young moviegoers, nearly tempting them to whistle; whereas the film critics remained unresponsive, silent.

“I’ve always envied you guys who can dance, you must have charmed so many people when you were in school.” Watching Jenna Dewan’s captivating dance on the big screen, Wang Yang laughed as he patted Jessica’s hand, to which she rolled her eyes and said, “Heaven knows I didn’t start taking dance classes until I was 17.” She smiled, cocking her lips and leaning in to whisper, “I know you’re actually praising yourself. You’re the best, some kind of dance champion.” Wang Yang held her hand and gently swayed it, smiling, “Thank you, I love you very much.”

Whether Wang Yang was some kind of dance champion or not, the audience in the theater didn’t know; but according to the promotion for “Step Up,” the level of dance performance of the actors on screen had reached professional standards, with many supporting actors and dance battle rivals being real professional dancers. There was not a single shot using stand-ins or any form of post-production dubbing, everything was made as realistic and lively as possible, which was a strict demand from Annie Fletcher, from the “High School Musical” series and “Sweetheart” to “Step Up.”

Therefore, aside from the real professional dancers in this theater, the person with the highest level of dance skill was likely Jessica, who had started studying dance at the age of 17, then continued throughout her entire teenage years, and still practiced today.

When the final scene of the film ended and the credits began to roll, a passionate round of applause broke out in the Sherwood Theater. The young audience members quietly discussed with their friends; although there was no particularly thrilling story, the spectacular performances were certainly worth the ticket price. Wang Yang and Jessica also stood up and applauded, sending their praises to Fletcher and the entire crew.

As a matter of fact, Wang Yang had already seen the theater version and thought it was okay, which was why Firebrand announced the production of “Step Up 2.” He had also viewed the future original version of “Step Up” in his mind. “Sweetheart” had given Annie Fletcher a wealth of experience, and by comparison, the current version was more exciting and novel, yet the shot division and story expression still seemed somewhat weak and hackneyed. However, the consistently superb and heartfelt dance scenes were enough to ensure a pleasant and satisfying evening for the audience.

“Thank you, thank you!” Dressed in a white gown, Annie Fletcher was all smiles as the applause and affirmations were so wonderful. She clapped her hands and looked towards the magnificent Wang Yang, only to see him smiling and giving a thumbs up! Fletcher also returned a thumbs up and continued to clap gratefully: “Thanks everyone for your hard work!”

“Not too bad, not as brilliant and fun as ‘High School Musical’, of course, without the magical Wang Yang.” The audience in the cinema hall was exiting, and Clair and Janet were discussing the 100-minute film as they walked down the aisle toward the exit, “But it’s still alright, its theme is very inspiring, and those dances were indeed professional.” Janet nodded in agreement: “Yes, without the magical Wang Yang, it feels like something is missing, no surprises.”

“We call that a talent; a good director can inject energy into a movie!” Speaking while reaching the corridor outside, Clair gestured with her hands and said earnestly: “You know? ‘High School Musical’ is like a summer ice cream; now ‘Step Up’, maybe another ice cream. The point is what? It didn’t hit the bullseye, magical Wang Yang always hits the bullseye, the great magical Wang Yang!”

Listening to her “I’m very professional” tone, Janet was slightly annoyed and said, “Looks like your movie review has already been published in the newspapers?” Clair laughed heartily for a few seconds and mysteriously said: “You know? I’ve submitted articles to a few newspapers and magazines, and one newspaper is very interested in this ‘blogger film critic’ of mine, I have a big chance of getting a commission.” Janet was immediately excited and said: “Really? Wow, congratulations!” They high-fived: “Sure-Win!”

The premiere of ‘Step Up’ was just one evening of “leisure” time; the next day, Wang Yang continued to run forward on his busy life path.

“Margaret, stop rushing me, I’m thinking… wait, that’s it, there’s a problem with the duration of this scene.” In ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ editing room, Wang Yang stood in front of the editing computer, looking at the screen’s image, and said to Marg: “My requirement is to highlight Andrea’s emotional shift, just now was too long without impact, too short and there is no time to feel it, give Jessica a close-up and try.”

“You all know, I’ve requested NBC to arrange back-to-back episodes for us, so we have one hour to retain the viewers, how many we can keep depends on our skill.” In ‘The Big Bang Theory’ writers’ office, Graham Linehan and Bill Prady sat at the round table, listening intently to Wang Yang’s words as he stood next to the whiteboard and pointed: “The first 15 minutes of the first episode, you and I understand, it’s a crucial stage.”

He wrote on the whiteboard, “Highlight Sheldon, Leonard’s distinct personalities and quirks,” “Establish their high-IQ scientist identities,” “View daily life through scientific theories,” “Ordinary people can easily KO them, maximizing comedic effect,” as he spoke: “The first segment opens with them at the bus door because Leonard’s car breaks down and they don’t have enough money for a cab, along with other reasons you’ll add, they have to take the bus, what a bad day! The arrival of the new neighbor Penny is a twist. Speaking of which, Sheldon never takes the bus; he has germophobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder…”

“The first set of dialogues takes place at the bus door, with Sheldon and Leonard arguing about whether to ride or not.” Wang Yang twirled his palms and counted, “Sheldon talks about bacteria, accident theories, anyway, he can’t ride; Leonard is very helpless.” Graham and Prady nodded silently, and Wang Yang continued: “But the passengers and driver are impatient, the driver closed the door several times only to be shouted by Leonard ‘wait, wait’, eventually he couldn’t stand it anymore and finishes off the two scientists with one line, OK?”

Wang Yang wrote “Driver” on the whiteboard, then turned around and looked at the two and said: “I will invite a funny celebrity to cameo as this driver, it will quickly excite the viewers. Alright, moving on to the second segment, Sheldon and Leonard do end up on the bus…”

“No, this won’t do, this spaceship is designed too stingily! The shape shouldn’t be large because the ‘Firefly’ is one of the most backward models; but make it slightly imposing in terms of component details, with a rough and cool style! Remember, this ship isn’t a normal firefly because it’s modified and repaired multiple times, and who is the person who repairs and remodels it?”

In the ‘Firefly’ production design office, people were sitting close to several large round tables, which were covered with laptops, drawing tablets, paper, and materials. Wang Yang was walking through the tables, talking about the requirements and ideas for the Firefly spaceship design. The ‘Firefly’ production design team continued to include most of the ‘District 9’ crew, the main members being Kevin Cavanaugh (notable works ‘The Dark Knight’, ‘Transformers’), David F. Klassen (notable works ‘Iron Man’ series), and new members joining the art design and set decoration team Jim Sinclair (notable works ‘Avatar’), and Daniel T. Dorrance (notable works ‘Mission: Impossible 2’, ‘Serenity’, ‘Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer’).

Also on the team was props master Drew Petrota (from the “Transformers” series), set designer Gordon Chin (from “Pirates of the Caribbean 4”), and a host of assistants… This art team was naturally the crème de la crème of Hollywood, the very best on the entire planet.

But Wang Yang still wanted to make his wishes clear. In front of everyone, as he walked, he said, “It’s Kaylee! She hasn’t received any formal training, doesn’t have any degree, nothing. She just relies on her intuition and talent for mechanics to maintain Serenity, plus she’s an innocent and romantic girl. So, there are many parts on Serenity that aren’t standard to the Firefly models. Kaylee thinks of Serenity as her home; she wants to make it cool, make it tough, and even mounts some heavy weapons that really shouldn’t be there.”

“Captain Mal doesn’t know anything, he doesn’t know himself. This is about the plot…” Wang Yang patted David F. Klassen on the shoulder nearby and concluded, “Anyway, redesign a special Firefly, the one just now was a standard model, of course without that ‘Serenity’ in both English and Chinese characters.”

“Got it.” The team smiled slightly and began the new round of Firefly spaceship design. Wang Yang silently took a deep breath, surveying this all-star team. He still needed to recruit a few more Chinese and Asian core members to oversee the artistic work involving Chinese characters and elements of Chinese and Eastern culture.

“A solid punch, nice! Now turn around for a sweeping leg kick…” In the cozy, bright bedroom, Jessica, wearing light blue pajamas, lay on her side on the bed, propping her head up. Smiling cutely at Wang Yang, she asked with keen interest, “Yang, did you often play with these toys before?” She saw him seated cross-legged at the set-up desk, which was covered with a bunch of soldier figurines, A4 paper, and pencils.

Wang Yang continued to fiddle with various figurines and sketched a few lines with the pencil, smiling, “Yes, I did. I treated them like actors.” Jessica had seen his toy collection at his San Francisco home, which she thought could be described with the idiom “piled up like a mountain,” except they were meticulously and neatly placed; it’s just that after reuniting for over five years, she rarely had the chance to see him playing with toys like this. She giggled, “You really look like a baby.”

“But I’m not playing now, I’m designing,” Wang Yang turned his head and looked at her for a while. As scenes of action ideas gradually became clearer, he continued drawing on the paper and said, “Designing some preliminary material for action scenes, for your character River.”

It was only preliminary, after all. Whether they could fight like that and what kind of effects would result from the fight all had to be tested and verified by the martial arts action team to develop the complete fight choreography. So he needed a martial arts director and a team. Many beautiful shots had to be repeatedly fought and designed before they could emerge. For now, he could only use toys to stand in for the team and rely on imagination to fill in the rest of the process.

“Oh my God, I have to fight that many people!” Jessica’s eyes opened wide with excitement. Wang Yang nodded and said with a laugh, “Yes, I’ve said it before, River is one of the best fighters in that new star system, your power is super strong… Take a look at this.” He picked up a Bruce Lee action figure wearing a yellow jumpsuit, positioning a dozen soldier figurines to surround Bruce Lee.

Jessica blinked in confusion, “What’s up?” Wang Yang laughed heartily and said, “This is you, not Bruce Lee. Oh no, you’re surrounded! So many enemies! Jessie, Jessie, what are you going to do?! Here’s a phone booth for you! Okay, now start Kill Bill, kill them all! Adah—”

“You’re such a BABY!” Jessica laughed so hard her shoulders shook, and she couldn’t help falling back onto the bed. She scooted over to his side, mock-punching his back and shouting with glee, “Superman is here!” Wang Yang looked down at her and shouted with laughter, “Keep hitting me and see? Hit me again, and I’ll kick you off the bed!” Jessica’s hands reached for his armpit, “Come on then, let’s see who’s tougher!”

“Ah! Haha… Stop it!” Wang Yang could never stand being tickled; he immediately curled up, hands over his chest, and let out shrieks of horror and laughter, “It seems Mark and Kathy’s daughter is asking for it, in Yang’s eyes, she’s already a dead woman…”

Jessica suddenly woke up and hurriedly tried to sit up; Wang Yang, already recklessly spreading his arms wide, exposing his vital weakness, turned around while yelling “Ahh” and pinned her down on the bed, “You’re doomed—”

Time passed amid busyness and happiness, and soon the screening week of October 17 to the 23rd came to a close. “Step Up” grabbed the North American box office crown for this week with $36.58 million, “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” came in second with $26.45 million, and “Kill Bill Vol.” in its second week took the third spot with $16.87 million.

Because apparently the audience loved it, with a 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and reviews everywhere declaring it “this year’s best dance film” and “the music and dance are pretty good.” With this positive word of mouth, dance film fans had no reason not to check it out, and this champion opening was expected to end up achieving a commendable North American box office performance of $70-80 million.

However, in sharp contrast to the high audience approval, film critics did not like this movie much. Out of 85 reviews, it received only a 35% approval rating from the general film critics and 37% from the top critics, with 55 reviews rated as rotten.

“Following ‘Sweetheart,’ Fletcher once again cleverly blended ballet and hip-hop, but the filmmaking itself is clumsy. She still has a long way to go to transition from a good choreographer to a good director.” — Scott Bowles, “USA Today”; “Losing Wang Yang was a heavy blow to Fletcher. Its dialogue is clunky and boring, with a hackneyed plot and some sanctimonious preaching.” — Roger Moore, “Orlando Sentinel”; “Don’t believe there’s a story, just watch them dance.” — John Anderson, “Newsday”; “Fletcher shows herself to be a talented dancer and a director lacking in drama.” — Lisa Rose, “The Star-Ledger”…

Of course, there were also 30 reviews that chose to mark it as fresh. Kim Williams from “The Reel Film Reviews” said, “The plot is indeed quite predictable, with no surprises; yet the dazzling dances and some unexpected cinematographic moments make it spectacular like the ocean.”

Regardless, for “Step Up” with a production budget of $15 million, it was a huge commercial success, further proving that Flame Films was serious and confident about launching its sequel in 2005.

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