JULY 31, 2008

The Opening Ceremony of the China Film Production Base in Huairou

I feel really embarrassed because it’s been such a long time since I last recorded my diary for you to read. Even though my diary and photos are a little late, I think everyone has been following all the news and information about me from other media sources. However, this is my official website, my personal website; there will be things I say in here that you might not be able to read anywhere else. So, if you want to know more news or read even more personal things about me, then you’ll have to come and visit my website more often!

Lately I’ve been staying in Beijing, and the days that I’ve spent here in Beijing have been very busy. During the day I do a lot of work and then at night I have to go out and attend social functions. It just so happens that I have a day off today, so I’m sitting down now and recording my diary. Hopefully very soon, you’ll know what I’ve been doing and everything that’s been happening here.

Last year when I visited the China Film Production Base, construction on the site was still incomplete. I’m not too sure if you all remember that last October I went to Los Angeles with Han Sanping and a few others from the China Film Group Corporation. We selected and purchased some camera equipment and contacted many related companies that supply machinery to generate electricity, equipment for making films, etc. Also, since I’m a distributor for Segway and Airstar, in the future I will bring in these products and have them available at the film production base for everyone to use.

Today, the China Film Group Corporation Film Production Base is finally open. I think many of you already know how the different areas in Beijing are defined by the circular rings around the city. Starting from the center and counting outwards, there is the first ring, second ring, third ring, and so forth. I traveled from the fourth ring to the China Film Group Corporation Film Production Base in Huairou and the car journey took roughly 45 minutes.

When I arrived at the base, I saw a very big film production factory right in front of my eyes. It might not be the largest film production base in the world but I’m sure it’s the biggest film production base in Asia. Today at the opening ceremony for the China Film Group Corporation National Digital Production Base I saw a lot of people, including director Chen Kaige. He and Zhang Yimou are the leaders of Mainland China’s fifth generation of directors. Chen Kaige directed Farewell My Concubine, a film that told the story of half a century of turbulence in China and the destiny of human lives, and was considered by some film critics as one of the most artistic films produced since the end of the Cultural Revolution.

Also at the opening ceremony was John Woo. I don’t think he needs any further introduction; I’m sure everyone is already quite familiar with director Woo. He first started out in Hong Kong and then went to Hollywood to develop his career. His success is well known by everyone.

As I looked around inside the base, I saw all the equipment that they had bought including the things we looked at last year. At the start of the ceremony each of the leaders went up on stage to give their speeches respectively. After that, we cut the ribbon together. I felt extremely honored to be invited as a special guest to cut the ribbon at this ceremony.

Accompanying me on this trip were several of the winners and contestants from The Disciple.  I wanted them to experience what it’s like to be in a film production base and I gave them a brief introduction and exposed them to all the different types of film making and camera equipment so that they have a better understanding.

I knew there were quite a few people in the group who had never been involved with filmmaking before so I sat in one of the machines and explained to them how it worked. They all seemed very interested. I also took the opportunity to introduce them to John Woo as well.

After I finished touring around the film production base, I left Huairou. Ah! Before I left, I took a panoramic photo of outside the film production base for you to have a look at:

Text and photos © The JC Group. All Rights Reserved. 

July 31 (星期四)

懷柔中影電影基地開幕禮：

          真的不好意思，那麼久才寫日記給大家看。雖然我的日記和照片都遲了，大家可能在其他渠道知道了很多我的消息，可是這是我的官方網站，是我私人的網站，所說的未必可以在其他網站看得到，你們想知道我更多更私人的消息，一定要多來訪我的網站啊！

          最近我都留在北京，在北京的日子實在是太忙了，白天做很多的事情和工作，晚上要應酬，今天剛好有一天的假期，所以，我馬上坐下來為自己的日記錄音，希望大家盡快知道我這裡發生的事情。

          去年我曾經參觀過中影基地，那個時候工程還沒有完成。如果大家還記得的話，去年十月的時候，我跟中影的韓三平等人到美國洛杉磯選購攝影器材，聯絡很多有關發電機器和一些有關電影器材的公司等等。將來，我也會把自己代理的思維車（Segway）和天明星（Airstar）放到電影基地裡面，供他們使用。

          今天，中影在懷悠的電影基地終於開幕了。相信很多人都知道北京以環來分地區的，有一環、二環、三環，如此類推，我從四環去懷悠中影電影基地大約需時四十五分鐘車程。

          到達基地以後，看到眼前是一個很大很大的電影基地，就算不是世界上最大的電影基地，相信也是亞洲最大的一個電影基地了。今天是國家中影數字製作基地的開幕典禮，我看到有很多人出席，有陳凱歌導演，他與張藝謀同是中國大陸第五代導演的領軍人物。他導演的《霸王別姬》被部份影評家認為是中國文革後最有藝術價值的一部電影，詮釋了中國半個世紀的風雨變換和人物命運。還有吳宇森，不用我多介紹，大家都認識吳導演，他從香港到荷里活發展，成績有目共睹。

          在參觀基地的時候，去年跟他們一起看的機器，他們都買回來了。後來，儀式開始，幾位領導人分別上台講話，然後一起剪綵。這一次能夠被邀請成為剪綵嘉賓，我感到非常榮幸。

          我帶領著‘龍的傳人’的得獎和參賽者來見識一下這個電影基地，並向他們作簡單的介紹，讓他們認識不同的電影攝影器材。他們當中有很多都沒有接觸過電影，我坐到機器上為他們解釋，他們對這些都很感興趣。另一方面，我也把他們介紹給吳宇森認識。

          參觀過電影基地後，我就離開懷悠了。啊！我在離開基地之前，我拍了一張電影基地的外貌全景的照片給大家看：