The Best Director

Chapter 483: Chapter 483: Controversy

“`

“FUCK YOU, Wang Yang! Smith!”

Since the beginning of July when I Am Legend started shooting, some New York street corner would sporadically turn into a post-apocalyptic wasteland scene. With the crew that was shooting exteriors racing against time every day, Wang Yang had been running back and forth, holding a director’s megaphone in one hand, eyeing two viewfinders simultaneously, and truly understood what being busy meant. Thankfully, he didn’t get mixed up, and the two teams had been operating well so far.

Still, things were not going smoothly. It wasn’t that there were big problems at either of the two sets, but rather the occasional lockdowns for IAL filming were predictably stirring public resentment.

As one of New York’s most famous parks, Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village is a popular rendezvous and arts event spot. Even on weekdays, the park is bustling with activity, especially now during summer vacation. Forget the fountain area, where kids chase each other and play joyfully; every bench, tree, and grassy spot is occupied by people, from leisurely passersby to enraptured performing artists and bands, to young couples on dates…

And now someone wants to shut it down? Even though it’s not for the whole day, not the entire park, today isn’t a holiday, there are no special events, and the lockdown won’t last for days, still!

“You and this movie are going to get this!” Clumps of long weeds were placed on the grass, benches dusted over, the set was being dressed and cleared, and a black guitarist who had been asked to leave went out of his way to walk past Wang Yang and Will Smith, cursing a few times, then flipping the bird. He had been playing enthusiastically and was naturally furious; but with the crew having a filming permit and a big group of people, he couldn’t just linger on, could he?

The IAL crew hadn’t encountered such a situation before, and most people left understandingly and without much fuss, but there were also not a few cases of cursing and sarcastic jeering, becoming more and more frequent at the same location. However, the discontented were all white and black; no Asian middle fingers were seen yet, their most common reaction upon seeing the “pride of Asians,” the “shine of Asians,” was to ask for selfies and autographs, several girls even requested hugs.

Smith didn’t have that much clout. In such a short time, he had already received only slightly more middle fingers than Wang Yang, making one wonder if the popularity of Marvelous Yang and Fresh Prince was really that high? This was just after half a month of shooting, and not all lockdown scenes had been completed yet. In response, all crew members kept a low profile, Wang Yang had repeatedly instructed not to argue with the public, not to give the media any chance to stir trouble. If they did their job well, they would win back their applause and praises, even greater ones.

Following the black guitarist, two young men also flipped them the bird from a distance; perhaps they would turn around later to watch DVDs of The Pursuit of Happyness, Independence Day, Firefly, etc., but it didn’t matter that they were angry at the moment.

At this time, Wang Yang was discussing the lines for this scene with Will while also keeping an eye on the set dressing progress. A curly-haired white man walked up, sneering, “Hey! Wang, you’re shooting a pile of crap. Smith, are you going to act in crap?” An annoyed Will, who had been distracted from getting into character, said, “Sir, can’t we respect one another?” Wang Yang was very calm, his mood lately had been either very happy or very quiet, such mockery couldn’t get a rise out of him. He crossed his arms, shrugged, and smiled, “Let’s wait and see. I mean, one day, you’ll see it’s a diamond.”

“Ha ha! This movie’s going to perform terribly! Who would watch it?” Several stagehands stepped forward to “show the way” to the curly-haired man, who left with dissatisfaction on his face, cursing a few sentences with a little spit flying out. Wang Yang just smiled again and called out to the departing man, “I don’t think so, it’s going to be good.”

We can’t argue, but we can chat. After the curly-haired man had walked a long way, he suddenly turned around, raised his thumb up high in a mock gesture, and shouted for attention, “HEY—” Seeing this, Will couldn’t help but sigh, “This is truly the most I’ve ever been disliked by the public during acting.” Wang Yang recalled the past in San Francisco’s Chinatown, his own turf, and smiled helplessly, “It’s bound to happen.” Will nodded, “I guess once we’re done here, no one could do this again in New York for a while.”

“Yes, we’re making a special movie,” Wang Yang patted Will’s shoulder and headed towards the photography team, “so let’s keep it up!”

As Wang Yang walked and then jogged over, bending down to pet “Sam” Anna’s head led by a crew member and directing something towards the photography team with uplifting gestures, Will looked on with a friendly smile. Seven years had passed, and once again coming to Yang’s set, he had grown into a truly great director.

Soon, the sound of “Action!” rang out in the locked-down area of Washington Square Park, and the set embarked on a new day of filming.

In fact, the dispute over the lockdown location for I Am Legend wasn’t confined to the set. First, New York citizens in the related areas expressed their dissatisfaction online, then others joined in the discussion, and it quickly became a social topic. Was it appropriate for New York authorities to grant I Am Legend crew the permit for lockdown filming? Countless movies and TV series have been shot in this city, but it’s unheard of for any film to lock down places here and there.

Wang Yang wasn’t a New Yorker, and the city didn’t need his movies to gain fame or boost tourism, they even locked down the USS Intrepid for a morning, preventing tourists from visiting – it was a wonder how they got the permit! Had Wang Yang taken over Gotham Town, did that mean he could really do as he pleased? A significant portion of New Yorkers were quite dissatisfied, especially since the filming of I Am Legend was rumored to last half a year, with many exterior shots.

“`

“Who the hell gave them the permit to shut down the area for filming? It’s disgusting. I was at Washington Square Park today, and as soon as they arrived, they started clearing the area, which really upset the kids!” Daryl said on The New York Times forum; “I like the amazing Yang, but the way things are going is not good. He has offended the citizens of New York! No one should be entitled to cause us trouble with such impunity.” Walton replied to the post, and Ryan asked, “Will ‘I Am Legend’ bring significant tax revenue to New York?” Stephenson D said, “We should revoke his permit to shut down. This can’t go on.”

Such controversies would arise with anyone, any company—let alone Wang Yang, who is at the eye of the storm! The hallmark of news related to the wondrous Yang is that small issues become big issues, and big issues become international events!

Sensing something tantalizing, the media and haters of Yang swarmed out, stinging at the adult young man with their barbs!

The New York Post reported under the headline “Yang and Will Smith Rampaging Through New York City?” with a comic illustration showing Wang Yang transformed into a dragon spewing a fierce flame, while Will Smith wielded a demonic axe, set against a New York streetscape. The New York Daily News, always at odds with the Post, certainly didn’t miss out on the fun; they published a photo from the set showing a long, closed-off perimeter with Wang Yang and Smith seen in the distance, talking.

The incident then escalated when Asians, particularly Chinese Americans, expressed strong protest against The New York Post for linking Wang Yang with the evil Western dragon, deeming it an immense insult to the Asian community. Asian groups demanded an apology from The New York Post.

Even the staid The New York Times took notice of this controversial affair, reporting it under the headline “Wang Yang’s New Film ‘I Am Legend’ Shoot Sparks Controversy”; as the Associated Press released its dispatch, the level of interest in this matter reached new heights both online and offline, throughout North America and abroad.

“Amazing Yang always has a way of capturing the media and public’s attention, even amidst the ongoing controversy of ‘The Da Vinci Code,’ he still manages to occupy his space in the headlines. I hope those two movies don’t disappoint; otherwise, I believe public resentment will only grow larger.” “Sometimes shutting down areas for filming is necessary, provided that Wang Yang is seriously making movies, not just playing meaningless money games.” “It’s worth noting that he’s shooting two films at once, might this be prolonging the total time of area closures? What is his actual attitude towards the disturbance to citizens?”…

Columnists penned their takes, many setting traps for Wang Yang—if ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘The Deceased’ didn’t turn out well, he would be labeled unserious, a mere player, and the “simultaneous shootings” would be the best proof, thus his actions of closing areas would naturally be deemed wrong.

“Science fiction thriller is Wang Yang’s forte, yet he’s never proven himself in directing crime gangster themes.” Haters, who had been silent for a while, suddenly reemerged amid the excitement, finding their opportunity!!! Beyond the clichés of “unproven” and “office building rule,” old Yang hater Jeffrey Westhoff of The Northwest Herald mocked on his blog, “I haven’t seen the trailer for ‘I Am Legend’ yet, but I’ve already seen a great show, possibly even more exciting than the film itself.”

This was one strategy, aimed at goading Wang Yang and his fans into boasting, the bolder the better! Some other critics tacitly found another strategy, lifting Wang Yang higher and higher! They hyped ‘The Deceased’ as a film sweeping Oscar nominations, and ‘I Am Legend’ as a colossal box office bombshell—the higher the expectations they created for the film-going public, the better!

Thus, if he failed to “deliver,” he would fall from a great height… and ‘The Deceased’ was first in line. If it disappointed the first time and lost its miraculous appeal, the expectations for ‘I Am Legend’ would be weakened, even if it were a blockbuster, it would turn into a mere bomb.

“When I look at Wang Yang’s track record, I find an interesting pattern: the more he is doubted, the greater the success he ultimately shows, never disappointing those who believe in him, or maybe this is the so-called Yang miracle law. Thus, I have reason to believe that his simultaneous shootings, area closures, and all these tricks may bring new surprises—if in the future ‘The Deceased’ gets 10 Oscar nominations, ‘I Am Legend’ a billion-dollar box office, please don’t be surprised, I told you so.”

Reading these exaggerated words of Yang hater critics like Alan Dale, Yang’s fans are confidently assuming, they’re not afraid of how much they praise him; the wondrous Yang will handle everything!

The relentless controversies inevitably put pressure on both film crews, but Wang Yang and Michael Tadross knew that their filming permit wouldn’t be revoked by New York authorities; it hadn’t reached that point yet. The ongoing fuss has its pros and cons—the advantage being higher attention, the downside being an increase in negative impact. Wang Yang instructed The Producers and the company to mediate the matter, and his staff were all striving, unappreciative of these external disturbances.

In fact, whether it was controversies surrounding the film shoot or personal disputes, Wang Yang and his crew were always low-key, responding only when necessary through their spokesperson. Firstly, time was of the essence, and he didn’t have the luxury to dwell on these gossipy matters. His involvement would only fan the flames. More importantly, he knew that in these arguments, nobody was a winner or a loser; the only thing that would determine victory was the film itself.

As long as the film is well-made, voices of controversy will turn into applause, whether people like it or not! (To be continued. If you enjoy this book, welcome to qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)