How Do You Shoot a Film in a Night Market? | The Taipei Tonight Show

[00:00:00]that movie quite a lot. There's a lot of soul. There's a lot of sweetness uh to that story, but I mean there there there are some parts where it kind of breaks your heart a bit. Um but it's it's life.

[00:00:11]Um and and and put together in a in a very very nice way filming like this. Uh you know, you did not block off the street, recreate a night market in the studio in, you know, in California for for you know, 6 months. You guys did it all in real life. Were there any unexpected situations or or moments you guys had to face or how do you deal with it?

[00:00:35]>> Well, you know, every day that >> every day?

[00:00:38]>> Yes, of [laughter] course.

[00:00:39]>> Not were there any, she said every day.

[00:00:41]It was tough, huh?

[00:00:42]>> Yes. I remember the first day shooting in the night market. You know, we have around 20 people crew all together. So, the first day we >> which is pretty modest actually for for for a movie, right? Okay. And the first day we we set out the shoe, you know, everybody the film crew, they all wear black t-shirt, you know, that's like how talent >> crew. Yeah. Look at this. It was all black. All black here. Okay. Yeah.

[00:01:04]That's as kind of like a given.

[00:01:06]Everybody the the staff wears, >> right? So we the first day they sit out of the n the noodle stand and they all withdraw to the cross the street to kind of watch and wait and immediately you know all the passing by people they they all saw the black you know t-shirt crew so they all stop and start asking who who are the stars you know what are you doing >> uhoh >> oh so so onlurers started to collect but while you're trying to get everybody's natural reaction >> right >> and then you'll get some auntie in the back looking you you know, lurking into the camera a little bit. What's going on? What's going on here? Right. Uh-oh.

[00:01:42]>> Exactly.

[00:01:43]>> So, what do you what do you do?

[00:01:44]>> So, the first day we couldn't shoot.

[00:01:46]>> You had to cancel.

[00:01:47]>> Yeah. So, the second day I asked everybody, you know, all the film crew like nobody wear black shirt. Like black shirt is forbidden on set.

[00:01:54]>> Oh. Internal memo, right?

[00:01:56]>> No black shirts.

[00:01:57]>> Yes. They all have to blend into the night market.

[00:02:00]>> Oh, yeah. Blend in. So, so everybody go to the night market, grab something and and put it on you so you look like you're just walking. Yes. Okay. Yeah. So they had to so they kind of have to like go undercover, right, >> for this shoot.

[00:02:12]>> Yeah. And then we had to make the crew small. So you know, we only had like five to six people on set like two cinematographers, the script uh script supervisor, myself, a sun guy, and the the lighting person >> with our actors.

[00:02:25]>> Okay.

[00:02:26]>> So from that point on, you know, every day just five to six people and we kind of, you know, we blend into the night market.

[00:02:32]>> That's so challenging. So you have to like pretend. Were there times that you guys reacting to pretending like you're not looking? You know, look over here, check out the shirt, you know, get some snacks in your hand while you're working.

[00:02:44]>> So, in the end, I think remember the very end of the shooting, there are actually people will come to our new uh noodle stand and start ordering the noodle from our actress.

[00:02:54]>> Wait, so the fake noodle stand was so real that people started to go there and order food.

[00:03:00]>> Yeah.

[00:03:00]>> Like, no, no, no. We're you can't eat this. This is not real noodles. These are just props. [laughter] >> But but that's a sign.

[00:03:08]>> That's a sign that you made it work.

[00:03:09]That this looks like a real needle stand now, right? Oh, that is so wonderful. Uh and then when we see some of these pictures, what are we seeing here? Well, you guys all look so pretty.

[00:03:19]>> Well, we were at we premiered at Can this year.

[00:03:22]>> Oh, the Can Film Festival. I was there a couple of times. That's beautiful.

[00:03:26]>> Yeah.

[00:03:26]>> But that was in that was earlier this year. Oh, so okay. So that's before uh theaters you guys premiered at can. That must have been an exciting moment.

[00:03:35][music] >> Yeah, it's it's super fun because you know we have a lot of crew came from Taiwan to so we all have that reunion can was really wonderful.

[00:03:45]>> Yeah. So when you want to mix uh partying alcohol, super beautiful people and super talented crew, you go to Ken's uh and then that's where you'll find it, right? Party every night, watch movies during the day.

[00:03:57]>> Yes. That was a very uh special experience because we got a 10-minute standing ovation in the end of the premiere.

[00:04:04]>> Oh wow. [sighs] That's quite an accomplishment. Um >> it's uh definitely a very special experience.

[00:04:11]>> Yeah. Yeah. You've had experience filming uh in Taiwan now. Uh but then you did have experience filming in the states as well. I mean do you see a big difference in the environment of creating film?

[00:04:22]>> Well, you know in states there are a lot of unions you know. So actor union, camera union, editor, you know, editor union. So there a lot of limitation, a lot of rules. For example, you can only shoot like certain hours during the during the day. But in Taiwan, they, you know, we don't have that much limitation here. So that's what I heard from a lot of Taiwanese crew, you know, they will shoot like 12 hours to 14 hours a day.

[00:04:48]>> Okay. Okay. Well, I guess positively speaking, we're we're a little more freespirited here. Uh [laughter] Jay had to stay in the studio with me for over 10 hours a few times.

[00:05:00]>> We've done that a few times. Yeah.

[00:05:01]>> A little bit more than I would like to admit, but uh but it happens.

[00:05:04]>> You've been to a bunch of festivals already. Well, now you have to blend into the red carpet.

[00:05:08]>> Oh, yeah.

[00:05:09]>> You got to blend in with the superstars and the superstar director here. You got you got to blend in a different way now.

[00:05:15]Uh what's what's what's next for for for you guys? Well, we are doing our um you know we are we got selected as a Taiwan uh Oscar international entry for >> Congratulations. Yes. Wonderful.

[00:05:28]>> So now we have we have a lot of you know award screenings to go but now right very exciting is we are releasing in theater in Taiwan.

[00:05:36]>> So so guys you got to go out there trust me on this one right? I know sometimes I say things just to be polite to our guest. Not today. You're different.

[00:05:45]You're special. So, this is real. I'm really recommending you guys go check out this film. It's it's it's one of those film that's just is so sweet. Uh you you you when you watch it in a theater, like I said, you're you're going to feel the sweetness. You're going to feel some of the sorrow and pain. Uh and but then you're going to walk out, you're just going to it's it's something that's going to that's going to leave an idea in your mind that which which I love when when when you get occasionally you get a film like that.

[00:06:10]And I think this is one of those rare opportunities.