[2011.08.04] WIRE WORK SCARES CHARLENE CHOI HALF TO DEATH

Charlene Choi looks cool with swords, but it is another matter with heights

Charlene Choi and Wen Zhang work on wire over 80 meters above ground

Out of the water

courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of singtao.com

courtesy of takungpao.com

The Jet Li (Lee Nin Kit), Charlene Choi Chuek Yin, Wen Zhang and Raymond Lam Fung starred film THE SORCERER AND THE WHITE SNAKE (BAK SEH CHUEN SHUET ji FAT HAI) earlier unveiled a series of thrilling work photos. Ah Sa as the Green Snake and Wen Zhang as Nengren both were hung 80 meters in the air with a dangerous valley below. Ah Sa herself had a fear of heights. However director and action director, "Wire King" Ching Siu Tung said that in order to bring back the thousand year legend world, "flying around" in great heights like Ah Sa and Wen Zhang was "necessary". Even Lee Nin Kit was not spared.

In this scene Nengren who already turned into a bat demon flew with Ah Sa's Green Snake in his arms. They needed to climb 80 meters in the air, around 20 floors up. Although Ching Siu Tung again guaranteed the "wire" safety and even personally demonstrated, Ah Sa was still very scared and worried. Luckily Wen Zhang kept trying to cheer her up and eased the tension. Yet hung on a thin wire 80 meters in mid air, even someone without a fear of heights needed certain courage. Ah Sa started rising and closed her eyes tightly as she kept said, "It's very scary! I don't dare to look, I don't dare to look." She tightly held onto Wen Zhang who was also in mid air. She usually easily made a pose but in mid air it became very hard for her. In addition four giant fans were blowing on the set, their costumes often covered their faces and led to many bad takes. They had to be ascend, descend, and ascend not less than five times. A short two to three minute shot took an entire afternoon. Ah Sa and Wen Zhang spent around a hour in the air. No wonder after the shoot Ah Sa's face was pale and she could not speak for half a day as if she was scared half to death. Another wet "wire work" was also rather thrilling. Ah Sa rose from the water at high speed, the water drops formed a beautiful track in the air.

Although now many high difficult action scenes could be completed in post production with computer generated special effects, but Ching Siu Tung thought that the legend world had to be the most realistic for the effects to be their most wonderful and most shocking. In order for the film to display the Eastern spirit and legendary aura even better, Ching Siu Tung even brought almost the entire cast to the sky. Even Lee Nin Kit was no example. He said, "Lee Nin Kit's usual kung fu film didn't require 'wire', but this time was fantasy action. The fighting wasn't just real kung fu but also magic. Fahai could leap two stories from the ground, how could it work without 'wires'?"