[2023.02.16] PRODUCER SOI CHEANG TRIES TO PRESERVE HONG KONG FILM FLAVOR IN CYBER HEIST

Soi Cheang apologizes to Wong Hing Fan
courtesy of on.cc

Soi Cheang and Wong Hing Fan team up to create a virtual world while preserving Hong Kong film's car chases and explosion scenes
courtesy of singtao.com

Producer Soi Cheang (right) says CYBER HEIST is about the internet and has a lot of computer graphics.  Its actors often have to perform in front of a green screen and have to rely on director Wong Hing Fan (left) to properly communicate and explain to them to get what the production needs

Best Actors Aaron Kwok, Gordon Lam and Simon Yam
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Soi Cheang Pou Soi produced, Wong Hing Fan directed film CYBER HEIST (DUEN MONG) would be about internet world crime, thus the film used a lot of computer graphics special effects to bring the audience into the virtual internet world. Yet in order to preserve the Hong Kong film characteristics, the film had its share of car chases and explosions for visual impact for the audience. Two lead actors Aaron Kwok Fu Sing and Gordon Lam Ka Tung even with their rich imagination interpreted being in the virtual world, so the audience would fully immersed in the film as well.

The hacker crime film CYBER HEIST was Cheang Pou Soi directed and Wong Hing Fan directed. Best Actors Kwok Fu Sing and Lam Ka Tung played internet experts who traveled between the online and the real world, and began a battle of brains and brawn with Simon Yam Tat Wa and other police personnel. Cheang Pou Soi explained the original intent before the production began was to bring the internet world as well as entertainment to the audience, unlike the usual Hong Kong action films with car chases, pursuit of criminals and nothing to do with the internet. "Why not be a little more daring, enter the internet world and see how to solve the crime and bring the audience. however the difficulty would be what kind of visuals would be used so the audience would understand easily. Later we thought of going into a forest, feeling that the internet world was full of life -- very virtual but existed. We couldn't control it, and felt like a forest. So we daringly decided to use the forest to replace the internet and added special effects."

Sing Sing and Ka Tung in the film often had to enter the internet world. During the performance they had to perform solo scenes. Director Wong Hing Fan said that he communicated with them but he also needed the actors' rich imagination to be able to understand and interpret easily. Cheang Pou Soi also pointed out that the directing was already difficult. Actor would think what would actually be happening, so the director had to have great communication with the actors for the actors to know what was happening. During the production process, Ka Tung injured the bridge of his nose on another film, BEYOND THE SIN (NGOK HUNG JI OI) but still came to work. Wong Hing Fan pointed out that his face was very obviously swollen, so he could only change the shoot from the original dramatic scene to shoot a fight scene first. He then shot the close up after he recovered. Cheang Pou Soi also said, "Our hearts ached but he was in good spirits. He was able to work on the movie." Wong Hing Fan said that they had the responsibility to protect actor safety. Each actor basically was not hurt on the set, except Sing Sing who injured his fingernail during a stunt. He praised every actor for putting in quite an effort. Even Tony Wu Tsz Tung was exactly like a nerd who only faces the computer. Even professionals praises him for how convincing he was.

A lot of computer graphics were used to bring about the virtual internet world, and physical locations needed to show layers. Whether it was the internet forest or the actual office set, they both cost a lot of money. With the pandemic, Cheang Pou Soi stated that the production had difficulty after difficulty. The film indeed went over budget and schedule. As for the future development of computer graphics in Hong Kong film, Cheang Pou Soi felt that it would be inevitable and could be said as an opportunity. "I really respect WARRIORS OF FUTURE (MING YUT JIN GEI), it's too hard. Ours is very 'virtual', but I already had a headache from thinking about it. Theirs have to be very great, which is very hard. It's very hard to convince people. This is the direction, and maybe the way out for film. Should creators still have car chases and explosions? We have to learn to take a step forward, if we have the skills why not take a step forward. It's not a huge step, some can be preserved. We would try to join a new world and make the audience have new opinions about Hong Kong films. Special effect is the way!" However aside from making the virtual world, the film also needs realism. Cheang Pou Soi hoped to preserved the Hong Kong film flavor, thus CYBER HEIST still has car chases and explosions. For example in a car crash scene a car was truly burnt and destroyed, but actually the car scene was not done yet. He immediately apologized to the director. "I helped him with one shot, but didn't expect to burn the car." As the team was preparing to put it out, the fire engine already arrived.