Milestones in the film industry

Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse act with the computer-
generated Old Master Cute in the movie Master Q 2001.
(Courtesy of China Star Media Corporation)

By Eunice Ho

Soccer players flying above pitches. Kung fu masters fighting with magic skills. Cartoon characters enjoy-ing adventures with pop stars.

Hong Kong’s film industry has come a long way since it first came into the picture in the early 20th century.

In 1913, local firm Huamei Film Company produced Chuang Tzu Tests His Wife. It was the first film produced in Hong Kong, said Angel Shing, a research assistant at the Hong Kong Film Archive.

It was a black-and-white film and had no sound.

In 1933, the first audio film, Conscience, was produced by Zhonghua Sound and Silent Movies Production Company.

Five years later, in 1938, the first colored film, Woman of Guangzhou Part Two, was produced by Tianyi Film Company.

Sam Ho, a film programmer and critic, said, “The foundation of the film industry was well-established by the 1960s.”

It was a time when Cantonese films dominated the market. The market for Hong Kong films was large because Hong Kong was the main film supplier of Chinatown theatres in Southeast Asian countries.

The role of handicraft at that time was important.

According to the oral history records of the Hong Kong Film Archive, Lo Ki Ping, a prop and set producer of many classic fantasy and martial arts films, said, “Those paintings on the negatives were done by hand. For example, in The Furious Buddha’s Palm, I drew over 3,000 frames.

“I drew effects like flames, frame by frame, so as to make the film hang together.”

Apart from painting on negatives, Mr. Lo also designed and produced monsters, such as gorillas and giant fish, for the films.

“I produced many weapons, skulls and even skeletons for films. For example, I once made a dragonhead sword.”

The sword had a dragon’s head for its handle, and its blade extended from the dragon’s mouth.

In the 1970s, Cantonese films declined and Mandarin films dominated the film industry.

Many martial arts and kung fu films were produced. Zhang Che and King Hu are examples of the most innovative directors for this genre.

Mr. Ho said, “These films emphasized realistic fighting and were more violent than the acrobats in the past.

“With the rise of Bruce Lee in 1971, Hong Kong films focused on realistic kung fu.

“Establishing shots and long shots were used in filming so that the audience could watch the authentic kung fu of the actors.”

Computer effects were first introduced to Hong Kong film production in the early 1980s.

Said Mr. Ho: “To a certain extent, this was due to the contribution of local director Tsui Hark.

“He employed Hollywood specialists who produced Star Wars to introduce computer visual effects in his Zu, Warriors from the Magic Mountain.

“He even set up a company providing ‘special effects to-go’ services. The Happy Ghost series was a good example.”

Computer generated effects were used more frequently in the 1990s.

Mr. Ho said, “Producers now can create many things that were not allowed in the past. Also, the imagination of the Hong Kong audience has widened.”

Many recent films are produced with the use of computer and digital technology.

In Master Q 2001, Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse act with the computer-generated Old Master Cute.

Ma Wing On, an animation director at Centro Digital Pictures Limited, said, “My company produced the visual effects in Stephen Chow’s Shaolin Soccer. Those visual effects followed the development of the story smoothly.

“This made the films more realistic.”

Digitalization has brought other advantages to film production. We help filmmakers save time and money,” said Mr. Ma.

However, the technology makes acting a bit harder for actors.

“I like the acting of Cecilia Cheung in King of Comedy. But she obviously performed badly in Master Q 2001.

“This was because she was not experienced enough to act with the computer-generated Old Master Cute,” said Mr. Ma.

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