Old-age makeup is not uncommon in films.

But the effect Wen Bing wanted was quite rare.

"In this segment, I want to use a long take to show Xiao Yun appearing in the guise of an old person, mingling amid the crowd to escape the assassins’ chase. Only when she breaks through the blockade and successfully escapes will she begin to remove her wig and facial molds, revealing Xiao Yun’s true identity," said Wen Bing. "Through such a long take, the audience can directly experience the shift from ’Who is this old person?’ to ’Oh, it’s Zhou Yun,’ and be utterly shocked when Zhou Yun reveals her true self."

Zhou Yun imagined the scene Wen Bing described, and from the mental picture, she somewhat understood Wen Bing’s intention.

Indeed, if the long take was executed in one go, it would definitely be shocking on the big screen.

The cinematographer Qin Jiang raised an objection: "But this would make the shot very difficult to film."

Wen Bing responded, "Being difficult to shoot is inevitable."

Zeng Yeng asked, "How long is this shot expected to take?"

Wen Bing replied, "If everything goes smoothly, it can be finished in one day, but a lot of preliminary work needs to be done. Rehearsals would be at least ten times. There’s much that requires the cooperation of various departments."

Indeed, it’s a long take, and the formal filming could be completed in one day—as long as there are no mishaps.

But how could such a scene possibly be shot in one go?

Zhou Yun was aware of this.

She glanced at Wen Bing in slight surprise.

However, Wen Bing did not appear to be joking.

Zeng Yeng thoughtfully looked at Wen Bing and said, "Do you have the confidence to finish filming it in one day?"

Wen Bing retorted, "That depends on how many days we’d need to finish it for you to nod and agree to this filming plan."

Zeng Yeng laughed and said, "Director, do I feel like you’re complaining about me being too strict with the budget before?"

Wen Bing said, "That’s not what I mean, don’t misunderstand."

Zeng Yeng spread her hands and said, "Director, although I know you don’t mean that, please allow me to explain again. Our budget for filming this movie is limited. If I don’t control it carefully, it would be disastrous if we run out of money before finishing."

Wen Bing shrugged and said, "You’re the executive producer, it’s up to you."

The conversation between the two lowered the atmosphere on set to freezing point.

Anyone with a bit of sense could notice the conflict between Wen Bing and Zeng Yeng at this point.

Zhou Yun was surprised at the surfacing conflict between Wen Bing and Zeng Yeng even before filming officially started.

Generally speaking, directors and executive producers have a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship, and conflicts wouldn’t be so openly exposed, at least not so visibly in the early stages.

What’s going on?

Zhou Yun subtly winked at Wen Bing, wanting to know why he had this attitude toward Zeng Yeng.

During a break, Zhou Yun and Wen Bing went to the corridor for some fresh air and chatted.

Zhou Yun asked, "What’s wrong with you? How come there’s such a big conflict with Zeng Yeng?"

Wen Bing said, "She always wants to control this crew."

"Control?" Zhou Yun said, "She is the producer, managing money and such a large group of people. It’s not exactly control, is it?"

"No, you don’t understand," Wen Bing said. "Actually, before you joined the crew, many of my shooting plans were vetoed by her."

"Why?" Zhou Yun asked, puzzled.

Given Wen Bing’s success as a director, it’s unlikely that New Shield would assign a producer who controls him so strictly.

Wen Bing: "I don’t know why, but she knows nothing about films. As long as a shooting plan poses a risk of going over budget or over time, she adamantly disagrees. How can making a film proceed without any deviations? What crew can do that? But she’s inflexible, and nothing I say works." 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Zhou Yun immediately understood Wen Bing’s frustration.

She said, "Have you talked to Yao Yuanfeng about this?"

Wen Bing hesitated for a moment and said, "I don’t want to owe him more."

"This isn’t about owing him. This film is your movie, but it’s also his. You’re trying to make this movie better. If you believe Zeng Yeng’s opposition is affecting your ability to make this film, you should go directly to Yao Yuanfeng and let him help you solve this problem," Zhou Yun said seriously. "The key is, do you believe you should stick to your vision for the film?"