Traveling all the way to China for filming didn't mean the crew could immediately start shooting upon arrival. There was still a great deal of preparation to be done.
Accommodation, meals, and transportation all needed to be arranged.
Fortunately, the local authorities were fully cooperative, allowing the crew to settle in quickly.
Gilbert's good friend in China, Tian Congming, was fully in charge of coordinating with the production team. When speaking with Gilbert, he assured him,
"Don't worry. I've taken care of everything on the local side. There won't be any problems. You can focus entirely on filming!"
Old Tian was reliable, and Gilbert nodded, feeling reassured.
During the first week in China, the crew didn't start shooting right away. Instead, they were busy with preparations. Gilbert divided the team into two groups, assigning the assistant director, Annie Burton, to take one group for location shooting.
According to the plan, Gilbert had already selected filming locations. With the help of local guides, Annie Burton frequently led her team across various parts of China to capture exterior shots.
Meanwhile, Gilbert himself stayed at the Qingdao studio, traveling between the pre-constructed sets to oversee filming at the primary locations.
A project of this scale made it impossible for Gilbert to personally handle every single shot. Naturally, the assistant director had to take on some of the less critical tasks.
"Gilbert, let me introduce you. This is Xu Qing. She will be your Chinese assistant."
Tian Congming introduced a Chinese woman—a stunning beauty with a strong classical charm. Her large eyes were filled with curiosity as she studied Gilbert, showing no signs of shyness.
When she noticed Gilbert looking at her, she quickly introduced herself, "Hello, Director. I'm Xu Qing. You can call me by my English name, Summer Xu. I will be your assistant."
"Summer Xu… Xu of the summer," Gilbert smiled. "That name suits you well—very bright and radiant."
Then, he turned to Tian Congming and asked, "Why did you assign me a Chinese assistant? I already have my own assistant."
Tian Congming chuckled and explained, "I know, but Miss Anna isn't familiar with the situation here, so we arranged for Miss Xu Qing to assist you."
Of course, Gilbert knew who Xu Qing was. She had entered the industry early and had worked with many renowned directors.
However, he chose not to say anything about it. Instead, he accepted the arrangement, and Xu Qing officially became his Chinese assistant.
Having a well-known Chinese actress as his assistant—especially one so pleasing to the eye—was certainly an interesting experience. After seeing so many Western women, looking at a Chinese beauty was like refreshing his vision.
But Gilbert wasn't in China for sightseeing. He had a lot of work to do.
Upon receiving an invitation, Gilbert attended the opening ceremony of the Oriental Movie Metropolis. Many influential local figures were present, and he was expected to give a speech.
As his assistant on the Chinese side, Xu Qing naturally accompanied him.
Because of her family background, she was more than accustomed to such occasions and handled them with ease.
However, there was one issue—the ceremony took place during the rainy season, and strong winds were blowing from the sea that day. Yet, one of the major local figures had not arrived on time, delaying the entire event.
According to the plan, this prominent figure was supposed to complete the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Gilbert and deliver a speech.
Because of his delay, everyone had to wait in place for more than half an hour.
Curious, Anna asked Xu Qing, "Do people here have such little sense of time?"
Xu Qing felt her face burning with embarrassment. It was truly disgraceful.
At the same time, she resented the absent official. Does he have no awareness of how important this moment is?
"I'll make a call," she said angrily, stepping aside. From her expression, it was clear she was having a heated conversation.
A short while later, the overweight official finally arrived, sweating profusely and panting as he walked. He hurried over to Gilbert and apologized, "I'm so sorry! I was delayed by something important."
Before Gilbert could respond, Xu Qing snapped, "Something important? You left us waiting in the wind and rain for over half an hour!
This is an international guest. The higher-ups are paying close attention to this event—how do you plan to explain this?"
The middle-aged man, flustered, tried to offer more excuses while continuing to apologize profusely.
But Gilbert had no interest in wasting time on him. He simply waved his hand and said, "Let's begin immediately. Time is tight."
Because of the delay, the officials' speeches were shortened. Gilbert, too, kept his words brief.
"I hope this place will become a bridge where Eastern and Western cultures collide.
The world needs this place to understand China, and China needs this place to showcase itself to the world.
Wishing us all a successful collaboration…"
In this era, international cooperation was a prevailing theme. This place had been striving to integrate itself into the global landscape. The Lord of the Rings project served as a perfect symbol, setting an important precedent.
Because of its significance, the higher-ups placed great emphasis on it.
After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Gilbert turned to Xu Qing and said, "Even in North America, in Washington, behavior like his would have cost him his credibility.
I'm not sure how you'll handle this."
Although the local big boss was only half an hour late, which might not seem like a big issue under normal circumstances—after all, as the boss, his arrival determined the schedule—things were different when it came to representing the country and dealing with foreign guests. His tardiness had left a stain on the event.
As expected, Xu Qing snorted coldly, "Don't worry. You won't be seeing him again."
"Oh?" Gilbert raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding what she meant. He didn't ask further.
This minor unpleasant incident was quickly forgotten as Gilbert threw himself into his intense workload. He quickly got into the rhythm, barely stopping to rest.
Ning Hao was lucky to be assigned to the director's team as a junior assistant, essentially handling miscellaneous tasks.
But even as an errand runner, it was a valuable learning opportunity. He had the rare chance to observe how an international director managed and coordinated a massive film production. The experience benefited him greatly.
Xu Qing, as the Chinese assistant, was even closer to Gilbert. She witnessed firsthand the high-intensity work ethic of a Hollywood director—it was grueling.
Gilbert slept less than four hours a day. He was up early every morning, holding meetings with department heads to outline the day's tasks.
During the day, he conducted test shoots, experimented with and adjusted equipment, and supervised the Hollywood actors' training.
At night, he reviewed plans, made adjustments, and corrected issues that arose during the day. Even after returning to his room, he continued working until the early hours of the morning, often not sleeping until one or two a.m.
This level of intensity continued for over a week. Xu Qing could hardly keep up, but Gilbert seemed tireless, never stopping for a break.
On top of that, he frequently traveled—to Gazi Mountain, to Qianhua Valley in Yunnan, to filming locations in Yangzhou, and to Jiuzhaigou.
Xu Qing followed Gilbert around and saw the massive city built on Gazi Mountain, an awe-inspiring structure nestled into the mountainside.
Standing on a high ridge to the east of Gazi Mountain, Gilbert discussed the shot with cinematographer John Schwartzman.
"John, starting next week, have your team capture footage of the sunrise over this landscape. We'll be filming in this area," Gilbert said, pointing to the eastern high ground.
"This is where we'll shoot the Rohirrim charge, with the rising sun shining on their backs."
John Schwartzman pictured the scene in his mind and nodded. "Got it. I'll arrange for the team to scout the location soon."
Xu Qing, listening from the side, grasped the general idea.
Curious, she asked Gilbert, "Hollywood's visual effects industry is so advanced. Why not use CGI for all of this? Especially the city?"
Chen Gezi had built a city because it couldn't be done with CGI at the time, and the physical set had long-term benefits. But these Americans were on the other side of the Pacific—why go to such lengths to film here?
Gilbert chuckled and explained, "First, just because VFX is advanced doesn't mean it can replace reality. Second, I negotiated this with Old Tian a long time ago.
The Lord of the Rings studio will continue generating revenue in the future, making it a great investment for us."
Walking ahead, he gestured toward the massive white city built into the mountains and asked loudly, "Looking at this scene, don't you find it breathtaking?"
Xu Qing nodded. It was indeed awe-inspiring.
Gilbert spread his arms as if embracing the city.
"My goal is to create a Middle-earth that feels real and believable for the audience.
I want them to look at the screen and feel that this stunning, mesmerizing world truly exists."
"This world is right here, in China."
For some reason, as Xu Qing watched the passionate, ambitious Gilbert, she suddenly found him incredibly charming.
Rumor had it that Gilbert was a well-known playboy in Hollywood. Considering his talent and vision, it was no surprise that many women were drawn to him.
After more than half a month of test shoots and adjustments, the crew finally found its rhythm.
However, the first official shot wasn't filmed at the Qingdao studio. Instead, it was shot at the Hobbiton village set beneath Yulong Snow Mountain in Yunnan.
The first scene featured Gilbert's father, who made a cameo as Bilbo Baggins.
The old man had become a regular in Gilbert's films, but he was surprised to find that his role this time was much larger than before.
"Wow, I have this many lines?" the old man exclaimed in surprise.
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Just say whether you'll do it or not."
"Of course," his father agreed without hesitation. He then traveled all the way to China, arriving at the location.
When he saw the fully built Hobbiton village, he was stunned.
"My God, you actually built the Shire?" His mouth hung open in shock, wide enough to fit an egg.
"Of course," Gilbert said. "It was constructed to be fully livable. You could stay here for a year or more without a problem."
"I could live here forever," the old man said excitedly. Then, nudging Gilbert, he urged, "Hurry up and show me Bilbo Baggins' house."
Gilbert smirked. "You're going to love it."
"Oh?" At first, the old man didn't think much of it. But as soon as he stepped inside the cozy little home, he was completely enchanted by the warm, inviting atmosphere.
"This is the perfect place to live," he declared. "It'd be even better with a couple of Chinese beauties around."
As he spoke, he assumed the Chinese women nearby didn't understand English. He turned to Gilbert and asked, "Is this your new Chinese girlfriend?"
Gilbert was speechless. "She understands English. And she's my assistant."
Xu Qing, caught off guard, felt slightly embarrassed. The director's father seemed quite uninhibited—definitely not a serious man.
Later, Xu Qing pulled Anna aside and asked, "What does Gilbert's father do? Is he an actor?"
Anna explained, "Mr. Gilbert Sr. is a well-known Hollywood producer. He's retired now, but he takes cameo roles in our director's films for fun."
Xu Qing frowned. "I feel like he has ulterior motives. He kept eyeing me."
Anna burst into laughter. "Then you should feel honored. If Mr. Gilbert Sr. takes an interest in you, that's a rare opportunity. What did he say?"
Xu Qing's eyes sparkled mischievously as she replied, "He said he wants me to be his daughter-in-law."
"…What?"
.....
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