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Symposium Part 2
 
 

LAWRENCE CHENG: Just the trailer looks great already. Let me plug this as much as I can.

 

MODERATOR: Let's talk about the film. When did Barbara Wong approach you?

 

LAWRENCE CHENG: Actually I've worked with Barbara on a few films. We work with the same film company, so we know each other well. So I'm very glad to be here today, actually I wanted to change the title of today's discussion to "Hong Kong Cinema – Beyond Co-Production … and Parallel Universes." Because to be quite honest, you have to be crazy not to take the funding … from China, I mean.

 

I think all of us here on stage are crazy that way. But creators like us, when we have restrictions on our creativity … For example, I like to go back to the kind of films from the 1980s and 1990s – Chan Hing-kai here, Gordon Chan and I – the way we could create what we wanted. That's why we don't consider co-productions.

 

When we had our script, we went around looking for investors.

 

I'm a bit luckier than you, because you had to borrow money.

 

Of course we had the Film Development Fund, and we also had sponsors. I think we owe it to ourselves to do it just once: that we can shoot a Hong Kong film without co-production.
 
 

MODERATOR: So the sponsors are from Hong Kong?

 

LAWRENCE CHENG: Yes, they are local.

 

MODERATOR: Did you get the sponsors first? Or after you assembled your cast?

 

LAWRENCE CHENG: At the same time. The sponsors wanted to see if the main character was Lawrence Cheng or Jaycee Chan. They sponsored us when they found out it was Jaycee Chan. We were lucky. Like what Mabel said, we really had to go to Jaycee's home and talk to his family, many times. I'm very grateful to his mother. She listened to us a lot, that we had no money, but she encouraged us to shoot this. That's how we got this chance to shoot it.

 

MODERATOR: We'll come back to co-production, but for now let's introduce director Pang Ho-cheung.

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: Thanks everyone, let's take a look at Love in a Puff.

 

MODERATOR: Yes, he is the director, screenwriter, and producer.

 

Let's have the director talk about the film itself.

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: Well, it was last year, when I was scouting locations for another film. I saw people smoking in the back alleys. I don't smoke, but I thought, because of the restrictive smoking law now, more people meet in the alleys. These places have become new social hangouts. I thought it was really interesting. I wanted to bring out that social phenomenon.

 

I'm always invited to talk about topics like this one today, because people always think I'm involved in co-productions. I always thought I am, too. When I first have my story … But actually, I am usually forced into operating within those boundaries. I'm happy that investors are still willing to invest in films like mine, films that don't have any co-production involvement.

 

Oh … that topic's forbidden, see, the microphone isn't working. Actually, right now Love in a Puff …

 

There it goes again … the microphone's going out.
 

CHAPMAN TO: You're censored like Google.

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: Yes … right now Love in a Puff hasn't gone past the censorship board yet. But I feel so lucky that Media Asia really liked the topic. And they went for the story without knowing if it would pass the censor or not. A lot of companies do that now: the first thing they want to know is if the film has potential in the China market. If not, like the other day when we had a meeting at the HAF … Actually a lot of people asked us if there was a China market. And if not, they would want to leave, or take back their business card.

 

MODERATOR: Are these Asian investors? Or European, American investors?

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: In the past they were Asian investors, now investors from Europe and America ask the same questions. Now when they fund Asian films, they're looking for your film to bring them into the mainland market. So if you can't do that for them, then they would want to take back their business cards.

 

MODERATOR: What was the budget for Love in a Puff?

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: It was roughly … $10 million HKD.

 

MODERATOR: So was it all funded by Media Asia?

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: Yes, no funding from the Film Development Fund. But I have other projects funded by them.

 

MODERATOR: Okay, thank you.

 
 

MODERATOR: Next we have Chapman To. He is here as producer of Ex and actor in La Comedie Humaine.

 

Now let's take a look at the trailer from Ex.

 

Let's have Mr. To tell us a bit more about Heiward Mak's second film. Did Heiward come to you, or did you go to her?

 

CHAPMAN TO: I went to her. I'd watched her directorial debut, High Noon. At the time she was only 24 years old. I thought she was quite talented, so I went to her. I didn't know much about the co-production process. Because I'm only 37, it's hard for me to explain to a 24-year-old how to do it. She gave me a story that I really liked, I thought we should shoot it. So I went to Emperor Motion Pictures, and they said. "So what if there's no China market, that's fine." So we shot it.

 

MODERATOR: So what was the budget for this film?

 

CHAPMAN TO: Oh, I don't really want to tell you that.

 

MODERATOR: Is there an estimated figure?

 

CHAPMAN TO: I can't really say.

 

MODERATOR: How many days of shooting?

 

CHAPMAN TO: We shot for … 18 days.

 

MODERATOR: Okay, our next guest is director Derek Tsang. He's an actor in Ex. Derek recently co-produced Lover's Discourse with Irresistible Films. He makes his directorial debut together with Jimmy Wan. There is no trailer for the film quite yet, so we'll let Derek introduce the film.

 

DEREK TSANG: I do apologize; we had just finished the final edit for the film yesterday. Lover's Discourse is a film about love centered around 4 subplots. The characters are all entwined. Actually I've thought of this story for quite some time. I've been an actor for a while now, but actually I want to direct. I've had this story in my head for a while now. Actually the story keeps changing, and we've been trying to look for investors since two years ago, someone who can help us fund the project. The process was quite arduous. We pitched the story to different companies. We were turned down many times, being told we weren't commercial enough. I changed the story a few times trying to make it more acceptable. It was really difficult then, but I believe it was a necessary learning process.

 

For anyone aspiring to be a director or screenwriter, you must take rejection if you're going to learn how to adapt yourself.

 

MODERATOR: I also want to mention that Pang Ho-cheung is one of the producers for the film. Can you tell us a bit more about working with Derek on the film?

 

PANG HO-CHEUNG: Actually we've worked together for a while now. First, I found Derek to be quite a creative actor; we can work together on some film projects. His first role with me was in A.V. After that he was in Isabella with me. Chapman To right here was the producer for that, too.

 

Actually a lot of our roles shift like this in this industry. It feels a little like inbreeding. Chapman was the producer of Isabella, but he also acted in it. Derek also helped write the script, as well as act in it.

 

Back then, I heard Derek and Jimmy's story, Lover's Discourse. There were a few stories within it, and I saw them with my own eyes: the way they were rejected, and how they kept improving their script.

 

I agree with Derek that it is a necessary learning process. Sometimes it may not be a good thing if the first investor you meet grants you funding.
 
 

- End of Part 2 -

 

>>> Continue with Part 3