dENiZEN We Are Explorers China - Shanghai Teahouse Kungfu Fighting!

The night before my day's shoot, I learnt that I was gonna have to do Kungfu. Now, please do not have this weird misconception that Chinese = Confirm Knows Kungfu. It's as good as saying all blacks are good rappers, or all Tibetans are monks, or all blondes are dumb (where did that dumb blonde phrase come from anyway???), or something. That is ultimate bull. 

Having said that, I have learnt a little bit of wushu back in my Nanyang Girls High School days (yeah dance and wushu were incorporated into our Physical Education. Cool huh?), so the day's task, hopefully, wouldn't be TOO difficult for me...

The day's filming location: Shanghai's Hollywood Studios. 

If you've ever been to the Hollywood Studios in LA, you might have gone for the studio tour, where they bring you into the studio areas where Desperate Housewives were filmed, where so and so shows have their sets built and blown up...yada yada. 

This is at 15 Changgu Road, Songjiang, Shanghai. 

Songjiang Movie Studios.

Like a Shanghai Teahouse? 

There's gonna be some flying action here.

For the purpose of explaining the filming, I'm gonna show you guys the end product first. 

Apart from being a really silly comedic clip, I thought the post-production was done really well. 

Action macam macam ah~~~ *smug* Lol!!!

This has got to be my COOLEST work ever. Lol. Apart from Vyjayanthi, of course! *winks* (Read here and here and here if you wanna find out more about Vyjayanthi.)

Practising my fight. Learning and practicing took me about an hour? And I ended up with a sore butt and thighs for the next 2 days. So weak, I know.

看招！我叉！

This is Jackee. I know he looks like Lorax now with his orange fur. But he's actually our choreography master, and he has worked with people like Jacky Chan for his movies! How honored am I to be personally taught by him!!!! 

He stars as the main period baddie in our film. Lol.

This is a really funny scene they took out cos the duration of the clip was too long, but I thought it's worth a mention cos it's so funny!!!!! 

We walk into this strange teahouse, then discovers that people inside are all in period costumes. The boss of the teahouse (as played by Jackee) comes up to us.

Jackee: We like your jeans. (I KNOW RIGHT!!!! WHAHAHAHA), 

and me and Anish look at each other like Yeah okay this person is soooo strange, 

Me: Who are you guys???

then up comes the rest of his gang and they stand in a line.

Jackee: We are.... *jumps with backside facing us, each with a word on it* 凶！神！恶！煞！ 

 which is a Chinese idiom which means fierce and intimidating. 

Yeah, this part got cut out!

Then Jackee kicks the table and smashes it into 2 and they try to snatch our jeans by force by physical violence. Which will end up in our jeans being slashed and torn which is the ultimate aim of the "mission". 

Drama to the max. There were supposed to be some Matrix stunts and me flying around in wires but we didn't have enough time for those. Nevertheless, my day's gonna be fun.

Roll A. Scene 3A, Take 2. ACTION!

Or rather "开始kaishi!" This was what Eric (the director) kept shouting throughout the day. As most of the extras and other actors were Chinese and they didn't really understand English, our production crew (most of them Whites or Gangtangs, or ABCs) has to communicate with them in Mandarin.

I have to say I was REALLY very impressed with their level of Mandarin! This camera op Jeffrey MAJORED IN CHINESE in college! So did Henry the production assistant! 

O.O 

天啊～＊惭愧到极点＊

And I whip out my secret weapon - the skunk! Curious? It's gonna be hilarious. 

Watch the video later. Lol~ 

(My readers are smart, I'm sure by now you'd have guessed how the skunk came into play.)

I am such a serious fart. 

The baddies practising their flying.

The number of people who had to hold on to the guy flying. Via wires.

Watch the video of how they flew. And...."kaishi~"

Pardon my laugh at the back. I thought it was really randomly funny.

I was really enjoying myself watching them do stunts. I mean, come on, how often do I get to see this in Singapore's productions?!! 

Sorry Anish. I couldn't resist posting this. 

This is a sight your fans would NEVER get to see otherwise.

Be thankful I didn't post up the silly videos of you hanging off the wires. NOT glamorous! Haaa~

But I actually have a really cool shot of you in mid-air! So you have to forgive me. ;)

Notice that mannequin? Remember the part where Anish jumps up and escapes being slashed while the jeans remain in position? 

My final masterpiece. If you want to win this, simply go to the dENiZEN We Are Explorers microsite and leave a comment! I'm a size 25. ;) Though jeans might have slightly loosened due to all that fighting.

I miss the production crew already. >.<

MUHUKI! (Gosh I haven't used this term in so long! Anyone remembers what it means? ^.^)