26 Sep 2006 - Michelle films 'Yi Gui Jing Hun'; still frightened after work

Source: Guangzhou Daily

Michelle films 'Yi Gui Jing Hun'; still frightened after work (direct translation of movie title: Frightening Closet)

Francis Yip: Magical movies are harder than horror movies

26th September 2006, 9:26:03

Filming scene of 'Yi Gui Jing Hun'Horror movie 'Yi Gui Jing Hun' is being filmed in Shenzhen.  Earlier on when the reporters visit the filming set, they coincidentally met with the filming of the ending scene.

This film directed by Hong Kong's Cao Jiannan director, tales about Francis Yip as a magician and his girlfriend (acted by Yang Chihfei) going for a vacation at a weird bungalow, and encountered with some extraordinary happenings.  Eddie Cheung and Michelle Ye will act as a pair of weird neighboring couple in the movie. 

When asked how it was to film horror movie, Francis Yip said it is easier to handle, only requiring one to use their frightening happenings to absorb into the movie, the terrified look will then be naturally expressed.  Francis Yip, a magician in the movie, feels that when magical movie is filmed is needs to be continuous, thus requiring the collaboration of time and practice, which for his case, is instead a harder area.

In the film, Michelle acts as the mother of a little girl, and often has hallucinations.  However, Michelle feels that this film besides being a horror movie, is in fact also a romance movie.  In the movie, she is a woman who searches for love, while Francis Yip is the person who brings love to her.  However, the script is constantly undergoing alterations; thus, Michelle said it is only after the filming of the last scene, that she will know if she dies in the movie. 

The young scriptwriter Zhang Jiangnan when accepting an interview with the reporters said that the story's initial origin is from a persona arts held in Beijing, such as cutting open skin for grass plantation etc.  This kind of harmful passion is definitely horrifying for people who don't understand persona arts.  Thus, this script inserts a persona artist's home in the background story.  While the persona arts person never appears in this film, he in fact leaves traits of presence that can't be disregarded.

(Reporter: Shen Yuanan/Article Wang Weixuan, Intern LiZhanjun/Photos)

MYR: Yang Chihfei is a newly graduated actress

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Yi Gui Jing Hun' horror movie that is starring Francis Yip, Michelle Ye and Eddie Cheung is currently being intensely filmed in Shenzhen.  Reporters visit the filming set.  Francis Yip plays a magician who hides secrets and has a gloomy inner heart in the movie.  His character prototype is similar to the American's ultimately challenged magician David Brian.  It is reported that the movie is expected to be released in October in Hong Kong.

Yesterday, reporters visit the filming set at a particular vacation village in Shenzhen, and were in time to catch the ending scene between Michelle and Yang Chihfei.  At the scene, the ground floor of the villa has an arts studio – the male lead, Francis Yip's working space.  The surrounding is white all over.  There were two white fabric-material made 'weird' mannequins, stood at the corner of the walls, a big net hung over the ceiling.  In the middle wall, a huge white with red background canvas was hung, while the ground was messed with paints.  The whole studio gives a creepy feeling.  Reporters interviewed the film's scriptwriter at the scene, and understood parts of the storyline and also the characters personality.

Mysterious Francis Ng: China's version of David Brian

The movie narrates a magician played by Francis Yip, and his girlfriend (by newcomer Yang Chihfei) living in a weird villa and experience weird encounters.  Accordingly, the character Francis plays in the film is similar to American's ultimately challenged magician, David Brian.  This magician has ever held a 'Live Person Aquarium' show in New York's Lincoln centre.  David Brian, 33 this year, is currently America's recent popular street magician, gaining fame with his mysterious personality and by continuously challenging human limits.  He has broken the records of typical magic shows, romantic, mysterious, loves excitement, and is a renowned living figure.

Francis Yip plays a mysterious character in the movie.  According to the director, Francis was chosen because he has the rare mysterious aura among the other Hong Kong actors.  The character's appearance in the film will portray David's.  The magician character that Francis Yip plays in the movie has a dark inner heart, from initially investigating the secret in the closet to finally hiding his own secret in the closet…

It is revealed that Francis will have quite a number of magic scenes in the film, he has ever obtained experience from professional magician.  In the process of filming, there is also a magician at the scene to guide.  Because magic filming needs to be continuous, adequate preparation and time to practice is necessary before filming.  Sometimes a few minutes' magic scene needs more than ten hours of filming. 

To date, Francis Yip has 4 films: 'Fang Zhu'(Banish), Hei Bai Dao'(Black and White Track), 'Cha Wu'(Tea Dance) and 'Wo Hu' (Crouching Tiger) that has been registered for Jin Ma (Golden Horse) Award.  Yesterday, Francis Yip expressed that he is busier recently, and has no time to notice which movie has been nominated.  He feels that receiving an award is a type of motivation, and for now he is only hoping to put his best to film this movie.

Lovelorn Michelle: To be torn into 4 to 5 Michelle

Michelle plays a woman character that has psychology problems.  "Because of losing love, she becomes cracked."  Michelle says: "A mental patient may have at least 12 different personalities.  In the film, I will have about 4 to 5.  As an affectionate mother, as a pressured wife, as a passionate lover, as a plain housewife… " 

Michelle is 'tormented' in the film: Besides being abused by her hot-tempered husband, Eddie Cheung, she is also often terrified by her ill daughter. "The whole family has mental problem!"  Michelle is frightened of the character she portrays, "I feel that my character in the film is the most horrifying one!  I have ever had a nightmare, dreaming of the part in the film – wearing a suit of white clothes and played swing in the courtyard with my daughter.  Especially terrifying!"

It is reported that the inspiration for the story is from an arts exhibition 'Passion for Harm' that was held in 2002.  The persona arts at that time rose quite a heated debate: cutting open the skin for grass plantation, eating dead infants etc. weird habits.  The horror in the movie is extremely concrete and visual.

Chen Yiyi, Li Mingli, Lin Yande/Article

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Horror movie 'Yi Gui Jing Hun' intensely filmed in Shenzhen

(News Reporter: Guo Shuang)

Michelle's first time filming a horror movie has already brought her to meet with Francis Yip, this pair of 'nerve-wrecking knife'.  While being frightened, Michelle also cries out in satisfaction.  Earlier on, reporters went to the filming set of 'Yi Gui Jing Hun' for a visit, and witnessed the true situation of this 'Country's first horror film'.  It is revealed, this time, Michelle will portray a neighboring housewife that lives with family pressure, and also having a romantic part with Francis Yip who comes for a vacation with his girlfriend in the villa, while at the same time encountering some horrifying incidents.

Michelle acting a problematic woman: Frightened yet excited

On the day of interview, Michelle has just rushed from Hangzhou, filming in both places has resulted her to complain it as 'suffering', but when discussing her first experience to film horror movie, Michelle appears to be very excited.  Michelle said that she plays a character that looks normal from outside but is actually a mentally disturbed woman.  Because her husband is abusive, and her daughter who has a phobia against light, and can only go out for activities at night, thus this woman often does some actions that are abnormal.  However, Francis Yip who comes for a vacation at the neighboring villa brings some comfort to this woman who lost love, thus the two will have some romance growth. 

Michelle said, she has never thought that she will act as a 'mentally-disturbed': "When I read the script before this, it was not mentioned, after arriving at the casts, then they told me my character is a nutcase, haha, really shocked me to death!"  She said, her character is constantly going around to frighten others, and also being frightened by others, the whole film is very horrifying.  "Every time after work when I go to bed, I will feel especially terrified, and cold grips my inner heart."  As for the collaboration with Francis Yip, Michelle expressed Francis is the expert for this kind of film, and has taught her a lot of acting skills.  "We have cooperated 4 years ago in 'Triumph in the Skies', so we are quite familiar with one another.  But because he has experience, so he has taught me so little tips.  For example he said, in a matter of split second I need to radiate the flashing evil eye spirit, that will portray the truly mentally disturbed person."

Francis Yip as the entire horror plot mastermind

Francis Yip is already a veteran in horror movies, the 'Zu Zhou' (Cursing) that he collaborated with Tian Yan last year received quite a good result in the box office in Mainland.  Francis expressed that it is easier to handle when filming horror movie, only requiring one to reflect their fright in the heart to their expression then it will be alright.  His biggest challenge this time is doing magic.  "Because filming magic needs to be continuous, the time and practice before filming needs to be adequate.  And also because hoping that magic on screen will look real and convincing, thus the time adjustment is very important."  He also said, there was once when filming a magic scene, because of the strong wind, they wasted a few hours, and shoot a few times before completing. 

When discussed about his character and Michelle's character's love relationship, Francis said, he magician role's feeling towards the housewife is a type of sympathy.  "When seeing their whole family is living under the threat of abuse, daughter is also ill, thus is curious towards this woman, and will also be concerned."  When discuss about his feeling of filming this movie, Francis said, he really liked this movie thus accepted to act in it.  "Within the horrors, there are the recently popular magic scenes, while terrifying the audience, people will still feel the romantic atmosphere."

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HK Xing Hao Filming Co.'s horror film, 'Yi Gui Jing Hun' that stars Francis yip, Michelle Ye, Yang Chihfei and Eddie Cheung, has recently started shooting in Hong Kong.  On September 24th, reporters made their way to the filming set of 'Yi Gui Jing Hun' at Shenzhen, when Michelle accepted an interview, she revealed that this time she will have a breakthrough from all the past characters she has acted, acting as a mentally disturbed housewife.  Francis Yip who has ever acted as a mental patient, this time instead acts as a normal person.

Michelle acting as a housewife this time, although having an adorable daughter by her side, she will often suffer her husband's (Eddie Cheung) family violence, but was fortunate enough to meet with a neighboring magician, Francis Yip, who brings her and her daughter some entertainment.  Scriptwriter, Zhang Jiangnan evaluates her character as an innocent one, although she's ill, but it is a kind of beauty.  The movie title is 'Yi Gui Jing Hun', thus 'Yi Gui' (closet) becomes the whole movie's main theme.  Francis Yip and his girlfriend, Yang Chihfei lived in a friend's house that has a closet which hid Francis' secret inside.  Later, Yang Chihfei will discover it out of curiousity.  Scriptwriter Zhang Jiangnan revealed, 'Yi Gui' (closet) refers to the inner heart of every individual, using it as an analogy to one's emotion in inner heart.  Deep down in everyone's heart, they have a secret that they fear to be discovered by others.  He also revealed that in the movie, one of the character will die in the end, but refused to mention if it is a male or female lead. 

Francis Yip: This time my role is not 'mentally disturbed'

Hong Kong film king, Francis Yip has had minor roles in many movies that portrayed mental illness, but in 'Yi Gui Jing Hun', Francis Yip is no longer a 'nutcase', he will portray a normal being, but he will still tip Michelle on how to act a 'mentally disturbed' role.  Especially Eddie Cheung, they're not only friends during training, personally, they're also good friends who have a lot to chat about.  However, as 'Yi Gui Jing Hun' is a horror film, they're having opposing roles, thus they have less interaction in this time's filming to avoid being unable to act out the rivalry feeling.  When asked on the reason of accepting to act in 'Yi Gui Jing Hun', Francis  said besides the relationship of the director, he also really liked this movie that included magic in horror.  They can scare the audience while giving them a calm romantic feeling.  However, Francis' character as a magician in the movie has made him spent some time to practice and prepare, because filming magic scenes needs to be continuous without any halts, and also the director hoping to film a convincing look of magic, the time adjustment is very important.  They've ever tried filming a magic scene, due to the strong wind, thye spent a number of hours and shoot several times before accomplishing it.  

Michelle Ye: My role is very 'mentally disturbed'

Michelle who had just rushed to Shenzhen after filming in Hangzhou, has a slightly weary look on her face.  She expressed that the role she acts this time, is a housewife that is mentally disturbed as a result of being constantly abused by her husband (Eddie Cheung), thus her mind is slightly abnormal, and has serious split personality.  Discussing about the role in the movie, she laughingly said: "My daughter is ill, our whole family is mentally disturbed."  Michelle's role is the morst terrifying one in the movie, not only scaring the other characters in the film, but also scaring the audiences.  Michelle also revealed as they need to create the fearful atmosphere, the movie will be mainly night scenes.  Few days ago when she filmed a scene, wearing a suit of white clothes and playing the swing with her daughter at night, their neighbor, Francis saw them, the creaking sound of swing at night, led her to feel chilly even until now.  Quite a number of actors of horror movies will be too absorbed that they daren't sleep at night, is always suspicious and fearful, having the phobia feeling.  Michelle instead said, firstly, working is too busy, secondly, the scary parts is not filmed yet, thus she is not so scared.