Gallen Harbour

Sources: CCTV, Sina, CRI

[Brief] Filming for the 26-episode documentary 《震撼世界的七日》 (”Seven Days that Shocked the World”) will commence on June 5th and is expected to wrap up within 20 days. Five directors will join hands to direct five concurrent shooting teams. More than 60 actors and actresses from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have confirmed to participate on a non-fee basis, donating their times and efforts as a way to support the quake victims.

Opening press conference for this production was hold by CCTV yesterday. Prior to the ceremony, a team of 16 writers has been recruited to come up with a collection of scripts based exclusively on true stories.

Production units behind this documentary include CCTV, the Beijing Broadcasting and Television Bureau, Shanghai Media Group, Guizhou TV, the Political Department of the Chengdu Military Region, and Sichuan Provincial Party Committee Propaganda Department. All revenue will be donated to earthquake-stricken areas.

Consolidated from various articles. Source: Sina

After almost three months of surprisingly smooth filming, “Perfect Ending” (Trailer) was wrapped up on Feb 22nd with a press conference, followed by a dinner banquet on the 27th. Cast member Michelle Bai Bing was absent on both occasion due to her training for the upcoming TV series “Dream of the Red Chamber” . Michelle left “Perfect Ending” on the 17th but was later spotted at a Beijing record studio, where she and Gallen Lo were working on the series’ ending (sub)theme song, tittled “A Song For You“. The theme song “Leaving Just Because I Loved You” was sung by EEG’s singer, Xiong Ru Lin.

Co-stars Su Yan and Miao Pu both share the same opinion about Gallen Lo. They both think he fits their idea of a perfect gentleman. When asked whether they think he is “husband” material, both Su and Miao expressed that they would look out for someone like him when the time comes for them to think about marriage.

Upon learning about the actresses’ opinions, Gallen appeared to be a little embarrassed. He considered himself lucky to have a talented team to work with, and looked forward to future chances of collaboration.

With Su Yan. Photo: Eyes Photo Studio

Gallen has since returned to Hong Kong for a short break before starting a new project around March 9th.

::: Mimosa :::

Video courtesy of EEG and Sina. Links (below) provided by fellow fans at Baidu Gallen Board. Screencaps by 天马行空78. Our special thanks!

• Theme Video
  
• Trailer / Teaser
• Perfect Ending - Sina Site
• Perfect Ending - EEG Site
• Press Conference Feb 17, 2008

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Source: YNET.com

As part of its campaign to gain and expand market share in China after the successful launch of new singers such as Xiong Ru Lin, Hai Ming Wei, and Huang Xin, the Emperor Entertaining Group (EEG) invests about 10 million HKD into television. The very first series, “Perfect Ending”, is already halfway through filming.

The filming crew has recently left Beijing for Tianjin following a winning bid to exclusively rent out some locations. The remaining of the series is to be completed in Tianjin.

Tianjin Railway Station. Photo: Sina

EEG’s filming was resumed on the 19th at Tianjin Railway Station with cold weather challenged the entire cast and crew. As for why they chose Tianjin, the director said that Tianjin’s urban characteristics and architectural style are extremely suitable to render the desired feeling to the series, a combination of Chinese and Western “flavors”. The crew echoed that the scenes from Tianjin locations contributed favorably to the overall results. EEG spent quite a large sum renting out this railway station.

“Perfect Ending” male lead, Gallen Lo, feels more than most of the cast. “This is certainly one of my “coldest” works so far. Just when I headed to film a full shower scene, the heater broke. The unpleasant temperature of the water,” laughed Gallen, “actually made the whole experience a little more memorable. I’m very much looking forward to see the end result.”

Gallen Lo at Tianjin Railway Station, 01/2008. Photo: Sina

Female lead, actress Su Yan, has better thing to share. Talking about her cooperation with Gallen Lo, she smiled brightly. “He plays my husband in this series. Our (husband and wife) relationship is only so so if not to say we are facing a lot of troubling issues. But whenever the camera is not rolling, Gallen really is a very kind, very considerate man. The more we open up, the better we could understand each other when we act, and our performances can be more realistic. I really hope everyone could tell from the end results.“

Co-stars Gallen Lo and Su Yan on PE set, 01/2008. Photo: QQ

According to the director, filming for “Perfect Ending” is smoothly underway and expected to wrap up at the end of February (2008). The issue now: More than one TV stations want to acquire the series’ distribution right.

::: Mimosa :::

Second time in a row, Gallen Lo plays a man battling his cancer cells. The first time was in TVB’s light romantic comedy “When a Dog Falls in Love with a Cat”, and now in EEG’s first TV production, “Perfect Ending”.

Gallen Lo on PE set, 11/2007. Stock photo from Sina

Even the script-writer doesn’t know yet. So far it’s said that the script has two alternative endings. There’s not much time left before they will have to decide on which one to shoot. Or they might just leave the end open and us, the audience, terribly frustrated.

Filming for the series started on November 28th, 2007 in Beijing, and is expected to wrap up before the Lunar New Year (Feb 2008). The majority of the cast keep their personal blogs updated with filming progress, while others such as Eyes Photo Blog provide daily snapshots from the set.

Miao Pu (L) and Gallen Lo on PE set, 12/2007. Stock photo from Sina

While a perfect ending is not yet guaranteed, the cast is surely an eye-catching assembly. Aside from Gallen Lo, known more for his acting than his look, “Perfect Ending” enlists Su Yan, Miao Pu, and Michelle Bai Bing. Other names include powerhouse artists such as Fang Bin and Han Ying. The group works, so far, in harmony.

The plot, however, promises turmoil. The 20-episode drama is a “constant struggle between husband and wife, of trust and betrayal, of truth and lie”. It will “force you to redefine” love, and do a double take on what truly is ethical.

The soundtrack of “Perfect Ending” will be sung exclusively by EEG’s artists and to be marketed as a separate album.

::: By Mimosa. Ref. various selected sources, including Baidu and Sina, 11/28/2007 - 01/03/2008 :::

Photo: Universe, Sina

Website: The Perfect Ending

“The Perfect Ending” Intro Posters:

Single 1:

Zhou ZhenHua, M.D. of 28-episode drama “The Perfect Ending”, Universe 2008. Filming starts 11/28/2007 (Beijing) - Gallen Lo, Su Yan (Lili of Everlasting Regret)

Single 2:

Group:

More info to be updated.

This is not a news article, so please do not repost elsewhere. Thank you.

:::

Lang Yan [Wolf Smoke / Wolf Scent / Smoke Signal] is, by all counts, a propaganda work. But it has Gallen Lo and Flora Chan!

The series is part of an extensive program to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the PLA (China), begun August 1st. Lang Yan has not been aired, but curiously, a novel based on the series with the same title is already made available both in bookstores and online. The online version is being updated daily and should be completed around September 15th.

::: Possible spoiler ahead! :::

About 150 pages out of some 400 pages are now available at Sina. It’s one-third the way already, so fans who are anticipating the series for Gallen-and-Flora-reunion might, and rightfully so, feel a little dispirited, for the characters still have not met one another. She walks her path, he walks his. She loves her man, and he’s not (yet) him. The man she loves is his superior whom he very much admires, and whose daughter is currently pursuing him. If nothing changes its course, Flora’s character will soon be Gallen’s character’s step-mother-in-law (is that even a valid title?)! Should fans then cry, or laugh?

Han Yip, Flora’s character, is a sophisticate career woman with a family past that haunts her. To make matter worse, she falls in love with the son of the rival family. In a few of their scenes, she carries with her the air of those female characters from Taiwan romance novelist Qiong Yao - dedicate, poetic, and desperate.

Colonel Ko Tat, Gallen’s character, in the other hand, is almost a twin of ATE’s Tim - strong, shrewd, stubborn and rebellious. Tim is, by most counts, a destructive device to his own civil life. Now imagine putting those traits into a soldier! Isn’t it seemingly the third World War awaiting all?

There are some interesting parallel lines one could draw between ATE and Lang Yan, but maybe not for the moment. Not until Lang Yan is aired, when Han and Ko are made alive, by the very Flora Chan and Gallen Lo.

Pray she will not become his step-mother-in-law!