Liu Yunlong, a meticulous filmmaker, once extended a shoot, and the entire crew, including co-star Luo Haiqiong, stayed without extra pay to polish the work.
Liu Yunlong slammed the printed shooting schedule down on the table with a “thud,” and as soon as his pen touched the page, he crossed out the original three-month deadline.
This was the forty-seventh day of his first collaboration with Luo Haiqiong on a film project, and the entire crew was on edge—in the industry, Liu Yunlong has always been known for his exacting attention to detail and is famously a “workaholic.”and this move clearly signaled his intention to extend the production schedule to fine-tune every detail. This delay directly affected the entire cast’s contract terms and earned compensation; on any other set, this would have sparked a major uproar long ago.
To everyone’s surprise, once the news broke, not a single word of private grumbling was heard from anyone on the entire crew.Even Luo Haiqiong, whose contract had just expired and who had already packed her bags and was preparing to leave the production, immediately stated—after hearing Liu Yunlong’s full explanation of the adjustments to the filming schedule—that she would not require additional compensation and was willing to stay on to continue filming.
Luo Haiqiong had been a dancer in her early years. After transitioning to the film and television industry, she signed with a top talent agency. Over the years, she has consistently balanced her family and career while prudently managing her personal investments; she has always been clear-headed and level-headed in her decisions.Liu Yunlong, having been in the industry for many years, has always maintained an almost obsessive commitment to the quality of his work, refusing to settle for even the slightest flaw.These two powerhouse actors, whose working styles appear completely different to outsiders, actually gelled perfectly on the set of this drama. They even cut back on their daily rest time as much as possible, staying on set from morning to night, paying meticulous attention to every detail—from the lighting and shadow balance in each shot to the pauses and rhythm of every line of dialogue—and refusing to compromise on even the slightest point.
The filming schedule, originally
planned for three or four months, had quickly run over, and most of the compensation specified in the contracts had already been paid out. With everyone on the verge of wasting their time and effort for nothing, any other production crew would likely have seen its staff walk out long ago.
But this time, not a single actor or crew member asked to leave; they all voluntarily stayed on to refine the content. No one asked for a raise, and no one complained about the long, grueling shoot. The reason
everyone stayed was simply that determination not to cut corners on the production.When Luo Haiqiong later spoke with others about this experience, she remarked that Liu Yunlong’s stubborn determination truly inspired the entire crew to settle in and focus single-mindedly on making the best possible production—everything else became secondary.
Although many years have passed since
this collaboration took place, bringing it up today still evokes a sense of admiration in many people. Having grown accustomed to seeing people and situations in the industry that are half-hearted and just going through the motions, it’s hard not to be moved when suddenly encountering a group of professionals who, without seeking any extra gain, are dedicated solely to doing their work to the best of their ability.
If you, too, admire this uncompromising dedication to quality, feel free to share this story with friends in your circle who are equally principled and down-to-earth. In this day and age, that kind of commitment is what’s truly most valuable.
