by Katharine Schroeder
When I found out that the production team for Jackie’s latest Hong Kong movie, Project BB would be filming in Central on a sunny Sunday morning, I thought it would be fun to go there to have a look around and take some photos. After arriving downtown and becoming hopelessly lost, I phoned Dorothy and she gave me directions to the set. “Just look for Starbucks. When you see Starbucks, you will see us.” Still lost after wandering around for five minutes, I asked some American tourists if they knew where Starbucks was. Of course they did and within seconds I was at the set. It was lunchtime for the crew, so many of them were sitting or standing around eating box lunches. Jackie was a few blocks away filming a walking scene, so I spent some time visiting with the crew.
I took out my camera and was in the middle of taking a photo when someone screamed and jumped out at me from behind one of the vans, nearly knocking me off my feet from the fright. Of course it was Ken Low. (And here's the resulting photo.)
As well as being an actor and champion kick boxer, he has taken on the assignment of trying his best to scare the wits out of me at every opportunity. Even though I should be used to it by now, I fall for it every time, but I can’t help smiling when I see the joy he derives from scaring me senseless. Not ten minutes after his initial prank, he got me once again when he screamed loudly, “HEY! 
HEY! HEY! NO PHOTOS!!” when I was in the middle of taking a picture. I immediately lowered my camera, muttering “Sorry…sorry…” when he and the other stunt guys burst out laughing. Okay, so he got me again. And he would get me several more times before the day was over – once screaming out, “NO FLASH!! NO FLASH!!” I quickly fumbled to turn it off (it wasn't on, of course - we were outside on a sunny day). I imagine that Ken Low was the prankster of the class when he was a schoolboy. He hasn’t lost any of that playfulness and it’s no wonder that Jackie has such high regard for him. He’s a lot of fun to be around and he's a really sweet guy, even if he terrorizes me at every opportunity!
Before long Jackie was back from his scene and he sat down on a ledge near the sidewalk to wait while the crew organized the next thing they’d be doing. Jackie looked very tired and his assistants had to keep fans away while he rested. Several people approached and asked to have a photo with him, but Dorothy and Osumi politely told them that Jackie was exhausted and needed some time alone. They are very respectful of Jackie’s fans and managed to turn them away without being pushy or insulting. They are a credit to Jackie. Speaking of Dorothy, I think I should mention Dorothy’s belt packs. Around her waist she wears several packs which contain just about anything and everything one could possibly need. I teased her that she had supplies for climbing Mount Everest in the belt around her waist. Jackie is well taken care of by his assistants.
Osumi told me that the shoot would be moving to another location after Jackie ate his lunch. So while Jackie ate, I walked over to Starbucks for a coffee. While I sat in the cafe, I heard snippets of conversation around me:
“Yeah – I mean it!! It was Jackie Chan!!”
“I got three photos of Jackie right here on my mobile phone!!”
“Wow! He looks just like he does in the movies!!”
It was thrilling to hear the excitement in people’s voices when they talked about seeing Jackie.
Just as I was leaving Starbucks, Osumi was coming in to get me so that we could go off to the New Territories for the next scene. I got into the car and settled in for a really wonderful drive up to the New Territories courtesy of Jackie Chan. Now many of you probably have heard Jackie talk about how much he likes driving and it is very apparent when you drive with him that this is the truth. Not surprisingly, he’s a confident and skilled driver and I just sat back to enjoy the sights of the city as Jackie darted in and out of the traffic along the winding streets and hills of Hong Kong.
On the way, Jackie asked me how I liked Hong Kong. I told him that I loved the city but that the language problem was troublesome to me. I knew that he would be sympathetic, remembering how he struggled to learn English in the early days of his career. He was encouraging and told me that I’d learn Cantonese “very soon.” And he reminded me that most people knew how to speak English. I told him that although most people know English, they speak in Cantonese and I told him that sometimes I felt isolated because I didn’t know what people were talking about. “They don’t get my jokes,” I complained. He laughed and reassured me that it was just a matter of time before I learned Chinese. And in case you’re wondering, Jackie’s English is excellent. He has no trouble understanding me and I can clearly understand him. I think that he struggles with English only when he has to remember lines for a film. It’s more difficult trying to remember English words when he has to remember specific words and combine them with acting as well.
After driving for about a half hour, we slowed down and stopped. Jackie pressed the button on a remote control and a metal door on the building in front of us began to rise. We had arrived at Jackie’s private quarters in the New Territories where we would wait while the crew set up the next scene on location. Jackie's very special place is a converted warehouse which has been carved up into many different areas - some large and open, some small and hidden. This is where Jackie can be himself, where he can relax and allow his mind to wander into the places that hold all of his ideas and dreams. It has several levels, all reached by climbing a spiral staircase. As Jackie showed me his designs and collections, I was fascinated by how enthusiastically he described each item. He was particularly proud of the things that he had designed himself; some are very clever and functional, by the way. Jackie has the mind of an inventor and a designer as well as an artist. He is completely enamored of innovation – he’s constantly thinking of ways to make things easier, better, and more user-friendly. His space in the New Territories is a testament to his remarkable intelligence and creativity.
After spending about an hour there, it was time to drive over to the shoot, which was taking place on a street near the railway station. When we arrived the cast and the crew were already there and waiting. I positioned myself out of the way of the cameras and sat down on a curbside to watch all the action. Jackie and several others rehearsed the scene several times and then began filming. He did the scene over and over again until everything looked just right, talking to the director between takes to figure out exactly what to do to make everything perfect. Although Jackie looked tired and he was apparently having back pain, he was patient and professional and when the cameras were rolling, he was totally into his character.
As I sat and watched the process, I spent some time observing the extras who stood patiently on the sidewalks waiting for the scene to begin. They were all dressed in business suits and work clothes, so they looked a little out of place on this Sunday afternoon. While they waited, they chatted, shuffled their feet, or yawned. Such was the life of an extra on this particular shoot.
I was soon joined by one of the Korean stuntmen, Park. He’s another mischievous type, like Ken. That’s one thing I’ve noticed about the stunt guys – they’re full of personality; they’re playful and a lot of fun to be with. As I sat taking photos, Park was making fun of my shooting technique, so I handed the camera to him. I’m happy to say that his first two shots were blurry, but I have to give him credit – after a few brief instructions, he managed to get an awesome shot of Jackie in action. It figures that a stunt guy would take the best shot of the action!
Along the street there was a little bakery shop and after talking with Park for a while, I ventured over to get a bottle of water. As luck would have it, I was in the store when Jackie and Ken came in to get a snack. The baker in the back was grinning from ear to ear to see Jackie in his shop – happily, I was there and able to grab a photo to share with you. After they left, I paid for my water and walked outside only to be attacked from the right by none other than Ken Low. He had seen me in the bakery and was laying in wait as I exited. Of course he caught me unawares and he and the other guys laughed uncontrollably at my reaction (asking Ken for the hundredth time, "What is WRONG with you?!") I couldn't help laughing along with them. It's all in good fun and part of being together on the film set.
As the day went by, I made notes about some of my observations. One thing I noticed was that although the set looks chaotic, it is a kind of controlled chaos. Everyone has a job to do, and everyone does it very professionally. The interaction among the cast and crew is like a dance and all of these people with all of their different skills work together like a well oiled machine.
When the cast and crew got ready to move to another location for a different scene, I said my goodbyes, got directions from Osumi, and walked toward the railway station. Within an hour, I was back home and still thinking about what an amazing day I’d had. I thought about how I never get tired of watching the filming – there’s always something new and interesting to see. And I especially thought about Jackie. As I get to know him better, I realize that he is indeed a very special man. He’s thoughtful and generous, funny and creative, and above all, he is strikingly intelligent.
And boy can he drive.
Photos: ©2006 The JC Group