OLD FOX | Wilshire Screening Room Q&A Recap

SCREENING REPORT

Old Fox

Project Title: Old Fox

Market: Los Angeles

Screening Date: November 18, 2024

Location: Wilshire Screening Room

Scheduled Screening Start Time: 7:00 PM PT

Actual Screening Start Time: 7:10 PM PT

Room Capacity: 49

Actual Attendees Total:  19 

Applause at the end? If so, how many seconds? 5 seconds

Q&A RECAP

Moderator:

Scott Mantz, Mantz Movies

Panelists: 

Hsiao Ya-Chuan ( Director and Screenwriter)

Davis Chang (Translator)

Scott Mantz begins the Q&A by asking Director Hsiao Ya-chuan about his inspiration behind the film. Director Hsiao talks about how the film was inspired by the questions that were asked by his children in which they wondered whether there is justice and equality in the world. He found it difficult to answer, and took the opportunity to make the film to answer their questions.

Director Hsiao first began writing the script in 2020 with it taking two years to complete. His initial version included more scenes with Ms. Yang and Ms. Pretty (for instance, Ms. Pretty became part of the family). But through editing, the director decided to focus the story more on Liao Jie. 

When casting Bai Run-yin, Director Hsiao was initially interested in casting him because of his experience as a child actor. However, his parents had decided that they wanted Bai Run-yin to focus more on his studies. After half a year of casting, Director Hsiao decided that he still wanted to try and cast Run-yin. After reading the script, his parents immediately agreed and Bai Run-yin was quickly cast. For the crying scene, the director explains how it took one take. He praises Bai Run-yin for being a remarkable and mature child actor, and for being able to openly discuss the emotions of a scene before filming. For the casting of the father, Director Hsaio skipped the traditional casting process and selected the actor due to his flexibility as a performer. When casting the Old Fox, Director Hsiao selected Akio Chen due to his experience as both a lower and middle class Taiwanese. It was also his hard look that drew the director to this actor. 

Overall, the filming of the movie took 36 days with an average of 3 or 4 takes. Director Hsiao explains how he only treated the script as a foundation and encouraged improvisation from the actors. He elaborates that he rarely has rehearsals and prefers in depth conversations with the actors about each scene and their emotions/subtext. Afterwards, Director Hsiao believes that the characters belong to the actors and that they have the freedom to make new choices. 

In regards to the score, Director Hsiao talks about how he collaborated closely with the composer. Even when the script was being developed, he had the composer start writing music in order to inspire his script and vice versa. Jumping off of this, an audience member asks about the song choice that is used during the climax. Director Hsiao explains how the climax is based on a real, famous incident in Taiwan in which many people took their lives on the day that the stock market crashed. For him and the composer, they discovered that using simple music was the best choice as it gave a voyeuristic perspective of the three converging story lines that would evoke more emotion. 

To conclude the panel, Scott asks Director Hsiao what he hopes the takeaway of the film is. Director Hsiao hopes that the film teaches his children and the audience how the world is not black and white, and that there is great power in everyone to make their own choices that will shape their own lives.