Post by lovevicki on Sept 28, 2007 17:49:37 GMT 7
[glow=red,2,300]BIG SISTER VIC Vicki Zhao proves she's all grown up - really
By Chang May Choon [/glow]
(Singapore The Electric New Paper)
September 28, 2007
VICKI Zhao Wei is best known as an actress turned singer.
(Left) Vicki with director Lin Jinhe on the set of Angel Suitcase in New Zealand and (below) shooting with Shinhwa hottie Jun Jin.
But the doe-eyed Chinese beauty directing?
She started pursuing a master's degree in film directing at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy last year.
The rumour mill spun stories about her star fading, but the truth was that she had quietly turned down scripts and invitations to focus on her studies.
It was only after easing into her second year of the programme that she agreed to take on the highly-
anticipated John Woo epic, Battle Of The Red Cliff, in April.
And this year, Vicki finally got to practise what she has learnt.
She made her directorial debut in a music video for the title track of her new album, Angel Suitcase.
It was released in China early this month.
So, how does it feel being a director?
Vicki, 31, told The New Paper: 'You can experiment with all kinds of ideas and there's no limit. It's really a thrill.'
The video was shot in picturesque Queenstown in New Zealand in a week in June.
One evening, when she learnt there would be a fireworks display at a local celebration, she immediately took off with her crew.
'I was like, 'Forget about dinner, let's shoot first'. It's fireworks, how expensive is that? What a bonus!'
Vicki also spoke passionately about the concept behind the music video - a love story with a fantasy element.
'A lot of people don't understand it, but it doesn't matter. Just watch it a few more times,' she said.
'I have a few different concepts in there. It's like, one plus one equals two, but three minus one also equals two.
'One interpretation can be right, but another interpretation is also right.'
DIRECTOR V ACTOR
If Vicki the director had any complaints, it would be that Vicki the actress took way too long to summon her tears for a crying scene.
'I had to settle everything first and get all questions answered before telling the crew to give me a few moments to compose myself for the scene,' she said.
'But it's the slowest in history - more than 10 minutes!'
That's Vicki for you.
Her eye makeup was Goth - 'it's for the stage' - but the star herself was anything but.
Speaking to The New Paper at the Seoul World Cup Stadium while waiting for her turn to perform at the fourth Asia Song Festival last Saturday, she came across as genuinely warm, joking and laughing heartily.
She offered to make me coffee and even nicknamed me 'liu lang zhe' (wanderer in Mandarin), as I was the only reporter there who had no specific artiste to focus on.
Other regional scribes stuck with their country's performing artistes - Taiwan's A-mei, Japan's Mai Kuraki and Thailand's Golf & Mike - but there was no Singapore representative this year.
I had actually met Vicki the night before at a welcome dinner, and when she heard I was alone, she declared in a big sister voice: 'Then you must come with me.'
SCANDALS GALORE
Yet, despite her niceness, there's no denying that she is one of China's biggest scandal magnets, alongside Zhang Ziyi.
Soaring to fame as Little Swallow in the phenomenally-successful period drama My Fair Princess in 1997, Vicki is known to have both fanatical fans and harsh detractors who watch her every move.
The paparazzi also never fail to serve up more gossip on her romantic liaisons - even if she's mugging in school or holed up in the mountains filming.
She was photographed with national ping pong player Wang Liqin in February, but Vicki as usual kept her silence and low profile.
Even after emerging to promote her new album last month, all she would say during a TV talkshow about the romance was: 'Whatever is shot is shot, what's circulated is circulated, what's said is said.'
Now, with her new album winning praise from reviewers all over China, it seems Vicki is finally getting attention for the right reasons.
Guangzhou Daily News praised her vocal style, saying it has changed from 'innocent and cute' to 'trendy, individualistic and mature'.
Tom.com, a popular Chinese Net portal, said she has 'completed her transition' with this new 'trendy, varied, fresh' album.
The album is her third outing since making a conscientious effort to become a serious singer in 2004.
It is no mean feat for an established actress to make that switch, and the toughest part is shedding her inhibitions, said Vicki.
'When acting, I'd dare to cry and scream but, when it comes to singing, I'm hesitant to free my vocals because it makes me feel mushy.'
But she must have tried hard enough on her new album, which she recorded during filming breaks from Battle Of The Red Cliff over the past few months.
By Chang May Choon [/glow]
(Singapore The Electric New Paper)
September 28, 2007
VICKI Zhao Wei is best known as an actress turned singer.
(Left) Vicki with director Lin Jinhe on the set of Angel Suitcase in New Zealand and (below) shooting with Shinhwa hottie Jun Jin.
But the doe-eyed Chinese beauty directing?
She started pursuing a master's degree in film directing at the prestigious Beijing Film Academy last year.
The rumour mill spun stories about her star fading, but the truth was that she had quietly turned down scripts and invitations to focus on her studies.
It was only after easing into her second year of the programme that she agreed to take on the highly-
anticipated John Woo epic, Battle Of The Red Cliff, in April.
And this year, Vicki finally got to practise what she has learnt.
She made her directorial debut in a music video for the title track of her new album, Angel Suitcase.
It was released in China early this month.
So, how does it feel being a director?
Vicki, 31, told The New Paper: 'You can experiment with all kinds of ideas and there's no limit. It's really a thrill.'
The video was shot in picturesque Queenstown in New Zealand in a week in June.
One evening, when she learnt there would be a fireworks display at a local celebration, she immediately took off with her crew.
'I was like, 'Forget about dinner, let's shoot first'. It's fireworks, how expensive is that? What a bonus!'
Vicki also spoke passionately about the concept behind the music video - a love story with a fantasy element.
'A lot of people don't understand it, but it doesn't matter. Just watch it a few more times,' she said.
'I have a few different concepts in there. It's like, one plus one equals two, but three minus one also equals two.
'One interpretation can be right, but another interpretation is also right.'
DIRECTOR V ACTOR
If Vicki the director had any complaints, it would be that Vicki the actress took way too long to summon her tears for a crying scene.
'I had to settle everything first and get all questions answered before telling the crew to give me a few moments to compose myself for the scene,' she said.
'But it's the slowest in history - more than 10 minutes!'
That's Vicki for you.
Her eye makeup was Goth - 'it's for the stage' - but the star herself was anything but.
Speaking to The New Paper at the Seoul World Cup Stadium while waiting for her turn to perform at the fourth Asia Song Festival last Saturday, she came across as genuinely warm, joking and laughing heartily.
She offered to make me coffee and even nicknamed me 'liu lang zhe' (wanderer in Mandarin), as I was the only reporter there who had no specific artiste to focus on.
Other regional scribes stuck with their country's performing artistes - Taiwan's A-mei, Japan's Mai Kuraki and Thailand's Golf & Mike - but there was no Singapore representative this year.
I had actually met Vicki the night before at a welcome dinner, and when she heard I was alone, she declared in a big sister voice: 'Then you must come with me.'
SCANDALS GALORE
Yet, despite her niceness, there's no denying that she is one of China's biggest scandal magnets, alongside Zhang Ziyi.
Soaring to fame as Little Swallow in the phenomenally-successful period drama My Fair Princess in 1997, Vicki is known to have both fanatical fans and harsh detractors who watch her every move.
The paparazzi also never fail to serve up more gossip on her romantic liaisons - even if she's mugging in school or holed up in the mountains filming.
She was photographed with national ping pong player Wang Liqin in February, but Vicki as usual kept her silence and low profile.
Even after emerging to promote her new album last month, all she would say during a TV talkshow about the romance was: 'Whatever is shot is shot, what's circulated is circulated, what's said is said.'
Now, with her new album winning praise from reviewers all over China, it seems Vicki is finally getting attention for the right reasons.
Guangzhou Daily News praised her vocal style, saying it has changed from 'innocent and cute' to 'trendy, individualistic and mature'.
Tom.com, a popular Chinese Net portal, said she has 'completed her transition' with this new 'trendy, varied, fresh' album.
The album is her third outing since making a conscientious effort to become a serious singer in 2004.
It is no mean feat for an established actress to make that switch, and the toughest part is shedding her inhibitions, said Vicki.
'When acting, I'd dare to cry and scream but, when it comes to singing, I'm hesitant to free my vocals because it makes me feel mushy.'
But she must have tried hard enough on her new album, which she recorded during filming breaks from Battle Of The Red Cliff over the past few months.