How big is the language barrier and cultural differences when working with a film crew in China?
The most challenging aspect to working in China is the language barrier. Although I’ve been learning Chinese, it’s still vitally important to have good interpreters. All the actors were required to speak English, and although Jackie [Chan] and Jet [Li] have done many English-language films, they were still challenged by the colloquial style of the dialogue. Both had dialect coaches working with them regularly to master the unusual phrases. But the chatter of the crew [in Mandarin and Cantonese] that always flies around the set put me at something of a disadvantage. It became necessary to have someone stand over my shoulder whispering in my ear to keep me up to speed. It required a tremendous extra effort but ultimately was worth it.
