Going about it the hard way

While most directors rely on computers to transform actors into superheroes, Xu Haofeng shoots his martial arts flicks in a more traditional way through training the star to be a real kung fu master.

This meant a tough schedule for Liao Fan, the veteran actor starring in his forthcoming martial arts thriller, The Master, which is set to open across the country on Dec 11.

The movie recently beat rivals, such as Hou Hsiao-hsien's The Assassin, to claim the best action choreography prize at the just-concluded 52nd Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan.