But they do have to stick to the character and behavior of the people they portray. In that sense they are not totally free. Yes, but not very often. It creates a very naturalistic feel. Here, we are working on a feature film, and a fairly comic one at that, so we cannot go for a completely naturalistic feel.
Good actors adapt very quickly.
Jiang Wen and Li Baotian not only got accustomed to it, but they also reached the point where it became uncomfortable for them to act in other way. You know, most of the shots in this film are not level. Earlier, the camera always had to be level. Everyone who becomes an assistant cameraman knows that the first thing you must do when you set the camera up is to set it level. But it's the opposite with us.