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I created the so-called 'snow' by accident when I was playing around with colour correction.
I used a mask to stop Amber being affected by the effects. 'Asuka' can translate to 'Perfume' in Japanese.

HERO

In Hero, Jet Li is a Chinese assassin who takes on Donnie Yen, in a so-called 'chess courtyard'. I assume that this is where people go to play chess but I digress. We can tell that this is set in an oriental setting as every character in the film is dressed in traditional Asian-looking robes, for example Donnie Yen has a bright orange robe, which comes all the way down to his feet. He also has long, shoulder length hair which shows that this was probably a long time ago, and that he has power. Jet Li's character is dressed entirely in black which makes him look powerful and also a bit like a ninja, even though ninja's are actually Japanese.

The courtyard itself looks very oriental in its architecture, with very Chinese-looking shapes and patters to the buildings. There is also an old man playing an Asian-sounding instrument which somewhat resembles a guitar. The song he plays is very clearly Chinese in its sound, and adds to the feel and atmosphere of the whole scene, as well as reminding us that we are in China. The weapons which both warriors use look beautifully crafted, and also look as if they are of an Asian origin.

During the actual fight between Jet Li and Donnie Yen, the film changes to black and white. This could be to remind us that it is actually Jet Li recalling the story of what had happened, and that it had happened in the past as opposed to the present. It may also be a nod to the Asian martial arts films from long ago when films still used to be black and white.

There is lots of fast cuts during the battle which make every punch and kick feel more aggressive and sudden. There is lots of slow motion at the more intense parts of the fight so that you can see the battle in all of its glory. Slow motion also makes everything look more dramatic and creates spectacle. Both characters do a lot of out-of-the-ordinary jumps and flying kicks during the scene, and are on wires (which are taken out in post production of course). Wirework adds to the sense of power and supernatural skill that both characters have, and it also creates even more spectacle.

With every swing of an arm slice of a sword there is a whooshing sound, adding to the feel that both characters move with extreme speed and motion, incredibly quickly. The sound of blades rubbing against one another adds to the intensity of the battle and shows us how close the fight is, and how near both characters are to killing each other.