Courtesy of Visual China.
Editor's note. A good screenwriter is like a dreamweaver who can convey his thoughts and values through his works, so that the audience can immerse themselves in emotional waves and resonate with them. At the intersection of literature and film and television, they are not only screenwriters, but also creators and disseminators of culture. Their works have left a strong mark in the long history and have become classics in our hearts.
Editorial Department of China Young Writers Daily.
Zheng Xiaolong: Creators must have a spirit of responsibility.
China Youth Daily, China Youth Network reporter Yang Yue.
There's always a story to remember, there's always a melody that tugs at the heartstrings, and there's always a character to ...... for you"Desire", "Beijingers in New York", "The Story of the Editorial Department", "Golden Wedding", "The Legend of Zhen Huan", "Meritorious" ......These classic plays are all from Zheng Xiaolong and his team.
In Zheng Xiaolong's view, when the audience can't feel the beauty of people, they don't accept it, and when the audience can feel it, it's easy to accept. "For example, simple characters, it is important to express their simplicity, and do not shoot as 'how to lead the masses to dedicate and how great'. They are just unknown, and they don't think about how great they are. If you do your work in a down-to-earth manner, you may be able to achieve results in the end. Zheng Xiaolong said.
Literature and art reflect life and influence life, and creators must have this kind of responsibility, as well as this kind of consciousness and courage.
In 1982, Zheng Xiaolong, who had just graduated from university, came to Beijing Television Art Center (formerly Beijing Television Studio). Due to his outstanding business ability, he rose from editor to director of the Beijing Television Art Center. Zheng Xiaolong has worked here for 27 years, completed a number of "top-down" works, and won many "Five One Project" awards.
The first time we discussed the script of "Desire", a group of us discussed it in the hotel for four or five days, and at that time we were initially going to write a play that mainly took place at home, so it was decided to be an indoor play. At the same time, there is a factory office scene, which requires a lot of exterior locations. The second thing that needs to be determined is who the protagonist is. We want to reflect the truth, goodness and beauty in life, so we chose a protagonist like Liu Huifang, who is positioned as young and beautiful, kind and virtuous, and works hard for her family ......But no matter how the plot is designed, it must be carried out within the framework of realism. Now, recalling the initial creation of the script of "Desire", Zheng Xiaolong will also feel how important the creative environment is to the creators.
From adapting or leading the topic to independent creation, Zheng Xiaolong often looks for topics and ideas with the active literary youth around him. It is in such a creative environment that a large number of phenomenal realist TV series such as "Beijingers in New York" and "A Stormy Affair" have broken ground.
What makes Zheng Xiaolong feel relieved is that these dramas with realistic thinking have not only gained high ratings and good reputation, but also played some unexpected roles. ""Pekingese in New York", at first, everyone thought it would be too demeaning for foreign countries? But it is true that the 'foreign queue' is not as beautiful as everyone imagined, and our 'going abroad fever' did cool down to a certain extent that year, which is the impact of a drama on reality. Zheng Xiaolong recalled that after the broadcast of "Desire", the crime rate decreased, and the crew was commended by the Ministry of Public Security. After the broadcast of "Golden Wedding", the Women's Federation told him that the divorce rate even decreased to a certain extent that year.
This is the direct impact of literary and artistic works on reality, not to mention how much inspiration the realism reflects on the beauty of human nature and the whipping of the darkness of human nature. Our era is still a realistic attitude, literature and art reflect life and affect life, creators must have this kind of responsibility, but also have this kind of consciousness and courage. Zheng Xiaolong said.
Costume dramas should also enhance the sense of heaviness and appeal of the play, and it will not work without a good value system.
Many post-90s and post-00s viewers know Zheng Xiaolong because of "The Legend of Zhen Huan". The broadcast of the show triggered a ratings frenzy and even opened up overseas markets. has filmed so many modern dramas, and the filming of a costume drama "The Legend of Zhen Huan" has also been a great success, and many people say that Zheng Xiaolong always "steps on the popular point".
I didn't deliberately step on any popular points, but I insisted on realism and insisted on observing reality, so it was easy to step on. Zheng Xiaolong said that "The Biography of Zhen Huan", "Red Sorghum" and "The Biography of Miyue" are all done with a realistic attitude, and in 2014, there was a comment in the first issue of "Qiushi" magazine, mentioning that Zhen Huan was a criticism of marriage under the feudal system, which made Zheng Xiaolong very happy and felt that he had spoken to his heart.
We are not talking about the love between me and me in ancient times, some costume dramas in the past talked about the court as beautiful and happy, and the emperor was affectionate and sexual, which did not conform to historical materialism. We look at this ** because there is a good character relationship, but if there is no good value system, it will not work. I set the plot to the Yongzheng era, hoping to increase the criticism of the feudal system. Zheng Xiaolong said.
In "The Legend of Miyue", there are fewer palace fights, and the palace fights here are not only for favor, but also for family and country feelings. After "The Legend of Zhen Huan", Zheng Xiaolong has a new in-depth thinking about "The Biography of Miyue", Miyue opposes hereditary and attaches importance to military merits, and is a representative of the advanced productive forces in the process of transformation from slavery to feudalism in Chinese history.
Costume dramas should also have a historical materialist attitude and the creative spirit of historical materialism, not simply showing palace fights, only in this way can the sense of heaviness and appeal of the play be enhanced. Zheng Xiaolong said that the theme of "The Legend of Zhen Huan" is criticism, and "The Legend of Miyue" strives to bring positive inspiration to the audience.
Only by truly reflecting the times, really going deep into life, and facing the problems in life, can we make works that truly become the peak.
How to judge the merits of a drama? Zheng Xiaolong said that he has always adhered to two standards: "First, the character design and language must conform to the true temperament of real people in real life." Many works don't speak human words and don't do things according to normal people's standards, which is ridiculous. The second is whether the values are correct, and the TV series must conform to the mainstream values of society. ”
National events or creative worries, Zheng Xiaolong can be gathered into a pot of soup full of human feelings. This human touch stems from his insistence on a realistic creative style. He believes that everyone's personality and cognition of society in the play must be designed from life in advance.
Sharp daily observations often make Zheng Xiaolong's works become the best-selling spiritual food in the times. Before filming "Beijinger in New York", Zheng Xiaolong went to the United States to experience life for half a year. During his time in the United States, Zheng Xiaolong revised some of the plots in the original book: added the character of David, and added the plot of the divorce of Wang Qiming and Guo Yan. In Zheng Xiaolong's view, "this is typical": "When you go to the United States, of course, you have to have some contact with the Americans, and the Chinese pay attention to 'the hatred of taking your wife and killing your father', and I robbed you of your business, so it is interesting." ”
When it comes to creative skills, Zheng Xiaolong said that he also insists that the language should be in line with the true temperament of the characters. For example, there are many words in "The Legend of Zhen Huan" that are still popular today, the queen's "concubines can't do it" and Concubine Hua's "sluts are hypocritical", which have become typical language that has been "broken" by netizens. "In a certain atmosphere, it makes you feel like it's a real reflection of the character, and that language is a success. The design of language depends on the identity of the character, and different identities have different languages, and attention should be paid to the unity of language, literature, and life. Zheng Xiaolong said.
In addition to aesthetics and entertainment, literary works also have cognitive value. "The most important thing is the attitude of realism, which truly reflects the times, the image is greater than the thinking, and the artists and creators must really go deep into life, face the problems in life, truly reflect their advantages and disadvantages, and reflect them without false decoration, so that they can make works that truly become the peak. Zheng Xiaolong said.
Yu Baimei: The best creations are always in line with the pulse of the times.
China Youth Daily, China Youth Network Intern Reporter Zheng Xinyi, Zhao Xiaoxuan, Reporter Zhou Wei.
15 years ago, Yu Baimei was mentioned as a gold medal screenwriter in the sitcom industry, and now, he is more active in the public eye as a mainstream commercial film director.
From a writer, screenwriter, to director, Yu Baimei's artistic creation seems to be full of "accidents". His interest in art and creative talent showed very early, he loved literature since he was a child, began to rehearse and act in sketches in high school, studied computer science by mistake in college, and worked as a "science and engineering man" for a few years painfully, but returned to the creative path after several twists and turns.
The first face-to-face contact with comedy was in 1994. At that time, Yu Baimei was invited by classmates from Beijing Broadcasting Institute (now Communication University of China) to be an audience member of a sitcom that was being filmed at their school. At the end of a scene, Song Dandan, one of the leading actors, sat in the audience in front of him and took the lead in applauding and laughing. "At that moment, I felt that this profession was too attractive, but at the same time, I felt that my life was too far away. ”
This sitcom that gave Yu Baimei a huge impact is "I Love My Home" directed by the famous actor and director Yingda, and at this time, there are still 6 years before Yu Baimei and Yingda cooperate.
The gears of fate always turn silently, and an accidental car accident on December 30, 1997 became Yu Baimei's "turning point in his life". During the months he spent recuperating in the hospital, he completed his first **, and since then, his enthusiasm for literary creation has been uncontrollable. He began to replace his original name Wu Tao with "Yu Baimei", and continued to publish works on the "Under the Banyan Tree" literature, one of the earliest gathering places for online writers at that time, and in 2000, a friend called** and invited Yu Baimei to write a script for a TV series. Without any hesitation, Yu Baimei and his friends came to Beijing and wrote a script based on himself "Diary of a Net Worm". Through Wang Shuo, the script was sent to Yingda, and fate went round and round, and finally completed the closed loop. After that, Yu Baimei became a professional screenwriter of the Yingda team, and successively created a series of sitcom scripts such as "Sister Idler", "Northeast Family", "Xi'an Tiger Family", etc. ”
The identity of the TV series screenwriter pushed Yu Baimei to success, but this is far from the end of his creative path.
In 2009, Yu Baimei and his friend and famous actor Deng Chao established a drama team and launched a series of stage plays such as "Breakup Master" and "Villain Angel". Just when the small theater performance was in full swing, Guangguang Media sent an invitation to Yu Baimei: "Do you want to come to make a movie?" The ability to make people laugh can also be transformed into another form. ”
After becoming a director, Yu Baimei gradually developed a new understanding of the script. "Film is an audiovisual art, and if the screenwriter is responsible for conveying ideas and constructing the texture of the story in the creation, then the director is the final chief engineer who has to present these contents. ”
From the beginning of deciding to write a script, and then transforming into a director, Yu Baimei felt that he "seems to have been pushed all along". "If it wasn't for a car accident, I wouldn't have written a script, and if it wasn't for that friend's **, I wouldn't know how to get into the industry. It's just that compared with others, Yu Baimei thinks that he is more interested, more committed and focused on what he does, and this is true for screenwriters and directors.
At the beginning of 2023, "Chinese Ping Pong: The Jedi Strikes Back" will be released, which is the fourth film directed by Yu Baimei, and for him, this is also an important step on his road to directing. "In the past, most of the time I was on set like stir-frying, but this is the first time I feel that I have my own control over the camera. Yu Baimei, who is not from a professional class, relies on continuous learning and the accumulation of experience to clarify his direction as a director.
In Yu Baimei's view, although "Chinese Ping Pong: The Jedi Strikes Back" tells a story that is relatively far away from today's life, the theme of "facing setbacks and fighting bravely" conveyed by it is inseparable from the current era. "The world is changing, the theme of creation must change, and the best creation can always be in tune with the pulse of this era. What should we do in the face of these uncertain times? I'm going to be focusing on this in the next few plays, and it's a question that needs to be constantly thought about. ”
When asked what he expects from today's young creators, Yu Baimei quoted a well-known foreign director who said: You should think about why Chinese are anxious, why Chinese are painful, and why are Chinese happy? This passage once brought a great touch to Yu Baimei, Yu Baimei said, "Art creators should work hard to help this era, help us in the ethnic veins of the land, and strive to perceive their voices."
What kind of work do you want to make as a creator? Regarding this problem, Yu Baimei, who is in her 20s, had a very simple idea when she first entered the industry: to be able to make a best-selling product at that time every two years is success. Now, at the age of 48, Yu Baimei will answer: "I want to make works that can stay in time." ”
Thing: The guardian and changer of elegant literature.
* Reporter Xie Wanfei of China Youth Daily and China Youth Network.
Stuff believes that there is a constant standard for writing, which is "a ringing on the body". For things, it is his goal to make a "real voice" and to reveal the complexity and inventory of modern people and life through **.
Coming from the Department of Chinese, I have never forgotten the speech entitled "Silent China" published by Lu Xun in 1927, and the voice of self-pursuit once made him see "Life Without Language" that ordinary people could not see, and also made him clearly remember the "slap loud", and let him hear the "Echo" that belongs to the world.
For Guli Village, Tian'e County, Hechi City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, where I was born, I recall the mountain village in my memory, and all the people and things related to water that come to mind are difficult but poetic. It is the mist in the early morning and the glow in the evening when the mountain people naturally swing when they carry water, and it is also the innocence and comfort of children living around the wellhead when they are young, the cold wind blows, and the fantasy wind creates **. From the point of view of things, it was all the inspiration for his creation**.
In the early works of the East and West, there was a palpable obsession with suffering. In 1986, Tian Dailin, then a middle school teacher in Tian'e County, published the first work "Children of Longtan" in Guangxi Literature, which came from an essay contest praising the construction of hydropower on the Hongshui River. In this article describing the selfless dedication of hydropower builders, most ordinary people focus on the heroic deeds of their parents told by children, but Tadailin focuses more on the loneliness and fear of children.
From the point of view of things, the writer needs to care about others, that is, emotional substitution, otherwise the characters written are cold and symbolic. His subsequent "Lone-headed Mountain", "Drunken Mountain", "Rare Guest", "Ancestor", "Ground Panting" and so on naturally tell these subtle moods, so Feng Shiqing, who died of loneliness, the eldest brother who died of a broken family, Dongcao, who was bullied, and Jianyuan, who couldn't bear the pain and jumped to his death, began to appear in front of readers one after another. Suffering eventually makes people grow, just like the teacher Tadai Lin eventually left her hometown and chose to become a writer.
In the spring of 1991, he had just come up with a pen name when his father passed away in the summer. In his own words: "These two things seem to be unrelated, but they seem to be related." After that, the responsibility of being a father and taking care of a mother began to push the 26-year-old Tashiro to grow up, and from this year on, the tone of the East and West as a writer also began to appear.
In the early 90s of the 20th century, the wave of reform surged, and the things that left the mountain villages saw the gradual change of people's hearts under the market economy, and also saw a strange and lustful dogs and horses. But all of this doesn't seem to matter in the slightest, because he just wants to tell his story quietly through writing, as he also said, "Sometimes we can't find a better reason to write than love". Things always say that to love life, that is, to pay attention to reality, only when the writer's mind has a chemical reaction with reality, then their work will have a chemical reaction with the reader.
Things are accustomed to tracing the source of their own writing path and those times spent in the countryside of Guangxi, perhaps due to fate, the same as the rather symbolic ** ending, the father's sudden fall swept away all the illusions of the village. Since then, the village has no illusions. And things seem to be sober in fantasy and turn to dig into the bonanza of reality. "Writing is like digging a well, like digging coal, mining, I use the stupid method, which is to dig a hole in a place that everyone is used to, and then dig down until I dig out the subject I want. Something says that this so-called stupid method is actually an exploration of the inner secrets of the characters.
In 2023, Dongxi's work "Echo" won the 11th Mao Dun Literature Award. For readers, what may be more memorable is the declaration of "solving love by solving cases" during the promotion of the new book. In fact, compared with the previous creations of the East, "Echo" has changed the serious and cold style of the past, and shows the incomprehensibility of the human heart through the different writing of "reasoning + psychology".
When it comes to the division between pure literature and popular literature, things give their own answers. "In my heart, there is only good literature, no distinction between popular and popular, and the ancestors of ** were originally 'popular'. I have always been the guardian of elegant literature, but to protect it, I have to 'change the law', and I have to draw the vitality of folk or genre literature ......”
Based on this concept, let's look at the creation of "Echo", the use of counterpoint, so that the case and emotional mystery are skillfully integrated. "In the odd-numbered chapters, the plot progresses rapidly, and in the even-numbered chapters, the plot almost stops, but the characters roll inside, giving the impression that a second is longer than a year. Two chapters are combined, some are fast and some are slow, some are urgent and some are slow, some are outside and some are inside, and they unexpectedly gain a sense of rhythm. ”
Many writers tend to want to explore reality through long stories, but things think that "there are so many of them today, but they still can't keep up with the pace of contemporary life." Life is changing with each passing day, and its story often surpasses fiction, which puts pressure on the writer, as if writing is far behind life. This reminds us of the reader's desire to solve love by solving cases in "Echoes", but things tell us plainly: "Sometimes you need love to forgive hate, just as the heart forgives the flesh; Sometimes you need to pound ** with hate, just like a virus can be properly implanted to resist disease, love is not always peaceful, you have to learn how to adapt. ”
Here in things, writing is similar to love. Because for things, "true love is to maintain effective communication, care for each other, find common interests, and reach a cognitive consensus." "And real writing" must not only have abundant literary resources, such as Lu Xun, Shen Congwen, Yu Dafu, Kafka, Faulkner, Sartre, etc., but also have the determination to love life and pay attention to reality. So while love is hard to explore, things think, "I've actually shown that I believe in it when I question love."
*: China Youth Daily.
*: China Youth Daily.