"Shanghai people do business, pay attention to style, gimmicks, and signs. ”
A line unveils a Shanghai epic in the 90s.
Directed by Wong Kar-wai and adapted from the Kim Yucheng Mao Dun Literature Award-winning "Flowers", "Flowers" officially ended, from preparation to shooting, and then to the later stage, a six-year production finally came to an end.
Douban score 83, netizens commented "Wong Kar-wai went down to save the drama market", in addition to praise, some netizens thought that "it is too exaggerated, like Shanghai in the ** period".
After the work was broadcast, netizens expressed their opinions and the discussion remained hot, and behind the popularity, it was largely a surprise and expectation for film director Wong Kar-wai to "switch" to the drama market.
In fact, Wong Kar-wai is not the first film director to "turn into a drama".
"Daming Palace Ci" was broadcast in the millennium, directed by Li Shaohong; In 2021, the female group portrait drama "North and South" directed by Feng Xiaogang will be launched; In the same year, "The Fog of the Octagonal Pavilion" directed by Wang Xiaoshuai was broadcast on iQiyi Fog Theater.
The phenomenon of "film to drama" has always existed in the film and television industry, and it has been around for a long time. With the heavy blow to the film industry in the past three years, many film directors have stepped out of their comfort zone and "tested" the drama market.
And is the film director's "entry" a "dimensionality reduction strike" or "thunder and rain"? What is the impact of the trend of "film to drama" on the drama market?
The director "goes first" and "back" trafficThe "run-in" of personal style with the market
The trend of "film to drama" is flourishing, and every time the official announcement of a new drama series will bring a lot of impact to netizens, and at the same time bring a lot of expectations. And this phenomenon is in line with the current development direction of major platforms - from the pursuit of traffic to the pursuit of high-quality products.
In these works, the actor is no longer the only one in the traffic, and the director has become the main target of everyone's attention.
After the official announcement of "Flowers", netizens immediately discussed not the original work, not the actors, but its director, the famous "King of Sunglasses" - Wong Kar-wai.
Wong Kar-wai is known for his distinctive postmodernist style and unique aesthetic lenses, and even netizens who are not familiar with the art of cinema can remember his hand-holding and frame extraction.
Therefore, before the broadcast, netizens had high expectations for the image of the series, and they were also worried about whether his personal style would affect the smoothness of the narrative. And these discussions have also brought popularity to "Flowers", which is not inferior to that of traffic stars.
After the broadcast, expectations and doubts continued, and while the plot was discussed, the picture and narrative also became part of the audience's heated discussion. And this part is a discussion field that most episodes don't have.
At the same time, the "Wong Kar Wai Victims Alliance" has also become one of the hot topics of discussion, many NG, repeated completions, and the actors in the play vomit their bitterness while also expressing their admiration for Wong Kar-wai.
In the phenomenon of "shadow drama", the director has become the first topic of the series. Of course, the director not only ensures the output of the topic, but also the influence of his personal style on the series is also something that most other dramas have never had.
The brilliant colors and light and shadow, as well as the unique frame extraction, make the audience feel the "Wong Kar Wai feeling" that comes to their faces. This distinct and unique personal style has also brought some criticism to the series.
Many netizens think that the picture is too depressing and dim; It's not like Shanghai in the 90s, it's more of a ** period.
In this regard, director Wong Kar-wai made a corresponding answer, the exquisite and exaggerated style of the picture is not only to truly present the scene at that time, but also to complete the psychological externalization of the people at that time.
At the same time, although the narrative style of "Flowers" retains the non-linear narrative method that he is good at, it also weakens his personal style in order to fit the series and ensure the smooth narrative. But some netizens still think that the narrative is too messy.
Of course, the aesthetics of the style are still the opinions of the benevolent and the wise, but judging from the current word-of-mouth, the audience still buys Wong Kar-wai's "Flowers".
And some cross-border works, after the broadcast, word-of-mouth has become polarized. From the expected "dimensionality reduction strike" at the beginning to the "mediocre response", its performance made the mentality of netizens gradually calm down.
For example, Douban score 50's "North and South". The exquisite pictures and mature actors left a deep impression on the audience, and the suspended plot became a "slot" for netizens, and netizens thought that the characters in the play were too flat and extreme.
On the one hand, Feng Xiaogang's mature aesthetic shots bring a cinematic texture to the series, and on the other hand, the excessive suspension and delicacy make netizens question Feng Xiaogang's "why don't you eat minced meat".
The style and achievements of film directors have become the prerequisite criteria for netizens to judge this kind of drama, and while there is more discussion than other dramas, there is also more pressure. Behind this, only by running in personal style with market demand can we truly meet the needs of the audience.
"Shadow dramas" have become a craze
The drama market is the real "flower".
On April 9, 2023, a report quickly attracted the attention of netizens - the "League of Legends" e-sports drama will start filming in September, and its director is the national teacher Zhang Yimou.
In the interview, Zhang Yimou said, "The first time I made an online drama, I hope to shoot it very handsome, cool, and sassy." Zhang Yimou and the online drama, the contrast between the two brought the first wave of traffic to this drama that has not yet started filming.
For a long time, compared with movies, dramas have often been considered "downward" by the public, both from an aesthetic point of view and a value point of view. And now, the chain of contempt between movies and series is gradually dissolving.
The impact of the epidemic on the film industry in the past three years and the rapid rise of online drama platforms have made the drama market a "sweet spot", and at the same time, it has made the cake of "dramas" bigger, attracting the attention of many film directors.
In 2021, the online drama "North and South" will be launched, and Feng Xiaogang will direct the drama again after 25 years, focusing on five girls with different personalities and telling the story of their joint creation of the "restaurant".
And its second online drama "Echo", adapted from the same name that won the 11th Mao Dun Literature Award**, will be launched on iQiyi Mist Theater in March 2023.
Echo is completely different from the previous work, with a ** case as the main line, telling a suspenseful story while focusing on marital relationships, and has a profound discussion of human nature and family relationships.
Feng Xiaogang, as the "father of Chinese New Year films", chose a variety of styles that are completely different from his own film style to challenge in the filming of online dramas, which shows that he is open to all genres and also shows the strong operability of online dramas.
Compared with the shooting of mainstream movies, the production cycle of online dramas is short, and the investment is small, although the returns are generally lower than those of movies, but their risks are also reduced a lot.
The reduction of risk also provides greater convenience and possibility for film directors to "enter the game".
At the same time, the overall volume of dramas is longer than that of movies, giving directors more room to play. In an interview, Feng Xiaogang once mentioned: "For me personally, this seems to be more attractive and enjoyable than making movies. ”
Also loves filming dramas is Guan Hu. It is not so much that he is one of the main film directors of "film dramas", but that he has never left the drama market.
As early as 2010, Guan Hu directed many dramas such as "Seven Days", "It's Good to Be Alive" and "Yimeng", and won many awards such as the 2009 CCTV TV Drama Highest Rating Award and the 25th China TV Golden Eagle Award for Outstanding TV Drama.
After many years, with the rise of online dramas, Guan Hu once again aimed at the drama market, directing "Ghost Blowing the Lantern: The Grave of the Yellow Skin" in 2017, "Antiques Bureau in the Middle Bureau: Ink and Porcelain" in 2021, and "The South China Sea Returns to Ruins" in 2023.
Different from Feng Xiaogang's works of various styles, Guan Hu's online drama works are more vertical, basically suspenseful and fantasy. Guan Hu added his usual cinematic lens language to the series, creating a suspenseful web drama that imprinted his own style.
Also combining his personal style with suspense dramas is Wang Xiaoshuai, whose "The Fog of the Octagonal Pavilion" will be launched on iQiyi Fog Theater in 2021. At the same time, too much discussion of human nature weakens the suspense element, leading to the polarization of its reputation.
In addition, "Moses on the Plains" directed by Zhang Dalei was shortlisted for the drama competition unit of the Berlin International Film Festival, the short drama "The Case of Killing the Husband in the Sauce Garden" directed by Chen Kexin is about to start, and the domestic Pingyao Film Festival will also set up a "drama plan" venture capital unit for the first time in 2021.
From e-sports to the city, from comedy to suspense, the expansion of the drama market provides film directors with unlimited possibilities to play, and the reduction of risk continues to attract directors to "enter the game".
Behind the trend of "film dramas".
The leading film companies have entered the game
Under the trend of "film to drama", it indicates that some film investment is shifting to drama investment. The heavy blow of the epidemic and the development of the drama market have also made major film companies lay out more complete strategic goals.
Therefore, in addition to the cross-border of film directors, the capital behind the market has already entered the wave of "film dramas".
In May 2023, Bona Film expressed its views and goals for the drama market at the performance briefing.
In the past, the company has been trying and getting involved in the drama business, and has produced excellent drama works such as "Under the Sun" and "Unexpectedly". At the same time, Bona Film said that in the next three years, the company plans to launch more than 9 dramas.
Before 2020, Bona Film had only released three dramas, two of which were adapted from its film of the same name.
Also starting to lay out the drama market is Huayi Brothers. In 2023, Huayi Brothers will launch the online dramas "Echo", "Yanshan Faction and Baihuamen", "The Happy Affair of the Lan Boudoir", etc., and dramas such as "Imperfect Victim" will be launched simultaneously on TV and online platforms.
And its follow-up dramas are well stocked, "Police Eagle" has completed production, "Absolute Peak" and "Yunke Jianghu" have also entered the post-production stage, and "The Snow in Hong Kong is Burning in the Year of Life" and "The Long Wind and Waves Will End Time" are in the preparation stage.
It is worth mentioning that as the leader of the Chinese film industry, many film directors have the shadow of Huayi Brothers behind their cross-border dramas. From "Antiques Bureau in the Bureau: Ink and Porcelain Search" to "North and South", and then to "Echo".
In addition, film and television companies such as Wanda Pictures, Alibaba Pictures, and Huace Film and Television have also entered the game, further deepening the layout of the drama market. The development of a diversified market has become an inevitable trend in the long-term layout of every film and television company, and although the epidemic has passed, the drama market has become an important track for major film and television companies.
As the first hit drama in 2024, "Flowers" has become an important milestone in the boom of "film dramas", its appearance is both a role model and a pressure, and future cross-border dramas will inevitably be compared with it by the audience. And if this kind of drama wants to win the favor of the audience, while giving the drama a cinematic texture, it is also necessary to consider the preferences of the audience of the series.
The boom of film directors and film companies "film to drama" has brought fresh blood to the drama market, and at the same time, it is also constantly urging the improvement of the quality of dramas. Regardless of how the future trend develops, the current situation is driving the positive development of the drama market.