Client of Chinanews.com, Beijing, March 4th (Yuan Xiuyue) On January 23rd, Wuhan was fully “capped”. That day, director Zhang Yue decided to go to Wuhan to shoot a documentary. Recently, their work "On Wuhan" went live, with more than 2 million views and a B station rating of 9.9.
However, it is not easy to become a retrograde player. Despite making sufficient preparations before departure, Zhang Yue even bought high insurance for team members, but still encountered many unpredictable difficulties.
How do they shoot documentaries in Wuhan? A reporter from China News Network interviewed director Zhang Yue.
Poster in Wuhan
After "closing the city", I decided to go to Wuhan and spend 10 days to prepare supplies
On the day of "closure", Zhang Yue couldn't sit still at home. This is the impetus of a senior media person. He has worked as a reporter and editor-in-chief in various media, and later started a short video content business. As a journalist, he has participated in front-line coverage of the Wenchuan earthquake, floods, and floods, and is no stranger to sudden news reports.
However, Zhang Yue was not an adventurous personality. When he decided to go to Wuhan, he spent another ten days to prepare. The first is to prepare protective supplies and daily supplies, masks, protective clothing, goggles, and some medicines. These must meet the two-month shooting requirements.
Zhang Yue, the director of "In Wuhan". Film side photo
Secondly, it is necessary to contact various resources. The documentary is a team battle, and platform support and shooting support are very important. On January 28, Zhang Yue made a plan and passed the cooperation request to several platforms. Station B was the first to respond. The next day, station B set up the project and participated in the preparation of materials. Staff at station B revealed that after the team entered Wuhan to shoot, the drone was damaged. They bridged the DJI media for co-shooting and also recruited pilots. Station B also provided remote assistance for vehicle traffic and accommodation.
More importantly, the members of the shooting team are mostly young people in their 20s. After they signed up, Zhang Yue talked to everyone individually to understand their mental state and true thoughts. "Frankly everyone is afraid." Zhang Yue said, and finally everyone gave a positive answer-going to Wuhan.
"We do not fight the battle of uncertainty." In Zhang Yue's view, scientific common sense, professional protective measures, and rigorous outside shooting operations can avoid most of the dangers. In addition to material preparation, he also specially invited his old colleague Lin Chufang to train the team members. Lin Chufang had entered the Ditan Hospital during the SARS period to report. He had first-hand experience of the epidemic interview and protection. And just in case, he bought high insurance for each of his friends.
Filming team at work. Film side photo
Difficulties shooting in Wuhan: inconvenience of changing the hotel 3 times
After everything was ready, on February 3, the first filming team entered Wuhan. Zhang Yue said that at that time the epidemic situation was not optimistic and the supply of medical resources was relatively unbalanced. During the first two weeks of their arrival in Wuhan, a large part of their energy was not on filming, but they did a lot of assistance, including feedback information through various channels, and some of their materials were also allocated to those in need.
The shooting was also difficult. Zhang Yue described, "Every aspect of clothing, food, accommodation, and transportation may put you in an extreme predicament." For example, when traveling, Zhang Yue managed to find two cars with his friends, but he needed a pass to go out. Many places They can't go.
Occasionally, there are unexpected situations. A few days ago, Zhang Yue went to the hotel next to Wuhan Tianhe Airport to meet with a research subject. As a result, she encountered a line of traffic control for two hours. In the end, Zhang Yue could only return the same way because she had no approval and press card. Another example is accommodation. Because the hotel they stayed in was constantly "expropriated", they changed three hotels before and after.
Filming team at work. Film side photo
There is also a lot of pressure on filming. Documentaries are usually "time for stories", and the shooting cycle and production cycle are longer. But "Wuhan" is a highly synchronized series of documentaries. The trailer only contains the first three episodes, and they are still shooting ahead.
"In a sense, it's a race against time, which is particularly stressful." Zhang Yue said, sometimes his sleep time was compressed to four or five hours, and the team members who were filming outside were harder, so he set a requirement for this. When you feel tired, stop immediately.
"Safety comes first." Zhang Yue said, every two weeks, he would take team members to do a nucleic acid test of a throat swab. The results of the previous few days showed that everyone was negative, and his lingering heart temporarily fell. Ground. "Actually, we are also responsible for our subjects." Zhang Yue said that during the interview invitation or survey process, they will also take the initiative to present a test report to reassure the other party.
Filming team at work. Film side photo
Volunteers in the film still adhere to the front line
Li Shaoyun was Zhang Yue's first subject in Wuhan. She was a pro-mother. She walked into the public eye with her young daughter driving a night taxi. In 2018, in the documentary "Long Live the Life", where Zhang Yue was the producer, Li Shaoyun was also one of the protagonists. She is also the prototype of the short film "Daughter" starring Zhou Xun.
However, at the beginning of 2020, an epidemic changed the lives of Wuhan people. When Zhang Yue saw Li Shaoyun again, she was busy coordinating information for the Wuhan volunteer team.
Video screenshot
The Wuhan Volunteer Team became the protagonist of the first phase of the documentary. They drove supplies, transported medical staff, and acted as "ferrymen" in Wuhan, which "closed the city."
There was a scene that touched many people. Volunteer Dan Dan suspended her work due to suspected symptoms. Volunteer "Elephant" went to give her medicines and vegetables, and it became difficult for her to go downstairs to get it. The "elephant" looked at her from a distance, and her tears "wheezed".
Video screenshot
Zhang Yue told a reporter from Chinanews.com that Dandan had the opportunity to go to the hospital for an examination after they were filmed. She was not very sick, but fortunately she did not have new coronary pneumonia and is currently recovering. And the other volunteers also insisted on the front line. Zhang Yue also met "Elephant" not long ago, and he brought two boxes of fruit and a box of milk to the shooting team.
"I admire him very much, a great volunteer." Zhang Yue said, two volunteers in the "elephant" convoy were suspected to be infected, and then he stopped the work of transporting medical staff and the entire convoy was transferred Aid. But he was still insisting on picking up medical staff. On the night when the fruit was delivered, "Elephant" had to pick up two medical staff to work.
Video screenshot
Record the true story of ordinary people
In a month in Wuhan, in addition to volunteers, Zhang Yuehe's team also filmed many retrogrades of different occupations, and also completed the shooting in the isolated wards of three hospitals. Most of the time, Zhang Yue maintained a restrained attitude. There was only one moment when he didn't froze. It was during the trailer. Sichuan doctor Huang Wei aided Wuhan alone. Before he set off, he asked his son, "What kind of person do you want your father to be? Is it coward or coward?" The son said to meet the difficulties, Huang Wei turned around and left.
Seeing this scene, Zhang Yue thought of her second grade son. "Actually, we are not going to shoot heroes who are tall." In Zhang Yue's view, "In Wuhan" is to record ordinary people in this city, their true stories and emotions.
Filming team at work. Film side photo
"Wuhan riveting", "The people of the country are in harmony with each other," Nianzi is here, these are his two favorite sentences. The former expresses the perseverance of Wuhan people and almost became the film title, while the latter represents everything the documentary wants to express. The epidemic will disappear, but memory will not.
"I try my best to present the real side of Wuhan as much as I can." Zhang Yue said, and he also hoped that their works would stay and form some kind of memory. (Finish)