Son Zheng Yaqi made the first directorial animation "Shuck Beta" and gained high reputation
Zheng Yuanjie: I have a little sense of accomplishment
Pushing open the door of the conference room of Pipilu's Mobilization Culture Technology Co., Ltd., two men with the same bald head and the same vigorous stance stood up together. This is the father and son of Zheng Yuanjie and Zheng Yaqi. However, the protagonist of this interview is not the famous "fairy tale king" Zheng Yuanjie, but the little Zheng classmate who first became a director.
Zheng Yaqi called his father "Lao Zheng". Lao Zheng was humorous and funny, and Xiao Zheng behaved generously. The mode of their relationship was free and equal. The children that Lao Zheng personally tuned out are naturally not bad, but Zheng Yuanjie still didn't expect his son to let him reach the level of "not calm" as soon as his son shot.
Although Xiao Zheng respected Lao Zheng, he did not report everything to his father, so he quietly became the director of the cartoon "Shuck Beta". After the work was broadcast, the word of mouth was good, which surprised Lao Zheng. Yu also has a sense of accomplishment of inheritance.
Old Zheng writes fairy tales, and Xiao Zheng shoots his father's fairy tales. It sounds like a perfect combination partner, but things are not so simple. Lao Zheng generally has such a "prejudice" about film and television adaptations, and believes that it will definitely hurt the essence of the original work. Xiao Zheng, with his father’s distrust, is immersed in his own research, and he has just learned step by step to become a director. .
In an interview, Zheng Yuanjie was also the first time he heard his son telling about the pressure of this creative process, and looked at his son with distressed eyes: "We usually keep our heads bald, if you don't say it, I really can't see it."
Perhaps, if Lao Zheng was not ready to splash cold water at any time, Zheng Yaqi would not come up with such a beloved "Shuck Beta", not only did it not "destroy the childhood", but let many people relive the childhood and let the current The children have a new company.
In this cartoon, you can see that many small details are paying tribute to Zheng Yuanjie's work. This son's deep love for his father, this tacit understanding and guardianship formed in the years, is also "Shuck Beta" 》The real reason for success.
Helping my son find a bicycle and discover the theft at home
Zheng Yuanjie still remembers that he knew that Zheng Yaqi couldn't help being annoyed when he directed "Shuck Beta", and in the process, he also interspersed a very dramatic "theft case".
On August 14 last year, Zheng Yaqi called his father and said that he needed to use the folding bicycle that was in his home. Zheng Yuanjie had a house dedicated to storing celebrity calligraphy and paintings and his out-of-print books. That bike was there. That house, Zheng Yuanjie could not go one or two trips a year. On August 16, Zheng Yuanjie went to get the bicycle. It turned out that the lock could not be unlocked, "I asked Yaqi why he wanted a bicycle. Yaqi said he would go to the American Fireman's Day. This event is held in the Nevada desert. Everyone must bring their own supplies and transportation. Tools, and he is making an animation of "Shuck Beta", which has a scene to go to aliens. He feels that there is an alien atmosphere in Fireman Day, so he wants to take some pictures and feel it."
Zheng Yuanjie was anxious when he heard it: "'You are a director? You haven't learned it, not only have you never studied director, you haven't even learned it,' I told him no, I can't be a director,'After broadcasting, you You will be scolded, and the filming is not good. The other directors are 5 points, because you are my son, you will be given 3 points.'I will let him send me rough cuts to show me.'
The next day, Zheng Yaqi sent a rough cut to Zheng Yuanjie. Zheng Yuanjie watched the table and said: "It's done." The son's level made Zheng Yuanjie very happy, so he decided to reward his son. He took the key and took the bicycle to his son again. However, the door still could not be opened. If you look closely, the lock was changed. The 100,000 books in the house were stolen. The thief moved the car for three days. Zheng Yuanjie immediately reported the case, "Theft is the matter of the past few days. Surveillance videos are still there, and the case was solved in 23 hours."
It's just like this, there is such a story about "Shuck Beta". Zheng Yaqi's level of animation is good, and he has helped his family avoid losses. It is also considered a "double happiness".
"Shuck Beta" premiered in September last year and was broadcast simultaneously on multiple platforms such as CCTV, Tencent Video, Little Penguin Paradise, Aurora TV, and Tencent Children's Channel. It has been rebroadcasted three or four times on CCTV, and Tencent has reached 800 million views. Douban scored 8.7 and became the most popular domestic cartoon during the epidemic.
The "Shuck and Beta" shot by Shanghai Meiying Film Factory 30 years ago is the first. The new version of "Shuck Beta" has such a high reputation, which is really rare. Zheng Yuanjie also breathed a sigh of relief and was proud of his son. "I have asked him to keep a low profile and don't accept media interviews, but I think it's okay this time, and I have a little sense of accomplishment."
To be a director is to "catch a duck on the shelf"
For Zheng Yaqi, it was an accident to be a director himself, which meant a little bit of "catch the duck to the shelf".
As the CEO of Pipiru, Zheng Yaqi made no secret that his job was to "make money." For more than ten years, he has helped Zheng Yuanjie's income more than 20 times. Last year alone, Zheng Yuanjie's book sold more than 100 million yards.
Since there is profit in hand, why not sell IP directly to earn royalties? Why do you have to make your own animation, which is hard to please? This is a question that Zheng Yuanjie often asks Zheng Yaqi.
Zheng Yaqi admits that this was indeed the case before, but it turned out to be not very successful. Some of them were not very satisfied with the content they made, and some were unable to be broadcast for various reasons after completion. This made Zheng Yaqi realize that he needed to personally control the IP content. , "Only you will cherish and treat your works."
Zheng Yaqi revealed that they signed a contract with Tencent to shoot "Shuck Beta", from signing to broadcast only one and a half years, and for the 26-episode film length, Hollywood production time is usually two and a half to three years: " In addition to being familiar with the story of the original Zheng Zheng is an advantage, our other operations are all built from scratch. The production management department took me to various teams to try to find a suitable director, screenwriter, art, etc. I have seen a lot, but I still can't determine the candidate. Domestic cartoons are usually unit dramas, one episode and one story. There are few continuous stories like "Shuck Beta", and good directors of such cartoons are not many."
Zheng Yaqi, who started with "Xiao Bai", contacted different teams in this way, slowly made various decisions, and was pushed to the "no one sets you" situation, and eventually became a director: "Although Lao Zheng’s education has always been through Encouragement, turning idiots into geniuses, but my responsibility as director is not only related to the success or failure of a work itself, but also involves the company’s financing, etc. Although I am a very confident person, I still have a lot of pressure Our team is so anxious that they can lose their hair, although I don’t see any hair in this hairstyle."
It's very gratifying to see the barrage of Tibetan eggs in "Shuck Beta"
What makes Zheng Yaqi proud is that the entire production team of "Shuck Beta" was finally completed by the "All China Class". "At the beginning, we also found foreign screenwriters, and Hollywood and European teams. A Hollywood screenwriter said that now Hollywood The double male lead drama usually has two or even three female lead actors. I said that adding roles is ok, but it can't be added to the protagonist. There is also a European screenwriter's suggestion to change Shuk and Beta into a man and a woman. I absolutely can't agree. He adapted the works of Lao Zheng, he has four words:'Comply with the original', so no matter how we adapt it, the core cannot be separated from these four words."
The cartoon image of Shuke and Beta was a challenge that Zheng Yaqi faced when he became a director. Because the production time is tight, if the image cannot be settled early, other productions are impossible to talk about, "Design companies in South Korea, Japan and Europe have found, Seven or eight hundred images were made, and in the end the image made by ourselves was recognized by the team."
Although being a director is a last resort, Zheng Yaqi has been planning for five years to enter the animation market, and has been waiting for "the right place and the right people": "Before the animation in China lacked a business model, it was difficult to produce high-quality. Animation, I refused the temptation of countless high licensing fees, I don’t want to ruin everyone’s mind in Shuke Beta, I can’t ruin everyone’s childhood, or Lao Zheng’s youth. If IP is ruined, cultural creativity For a small company, it is a devastating blow. Now, the domestic animation market is on track and the time is ripe."
In "Shuck Beta", there is Zheng Yaqi's respect and respect for his father. For example, on the ceiling of Shuke's room is a photo of Zheng Yuanjie's air force when he was young; the extracurricular book that Shuke pretended to study was "The Rat King Makes a Life" written by Zheng Yuanjie records the story of "True and False Shuke" in this book.
These small details contain a unique emotion between father and son, but what is interesting is that Zheng Yaqi found in the barrage that many viewers can also recognize these "treasures" with glaring eyes.
It is said that there are few barrage interactions in children's cartoons, because most of the children who watched it were still unable to type to express their views, but in "Shuck Beta", the average number of barrage per episode is more than a thousand, but it makes people feel that this is not Cartoons for children. Not only that, there are many "overage children" hidden in the barrage, "30 years old to check in, 80s are also watching, there are 70s" and so on completely "exposed" their age, and this also proves that Shuk The two little mice Beta have great influence and wide coverage.
Zheng Yaqi laughed and said that he likes to watch the barrage of "Shuck Beta" because there will be a sense of happiness that "your heart is felt by others". "It's very gratifying to see the barrage. Shuk and Beta met for the first time." There is a line saying, “I’m flying for the first time, but I feel like I’ve been in it for 30 years.” This nostalgic line made many audiences cry. Zheng Yaqi said that for such a line that runs through the years, the production team After thinking for half a month, I just want to see my feelings in this subtle place."
Zheng Yaqi revealed that at present they have signed a four-season contract with "Shook Beta" with Tencent, and he is busy with the story of the third season. In addition, "Shuck Beta" also plans to make a movie and put it on the screen at the right time, and is now preparing for it.
Start watching "Alien" and "Terminator" at the age of 6
The success of "Shuck Beta" is related to Zheng Yaqi's strong self-learning ability, which is attributed to Lao Zheng's unique education method.
The way in which Zheng Yaqi grew up is legendary, and the story of how old Zheng taught Xiao Zheng is also a household name. When Zheng Yaqi was 8 years old, Zheng Yuanjie told him: "Before the age of 18, I will give you what you want. After the age of 18, I will leave you alone, but I will give you what I want." After Zheng Yaqi Elementary School graduated, No longer going to school, Zheng Yuanjie wrote 10 sets of teaching materials for him. In the end, Zheng Yaqi, who had only an elementary school diploma, successfully managed his father's intellectual property into a cultural brand with a revenue of more than 100 million yuan.
Nowadays, many people ask Zheng Yaqi for "successful experience" as a director. Zheng Yaqi laughed that he might have watched too many comics, movies, and cartoons in a free-range state, and had a good aesthetic. "Just In terms of content, as with writing, directors are very personal in content creation, and their achievements have a lot to do with the talent and judgment of human nature. In fact, all artistic creations are personalized and need to be adequate. High emotional intelligence and awareness of human nature. I have seen a lot of things since I was a child, and technical things are not too difficult for me."
Zheng Yaqi’s childhood envied countless people. He loved to play games, and Lao Zheng didn’t care; watching movies, Lao Zheng accompanied him to rent videotapes. “When I was 6, Lao Zheng took me to rent videotapes. I haven’t The counter in the store is high, and I can’t see anything inside. I said that I watched "Alien", and the owner told Lao Zheng that I couldn’t see it. Lao Zheng said:'Are you afraid, it's okay, if he wants to see it, "Look," I don’t object to "Alien" and "Terminator". I bought two video recorders and recorded it for me to give me time to watch. Lao Zheng gave me a lot of free space. I have one The pictures I took when I was a kid were taken when I was playing the first game console. Before the age of 18, I didn’t restrict what I wanted. Even if I played games all day, he wouldn’t stop saying that it was bad for the eyes, but accompany Let me play, he said he would wear glasses anyway."
Zheng Yaqi said that at that time Lao Zheng expected him to be independent at the age of 18, "He never imposed any expectations on me. At that time, I didn’t have any ideas about what I grew up with. I loved to play games when I was a kid. After-sale games are also good, because you can still play."
Interestingly, perhaps the idea of “self-reliance” that Zheng Yuanjie instilled in his son was too early. Zheng Yaqi had a sense of “crisis”. His favorite game when he was a kid was commercial. In fact, Lao Zheng is also "hearted and hard-working". By playing games with his children, he makes his son feel that the company of his family is more important. Instead, the children will not be too addicted and addicted to it.
The success of children's education stems from the parents' "body teaching"
In addition to the driving license and diving license, there must be professional teachers and professors. Zheng Yaqi, who has a wide range of interests, learns other skills by self-study. For example, in order to improve learning efficiency, he read a lot of books on time management and found that less sleep time is a major advantage of time management, so he conducted a "full-scale study" of sleep. And his strong and healthy figure is also a "self-study achievement": "Everyone who meets me loves to ask me how long I exercise, what kind of personal education do I ask, in fact, I learned it by watching videos myself, I always feel that I can learn, why should I Spend money to find someone else to learn?"
This powerful learning ability can be said to support the courage and strength of Zheng Yaqi's "fighting the sword to the world". "This may be related to my failure to go to school. No one can only learn by myself, repairing computers, writing strategies, doing web pages, and learning. Make me especially happy."
Regarding his son’s self-study process, Zheng Yuanjie recognized: “In 1993, a friend told me that I could write on the computer instead of writing with pen and paper. I took Yaqi and spent 15 thousand I bought a 486. At that time, the computer loved something wrong. Every time I had to carry a heavy computer to repair it. After three trips, Yaqi could repair it by himself, and no one taught it. When the Internet fee was 5000 yuan a month, he was on the Internet, and I was trembling at the loss of the network fee. He played a game called Amao and Agou, and then wrote a "Amao and Agou Raiders" published in the "China Computer News" "I earned more than 100 yuan in manuscript fees. When I asked him when to submit the manuscript, he said that he was at home and sent it by email. I heard it and felt very fresh."
Talking about the experience of educating children, Zheng Yuanjie emphasized "body teaching". He said that he had no requirements for children, but when he was at home, he always wrote or read books when he saw them: "I am also like this. Just because my father is always reading, so under the influence of my father, I also love reading. Now when we meet, we also recommend to each other what good books I have read recently." Hearing this, Zheng Yaqi agreed: "Reading is very important , Reading can really change my life. Someone asked me to write an inscription at the event. All I write is'reading changes my life'."
Zheng Yuanjie believes that another important point is to keep the children curious and imaginative, which is very important for a person's life. Zheng Yaqi admired his father's imagination very much: "He never experiences life in writing and doesn't usually go out. He just sits there and writes for over thirty years, always inspired."
Zheng Yaqi said that for the first time, he really thought that it was when he was three or four years old, "I got chickenpox, I was very itchy and I couldn't scratch it, and I couldn't sleep because of the itch. Old Zheng would tell me a story and tell his skin. I heard Piru’s story so it didn’t tickle. I thought he wrote it really well.”
According to Zheng Yuanqi, Zheng Yuanjie's "senior fan", Zheng Yuanjie's works will never be outdated, and can be used as a brand like Marvel. For Zheng Yuanjie, his writing inspiration is still more: "I used to be at four in the morning Write more. During the epidemic, when no one meets again at night, I go to bed at 8 o'clock and get up to write at 2:30."
Zheng Yuanjie will not interfere with how Zheng Yaqi runs the company on weekdays, but will come to the company to sign when he needs to sign the contract. Zheng Yaqi uses the timing of the contract to "encourage" his father to have a healthy and long life, so that the authorization can last for a long time, and old Zheng also uses it obediently. Own a unique way to exercise, successfully control blood pressure and weight.
That's it. The way of expressing love between father and son is the same as in their works. They are never preaching, but inadvertently see the true feelings.
Text/Reporter Zhang Jia