The TV series "Our Ten Years", which is currently being broadcast on Guangdong Satellite TV, is divided into "Three Meals a Day", "Where the Heart Goes", "Swords", "Love", "The Future Has Come", "Ideal Life", "Qianhai" and "The Desert". Eleven units, "Light", "Xixiang Bright Moon", "Night Banquet in Tang Palace", and "Perseverance".
Among them, the section "Qianhai" is based on the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It tells the story of Hong Kong youth Ye Zhou (played by Lin Yi) who was attracted by the prosperous entrepreneurial environment of Qianhai DreamWorks in Guangdong, and Xiang Hai (played by Huang Zhizhong) played the dream workshop. The market-oriented advantage of public welfare projects supports Ye Zhou to overcome difficulties and adhere to the story of entrepreneurial ideals.
Recently, a reporter from the Yangcheng Evening News had an exclusive interview with Liu Xuesong, the director of the "Qianhai" unit, to listen to him share the behind-the-scenes stories of the drama and his thoughts and feelings in the creation.
behind the scenes
Filmed in Foshan, Shenzhen to restore the entrepreneurial boom in the Greater Bay Area
Yangcheng Evening News: To show the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, there are many themes to choose from. Why does Qianhai focus on the theme of Hong Kong youth entrepreneurship?
Liu Xuesong: This is related to the original intention of creation.
This year coincides with the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. It would be meaningful to create a work of a Hong Kong youth starting a business in Shenzhen and achieving success at this point.
Therefore, we chose Hong Kong youth as the protagonists of this unit.
Yangcheng Evening News: The story is based on the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Dream Workshop in Shenzhen. How reproducible is it in the play?
Liu Xuesong: Before shooting, we spent three days in DreamWorks to collect scenes, subdivided the scene, and finally decided that 100% of the entrepreneurial part was shot in DreamWorks. All main scenes, including offices, conference rooms, and small supermarkets in the play , are real scenes in DreamWorks.
Yangcheng Evening News: How were the scenes in Hong Kong shot?
Liu Xuesong: The filming in Hong Kong was indeed a difficult problem.
The entire shooting cycle of the "Qianhai" unit is only 12 to 13 days. The plot first shows Hong Kong in 1997, and then quickly "turns the scene" to the present Hong Kong. It is very difficult to restore the scene.
The staff of the art props group overcame the typhoon, rainstorm and other weather, did their best in the limited time and financial resources, and completed the work of setting up the scenery in Foshan.
Yangcheng Evening News: How to do it, can you talk about it?
Liu Xuesong: There must be precise calculations and judgments before starting the machine.
For example, it is necessary to clarify how large a scene the lens can bring through a window, and then the art props team will only do this small piece.
Not only me, but also the director of photography, the visual director, and the art director, all worked on the front line on the scene, and came up with the shooting plan directly on the scene.
This allows us not to do useless work, and to know what to do.
In addition, the scene is not only to be done, but also to be done.
For example, when doing street scenes, details such as the iconic yellow landmark lines and characteristic iron railings on Hong Kong’s asphalt roads must be restored.
Although everyone will work a little harder, it will be very attractive on the screen, and this kind of effort is worth it.
Yangcheng Evening News: In addition to refining the sub-shots and setting the scene accurately, what other key tasks are there in the early stage?
Liu Xuesong: The script!
Before the start of the film, the screenwriter had been interviewing and collecting styles in DreamWorks for nearly four months, and had compiled nearly 50,000 words of written materials. The first draft of the script was very solid.
But this unit has only four episodes, and the volume is very small. We need to condense and simplify the story and tell the story clearly. This is the first priority, and then we will pursue "telling wonderful".
In addition, how to control the budget and spend the money on the cutting edge; how to schedule the two laborious transitions... As a director, you must stand on multiple angles and make precise plans for the entire shooting.
actor
Luo Jialiang became a Cantonese guide, Ke Lan broke through the image
Yangcheng Evening News: There are a lot of Cantonese dialogues in "Qianhai", and the audience in the Greater Bay Area will be very cordial.
Liu Xuesong: Yes, we insisted that Hong Kong characters complete their performances in Cantonese. After they arrived in the mainland, they also spoke Cantonese-speaking Putonghua, rather than the sudden appearance of authentic Putonghua. We paid great attention to these details.
Mr. Luo Jialiang is our "Cantonese master" in the crew, and he knows the slang and local dialects used by Hong Kong citizens.
Teacher Ke Lan can also speak fluent Cantonese, and she also uses her own original voice.
In addition, our screenwriting team was on site throughout the whole process. Among them, the young screenwriter Wang Handi is from Guangzhou. His Cantonese is good, and he can play a role as a bridge to ensure that the Cantonese lines and sentences in the play are sufficiently authentic.
Yangcheng Evening News: The time is tight and the task is heavy. What is the biggest difficulty you encountered in filming?
Liu Xuesong: Actor schedule is the biggest difficulty.
The actor coordinator has negotiated many Hong Kong actors who are suitable for the role of Ye Pa and Ye Ma, but they could not be determined due to the epidemic situation and schedule.
There are still two or three days before we leave the machine, and the actors who play Ye's father and Ye's mother have not yet arrived, and because of the scene, we have to shoot the scene of Ye's father and Ye's mother on the first day of the show, which is really overwhelmed.
At this time, we suddenly learned that Teacher Luo Jialiang has already settled in Beijing, and he is very suitable for the role of Ye Dad in terms of age and acting skills.
He is also very willing to participate in such a meaningful work, which is great!
Yangcheng Evening News: Then how did you find Ke Lan?
The role of Mother Ye breaks through her previous screen image.
Liu Xuesong: Yes, a big breakthrough.
I collaborated with Mr. Ke Lan in "Emergency Doctor", in which she played a meticulous and very fanciful lawyer. Before, she played mostly upright roles.
This time, I want to play the role of Ye Mu, who is full of fireworks, and I still have my heart.
Unexpectedly, Ke Lan shook the small fan and fanned the wind, and performed a chattering and loving mother with just the right sense of joy. This is really a surprise, and it shows the plasticity of a good actor.
The credit for the recommender should go to Brother Zhizhong. At that time, when I couldn't find anyone, he gave me an idea and said, "Look for Ke Lan, she used to be the host of Hong Kong Phoenix TV".
Yangcheng Evening News: Lin Yi, who plays Ye Zhou, is very young and has never acted in a main theme drama before.
And a northerner is playing a young man from Hong Kong. Do you have any concerns when working with him?
Liu Xuesong: Frankly speaking, I had concerns.
I have participated in the shooting of some youthful works. I know Lin Yi, but I have never cooperated with him. I have no idea about his personal ability.
At the beginning, I also asked, "If it's really not suitable at all, do we have room for adjustment?" This is a question that I, as a director, put forward in the spirit of being responsible for the work.
However, I think his image and temperament fit the role.
In addition, high-quality young actors can help creators and attract more young audiences to watch the theme works.
Yangcheng Evening News: After the actual cooperation, does Lin Yi satisfy you?
Liu Xuesong: On the first day of filming, I felt Lin Yi's sense of responsibility as a child.
He not only read the script thoroughly, but also did his homework on the side.
He was always quiet at the scene. If Ke Lan and Teacher Luo Jialiang came, he would ask them for Cantonese pronunciation.
Although his role was dubbed later, Lin Yi also wanted to keep his mouth as consistent as possible.
Therefore, there was a happy scene of "a family of three studying Cantonese lines together" at the shooting site.
When he was leaving the group, Lin Yi told me that he absorbed a lot of nutrition in the crew and learned a lot, and hoped to participate more in the future.
I encouraged him: "Lin Yi, you must stick to your own ideas and dreams, and you will definitely become a good actor."
Yangcheng Evening News: You have previously cooperated with Mr. Huang Zhizhong for the "Dawn Action Against the Black", and this time you invited him to play the role of Xiang Hai. What qualities did you like in him?
Liu Xuesong: First of all, we cooperated very happily. He is a person who is full of energy. I just want to find Xiang Hai who is full of energy!
At the end of "Qian Hai", I have a small design, Xiang Hai supported Ye Zhou behind him and asked him to be careful.
This is a man who is reassuring to give his back to him.
In life, Zhizhong is also like this, his waist is always straight, his energy is always positive, and he doesn't pretend to be sincere inside and out.
This is what I want Xiang Hai.
message
Young people must have dreams and dare to chase them
Yangcheng Evening News: Although there are only four groups, "Qianhai" is very rich in content, including the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, parental affection, and life attitudes.
Why do so many additions?
Liu Xuesong: I think whether it is the theme of the main theme, or other film and television dramas, writing people is the first, and family is very important to the Chinese, and the Chinese are inseparable from family affection.
Therefore, Ye Zhou cannot be portrayed as an isolated character, he must be given emotions, character relationships, setbacks and difficulties...
Yangcheng Evening News: Therefore, in terms of creation, we did not reduce the requirements due to the limitation of size.
Liu Xuesong: Yes, the details can be removed, but there must be flesh and blood. We must strive to present a relatively rich image.
As a creator, you must be worthy of the producers and producers who trust you, as well as your own artistic conscience.
Yangcheng Evening News: At the end of "Qianhai", Ye Zhou did not succeed, but stepped into a new round of entrepreneurship. What is the purpose of this ending?
Liu Xuesong: The volume of four episodes cannot carry the whole process of a young man from the beginning of his business to his success. This is something we made clear before starting the film, so we let the story stop abruptly on the way of Ye Zhou - he may No success yet, but he's "on the road".
I think this is also in line with the reality of starting a business in the Greater Bay Area - "getting on a horse and giving you a ride", although no one can guarantee your success, everyone will go all out to help you.
In addition, Ye Zhou's growth is more valuable than success. From the beginning, he was fearful and reckless, single-handedly, and wanted to retreat when he encountered difficulties. Later, not only did he have a group of like-minded partners, but he could also face new challenges calmly.
Although Ye Zhou was not successful at the end of "Qianhai", the audience will believe that even if he does not succeed in starting a business, he will definitely be a successful person.
Things don't necessarily come true, but people do.
Yangcheng Evening News: How to understand the relationship between Ye Zhou and Xiang Hai?
Liu Xuesong: When I mention the name Ye Zhou, I will think of "One Leaf Canoe" and "The apes on both sides of the Strait can't stop crying, and the light boat has passed ten thousand mountains".
As his name suggests, even if there are difficulties, objections, and incomprehensions along the way, he can get through it.
For Ye Zhou, Xiang Hai is like a father, like a big brother and a friend. He represents a kind of tolerance and love, and Xiang Hai can be understood as the water that supports this light boat to cross the mountains.
Both names are from the screenwriter, but that's how I interpret it.
In addition, Xiang Hai and Ye Zhou are in harmony and mutual help.
When he was young, he encountered setbacks in starting a business, and his ambitions were not fulfilled, but Xiang Hai still had a sea in his heart, and he still wanted to toss and toss.
The passion and indomitable drive brought by Ye Zhou once again inspired Xiang Hai's inner enthusiasm. They united, inspired each other, and helped each other move forward together.
Yangcheng Evening News: Can you share your thoughts on the creation of such main theme TV series?
Liu Xuesong: "Speak human words, don't hold it, be interesting", I said these nine words at the preparatory meeting for the launch.
Let's not just shout slogans, but let the story lively and make the audience love it.
Yangcheng Evening News: What do you hope the audience will learn from Qianhai?
Liu Xuesong: Through the unit "Qianhai", I hope parents can give their children more trust and support.
I hope young people must have dreams and dare to chase them.
There is a saying that "reach out for the stars, even if you can't, at least you won't be full of mud".
Once you have a dream, you have to reach out hard, maybe it won't succeed, but you must persevere, this is what I want to express.
Reporter Ai Xiuyu Huang Yinglin
Yangcheng Evening News