How to evaluate the relationship between Bona and the Hong Kong film industry? Being able to support this topic also confirms to some extent the indissoluble relationship between Yu Dong and the Hong Kong film industry. In an exclusive interview with a Ta Kung Pao reporter in Guangzhou, a flower city with bright sunshine in November, Yu Dong said: "I should be the mainland filmmaker who has won the most Hong Kong Film Awards, as many as six times. Looking back at the 18 years, Bona's in-depth cooperation with the Hong Kong film and television circle, Yu Dong is reluctant to use a model to simply summarize. He believes that "Chosin Lake", which is currently flying at the box office and word of mouth, is not only a comprehensive review of the Chinese film industry, but also the best interpretation of the joint efforts of mainland and Hong Kong filmmakers to create excellent Chinese films.
"Have you all seen the film?" In the movie, you should not be able to see which director made it, right? Yu Dong, who took a seat with a cup of coffee, first threw out his concerns before officially accepting an exclusive interview with the Ta Kung Pao reporter. The movie "Changjin Lake" refreshed the Box Office list of Chinese films with a box office of 5.7 billion yuan (RMB). Different from the platter films of famous directors in the past, "Chosin Lake" co-directed by three directors, the audience did not have a sense of separation when watching the film, which made Yu Dong secretly proud.
In Yu Dong's view, if "Chosin Lake" is not three directors performing their duties, one director will shoot a short board. In this regard, he has his own interpretation: Chen Kaige is more secure in the atmosphere of the times; Lin Chaoxian is better at the design of war scenes; Xu Ke is very delicate in the integrity of the film and vivid emotional expression.
Attack the main melody blockbuster Hong Kong director into the ace
"Chosin Lake" takes the campaign to resist THE United States and aid Korea as the theme. (Ta Kung Pao)
Why can the main theme of commercial films repeatedly win the championship and constantly refresh the box office list of Chinese films? Yu Dong gave his own answer: it is a natural time, place, and people, but also the needs of real life, and it is also a chemical reaction to the continuous improvement and development of China's film industry system. Among them, more than 95% of the special effects production of "Chosin Lake" is almost completed by the post-production company and team in Hong Kong.
Timeline back to 2003, when the Mainland and Hong Kong signed CEPA (Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between the Mainland and Hong Kong). As a result, many well-known Hong Kong directors have gone north, opening a tide of co-productions. At the same time, Bona, led by Yu Dong, also began in-depth cooperation with the Hong Kong film industry. In the five years since, about 80% of Hong Kong films have gone north through Bona. Among them, there is also a whole package distribution model. On the other hand, Bona also actively joined hands with Hong Kong directors with different styles such as Wang Jing, Xu Ke, Lin Chaoxian, Liu Weiqiang, etc., and gradually stepped out of the commercial blockbuster model of "Bona + Hong Kong director + big production" to gain word of mouth.
The second notable turning point was in 2014. The success of Bona and Xu Ke's "Wise Tiger Mountain" allowed Yu Dong to begin to fully transform into the creative direction of the main theme commercial genre film.
"Hong Kong directors and producers can better control these Chinese themes and create them in a way that is more in line with the audience's taste." The longer he worked with Hong Kong filmmakers, Yu Dong was still amazed at the production ability of Hong Kong to produce more than 300 feature films per year in those years. The construction of the industrial system, the cultivation of professional talents, and the productivity and creativity of the golden age of Hong Kong film and television are still outstanding in today's Chinese films.
From 2014 to the present, Boehner has produced the "Mountains, Rivers and Sea Trilogy", "China Pride Trilogy" and now the "China Victory Trilogy", and the nine main theme commercial films are all directed by Hong Kong directors. It can be said that when Bona attacked the main theme of commercial blockbusters, Hong Kong directors also transformed into "old cannons" of this genre.
Companies set up in the Bay Area to support Hong Kong's emerging talents
Yu Dong (from left), Xu Ke, Chen Kaige and Lin Chaoxian stood for the movie "Chosin Lake". (Ta Kung Pao)
"This is also a two-way result of cultural communication and cultural communication." Yu Dong explained it this way. Looking back, in terms of promoting cooperation between the mainland and the Hong Kong film circles, he also quipped: "I should be the mainland filmmaker who has won the most Hong Kong Film Awards, and there are as many as six times in the rough calculation." ”
"Continued integration is still the trend of the times." Yu Dong bluntly said that the market for Hong Kong films may become smaller and smaller, and this "small" is not because it becomes smaller itself, but because it contrasts with the mainland market. Yu Dong also clearly remembers that in 2003, the mainland film market was about 1.5 billion yuan at the box office, when Hong Kong's film box office was almost 1.5 billion Hong Kong dollars. However, looking at the present, the mainland's 60 billion box office (RMB) performance is in front, but Hong Kong is still hovering at the 1 billion (Hong Kong dollar) performance line.
With the emergence of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Bona Pictures also set up a company in Nansha, Guangzhou, riding the East Wind. One year after landing in the Greater Bay Area, Bona handed over his first report card with "Chinese Doctor". "I hope to invest in more films by young Hong Kong directors, who can be so that newborn calves are not afraid of tigers." Just as director Zhuang Wenqiang once sighed: I have written many stories and many scripts, but no one has invested. I don't know why it is Yu Dong's boss who invests every time, he is really bold.
Yu Dong, who is good at digging up new directors, also generously stated that he wanted to invest in the works of more young Hong Kong filmmakers and let the famous director lead the way to be a supervising producer for young directors, and Bona's resource reserves in this regard were rich enough. In Yu Dong's view, the victory of "Chosin Lake" is not only a comprehensive review of the Chinese film industry, but also the best interpretation of the cohesion of Bona and Hong Kong filmmakers.
Filming "Lake Chosin", it is worth it!
Yu Dong (center) and the main creator of the film "Chosin Lake". (Ta Kung Pao)
A thrilling battle 71 years ago made many spectators choke and sob this winter. "Chosin Lake" box office and word of mouth flew together, as a producer Yu Dong recently attended many occasions, did not forget to thank the 122 million viewers who walked into the cinema. Everyone is interested in understanding the history of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea for many years, lamenting the past of this history and the heroic stories that can be sung and wept, Yu Dong said that the film has achieved its artistic expression of caring for reality.
In an hour of interviewing reporters, Yu Dong spent a lot of time calmly switching between slow narration and talk. Speaking of the moment when he was touched by the audience's response, he said that the deepest impression was that some netizens said that they had been waiting for the easter egg after the end of the movie, but the movie did not, but when he walked out of the movie theater and saw the prosperity of the city and the citizens living in peace, he thought that everything in front of him was the easter egg of the movie.
This view has aroused the resonance of many netizens, and it has also deeply touched Yu Dong. He feels that the original intention and significance of making this film has been received by young people. The value of this "worthy" also lies in the fact that more young audiences can add a kind of concern to today's real society, know how to cherish this era of peace, and cherish all the happiness that seems to be taken for granted.
"Chosin Lake" is co-directed by three directors, but it does not make the audience feel divided. (Ta Kung Pao)
There is a line in the film that makes Yu Dong feel very touched: If we don't fight this battle, it will be our next generation. Looking back at the road, 50-year-old Yu Dong, in his childhood memories, was also inspired by the heroic stories of films such as "Shangganling" and "Heroes and Children". After many years in the industry, he keenly discovered that the Battle of Chosin Lake, the founding battle of New China, had always been little known. Many young people have read the famous "Who is the cutest person", but they can rarely feel and move in film and television.
As a large-scale film in the history of Chinese cinema, the main creative team of "Changjin Lake" has spent more than two years of meticulous preparation, more than 70,000 extras participating, 188 days of shooting cycle and super large-scale costume props, which have been talked about by the public.
Yu Dong said that in addition to the three directors of "Changjin Lake", Chen Kaige, Xu Ke and Lin Chaoxian, the screenwriters have also made some hard work. It is reported that the first version of the script is 130,000 words, and there are still 60,000 words after refining. Nowadays, there are also many sharing posts on mainland social platforms about excerpts from the classic lines of "Chosin Lake", and netizens get together to share and discuss the lines that touch them. "The main creative staff can straighten their waists and be proud for a while." Some netizens sighed with the post.
Next theme or lock "Lin Zexu"
Yu Dongzan is like a treasure theme library in the Greater Bay Area, and there are many themes that he wants to shoot. (Photo by Ta Kung Pao reporter Hu Ruozhang)
Behind the new Chinese film box office list of "Changjin Lake", Guangdong leads the rest of the mainland with a box office contribution rate of 12.75%. In the first week of the film's release in Hong Kong, the box office also exceeded 10 million Hong Kong dollars. The vitality of this hot land of the Greater Bay Area is being felt by Yu Dong as a participant.
"Mainland Hong Kong co-productions are a major feature and advantage of Bona Pictures." For example, Yu Dong said that Bona Pictures has successively produced "Sister Peach", "Generation Grandmaster", "When is the Bright Moon", "Chasing the Dragon", "Peerless", etc., all of which are based on retaining the classic elements of Hong Kong films, and are innovatively interpreted by the times, opening up a road of transformation and innovation for Hong Kong films. For the humanistic story theme of the Greater Bay Area, he is quite admired. In addition to the "Biography of Zhong Nanshan" that is being promoted, Yu Dong also revealed his next goal to reporters: Lin Zexu, as the "first person" to open his eyes to the world in modern times, his story still has reference significance for the present.
Yu Dong admitted that this kind of large-scale costume theme story requires a long time to prepare. At the same time, it is imperative to shoot some light-weight scenes. The once popular "Guangdong love story" or "food in Guangzhou, cooking out of Fengcheng" food culture, the chef story behind it, has a new chapter in the era of the Greater Bay Area. He also praised that the Greater Bay Area is like a treasure theme library, but there are too many to be excavated. Yu Dong promised himself that he would take more time to walk around the Greater Bay Area next year and discover more movie themes that young people like to hear.
Having reached the age of knowing the Destiny of Heaven, Yu Dong is still full of ideals. In his plan, selling Chinese films to the world and doing a good job in global synchronous publicity and distribution are also his next goals.
Source: Ta Kung Pao